Jen’s Mushroom & Thyme Truffled Grilled Cheese Sandwich with baby reds, onion, sharp cheddar, watercress, freshly cracked black pepper on Tuscan garlic bread.  Jen, being my niece.  A food enthusiast.  Creative soul.  Inspiration.

I sent out a text alert to my favorite foodies.  Okay kids, I need some grilled cheese recipe inspiration.  I knew I could count on them.  My phone lit up with inspiration.

Well there you have it.  My work here is done….

Other than to serve it up.  We wanted mushrooms to be the star, and where there are mushrooms there should also be thyme.  Sliced baby red potatoes and thinly sliced onion assumed their role as ‘another veggie’.  Tossed in olive oil and oven roasted until almost crispy.  I had to slap hands away from these….who needs potato chips?!!

I gave good consideration to what kind of bread would compliment the well selected ingredients of our Mushroom & Thyme Truffled Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  Tuscan Garlic Bread nearly jumped out of the bakery case.  When I sliced it and found whole garlic cloves I promise I heard the sound of harps playing in the distance.

We brushed that gorgeous bread with butter and truffle oil before pan grilling and loading our sandwich.  Can’t you just see the flavor in this sandwich.

As it turns out, the harps I thought I heard in the distance were actually a surround-sound concert in my living room.  David Gilmour from Royal Albert Hall singing “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” with his back up singers David Crosby and Graham Nash.  ox

Here is my recipe inspiration team.

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Mushroom & Thyme Truffled Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby & Jen with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4 baby portebello mushrooms sliced
• 4 baby red potatoes sliced
• 4 thin onion slices
• 4 fresh lemony thyme sprigs
• freshly cracked black pepper & salt
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 3 ounces extra sharp cheddar shredded
• 4 slices Tuscan Garlic Bread or favorite crusty bread
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 1 Tbl. truffle oil
• 1 cup fresh watercress leaves

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss mushrooms, potatoes, onion, and thyme in olive oil, salt & pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, turn mushrooms and potatoes and bake another 5 minutes or until golden and slightly crispy.
• Heat skillet over medium heat. Brush bread slices with butter and truffle oil. Place in pan and top with shredded cheddar, roasted veggies, and more cheddar. Pan grill until golden brown. Top with fresh watercress and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Excellent served with a side of tomato veggie soup.

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Brunswick Stew.

It began yesterday morning when we pulled a hunk of Boston Butt Pork Roast from the freezer and put it straight into the crock pot.  Without a plan.  As we bounced ideas around for something ‘different’ we could do with pulled pork…it came to me.  Let’s make Brunswick Stew. 

We pulled two boneless skinless chicken breasts from the freezer and added them to the crock pot with the pork, this would give us our meat base for the stew.  We also opened a bag of dried lima beans and got them soaking.

It was pulled pork roast for dinner on Saturday night, reserving enough for Brunswick Stew the following day.  On Sunday morning we got busy shredding pork and chicken (love cooking together), dicing up onion, new potatoes, jalapeno and garlic.

This might be a good time to discuss the heritage of Brunswick Stew.  Actualy when you live in Georgia and your family has a home on St. Simons Island, there’s no question where Brunswick Stew got it’s name.  Brunswick, Georgia of course.

This iron pot stands at the Brunswick/St. Simons visitors center as a reminder to those who question.

Recipe notes:  Classically Brunswick Stew is made with smoked meats.  Depending on which part of the south you’re from can change the ingredients list slightly.  For us, we were sticking to ingredients already in our fridge/pantry.  Next time I’ll opt for frozen lima beans (dried limas take forever and then some to cook).

When choosing your vinegar based BBQ Sauce, check the ingredients list, vinegar needs to be No. 1 or No. 2.  We love this HOT Georgia Soul sauce.  It delivers a little lot of heat, so no need for extra hot sauce.  I also substituted some leftover marinara sauce and the end of a bottle of chili sauce in lieu of the can of tomato sauce.  Some Brunswick Stew recipes call for okra, we added new potatoes to bulk it up a bit.  Gradually add your chicken stock over the time your stew simmers until you achieve the desired thickness.

When you get done, your Brunswick Stew should be thick with a wonderfully tangy tomato flavor.  This recipe is a great way to Share the Love with family and friends AND you’ll have enough leftover for a freezer tub as well.

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Savory Veggie & Herb Egg White Taquitos.  And Sunday Brunch or Monday lunch, straight from ingredients already in our fridge and pantry.

Typically when I think of ‘Wraps’ I think of a sandwich alternative that consists of meats, cheeses or veggies that are rolled up into a convenient handheld package.  Taquitos are that kind of wonderful.

Working with ingredients you already have on hand makes them even tastier.  In our case we always have onion and it generally is the start of most of our savory dishes.  Fresh herbs when available are a great way to elevate the flavor, especially when working with veggies.  We happened to have a few cooked new potatoes, fresh mushrooms, and butternut squash in the fridge as well.

Once sautéed until tender, I poured in just enough egg whites to cover the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkled the mixture with crumbled goat cheese, sliced scallions, salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning.  Once the egg whites were set, I filled three flour tortillas with the mixture, rolled them tightly and secured them with a tooth pick.

I lightly coated the taquitos with olive oil spray then baked them at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  Allow them to cool slightly before serving, then off you go….breakfast (or lunch) in hand.  Not to mention that each Savory Veggie & Herb Egg White Taquitos clocks in at under 300 calories.  That’s something we can take with us into the New Year!!

You might also enjoy our bacon, egg, cheese, and hash brown Breakfast Taquitos.

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I had such fun making our Low-Country Boil Skewers that I thought we’d try a new twist.  Meet Cajun Jambalaya Skewers.

Since I’ve read that no two Jambalaya recipes are the same, I took some liberties with the ingredients.  Don’t think authentic.  Instead think fun and flavorful.

We have okra, dipped in corn meal and ‘scrambled’ in a little oil until golden brown and tender.

Baby new potatoes, boiled until fork tender, then split and pan seared to get a nice crispy edge.

Spicy smoked sausage, such as Andouille, is a must.

For fun we made hush puppies (cornmeal fritters) and added them to our skewers.

Then came the nice juicy shrimp, which took a quick swim in a little Old Bay seasoned water before joining the skewer team.

And lastly tender chicken pieces, that have hung out in Cajun marinade for a bit, then pan fried with the smoked sausage until cooked through.

We alternated the ingredients on bamboo skewers and served our Cajun Jambalaya Skewers with Buffalo Sauce.  These were a super fun appetizer and who doesn’t love food on a stick (frees up your second hand for oh say something icy cold).

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Cajun Jambalaya Skewers

Course Appetizer

Servings 6

Author inspired by Matt Armendariz

Ingredients

• For skewers…
• 12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 lb. large shrimp peeled & deveined tails left on
• 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 smoked sausage cut into 1 1/2-inch slices
• 6 new potatoes boiled
• 3 okra pods sliced about 1/2-inch thick
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 Tbl. canola oil for frying

For Cajun marinade…

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbl. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp. black pepper

For hushpuppies…

• 1 pkg Jiffy corn muffin mix or 1 cup self-rising cornmeal, 1/2 cup self-rising flour, 1 Tbl. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• dash Cajun seasoning
• Canola or peanut oil for frying

For buffalo sauce…

• hot sauce
• butter

Instructions

• Combine marinade ingredients and add chicken cubes. Marinade for 20 – 30 minutes. Toss okra pieces in cornmeal crumbs.
• Add 2 Tbl. canola oil to a large skillet, sauté okra pieces over medium heat until browned and tender; remove to drain on paper towels.. Add sausage pieces to the skillet and sauté for 5 – 7 minutes, then remove to paper towels to rest. Add the chicken pieces into the same pan and sauté until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil new potatoes until fork tender. Remove from water. Add 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning to the water and bring to a boil. Add shrimp to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes or just until they turn pink. Drain and reserve.
• Combine the hush puppy ingredients. Heat enough canola oil to deep fry them.

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I adore Low-Country Boils.  Having said that I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying them.  When I have, it has been at a neighborhood gathering or a backyard get together where there was a crowd to feed.  Today I came up with a fun way to prepare it for two (or for twenty-two).

I’m quite fond of eating food from a stick.  Makes me feel like a kid visiting the county fair.  Instead of cotton candy and corn dogs, I personally would love to stumble upon the Low-Country Boil Food Truck.  Which reminds me…I wonder what Fabulous Fair Food Creations will debut during this year’s fair season.  Stay tuned for an update of my favorites from last year.

For our Low-Country Boil Skewers I followed the basic method of boiling the ingredients in layers, potatoes first, then adding sausage, then corn, and finishing with the shrimp.  I simply used Old Bay Seasoning in the water, but have read variations that call for beer, lemon juice, vinegar, peppercorns…  How you infuse flavor is up to you, but Old Bay is a classic Low-Country flavor.

Once the ingredients were done, I allowed them to cool slightly so I could assemble them on skewers.  One of the nice things about the skewers is you could assemble them ahead of time and then as we did, flash grill them on each side for a minute or so before serving.  If you’re like me and thought Low-Country Boils were reserved for big crowds….think again.  We just had a two person party that was mighty tasty (and cleanup was a breeze).

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Low Country Boil Skewers

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For low country boil…

• 3 quarts water
• 3 Tbl. Old Bay seasoning
• 4 baby red new potatoes
• 1 smoked sausage such a Andouille, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
• 1 small ear corn cut into 4 pcs.
• 1/2 lb. shrimp peeled & deveined tails left on

For remoulade sauce…

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chili sauce or ketchup
• 2 Tbl. prepared horseradish
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Instructions

• Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
• Bring water and Old Bay seasoning to a boil. Add potatoes and boil for 10 minutes, add sausage and boil for another 5 minutes, add corn and boil for an additional 5 minutes, add shrimp and boil for 2 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.
• Drain and allow to cool slightly. Slice potatoes in half. Assemble skewers, alternating with each component. Just before serving, lightly oil a grill pan or BBQ grill grates and heat to medium high. Grill skewers for one minute per side. Combine Remoulade Sauce ingredients and serve.

Notes

Ingredients listed are for 4 skewers (2 per person). Increase accordingly depending on how many you are serving.
I used small red potatoes, adjust cooking time if you are using larger potatoes.

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Roasted Vegetable Orzo {Featuring Delicata Squash}, inspired by this wonderfully delightful recipe from 101 Cookbooks.  As I’ve said many times before I eat with my eyes first and the vision of these beautiful roasted delicata squash is what drew me to this recipe.

Just as Heidi’s recipe suggested I added other veggies we had on hand: Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, new potatoes, parsnip, and spinach.  Anytime you can roast your vegetables before adding them to a dish means you have just insured yourself a wonderful flavor boost.  And roasting is a great time to try something new.  These delicata squash were a first for us and as suggested we roasted them with their skins on, making them super easy to work with.  They have a wonderful winter squash flavor, a cross between an acorn and butternut squash.

I didn’t want to overpower the individual flavors of the vegetables so I just tossed them in a nice roasted onion and cilantro olive oil with fresh herbs, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper.  I cooked the spinach on a separate baking sheet until the leaves were crispy.  Who knew?!  Delicious.  Combined the roasted vegetables with cooked orzo and called it the perfect lunch.

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Roasted Vegetable Orzo {Featuring Delicata Squash}

Anytime you can roast your vegetables before adding them to a dish means you have just insured yourself a wonderful flavor boost.

Course Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author 101 Cookbooks, lightly adapted

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry orzo cooked according to package instructions
• 1 medium or 2 small delicata squash cut in half lengthwise, seeded and sliced into 1/4″ thick half moons
• 6-8 Brussels sprouts trimmed and cut in half
• 6-8 small new potatoes cut in half or quartered
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 parsnip peeled and thin sliced
• 2 handfuls of spinach leaves stems removed
• 2-3 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves only, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano chopped
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Prepare orzo according to package instructions, then drizzle with olive oil, sea salt & peper, cover and reserve.
• Prepare all vegetables, except spinach and toss in olive oil, herbs, salt & pepper. Spread in single layer on foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until veggies are tender and golden brown.
• Meanwhile, spread spinach leaves on foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray, then lightly spray leaves. Bake on separate oven rack for last 10 minutes or until slightly crispy. They will continue to crisp as they cool.
• Gently toss roasted veggies with orzo, sprinkle with crispy spinach leaves and freshly cracked pepper.

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