Mystery Meal 2- Ingredient List

Alright, I had a hiatus last week (is it sad I needed a hiatus only after 1 previous week?) but I'm back.

Here's the ingredient list for this week's mystery meal. 
12 oz. bay scallops (fresh are good but if using frozen, THAW them first, please.)
9 to 18 pieces deli sliced honey ham (think thin sliced lunch meat)
salt, to taste
6 Roma tomatoes
16 oz sweet corn kernels (if using canned, drain; frozen, thaw)
1 stalk scallion
2 Tbsp. basil vinagrette dressing (if you don't have this dressing, choose an italian vinagrette or equally subdued vinagrette and add fresh, chopped basil to it)
1 Tbsp cherry jam
1 Tbsp blackberry jam (you can substitute jams, just try to stick in the berry family)
4 Tbsp apricot ginger terriyaki sauce (or you can simply add terriyaki, fresh ground ginger root and apricot jam/preserves or juice when the time comes)

Do you have a guess as to what we are making?

Cheers, Beck

Tiny bit of quilting news, vacation photos, and an admonishment

First, the admonishment.  Only 1 of you was brave enough to try that burger recipe. That I know of, at least.

Shame! I made it so easy! Make the burger, hand to someone else to cook... tsk, tsk.  (-wink-)

(Edited to add... the above "admonishment" was meant to be very tongue-in-cheek and playful, much like most of what I say on this blog. -grin-)
For the one that tried it, glad the burger rocked and exploded (be sure to seal the meat next time around the filling) but sorry you killed the green stuff. The next meal might work a little easier.

My tiny bit of quilting news, I couldn't go all summer without sewing. Before I left for vacation, I bought fabric and cut it up while on vacation. I will be hand sewing this summer. If I'm lucky, I can complete it before summer is done and only worry about quilting it after that. I'll be posting tom. or Thurs. regarding how this is going. If anyone is brave enough to go along, it's only squares.

Finally, the vacation photos. Not all are here but you can see why I spent 1 day wondering what all my blog friends were doing, 5 not giving a crap and then returned home to try and hold onto the relaxed feeling by doing as little as possible. 

First, step-son graduated highschool. Congratulations, Sean!!

View from the lake to the cabin and from cabin to the lake.

Kids, hubs and dog enjoying the lake!

My large-mouth bass (at least that's what the hubs says it is.)  This is beginner's luck, friends. I was one of two of us that caught a fish all week.

The lake the morning I caught the bass.

Cheers! Beck

First Mystery Meal - Stuffed Burgers w/Cheesy Potatoes & Broccoli

Yes, you read that correctly.

Stuffed Burgers w/Cheesy Potatoes & Broccoli

Ingredients for the Stuffed Burgers:
1 lbs ground beef
2 Tbsp. chopped scallions (green onion)
1 Tbsp. minced white onion
2 Tbsp. Worceshire sauce
1-2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
6 Tbsp. spinach/artichoke spreadable (or thick) dip (you can use just about any flavor cream based dip but if you have this kind, give it a try. It gave a sharp flavor that blended well overall.)
garlic mayonnaise (store bought or take some minced garlic, mash to a paste and mix with mayo to taste)
Arnold Select white wheat thins (basically, bread or sandwich rolls)
Seasonings: garlic powder, salt, pepper, Lowry's (cajun seasoning can be a substitute)

Ingredients for the cheesy potatoes and broccoli:
oil spray (canola is best)
5 small white potatoes
1 bag frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
5 Tbsp butter
1 cup milk
1 - 1.5 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions for the meal (items 1 -4, 8-13, 20 & 21 are specific to burgers):
1) In a bowl large enough to fit the ground beef, add the first five ingredients.
2) To bowl, add 1 tsp. each: garlic powder and Lowry's.  Add 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper.

3) Mix all ingredients with your hands. Do not work the meat a long time.

4) Set aside and let rest for a bit to bring cold temperature down.

5) Spray large frying pan well with canola oil, add 2 Tbsp. butter. On medium heat, melt butter.
6) Cut potatoes into cubes and add to frying pan, increase heat slightly and cover pan. (While not on the ingredient list, if you want to dice a 1/2 of white onion and add at the same time as the potatoes, that is very good.)

7) Stir periodically.

8) Divide meat evenly into 6 sections. 
9) For each section, divide in half. Form each half into a hamburger patty with a small indentation (about the size of a teaspoon from the center to about 1/2 inch away from the edge of the patty.
10) Take 1 Tbsp. spinach/artichoke dip and spread in indentation.

11) Then take other half of the divided piece, put over the top of the patty and dip and press edges closed.  Set aside. Repeat for remaining burgers.

12) Call in the person who does the grilling in your house. Hand them the bread or rolls to brown quickly on the grill.
13) Hand them the plate, tell them to be careful not to squeeze the burgers down while he/she grills them.  (Or, heat a frying pan and start frying the burgers up, however you handle cooking a normal burger.)
14) Pour a glass of wine.

15) Add broccoli to potatoes which should be tender-crisp at this point. Reduce heat a fraction and recover. Don't forget to stir occasionally!

16) In a medium saucepan, add 3 Tbsp butter and melt over medium heat.  Add milk and bring to a slow boil.
17) Reduce heat, add cheese slowly and stirring regularly. I usually do this by adding one palmful at a time. I don't add the next palmful until the last is almost or is completely melted in the milk.

18) Add salt and pepper to taste. I would recommend adding a touch more pepper than you think you want, this is, after all, going on top of the potaoes. If you desire, a dash of hot sauce or a touch more Lowry's here can help.
19) Turn off heat and pour cheese mixture over broccoli and potatoes. Stir. Reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered until burgers are done or until sauce thickens slightly.

20) Once burgers and potatoes are done,

spread thin layer or garlic mayonnaise on the bun add burger and, if you want, a piece of cheese.

21) Serve burger with pototo/broccoli and enjoy with your wine.
I hope you like it.
 
Cheers!
Beck

Cook Along Ingredient List

Alright, I am back from a very peaceful family vacation and will post more on that tomorrow but first, for those of you willing and daring enough to play along, here's the ingredients list for our first Cook Along meal. 

(By the way, I think I'm going to re-title these posts "MYSTERY MEAL" since I'll have a full meal and it's not really a cook along.)

I'll post recipe and pictures on Saturday.  So, ingredients on Tues or Weds and recipe on Sat.  Sound good?

1 lbs ground beef
2 Tbsp. chopped scallions (green onion)
1 Tbsp. minced white onion
2 Tbsp. Worceshire sauce
5 small white potatoes
1 bag frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
5 Tbsp butter
1 cup milk
1 - 1.5 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
6 Tbsp. spinach/artichoke spreadable (or thick) dip (you can use just about any flavor cream based dip but if you have this kind, give it a try. It gave a sharp flavor that blended well overall.)
oil spray (canola is best)
garlic mayonnaise (store bought or take some minced garlic, mash to a paste and mix with mayo to taste)
Arnold Select white wheat thins (basically, bread or sandwich rolls)
Seasonings:  garlic powder, salt, pepper, Lowry's (cajun seasoning can be a substitute)


There you have it.  Can anyone guess what we are cooking?
 If you have any questions, let me know.

Cheers! Beck

Donations now accepted

I am now accepting donations so I may indulge in a most frivolous and unnecessary but much wanted purchase. Fusion Knive Set and Display.

Please?

Yeah, that's what the hubs said, too. So instead I purchased fabric to cut into squares to hand sew for the entire two months I don't have a sewing maching. My withdrawal became too much to handle at approximately 1pm ET on Thursday, June 3, 2010. Apparently, taking a quilting vacation is not in my future anytime soon.

Then again, if I had those knives maybe I could supplant the quilting bug with the chef bug every day instead of just once per week?  It's only $995...