Mark It Better

Pop-n-Fresh Breakfast Pinwheels

2008-08-04T19:05:00.002-05:00

Just back from a quick weekend jaunt to St. Louis. Started off the weekend with a deep dish San Francisco-style pizza from a great new pizza place, Pi, in the Loop. The crust was perfect, but, Mark-it-Better tip about the toppings -- take it easy with the garlicky-stewed tomatoes, pizza man. It was all that we could taste (and keep tasting all night, if you know what i'm sayin').

Following dinner we headed across the street to the Pageant Theatre to see Idina Menzel (of Rent and Wicked) in concert. No one can dispute that her voice is uh-MAY-zing, but her stage show was so schmaltzy and such a cliche' of "Broadway Diva Does Cabaret" that I often times felt I was watching a Saturday Night Live parody. The highlight of the show, however, came when Idina called B out of the crowd for his unauthorized taping of her performance. She turned the camera, literally, on him and us all when she brought out her own camcorder to record herself and the audience during a (lame) free-style tribute to "St. Louie, rhymes with chewy, and phooey, and poo-pooey." Blyuck.

Saturday afternoon found us at an amazing new winery in Defiance, MO (just outside of St. Louis), called Chandler Hill. I say amazing not because of the wine (which was fine as Missouri wines go), but because the tasting room offers not only beautiful views of the Missouri Valley, but also gorgeous and movable soft seating and outdoor ceiling fans - an absolute must on a 101 degree day like it was on Saturday.

After the winery, the group of us headed back to B's for perfectly seasoned and grilled pork ribs with a raspberry-chipotle glaze (5-alarm SPICY!!!!), baked sweet potatoes, and cherry cornbread (unusual, but really nice), followed by a rousing round (or 20) of everyone's favorite, CatchPhrase (we're addicted) -- the perfect ending to a perfect day.

As wonderful as all of that was, it's really just a rambling digression from this post's true inspiration -- the AHHHHHH-SOME breakfast sausage rolls B whipped up and we scarfed down on our way out the door the next morning. SO simple to make and so, so good! All you need is a tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, your favorite breakfast sausage, and a hot oven. Instead of tearing the uncooked dough into triangles, press together two perforated pieces to form a rectangle. Next, flattened a quarter-inch thick layer of raw sausage over the dough, then roll it from short end to short end. Lastly, use a serrated knife to cut the roll into half-in thick pieces and bake until meat is cooked and pastry is golden brown (8-10 minutes.)

B served these "as is" hot out of the oven and they were absolutely perfect. So yummy that I accidentally ate about 11 more than I should have. My Mark-it-Better suggestion at the time was that they'd be great with some white gravy to dip them in. B agreed, but said that would change it from super-easy to a little bit more of a chore. Good point. If you do have the time and inclination to whip some up though, homemade gravy only takes a couple of minutes and could ready to serve in the time it takes to bake your first batch. In a pinch, however, I've also tried some of the canned gravies on the market. Doctor them up with some extra black pepper, and for something like this, I think they'd work just fine.

On the car on the drive home, I also came up with a couple of other spins on B's pinwheels that could be served as hors d'oeuvres I know also would be great:

Cheeseburger Pinwheels - subbing ground beef and cheese instead of sausage.
Mushroom & Spinach Pinwheels - w/ sausage or without - sprinkled with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese just before baking.
Pizza Pinwheels - over a thin layer of tomato sauce add a layer of pepperoni, then top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

The possibilities are endless... Let me know what you think if you try any of these or if you've got any other creative suggestions.

Not So Devilish Eggs

2008-07-28T17:30:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick Mark-it-Better tip I got from my dear friend Christmas (thanx L'il Chrissy!!) - for a healthier twist on an American summer time classic, replace the boiled egg yolk mixture you usually fill your deviled eggs with with a zippy dollop of hummus.

Wild Garden's got several tasty varieties of pre-made hummus if you feel like being lazy.

But if you've got 10 minutes, why not whip up a batch of your own. This recipe from Southern Living is one of my favorites:

Ingredients
1 (16-oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic (I use at least a full tablespoon)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I use close to a teaspoon - I like some kick!)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil (They say "optional". I say, you might even need a bit more!)

Preparation

Process first 6 ingredients and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours or up to 3 days. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil just before serving, if desired. Garnish, if desired.

Spicy Cilantro-Lime Hummus: Prepare recipe as directed, substituting lime juice for lemon juice, increasing ground red pepper to 1/2 teaspoon, and adding 1/3 cup firmly packed chopped fresh cilantro and 2 teaspoons grated lime rind to the ingredients in food processor bowl. Garnish hummus with 1/8 teaspoon grated lime rind, if desired.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus: Prepare recipe as directed, omitting ground cumin and adding 1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped, and 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves to the ingredients in food processor bowl. Garnish hummus with dried crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Makes 1 1/2 cups (serving size: 2 tablespoons)

Southern Living Cooking School, APRIL 2007 Grilling 101

Chip Salad

2008-07-24T15:53:00.001-05:00

So the idea of mixing chips and snacky treats together is certainly not a new idea. Virtually every chip-maker offers their version of the cheeto-type/dorito-type/pretzel snack mix combo. And let's face it, the fine folks at General Mills actually started the ball rolling with the INGENIOUS introduction of Chex mix (now offered in approximately 5 million varieties.) But I want to give a very special shout out to my friends at Doritos for finally marketing what I think is the best idea to hit chip lovers since decades - COLLISIONS! - combining two complimentary-flavored chips together in the same bag! Hot Wings & Blue Cheese and Zesty Taco & Chipotle Ranch - BRILLIANT! This almost makes up for their decision to round off the pointy corners a few years back - wimps!

Following that same line of thinking, I thought this would be a good time to share with you another little "recipe" I've been serving for years. I call it "chip salad", and, very much along the lines of the Doritos innovation, for parties I like to combine interesting chip flavor combinations mixed and served together in the same bowl. Two of my my favorites are:

Dill Pickle, Cheddar, and Ketchup (or BBQ)
Sour Cream & Cheddar with Green Onion

Try 'em out and see what you think or leave a note and share your own creation!

PB S'mores

2008-07-03T10:21:00.011-05:00

+ = Holiday Fun!

It's 4th of July weekend! Time for campfires and cook-outs and summertime fun in the sun.

Here's an idea to add a little sumpthin sumpthin extra to a tried and true favorite - s'mores!

While you're waiting for the marshmellow to turn that perfect shade of melty golden brown (or black and crispy as my mamala likes them), try spreading a little peanut butter on top of your graham (cracker, not parent).

When it's ready, put your hot-toasted mm directly on the pb, then put your Hershy's chocolate bar on top of that.

NOTHING goes better together than peanut butter and chocolate - unless it's peanut butter on your s'mores!

Just Add BaconSalt

2008-07-02T14:15:00.004-05:00

Recently I was introduced to what can be called nothing less than a new miracle product - BaconSalt.

"What's that?" you ask.

The answer: It's magical sprinkly salt seasoning that makes everything it touches taste like bacon. It's amazing! But not only is easy to use, it's also adds no calories, contains no meat or fat, and is kosher eee-ven.

So far I've added it to burger on the grill - yum!

And two nights ago I sprinkled it all over some freshly steamed green beans and turned the ho-hum into the boo-yah!

It comes in 3 flavors: regular, Hickory, and PepperBacon (my favorite). You definitely need to check this out.

All 3 for Me

2008-07-01T15:50:00.003-05:00

Several weeks ago my friend, Barry, came to town to visit from St. Louis. Though he'd been to Kansas City many times before, we both were shocked at how few of the city's local treasures he'd actually seen.

First on our stop of KC must-see's when headed to lunch at Webster House, one of my favorite, favorite places both because of the great menu, but also because of it's unusual atmosphere - a converted school house that now serves as both a restaurant and antique shop.

One of my favorite things on the lunch menu is their wonderful grilled cheese. It's got three kinds of cheese and a fried egg served on a freshly-baked french baguette. Spring was in the air that day, so I asked if the chef wouldn't mind adding a lightly-grilled slice of fresh tomato to my sandwich. Our waitor commented that no one had asked for that before but that it sounded wonderful and he was sure that the chef would agree. He did, and of course, it was amazing!

The other thing to note about that lunch was that in perusing the menu, Barry, Ray, and I each thought the three sandwich choices sounded great and had were having a difficult time making up our minds. I posed a solution by suggesting that we each order something different and asked the waiter to ask the kitchen to please cut the sandwich in thirds rather than halves so that we could easily try all three. Again, we were complimented on our idea and the kitchen was happy to comply. And of course, all three sandwiches were amazing and we were happy to have gotten to sample them all.

Newsflash! Dateline - TODAY! In preparing this entry I popped over to their Web site and what do you think is on the menu now? (Unfortunately not my tomato and grilled cheese sammy, though I'm convinced it will be there in the fall.) But a new item the "Petite Trio - an artfully presented tasting of the Webster House sandwich menu." Claps and snaps to them for recognizing a good idea when they see it!

(not so) Hot Nuts

2008-07-01T15:45:00.001-05:00

Now I like spicy as much as the next guy. In fact, I like it even more than most. But, in my opinion, a little bit of spicy peanuts goes a long way. Not because I think they're too spicy, but because most of them are so loaded with seasoning and salt I get sick of them after only a few nuts.

Remedying this sidge does not take a rocket scientist. I recommend combining a jar of lightly salted dry roasted peanuts with the smaller can of spicy ones. Any brand of regular peanuts will do, though I do not recommend Planters. Planters adds sugar to all of their peanuts which, to me, is unnecessary and tastes weird.

Just empty a jar of regular and the can of spicy into a large bowl, mix them together, and refill the emptied containers.

Now instead of getting a mouthful of seasoning you can actually taste the peanuts and get a firey POP with every tasty bite!

God Bless the Tilapia

2008-07-01T15:33:00.002-05:00

OK, so this one did not come to me instantly and, in fact, was an evolutionary process.

I didn't discover until recently that I liked tilapia. Growing up in Missouri, the only fish we ate was fried - either catfish or spoonbill if my dad had been fishing, and Mrs. Paul's or Long John Silver's once or twice a month. So in an effort to try to eat healthier, I decided to buy a bag of frozen tilapia fillets at m' local Costco store.

The first time I cooked them, I did something that is very unlike me, I decided to begin by actually reading the label. Following the directions printed on the bag, I baked two fillets at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Once finished, the fish had been cooked perfectly, light and flaky and tasty, although a little boring and bland.

Fast forward a couple of weeks to my 2nd attempt. This time I added to the previous process by placing a couple of pats of butter on top of the fish before baking and then covering the them with a light dusting of seasoned bread crumbs. 30 minutes later, it was good.

After my recent success, I decided to experiment further and replaced my butter pats with a layer of honey mustard between the fish and crumbs. My thinking was not only that this would add a little more flavor, but would actually be healthier as the mustard had less calories than the butter. I was happy but not surprised to find that the results were even better than before. My only criticism this time was that it tasted just the teeniest bit too sweet.

Last night, I feel like I made a significant improvement to this already tasty dish by adding one simple ingredient - pepper. This time, after spreading the mustard and before sprinkling the bread crumbs, I decided to add four or five twists* my special black pepper / red pepper flakes mixture over the top. The result, I dare say, was a spot-on. The combination of flavors and textures that was really, just right. On the top you had the slightly salty, slightly crispy bread crumbs. Next you got a tiny kick followed by the sweet and tangy combo of the honey mustard. To finish, the fish, as always, was light, bright, and flaky. Perfecto!

By adding only seconds to the prep time and an insignificant amount of calories, the result is a healthy entree with wonderfully layered flavors. As Chef Tell used to say, "Very simple. Very easy." I say, give it try!

*A "twist" is my term to describe the amount of ground seasoning that results from one twist of a pepper mill.