Peanut Butter. Chocolate. Ice cream. Do I have your attention yet?



Scooping it up! YUM!

The other day I set out to make a favourite of mine: Peanut butter chocolate ice cream.  Dave Lebovitz is full of wonderful ice cream recipes, but when I did a quick google search for what I thought was the easiest ice cream recipe ever, I found another recipe, that's even easier, and I dare say better.

Inspired by and mostly copied this recipe right here:  http://dinneranddessert.wordpress.com/2009/05/31/peanut-butter-ice-cream/

PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM
with chocolate sauce and chocolate covered peanuts



INGREDIENTS:

Base:
3/4 C whipping cream
1 3/4C 1% milk

2/3 C granulated sugar

2/3 C smooth peanut butter
pinch of salt


1/4 t vanilla

1 capfull of vanilla vodka

Love Thy Tomato

Here are two recipes I've made recently which feature herbs and tomatoes from my garden at home.   ROASTED TOMATO SOUP and QUICK BRUSCHETTA.  Simple, but oh so tasty.  Hope you enjoy!



Ingredients for the brushetta



Quick Bruschetta

1.5 lb of roma tomatoes, washed, seeded, and diced

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

1t of balsamic vinegar

1T of extra virgin olive oil

pinch of kosher salt

several large basil leaves, rolled and sliced (approx 3T packed). 

Baguette, sliced thin on the bias, toasted



Toast, ricotta, and brushetta

Ricotta cheese (if desired)

Method:

Place diced tomatoes in a strainer over a large bowl to rid of any excess juice, leave for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine garlic, olive oil, salt, and vinegar, whisk until combined.

Add tomatoes and basil, stir gently to combine.

Leave at room temp up to an hour before serving (if longer, cover and refrigerate).

Short Rib Succulence!

MEAT!

This was a good recipe, I'd do it again exactly.  I've never had short ribs and I will have them again, oh yes I will.  I LOVED THE SAUCE.  Repeat..I LOVED THE SAUCE.  Alright, done.   I was going to blog the whole meal but the other two recipes I had although good, were not exceptional and I honestly don't want anyone else making them thinking they're awesome.  I give you the awesome people, not the 'it was okay'

This is Kraft easy, because I got the recipe from Kraft.  They often boast their own produced (obviously) and sometimes the shortcuts they have are kinda silly but more often than not, you find a jewel on there and it's a good jewel.   With this, I hit a goldmine.  Or a giant carbon deposit! anyhoo...  I made a few mods, the link has the original, and what I did is below that

BBQ SLOW COOKER BEEF SHORT RIBS


All done, served with slaw and biscuits

 INGREDIENTS:

3 lb of beef short ribs

Salt and pepper

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small carrot, diced

3T flour

3/4 cup chicken and rib BBQ sauce (Kraft)

3T honey

1 Tbsp. yellow mustard

watermelons cuke me up!



Plated on arugla, topped with feta



Sounds like an odd combo here, doesn't it?  I had (no, have, since I still have 3/4 of it) a watermelon, and of course the garden fresh cucumbers and beautiful Roma tomatoes and basil from my backyard.

I was inspired by this recipe:  http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/watermelon-cucumber-feta-salad-113980.aspx

I was also inspired by the recipe in my runners world magazine, it's not online yet, but I'll post a link to it (actually, I sort of wish I made that one, but it would need a firmer melon since it calls for yogurt based dressing)



Watermelon, Cucumber, Tomato salad



Most of the ingredients!



INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of cubed peeled cucumber (if not seedless, take the seeds out)

1 cup of seeded roma tomatoes (Cherry, grape can also be used)

2.5 cups of seedless diced watermelon

1 T of basil leaves, sliced thin

1 T of scallions, minced fine

3 T of Renee's spring herb italian vinagrette

Juice of half a lemon

Lamb-tastic

Alright vegetarians this post is NOT for you.

grilling it up! naan ready to be toasted

Adam once upon a time bought me a book by Ted Allen, called "The Food you want to eat"  I've made a couple recipes from this book and I remember reading this one several times, "The ultimate burger is a lamb burger" and I thought 'riiiiiiiiiiight'

Anyway, the last time I had a lamb burger was at one of my favourite pubs and i didn't like it, it was lamb burger sliders, the seasoning wasn't good the taste was far too strong, almost inedible.  So what possessed me to make one?



I have something of a motto or way of being, I prefer to order things that I can't do or haven't done myself. in other words, I often order new foods, or order things that aren't my strongest methods or styles of cooking (or even cooking I would probably never do - like sushi for instance).   So I had this less than stellar lamb burger, and I keep reading lamb is the ultimate burger...conflicted, I took this s**t on and I WON GLORIOUSLY!

The lamb was from Aubrey's meats in the market, and it was good.  real good.

Inspired very heavily by Ted Allen's ultimate lamb burger

INDIAN SPICED LAMB BURGER



(with cucumber sauce on naan)



some of the spices used...



INGREDIENTS:

1 LB of ground lamb

2T finely diced green onion (white parts too)

1/2t garam masala

1/4t of cumin

1t of coriander seeds, crushed

1/2t turmeric

1T fresh grated ginger

1/4t salt

1/4t pepper

1/8t cayenne pepper



Chicken Bacon Brochettes, Baby!

I had fresh chicken, I had some bacon (no babies though) - and we needed dinner.  I've made this before and renditions of it, and it's always good.  Generally in life when you add bacon, you can't go wrong.  Here it is:

CHICKEN BACON BROCHETTES

I followed this recipe almost exactly:  http://www.canadianliving.com/food/quick_and_easy/chicken_bacon_brochettes.php

INGREDIENTS:



A fine summer supper!

1 LB of boneless skinless chicken breast

1 TBSP of olive oil
1 TBSP worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP of soya sauce
dash of white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves pressed
Few grinds of fresh black pepper

4 slices of bacon cut into 3

CHARIZO! (Chard, Chorizo, Orzo)



At the end, colourful and just lovely!

Chard Chorizo Orzo.

Ever think of doing these three together? YOU SHOULD!  This was good and an homage to 'use what you have in the fridge' kind of cooking.  The names of the ingredients had a slight influence on being included in the dish, I must admit.   I was going to make risotto, and this is actually very much like risotto, except more straightforward and I dare say easier.  Actually Risotto was my backup plan in case I didn't have enough Orzo, but I had exactly the right amount of Orzo (I mean, to the gram - it was meant to be).

Orzo is not rice! It's pasta shaped like rice.  It's something I forget I have when I have it....and that's too bad, because it's really good.  Great for cold salads as well.

One pot meals people!  They make the world go 'round and dinner easy and delicious.

Very much inspired by the ingredients (and the looks) of this recipe:  http://jillianskitchen.com/2011/05/04/sausage-orzo/

CHARIZO! -or- Orzo with Chard and Chorizo

Here is what I did



The main star of the dish! Nice chard.

INGREDIENTS:

- 8oz Orzo (about 1 1/4 C)
- 1 bunch of white swiss chard, leaves separated from stems.  Stems chopped into 1cm pieces, leaves chopped.
- 1/4C fine diced onion (about 1 small)
- 2 cloves of garlic fine dice
- 2t olive oil
- 2t butter
- 2T fresh sliced sage
- 4 oz chorizo sausage, casing removed, thinly sliced
-1 C of white kidney beans (drained, rinsed)
- 1/4C fresh grated parmesan
- 2c chicken broth
- 1-1.5C of water (as needed)
- Fresh ground pepper