A New Patriotic Recipe! Not.
My fellow Americans,
I was going to share a new recipe with you today, but I just couldn’t get on board with it. Didn’t have the gumption. There is something strange about this week- I am feeling red, white and blah.
I am blaming it on the 4th landing on a Wednesday this year, our town having fireworks on a Monday night (???) and this giant end-of-days rainstorm that hit our house last night. I’m just not into the spirit. Sorry, America- we’ll patch things up before Labor Day, pinkie promise!
In an effort to get out of my funk, I’m going to pretend I am having a party today.
Let’s plan it out, shall we?
Some things we should have at our imaginary summer bash:
Some kind of fruity drink- my choice would be watermelon limeade, with make-ahead margs a close second.
Burgers are your basic summer party staple. If I was feeling fancy (which I almost always am), I’d set up a burger bar with lots of fun/unexpected-but-totally-delicious toppings. And I won’t forget the burger bacon.
We’ll also need some excellent sides with summer flavors like BLT corn salad or tomato corn pie. Let’s just make sure tomatoes and corn make an appearance somewhere.
Then of course, there’s dessert, which is my hardest choice. My favorites for the Fourth would be this blackberry galette or some classic strawberry shortcakes. You’ve got to stuff your face with berries on July 4th- there are laws in place for this sort of thing.
You know, I think I’m getting my groove back, America! Thank you, US Government, for employing my husband and letting him sleep in with me this morning (are you listening, kids?). Thank you, ol’ founding fathers, for not taking any guff from the King of England and steering your boats straight on over to Plymouth Rock. And most importantly, on the reals- thank you to all who serve so that we can be so free. You never get enough credit.
Funk lifted. Happy Fourth!
Joy’s BLT Corn Salad Wraps
Here are some things I’d like to say about this heat wave.
- Something is not right when your properly-working-AC is chugging along 24/7 just to keep your house under 82 degrees.
- RIP to four of our chickens. Four! 108 degrees is brutal. And sorry to whatever poor garbage man has to pick up our trash tomorrow.. ugh.
- Yesterday was the first time I swam in a lukewarm pool. And it was before 10AM. And it was refreshing.
It is madness!
Thank goodness for the brilliant JTB for coming up with this gem of an idea. It’s actually very similar to this Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad I made last summer, but is has bacon. Which in my book is light years ahead of crab on the deliciousness scale (which is definitely a real thing). After an hour in our outdoor bath (I can hardly call that thing a pool. I mean really), this was the most refreshing plate imaginable.
I am usually not a big fan of lettuce cups (so messy and usually filled with disappointing ground meat of some kind), but it was the perfect way to serve this salad. There was something great in each bite- sweet corn, creamy avocado, savory bacon- all wrapped up in the cool, crisp crunch of a lettuce leaf. I would eat this anytime, but it would be particularly wonderful to serve in a picnic setting or after some kind of hot, summer activity.
If this heat wave continues, I am stocking up on bacon, lettuce, tomato and corn and not coming out of the house until it’s below 90 degrees.
(So I guess I’ll see you in September!)
Joy’s BLT Corn Salad Wraps
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Find the original recipe at http://joythebaker.com/2012/06/blt-corn-salad-wraps/
Author: Joy the Baker
Recipe type: Appetizer, Main
Ingredients
- 3 ears of corn, shucked (she charred hers, I did not)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- ½ cup chopped green onions (I used white onion here)
- 1 avocado, diced
- 3 sliced crisp cooked bacon, diced
- juice of 1 lime
- about 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used roasted garlic grapeseed oil- YUM)
- salt and pepper to taste
- a good sprinkling of chili powder and smokey paprika
- butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce leaves
- hot sauce and sour cream for topping
Instructions
- Shuck corn on the cob of all their husks and strings. Over a gas burner, or on the flame grill, char raw corn. Rotate corn until cob is charred on all sides. Allow corn to cool before slicing corn kernels from the cob. This invariably creates corn shrapnel all over the kitchen counter.
- Add corn kernels to a medium bowl. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, green onion, diced avocado, and diced bacon. Squeeze in lime juice. Top with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and slices. Stir to combine. Taste and re-season accordingly.
- Rinse and clean individual lettuce leaves. Serve alongside a bowl of corn salad to serve. To enjoy, scoop corn salad into lettuce leaves, top with hot sauce, sour cream, fold up like a taco and eat em up!
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
I love posts that have the labels “chocolate” and “vegetables” together. Sometimes it seems my main goal in life is figuring out how to fit chocolate into every meal.
Still working on it.
Chocolate-covered broccoli probably wouldn’t go over well with my crew. Or would it..
Back to reality!
I made this cake last night because
a) we had nothing sweet in the house to consume (????)
b) we have a fridge bursting with garden produce
c) I need chocolate to survive.
I really want to say this cake is healthy, but it would be more accurate to say it is healthier than most cakes. It has lots of ingredients I deem healthy (zucchini, olive oil, greek yogurt, whole wheat flour), but also a few of the usual suspects like sugar and chocolate chips and butter (which I actually think is not so bad if you get it from a good source- we need good fats, people!). If you are feeling like a super-healthy person, I’m sure you could sub out the sugar for another sweetener and switch out anything else you don’t like, but it will probably taste less like cake and more like a chocolate-flavored brick. But, by all means- eat, drink and make chocolate bricks if that’s your thing.
I’m going to be real and tell you the reason I didn’t photograph the full cake is because I cut two giant slices for the hubs and I to eat not more than 10 minutes after it was out of the oven. Hot chocolate cake with smooth chocolate ganache running down the sides is like a big chocolate party in your mouth. For research purposes only (ahem), I tried it at room temperature today- it was still tasty, but I could tell it was losing a little moisture (due to all that healthiness inside). This can surely be remedied with another batch of ganache. Or some ice cream. Or a giant glass of cold, cold milk.
Raise a glass of raw milk and get your forks. Here’s to your health!
(Recipe adapted from Buttered Up.)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup yogurt (I use greek)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cake pan (I used a 10-inch round springform pan because there’s a lot of batter) with butter and flour or baking spray.
- Cream the butter, oil, sugars, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt together until well-combined. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Add half of the flour, stir; add the yogurt, stir; and add the rest of the flour, cocoa powder and espresso powder (if using) and stir again. Add the zucchini and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, place the chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream, sugar and water until warm (not boiling) and pour it over the chocolate. Stir to combine. Let sit until thickened.
- When you’re ready to serve, you can pour the chocolate sauce over the whole cake or on individual sliced. You can serve hot or at room temperature, but it is best enjoyed in the first day or two of baking.
Getting Back in the Swing
Internets, sweet internets. I’m home!
I am back in GA after a week of loveliness with my family in Cook Forest, PA (the middlest of nowheres). We spent the week at our cabin, re-living the memories of my childhood (Skipping Stones! Ice Cream! Pony Rides! Fishing! Campfires!) and making new ones (Kertunk! Farmer’s Inn! Massages at Gateway! Sheffield! Papa’s Jeans!) It’s probably my favorite place in the universe.
There is basically zero cell reception everywhere you go, which is both awesome and semi-frustrating for a blogger (there are tweets to make and comments to be moderated! haha). It was good to unplug from the phones, even though Nana’s iPad was in heavy rotation (mostly used by the adults, who were sucked into The Logo Game).
I always find it hard to get back into the swing of things after vacation. There is laundry to be done, things to unpack and put away, emails to catch up on, things to remember.. my brain is mush. I have yet to make it to the grocery store or out of the house at all today- thank goodness for my freezer! I would have had to run out at 6AM this morning if it weren’t for my little stash of frozen milk (yes, you can freeze milk and it defrosts wonderfully).
All this to say that it might be a little slow around here right now, but rest assured that I am feeding my family (phew!) and planning on sharing a recipe or two in the next few days. In the mean time, tell me how your summer is going. Is it crazy or relaxing? Have you had a vacation? Are you hanging out in the kitchen or leaving all the cooking to someone else?
Chelsea’s Lemon Souffle Pancakes
Today, you get to meet Chelsea from Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence. She is a 20-something, self-taught cook just like me and I know you’ll enjoy her recipe. I can’t wait to whip up a plate of these myself. Thanks for sharing, Chelsea!
Hello Oven Lovers! I’m Chelsea, the girl behind the blog Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence. I’m so excited to be guest posting for Natalie on one of my favorite blogs- Oven Love!
Seeing as how there are always so many amazing breakfast and brunch recipes on Oven Love, I thought what better recipe to guest post about than just that! After a great debate, I decided on these lemon soufflé pancakes. Just the idea of a soufflé pancake was enough to entice me, but with the addition of lemons I was sold! These fluffy soufflé pancakes are just bursting with lemon flavor. Drizzle with some agave nectar and a sprinkle of powdered sugar and its breakfast time! If you don’t have agave nectar, you can use regular syrup, but I find that the agave’s natural sweetness enhances the lemon flavor without overpowering.
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 3 egg whites
- Agave nectar and powdered sugar to garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, lemon peel, and salt.
- Make a well in the center of flour mixture and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, milk, and the ¼ cup melted butter.
- Add egg yolk mixture all at once to flour mixture.
- Stir just until moistened.
- In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips will stand straight up).
- Gently fold egg whites into batter.
- Do not overmix.
- Pour ¼ cup of the batter onto a hot lightly greased griddle.
- Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side until pancakes are golden brown.
- Serve with agave nectar and powdered sugar.
On My List: Feta
Ya’ll, I have had a serious crush on Feta cheese lately.I am having dreams about eating Feta all day while on a seaside picnic in the Greek Isles. Totally normal, I’m sure. While I am certain I will get to Greece someday (Mr. Oven Love, please confirm this at your earliest convenience), all I can do now is stuff my face with Feta in the comfort of my own home. Here are the Feta dishes that are on my list:
and if you want to make some Feta yourself..
Amy’s Blue Cheese Mushroom Burgers
Hi, lovies! Today you get to meet Miss Amy from Sing For Your Supper AND you get to look at this amazing burger. How lucky are you?
Howdy y’all!
It’s Amy of Sing For Your Supper and I’m super excited to be guest posting on Oven Love today! I’m an opera singing cheese addict from Dallas who loves to spend as much time in my kitchen as possible!
As a first time mom to my 4 1/2 month old daughter, Cassidy, I’m always up for any meal that’s easy enough for my hubby to make. These burgers are not only totally delicious (caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and blue cheese are some of my very favorite flavors!), but I hardly had to lift a finger! Throw some onions in a pan and let ’em do their thing, sautee some mushrooms, grill up some juicy patties, and voila! Easy, insanely delicious burgers! Don’t forget the cold beer! 😉
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
- 4 beef patties, ¼-1/3 pound each
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 large yellow onion, very thinly sliced
- 2 cups sliced button mushrooms
- 2 ounces blue cheese
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- a splash red wine
- Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high heat. Grill the patties to desired doneness (about 5 minutes on each side).
- Add a little olive oil to a skillet over medium-low heat, cook the onions for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ¼ teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent and caramelized. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and pepper until mushrooms are softened.
- To assemble: Spread the burger buns with the Dijon mustard. Place the patties on the buns and top with onions, mushrooms and a generous sprinkling of blue cheese.
For Mr. Oven Love
Mr. Oven Love,
Today is our anniversary and Father’s Day is Sunday and I just need to say a few things.
First of all, thank you for keeping me around. I do not deserve you!
Thank you for fiercely loving and protecting me and the littles.
Thank you for being our handyman, our dishwasher (more often than I give you credit for), our door locker, our garden tender, our chicken caretaker, our bug/roach/mouse attacker, our story teller, our dance party leader, and our Captain, of course.
You do not get enough credit, and you probably never will. (I’m working on it!)
I am hopeless at reminding you how much you mean to me and what a great dad you are.
Elliott and Lucy are the luckiest. They have a daddy who cares about a very long list of things so that they don’t have to worry or be scared or want for anything.
You get more and more handsome each year. How do you do it?
God has used our marriage to grow us both tremendously. How lucky are we? Each day I am surprised by the way He keeps blessing us. It’s mind boggling.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the acts of service that go unnoticed and the messages that don’t get through my thick head. I appreciate you and don’t tell you enough.
You are my person.
I cherish you.
Baked Potato Casserole
We planted potatoes in our garden again this year.
A LOT of potatoes.
Anyone want some potatoes??
I feel like I’m saying “this-is-what-we-are-doing-with-our-garden-surplus” over and over again on this blog, but it’s usually when we have giant piles of produce on our counter that I have to be creative and come up with new recipes.
With a big pile of spuds staring me down, I got a craving for some baked potatoes. We planted Yukon golds in our garden, which are lovely in taste and texture but not excellent for baking, so I had to come up with another plan.
Here’s the procedure: steam the potatoes and broccoli, fry the bacon, cook the onion and garlic, combine it all with some spices and cheese and bake until nice and bubbly. Pretty straight forward. Don’t forget the smoked paprika- it takes the dish to another level, trust me.
This would be a great side dish, but we actually ate it as our main meal. We should have added a salad to make it a more balanced dinner, but let’s face it: we just wanted to stuff our face with gooey, cheesy, bacon-covered potatoes. And hey! The broccoli’s in there- that’s good for you. You can leave it out if you want, but then you should definitely eat a salad. I mean, really.
This isn’t exactly health food, but it’s way better for you than say, a baked potato from Wendy’s. So I think you can still feel good about it. I mean, I do. I’m all about some good fat. I better end this post before I go on a grass-fed, pastured meat tangent or talk about how you need lots of good fat to make better breast milk. You guys are just here for good food.
And this stuff is good.
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets (about 2-3 cups chopped)
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 cups (150 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Place a steaming basket in a large pot and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Place pot on to boil. When water is boiling, add the potatoes and steam (covered) for 5-6 minutes. Add broccoli to the potatoes and steam for an additional 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a 9×13 baking dish. (You can butter/spray it now, but I like to use the paper towel with the bacon fat later.)
- Meanwhile, fry the bacon until just crisp. Remove the bacon, drain on a paper towel and chop into small pieces, setting 2 tablespoons aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in your frying pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the mixture begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes and broccoli, paprika, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
- Mix in half of the cheeses and the bacon (except for the 2 tablespoons you set aside). Pour the mixture into your baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and serve hot.
Open-Faced Sandwiches on MPMK
Happy Monday!
Today I’m over on Modern Parents Messy Kids today sharing eight little open-faced sandwiches.
