Category: Ingredients (Page 16 of 25)

Grilled vegetables over cheese grits

August 9, 2011 / Mike Farley

I’m not a big seafood guy, so this is my version of “shrimp and grits”–it’s grilled vegetables over cheese grits. It’s simple, satisfying and a great light meal for the summer months.

All you need are some grits, a good sharp cheddar cheese, and some veggies to throw on the grill. I had received an awesome box of produce from our CSA (community supported agriculture) from Driftless Organics–and in it were zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, onions and banana peppers among other things. So I used all of those as well as a red bell pepper I bought at the farmer’s market.

Here is what to do……cook grits according to package directions for four servings, and add 1 cup of shredded cheddar at the end of the cooking process. Stir until cheese melts and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut vegetables (enough for 4 servings) into large chunks, spray with olive oil or cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly charred with nice grill marks. Divide grits among bowls, top with some veggies, and then throw a few cherry tomatoes on top (we also got these from Driftless…you can grill these too but it’s not necessary), and then splash with hot sauce.

That’s it. This is an easy and really tasty dish. Of course, the sharper the cheese, the better. And the hotter the hot sauce, the better. Enjoy!

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Summer Tomato Sandwich

August 4, 2011 / Mike Farley

One of the best parts of summer is the fresh tomato. And I do mean fresh, as in the ones you get from a farmer’s market, farm stand on the side of the road, or CSA. Or of course, the ones you grow in your backyard. I wrote recently how I have a pet peeve about crappy grocery store tomatoes, because in grocery stores, it’s always the middle of winter when it comes to tomatoes.

But for as awesome as fresh tomatoes are and the recipes you can make range from pasta to pizza to salads, there is nothing as simple and delicious as this–the open face tomato sandwich. You toast a couple slices of bread, slather some good mayo, put a few tomato slices on top and sprinkle with salt–maybe a bit of pepper too, but that’s optional. That’s it. Of course, you can close it up like a traditional sandwich, but it’s better open faced for some reason. And sorry health nuts and low-carb supporters, it’s always best with a good white bread.

Man, I’m hungry.

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Mikey’s breakfast bowl

August 1, 2011 / Mike Farley

Breakfast bowls have become all the rage these days, and I’ve decided to join the party–with rice as the backdrop. Here is my version, and we’ll called it Mikey’s Breakfast Bowl and it serves one (but you can multiply it out).

Ingredients
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/3 cup cooked pinto beans, from can, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped smoked sausage or ham
1/4 cup chopped avocado
3 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Hot sauce

Directions
Warm rice in microwave according to package directions (Easy to microwave rice is everywhere now, but I love Trader Joe’s brand–it comes in pouches that are frozen and microwaveable in 3 minutes). Stir in beans and nuke for another 20 seconds. Stir in avocado, tomatoes, and sausage or ham. Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and crack two eggs into the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the whites of egg are set and not runny. Slide eggs into bowl, and crack the yolks to let the egg run into the bowl. Sprinkle with cheese, cilantro, and hot sauce, and serve.

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More burger talk….

July 28, 2011 / Mike Farley

Earlier this week I posted my recipe for a Green Chile Burger. And it got me thinking…I could do a whole month of burger recipes. Not that I’m going to, but hey, I can ask you guys to let me know what your favorite burger is.

So let me know…what are your favorite burgers–meat type or other fillings, toppings, bun, etc. I wanna know your favorite burger and why. So let me know in the space below, or on Facebook or Twitter after I post this. Have fun with it, and be honest! Heck, you might remember I posted a peanut butter banana burger recipe a while back too. Nothing is too crazy!

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Grub for guys: green chile burger

July 26, 2011 / Mike Farley

Last month I posted my green chile burger on Bullz-Eye.com’s Grub for Guys. I have always wanted to experiment with different burger variations, and this Southwest variation on the burger is one that I really had fun with. Mostly though, it came out awesome. Here is the recipe…give it a shot and let me know what you think……

A few years ago, I attended a conference in Albuquerque, and it was the first time I’d ever been to New Mexico or Arizona. But I have always been a fan of Southwest-inspired food. Well, the one thing that was ubiquitous with the Southwest that I noticed was green chile—not the chili you eat in the winter, but the chile pepper. There are, of course, several different types, but typically the one that is symbolic and representative of “green chile” and its affiliated recipes is the poblano pepper. So in the spirit of grilling season, I decided to present a recipe that you guys could surely appreciate—a green chile burger.

Ingredients:
1 pound (or more) of ground beef, preferably 80/20 or ground chuck
Kosher salt
2 large poblano peppers
Olive oil or vegetable oil spray
1 cup shredded cheese blend (I used ½ fontina and ½ extra sharp cheddar)
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
4 large Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium-high. Make the “secret sauce”—combine mayo, ketchup and cilantro, and set aside. Divide beef into four equal portions and shape into patties according to how thick you’d like your burger. Make an indentation in the center with your thumb to avoid the burgers puffing up. Sprinkle with salt. Spray poblano peppers with cooking spray. Cook peppers on grill until slightly charred but not too burnt. Cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes per side or until desired doneness. When burgers are almost done, sprinkle with cheese, and cook for another 30-45 seconds or until cheese melts. Keep burgers under a foil tent while you prepare the peppers. Carefully peel the skin off the peppers, and then slice peppers into large, flat slices, and discard stems and seeds. To assemble, spread sauce on each bun half, place burger on bottom half, and top with roasted peppers. Now eat that thing like you mean it! Serves 4 (or 2 hungry dudes, or 1 extremely hungry and gluttonous dude).