Archive for July 6, 2009

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

July 6, 2009 at 3:08 pm · Filed under side dish

I didn’t get any pictures of this salad this weekend, but I made it for the 4th of July cookout. I’m really enjoying making salads that aren’t just stuff on lettuce or spinach.

I’ll just direct you to the original recipe, since she has nice pictures.

Smitten Kitchen’s Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

And I’ll follow with the things I did differently.

I uses 1.5 shallots, but I also don’t know if mine would have been considered large or not.

If I made this again I would maybe double the vinegar, but I like things with lots of vinegar (weird how much I hate pickles, I suppose).

I did use a bit of chopped basil in mine.

And I didn’t use quite 1/3 c of olive oil, maybe more like 1/4 c.

I used a container of mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, so they are all different colors. I gutted mine, because I hate tomato goo.

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Ham and Pineapple Kabobs

July 6, 2009 at 2:54 pm · Filed under dinner

Been invited to a cookout and can’t think of anything to bring? Here’s your answer (assuming you’re not a vegetarian… perhaps tofu kabobs?) This recipe is great for last-minute cookouts, too.

Ham and Pineapple Kabobs
1/2 – 3/4 pound of cooked ham, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (15 ounce) can of pineapple chunks (or, even better, use fresh!)
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mustard
skewers (if you use wooden ones, make sure to soak them for a few minutes first, so they don’t burn)

Mix all the ingredients together. Add anything else you think sounds good. A dash of soy sauce? A bit of minced garlic or onion? Some smoky paprika? Bit of wochestershire? This recipe is forgiving. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, but longer if you want.

Thread the pineapple and ham onto skewers and place on the girll, turning frequently. You could baste with a bit of the marinade if you wanted.

Once they’re hot and are starting to carmalize on the outside, they’re ready to go.

Sorry I don’t have any pictures of these, but I’ll just put it this way: the guys started eating them before the rest of the food was even done. Picture ham and pineapple on a skewer, though, and you’ll get the idea!

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Pop on over for a popover

July 6, 2009 at 2:40 pm · Filed under breakfast, dessert, photo

Actually, don’t pop over for a popover- we ate them all.

I’d never seen a popover before this weekend, but they looked so awesome that I couldn’t resist making a batch.

I made them as a finish to our little fourth of july cookout at Charlotte’s house. She was nice enough to grab her camera and get a couple of pictures.

If you’ve never had a popover, they taste like little french toasts. They are sort of dense and airy at the same time.

I’d also like to point out that they have a grand total of 5 ingredients, and that includes the butter for the pan. They are insanely easy.

Popovers
3 eggs
1 c milk
1 c All Purpose Flour
1/4 csugar
2-3 Tbsp Butter

Heat the oven to 375.

Divide the butter into a 12 cup muffin pan (they make popover pan, but my guess is that if you own one, you don’t need this recipe). Place the pan in the oven for 3-5 minutes.

While the pan is heating, beat the eggs, milk, and sugar together, and then add the flour and whisk.

Remove the pan from the over (the butter will be golden brown) and fill the muffin tin evenly with the batter.

Bake for 5 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for 25 more.

They will start to deflate just a bit when you pull them out, but that’s okay, they’ll still look awesome.

I topped them with homemade whipped cream, raspberry sauce, and blueberries.

I bet they’d look good with savory toppings, too… maybe some chicken salad?

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Berry sauce

July 6, 2009 at 2:40 pm · Filed under misc

This is so easy. I’ve used it on a couple of recipes recently, so I thought I’d include a quick seperate recipe for it. Great on cupcakes and popovers so far. But I bet it would be good on ice cream and all sorts of other things.

I’ve tried blueberry and raspberry so far. Let me know if you try any others.

Berry Sauce

11 ounces berries, mashed up
1/2 cup sugar (a little more for really tart berries, a little less for really sweet berries)

Heat on low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until syrupy. Then strain through mesh strainer to catch skins and seeds. You may have to press it through some.

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