Kels & Jesse Cook

Dream. Make. Eat. Simple culinary adventures from a couple who know a little about cooking and a lot about taste.

[kandjcook]

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna

Not to state the obvious, but it's once again cold outside. No matter how many of us midwesterners deny it, the chill is here to stay, at least for the next 5 months. That means it's time for comfort food to hit the hot oven racks. Lasagna is the perfect casserole-style Italian dish that has no problem filling the carb-craving winter stomach. Not to mention it's an extremely fun meal to make.

We decided to take a slightly nontraditional route with our lasagna this time around, diving into a cheesy, chicken version with the sharp bite of garlic and artichoke. This recipe brings on a preparation challenge with a homemade cheese sauce but believe me, there is no substitute for this rich and creamy concoction. 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup diced onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1 tsp Italian seasoning

coarse salt and fresh black pepper

2 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained

2 cups ricotta Cheese

2 cups fresh shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 beaten egg

1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, stems removed

12 no-cook lasagna noodles

Cheese Sauce

4 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 tsp rosemary 

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

coarse salt and fresh black pepper

Combining

Rub Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into chicken breasts.

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast to skillet. Add splash of water to pan, cover and sear first sides for 2-3 minutes. Flip chicken breast and repeat searing steps. Remove chicken from pan, let cool and dice.

Place pan back on stove at medium-low. Add onion, garlic, and diced chicken.

Cook, stirring often until chicken is cooked through. Cut the artichokes in half and then in half again, dry off any moisture with paper towels. Stir them into the chicken and cook 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, 1 + 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, the egg and parsley.

Make stacks out of the spinach leaves and cut the stems off.

Making the cheese sauce

In a large, heavy duty saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 3 - 4 minutes, whisking often. Slowly whisk in milk, turn heat up and bring to a simmer.

Maintain a simmer for 4 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat down to low and stir in nutmeg, Parmesan cheese and a pinch or two each of salt and pepper, continue stirring until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

Stacking the layers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 x 3 inch casserole pan.

Add a very thin layer of sauce over bottom of pan, then a layer of noodles covering the bottom completely from edge to edge. Spread 1/2 of ricotta mixture evenly from edge to edge then top with 1/3 of chicken mixture followed by 1/3 of the sauce.

Cover filling with another layer of noodles followed with remaining 1/2 of ricotta, 1/3 of chicken and 1/3 of cheese sauce.

Cover with another layer of noodles followed by remaining sauce, remaining chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

Bake 45 - 50 minutes until bubbly and hot in the middle. If the top starts to get too brown tent with aluminum foil. Allow lasagna to set 5 - 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Note: This dish goes great with any sort of smoky red blend. We drank a Zin blend with our meal.

[kandjcook]

Stuffed Taco Peppers

Taco Tuesday is here again! This time around, we tried something a little different; an anti-taco, if you will. This is an easy recipe that will satisfy your south-of-the-boarder cravings when you're short on time. Oh, and it makes for great left overs.

2 large green peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 chicken breasts

1/2 packet of taco seasoning

¼ cup tomato salsa

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 red onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

pickled jalapeños (optional)

2 Tbsp of oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut bell peppers in half and deseed. Grease baking sheet and place the pepper halves on baking sheet facing upwards, like bowls.

Thaw chicken breasts. Rub salt and pepper thoroughly into the chicken.

In medium sized pan, heat 1 Tbsp of oil in the pan until hot. Place chicken in the pan, add a splash of water and cover. Sear the first side of the chicken breasts (2-3 minutes). Flip the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes covered.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool.

Add remaining oil to the pan and heat on medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. 

While onions are sautéing, shred the chicken. Add the chicken back into the pan with the onion. Add in minced garlic and taco seasoning. Cook everything until onions are tender.

Remove mixture from heat. Evenly distribute the mixture into each of the bell pepper halves.

Shred cheese and sprinkle over each pepper.

Place the peppers in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until peppers get tender.

Once cooked, let peppers stand for 5 minutes. Serve and garnish with tomatoes, jalapeños, and sour cream (or plain greek yogurt) and enjoy. 

[kandjcook]

Minnesota State Fair 2014

For those of you who don't know, Minnesota has the one of the largest State Fairs in the country. It consists of a full week of deep-fried food on a stick, craft beer, rides and people watching. This was Jesse and my first experience attending the Fair together. We were both anticipating it all summer and I woke up to find this little doodle on my bed. Take a look thru this post to see all the yummy, (and not-so-healthy) food we consumed. 

The Blue Barn - Blue Cheese & Corn Frites

Deep-fried corn fritters stuffed with crumbled blue cheese and served with a fresh herb chimichurri. The perfect balance of salty and savory. Our favorites food this year and a new addition to the fair.

Lulu's Public House - fresh blueberry frozen foam, added to a specially brewed Grain Belt called Grain Belt Blu

Lots of blueberry in the first few sips. Jesse and I both wished there was some foam on the bottom of the cup and a little on the top, to even out the sweetness. Very refreshing. 

PRONTO PUPS! - aka The Best Corn Dogs at the MN State Fair! (but seriously)

The hot dog is deep-fried to a golden brown, using 7 different flours. It is the original food-on-a-stick and one of our favorites.

Collection of seed sacks

Cutest pickle at the Fair

Ball Park Cafe - Liftbridge Mini Donut Beer & Garlic Fries

Our favorite specialty beer at the fair - a malty base, with rich flavor and served in a glass rimmed with cinnamon and sugar. The beer isn't too sweet and pairs nicely with the Garlic Fries, (second picture). We never shy away from garlic and happily finished the entire plate.

The Walleye Mac & Cheese combines pasta, sweet corn, smoked walleye, roasted red peppers, parsley-flecked bread crumbs and smoked Gouda.

Adding another craft beer to our menu, we shared S'more Beer. The beer is a deep porter, with chocolate and coffee notes. It is served in a glass rimmed in chocolate and crushed graham crackers and garnished with a marshmallow.

The Original Cheese Curds

Deep-fried, cheese curds and one of Jesse's bucket list items at the fair every year. 

The Blue Barn - Chicken in a Waffle Cone

This southern classic is crispy chicken nestled in a crunchy waffle cone, then smothered with a creamy sausage gravy. A savory treat to finish off our day at the fair. It was fun to eat it out of the cone and I even found a chocolate malt ball in the bottom! Interesting when combined with the gravy. 

That's a wrap! We accidentally skipped the sweet treats and stuck to craft beers and savory treats. Did you try any of the new fair foods? Which are your favorites? We'd love to hear from you, so we can add to our growing list for next year. 

[kandjcook]

Coconut Shrimp Tacos

This last Taco Tuesday we felt the need to go all out. What follows is one ambitious meal that satisfy some huge taco cravings.

On this crazy cooking evening we made a frankenstein of a recipe, made up of hardy brussels sprouts and crisp apples covered in a sweet coconut milk sauce. These are then topped with baked, golden brown coconut shrimp and colorful peppers. Of course we needed to warp things up right, so we made homemade rhubarb margaritas (recipe posted below). Sheer magic.

Rhubarb Margaritas

Makes 4-6 margaritas 

Rhubarb Syrup:

3 stalks rhubarb, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

Margarita:

12 fluid ounces tequila

2 fluid ounces Cointreau

8 fluid ounces fresh lime juice

10 fluid ounces reserved rhubarb syrup

Sparkling water

Combine the rhubarb, water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves, the fruit softens, the liquid has thickened slightly and the hue is a pretty pink, 15 or so minutes.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Run the syrup through the strainer, giving the rhubarb a gentle press with the back of a spoon to extract more syrup. (the cooked rhubarb is pretty tasty on toast. Save it for later or discard.)

In a pitcher, combine the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and rhubarb syrup. Give the mixture a taste and adjust the alcohol content accordingly. Let the mixture chill for 30 mins and remix before serving.

Coconut Shrimp Tacos

Makes 4, 2 taco servers

Coconut Shrimp:

1 lbs shrimp, peeled and de-veined and tails removed

4 eggs + 4 tablespoons water

½ cup flour

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp chili powder

2 cups coconut flakes

Brussels Sprout, Apple Slaw:

12 brussels sprouts

1 sweet apple

1 cup coconut milk

juice of one lime

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

¼ tsp chili powder

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Toppings:

8 soft taco-sized tortillas

mixed sweet peppers

cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Add eggs and water to a small bowl and whisk till smooth. Stir together flour, garlic powder, and chili powder to a second bowl. Place shredded coconut flakes in a third bowl.

Toss shrimp in flour mixture. Next, dip shrimp in egg mixture. Lastly, toss shrimp in shredded coconut flakes.

Place coated shrimps on prepared baking sheet and spray heavily with cooking spray. Bake about 15 minutes until shrimp are cooked and coconut flakes are golden brown.

While shrimps are baking prepare slaw. Shred and core brussels sprouts, shoestring slice the apple and mix together in a bowl. Whisk all sauce ingredients together pour over the slaw and toss. Chill the slaw until shrimp are ready.

To assemble tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, sweet peppers and shrimp.

[kandjcook]

The Somewhat-Benedict Breakfast

It was time to venture from our standard fried egg breakfast sandwich and try making a something we've never tried cooking up before: a Benedict.

We recently discovered a wonderful food blog simply titled iamafoodblog.com. On here, Stephanie Le serves up amazing recipes in the coolest presentations we’ve seen in food blogdom yet. Needless to say, we found an intriguing meal in her breakfast section called the Grilled Cheese Eggs Benny, which rocked out a great combo of prosciutto, gruyere cheese and a poached egg covered in hollandaise sauce.

Now. we love eggs but usually prepare them with the simple slow-fry technique, which produces huge flavor in a beautifully gooey egg, but in all truthfulness, nothing beats a poached egg. Preparing poached eggs is a completely different monster, though. It's considered the hardest way to cook an egg by many people. Kels and I tried the suggested slow cooking technique that Stephanie posted on her blog but we ended up slightly overlooking them. Luckily our fried eggs substituted nicely. We'll be getting the poached egg technique locked down next time around so we can consider our breakfast a true Benny. This recipe is a solid start to the day, especially since nothing can beat the rich, salty taste of prosciutto, perfect texture of melted gruyere and runny egg yolks.

Branch out and challenge your breakfast-oriented taste buds by making something new. Satisfaction is guaranteed.

[kandjcook]

Grilled Spicy Chipotle Fish Tacos

Kels' lovely aunt has been keeping up with our sporadic posts on this blog and decided to send along some inspiration for us to work from: America's Test Kitchen's Cooking For Two. After diving through the huge variety of simple but delicious looking recipes this book has to offer we landed upon one to try our hand at.

Taco Tuesdays (or Fridays) are always something to look forward to. Nothing beats a night to make some south of the boarder food accompanied by a refreshing margarita, or in this case, a sweet and spicy bloody. We've been more prone to making fish tacos lately due to them seeming lighter than standard ground beef tacos, and lucky enough Cooking For Two had a fish taco recipe that hit our craving hard.

What follows is a slight twist on the Grilled Fish Taco recipe out of the Cooking For Two book.

1/4th small head of green cabbage, cored and shredded (about 2 cups)

3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

Salt and pepper

1/3 c mayonnaise

1-2 tsp minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 large (6 to 8 oz) skinless cod fillet, 1 inch thick

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp rosemary, crushed

4 (8 inch) corn tortillas

Lime wedges

Toss cabbage, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pinch pepper together in bowl; set aside for serving. In separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, chipotle, garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside for serving.

Pat cod dry with paper towels and brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Combine chili powder, rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, then rub evenly over fillet.

For a gas grill, turn on all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.

Clean cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until grate is black and glossy (5 to 10 times should do the trick). Place fillet on grill, cover and cook until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife, 10 to 14 minutes, gently flipping the fillet with 2 spatulas halfway through cooking. Transfer fillet to cutting board and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

Place tortillas on grill in single layer and cook until warmed and lightly browned on both sides, about 15 seconds per side. Stack grilled tortillas in foil packet to keep warm and soft. To serve, cut fillet into 4 equal parts. Smear warm tortillas with mayonnaise mixture, tear one piece of fillet into each tortilla, top with cabbage, and serve with lime wedges.

Makes 4 large fish tacos.

[kandjcook]

Foodies Gone North

Summer comes and goes far too quickly. Kels and I found ourselves staring August in the face with so many small adventures under our belts but no big journeys, or road trips, or extended breaks from our day to day grind. So, like most Midwesterners finding themselves in a position to escape reality, we took a trip northward, to Lake Superior and the lovely city of Duluth. Our simple mission: unwind and enjoy three long days of summer sunshine.

It comes as no surprise that food and drink were what made up a good chunk of our to-do list. What follows are a few of our favorite culinary experiences over this escapade to the North Shore. We're hoping some of these will inspire new recipes in the kitchen, as well as other adventures in the near future.

Northern Waters Smokehaus

This little corner shop was one we had to stop at because of it's mention on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The team here makes top notch smoked meats and fish that they use on a large selection of deli sandwiches. Basically anything on their menu would have someone craving a second round, plus the huge lunch line can attest to their popularity. We had to snap a picture of the menu so we could try our hand at duplicating NSH's masterpieces. 

Va Bene Caffé

Kels' cousin had tipped her off awhile back to this unbeatable Italian spot, one that many visitors pass up because of it's off the main strip location. The wine selection is solid, the prosciutto and fig jam crostinis were perfect, and the pasta matched up to (do I admit, even surpassed) that of Bar La Grassa's pasta dishes. Be sure to walk the extra distance past the Fitger's Brewhouse to try this place. 

Kels and I shared a couple pastas along with our crostinis. First, the Pesto Frutti di Mare, which was made up of sautéed shrimp and scallops covered in a creamy sundried tomato pesto. Second, the Cavolini Fettuccini, made up of brussels sprouts and apples, craisins, shallots, pancetta, honey-lemon-wine sauce, and fettuccini topped with Pecorino Romano cheese. I think we both dreamt of pasta that night.

Russ Kendall's Smokehouse

While on a day trip along the north shore we needed to get our fix of smoked salmon. Let me tell you, this somewhat sketchy looking food stop blew us away. The specialty at this little smokehouse was sugar-cured trout and salmon. But the real showstopper was the salmon spread. Kels and I regretted not stocking up on on a few more cups of it before heading back down to Duluth. We enjoyed this fish spread at a boat marine nearby the smokehouse. There was a chilly breeze off the water but overall the beachy picnic made our day.

Amazing Grace Bakery and Café

This little hidden cafe is a warm and cute spot that serves up a strong cup of joe and a hardy plate of eggs and hashbrowns. The tree-shaded patio is one we thought to spend hours on. There's a great view of the ships going in and out of the harbor as well as the tourists walking up and down South Lake Avenue. 

The Portland Malt Shoppe

As a small, seasonal malt shop along the north ridge of the lake shore this place serves up a classic diner-style malt like no other. Of course being the ice cream fanatic that I am, I might be a little bias on how great this stop was. Definitely worth the nice walk on a warm summer day.

Fizz Waters Soda Shop

Vintage soda-pops. Extensive root beer selection. Basically every flavor, color, origin and design of bubbly beverages you could want. Walking through the aisles of Fizzy Waters put Kels and I in a giddy child-like state. We loved the shop so much we had to return on our last day in Duluth just to stock up on a few fun sodas to bring back home. 

Canal Park Brewing Company

Our last stop on our grand escape up north. We wanted to check out this relatively new brewery that's located right along the boardwalk. We sat on the open backside patio and watch the ships cruise in and out of the bay. This was the hottest day of our trip and nothing tasted better than a fresh glass of beer.

Kels tried the Nut Hatchet brown ale and I the 40 Acre saison. Both had great body with a lasting, unique flavor profile. I paired mine with a side of seasoned sweet potato fries and Kels sunk her teeth into the spicy Firehaus burger. The prices may be a little high for food but when it comes to the atmosphere and location of this brewhouse, you can't find a better place in Canal Park to have a beer and enjoy the moment.

------

Overall, we successfully experienced a relaxing and relatively unplanned vacation whilst checking off some long time items on our food and drink list. It's safe to say a little piece of our hearts (and stomachs) will always be in Duluth. Till next time.

[kandjcook]

Cheddar Parmesan Apple Grilled Cheese with Sriracha Musatard

A few friends came over for food, drinks and laughs. There was mention that they both had a love for cheese so considering Kels and I haven't turned out a solid grilled cheese in a long while, we pulled out the frying pan and got to cooking. 

This ones easy, full of a balance of sweet, salty and spicy flavors. Enjoy!

Loaf of sour dough bread

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

4 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp sriracha chili sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

10 oz spinach

1 tsp salt

8 oz Vermont cheddar cheese, sliced

6 oz parmesan cheese, shredded

1 pink lady apple, thinly sliced

1Tbsp butter

Cut the loaf of sour dough bread into 4 thick slices. 

In a small bowl, mix together the extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, sriracha sauce, garlic, and pepper. Set mixture aside.

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and add in spinach leaves and salt. Sauté leaves until they darken and slightly wilt. Remove spinach from pan and set aside.

Spread mustard mixture evenly over one side of 2 of the 4 slices of bread.

Add cheddar and apple slices and cooked spinach to each of the sauceless slices of bread. Sprinkle parmesan over the sauced slices of bread and place onto corresponding apple, cheddar and spinach sides of the sandwiches.

Melt butter in the large frying pan over medium high heat. Place both sandwiches in the pan and cover. Flip the sandwiches once the first side is golden brown and cover once more. When the second side is golden brown and the cheddar is melty the sandwiches are ready. Remove them from the pan and cut in half.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Serve this grilled cheese up with a cool, fresh summer salad, such as the vinegary slaw pictured above, or a dark greens and fruit salad with a sweet dressing. This will compliment the salty and spicy elements of the sandwich perfectly.

[kandjcook]

The Farmer Russell

Prepare yourself. The recipe that follows is the grilled cheese that I submitted to the Grilled Cheese Academy's 2014 grilled cheese competition. The build of this mouthwatering sandwich was inspired by a brussels sprouts recipe that my mom has become famous in the family circle for making. 

Buttery Havarti and sharp parmesan are accompanied by savory sausage, garlicy brussels sprouts, spicy red onion and a sweet balsamic reduction. This wholesome sandwich will leave your taste buds tingling.

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

3 Tbs honey

2 Tbs olive oil

1/4 lbs brussels sprouts, stemmed and chopped into fourths

1 c. red onion, sliced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/3 lbs kielbasa sausage, sliced

4 oz Wisconsin parmesan cheese, grated

6 oz Wisconsin Havarti cheese, sliced

4 thick slices of rye bread

1 Tbs butter 

Stir balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the vinegar mixture has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Set the balsamic reduction aside to cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Place in red onion and sauté until tender. Add in the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil, brussels sprouts and garlic and season with salt, pepper, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Sauté mixture until sprouts are browned and onions are darkened. Remove contents of skillet and set aside. In the skillet, sear kielbasa sausage over medium-high heat. Once browed remove from skillet and set aside. 

In the same skillet lower cooking temp. to a medium heat and melt butter in skillet and place in 1 slice of bread. Place half of the parmesan, kielbasa sausage, and onion and brussels spouts mixture on the slice of bread and drizzle part of the balsamic reduction over the top. Add half the slices of Havarti cheese and top with the second slice of bread. Cover the sandwich and let cook until first side is golden brown. Carefully flip the sandwich and cook until golden brown and remove from skillet.

Repeat step 3 for the second sandwich. Cut both sandwiches in half and enjoy!

Makes 2 grilled cheese sandwiches.

[kandjcook]

Kels and I have both have a love for Cubano sandwiches, consisting of that perfect mix of sharp, savory and vinegary flavor. We recently went to a local dive cleverly named The Leaning Tower of Pizza and discovered the oven-baked version of our pork sandwich obsession: the Cubano pizza. This instantly made our list of must-make recipes. What follows is our take on this mashup of two classic foods.

The Pizza Cubano

1/2 c. Dijon mustard

2 Tbs sriracha sauce

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1tsp salt

1tsp pepper

1tsp crushed thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 store bought 16in pre-made Italian pizza crust

1lbs of shredded pulled pork

4 large kosher dill pickles, cut into 1/8in thick slices

3/4 c. grated mozzarella cheese

3/4 c. grated sharp white cheddar

Preheat the oven for 400F. In a medium sized bowl mix Dijon mustard, sriracha sauce, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic together. Place pizza crust on pizza pan and spread mustard mix evenly over the top of the crust.

Spread the pulled pork and pickles evenly over the top of the pizza. Mix together the grated cheeses and sprinkle over the top of the entire pizza.

Place pizza in the oven and bake for 12-16 minutes or suggested cooking time of the pre-made pizza crust.

Watch out! These funky slices have some kick! Pair this meal with a summery brew and you'll be made in the warm Cuban shade. 

[kandjcook]

A month back my lovely mother handed me a small brochure calling passionate foodies to pick up a spatula and create their most impressive grilled cheese for the prestiges Grilled Cheese Academy Showdown. It boasted that winners of contest were to be rewarded with fabulous cash prizes and a bombardment of other cheesy goodness.

Kels and I accepted the challenge.

We each wanted to take our own swing at a top-notch grilled sandwich. The contest would be judged on the presentation of the grilled cheese (the photo), the originality of the recipe and of course the taste. 

Below is Kels' wickedly tantalizing recipe; a sandwich with an undeniable Wisconsin influence, combining melty Wisconsin cheese curds, bratwurst, French fries and stone ground mustard packed between two beer battered slices of rustic white bread. 

Be ready to check your pulse because this savory flavorgasm is going to make your heart skip a beat. 

'Sconie Teaser

1 large beer brat

16-20 frozen straight cut French fries

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Red pepper flakes (optional)

4 thick slices rustic white bread

4 Tbs stone ground mustard

1 1/4 c of cheese curds

1 egg

3/4 c pale ale beer

1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp butter

Preheat the oven for 450F.

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beer brat until fully cooked. Remove the brat from pan. Once brat is cool enough to touch, dice into 1/4-inch pieces. Set brat aside.

Spread frozen French fries evenly over a medium baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes. Remove fries from the over and spray with cooking spray, then season with salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and Red Pepper Flakes. Place fries back into the oven and broil on high for 90 seconds or until crispy.

On all 4 slices of bread, spread 1 Tbs of stone ground mustard. Place cheese curds on 2 of the slices. On the other 2 slices, place the brat pieces.

In shallow bowl, beat egg, beer, flour, chili powder and melted butter with fork until smooth. Dip each slice of bread into batter, giving it a few seconds to absorb the batter.

Heat skillet over medium-high heat or to 375°F. Melt butter on skillet. Place 1 sandwich on skillet (fry each half open-faced) and cover. Cook until cheese melts and the bread becomes golden brown.

Remove skillet from heat. Place fries on the cheese curd slice of bread and put the two halves together on a plate. Repeat step 6 for second sandwich and enjoy!

Makes 2 sandwiches

Suggestion: Make extra French fries as a side dish for this savory grilled cheese.

[kandjcook]

As if guacamole couldn’t get any better. Kels takes her spin of this green fiesta dip to the next level by throwing in a heaping scoop of salty feta cheese. This adds a whole new dimension of flavor to the mellow mix of avocado and tomato.

Another genius trick, as you can see in the photo above, is she leaves the ingredients in chucks instead of mashing everything together. Not only does this make for a more appetizing display but it also separates out the flavors a bit more so there is a full appreciation of all that makes up this deliciously fresh snack.

Stir things up and give this recipe a try. We promise you won’t make quac any other way.

2 large, ripe avocados

2 medium tomatoes

2/3 c. onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

1 c. crumbled feta cheese

1/2 fresh lime

Salt and pepper

Dice avocados, and tomatoes into desired chunks and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add onion, garlic, cilantro and feta cheese to the bowl. Squeeze lime over everything and mix the ingredients together gently. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add diced (and seeded) jalapeños if you’re looking for some extra spice. Serve with quality thick tortilla chips, a side of chipotle black bean salsa and plain Greek yogurt. Now that’s a perfect summer afternoon snack.