Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Steak Sauce

This was a really delicious, different steak sauce.  The boys didn't love it, but Aaron and I did.  Aaron gave it a perfect 10, I gave it a 9, and Owen and Noah gave it a 7.  I found this recipe in Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook, and each 1 T serving was about 37 calories.  Here's what I did, which is just a little different from the original recipe:

1 c ketchup
1/2 c horseradish sauce
3 T honey
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T grainy garlic mustard
2 T maple syrup
2 t Worcestershire sauce
2 T ancho chile powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all together, and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Bobby Flay's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Creme Brulee

This is another of Bobby Flay's desserts from his Mesa Grill cookbook, and although I like the other creme brulee better, this one is so different and delicious.  We all wished this were a little more chocolate and a little less peanut butter, but the texture was great, and it was fun to do something different.  This made 8 servings, and each serving was 610 calories.  We gave this an 8.  Here's what to do:

3 c heavy cream
1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c peanuts, toasted
1/2 c sugar
3 1/2 oz milk chocolate, chopped small
1/4 c smooth peanut butter
7 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
1/2 c sugar for bruleeing

Bring the milk and cream to a simmer over medium heat, remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts.  Let sit, covered, for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.  Strain the mixture, then return the cream to the heat.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Add 1/4 c of sugar to the cream, bring it to simmering again, make sure the sugar is completely dissolved, then add in the peanut butter and chocolate.
While doing this, beat the eggs and 1/4 c sugar until thick and pale in color.  Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture.  Strain the mixture, then ladle the mixture into the 8 ramekins.  Place them in a baking dish and pour water into the baking dish so it reaches halfway up the ramekins.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, then cool and refrigerate.  When ready to serve, brulee the remaining sugar over the custards, either with a torch or under the broiler.  Serve.

Bobby Flay's Hummus and Zucchini Quesadillas

We really enjoyed this, as you can see from my messy baby :).  Having the hummus and the bean relish made for a different kind of quesadilla, and it is always fun to have something different around here.  Plus, we really like hummus.  We found this recipe in Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook, and each quesadilla was 621 calories.  Noah and I gave this a 9, and Owen and Aaron gave it an 8.  Here's what to do:

Hummus:

1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
6 cloves garlic
1/2 t ancho chili powder
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T tahini
2 T olive oil
3 T cilantro
salt and pepper

Quesadillas:

6 flour tortillas
6 oz cheddar cheese
1/2 c shredded zucchini
8 oz goat cheese
salt and pepper
Dipping Sauce or Relish to serve

Combine all the hummus ingredients in a food processor, and combine well, adding water if needed.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Spread hummus on three of the tortillas, spread the goat cheese, the cheddar and the zucchini among all the three tortillas, then season to taste, then top with the second tortilla.  Cook in the oven or on the stove top until the cheeses are melted and the tortillas are crispy.  Serve with dip or relish of choice.

Bobby Flay's Crab Salad

So we are finally coming near to the end of my Bobby Flay marathon :), and Noah and I are going to maybe try to develop some recipes together, we'll see how it goes ;).  Today's salad was super delicious, it received a 9 from Aaron, Noah and me, and Owen gave it a 7.  Each serving was 428 calories the way I made it, and I found this recipe in Bar Americain cookbook.  Here's what to do:

3/4 c mayonnaise
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T paprika
1/8 t cayenne
salt and pepper
24 oz crab (Krab) meat
1 avocado, diced
1/2 c pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1 c cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c green onions, chopped
1 bag arugula

Dressing
1/4 t lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
1 T orange juice
1 T mayonnaise
1 heaping t whole grain garlic mustard
1 t honey
salt and pepper
1/4 c olive oil

Mix the dressing ingredients together, whisking in the olive oil slowly to the rest of the ingredients to emulsify properly.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside, or refrigerate to use later.

Mix the Mayonnaise, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper together, then add in the Krab.  This can be made ahead.  When ready to serve, add in the avocado, olives, tomatoes, and green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.  Toss the arugula with the dressing, then top with the crab mixture.

Bobby Flay's Kentucky Hot Brown

I love me some hot sandwiches, and especially open faced ones, because I have never been a huge fan of traditional sandwiches.  Cold cuts just don't do it for me :).  Anyway, this hot sandwich from Bobby Flay was so delicious, and I loved the cheese sauce with the chicken and bacon.  I changed the recipe to fit our needs a little bit, so it isn't a traditional Kentucky Hot Brown, but try it anyway, it's great.  Each sandwich was 519 for 8 servings, and Owen and Aaron gave this a 7, I gave it a 9, and Noah gave it a perfect 10.  Here's what I did:

around 2 lbs chicken breast tenders well seasoned and cooked
2 c whole milk
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c whole milk
salt and pepper
8 slices bread
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
8 slices bacon, cooked
Parsley to garnish

Cook the chicken as desired, I used my crockpot :).  Melt the butter in a large pot, and add the flour.  Whisk the milk into the roux, and cook until thickened.  Add in the cheeses and stir until melted and combined well, then season to taste.  Set aside.
Heat a griddle over medium heat.  Beat together the milk, eggs, and salt and pepper.  Dip the bread slices into the mixture, and coat on both sides.  Cook until well browned on both sides.
Preheat the broiler, then spray a pan with cooking spray, place your tomato slices on the tray, and salt and pepper the tomatoes.  Broil them, and flip half way through your broil time, about 2 minutes through.  Serve the sandwich with one slice of bread, some chicken, some cheese sauce, more cheese, a slice of bacon, tomatoes, and parsley.  Eat and enjoy :).

Bobby Flay's Oven Baked Pizza

This was a fun, delicious idea for a pizza, and although the kids didn't love this, Aaron and I thought it was great.  This seems to be a theme with Bobby Flay's recipe, they are catered to a more adult palate.  Noah didn't like the onions, but he really loved the gruyere cheese, and Owen wished there were more cheese, funny guys.  I used an easy crust recipe, rather than the one in the Bar Americain cookbook, but the toppings for this are listed here with the method I used.  This averaged an 8 in our house, and each slice was 365 calories.  Here's what to do:

Make pizza crust according to recipe, then cook for 10 minutes or so on hot pan.  Top with 8 oz Gruyere cheese, 6 slices crispy bacon, chopped up, 3 c caramelized onions, sour cream, parsley, fried garlic pieces (garlic cooked in oil for about 1 minute, checking constantly), and some oil if desired.  After the pizza has been in the oven for 10 minutes, top with the cheese, bacon and onions, cook for about 10 more minutes, then serve with the sour cream, parsley, garlic pieces and oil.  Super delicious.

Bobby Flay's Chicken Cutlet

This is a different take on chicken cordon bleu, and I prefer it to the original, mainly because it doesn't have hollandaise sauce on it :).  Eggs and I aren't always the best of friends, so I prefer to avoid hollandaise whenever possible.  This was a quick meal, and the brie made it super delicious, and the boys are always excited to try different cheeses, so we all enjoyed this.  For six servings, each serving was 435, and Noah gave this a perfect 10, Owen and I gave it a 9, and Aaron gave it an 8, but he didn't have it fresh, so who knows :).  I found this recipe in Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook, and here's what I did:

1/2 c flour
1 egg, beaten
1 c Panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
3 T butter
2 T olive oil
4 oz Brie cheese, thinly sliced
8 slices bacon, cooked

2 T red wine vinegar
1 t whole grain mustard
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
1 bag arugula

Place flour in one bowl, egg in another, then Panko in a third bowl.  Season the chicken tenders well.  Season the flour, then dip the chicken in the flour, then then eggs, then lastly the Panko.  Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet, then brown the chicken tenders on both sides.  Cook until chicken is done, then top with the Brie immediately and 2 bacon strips.
Mix the vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper together, then whisk in the olive oil to emulsify.  Toss with the arugula and serve over the chicken.

Bobby Flay's Lobster Club

Summer vacation is here, and I am totally losing track of what day it is, so another late posting, sigh :).  Anyway, this was a fabulous sandwich, and it was on some chipotle brioche which was a fun change.  The chipotle brioche can be found in Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook, but I am just going to give the lobster club recipe.  Each serving without the bread is 614, for 5 servings, and Owen, Aaron and I gave this a 9, while Noah gave it a 7, because he didn't really like the lobster/crab meat.  And this was the fake stuff again, since no way can I afford real lobster for my kids :).  Here's what to do:

10 slices bacon, cooked
3/4 c mayonnaise
salt and pepper
2 T lemon juice
1 heaping T Dijon mustard
1 heaping T whole grain mustard
1 stalk celery, diced
2 green onions, diced
1/4 c red onion, diced
1/4 c minced parsley
1 1/2 lb lobster (fake) and Krab meat
Green Onion Dressing (recipe follows)
1 oz arugula
10 slices bread of choice, toasted

Whisk together the mayo, salt and pepper, lemon juice, Dijon, whole grain mustard, celery, onions, and parsley.  Fold in the lobster meat.  Spread each slice of bread with the green onion dressing, then top the sandwich with some arugula, the bacon, and the salad.  Serve.

Green Onion Dressing

1/4 c mayonnaise
3 T white wine vinegar
2 t honey
1/4 c canola oil
salt and pepper
5 green onions, roughly chopped

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor, and process until the dressing is mixed, but not totally smooth.  Smear on bread and serve.

Bobby Flay's Lime Vanilla Creme Brulee

So I loved this creme brulee, but the rest of the family had a less enthusiastic response.  Aaron gave it a 7, Owen gave it an 8, and Noah and I gave it a 9.  This recipe from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook was easy and super delicious.  Each serving was 352 for 12 servings.  Here's the easy recipe:

3 1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c whole milk
grated zest of 3 limes
2 t vanilla
7 large egg yolks
1 egg
1 c sugar, divided
1/4 t salt

Combine the milk, cream and zest, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat, and let sit at least 30 minutes.  Return the pan to a simmer after letting sit.
Preheat the oven to 300.
Whisk together the egg yolks, egg, 1/2 c sugar and salt until thick and pale.  Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined, then the vanilla, then strain into a bowl.  (I did all the mixing in my electric mixture)
Fill the ramekins, then place them in a baking dish and fill the baking dish with hot water until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  Bake 40-45 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges, but still jiggly in the center.  Let the custard cool to room temperature, then cover each ramekin and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.  When ready to serve, sprinkle the remaining sugar on the custards, then with a brulee torch, or under a broiler, brulee the sugar until browned and crackly.  Serve.

Bobby Flay's Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Aaron and I loved these, the boys, not so much :).  Noah didn't like the goat cheese, and Owen didn't like the tomato.  Aaron and I gave these a perfect 10 and Owen and Noah gave these a 7.  Bobby Flay called these grown up grilled cheese, and obviously he was right.  Aaron and I will eat these anytime, anywhere :).  They are easy to make, and filling with all the cheese and bacon.  Each sandwich was 557 calories, but that will differ based on the bread you use.  Here's what I did:

2 slices of bacon per sandwich, cooked
2 T margarine or butter per sandwich
2 slices bread per sandwich
2 slices sharp cheddar cheese per sandwich
1-2 oz goat cheese per sandwich, according to taste
2 slices green tomato per sandwich (if you want a juicier tomato, just go with a riper one :))

Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread.  Toast it with the cheeses, tomato and bacon between.  Cook on both sides, then serve when the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted.

Bobby Flay's Steel Cut Oatmeal with Cinnamon Cream

I love oatmeal for breakfast, and this was a great idea, and such a treat.  The boys gave this a perfect 10, and I gave it a 9, because I felt like there was a little too much orange flavor for me, but I really loved this, and the boys thought it was fun to see the sugar get hard and crunchy with my brulee torch :).  Each serving was 360 calories, for eight servings, but this was a little more than one serving.  We found this in Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook, and here's what to do:

Oatmeal:
1 1/4 c steel cut oats
pinch of salt
1/2 c whole milk
2 t finely grated orange zest
1/4 c packed light brown sugar

Topping:
2 T sugar
2 T maple syrup
1/8 t ground cinnamon
1/2 c raisins
2 T unsalted butter
2 T light brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
4 T sugar
Cinnamon Cream (found in the cookbook)

Bring 5 1/2 c water to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the oats, salt, and zest and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed (I didn't nee more water), until the oats are tender, 30-40 minutes.  Stir in the milk and brown sugar and cook for 1 minute.
While the oatmeal is cooking, combine the granulated sugar, 3/4 c water, the maple syrup, and the cinnamon in a small saucepan and boil it over high heat.  Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat, stir in the raisins, and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
Heat the butter, add the brown sugar and salt, and cook until melted.  Add the apples and raisin mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft, about 15 minutes.
Place a little apple mixture in the bowl, then top with some oatmeal, then layer the apple mixture, then top with more oatmeal, then sprinkle some granulated sugar on top and torch with a brulee torch or broil until the sugar melts and crisps up.  Serve with some cinnamon cream or other creamy topping.

Bobby Flay's Warm Chocolate Cakes With Dulce De Leche

This was really  delicious, and not super difficult, but we had to cook ours quite a bit longer to set our chocolate cake.  The recipe said 6-7 minutes, but ours went double that at least.  The cake was really delicious and moist, but I think it would've been better with a more pronounced caramel flavor from the dulce de leche filling.  Anyway, this was a fun treat, and we enjoyed it.  The boys gave this a perfect 10, and Aaron and I gave it an 8.  I found this in Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook.  Each cake was 508 calories, and here's what to do:

8 T unsalted butter
1 T flour, plus more for the ramekins
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c sugar
2 large egg whites
Dulce de Leche (recipe is in the book, or buy storebought and use 1 T per ramekin)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Grease and flour the ramekins (we made 7 of them), and refrigerate to set the flour.
Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.  Let cool slightly when the chocolate is completely melted.
Beat together the egg yolks, the whole eggs, and the sugar.  Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat to combine.  Mix in the 1 T flour, then set aside.  Beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Fold them into the chocolate mixture.
Fill each ramekin half way full with the batter, then place 1 heaping T of the dulce de leche in the center and then fill the ramekin the rest of the way.
Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet, and bake until the sides have set but the centers remain soft.  Run a knife around the perimeter of the cakes and invert onto a plate.  Serve with ice cream, hot fudge and more dulce de leche if desired.

Bobby Flay's Banana Foster's Crepes

So this is such a great dish, we love bananas foster, and this is a great way to have it.  Sorry about the upside down picture, I don't know what happened, but oh well :).  This is a basic crepe recipe with sliced bananas inside, and then topped with whipped cream.  The real star for this for me was the caramel sauce, I think it was the best one I have ever made.  The whole brunch meal was out of this world, but here is the recipe for the caramel sauce I found in Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook.  The alcohol isn't necessary, you can use flavorings if you want, extracts, or just leave them out, but it will taste different.  We all gave this a perfect 10, and the calories for 12 crepes are per crepe 315 calories, and that includes one crepe, some slices of banana, some whipped cream and the caramel sauce.  The caramel sauce by itself, for 1/12, is 142 calories.  Here's what to do:

1 c sugar
1 c cream
1/4 t cinnamon
1 T orange liqueur
1 T dark rum

Combine the sugar and 1/2 c water and bring to a boil.  Cook until the caramel is amber in color, about 8 minutes.  While doing this, warm the cream to a simmer.  When the caramel has finished cooking, add the cream carefully, whisking the entire time.  Stir in the cinnamon and flavorings.  Serve warm.

Bobby Flay's Thin Apple Tart

I'm so sorry about the late posting today, I spaced what day it was, which is pretty typical any more of my life :).

While this picture isn't very pretty, the food definitely tasted pretty :).  This was out of Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook, and we really enjoyed it.  For 8 servings, each serving was 523 calories.  This was a great alternative to apple pie, and we gave it an 8, partly because I cooked it a little too long.  Here's what we did:

Tart Dough

1/4 c sour cream

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 c plus 2 T flour

1/4 t salt

8 T unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

1/2 c sugar

Apples

1 1/2 c apple juice

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 c sugar

1 T brown sugar

1/4 t cinnamon

2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced very thinly

Creme Anglaise (Bobby Flay gives a cinnamon varitation)

To make the tart dough, whisk together the sour cream and egg yolk in a small bowl and set aside.  

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt a few times.  Add in the butter and pulse until it forms coarse crumbs.  Add in the sour cream mixture, pulse a couple of times, then form into a disc, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.  (I did this the night before, and I needed to add a little water to my dough)

Spread the sugar over where you want to roll your dough, then roll the dough into a large circle, making sure to turn to cover both sides with sugar.  Place the dough in your tart pan lined with parchment, and place in the refrigerator. 

Preheat the oven to 375.

Combine the apple juice, lemon juice, sugars, and cinnamon in a small pan.  Let it thicken slightly and reduce to about 1/2 c, and then set aside.  (Keep an eye on this, mine went from super liquidy to caramel in about 1 minute :))

Lay the apples in the tart dish, overlapping them slightly, until the whole tart dish is covered.  Brush the apples with some of the glaze, then cook for about 35-40 minutes (check at 30, mine was overcooked slightly)

Remove it from the oven and immediately brush the tart with the remaining glaze.  Let cool slightly before serving with some Creme Angalise.

Bobby Flay's Pistachio Creme Caramel

So this was a delicious dessert from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook.  I received this cookbook years ago, but am only just now getting in to it, which is a shame, because there are lots of cool ideas to try.  This recipe for Pistachio Creme Caramel with Raspberry Cream was really yummy, but not perfect.  We all gave this a 9, because we didn't feel like the two complemented each other.  The pistachio creme was great, as was the Raspberry cream, but both together didn't work for us.  Anyway, this wasn't hard, it just took a few days because of letting the nuts steep.  Each serving was 610 calories, and here's what to do:

Pistachio Creme Caramel 

1 1/2 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 c pistachios, shelled (I rinsed my salted nuts, and didn't add any extra salt)
1 1/2 c sugar
2 T pistachio paste 
3 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/4 t almond extract or 1 T amaretto

Combine the cream and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the pistachios, remove from the heat, and refrigerate, covered for at least four hours but up to 24.

Ready seven ramekins (6-8) in a baking dish.

Put 1 c sugar and 1/2 c water in a pan, dissolve the sugar by stirring, then let the syrup sit and darken to a light amber for about 5 minutes.  Pour the caramelized sugar into the ramekins.

Preheat the oven to 325.

Add 1/4 c sugar, and the pistachio paste to the cream mixture and bring the mixture to a simmer.  While the cream/milk is simmering, whisk the 1/4 c remaining sugar, eggs, and egg yolks together until thicker and lighter.  Temper the eggs with the milk mixture, then return to the stove and stir until all the cream is mixed together.  Remove it from the heat, and stir in the almond extract.  Strain the mixture through a sieve, then ladle the custard into the ramekins.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the centers jiggle a tiny bit.  Cool, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Serve with the raspberry whipped cream.

Raspberry Whipped cream

1 c fresh raspberries
2 T sugar
1 c heavy cream
2 T powdered sugar
1/8 t almond extract or 2 t amaretto
1/2 t vanilla

Combine the raspberries and the sugar together over medium heat, and let them cook, stirring occasionally, until the raspberries have broken up and the sauce is thickened.  Cool.

When ready to serve, whip the cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract together until stiff peaks form.  Fold in the raspberry sauce and serve with the creme caramel.