Grilled Green Bean and Heirloom Tomato Salad

When I was twenty-two and a few months into my first job as a sales assistant in the fashion industry, the VP of my department sat me down to tell me that she had to let one of the sales assistants go and that she didn’t think that I had what it took to be in sales. And in the matter of twenty-minutes I lost my job and most of my confidence.

Lucky for me, other people saw something in me and I was hired back the next day to a different department.

And while owning my own restaurant is the ultimate goal, I’ve spent the last six years trying to prove that woman wrong. There is nothing I love more than proving people wrong. And foodie friends, I have.

August 1^st was my first day as the northeast sales representative for all four of my companies brands. I will be toting my lines all over New York and the surrounding areas and spending ten days a month on the east coast.

Chachachachanges.

Of course my favorite part will be the food, but proving to myself and ahem… certain other doubters that I can do whatever I put my mind to will be pretty awesome too.

Now I know I’ve been bad at writing. I do have to sleep after all. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking up some tasty delights.

We are about to hit one of my favorite times of year. That special few months when the heirloom tomato is readily available and at its most delicious. So as usual during August and September I’m trying to stick them in every dish possible.

This one happens to be the perfect blend of cool and crisp. I have no doubt it will end up in your summer rotation.

You will need…

1lb green beans, ends trimmed and halved

1lb heirloom tomatoes, diced into large but bite sized chunks

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup blue cheese

¼ cup pine nuts

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill pan to a medium heat.

In a medium bowl, toss together 1 tablespoons of olive oil and the green beans and season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a small pan, heat the pine nuts over medium heat until they are lightly browned and toasty. About 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the grill is hot, place the green beans in a grill basket or directly on the grill. Be carefully to make sure your beans do not fall through the grill grates.

Grill the beans just until they are slightly tender. About 8 to 10 minutes. You still want them to be crisp. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool to room temperature.

When the beans have cooled, toss together the pine nuts, blue cheese, tomato and green beans.

Drizzle the salad with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper.

Toss well and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Grilled Green Bean and Heirloom Tomato Salad

1lb green beans, ends trimmed and halved

1lb heirloom tomatoes, diced into large but bite sized chunks

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup blue cheese

¼ cup pine nuts

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill pan to a medium heat.

In a medium bowl, toss together 1 tablespoons of olive oil and the green beans and season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a small pan, heat the pine nuts over medium heat until they are lightly browned and toasty. About 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the grill is hot, place the green beans in a grill basket or directly on the grill. Be carefully to make sure your beans do not fall through the grill grates.

Grill the beans just until they are slightly tender. About 8 to 10 minutes. You still want them to be crisp. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool to room temperature.

When the beans have cooled, toss together the pine nuts, blue cheese, tomato and green beans.

Drizzle the salad with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper.

Toss well and serve. 

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

I’m finally starting to feel like my self again after a pretty fun weekend away with some couple friends. We really showed the world we can still throw them back even though some of our members now come with babies. Even if some of us (me) fell asleep at seven-thirty in the evening on Saturday.  We also proved we are WAY too old to hang.

A really wonderful weekend culminated in me getting on the only freeway that was jam packed coming home early Monday morning on a holiday that I did not have off from work. Then getting lost after getting off said freeway and then proceeding to irrationally losing it on Wes.

Real nice Ange. Real nice.

But all is right with the world again. I’m home and back in the kitchen. Where I belong.

When I wanted to do a little remix on a night at a steakhouse for mom and pop, I was SHOCKED that I had never made one of my all time favorite indulgences. The wedge salad.

How have I not made myself some of this blue cheese and bacony goodness?

Well don’t worry. I made up for it. This thing was decadently delicious.

You will need…

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

3 slices of your favorite thick cut bacon

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

Start by cooking your bacon over medium heat in a large pan until crispy. About 7 minutes a side. 

Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to remove the grease.

Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.

Removing the more damaged outer leaves, quarter the head of lettuce  and lay it on the platter.

Top the lettuce with the shallots, ½ the blue cheese and the bacon.

In a mason jar or food processor, combine the remaining blue cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Blend or shake until completely combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

3 slices of your favorite thick cut bacon

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

Start by cooking your bacon over medium heat in a large pan until crispy. About 7 minutes a side. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to remove the grease.

Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.

Removing the more damaged outer leaves, quarter the head of lettuce  and lay it on the platter.

Top the lettuce with the shallots, ½ the blue cheese and the bacon.

In a mason jar or food processor, combine the remaining blue cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Blend or shake until completely combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve. 

Pear, Blue Cheese and Honey Crustinis with Balsamic Drizzle

So far, I’m digging twenty fourteen. I may be jumping the gun only sixteen days in, but I’ve already had quite a bit of fun and I just booked a whole lot more.

On the books in the next few months, Vegas, NYC, Dallas, Atlanta and Denver. And if I can swing the time off, maybe a little hop over the pond to Europe.

But my favorite part of this new chapter is the cooking remix that has been happening. I’m revisiting a bunch of my old buddies. I’m calling them up, having them for dinner and giving them a little makeover.

I’ve made this dish before on Sundays when my whole family is together. Last weekend, Josh was having his last meal on US soil until the late spring. The pressure was on for a great last meal.

With a little extra kick with the balsamic drizzle, this dish got even more irresistible. Basically, I should have made double.

You will need…

2 pears, sliced 1/8 inch thick and halve dif the pieces are large

1 baguette, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons honey

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread out the bread slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush them with the olive oil.

Bake the bread in the oven until slightly toasted. About 8 minutes.

While the crustinis are baking, pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and heat over medium high. Bring the vinegar to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the vinegar has reduced by half.

When the crustinis are toasty, pull them out of the oven and top each one with a pear slice and ½ tablespoon blue cheese. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Pop them back in the oven and toast for another 5 minutes. Just until the blue cheese starts to melt.

Remove them from the oven and place them on a platter.

Drizzle with honey and reduced balsamic.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Pear, Blue Cheese and Honey Crustinis with Balsamic Drizzle

2 pears, sliced 1/8 inch thick and halve dif the pieces are large

1 baguette, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons honey

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread out the bread slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush them with the olive oil.

Bake the bread in the oven until slightly toasted. About 8 minutes.

While the crustinis are baking, pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and heat over medium high. Bring the vinegar to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the vinegar has reduced by half.

When the crustinis are toasty, pull them out of the oven and top each one with a pear slice and ½ tablespoon blue cheese. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Pop them back in the oven and toast for another 5 minutes. Just until the blue cheese starts to melt.

Remove them from the oven and place them on a platter.

Drizzle with honey and reduced balsamic. 

Blue Cheese Stuffed Filets with Cherry Red Wine Sauce

When I went to the audition for the Food Network last weekend, I found myself waiting in a corner surrounded by raw food chefs. They all went on and on about energy cooking, Whole Foods vegan presentations and what they would do if they made it on the show and they had a challenge where they had to use meat.

I’m pretty sure I saw one of them flinch when I confessed that I eat red meat.

But you know what, I’m nothing if not myself. And I love meat. Nothing could keep me away from a perfectly prepared filet. Not all the energy in the world. I’m all about health and clean eating, but I’m also about everything in moderation and everything includes steaks like these.

You will need…

4 filets of beef tenderloin, about 6 ounces each

8 ounces blue cheese, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces dried cherries, roughly chopped

4 sprigs thyme

8 ounces dried cherries, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons demi-glace

2 ounces cold water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. 

Make a large slit in each filet and stuff the hole with 2 ounces of cheese. Brush the steaks with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat the 3rd tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 

When the oil in the skillet is hot, add in the steaks and sear until there is a nice crust. About 2 minutes. Flip and sear the other side. 

Remove the steak from the pan and place it on a rack over a pan or rimmed baking sheet. Finish in the oven till the steak is 140 - 150 degrees F more rare to medium rare. 

When the steak is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 7 to 10 minutes. 

While the steak is finishing, add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions down until they are softened. 

Add in the cherries and thyme and stir to combine. 

Deglaze the pan with the wine and continue to slowly simmer the liquid until it reduces slightly. 

Whisk together the water and cornstarch and stir it into the sauce to thicken it. 

When the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and demi-glace.  

Drizzle the sauce over the filets and serve hot. 

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Blue Cheese Stuffed Filets with Cherry Red Wine Sauce

4 filets of beef tenderloin, about 6 ounces each

8 ounces blue cheese, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces dried cherries, roughly chopped

4 sprigs thyme

8 ounces dried cherries, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons demi-glace

2 ounces cold water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. 

Make a large slit in each filet and stuff the hole with 2 ounces of cheese. Brush the steaks with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat the 3rd tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 

When the oil in the skillet is hot, add in the steaks and sear until there is a nice crust. About 2 minutes. Flip and sear the other side. 

Remove the steak from the pan and place it on a rack over a pan or rimmed baking sheet. Finish in the oven till the steak is 140 - 150 degrees F more rare to medium rare. 

When the steak is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 7 to 10 minutes. 

While the steak is finishing, add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions down until they are softened. 

Add in the cherries and thyme and stir to combine. 

Deglaze the pan with the wine and continue to slowly simmer the liquid until it reduces slightly. 

Whisk together the water and cornstarch and stir it into the sauce to thicken it. 

When the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and demi-glace.  

Drizzle the sauce over the filets 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.