Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce

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Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce
It’s officially summertime here on the Eastern Shore, and our grill is almost always fired up. We do a lot of the classic stuff – steaks, burgers, dogs, chicken. But once in a while, I like to go all out and smoke a pork butt on the grill for hours on end. I don’t have a fancy smoker or anything, I just throw some soaked wood chips onto the grates of my gas grill. The smoke infuses the pork with delicious flavor, and it ends up falling off the bone and melting in your mouth. And for barbecue of that caliber, you need some awesome sauce to go along with it.

My strawberry-chipotle barbecue sauce is a favorite, takes less than 2 minutes (literally) to bring together and is absolutely delicious. But, I wanted something different. I’d never made a vinegar based sauce before. The weekend before we’d gone to our local homebrew shop, and stopped at a notorious local barbecue joint on the way for lunch. I’d debated the red sauce or the vinegar sauce…went for the red, then was craving Carolina style ‘cue all week long. So, that’s what I went with…

It turned out absolutely delicious. The sweet mustardy tang paired with the smoky saltiness of the pork was out of this world good. All the flavors mingled and married so well. I can’t wait to try it on grilled chicken or pork chops next!

If you’re looking for something a little different or special for your 4th cookouts, a homemade barbecue sauce is just the ticket. I hope that everyone has a safe & happy Fourth of July!

Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce

1 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon Worstershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon liquid smoke

Comine mustard, sugars, vinegar, water, chili powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne and Worstershire in small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in butter and liquid smoke and simmer for 10 additional minutes.

Can be stored in airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Source: adapted from Big Daddy’s Barbecue Sauce

Caprese Pie

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Caprese Pie

If you guys are anything like me, you have a “thing” for delicious mozzarella cheese. There’s nothing better than those salty little bites of chewy goodness, am I right? So, when I was asked to participate in the 2013 Galbani® Caprese Challenge, I couldn’t have been more honored or excited. Any chance to work with mozzarella, ripe red tomatoes, and fresh green herbs and you can count me in!

Galbani Mozzarella Fresca™ is made in the Italian tradition of fior di latte using fresh cow’s milk. The cheese is gently stretched and kneaded, then fresh-sealed, leading to a fresh mozzarella cheese that is unparalleled in texture and flavor. The cheese is slightly firm and salty–wonderful! They also offer other delicious varieties packaged in water, as well as a marinated variety, which would be a perfect addition to any antipasto platter.

The Mozzarella Fresca was recently named a favorite fresh mozzarella by the editors of Saveur Magazine, and for good reason. It melts beautifully but maintains its body–great chew factor! I also found that when melted, it released very little liquid. So often with other mozzarella cheeses I’ve tried, they released so much water–that’s no good for a pizza! Galbani Mozzarella Fresca is truly a superior product. Look for it in your local supermarket’s specialty cheese display.

So, without further adieu, here is my entry for the 2013 Galbani Caprese Challenge. A simple pie crust filled with layers of ripe tomatoes, Mozzarella Fresca, herb sautéed onions, and a splash of balsamic vinegar then baked to bubbly perfection. Paired with a green salad, it’s the perfect light summer meal. Such a great way to put all of those gorgeous summer tomatoes and fresh herbs to use!

Voting is open now, so go vote! To celebrate this fun challenge, Galbani is giving away all kinds of fun prizes to voters through August 9, with a grand prize of $500 given to a random voter at the end of the contest. You can enter once a day, so go check out the other blogger’s fun spins on the classic Italian dish Caprese, and vote for a chance to win some great prizes!

2013 Galbani Caprese Challenge

Caprese Pie

1 9-inch pie shell
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
8 ounces Galbani® Mozzarella Fresca™
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt, freshly ground black pepper
sliced tomato, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. Add olive oil to a medium skillet over medium high heat and sauté the onions until they start to brown on the edges. Add the garlic, oregano, and 1 tablespoon chopped basil. Cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.

Place the sliced tomatoes in single layer on a cooling rack placed inside a baking pan, and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt. Let sit 15 minutes to let liquids drain. Blot with paper towels.

Cut the ball of cheese in half. Shred one half, and thinly slice the other half into 1/4-inch slices.

Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with the herbed onion mixture. Place a layer of sliced tomatoes in an even layer on top of the onions, followed by a layer of half of the sliced mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Repeat layering process.

In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, remainder of the fresh basil, and a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes. Top with a few slices of tomato for garnish.

Bake at 350, uncovered, until brown and bubbly, for about 40 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.


Disclaimer: I have been compensated for my time to create an original recipe for the Galbani Caprese Challenge. As always, all thoughts are my own.

Black Forest Tart

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Black Forest Tart

Cherries. Glorious cherries. It’s rare that I get to actually make anything with them, as they usually get eaten within hours of bringing them home from the grocery store. But on rare occasions it does happen, and the results that ensue are usually out of this world.

Case in point? This Black Forest Tart. A rich chocolate crust, a light fluffy whipped cream filling, and plenty of delicious roasted cherries. Roasting fruit is a great way to reduce the water content, and intensifying flavor at the same time. That way you don’t end up with a waterlogged tart!

For as decadent and over-the-top as it looks, it was surprisingly light to the palette. Which, is perfect for these hot summer evenings when you want something sweet – but don’t want something that’s sure to weigh you down. And, let me just advise to go ahead and make the homemade chocolate syrup. It’s pure perfection drizzled over this dessert. You won’t regret it, I promise.

Black Forest Tart

For the tart shell:
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the filling:
4 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
3-4 tbsp. sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
chocolate syrup, for drizzle

To make the tart shell, whisk together the egg yolk, cream and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside. Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Process briefly to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. (Note: This can just as easily be done with a stand mixer or by hand with a pastry cutter.) With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (If refrigerated for more than an hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.) Unwrap and roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan. Mold the dough to the sides of the tart pan and remove the excess off the top. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to middle position. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen shell and over the edge, and fill with pie weights. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 F. Combine the cherries and sugar in a baking dish. Toss to combine. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cherries have softened slightly and start to release their juices. Let the cherries cool completely before assembling the tart.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar. Whip on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. Blend in the vanilla. Spoon about two-thirds of the roasted cherries into the cooled tart shell to form an even layer. Top with the whipped cream and smooth into an even layer over the cherries. Spoon the remaining cherries over the top of the whipped cream. If desired, drizzle a bit of chocolate syrup over the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Lemon Berry Cheesecake Trifles

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Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Trifles

Can you believe the 4th of July is almost here? I feel like the summer is just flying by. Our local fireman’s carnival opens up this weekend – we’re anxiously awaiting oyster and clam fritters, flaked ice in our soda, and the freshly made caramel corn that we’ll feast on Friday night. It’s a right of passage of summer around these parts…

One thing that is a lifesaver in the summertime is no-bake desserts. It doesn’t do anyone any good to heat up the oven for hours on end when it’s over 100 degrees outside. Well, anyone except your electric company I suppose… So, it’s good to have a little trick like this delicious trifle up your sleeve. Not to mention it’s quick – giving you more time to play outside in the sunshine!

I used blueberries, but  would be equally good with raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries. Or a combo..how cute would they be decorated for the 4th with strawberries and blueberries? I loved the addition of almonds into the streusel topping too, really deepened the flavor and gave it a nice nutty quality. And the lemon cheesecake filling was perfect – a nice lemon flavor from the Lucky Leaf pie filling, but not too sweet.

I layered them in mason jars – because, I’m just obsessed with them lately. This would also make for great portability to a potluck or barbeque. I will admit it makes for a large portion. I’ll probably try them in half-pint size next time. Or, couples could always share – just offer 2 spoons! A delicious, beautiful dessert for any warm summer night. 

Lemon Berry Cheesecake Trifles

1 store-bought pound cake, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups fresh blueberries

For the graham cracker streusel:
6 cinnamon graham crackers, crushed to crumbs in a food processor
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
4 Tbsp butter, melted
pinch salt

For the cheesecake filling:
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Lucky Leaf Premium Lemon Pie Filling

To make the graham cracker streusel, toss all ingredients in a medium bowl until the butter is evenly distributed.

Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy – set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and increase speed to high. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 30 seconds more. Carefully fold the whipped cream and lemon pie filling into the cream cheese mixture until thoroughly combined.

Layer the graham cracker streusel, blueberries, lemon cheesecake mixture, and pound cake cubes in a medium mason jar until filled. Repeat with remaining jars, garnish with leftover strusel topping, blueberries, and lemon sliceds.

Makes about 6 servings, depending on the size of your jars.

Source: adapted from A Bitchin’ Kitchen via Lucky Leaf

Disclaimer: Lucky Leaf provided me with products to sample. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.