Breakfast, Sweet

Brioche French Toast

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The ultimate brunch indulgence, Brioche French Toast is a classic and timeless dish that never fails.

Brioche French Toast is one of those dishes that never fails to defy expectations.  It’s indulgent, rich, and so delicious.  We have this at the holidays, and this year we celebrated a birthday brunch with the same recipe that brings a smile to everyone’s face.  It’s a crowd pleaser, and ultimately a simple dish that really doesn’t take long to prep, unless you have a large hungry crew to feed.  Even if that’s the case (this recipe feeds 12!) I have the solution to make slightly ahead!  

One of the things that makes this such an easy recipe is the richness of the Brioche bread lends itself to a quick soak (like 30 seconds) being enough for a rich French toast batter.  No need to let the bread rest for several minutes – you simply dip the slices in as you are ready to throw into the pan!  The egg bath is is simple and basic – another example of letting great ingredients shine on their own.

My daughter chose this as a send off brunch item before she and some friends head overseas on a summer service trip – they will not be hungry on the plane.

Brioche French Toast

Print Recipe
Brioche French Toast, the ultimate brunch indulgence
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword brioche french toast, french toast
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 5 cups whole milk
  • 12 eggs
  • 4 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 loaves brioche bread, sliced thick
  • 1 stick butter
  • maple syrup for serving
  • flaked sea salt for finishing, if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 250, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
  • In a high sided 9x13 baking dish, crack all 12 eggs, and whisk to break up and beat slightly. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt, combining thoroughly until no egg lumps are visible. You want this batter well mixed, as it needs to spread over three full loaves of brioche.
  • Heat two skillets, or a large griddle pan over medium heat. Divide the butter into small pats for cooking the french toast in batches. Your brioche loaves should yield about 8-10 slices each.
  • When the skillets are ready, melt a pat or two of butter in each. Dip slices of brioche quickly on each side, making sure not to rest the bread in the milk bath for too long. This bread is very fragile and will fall apart if soaked for more than a short time. Don't crowd the pans, cooking 3 slices at a time in each pan. When the french toast is golden and cooked through (about 3-4 mins per side) remove to the baking sheets and keep warm in the oven while you finish the remaining slices. It's best to do this well in advance of serving, and don't worry about the french toast drying out in the oven - brioche bread is so densley flavorful and rich, it will taste incredible no matter what!
  • When all the slices have been cooked, serve with warmed maple syrup, and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt if you like to finish.

Notes

This dish is a holiday tradition in our home, so we treasure it.  Brioche or Challah are both great here, and are an incredible treat for a special occasion.  
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Dinner

Skirt Steak Frites with Shallot Chive Butter

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Juicy skirt steak, grilled and topped with shallot chive butter, finished with truffled fries and a spicy watercress salad in a homemade vinaigrette.

Steak Frites is hands down my favorite dish to order in a restaurant.  It’s always been something I wanted to make at home, but knew it wouldn’t taste as good.  Not anymore.  The trick – butter, of course!  Let’s face it – it’s what they do at the bistro, and it’s why it tastes SO GOOD.  It’s a treat, so make it for a birthday, a Friday night, or even just a Tuesday when you need it.  Life is short – let’s eat steak with butter, and French fries, and a little watercress salad on the side makes it all seem balanced.  It’s also EASY.

The only hard part about this dish is perfecting the timing.  I have suggested in the recipe that you make the shallot chive butter ahead, as it needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour or two so you can easily slice it.  I also make the vinaigrette ahead, and honestly, the rest is done in under 30 minutes total, including rest time for the steak.  You want to make sure everything is ready to go at the same time.

Skirt Steak Frites with Shallot Chive Butter

Print Recipe
Flavor packed skirt steak topped with shallot chive butter, truffle fries and spicy watercress with vinaigrette
Course dinner
Cuisine French
Keyword skirt steak, steak frites, truffle fries, shallot vinaigrette
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs skirt steak
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt and pepper - lots of both!!
  • 1 bunch watercress (about 4 oz)
  • 2 lbs. frozen french fries I like Whole Foods 365 Shoestring Fries
  • 2 tsp truffle oil
  • 2 Tbsp chopped chives for topping at the end

Shallot Chive Butter

  • 1 stick of butter at room temp
  • 1/2 large shallot, minced reserve other half for the vinaigrette
  • 2 Tbsp chopped chives

Ultimate Vinaigrette

  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
  • 1/2 large shallot, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

To Make the Shallot Chive Butter - do this ahead!

  • Use a large shallow bowl (like a pie plate), to combine the butter, minced shallot, chives, salt and pepper. Using a fork, mix everything into an even paste. Using a sheet of plastic wrap, pile the butter mixture into a log shape, and roll into a sealed package. Toss in the refrigerator to form a solid that you can later slice easily. When ready to use, remove the plastic wrap, and portion as you like - the butter will keep for a week in the fridge.

For the Ultimate Vinaigrette

  • Combine the ingredients in a jar with a lid (I use a mason jar or a recycled jelly jar), shake vigorously, and set it out at room temperature while you make the steaks and fries.

Steak Frites and Assembly

  • This recipe has several components, and timing is important. I suggest making the butter and vinaigrette ahead, leaving you time to focus on the steak and fries as they cook fairly quickly, and take about the same amount of time all in.
  • Take the steak out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking, to allow it to come to room temperature. Pat the steaks dry, coat lightly in olive oil, and season LIBERALLY with kosher salt and pepper. You want to really see the salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, or whatever your frozen fries packaging suggests. Preheat your grill, or grill pan to medium high heat.
  • Bake the fries according to package instructions, making sure not to overcook. Usually about 18 -20 minutes total - I also use two 1/2 sheet pans to make sure they don't steam with over crowding.
  • Sear the steaks about 4 minutes a side, or more depending on your preference for doneness - we prefer medium rare, which is quick with a thin cut like skirt steak. The steak will continue to cook after you take it off the grill. When it's done, set it on a patter, top with slices of the chive butter, and let it rest for about 10 minutes to allow the juices to settle back into the meat.
  • When ready to serve, toss the fries with salt, pepper, truffle oil and a tablespoon or two of chopped chives. Slice the steak against the grain, as desired, and top with extra salt and pepper. Dress the watercress with some of the vinaigrette (you will have extra, which will keep for a week or two in the fridge), and throw all this deliciousness on a plate together to eat immediately!

Notes

We are big eaters - you may find 2 or 2 1/2 lbs of skirt steak works for your family.
Cutting skirt steak against the grain can leave you with very long slices - it's fine to cut them in half for serving, but you want your initial cutting to be against the grain for a more tender bite.  
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Uncategorized

Ultimate Skillet Blondie Birthday Cake

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The perfectly gorgeous melty oozy chocolate chip skillet cookie that rivals any cake.  The best skillet blondie, EVER.  

July is a month of many birthdays in our family, and this year it felt right to switch things up for something a little different for my Lucy.  Happy 16th to YOU, Lucy, and this skillet blondie is the gift that keeps on giving!!

This one took a couple of tries – but it’s amazing now, and I think will be something we go back to again and again.  It’s pretty much the most delicious thing EVER.  I morphed my favorite cookie dough recipe and added a beaten egg to gift it some loft, and adjusted some things all in the sake of a gooey delicious mess in a skillet.  It worked.  Some might call this a mess – I couldn’t love it more. 

This is legit super easy, foolproof, and requires very little effort to make something special for someone you love.  It’s also pretty fun to just dig into a big skillet of melty cookie dough with spoons.  A heads up that I tweaked the recipe after taking this ingredient shot, which is missing the corn syrup and heavy cream.  It’s THE BOMB now. 

Skillet Blondie Birthday Cake

Print Recipe
Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet Birthday Cake, topped with ice cream and candles.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

  • 10-12" cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temp
  • 1.5 cups packed dark or light brown sugar
  • large egg, beaten before adding
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 12 oz chocolate chunks or chips
  • vanilla ice cream for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a stand mixer, combine the room temperature butter and the brown sugar until whipped and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Whisk the egg in a separate bowl, and then add to the creamed butter and sugar. In a separate small pitcher or bowl, whisk the vanilla, heavy cream and corn syrup, and then add that to the creamed butter mixture.
  • In a separate bowl again, mix the flour, baking soda and salt, and then slowly add to the wet ingredients, mixing minimally. Fold the chocolate chunks into the batter at the end, and dump the dough into a cast iron skillet. I reserve a few chunks of chocolate to scatter on the top.
  • Bake in the center rack for about 22-25 minutes, making sure not to overbake. You want a gooey underdone center, that almost needs to be spooned out of the pan. Trust me that will be the best part!
  • Let the cookie cake rest, until cooled, and serve topped with scoops of vanilla or cookie dough ice cream. Top with candles or sparklers, and sing Happy Birthday!

Notes

This cookie dough is meant to be seriously underbaked, and served spooned out of the skillet in a heaping mess.  Keep an eye on this as every oven temp varies with cook time.  
Whisking the egg before adding to the butter and sugar helps create a crinkle top to this skillet blondie - one of the best parts!  Don't over mix after adding the rest of the ingredients.
 
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Dinner

Summer Caprese Chicken

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One pan of sautéed chicken breasts, in a white wine pan sauce with tomatoes, pesto and melty burrata cheese.

Weeknight dinners in the summer should be easy to prep and clean up – this one pan wonder fits the bill with July flavors in every bite of fresh pesto, tomatoes and basil to top off that oozy burrata cheese.  Everything gets tossed in the oven for a quick minute at the end for a gorgeous finish to the tomatoes and mozzarella.  The best part is the pan sauce, so grab a loaf of crusty bread to dip in!  Another inspiration from Half Baked Harvest, switching things up with tomatoes instead of peaches here.  Summer in one pan!

If you don’t have time to make your own pesto, I’m a huge fan of the prepared basil pesto at Costco, which keeps for weeks in the fridge – it’s the next best thing to homemade!

Summer Caprese Chicken

Print Recipe
Sauteed Chicken with Tomatoes, Pesto & Burrata
Course dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken breast cutlets
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
  • 8 oz fresh burrata or mozzarella
  • 2 small heirloom tomatoes, or 1 pint large cherry tomatoes, cut into large chunks
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • honey to drizzle on the finished dish
  • 1/2 cup torn fresh basil, for garnish
  • flaked maldon sea salt for finishing

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
  • Pat the chicken cutlets dry, and season liberally with kosher salt and black pepper - liberally! Place the flour in a shallow plate and dredge the cutlets through the flour to lightly coat, shaking off excess - you just want a very thin layer to help crust the chicken when you sear it.
  • Melt 2 Tbsp of butter and 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil in the skillet, and add the chicken breasts, cooking about 4-5 minutes each side until golden brown and just barely cooked through. You want to leave a little cooking time as you will finish the dish in the oven. This process will usually be done in two batches, as you want room around the chicken breasts so they sear instead of steaming.
  • After the chicken is cooked, put it all aside on a plate to make the sauce. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter, the white wine, and thyme to the skillet, swirling to combine. Add the chicken back to the pan, spooning the sauce over each cutlet. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the tomatoes, scattering amidst the chicken and layering into the pan. Spoon the pesto around the chicken and tomatoes, and tear the burrata as well, arranging evenly. Top everything with some red pepper flakes, and throw it into the oven for a few minutes to roast the tomatoes and burrata.
  • Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle heavily with freshly torn basil, and finish with flaky salt and a drizzle of runny honey if desired. Serve this hot chicken mess straight from the pan with a big spoon, and crusty bread on the side. The sauce is amazing to mop up.

Notes

This dish is very adaptable - it's loosely based on a dish from Half Baked Harvest that uses peaches, but I like the tomatoes as well here.  You can use Goat Cheese, even Feta - as long as it gets into the sauce it's all gorgeous at the end.  The honey is a nice touch to balance the savory tones of the chicken.  
If you prefer larger pieces of chicken, simply adjust the cooking time.  
NOTE - the ingredients picture shows an egg, which I omitted in one testing of this dish, and found the results to be just as good.  If you want the egg wash, just dredge the chicken in a mixture of egg and water before breading lightly in the flour, and pan sear as directed.
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Sweet

Ultimate Lemonade Layer Cake

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The ultimate rich lemon cake, with a decadent cream cheese frosting that perfectly balances the sweet acidity of the lemonade flavor.

Cooking Light Magazine debuted their Lemonade Layer Cake recipe in 2002, and it has become their most pinned recipe ever.  For good reason!  This cake is literally to die for, and I have tweaked it to be less dense and slightly larger to feed a crowd.  It’s the kind of cake you need a party for – so make it, and invite your people over.

I first made this cake after reading the recipe in 2002, as a Mother’s Day treat for my mom, my mother-in-law, and aunt, and it instantly became a hit.  I have a bit of a love hate relationship with it, as my mother-in-law requests it every year for her birthday on July 6th.  It’s usually a fairly busy time, and this cake requires a little prep time and some not always on hand ingredients.  She is worth it, of course, but now my daughter also asks for this on her birthday – in October?  I love it, but shouldn’t we have chocolate in October!?  Regardless, it’s a labor of love, and I will happily make it for anyone who asks.

I had two problems with the original recipe, and I think I have fixed them both with this updated version.  First, the cake was too thin – probably the magazine’s attempt at keeping portion size in check.  However, when I’m making a birthday cake for someone I love, I’m not focussed on portion size or calories.  So I increased the size of this and it now works great for our usual crowd of 15.  The second fix, addresses the density.  I am all for a dense, rich cake, but this was a bit too dense.  I increased the amount of baking soda to balance the acidity from all the lemonade concentrate, and also added two tablespoons of sour cream to the batter.  These worked – the cake is still perfectly moist, but now has a bit of fluff to the consistency.  DELISH!

Ultimate Lemonade Layer Cake

Print Recipe
A richly balanced cake bursting with lemonade flavor and a decadent cream cheese frosting.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword lemon cake, lemonade cake, summer cake

Ingredients

Lemonade Layer Cake Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 9 Tbsp Butter
  • 1.5 Tbsp grated lemon rind
  • 4 Tbsp defrosted lemonade concentrate
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 2 Tbsp sour cream
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2.5 cups buttermilk lowfat

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp butter at room temp
  • 4 tsp grated lemon rind
  • 4 tsp defrosted lemonade concentrate
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese at room temp
  • 7 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Lemonade Layer Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper, set aside until ready to bake.
  • In a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, or a hand mixer, combine the butter and sugar, whipping until fluffy. Add the lemon rind, concentrate, vanilla and then one by one, the eggs and egg whites, all while running the mixer at a low speed. When fully combined, add the sour cream.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the flours with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Finish the batter by slowly adding the dry ingredients in small quantities, and then the buttermilk, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients. Don't over mix - this is not a cake that needs two minutes at a high speed as it will become dense. Fill the pans and bake on center rack for 22-25 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through.
  • Remove the cakes from the pans and cool fully on wire racks.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a stand mixer, combine the butter, lemon rind, lemonade concentrate, vanilla, and then the cream cheese blocks. It's important all ingredients are at room temperature to ensure smooth consistency. Slowly add the 7 cups of powdered sugar until fully mixed in.
  • When the cakes are cooled, frost as you like. I prefer a naked cake with exposed sides, but this recipe makes enough to fully frost the entire cake. I like to top it with a slice of lemon. I prefer this cake chilled, so if possible, chill for a couple of hours before eating. It will keep for days!

Notes

This cake comes from Cooking Light Magazine - I first made it in 2002, and it has been a massively repeated recipe ever since.  I updated the recipe by increasing the quantity, as the original was very thin.  I have always loved the cake, but found it too dense, and added more baking soda, and sour cream to the base recipe, which helped balance the acidity and lift the batter.  The original called for fat free buttermilk, and I prefer low-fat, and use full fat cream cheese instead of their recommended light cream cheese.  It is unbelievably good as a leftover for breakfast...

Happy Birthday Juju!  Thanks for keeping this recipe top of mind for all these years!

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Sweet

3 Ingredient Vacation Blondie Ice Cream Sando’s

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Blondie’s, vanilla ice cream, and mini chocolate chips sandwiched to make the perfect vacation treat!

Sometimes less is more.  Vacation is one of those times where simplicity rules and these are pretty much as easy as it gets.  They feel homemade, but involve only three ingredients and taste as good as they look.  

3 Ingredient Vaca Blondie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Print Recipe
Thin blondies sandwiching ice cream and chocolate chips
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients

  • 1 36 oz Tub of Toll House Cookie Dough
  • 1 Container of Breyer's Vanilla Ice Cream
  • 1 12 oz package Toll House Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line a large baking sheet pan with foil or parchment paper, and press the cookie dough into as even a layer as possible, reaching all corners of the pan. You are aiming for a thin, slightly undercooked blondie layer.
  • Bake the blondie's on the center rack of the oven for 16-20 minutes, taking the pan out to bang on the counter after 12 minutes, and then again at the end. This will ensure the blondie layer is compacted to withstand cutting into squares with the ice cream.
  • Cool the blondies completely, and remove onto a cutting board. Cut the sheet into two halves.
  • Prepare a platter or cutting board, and lay the blondie's face down (so the pretty side will be facing OUT with the ice cream sandwich), and spread the ice cream in a layer all over fully to the edges. Then top with the other layer of blondies, again making sure to have the correct side facing out.
  • Place the platter into the freezer to solidify for at least four hours, but ideally overnight.
  • When completely frozen, cut into squares, and dip the edges of the ice cream sandwiches into the mini chocolate chips, pressing to adhere. Freeze again until ready to enjoy!

Notes

You can clearly use homemade cookie dough for this, but I love the idea of taking three simple store-bought ingredients and making something a bit homemade.  These will NOT disappoint!
Note about the ice cream - if you use Breyer's, it will be soft enough to spread, but other brands may need time to soften on the counter before spreading onto the blondies.
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Dinner, Lunch

Antipasta Salad

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All the best ingredients from your favorite Antipasto platter join in for the ultimate make-ahead summer pasta salad.

This recipe is incredibly forgiving, in that you can pick and choose your favorite parts of a traditional antipasto platter, and toss them together with this easy vinaigrette.  You can’t go wrong – and it gets better the next day, so it’s perfect for summer entertaining wherever your days take you!

Antipasta Salad

Print Recipe
Antipasto ingredients and flavors make an amazing pasta salad that serves as a full meal.
Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients

  • 1 lb short cut pasta
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • salt and papper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp prepared pesto
  • 1 pint grape or small cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lb small balls of fresh mozzerella called Bocconcini or Ciglione
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 6 oz. thinly sliced pepperoni
  • 6 oz thinly sliced salami
  • 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
  • 1 14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
  • 4 oz baby arugula

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta until al dente.
  • For the vinaigrette, using a small jar with a lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, pesto, lemon juice, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, and shake well. Set aside.
  • When the pasta is done, toss with most of the vinaigrette to allow the flavors to absorb, and set aside to cool. You don't want hot pasta when tossing other ingredients together.
  • When the pasta has cooled, toss all the other ingredients together, and finish with the remaining vinaigrette as needed, and finish with extra salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

This salad is extra delicious made ahead, even the day before.  It is filling enough to stand alone as a light meal, but works great with anything off the grill too.  
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Dinner, Lunch

Sicilian Grilled Swordfish with Arugula and Lemon

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Simply grilled swordfish with a lemon vinaigrette and wilted arugula salad – easy, fast, and healthy – the perfect summer dinner.

This classic Barefoot Contessa recipe is one I make often, and it never disappoints.  It represents the ultimate simplicity of Italian cooking, using only the freshest ingredients with minimal prep and cook time, resulting in a delicious and healthy feast in minutes.  This is truly one of the easiest recipes there is – which makes it perfect for this time of year.  

Since this takes only minutes to cook, you need to be prepared with the vinaigrette before you grill.  Make sure to bring a shallow plate or platter to rest the fish in, which will hold the vinaigrette on the edges – and a fork to prick holes in the fish when done cooking.  

Sicilian Grilled Swordfish with Arugula and Lemon

Print Recipe
Simply grilled swordfish with lemon vinaigrette and tossed arugula salad
Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 lbs fresh swordfish steaks, sliced 1/2 thick
  • 4 oz baby arugula

Instructions

  • This recipe is fast and easy, so prep the vinaigrette first - the technique is to soak the fish right off the grill for the best flavor, and it cooks quickly!
  • Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp each kosher salt and black pepper in a small jar - shake to combine and set aside
  • Preheat a grill to high heat, or a stovetop grill pan on high. To prep the swordfish for grilling, coat lightly in olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper on both sides. When ready, grill the fish 2-3 minutes until cooked partly through, then flip and repeat. You want the fish to be firm, but not completely cooked through, as it will carry over while it rests. Usually a total of 4-5 minutes is all it takes.
  • Immediately put the fish in a large shallow platter, prick holes with the tines of a fork, and pour the vinaigrette over the fish. Allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes - 10 is better.
  • When ready to serve, remove the fish from the platter to plates, top each filet with a small pile of aurugla, and pour some of the warm vinaigrette over the greens to make a slightly wilted salad on top. Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper as you like, and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

If you can only get your swordfish in thicker cuts, it's fine to cut them in half to make thinner steaks.  This is often what I have to do - just be careful to cut through very evenly - you ideally want 1/2 thickness all around.  This is a Barefoot Contessa stand by for me.  One of my favorites!  
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Dinner, Lunch

Grilled Chicken Burgers with Bacon, Pepper-Jack and Honey Mustard Sauce

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Grilled Chicken Burgers with melty cheese and bacon, slathered in honey mustard sauce!

Celebrating Father’s Day with a Wales family classic – the grilled chicken burger, topped with melty cheese, bacon, and honey mustard sauce.  This is a crowd pleaser that makes everyone happy and offers a nice alternative to traditional beef burgers.  A shout out to Patti B, who apparently was the genius behind discovering this recipe!

The simplicity of this recipe (which isn’t really much of a recipe, but a list of assembled ingredients) is what makes it so great for a gathering to feed a crowd.  Marinade from a bottle, which isn’t always my favorite way to do things, but sometimes life just gets busy and shortcuts like this are invaluable.  

This is something I remember eating at my in-law’s house when we were first dating in college – I know I’m not alone in having this food memory there, which makes it a great dinner to serve for Father’s Day.  Food definitely plays a huge role in making memories, and this is nostalgic and easy.  Happy Father’s Day to this guy – who definitely loves this one!

Grilled Chicken Burgers with Bacon, Pepper Jack and Honey Mustard Sauce

Print Recipe
Grilled Chicken Burgers with melty Pepper Jack Cheese, Bacon and Honey Mustard Sauce
Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course, sandwich
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 6 small chicken breast halves, or cutlets
  • 1/2 bottle of Ken's Italian Salad Dressing
  • 2 Tbsp Worstershire Sauce
  • salt and pepper to season
  • 6 thick slices PepperJack Cheese
  • 12 cooked slices of bacon
  • 6 seeded Hamburger buns

Honey Mustard Sauce

  • 6 Tbsp Honey Cup Honey Mustard
  • 2 Tbsp Helman's Mayonnaise
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • To marinate the chicken, combine the Italian Salad dressing and worcestershire sauce, a little salt and pepper in a glass or ceramic bowl or dish, add the chicken and rest for at least 30 minutes, but up to 8 hours.
  • When read to cook, heat either a gas or charcoal grill to medium high heat, or a stovetop grill pan to the same level. Cook the chicken about 6 minutes per side, until fully cooked. In the last minutes of cooking on the second side, place two broken up strips of bacon on each chicken breast, top with cheese, and close the lid on the grill to melt the cheese.
  • Assemble the chicken burgers using toppings as you like. I used sliced avacado, gem lettuce and the honey mustard sauce.
  • To make the Honey Mustard Sauce, stir the Honey Cup Mustard and mayo together, and season to your liking with salt and pepper.

Notes

These sandwiches can get very thick with the bacon and toppings, so I recommend slicing chicken breasts in half cross wise to make thinner cutlets as needed.  
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Beverages

Dark Rum Southsides

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Refreshing and light, with fresh squeezed lime juice and Mount Gay – the perfect summer cocktail!

This is a delicious cocktail for summer gatherings on the boat, the beach, or your backyard.  Tastes like the islands, but much less sweet than rum punch.  The perfect combination of fresh mint and lime juice balances out the bite of the dark rum that gives this drink a golden hue.  Easy to make ahead with simple ingredients.  Once again, thank you Barefoot Contessa!

Dark Rum Southsides

Print Recipe
Refreshing and light with fresh lime juice, this one is the perfect summer cocktail.
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword southside, cocktail, dark rum, rum drink
Servings 4 cocktails

Ingredients

  • 10-12 large mint leaves
  • 1/2 lime, sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice 4 limes usually
  • 1/2 cup simple syrup recipe below for this
  • 1 cup ice
  • 1 cup Mount Gay Rum, or similar dark rum
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 can club soda

Instructions

  • To make the cocktails, place the mint leaves and lime slices in a large mason jar, and muddle using the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour the fresh lime juice into the mixture, and let it rest while you make the simple syrup.
  • To make the simple syrup, boil 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar until no sugar is visible - cool until ready for use.
  • To make the drinks, pour 1/2 cup of the simple syrup (the recipe makes just over that amount, and you won't need it all), the rum, ice and salt into the mason jar, tighten with a lid and shake until well combined. Fill four cocktail glasses (or stemless wine glasses) with ice and pour the mixture evenly between them. Top each drink with club soda as desired, and garnish with a lime slice and mint leaf.

Notes

This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe, using a less concentrated simple syrup. 
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