Happy Fourth Apple Cherry Pie!

 

Happy Fourth of July! Fourth of July is about family, BBQ, hot dogs, parades, fireworks, patriotism, beer on front lawns mid-day, walking in the middle of the street, staying out late when you are a kid!

I still have that sense of wonderment and excitement around the Fourth, that feeling that I will be allowed to stay out and walk around by myself with my friends, and gallivant as I please. It is funny that I still get this way when I am a grown (kind of) adult, and I can do as I please! It is still more fun however when you are running to go get the best view for fireworks.

Though my experience growing up by the ocean in beautiful Pacific Palisade California is different from Michael’s in Bethesda Maryland, one thing absolutely holds ours and everyone else’s experiences together is a good old fashion pie!

We were unable to tell which pie is more American; apple or cherry, so we made an apple cherry pie!

Enjoy, and have a wonderful Fourth!

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/4 sticks (18 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
1 egg
1 Tablespoon milk

Filling:
½ lb sweet cherries
4 granny smith apples
1 lemon
1 cup sugar plus a pinch
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter, and process until it looks like meal. While still processing, pour in ice water in a slow steady stream until it just combines.

Divide batter in two and let chill for 1 hour to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375.

To create the pie filling, pit and halve your cherries, place in a bowl. Core and cut the apples into quarters and then really thin slices. Place in bowl as well, and squeeze the lemon juice over it. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in with the fruit and stir.

To assemble pie spread flour on a flat surface and roll out to about 11 inches wide. Lay on the bottom of your pie pan. Pour your fruit into the pie pan, and dot with butter.

Roll the second dough out and slice into long 1 inch wide pieces. Create a lattice of pie crust by laying one strip down and then another, to create a weaving pattern.

Brush the pie crust with a mix or egg and milk, and sprinkle with sugar.

Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes, then cover the pie with tinfoil, and bake for another 20.

 Finito! Put that pie in the window, but don’t let anyone steal it. Happy 4^th!

 

Euro Burger

The thing that is most associated with summer would have to be grilling. I love grilling….when it is done well. There is so much stuff that gets grilled that just tastes like charcoal, is extremely burned to make sure it cooks all the way through, and is too dry (for the same reason)! How terrible!! To prevent all of this, start everything off with a deep cleaned grill, watch your temperatures, and make sure you use the proper meats or whatever it is that you are using! And don’t be afraid to grill something, to get that char, and then cook the rest in foil so it reaches that great internal temperature without losing all its moisture and doesn’t taste like icky. That being said…you can always use a grill pan!! 

To combat all of these issues we present you with a delicious burger, bound to stay moist and super awesome. What this burger also does is a new fancier twist on a simple burger. We have all had a burger with ketchup and mustard, and while they are amazing classics that must be devoured throughout the summer, offer these burgers up and you will give your guests a nice juicy surprise.

Michael and I have created what we call the Euro burger. It has goat cheese in the middle, allowing the burger to stay moist, beautiful caramelized onions, and an herbed mayo! Yum!

Ingredients:  serves 5 Takes  about 1 hour 15 minutes.

2 lbs ground sirloin
¼ cup goat cheese
2 large sweet onions
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ cups olive oil Tablespoons olive oil
2 Pinches salt
1 large egg
3 Roma tomatoes
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
3 sprigs oregano
5 onion buns

The thing that will take the longest is to caramelize onions. Slice both of the onions completely. Using a large sauté pan, heat some butter on medium heat, and toss s all of the onion in the melted butter. Stir occasionally for the first 10 minutes, then add a pinch of salt. Keep cooking and stirring every few minutes for about a total of 45 minutes or until the onions are completely browned and soft. Don’t allow the onions to dry out at all, so 1/4 cup of olive oil will be used to add throughout while cooking them.

While making the onions we are going to make the herbed mayo. Add the egg and the fresh oregano to a blender and blend. While blending add the olive oil in a steady stream, next add a pinch of salt and the vinegar, blend completely. Set in the refrigerator to set.

Now take your ground sirloin and season with a little salt and pepper, forming 5 patties. Make a little pocket in the middle of the burger and fill with goat cheese, then cover the burger up so there is no cheese showing.

To put everything together heat your grill pan and add a little cooking spray so nothing sticks. Heat on medium high, and place three burgers at a time, and cook on each side about 4-5 minutes, until there is a nice deep brown sear. Once you cook all the burgers, let sit for a few minutes so they don’t soak the bun. Dab up some of the fat from the grill pan with a paper towel but be CAREFUL you don’t burn yourself.

Place buns on the grill pan just a couple minutes to toast it. Lay burger down, herbed mayonnaise, then caramelized onions, then top with two slices or Roma tomatoes…and voila! A euro burger!

Hey Summer!

Summer is finally here, we are officially 2 days in! Michael vows to surf more and stress less, and I vow to be super tan and wear more fun clothing. Along with the vows, we are also recalling smells and tastes that really remind us of summer. Anything grilled on a BBQ, watermelon, cold lemonade, sweet berry pies, these are all things that bring up my childhood during the summer. What Michael and I also vow, is to bring some delicious recipes that will bring back your childhood summer days, and maybe inspire some new summer traditions.

We hope your summer starts off wonderfully!

 

Happy Father's Day Manchego Baked Clams!!!

Happy Father’s Day!!! Father’s Day should be every day not just one day, but since we want to give everyone a great simple thing to make this father’s day we made simple baked clams.

Along with great BBQ, seafood seems pretty manly, so these bad boys can be made and ready to eat in 10 minutes, that is if your manly father is there to open the clams other, otherwise it may take about 30 minutes.  So enjoy these simple manchego whole baked clams for father’s day!

*If you don’t have granulated garlic you can use 1 teaspoon garlic salt with a Tablespoon of minced garlic.

Ingredients: serves about 6 about 5 clams per person

30 clams
1 cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup manchego cheese
1 Tablespoon granulated garlic
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup chicken stock
1 small jar diced tomatoes

To get everything going  preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place your clams in a large bowl of cold water and ¼ cup salt and let sit for about 10 minutes to clean some of the grit out, and then rinse under running water.

Next place the clams on a baking tray and place in oven for 3 minutes, just enough time to allow the clams to open.

Open and clean the clams by breaking the two shells apart and removing the clam completely with a butter knife, get all the grit out, and then place the clam back on one shell.

In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs, grated manchego cheese, salt and granulated garlic. Slowly add the chicken stock, until the mix is almost wet. Pack the clams with the mix and lay back on baking tray. Fill the bottom of the tray with about a ¼ cup of water, this way the clams will stay moist.

Place back in the oven, but now on broil, for 6 minutes.

Remove, top with diced pimento and enjoy!

Happy Father’s Day!!