Google Recipes

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-the kitchen curtains

A guest post from a very talented individual Jack and I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the past 2 years. I love this new feature on Google. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot. It is fabulous!

I am Mary Jackson, friend of Tiffany and co-worker (and friend) of Jack. I was talking with Tiffany about a blog post I was writing for the Milligan library blog that related to cooking. Tiffany suggested that it might be a good choice for her blog (which I love). 

 

This spring Google launched a new feature, Google Recipes.  I stumbled across it when I was craving lemon meringue pie. I did a regular Google search for lemon meringue pie, then realized while scanning the recipes that I didn’t have a required ingredient, cream of tartar. I went back to revise my search and what did I see:

I could now filter my results: by ingredients that I did (or did not) have, by cook time and by calories. WOW! I quickly clicked the NO box next to cream of tartar and instantly I had a new list of recipes that did not require me to make a trip to the store. The best part is you don’t have to do anything. If you type search terms into the regular Google search box and it yields results including recipes, the recipe features automatically pops up on the left hand side of the results. I love it! And the lemon meringue pie made without cream of tartar? Delicious.

Gyro Pizza

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It is not uncommon to find myself at a complete loss in the kitchen. Every few weeks I feel as if I have hit a cooking rut. There are only so many different ways to combine the same 7 ingredients. I know the simple solution is to incorporate more ingredients, but every time I find myself at the breaking point, another idea comes along. This time, my lovely husband provided the idea, a Gyro pizza. 

You see, we kind of like Gyros. Actually, that is probably the understatement of the century. We kind of LOVE Gyros! More specifically, we love Ozzy's Gyros in the mall. Not only are the gyros delicious, but we love Ozzy's family. In fact, we rarely go to the mall for the actual mall, we just go for the gyros.

So, of course, the idea of a Gyro pizza sounded genius to me. Here's what we did to make it happen.

Dough Ingredients:

2 tsp. dry yeast

1 c. warm water

2 c. flour

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. white sugar

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. garlic

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. basil

Dough Instructions:

Mix yeast in water and let sit until creamy, about 10 minutes. In another bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix. Add in the creamy yeast mixture and blend until dough is firm and joined. 

Cover the ball of dough and let sit until it doubles in size, roughly 30 minutes. Mine never doubles in size, but somehow Jake is able to make it work. Basically, if it doesn't double, you'll have a thinner crust. Since I love thin crust, I am ok with it.

Once the dough has risen, roll it out into the shape of your stone and get ready to bake.

Next, make my Greek sauce. This is very simple and is the same one we recently used on the Greek Turkey Burgers. You can view instructions here. Once you've made the sauce, coat your dough generously. Why generously? Well, aside from more being better, this tends to soak into the crust a little bit so you want to start with a healthy amount.

We used ground Italian sausage for our meat, mostly because it is easy and you don't have to season it. Just open the package and crumble bits over your pizza.

Jack and I wanted this to taste very Gyro-ish so we decided to add the traditional veggies after baking so it would taste fresh. However, I still love the smell of baking onions so...I went ahead and added 4 stalks of green onions to the pizza before popping it in the oven. I also added half of a package of feta cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. 

Once, your pizza is done baking, pull it out of the oven (thank you Captain Obvious) and add your freshly chopped tomato, lettuce, and sweet onion.

Last step, enjoy your Gyro pizza. So good.

Greek Turkey Burgers

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-the kitchen curtains

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Today was a great day. Instead of the isolated thunderstorms the weather man called for, today's forecast was bright and sunny. A much-needed reprieve from the past two weeks of dreary rain, although I'll take the rain over tornado warnings any day. 

Aside from the beautiful weather, Jack and I were able to partake in a day of celebrations as our friend Adam graduated from a 4-year-long Master of Divinity program. Yay Adam! He will soon be attending Johns Hopkins so, ya, you could say were pretty proud to know this guy. 

Anyways, after a fun day of friends and mocha cake, I am going to try to crank out this recipe for you. Jack and I broke out the ground turkey Thursday evening to make one of our favorite meals, Greek turkey burgers. If you are one to criticize the authenticity of food origins than you might want to stop reading now as I have no idea if this can really be considered Greek at all. However, we do use Greek yogurt to make the sauce, so that's the name I am going with.

We have made these numerous times and this last batch was the best yet.  Just goes to show, if at first you don't succeed...well, you know the rest.

Turkey Burger Ingredients:

1 package ground turkey

1/4 of a large sweet onion

1/4 c. mushrooms ( I think I chopped 6 or 7 mushrooms)

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1 package of feta cheese

1 tbsp Worcestershire

salt/pepper

oregano

garlic powder

Turkey Burger Instructions:

Thaw turkey. Chop mushrooms and onions. 

Combine turkey, Worcestershire, onion, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add egg and bread crumbs. 

If you think the mixture looks super liquidy, you either need to mix it up some more (using your hands works best), or add a few more sprinkles of bread crumbs. I added less crumbs this time and the burgers ended up super moist, which was awesome.

Next, add 1/2 the feta package to the mix as well as seasonings. Be generous with the seasoning, really... you can never over-season. General seasoning guidelines??? I would say add at least 1 tbsp of oregano and garlic and 1 tsp of salt and pepper. The image below has all the seasonings on top of the meat, you should also have this much seasoning.

Form mixture into patties. You should be able to get 4-6 patties depending on the size you prefer. Cook in a pan, not on the grill to prevent any slippage through the grate. 

At the same time, you should sautee some onions in olive oil to add to the top of the burger. Trust me, it's the right choice.

Now to the Greek sauce...


Greek Sauce Ingredients:

1 single container of Plain Greek Yogurt (in the size that costs $1)

1/4 grated cucumber

2 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp dill

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp lemon (tast it after 1 to see what you think)

1-2 tsp. garlic

Greek Sauce Instructions:

Grate the cucumber, yes, like on a cheese grater. The end product will look something like this...

Combine all ingredients.Taste it as you go, you may not like as much seasoning as we do or you may want more. Either way, these amounts should be a good starting point.

All that's left is to place your burger on a bun, add sauteed onions, lettuce, Greek sauce, and voila, deliciousness on a bun!

These are fabulous, really, truly, fabulous. Happy cooking!

Bruschetta Baguettes

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-the kitchen curtains

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We have officially entered my favorite time of year, that time of year when there are more than 2 veggies in the store that both look and taste fresh. Maybe it's just me but I'm pretty sure our meals taste 500 times better in the spring.
With summer just around the corner, Jack and I have started phasing out our heavier meals in exchange for lighter, more fresh versions of our favorites. Monday's meal was fantastic! I made broiled bruschetta baguettes. This one is a must for the Weinbender recipe box.

Ingredients:
1 baguette
1/2 large tomato
1/4 c. onion
1/4 c. cucumber
feta cheese
graded cheddar cheese
3 garlic cloves (minced)
lettuce or spinach leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
pepper
salt
oregano
basil


Instructions:

Slice the baguette lengthwise, so you separate the top from the bottom. Brush olive oil lightly over the tops of the bread. Mince garlic cloves and spread evenly over baguette.
Chop tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. Place veggies on baguette. Lightly sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Sprinkle all seasonings according to your individual tastes.
Place baguette slices under broiler for about 10 minutes. Be sure to check every few minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. 


Chop a few slices of spinach or lettuce. Pull baguette out of oven when edges are browned. Sprinkle with lettuce and feta cheese.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Happy broiling!

Vegetable Shrimp Soup

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-the kitchen curtains

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I absolutely love shrimp. I could eat shrimp every single day and never tire of it. So, the other night, I decided to experiment with a make-shift shrimp soup. I was pleasantly surprised with the result. This recipe will feed 4 individuals 1 cup apiece.

Ingredients:

30 deveined shrimp without tail
1/4 c. tomato sauce
2 tomatoes
2 green onions
1/4 of a large cucumber
1/4 c. red onion
1 avocado
1 leek
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro
1-2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic

Instructions:
Thaw, rinse and drain shrimp. Place in frying pan to cook. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Add 1 tsp. lemon juice. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.
Chop cucumber, tomato, leeks, and onions and place in a pot on low with a small amount of butter.
Add tomato sauce, lime, lemon, cilantro, 1 tbsp. garlic, salt and pepper.

Add cooked shrimp to soup. Let cook for 5 minutes. Add avocado and serve.

I also think this meal would work well cold or over rice. Don't let the recipe limit your imagination, feel free to add to or take away from the ingredients, especially seasonings. I try to provide a general idea of how much seasoning I use but I normally season to taste, so taste your food as you go to make sure you like the finished product. Happy cooking!

Grilled Vegetables

Grilling is one of the things I most look forward to about summer and this past weekend was perfect grilling weather.

Growing up, dad was always our designated grill master. I'd like to think I learned a few things from him throughout the years. However, I had never tried to grill the sweet potatoes before this past Saturday.

 

Prior to living in the south, I had never eaten a sweet potato. I suppose you could argue that I must have tried yams at Thanksgiving or something to that effect, but I am convinced it never happened.

In Tennessee, everyone eats sweet potatoes, also known as yams (although there is a difference between the two). Apparently, this root vegetable is some sort of nutrient super food, outranking all other vegetables in nutritional value in a 1992 study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Anyways, all that to say, this weekend, we grilled our sweet potatoes and they were fantastic. We also grilled baby asparagus and zucchini (my all-time favorite grilled veggie).
Our simple and tasty grilling tips:

Using a brush, lightly coat veggies with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and pepper.
Grill until tender.

I know... it's super complicated, but simple always turns out the best.
Another method for the zucchini is to coat with Italian dressing instead of olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic. Delicious!
 
Best of luck with your grilling days to come. May it bring you and yours closer together this summer.

Amaretto-Coconut Pound Cake

Took out my good ol' Betty Crocker cookbook the other night and threw together a combination of recipes that were oh so tasty. One part pound cake. One part coconut glaze.
Pound Cake Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
2 tbsp amaretto (my substitute for vanilla)
5 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. coconut flakes (only if you are also making the coconut topping)

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bundt cake pan with shortening. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Beat on high for 5 minutes.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a second bowl. Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture on low speed alternating with evaporated milk. Add coconut. Pour mixture into pan.

Bake for 50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Or add a topping of choice, like this...

Amaretto Coconut Glaze Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 c. evaporated milk
1 tbsp amaretto (my substitute for vanilla)
3 egg yolks

1 1/3 c. coconut flakes

Mix all ingredients minus coconut in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 14 minutes, until consistency is semi-thick (like pureed soup). Add coconut flakes. Remove from heat and let cool about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally until consistency is spreadable. Apply liberally to top of cake and enjoy!

Momma Tammy's Spaghetti Sauce

My mom (momma Tammy) makes the best spaghetti sauce of all time. Even with the recipe, somehow mine is never quite as good as hers. Personally, I think the key to this yummy sauce is using ground Italian sausage instead of hamburger meat. The sausage is SO much more flavorful.

Despite my inability to recreate this sauce exactly, I thought I would share the recipe in the hopes of you making a sauce that is just as tasty. I have adjusted some of the ingredients to make the serving size for two.

Normally, momma Tammy dishes the sauce over spiral rotini noodles. If you are going to use noodles, you must use this kind. I don't know why but it makes the dish so much better. You can also try my style, over garlic bread.

Ingredients

1 package ground Italian sausage

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1/2 can tomato paste

1/2 green pepper

5-7 mushrooms sliced

1/2 red onion chopped

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 loaf french bread

Olive oil

Instructions

Set oven to broil. Spread a thin amount of olive oil and sprinkle garlic powder and oregano over tops of slices. Place in oven about 5 minutes before sauce is completed.

Chop all ingredients. Place Italian sausage in frying pan with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Cook until browned.

Add onions, peppers, and seasonings to meat. Cook for 5 minutes. Add stewed tomatoes after draining excess juice. Add tomato sauce (I like to buy one with some flavors added). Let simmer for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

If the sauce looks watery, add 1/2 can of tomato paste (mine varies with the type of sauce I buy).

Once you have allowed time for the flavors to mix together, pull the bread out of the oven add sauce and enjoy!

A few tips for making Momma Tammy's spaghetti sauce...

1.) The longer you let it sit on the stove, the better it tastes. One thing I always thought was excessive was the amount of oregano and garlic she added. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH! Every time she went to stir the sauce, she added more oregano and more garlic. Trust me, this is the key to a spectacularly flavorful sauce.

2.) Watch your bread. Our family is notorious for making a delicious meal and then forgetting our bread in the last 5 minutes. We almost always end up fanning the smoke alarms. A sure-fire way to ruin the finishing touches of a great meal.

Good luck and happy cooking!

Edible Books Festival

In order to celebrate the nourishment that books bring to our lives, Milligan College library staff threw the college's first ever Edible Books Festival at the P.H. Welshimer library. The event was a hit! It looks like next year the staff will throw a full-out competition due to all of the positive feedback.

Neither of my entries were as elaborate as I had hoped (this week was abnormally hectic). Jack asked me to make his entry since he works late Thursday evenings. I immediately said, “of course!” Unfortunately, I underestimated the precision required to make caramel apples. It will be a long time before I attempt those by myself again. Timing is key and between keeping caramel melted, crushing candy bars, and dipping apples, I did not have good timing. Oh well, I've learned my lesson.Anyways, my “Green Eggs” entry wasn’t anything special so I am not even going to bother giving you the recipe. The icing was the same powdered sugar frosting from my previous Rummy Shortbread Cookies post, minus the rum.

Here are the other entries...

Jack’s, oh so clever, “Candide” apples. He’s so witty.
And a few other entries that were both creative and clever...

Kirstin Blackburn: "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"
Meredith Sommers: "The Illiad" (aka Book-la-vah)John Jackson: "The Invisible Man" (we gave him a hard time but it's pretty clever)
Mary and Grace Jackson: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"
Melissa Nipper: "The Giving Tree"

June Leonard: "The Lion and the Mouse"

And there you have it, a few highlights from the first ever Milligan College Edible Book Festival. I am also including a little background information on the event for those of you who might be curious...

Judith A. Hoffberg originally came up with the International Edible Book Festival idea in 1999. Beatrice Coron created the Books2Eat website for participants worldwide to enjoy each others edible creations. The first Edible Books event took place in 2000 and has since taken off as an annual sensation.

Edible Book festivals take place on or near April 1 in honor of the French gastronome, Jeane-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's (1755-1826) birthday. He is famous for his book, "Physiologie du gout," a witty mediation on food.

Mandarin Pizza

Jack and I have a slight bias toward our little pizza joint back home, Ugo's Pizza. Since moving to Tennessee, we have tried our best to find a comparable pizza joint but have had zero luck. Because of this, we now make our own pizzas, with each one becoming increasingly more creative.

This past week we decided to add fruit to our colorful masterpiece and it was delicious. Probably my favorite pizza so far.
As usual, Jack made the crust while I chopped up a variety of veggies. I've included a simple crust recipe from All Recipes. We prefer thin crust but feel free to substitute your favorite.

Dough Ingredients:

3 c. flour
1 package of dry yeast
1 c. water
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. sugar

Toppings:

1/2 package of grape tomatoes
25 pepperoni pieces
1/4 c. green peppers
1/4 c. onions
1 cup mandarin slices
1/2 c. cheese (we used, cheddar and pepperjack)
1/4 c. pesto paste

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dough ingredients. Knead dough. Roll to fit your pizza stone.
Spread pesto onto crust. Chop all toppings.
Add meat, veggies, and fruit. I especially liked the sweeter grape tomatoes with the fruit.Place in oven for 20 minutes. Check the bottom of the crust for crispy-ness and voila! A beautiful and tasty pizza.

Get creative and try substituting veggies with different fruits. Here's another we've tried recently, strawberries!
The combination possibilities are endless. Good luck!

Quick and Simple Meatballs

Have you ever had a late night craving you just can't shake? Well, I have for the past two weeks! I am not sure why, but suddenly a meatball sandwich sounded glorious. I don't think I have ever eaten a meatball sandwich but I wanted one none-the-less.

When I realized this craving was not going away, I broke down and went to the store for some ground Italian sausage and made these quick and easy meatballs for my sandwich.
Ingredients:

1 package ground Italian Sausage
1/4 c onions
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/4 c shaved parmesan
1 egg
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Set oven to 350 degrees. Chop the onion into small pieces. Mix all ingredients.
Roll mixture into 1in. meatballs and place on a cooking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes.
Once the meatballs are done cooking, combine meatballs and a sauce of your choice in a large saucepan. I of course went with what we had in the cupboard which was a simple traditional spaghetti sauce (yes, from a can... *gasp*).

Only add enough sauce to be able to coat your meatballs after you've rolled them around for a bit. I used half of a 16 oz jar. I also added 2 tsp. of Worcestershire, 2 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. oregano, and a dash of pepper and salt.
Let your meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 10-15 minutes.

If you are looking to make a meatball sandwich as well, slice some onions and mushrooms and saute over medium heat while the meatballs are simmering. Once the meatballs are finished remove your sauteed veggies and create your sub.

Oh so yummy with very little work. Good luck and happy cooking!