In The Kitchen
April 4, 2020
Rumaki Appetizer
Hello Love!
We hope you're well and finding a bit of beauty in your days. Here's a new bit of goodness we're sending along with love from the countryside. xxx
This is our absolute favorite appetizer. And I would say our signature bring-to-any-gathering app. It disappears in minutes. Kids and adults love it.
Our 4 boys beg for it. Not kidding. Over the years we've made lots of changes as to how we make it, this is our current fave.
If you want to make these even more interesting, try the Devils On Horseback version. It's a date stuffed with blue cheese then wrapped in
bacon. We use the same sauce and sometimes do half and half for parties, holidays etc.
This recipe is also fabulous with a piece of cooked liver alongside the water chestnut, bacon wrapped and using same sauce.
These are a great make-ahead, pop-back-in-the-oven-to-heat-and-serve option. As for me, a plate of these with a salad and a glass of wine is dinner!
Rumaki
Makes approximately 50 appetizers
Arrange bacon side-by-side a parchment-covered sheet pan.
Place bacon in cold oven and heat to 425, cooking for 12-15 minutes.
Remove bacon from oven, let cool, then cut each piece in half.
Wrap each water chestnut with a half piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick.
Arrange each wrapped chestnut on a parchment covered sheet pan.
Place back in oven for 12 minutes or until bacon looks brownish.
Place cooked chestnuts on paper towel to absorb remaining grease and place into a oven-safe baking dish.
Mix ketchup, brown sugar and soy sauce together with a tablespoon of garlic powder and a pinch or two of Italian seasoning.
Coat the wrapped chestnuts with sauce and place back in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until bubbling.
2 cans whole water chestnuts
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 lbs bacon
garlic powder
Italian seasoning
March 5, 2020
Big Ol' Griddle Sandwiches
At least once a week we make big ol' griddled sandwiches - crowd pleasers matter when you have four teenage boys who eat as much as ours do.
This is one of those dinners that's super easy and if there are leftovers, they don't last long the next day. A vegan version of this would be fabulous, but our boys like meat in their sandwiches so we go for it and layer things up.
These are incredibly satisfying, and while I'm not a huge sandwich person, I cannot resist these. I often make an aioli and slather it on thick; it's usually Gus who asks for that as he scoots his way out the door for basketball practice, knowing he's coming home to these beauties. But mayo and mustard do the trick, too. Or, thousand island...oh...better yet: blue cheese dressing!! ...yeah perfect.
There's no wrong way to concoct a hearty sandwich. For us it sort of comes down to what's on hand. We often add leftovers into these, if there are any. This is one dinner we make that many of you have seen in our stories, and have asked for a video. Hope you enjoy it!
Cheers + love from our country kitchen to yours!
xxx
February 12, 2020
Smashed Potatoes
When the two of us get in the kitchen to cook good food and make cocktails the video can go a bit long. Making good food that our four boys swoon over is no question one of our favorite things to do. We also love to entertain, and swoon-worthy bites are a must! These easy-to-make smashed potatoes always win. We make them often and change the toppings on a regular basis. You can make them fanciful as we do for our Christmas Eve fete, when we top them with crème fraîche and caviar, or make them crowd-pleaser style as we're sharing in this recipe. Give yourself the freedom to try all sorts of toppings and combinations. I told John the other day I was craving these with a chunk of lobster and a nice aioli. Can you stand it?What are you going to top yours with when you make them?
Cheers and love from the countryside!
xxx
(Click HERE to download a PDF of the recipe)