Arugula, Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

There are few food events I like more than a good old back yard barbeque.

After all the time spent working in the garden and the recent impulse purchase of a smoker, Wes and I have been dying to have some family over for some tasty morsels and time out in the yard. So, last minute we decided to pull the trigger and get some people together last Sunday.

As per my usual crazy, hours before people came over I was running around like a crazy person, prepping and cleaning and decorating. Heaven forbid I just freaking relax and enjoy a little get together.

About an hour out from party time I was feeling pretty good about everything coming together and after I finished on the bathroom I was going to call it a day and hop in the shower and get myself ready.

I was going to get myself good and ready in plenty of time and then sit and have a cocktail and enjoy the smoker and the good company. And then, as I was pulling out my last Clorox bleach wipe, there was a knock at the door.

At first, I thought Wesley was messing with me. But when I came down, there they were. The family that shall remain nameless showed up over and hour early.

Granted, this was a complete accident so who can blame them. But…. Um…. Instant panic.

How dare someone catch me off guard with out my perfect outfit in my perfectly decorated home with awesomely tasty smelling food cooking in the kitchen?

Luckily I was able to suck it up and realize how stupid it is for me to even care about those things and we all had a good laugh and a great time.

And I may not have looked perfect, and my place no doubt did not, but the food was a hit.

Bust this summer salad out and your party will be garmented success, no matter who shows up early.

You will need…

6 cups arugula

4 cups chopped watermelon

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine the arugula, watermelon and goat cheese.

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is warm, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the vinegar until reduced by about 1/3^rd. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to about room temperature.

Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinegar and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and toss well. Top with basil and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Arugula, Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

6 cups arugula

4 cups chopped watermelon

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine the arugula, watermelon and goat cheese.

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is warm, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the vinegar until reduced by about 1/3^rd. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to about room temperature.

Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinegar and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and toss well. Top with basil and serve. 

Crispy Potato and Radish Halibut with Pomegranate and Roasted Carrot Salad

Happy Friday Foodies!

Friday. The word is so sweet! And it is made even sweeter this week with only two Friday’s before the Christmas holiday.

It has taken me a while, but I’m finally starting to feel a bit in the holiday spirit. With commercials on like this one, it is hard not too.

Now that I’m feeling the holiday inspiration, it’s carrying through to my cooking.

Mix up your holiday dinner party with this festive and tasty dish.

You will need…

4 halibut filets, about 6 oz each

1 large russet potato, peeled and grated

4 radishes, grated

1 bunch of carrots, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces (I used heirloom carrots)

1 cup pomegranate seeds

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 tablespoon brown sugar, divided

6 cups arugula

1 cup flour

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss together the vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and carrots. Season well with salt and pepper and lay the carrots out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast the carrots until they are tender. About 30 to 40 minutes.

While the carrots are roasting, combine the potato, radish and remaining brown sugar in a bowl and season the mixture well with salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg and pour it onto a plate. Lay out the flour on a second plate and season the flour with salt and pepper.

Pat down the fish well with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper on both sides.

Dip one side of the fish in the flour and then in the egg wash. Top the egg wash with the potato mixture in a thin layer. Repeat until all the fish have little potato tops.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet until it is hot. Sear the fish non potato side down first. Sear it just until it is browned and easy to flip. About 2 minutes. (Yes I realize the photo shows the opposite of my description. Cooking the potato side down first like I foolishly did will not yield as crispy a potato top as doing it the correct way will.)

Flip the fish and continue to cook until the potatoes are golden brown and the fish is cooked through. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Toss together the roasted carrots, arugula and pomegranates and divide it all among four plates.

Top each plate of arugula with a piece of fish and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Crispy Potato and Radish Halibut with Pomegranate and Roasted Carrot Salad

4 halibut filets, about 6 oz each

1 large russet potato, peeled and grated

4 radishes, grated

1 bunch of carrots, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces (I used heirloom carrots)

1 cup pomegranate seeds

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 tablespoon brown sugar, divided

6 cups arugula

1 cup flour

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss together the vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and carrots. Season well with salt and pepper and lay the carrots out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast the carrots until they are tender. About 30 to 40 minutes.

While the carrots are roasting, combine the potato, radish and remaining brown sugar in a bowl and season the mixture well with salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg and pour it onto a plate. Lay out the flour on a second plate and season the flour with salt and pepper.

Pat down the fish well with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper on both sides.

Dip one side of the fish in the flour and then in the egg wash. Top the egg wash with the potato mixture in a thin layer. Repeat until all the fish have little potato tops.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet until it is hot. Sear the fish non potato side down first. Sear it just until it is browned and easy to flip. About 2 minutes.

Flip the fish and continue to cook until the potatoes are golden brown and the fish is cooked through. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Toss together the roasted carrots, arugula and pomegranates and divide it all among four plates.

Top each plate of arugula with a piece of fish and serve hot. 

Brioche Blue Cheese and Bacon Burgers

It’s not that football is something I don’t like, I just never really got into it. Maybe it’s because I feel guilty and unproductive when I sit on the couch all day. Perhaps I was just resisting being like everyone else as I sometimes stubbornly tend to do. Who knows why I never really got into it, but NOW I’m into it.

Wes has two new AWESOME high definition televisions at his new place and sitting on the new couch watching big dudes crash into each other all day has suddenly become awesome. And for some reason, I always get a strong desire to grill burgers when the games are on.

So Wes and I have been making and experimenting with several different stuffed blue cheese burgers and I think we found the winner.

Grill these for your next big football day. Or right now if you just can’t wait.

You will need…

1 ½ lb ground beef (preferably 80/20)

1 small yellow onion, grated

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon pepper

8 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

1 large tomato, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 cups arugula

4 slices your favorite thick cut bacon

8 slices brioche bread

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Start by heating your grill to a high heat.

In a large heavy pan over medium low heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crispy, flipping once. About 20 minutes. When the bacon is crispy, remove it from the pan onto a paper towel and set aside.

While the bacon is cooking, combine the beef, salt, pepper and onion in a medium bowl. Using your hand, gently combine the ingredients. Don’t over handle the meat.

When everything is combined, divide the meat into 8 balls about 3 ounces each.

Form 4 of the balls into patties and use the bottom of a glass to make a depression in the center of each patty. 

Fill the patties with 2 tablespoons of blue cheese.

Form the top patties and lay them on top of the cheese filled patties. Gently form them into one patty.

Lightly oil the patties and grill them until cooked to your liking. About 5 minutes a side for medium. Flipping them once.

While the burgers are grilling, lightly butter both sides of the brioche and grill it on each side until lightly grilled. About 2 minutes a side.

When your burgers are cooked to your liking, remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

Lay a burger on each brioche bun, top with arugula and tomato. 

Slice each piece of back in half, place it on top of the burger and serve hot.

 

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Brioche Blue Cheese and Bacon Burgers

1 ½ lb ground beef (preferably 80/20)

1 small yellow onion, grated

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon pepper

8 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

1 large tomato, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 cups arugula

4 slices your favorite thick cut bacon

8 slices brioche bread

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Start by heating your grill to a high heat.

In a large heavy pan over medium low heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crispy, flipping once. About 20 minutes. When the bacon is crispy, remove it from the pan onto a paper towel and set aside.

While the bacon is cooking, combine the beef, salt, pepper and onion in a medium bowl. Using your hand, gently combine the ingredients. Don’t over handle the meat.

When everything is combined, divide the meat into 8 balls about 3 ounces each.

Form 4 of the balls into patties and use the bottom of a glass to make a depression in the center of each patty. 

Fill the patties with 2 tablespoons of blue cheese.

Form the top patties and lay them on top of the cheese filled patties. Gently form them into one patty.

Lightly oil the patties and grill them until cooked to your liking. About 5 minutes a side for medium. Flipping them once.

While the burgers are grilling, lightly butter both sides of the brioche and grill it on each side until lightly grilled. About 2 minutes a side.

When your burgers are cooked to your liking, remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

Lay a burger on each brioche bun, top with arugula and tomato. Slice each piece of back in half, place it on top of the burger and serve hot. 

Crispy Bacon, Arugula and Melon Salad

There are certain things in life that are undeniably true.

For one thing, I think we would all agree that life is too short.

It’s pretty obvious to me that purring kittens is one of the cutest things in the world.

And here is one I don’t think anyone will argue with. Everything is better with bacon.

Even vegetarians and vegans eat versions of it.

You can put it on ANYthing. It’s that good.

So I decided to toss it together with some other really tasty ingredients and kind of just crossed my fingers that it would work out.

I mean, I wasn’t surprised it was good because there was bacon in it. But, I was surprised how well all the ingredients went together and how pleasantly tasty and refreshing this was.

You will need…

4 slices thick cut maple bacon (or any other of your bacon favorites)

2 cups chopped cantaloupe melon

6 cups arugula

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 large heirloom tomato, diced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice        

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the bacon so that it is very crisp. 

About 20 minutes over a medium low heat, flipping every few minutes.

Move the bacon to a paper towel to blot away the grease and allow it to cool enough to handle.

While the bacon is cooling, combine the olive oil and lemon juice and season it well with salt and pepper. Whisk together till completely combined or shake up in a mason jar.

Combine the arugula and tomatoes and drizzle with the dressing.

Toss well and add in the melon and parmesan. Toss until well combined.

Roughly chop the warm bacon and sprinkle it all over the salad.

Serve while the bacon is warm.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Crispy Bacon, Arugula and Melon Salad

4 slices thick cut maple bacon (or any other of your bacon favorites)

2 cups chopped cantaloupe melon

6 cups arugula

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 large heirloom tomato, diced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice        

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the bacon so that it is very crisp. About 20 minutes over a medium low heat, flipping every few minutes.

Move the bacon to a paper towel to blot away the grease and allow it to cool enough to handle.

While the bacon is cooling, combine the olive oil and lemon juice and season it well with salt and pepper. Whisk together till completely combined or shake up in a mason jar.

Combine the arugula and tomatoes and drizzle with the dressing.

Toss well and add in the melon and parmesan. Toss until well combined.

Roughly chop the warm bacon and sprinkle it all over the salad.

Serve while the bacon is warm. 

Burrata, Proscuitto and Roasted Asparagus Salad

For those who know me personally, you know that I am never short for words. And for those of you who just read the blog, you also know I never shut it.

But every once in a while, I sit down at the computer and can’t think of a damn thing to say.

Like I often do when I’m stumped, I bug Wesley and ask him what I should write about. Usually he offers up some recent event or funny idea to help me in the right direction.

Then there are nights like tonight.

Me: Babe. What should I write about?

Wesley: Food.

Thanks for the help babe. Why didn’t I think about that?

So here is some awesome food. Enough said.

You will need…

1 bunch asparagus, rough ends trimmed

3 roma tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

4 ounces burrata

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 slices pruscuitto, roughly chopped

8 cups arugula

Homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the burrata, vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler.

Lightly coat the asparagus with the remaining olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes.

Place the arugula in a large bowl or on a platter. Top with the tomatoes, asparagus, proscuitto and croutons.

Top with the buratta and vinegar mixture, gently toss and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Burrata, Proscuitto and Roasted Asparagus Salad

1 bunch asparagus, rough ends trimmed

3 roma tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

4 ounces burrata

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 slices pruscuitto, roughly chopped

8 cups arugula

Homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the burrata, vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler.

Lightly coat the asparagus with the remaining olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes.

Top with the buratta and vinegar mixture, gently toss and serve. 

Place the arugula in a large bowl or on a platter. Top with the tomatoes, asparagus, proscuitto and croutons.

Top with the buratta and vinegar mixture, gently toss and serve. 

Bison Cheddar Burger with Crispy Shallots and Pickled Cucumbers

Something is wearing me down. It’s either my old age, my over scheduling or both.

I’ve always been pretty good about remembering events and occasions with out much help. But lately since I’ve been so booked up (not complaining because I love it, just saying) that I’ve taken to using the calendar on my phone. You know, just to be safe.

So I was downright shocked yesterday at three-thirty in the afternoon when I realized that I was supposed to be at a party two hours ago and that the party was now over. Even though I had used my calendar, I had set it for the wrong time.

Dummy.

Literally did a forehead slap.

I felt HORRIBLE. Not only do I have FOMO, I really hate to let people down.

Luckily, my friend Lindsey is wonderful and understanding and forgave me as soon as I explained what happened. Good thing, because she doesn’t eat meat and it would have been really hard to win her forgiveness with this tasty burger.

You will need…

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned

½ cup white wine or other tasty vinegar

5 large shallots, very thinly sliced

1 cup olive oil

1 ½ lb ground bison

½ onion, grated

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

2 cups baby arugula

4 brioche buns (or other soft roll), lightly buttered and toasted

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber and vinegar and season well with salt and pepper. Set the cucumbers aside to pickle, stirring every so often. Let them sit for at least 1 hour and up to over night.

In a large bowl, combine the bison, onion, onion powder, garlic power, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. 

Combine the mixture well and season well with salt and pepper.

Divide the meet into 4 equal sections.

Separate 1 of the sections into to parts and flatten each out into a patty. Fill the center of one of the patties with a handful of cheddar and top it with the other patty. 

Form the two patties into 1 large patty filled with cheese. Set it aside and repeat with the other 3 sections.

Heat your grill to a high heat.

Lightly oil the burgers and grill them until they have good grill marks and are cooked through. About 6 minutes a side.

While the burgers are cooking, heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is very hot, add in the shallots and fry until golden brown and crispy. 

Using a slotted spoon, move the shallots to a paper towel to dry.

When the burgers are done, place them on the bun, top with arugula, crispy shallots and the pickled cucumbers and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Bison Cheddar Burger with Crispy Shallots and Pickled Cucumbers

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned

½ cup white wine or other tasty vinegar

5 large shallots, very thinly sliced

1 cup olive oil

1 ½ lb ground bison

½ onion, grated

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

2 cups baby arugula

4 brioche buns (or other soft roll), lightly buttered and toasted

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber and vinegar and season well with salt and pepper. Set the cucumbers aside to pickle, stirring every so often. Let them sit for at least 1 hour and up to over night.

In a large bowl, combine the bison, onion, onion powder, garlic power, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Combine the mixture well and season well with salt and pepper.

Divide the meet into 4 equal sections.

Separate 1 of the sections into to parts and flatten each out into a patty. Fill the center of one of the patties with a handful of cheddar and top it with the other patty. Form the two patties into 1 large patty filled with cheese. Set it aside and repeat with the other 3 sections.

Heat your grill to a high heat.

Lightly oil the burgers and grill them until they have good grill marks and are cooked through. About 6 minutes a side.

While the burgers are cooking, heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is very hot, add in the shallots and fry until golden brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, move the shallots to a paper towel to dry.

When the burgers are done, place them on the bun, top with arugula, crispy shallots and the pickled cucumbers and serve hot.