Bulgogi

First of all I would like to apologize for my lack of posting the past two weeks, it is not because I haven't been cooking or trying out new restaurants, because I actually have quite the back log of things that I need to post; I was just in a blogging funk! I am not sure what it was, but every time I thought about going to my computer to post something, I would always find something else to do, then I went out of town for a few days and time just got away from me. But I am back, and ready to post!

For those of you who have never eaten or heard of Bulgogi, it is actually just the fancy name for Korean BBQ. My first experience with Korean BBQ was last summer at a sushi restaurant in Coronado, I spent a whole year trying to find a place here in Arizona that served it, but alas, they are all pretty far from where I live and I never was able to get to one of them. When I went back to Coronado this summer, I went to the sushi place again, but wasn't very hungry, so I didn't order the Bulgogi. So now it had been over a year and I still hadn't gotten my Bulgogi fix, and I just knew that I had to remedy the situation.

When I was perusing some of my favorite food blogs, I linked over to one whose author was actually born and raised in Korea. She had posted a simple recipe for Bulgogi that used a bottled sauce and said that it tasted just as good as if you were to make it from scratch....so I figured I would give it a try! My regular grocery store didn't carry the sauce, so I took a field trip to a nearby Asian grocery store. This was my first trip to such a store, and it was quite the experience! I decided to make the Bulgogi for my family for lunch on a Saturday afternoon; my sister and I were going to my parents house to work on a sewing project with our mom, so I thought it would be nice to bring over some lunch.

I marinated the meat overnight, and it cooked up really quick on the grill because I had had the butcher slice the meat really thin. The authentic way to eat it is to then wrap it in lettuce with some cooked rice, and a bit more of the sauce. Everyone seemed to really enjoy this, the flavors were very fresh and it was a nice, light lunch. While I enjoyed it, it wasn't quite the same as the delicious Bulgogi that I had experienced last summer, but overall I found it to be a nice refreshing meal. My sister took the leftovers to work a few days later, and said that they were even delicious reheated too!

My picture below is only of the meat, my camera battery died before I could get a picture of it all assembled.

Bulgogi

adapted from My Fabulous Recipes

2 lbs tri-tip or flank steak, thinly sliced (I asked my butcher to do the slicing)
1 jar CJ's Korean BBQ Marinade (found at an Ethnic grocery store)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Asian pear, freshly ground
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Cooked rice, optional
Lettuce leaves, optional

In large bowl, place thinly sliced tri-tip or flank steak. In separate bowl, mix the BBQ sauce, garlic, pear, and sesame seeds well. Pour the sauce over the beef. Stir the beef until it is soaked in the sauce. Cover and let marinate overnight in the fridge. Grill the meat over a medium heat grill according to your liking. Serve with rice and lettuce for wraps if desired.

Spicy Sausage Dip

Last Thursday the first game of the '09 NFL season, and I wanted to make something kinda snacky to eat for dinner while I watched the game. As you all should know by now, I have no problem eating some dip and calling it dinner, so no comments about having a balanced meal from the peanut gallery! Besides, there was tomatoes and green chilies in the dip, so I think they should account for both fruit and a dip! I had seen versions of this dip around the web, some heated it in the crock pot, some baked it, while others just made it on the stove top, and I went with the latter for the sheer reason that I was able to eat it much quicker! When you read the ingredients list, which there are only 3 of, you will think to yourself, "This can't possibly taste good," but after just one bite, those thoughts will completely disappear. The creaminess, cools the heat of the chilies and the sausage adds a nice hearty flavor....basically, this dip is a hungry man's dream! I took the leftovers to my dad, and he thought it was mighty tasty himself. I loved how easy it was, and that it can be kept warm in a crock pot if serving at a party.

So basically, it was an awesome Thursday, bringing together two things that I love...Football and Dip!

Spicy Sausage Dip

10 oz. bulk breakfast sausage (Or 16 oz. if you want it really meaty)
8 oz. cream cheese (I used light)
10 oz. can RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, drained

Tortilla chips

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat; add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, crumbling it as you go. When sausage is cooked, drain the grease from the pan. Add cream cheese, in chunks to the pan, stirring to melt the cheese. Add RoTel and continue stirring until cheese is fully melted and everything is combined. Serve with chips!

Zucchini & Leek Tart

My friend Amy brought something over to my house very similar to this a couple of weeks ago, and ever since then, the thought of recreating it had been swirling in my head! Upon my first bite, I was hooked; and I needed to figure out how to make it. I asked her what the trick was, her reply, pre-made pie crust! Well, I figured that was easy enough, and sure enough, it was! This was a snap to throw together, but to your guests, it looks like you had to slave over it for hours! Now that I have the basics down, I plan to experiment with different filling combinations. This is the perfect thing to take to a potluck or prepare ahead of time, because it is delicious either hot or at room temperature. I took the leftovers to my mom's house over the past weekend, and she and Aunt Martha both loved it and wanted to know how I made it....but then again, how can anything that includes pie crust not be good!?!

Zucchini & Leek Tart

1 refrigerated pie crust, thawed as directed on the package
1 - 2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 leek, white parts only, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and leeks, saute for 3 - 5 minutes until golden. Add zucchini to the pan and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat until zucchini is cooked, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cover a baking sheet with foil. Roll out pie crust onto the baking sheet. When zucchini filling is ready, spoon into the center of the crust, leaving about 2 inches around the edges. Fold pie crust up over filling, it will not cover it completely, and will become a square shape. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until pie crust is cooked through. Enjoy!

Avocado Mexican Pizza

The Sunday of my Labor Day Weekend was kind of an odd day. I had slept in until 11:00 (don't be jealous, tailgating takes a lot out of a girl!), which meant that at around 11:30 I finally ate something that I considered to be breakfast. I then hung around and watched TV in my pajamas and read the paper, at 2:00 I decided it was finally time to take a shower and get dressed so that I could run some errands. Just as I was about to get into the shower my dad called, he wanted to go to lunch. Well I was not at all surprised about my dad's lunch suggestion, he always wants to go to lunch, but I was surprised that he wanted to go to lunch so late in the day! You see, my dad is a creature of habit, when the clock strikes twelve, he eats lunch; so I was amazed that he had missed his lunch time that day, but, nevertheless, I agreed to go and meet him.

I had to drop some stuff off to my mom, so I swung by their house and picked my dad up, and off we went to his favorite place, Valle Luna. We didn't actually end up getting there until 3:00 by the time I showered, got to my folks, etc., so it basically could have been considered dinner at this point! After we ate, I carried on with my day, but at about 9:00 that night I realized that I was hungry! I didn't want to have anything really big or heavy, but I knew that I needed to eat something. I had been browsing some of the blogs that I read when I cam across this recipe; I quickly realized that I had just about everything on hand to make it, so I decided to whip myself up a light, late-night dinner. I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand, and because of that, I did think that there was a lack of color on the plate, but the taste was not lacking! This was quick and tasty, and hit the spot to curb my hunger until the morning. I did find it funny that the original recipe called these quesadillas, but I just couldn't bring myself to go with that title because they are open-faced, so I changed the name! These can be made as appetizers for a party, or just as an afternoon snack; and the possibilities for toppings is endless!

I will list the full recipe for 4 servings, but I made a single serving just for me.

Avocado Mexican Pizza

adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

1 (4 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
3 firm-ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped (or 2 baby bell peppers) - I didn't have any on hand
1 jalapeno, finely chopped - I used chopped jalapenos from a jar
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped - I used green onions
Juice of 1 lime
Sea salt to taste
4 flour tortillas
cheddar cheese (or Monterrey Jack), shredded - I used a Mexi blend

Chop all of the vegetables. Stir together olives, avocado, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, onion and lime juice. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Put tortillas on a large baking sheet. Broil tortillas 2-4 inches from the heat until pale golden brown, about 45 seconds. Turn tortillas over and cover with cheese; broil until melted and bubbling, about 30 seconds. Divide olive mixture among the tortillas, cut each tortilla into 4 wedges and serve immediately.

Grilled Potato Skins

These potato skins were the star of the show at the tailgate! Not only were they the favorite dish, but they were my featured item as far as my theme went because Idaho = potatoes! I love ordering potato skins out at restaurants, with all the cheese and bacon and sour cream nestled into the cute little potato shells, there is nothing not to love! I had never actually made potato skins at home before; I have made twice baked potatoes countless times, but never just the skins. These really couldn't be simpler and possibly even easier than twice baked potatoes (well, less cooking time at the least), and they are perfect for a party because they can be assembled beforehand and then grilled (or baked) once it is time to serve. I only put bacon on about half of mine because I knew I has some non-bacon eaters in my group (hard to believe, but true), so just adjust to your group's tastes!

I do have to say that at first I was a bit perplexed with what to do with all of the reserved potato pulp, I had cooked 10 pounds of potatoes, so there was a TON! Instead of just tossing it, I tossed in all kinds of stuff from my fridge; butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and some Monterrey jack, then I topped it all with some steamed broccoli and more cheese and baked it. It was enjoyed by the non-meat eaters, but there was a lot leftover, so I think next time I would save it to make potato cakes.

Grilled Potato Skins

(This is a pared down version, I was cooking for a crowd...10 pounds of potatoes!)

6 large Russet potatoes
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Salt & pepper, to taste
10-15 slices bacon,cooked until crisp and chopped (I used pre-cooked)
3 c. cheddar cheese, finely grated
6-7 green onions, finely chopped
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash the outside of the potatoes, then dry very well. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender (cooking time will vary depending on the size of potatoes). Cool until able to handle.

Once potatoes have cooled, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp leaving about 1/2-inch thick layer of the cooked potato on the skins. Place the skins on the baking sheet (skin side down, pulp side facing upwards). Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper and grated Parmesan cheese (if using).

In a bowl combine the shredded cheese, chopped bacon, and green onions; mix to combine. Evenly divide the cheese mixture over top of the skins.

*At this point you can cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.*

Heat outdoor grill to medium heat. Transfer the skins to a disposable aluminum baking sheet and place on the grill. Grill, with the potato skins covered for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and potatoes have heated through.

Serve with sour cream or your favorite toppings!

To prepare indoors, bake at 400 degrees on an oiled baking pan for about 20 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Sweet Onion Dip

Ruffles have ridges!

There is just something about Ruffles that shouts out....ONION DIP! I think Ruffles and onion dip are one of the quintessential BBQ staples, and the ridges do an excellent job at safely securing a big scoop of the creamy dip. When I was trying to figure out just one more thing to make for the tailgate I cam across this Martha Stewart recipe that was for sweet onion dip, while I usually enjoy my Ruffles with French onion dip, I thought that it would be fun to try a twist on a classic; plus, I really love caramelized onions! I had never attempted to make homemade onion dip before, and if I had known how easy it would be and how much more flavorful it would be, I would have done it sooner. Everyone really enjoyed this at the tailgate, and then I served the leftovers while enjoying some pool time on Labor Day....it is just the perfect version of chips & dip!

Sweet Onion Dip

adapted from Martha Stewart

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 sweet brown onions, finely chopped (Or vidalia onions)
1 c. reduced-fat sour cream
2 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1/4 c. chives, finely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil to a medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar and chives; season with salt and pepper. Chill until slightly thickened, about 1 hour.

Serve with Ruffles!

Spinach Cheddar Dip in a Bread Bowl

I remember eating cold spinach dip in a bread bowl all the time at my friend Karen's house when I was growing up; whenever her parents had people over, spinach dip was always bound to make an appearance. While I did like the dip (with the exception of the water chestnuts), I was always eagerly anticipating the point when we got to dig into the bread bowl that had been soaking up the creamy dip all afternoon....mmm! As much fun as eating the bread bowl is, they are surprisingly also very functional and convenient for taking to a party, or in my case, tailgating. Why you ask? Because there is no clean up!! Either the bowl gets eaten, or the bowl gets tossed, either way, there are no dishes to do!

The original spinach dip that I grew up eating always used a packet of the Knorr Vegetable Recipe dry mix, so when I came across this version which used dried onion soup mix, I thought it sounded like a tasty twist on a classic recipe. Plus, this had the added bonus of cheddar cheese...because really, doesn't cheese just make everything better? Just like the classic recipe, this is a snap to prepare. I made it up the night before and waited until just before serving to scoop it into the bread bowl so that it wouldn't get all soggy. I really liked this version of the classic, the cheese really added a nice element to the dip, and gave it some more color. And when it was time to head into the game....clean up was a breeze!

Spinach Cheddar Dip in a Bread Bowl

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 c. sour cream (I used light)
1/2 c. mayonnaise (I used light)
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained & chopped (I didn't use these because I am not a fan)
1 Tbsp. dried onion soup mix (I used an onion dip mix)
1 round unsliced loaf of bread (Like Sheepherder's)

In a large bowl, combine, cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, spinach and soup mix. Mix well. Refrigerate dip for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Cut out the center of the bread, leaving sides and bottom about 1-inch thick. Cut up the bread that was removed into bite-size pieces for dipping. When ready to serve, fill bread bowl with dip and serve with bread pieces. (I also served it with some Wheat Thins)

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

So this weekend kicked off my favorite time of year....College Football Season! I am a huge football fan, and while I also love the NFL, I am first and foremost a college football fan. My family has had season tickets to our beloved Arizona State Sun Devils since I was a kid, and after I graduated from ASU, I too decided that I had to get my own tickets. Over the last couple of years, more and more of my friends have also gotten tickets and we have made it a tradition to tailgate before each home game (even those games where we have to brave blistering 110 degree temperatures!). Tailgating just makes the whole experience that much better; hanging out with your fellow fans, playing some games and eating good food, are the perfect start to the whole experience.

In the last couple of years, I have been the one to take charge of the food and menu planning, which I love! I usually plan out a menu that is somehow based on who our opposing team is, it is so much fun (but sometimes stressful) to come up with the themed menu! Some themes are easier than others, but in the end, it is more about the friends and fun than it is the food....but my friends are always so appreciative and amazed at what I come up with.

It is a lot of work to pull it all together, but I really do enjoy it......and in the end, I am glad that there are only 7 home games each year!

This past weekend we played the Idaho State Bengals, so our theme was obviously potatoes! Here is what we had on our spread this past weekend. I will share the recipes highlighted in red with you over the next week. First up is the Grilled Sausage, I love kielbasa, and this was a snap to prepare....basically, I needed something easy and that would cook quickly, and this fit the bill!

ASU vs. Idaho State Bengals - September 5, 2009

• Spinach Cheddar Dip in a Bread Bowl
• Sweet Onion Dip with Ruffles
• Grilled Potato Skins
• Grilled Sweet Corn
• Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce
• Strawberry Cream Pie

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

adapted from Food Network Magazine - October 2009

2 lbs. kielbasa or other smoked sausage (I used 1 lb. Turkey Kielbasa and 1 lb. regular)
3/4 c. ketchup
3/4 c. spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp. hot sauce (I used Cholula)

Soak 8 - 10 wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut sausage into bite-size pieces. Thread sausage onto skewers. Mix the ketchup, mustard and hot sauce in a bowl, refrigerate until serving. (If taking to a BBQ or tailgate, at this point you can put your skewers in a plastic bag and transport them and the sauce to your event.)

Preheat a grill to medium heat. Grill each skewer until slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Tacos

I love throwing things into the crock pot, walking away for 8 hours and coming home to a hot meal. I threw this dish in my crock pot on Sunday morning and went about my day, when I got home at 6, it was ready to go. I was starving, so I quickly, heated up some corn tortillas to make taco shells, then piled on the meat, shredded cabbage and some cheese. I took a bite, and my first reaction was, "Hmmm....interesting." When used in this context, the word interesting, is not always a good thing. While this didn't taste bad, it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. As a Mexican food lover, I like some heat to my food, and this was just too sweet for me. I guess that it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise, considering the pineapple and brown sugar, but I thought that those would just temper the heat, not take over. I did eat my tacos, but I sadly decided that if I transferred it into my fridge, it would just sit there, so I sadly put the leftovers down the drain. This recipe got many good reviews, but they must have come from tamer eaters, so if you don't like it hot...give this a try!

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Tacos

adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

3 lb. boneless pork roast

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juices
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde

2 (4 oz.) cans green chiles, undrained
2/3 c. brown sugar

Serving Ideas:

Warm flour tortillas, corn tortillas or taco shells

Cheese; cheddar, queso fresco, etc.

chopped cilantro

lime wedges

shredded lettuce or cabbage

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for four hours or on low for six to eight hours. Shred pork, season to taste with salt and pepper. In a colander, drain juices from crock pot. Mix shredded pork with pineapple/salsa mixture that remains in colander and serve in tortillas with desired accompaniments.