Korean Pear Roast

Hooray for pears! I am excited to be getting a huge box of pears this week. I have been thinking of what to do with all of them, though. I bottled 1/2 bushel of pears last year and we have hardly touched them. This year I am bottling pear juice to both drink and use for this recipe.

This recipe tastes like a sweet version of bulgoki. I didn't mind the cucumber salsa, but Rhett vetoed it. The roast, however, is delicious.  Hence the different names between my title and the actual recipe's title. I just make the roast and then serve it with rice and veggies. I've included full instructions because maybe your family will like the cucumber salsa more than mine.

Korean Tacos with Cucumber Cilantro Lime Salsa

Korean BBQ Meat

• 2 1/2 - 3 pounds roast
• 1 Bartlett Pear peeled, and diced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3 tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar- I am going to try honey this year!
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup pear nectar- I just juiced some pears
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup Ginger Flavored Soy Sauce, or regular soy sauce
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 3 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp coarse ground pepper
• 3 tbsp sesame oil

-Whisk together all the above ingredients. Place trimmed meat into slow cooker and pour the blended ingredients over meat.
-Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours, until meat is tender, and easily pulls apart.

Cucumber Cilantro Lime Salsa

• 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1/4 red bell pepper diced
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup snipped cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp minced jalapeño, if desired
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp fresh minced ginger

-In a medium sized bowl, toss together, cucumbers, peppers, scallions, and cilantro.
-In a separate bowl, whisk vinegar, oil, lime juice, sugar and ginger together.
Pour over cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

To assemble Tacos:
Warm tortillas on griddle, or wrap in foil and heat in the oven.
Place desired amount of meat on heated tortilla.
Top with lettuce and Salsa. Drizzle with additional Ginger Soy Sauce if desired.

 From http://studio5.ksl.com/

I have a note written on my recipe that Rhett liked his meat with Sriracha hot sauce on the side. I don't remember that, but it must be true if my note says it is so. 

Enjoy!

Ashley

Egg Souffle

Breakfast dinners are one of my families favorites and they bring a little variety into dinner.  This is the best breakfast casserole I have ever tried. It is a hearty breakfast or dinner that your whole family will love. When I bake it for a dinner I start first thing in the morning and then refrigerate it all day until 1 1/2 hours before dinner and then I bake it. If you are making it for breakfast follow the directions below. If you are not baking for a crowd try cutting it in half. I usually bake the whole recipe and have yummy leftovers or freeze the other half. I personally think the souffle is filling enough all by its self but a side of fruit is nice too.

Egg Souffle for a Crowd - (Schillene Bigelow)
                   
Serves 10-12

15 eggs
1/2 chopped green or red bell pepper*
3 diced green onions*
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 small can of mushrooms (optional)
1 lb of sausage, bacon or ham
1 C shredded sharp cheese
1 lb southern style frozen hash browns *
2 C milk
3/4 tsp dry mustard

Brown hash browns, cook sausage or bacon and crumble. Ham needs to be diced. (I prefer sausage)

Beat eggs, add milk, green peppers, onions, and mustard. Put hash browns in a sprayed 9X13 casserole pan. Pour egg mixture over the top and sprinkle with meat and then top with shredded cheese. Refrigerate overnight.

Mix Cream of Mushroom soup with 1/4 C milk and a dash of salt and pepper. Pour over the top of the souffle mixture. Add can of mushrooms if desired. (If you want sprinkle a little extra cheese and green onions and bell peppers on top) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

* Substitute these items with  Potato O Brien hash browns, it has green peppers and onions in it already.

Enjoy!
Cindy

Black Bean Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

Black Bean Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing (Whole Foods Recipe)

Serves 4
This colorful salad features a quick dressing made from creamy avocado, tangy lime juice and zesty cilantro.



Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, mashed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed if frozen
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Method
In a large bowl, whisk together avocado, cilantro and lime juice until blended. Add beans, lettuce, tomatoes, corn, pepper, pumpkin seeds and toss until evenly coated.

I personally like it with just a little more flavor so I add garlic to the avocado when I am blending the dressing in the food processor. I also like to add some sliced red onions to the salad for flavor. If your dressing isn't quite enough try adding a little more lime. This is a salad Wade loves and it's super healthy!

Cindy

The Ultimate Bleu Burger

This is the blue cheese burger recipe that we made on the Fourth of July. Actually there are two recipes. The first is the actual recipe that I wish I could remember where I got it from. We made it and loved it. The second is the modified and simplified version that we made on the Fourth.

The Ultimate Blue Burger

• 2 pounds ground chuck
• 4-6 slices Cambozola Cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 8-10 slices of apple wood smoked bacon cooked
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 medium sized avocado, thinly sliced
• 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Purple onion thinly sliced
• Leaf lettuce
• 4-6 French style hamburger rolls sliced in half
• Roasted Garlic Spray (optional)

Divide meat evenly. Form each portion into 2 rounds, place about 1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese on top of one round, cover with the other and press edges to close. Repeat with remaining portions. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until it's thoroughly cooked. While still hot, place a slice of Cambozola on top.

Spritz inside of rolls with roasted garlic spray. Lightly toast on grill until golden brown.
To assemble:
Place burger patty on lightly toasted roll, top with bacon, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, and purple onion.
Makes 4-6 servings 

On the Fourth we didn't include all of the toppings, but Rhett also added tons of ground black pepper to the patties. It still turned out great.


Enjoy!


-Ashley

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

We just made this recipe last week for the first time and I am already itching to make it again. It is so full of flavor and a great pair with a side of steamed veggies- perfect for this time of year. I got this recipe from one of my friends blogs, Feeling Peckish. Dasha always has great taste so you may want to check it out.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp (from The Gourmet Cookbook)

(Dasha's Note: The recipe recommends sauteeing the shrimp, but I thought the smoky flavor of the grill would complement the flavors nicely so I grilled them instead. I’ve included instructions for both cooking methods. Also, these are originally meant to be served as an appetizer, so if you’re looking to serve them as a main course for more than 2 or 3 people I would up the quantities.)

3 garlic cloves
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup orange marmalade- I used apricot jam and it worked great!
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil (plus more if sauteeing shrimp)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (The recipe says 20-24 to the pound but I used 25-31 to the pound)

1) Using a large knife, mince garlic cloves and mash to a paste.
2) Mix garlic with 1 teaspoon salt.
3) Whisk together garlic paste, lime juice, marmalade, cilantro, 3 tablespoons oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt,and pepper in a small bowl.
4) Transfer 1/3 cup of the mixture to small serving bowl and reserve for dipping sauce.
5) Combine shrimp with remaining mixture in a large sealable plastic bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air.
6) Marinate shrimp in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, turning the bag once halfway through.
7) Drain shrimp and gently pat dry.
8) To grill shrimp: Thread shrimp onto skewers (if they’re wooden skewers make sure to soak them in water for 15-20 minutes beforehand). Place on an oiled grill and cook over medium heat until shrimp are pink on the outside and opaque (about 1 ½ or 2 minutes per side).
To pan fry: Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over moderately high heat.
Add half the shrimp and cook, turning occasionally until shrimp is cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and cook the remaining shrimp in 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil.
9) Garnish with cilantro and serve with dipping sauce.

- Ashley