Introducing the Blake - O - Meter!!!!!

Yes, I will most likely get in trouble for this, however I'm hoping that my friend that came up with the idea will take the brunt of it! Friends, family, random people that I've never met that may actually see my blog, welcome to an important event! This is the moment you've all been waiting for, the Blake - O - Meter! There are 10 Blake faces total, each one representing a different number between 1 and 10, 10 being the best.  After each recipe, as long as Blake has had the ability to taste the meal, he will give me a rating between 1 and 10 and one of his lovely pictures will be posted on the blog.   Instead of taking my word for it, why not take his!? Please enjoy, I know I will.
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   The BLAKE-O-METER

 

                                     1                            2                              3                               4

 

                             5                                     6                             7                              8

                                                              9                          10

Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Risotto

 

Risotto is a great side dish, and now that it's becoming more popular it's easy to find in the grocery stores.  Although some people often think Risotto is pasta, it's actually rice.  It comes dry in a box, and chicken stock is added until it has a creamy texture and the rice is al dente.  The key to Risotto is to continuously stir it and to be patient.  It's not always the easiest thing, especially when you're starving, but it will pay off.  The more you stir and the more patient you are with allowing the Risotto to soak up the stock, the better it will be.  

 Risotto is also great because it can be enhanced an indefinite number of ways.  There are so many recipes out there for Risotto, the possibilities are truly endless.  I served our Risotto with steak shish kabobs, so I wanted to keep the Risotto flavor light while also making sure it had enough body to compliment the veggies on the shish kabob.  A good trick is fresh herbs.  They add a wonderful flavor and really give the dish that "homemade" flavor.  This is a great trick for anything that may be "semi homemade." 

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INGREDIENTS: 

1/2 Cup Risotto per two people 

Chicken Stock - the amount could depend so get a big box (at least 38oz) 

1/2 Sweet Onion - diced 

1 Clove Garlic - Roasted

Fresh herbs - Rosemary and Thyme 

1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan - I got the very finely grated kind because it melts easier and more consistently

1Tbs. Butter 

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste - The Parmesan will add a lot of salty flavor, so be aware of this. 

1.  You can roast the garlic a few days ahead of time if you'd like or start it about a half an hour before you are ready to start cooking.  This way, it will have time to cool before you need to get all of the cloves out. 

2.  Begin sauteing the onions in the butter and olive oil, until they become translucent.  On a cutting board, crush the roasted garlic cloves with a sprinkle of coarse salt until it turns to a paste. (I don't have a picture of this, but the best way is to use the side of your knife allowing the salt to help you break down the cloves) 

3.  Add in the garlic clove paste and stir to distribute.  Add in the Risotto and 1/3 cup of chicken stock.  It will work faster if you can heat up the chicken stock in a separate pot so that the temperature stays the same in the pot when adding more.  Stir the Risotto constantly, keeping the mixture at a light simmer.  

4.  When the liquid is almost completely absorbed, add another 1/3 Cup broth until the Risotto is al Dente. 

5.  When the Risotto is almost done, add in the cheese and herbs.  The cheese will thicken it significantly, so you may have to add a bit more stock at this point to thin it out.  

*** I have no idea if this is the best or easiest way to cook Risotto. This is just the way I cook it and it seems to turn out pretty good. 

Raspberry Cheescake Bars

Blake and I had the opportunity to go to Mardi Gras this year! We had a great time, and it was quite an experience.  We headed down to Louisiana last week with my parents for my sister's wedding.  Not only did we get to create some awesome memories, but I also got another brother!

Mardi Gras was an amazing place, and it was at times quite an eye full.  The only thing I was ready to leave was the food.  There is only so many spices and fried foods that my tummy can handle before I no longer want to eat anymore.  The second Blake and I arrived back in Michigan we said we needed to experience something other than fried chicken or pralines.  Because of that I decided to make some super delicious Raspberry Cheesecake Bars.  I got the idea from a pin I saw on Pinterest and adapted it from that.

These are a fun play on the classic cheesecake.  I think one of the best things about living with someone, being engaged, or dating someone is finding out all their favorite things.  It didn't take long to figure out Blake LOVES cheesecake.  Usually, he sticks with plain New York Cheesecake with chocolate chips.  I'm hoping I can change his ways after he tries this.

I'm not a fan of chocolate chips (please stopscreaming), so  instead I wanted to add a fruit. What's better than raspberries!? I've got a step by step process with pictures below!
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INGREDIENTS:
2 Packages Cream Cheese - Softened
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Raspberries
1 Tbs. Sugar - for raspberries
2 Frozen Pie Crusts
1 Tbs. Cinnamon
2 1/2 Tbs. Sugar - for cinnamon sugar topping
1/4 tsp.  Vanilla 

 Begin, by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the first pie crust to fit into a 9X9 pan.  I put the pan on the pie crust and squished it down a bit so I could see where I needed to cut it.  I didn't do this, but I would recommend cooking it for about 10 minutes in the oven before moving onto the next step.  If you do this, wait until it cools before moving on.  This will help to make the bottom pie crust a bit more crispy.

Mix the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla until well blended and smooth.  Spread the mixture evenly over the first pie crust.

In a medium sized pot add raspberries and 1 Tbs. sugar.  Let the Raspberries cook over medium- medium high heat until reduced by 50%. You want most of the liquid to cook off or it will make your bars too soggy.  After the raspberries are done, spread a thin layer over the cream cheese mixture.

 

Finally, layer the other pie crust over the raspberry mixture.  Pour 3/4 cup butter over the pie crust and cover with cinnamon sugar mixture.  Bake for 40 minutes or until top and bottom crust is golden brown.  (If you bake the bottom crust for 10 minutes, you will only have to bake the bars for 30 minutes) 

Check out this finished project! I don't want to brag or anything, but these things are amazing.  I will definitely be making these again and I'm looking forward to experimenting with different flavors for the next time! As always, let me know what you think.

Roasted Garlic and Lemon Shrimp

 

I've been slacking majorly when it comes to cooking.  I have struggled beyond belief to get inspired, so I am pleasantly surprised at how this meal turned out.  I wanted to cook something easy and that didn't take too much time. Shrimp is always great when you want to make a quick dinner.  This meal only cooked for 15 minutes! Did I mention there is only ONE step to this meal!? I served the shrimp over a bed of Couscous and with a side of green beans, but it would also be good all by itself.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 Bag Frozen Shrimp - Thawed 

2 Tbs.  Lemon Juice - Real lemons would be ideal, and if you use real ones throw the rinds in as well. 

1/4 Onion - Sliced 

8 Cloves Garlic 

1 Tbs. Rosemary 

Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes 

2 Tbs. Olive Oil 

salt and pepper to taste 

1.  Begin by pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees.  In an 8x8 baking dish, add in the thawed shrimp, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Mix everything together and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. 

Avocado & Orange Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

 If you love bacon, you will most definitely love this salad.  Blake and I wanted to clear out some of the food we already have in the back of our fridge, and of course on of those items was bacon.  The main ingredient was avocado, since they were going to be too ripe if we didn't eat them in the next day or two.  I got the idea from a recipe I found on line, so I made a few adjustments that I think only made it tastier.  It seems like an intimidating salad, especially when there is no lettuce and then fruit in the mix as well, but it was definitely a crowd pleaser... if Blake and I count as a crowd.  I'm sure Izzy Bean would have liked it too if I had let her try it!

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Avocado  - sliced 

1 Orange - segmented 

1/4 Onion - thinly sliced 

4-5 Strips Bacon 

3 Cloves Garlic - minced 

2 Tbs. Lemon Juice 

1/4 Cup Water 

1 Tbs. Dried Parsley

1.  To begin, cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove from pan and let drain on a paper towel.  

2. Drain all but 2 Tbs. of the bacon grease from the pan, and turn the heat to medium.  Add in the minced garlic and saute for a minute or two. 

3.  Add in the water, (Be careful with this step!!!! It may splatter so pour slowly!) the lemon juice, and the mixture saute for two minutes. Add in the bacon (diced) and the Parsley and serve over the salad immediately.  

*** This dressing would be great on many things.  It would be great for dipping bread,adding it to pasta. Really anything that bacon is good on, this dressing would also be good on.  Make sure to try it out!