May 2007—Malinda & Suzy

Piña Coladas

Roasted Red Pepper and Rosemary Hummus
Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Potato Skins

Italian-American Cheeseburgers
The Schlow Burger

Greek-Style Couscous Salad
Lemony Oven Fries

Fruit Kabobs with Sweet Balsamic Dressing


Piña Coladas

1 can Cream of Coconut (preferably Coco Lopez brand)
Pineapple Juice
Ice

If you have a large blender, put the whole can of cream of coconut into the blender, then fill the can with pineapple juice and add to blender. Fill the remaining blender with ice and blend until smooth. If you have a small blender then just do half batches at a time. Continue to add ice until the sweetness is just right for your taste. If you don’t add enough ice it is very sweet! Enjoy!


Roasted Red Pepper and Rosemary Hummus

2 cans (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 small jar (6 oz) roasted red bell peppers, drained & coarsely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic
4 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stems
Coarse salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Flat breads, bagel chips, & fresh veggies to serve with it

Combine chickpeas, roasted red pepper, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the olive oil. Remove spread to a serving bowl and surround with breads & veggies.


Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

36 Large cherry tomatoes
4 hard boiled eggs
1/3 cup mayo
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp curry powder
2 Tbsp Chopped chives
10 whole chives

Cut a slice off the top of each tomato and use a spoon (or a strawberry huller) to remove the meat and seeds. Set upside down on paper towels to drain.

Put the eggs, mayo and mustard in a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a fork until fairly smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, mix and taste for spicing.
About 1 hour before serving, fill each tomato with egg salad, garnish with several 2-inch chive spears standing up out of the tomato.


Potato Skins

6 6-oz baking potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
All-American Topping

Preheat oven to 350. Scrub potatoes: cut each potato in half length-wise. Brush cut surfaces with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place potatoes cut sides up in oven. Cook 50 to 60 minutes or until tender. Carefully scoop out the insides of each potato half, leaving a 1/2-inch shell. Brush the insides of the potato shells with any remaining oil. Cut each half into fourths. Fill with All-American Topping. Return potatoes to grill (or oven) filled sides up. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes (medium heat) or until heated through.

All-American Topping:

In large skillet cook 6 slices bacon until crisp: remove from skillet and crumble. Combine crumbled bacon; 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions and 2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing (I like to make the Hidden Valley Ranch packet dressing). Divide among potato shells. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheddar or American cheese.


Italian-American Cheeseburgers

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (3 oz)
1/4 cup snipped sun dried tomatoes (oil packed)
1 Tbsp snipped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (1 oz)
1 Tbsp snipped sun dried tomatoes (oil packed)
6 sourdough rolls, split and toasted
Sliced red onion
Sliced tomato
Mayo

In a large bowl combine beef, the ¾ cub Gorgonzola cheese, the 1/4 cup dried tomatoes, the thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Shape mixture into six 1/4- inch-thick patties.

For a charcoal grill, grill patties on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 14 to 18 minutes or until done (160 degrees F)., turning once halfway through grilling. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place patties on grill rack over heat. Cover: grill as above.

Remove burgers from grill. Top with the ¼ cup Gorgonzola cheese and the 1 Tbsp. dried tomatoes. Serve burgers on Sourdough rolls with sliced red onions, tomatoes, and mayo.


The Schlow Burger
(makes 4 burgers)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp prepared horseradish
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 lb ground beef
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & pepper
4 slices Cheddar
4 hamburger buns (onion, butter, poppyseed, etc.)
2 cup Canola oil
2 large onions, sliced into thin rings (about 4 cups)

Bring canola oil and 1 sliced onion (slice the onions as thin as you can because they’ll cook faster) to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to a bubbling simmer, turning onions with a fork every 30 seconds. Cook until they turn golden brown (stovetops vary, but this will take about 30-40 minutes.) They turn brown quickly when they’re done, so make sure to keep an eye on them. If necessary, adjust heat to maintain rolling bubbles. Remove onions from oil and arrange in a single layer on paper towels. Repeat process with the second onion, cooking in the same hot oil.

Preheat one side of grill to high; oil the grill grate. Whisk mayonnaise, horseradish, and lemon juice together for the sauce in a bowl; season with pepper. (you can make this a few days ahead) Combine the ground beef with oil, salt, and plenty of pepper. Divide meat into 4 patties and refrigerate until 5 minutes before grilling. (Don’t prepare the meat more than 1 hour ahead; the salt pulls the juices)

Grill burgers over high heat until done. Transfer burgers to the cool side of the grill (or an upper shelf) and top each with a slice of cheese. Turn the grill off, close the lid, and let rest 4 minutes. Heat the buns briefly, if desired. To assemble, place burger on bun, spread with sauce, top with onions, and season with pepper. Spread more sauce on the top half of the bun and place it on the burger.


Greek-Style Couscous Salad

1 package Near East Couscous Original Plain
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3-4 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp Olive oil
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber chopped
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
1/2 cup red onion chopped
2 tsp fresh dill (1 tsp dry)
4 oz feta cheese

Prepare couscous according to package directions, except omit butter or olive oil and add black pepper with water.

In large boll, combine prepared couscous, lemon juice and olive oil. Add tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, and dill. Chill 4 hours to overnight.
Stir in feta cheese just before serving. Serve over lettuce if desired.


Lemony Oven Fries

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 20-oz package frozen French-fried potatoes (about 5 cups)
Coarse Sea Salt
Lemon wedges

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat, carefully add lemon slices. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until lemon begins to brown, use tongs to turn lemon slice occasionally. Add parsley to the oil. Cook 20 to 30 seconds more or until parsley is crisp. Remove lemon slices and parsley with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Reserve the lemon-flavored oil (you should have about 3 tablespoons).

In a large bowl toss frozen potatoes with the 3 tablespoons reserved lemon-flavor oil until well coated. Place on a baking sheet. Bake according to package directions or until potatoes are brown and crisp, stirring occasionally.

To serve, toss potatoes with lemon and parsley. Sprinkle generously with sea salt. Squeeze lemon wedges over fries: serve immediately.


Fruit Kabobs with Sweet Balsamic Dressing

Sweet Balsamic Dressing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
3/4 cup grape seed or canola oil
1 tsp poppy seeds

In blender or food processor, combine all dressing ingredients except oil and poppy seeds. With machine running, slowly add oil to make a thick dressing. Stir in poppy seeds.

Arrange fruit kabobs with fruit of choice. Top with sweet Balsamic Dressing. You can also serve sliced fruit on top of Bibb lettuce and then top with Balsamic Dressing.