Daily Fluff

This is how Beau sleeps.  Laughing first thing in the morning is pretty awesome.  This dog is a constant source of entertainment. 

Asian Burgers

The first thing (besides the sauce) that we wanted to make out of the Good Stuff Cookbook was the burger Stud had last time we were in DC...at the Good Stuff Eatery.  The boy loves Asian food.  It calls for some crazy ingredients like daikon and pickled red onion.  Yeah, not when you only have an hour to throw together dinner after work/school.  This is our take!

Asian Burgers

1 lb. ground beef (with some salt and pepper)

Red onion, thinly sliced

Fresh basil leaves (Thai basil if available)

Swiss cheese

Sriracha Mayonnaise

Directions – grill (or cook inside on a skillet) and assemble.  We did a make-your-own style.  Stud piled on the red onions and sriracha mayo.  I took almost all of the basil.  

No kidding.  This is one of the best burgers I have ever had – and made at home!  Fresh herbs on a burger are amazing.  Make this burger.

Sauce King

Stud loves to cook, which I love.  But we tend towards very different recipes.  I like to make one specific item, and then build a meal around that item.  Stud like to stir.  So he makes a lot of stir frys, curries, etc…  And then his obsession with sauces in general.  His BBQ sauce is actually becoming really really good the more he tweaks it.  So when our friend Whit Tritt sent us a new cookbook that had an entire section devoted to sauces, I knew the fridge would be getting some new concoctions.  And they are so delicious to have on hand.  Maybe dangerous more than delicious seeing as I am now putting Sriracha Mayonnaise on a grilled cheese.

Sriracha Mayonnaise (makes a little over 1 cup)

1 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. Sriracha hot sauce

1 T. sweetened condensed milk

You would think that makes way too much for two people.  Nope.  We have already put a huge dent in it. 

Daily Fluff

Last weekend, Beau joined Stud and me in watching the World Cup.  Such an avid sports fan.

Basic Pasta Salad

During the summer, if I have a refrigerator full of really random things, we eat pasta salad.  I have a basic dressing I make, and then I just throw anything in there, give it a toss, stick it in the fridge and I’m finished.  Since it’s so easy, it’s a regular summer staple.

 Pasta Salad (per 1lb pasta)

1 ½ T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. Dijon mustard

Salt

Pepper

Mayonnaise

Olive oil

I use just enough olive oil to coat the noodles and a large spoonful of mayo, then add in everything else and adjust as needed. Pasta salad is definitely one of those things where I eat a good portion during the cooking/stirring process.  A lot of it depends on what’s going in.  Herbs are always involved, but they vary as well depending on the ingredients.  Pasta salad is something you just have to start basic, and add until you like it.  The one above has feta, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes.  We snacked on it for days.  It was perfection.

Grilled Steamed Veggies

Stud and I use (and by that I really mean just Stud) a charcoal grill, so when we (again, just Stud) go through the effort of getting coals ready and grilling, we like to maximize its use.  Therefore we make a lot of grill bread.  But now that more veggies are coming into season, we have been throwing some veggies on there as well.  Instead of actually putting them on the grill, we grill them in foil with some awesomeness so they are more steamed.

Steamed Veggies on the Grill

Salt and Pepper

3 T. olive oil

½ t. red pepper flakes

½ T. dried basil/oregano/rosemary/thyme (any or all)

½ t. garlic powder

1 onion, sliced thickly

2 zucchini, sliced

1 red pepper, seeds removed and cubed

(The options are basically endless, we were just working with what I had in the fridge)

I would recommend using heavy duty tin foil for this since a break in the foil ruins the steaming.  Lay one piece out large enough for most of the veggies to lay in a single layer.  Fold the edges up slightly so it’s like a huge bowl.  Add in the olive oil, salt, pepper, basil,  oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic powder.  Toss until everything is well coated. Using another large piece of tin foil, cover the top and wrap the edges together tightly so you have a huge veggie envelope.  Place over medium heat for about 16 minutes, flipping halfway through, trying your best not to tear the foil.  Afterwards, unwrap and enjoy!

It’s like a veggie present.  It’s a nice way to cook vegetables on the grill without having to worry about them falling through the cracks in the grill or burning.  And it’s even better because Stud makes the veggies and I get to sit and enjoy a nice cold beer while he grills.

Vive la France!

This in no way references the Women's World Cup match from yesterday.  I was pulling for USA all the way!!  So excited to see them play Japan in the finals.  I played soccer for one whole year when I was like eight.  But TODAY!  Today is a day for France!  It's Bastille Day!  Basically, it's a day where I can let my francophile-self shine and people don't think it's too weird.  To celebrate, I think I'll make crepes with Nutella and banana.  For you all, here is a listing of some of my French-ish recipes:

French Onion Dip
Brussel Sprouts
French Fries
Potatoes Anna
Gippers Chicken Meaux Moutarde
Mushroom Lasagna
Rosemary Pizza Dough
Figs, Caramelized Onions, Prosciutto, and Arugula
Potato Pizza
Kentucky Cassoulet 
Mussels in a Cream Sauce
Quiche Lorraine
Madeleines

I'm Back!

Dear few readers, I have missed blogging, I hope you have not abandoned me.  I have also been slacking on the cooking front, but I plan to make up for it.  Stud and I spent one week down in Florida soaking up the sunshine as he prepared to kick off his fourth (!!!) and final year of medical school.  Then I came home to a final in Finance III, rough.  I hope I passed, but that is why I have not been up here the past few weeks.  I did manage to squeeze in a few fun summer activities.  But now I have two whole weeks without class and I plan to stuff Stud's face with experiments and we were able to start tonight thanks to a new cookbook that is quickly becoming a favorite.  But more on that later.  So just to tide you over, here is a photo documentation of the past two weeks in the Bourbon and Chocolate life.

Sunset in Captiva

Woof.

Polo match in KY? Of course!

Sweet dog child.