The Recipe Finder - Online Cooking Magazine » Independence Day

Apple and Onion Cheddar Burgers

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:00:36 +0000

1 1/2 cup apple butter, divided
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 pound ground chuck
1 large Golden Delicious apple, sliced into 1/2 inch rings
1 large white onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
non-stick cooking spray
4 slices cheddar cheese, sliced thick
4 kaiser rolls

In a large bowl stir 1/2 cup of the apple butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together well. Crumble the uncooked ground chuck into the bowl with the apple butter mixture. Coat the meat well. Shape 4 burgers. Brush the apple and onion slices with the remaining apple butter. Spray the grill grate with the butter non stick cooking spray. Heat the grill to medium high heat. Place the burgers, apples and onions on the grill and cover. Grill about 5 minutes per side. When done the meat will no longer be pink and the apples and onions should be tender. Remove the apples and onions. Place a slice of cheddar on the top of each burger. Recover and cook an additional 1 minute. Remove the patties. Lightly coat the inside of the rolls with the cooking spray. Cook on the grill for about 1 minute to toast. Remove. Place a burger on each roll and top with the apple and onion slices.

Independence Fudge

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:00:27 +0000

12 ounces good quality white chocolate
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1 tablespoon grated orange peel

In a large microwave bowl place the white chocolate and milk together. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Chocolate should be almost melted. Remove from microwave and stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the almonds. Carefully fold in the blueberries and cranberries. Add the orange peel and mix well. Place foil into an 8 inch square pan. Be sure the foil extends over the top of the pan so you can use it as handles when removing the fudge. Spread the mixture into the pan evenly with a rubber spatula. Place in the refrigerator until firm. This usually takes about 3 hours. When fudge is firm remove from pan by lifting the foil by the extended area. Cut fudge and store tightly in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Firecracker Rib Eyes

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:00:40 +0000

4 rib eye steaks, 3/4-inch thick
1 T garlic pepper seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped

Cover both sides of the Rib Eyes well with the garlic pepper seasoning. Grill uncovered until done to your liking. In the meantime stir together the sour cream, mustard and chives. You can add a little extra garlic seasoning to this if you would like. Be sure to mix well. Pour over the top of the steaks before serving.

Marshmallow Caramel Boooom Cake

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:00:49 +0000

1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
20 caramels
1/4 cup butter, cubed
10 cups popped popcorn
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts
1 cup M&Ms plain chocolate candies (the red, white and blue ones if you can find them)

Place the marshmallows, caramels and butter into a large saucepan. Place pan over low heat and cook until all the ingredients have melted and is smooth. Place the popcorn in a 9X13 cake pan. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn. Use a rubber spatula to mix all together being sure to coat the popcorn well. You will have to do this quickly before the caramels start to harden again. Add the peanuts and M&M’s. Spread out evenly. Cool until firm.

Roasted Garlic & Herb Red Potato Salad

admin — Mon, 04 May 2009 05:00:01 +0000

2 pounds red potatoes
1 T. roasted garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
Salt and pepper
2 medium red onions, sliced thin
1/3 cup fresh chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon, and thyme)
2 bunches watercress

To roast garlic rub one garlic head with olive oil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

To prepare the dressing, whisk together garlic, Dijon mustard and vinegar.

Next whisk olive oil into mixture slowly. Season mixture with salt and pepper, mix and add mustard seeds. After cleaning red potatoes dice into bite sized pieces and boil until tender. While potatoes are still warm, add potatoes to dressing and toss. Chill for minimum of 2 hours. When ready to serve add onions, herbs and watercress to potatoes and dressing.

Apples and Carrots White Cabbage Slaw

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:10:27 +0000

1 tbsp slivered almonds
1 tbsp orange juice
8-10 oz white cabbage, finely shredded
2 apples, grated
6 oz carrots, peeled and grated
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

In a small bowl combine the orange juice and almonds. Let soak for 2 hours.

In a large bowl combine vinegar, oil, honey and basil and whisk together. Add finely shredded cabbage and toss. Then add the grated apples and carrots and gently combine. Add the amond mixture, gently toss the coleslaw and chill.

Let’s Have a Barbecue Party

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:59:41 +0000

“A wonderful way to entertain family and friends in an outdoor setting is with a backyard barbecue party. With proper planning and the right environment people will be talking about your party all summer. Important factors to think about when entertaining are things like the barbecue grill, seating, lighting, and of course the menu planning.”

Today’s barbecue choices have never been greater. The designs and options are wonderful, there really is a barbecue that fits your individual barbecuing needs. Barbecues come in both natural gas and propane grills. Barbecues are available in portable fire pit models excellent for a patio or backyard, giving the feeling of being around an actual fire pit. Other barbecue designs include charcoal-wood grills, portable grills and outdoor stoves. Weber makes some of the most durable and reliable quality grills, using stainless steel burners to provide long- wearing even heat and burners with spider and insect screens to keep the burners pest free. The stainless steel hoods and bodies are long lasting and great looking. Several of the designs also include built in thermometers.

Another great addition to your backyard cooking options might be a BBQ smoker. These BBQ smokers are perfect for seafood delicacies and traditional barbecue meals like beef brisket, ribs or pork. They are also excellent for chicken, seafood or anything needing direct high temperatures. Briquettes are available that burn for up to eight hours giving a wonderful smoked flavor.

A beautiful patio leaves you with the feeling that your at a cottage or a wonderful outdoor retreat, the nice thing is it’s a much more affordable alternative to owning a cottage. With the great selection of patio furniture and accessories on the market you can design your patio to be your own personal vacation in your backyard. The patio is not only a convenient getaway, but also a natural extension of your home’s design and décor. Black is a popular color for furniture as is antiqued greens with a distressed look. Wooden furniture is again popular, teak being a favorite as it ages so beautifully. Patio furniture is available with armrests, high back chairs and swivel rockers with matching ottomans, all for ultimate comfort. Most of the outdoor furniture sold today is made with all weather fabrics; it’s also wise to select furniture that will be durable and low maintenance.

When throwing and planning a barbecue patio party you’ll want to be prepared and know approximately how many people will be coming. You want to be sure there is enough available seating so everyone is comfortable. You’ll also want to be prepared for unexpected weather. Awnings are an excellent option, allowing you to take control of the weather on your deck or patio in a moment; there are also outdoor tents that you can set up with a table inside to shelter yourself from the rain. It’s important to have at least one outdoor umbrella to provide protection and shade for your guests from the hot sun, not to mention they also look nice. There is no shortage of excellent patio furniture and comfortable outdoor sitting options. Patio heaters are also welcome for cooler evenings after the sun goes down.

It’s important to have a proper serving or buffet surface for your party, a place where you can have all the food, beverages, plates and utensils. Portable carts or side tables can also work well. You may even have a built-in counter top.

The lighting for your outdoor party will only matter if the barbecue carries on into the evening; regardless the lighting is something that is nice to think about as it adds so many ambiances to your backyard setting. There are outdoor solar-powered lights available and other lighting options in several designs. Luminaries, candles, miniature white lights strung between trees or along your patio, or some lovely white paper lanterns hanging from your trees can make your patio extraordinary.

Bug control is a must at your outdoor party. Burn citronella candles to help keep a variety of bugs away. If yellow jackets are a nuisance in your yard, traps are available from your garden center or nursery. Remember to cover food, especially the meat and sweet drinks on the table to protect from bugs.

A few other nice additions to your party might be; gift bags for any children attending the party, you can fill the bags with fun ideas found at the dollar store like glow sticks, crayons and little notepads etc., it’s a nice idea to keep the children occupied; patio heaters are excellent if it starts to cool down in the evening, or for unexpected cooler days; flowers in planters or hanging baskets will further add to the appeal of your yard; lastly a nice variety of music sets the mood and adds a nice overall feeling to your party.

Planning the meal is probably the biggest challenge to your party. You’ll want to know in advance if any of your guests have any special eating preferences, allergies, dislikes. You can always go with the standard burgers, veggie burgers (f there will be any vegetarians attending), steaks and salads knowing that everyone will be satisfied and full. On the other hand, you might want to surprise your guests with a wonderful honey barbecue broiled steak; a simple marinade can be made with garlic, marjoram, salt, pepper, dry mustard, honey, and balsamic vinegar. The selected steak or chicken can then be kept in the marinade for a couple of hours in the fridge, next step is onto the barbecue. Excellent side dishes might be some potato salad, a green salad and corn on the cob.

In the summertime cold drinks are a must. You might make some cold lemonade, and have some carbonated beverages on hand. A nice addition to any buffet table is a lovely punch (alcohol or non-alcohol) with some lemon slices and fresh fruit additions. Always have lots of ice available to keep the drinks cold. For dessert some cut fruit such as strawberries, melon and watermelon slices prove refreshing or a fruit salad can be nice, and of course a nice cake or some cookies is always sinful but popular. Later on, a bowl of corn tortilla chips served with salsa is well liked.

Of course your budget will determine how much you can and can’t do as far as decorating at your party. But don’t let that discourage you, it takes time to get your patio looking exactly the way you want it, in the meantime keep your eyes open and look for ideas. A simple picnic table and some plastic outdoor chairs work well too; a barbecue really is all about the food and atmosphere created.

With some planning and the right atmosphere your outdoor barbecue party will be a success. Whether your party is big or small, a barbecue is a wonderful way to get together with your closest friends and family members to enjoy the summertime and some great food.

About the Author: Valerie Giles owns and operates Best BBQ Online, a resource web site featuring bbq grills, bbq smokers, weber gas grills, grill accessories, bbq recipes and marinades. Everything you need for the barbequing season. http://www.best-bbq-online.com. Try some of our free Mouth Watering Rotisseries Recipes.