BBQ Beef On Toast

4th of July equals bbq in my home. Most years we have a big grill going and have hamburgers, chicken, ribs and marinated eggplant on the menu. This year there is a 40 % chance of thunderstorms, lightning & rain in the afternoon, and I am spending the evening calming dogs at our local animal shelter. (the town's fireworks show is nearby, and the loud noises frighten our dogs). So I needed a backup plan in case our afternoon party needs to be moved indoors. This BBQ Beef on Toast recipe fits the bill.

This easy-breezy recipe tastes best with homemade sauce. Don't be afraid of the long list of ingredients. Once you saute the onion and garlic, everything else is just dumped into the pot, cooked until thickened and you are ready to go. You can make the sauce up to two days in advance. You may need to thin with a bit of water or broth. I like to serve on grilled toast, but you can use hamburger buns or spoon over rice or potatoes. Expecting a cold summer day? Try this bbq beef recipe. (Actually, this works year round whenever you crave bbq)

BBQ Beef
(Serves 4)

extra virgin olive oil

1 medium white onion, diced

1 tbsp chili powder

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cups tomato sauce

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp prepared mustard

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

1 tbsp adobo sauce

2 tbsp bourbon

sea salt

black pepper

1 1/2 lbs top sirloin, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 tbsp flour

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 leeks or garlic scrapes, chopped
4 pieces thick cut french or sourdough bread, toasted or grilled.

Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, chili powder and garlic. Sauté until softened and translucent. Add next 12 ingredients and continue cooking until sauce has thickened to desired consistency. Season to taste.

Dredge beef in flour. Season with salt and pepper. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and brown on all sides. Add onion, bell pepper and leek or garlic scapes. Saute until vegetables are softened. Add 2 cups bbq sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet and simmer for 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Spoon beef over grilled bread. Serve with a green salad (Today I made a Ceasar kale salad to serve with the bbq beef)

Other BBQ and Grilled recipes you may enjoy:

• bbq pork ribs
• grilled shrimp & peaches with arugula pesto
• grilled marinated eggplant sandwiches

It is "Hamburger" week at Food Network's Summer Soiree roundup. Do you have a favorite hamburger recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network:

Devour: Add Asian Flair to Grilled Ribs with These 4 Recipes
The Lemon Bowl: 20 Healthy Marinades for Grilling Season
Homemade Delish: BBQ Jalapeno Poppers
Napa Farmhouse 1885: BBQ Beef on Toast
TasteBook: Skewered Grilled Prawns with Spicy Peach Glaze
Domesticate Me: 37 Foolproof Recipes for Your Fourth of July BBQ
Creative Culinary: Apple Cider and Brown Sugar Pulled Pork Barbecue
Healthy Eats: 6 Lighter Alternatives to Classic Slow-Cooked Barbecue
Taste with the Eyes: BBQ Shrimp and Grits with Lobster Butter
The Mom 100: Farro Arugula Salad with Orange Herb Vinaigrette
In Jennie's Kitchen: Best BBQ Ribs + 19 Recipes for 4th of July
FN Dish: Food Network's Top Recipes for Barbecue Favorites: Ribs, Pulled Pork and More

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

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California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

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Six Hamburger Recipes To Get You Through Summer (Two Are Vegetarian!)

Today is the first day of summer, and it just happens to be the hottest day of the year. Here in Taos, New Mexico, we are at 7000 feet and the temperature rarely even gets into the 90s. But after sitting in the sun for hours, my car's thermometer read 122 degrees. By the time I arrived home it had dropped to 100 degrees. The last thing I wanted to do was turn on the oven. The solution? Grilling hamburgers.

My husband loves BLTs; he also loves hamburgers. So...maybe we could combine the two and make BLHTs? (bacon, lettuce, hamburger & tomatoes). These four ingredients with mayo (or mustard if you are a rebel) on sliced French bread. Perfect! This idea plus five additional "burger" recipes helps welcome in summer 2016!

BLHTs
makes 1

2 slices cooked bacon
1 1/3 lb hamburger patty cooked medium rare
2 slices tomato
handful lettuce
mayonnaise or mustard
sea salt
black pepper
2 slices French bread, thickly cut (toasted or not)

Spread mayo (or mustard) on both slices of bread. Pile the lettuce on top of the mayo on one slice of bread. Top with the hamburger patty, bacon, and tomato. Season with salt & pepper. Top with remaining slice of bread and serve.

Spicy Chickpea Burgers With Cabbage Slaw
makes 6-8 burgers

1 cup garbanzo flour
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp minced garlic
pinch dried red pepper flakes
large pinch sea salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups water
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
extra virgin olive oil
whole wheat buns

Chipotle mayo add 1-2 tsp (depending on your heat tolerance) minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce to 1/2 cup mayonnaise.  I use a vegan substitute, Veganaise

Cabbage Slaw recipe (use any color cabbage, add 1 cup grated carrot and skip the nuts)

Combine garbanzo flour and next 6 ingredients in medium saucepan.  Add water and stir to remove lumps.  Set heat to medium and cook, frequently stirring, for 10-12 minutes or until mixture is very thick. Stir in fresh parsley. Turn off heat and cool in pot 5 minutes. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, create patties using 2 spoonfuls (or scoops) for each patty. Press down lightly to form each patty. Depending on the size of scoop you should get 6-8 patties.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet.  Fry patties until each side is golden brown (2-3 minutes per side).  

Drizzle olive oil over inside of each whole wheat bun.  Heat oven to broil setting. Place buns under the broiler until golden.  Remove from oven.  

To assemble burgers:  place one chickpea patty of the bottom of the bun.  Top with cabbage salad or, in season, a slice of heirloom tomato and lettuce.  Add a small dollop of chipotle mayo and top of the bun.   Serve.

Four additional recipes you may enjoy:

• elk burgers
• buffalo sliders with bacon & cheese
• eggplant fritter burgers with sriracha chili mayo
• buffalo chicken sliders with bacon & celery

It is "Hamburger" week at Food Network's Summer Soiree roundup. Do you have a favorite hamburger recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network:

Feed Me Phoebe: Cauliflower Sweet Potato Burgers with Sriracha Aioli (Vegetarian Paleo)
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Six Hamburger Recipes To Get You Through Summer (Two Are Vegetarian!)
In Jennie's Kitchen: Stuffed Cheeseburgers
Healthy Eats: Our Definitive Healthy-Burger List
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Beet and Oats Vegan Burger
Creative Culinary: Beef Burger with Homemade Guinness Irish Stout Ketchup
Taste with the Eyes: Open-Faced Swiss Burger with Flower Salad
FN Dish: 7 Surprising Ways to Better Your Burger Game This Summer

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green? 

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

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I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos."  Please visit and let me know what you think.

Italian Marinated Zucchini

You know that moment in summer when you are confronted with a huge mound of zucchini? You have fried it, sautéed, steamed, added to muffins, cookies, even pancakes, and just cannot contemplate another bite? That is the time to grab this recipe. I made a batch last night using four zucchinis, and I personally ate almost the entire batch. Invite a few friends and that mound will disappear before your very eyes. It is just that good.

The squash is grilled either outside on the barbecue or, in bad weather, indoors on a grill pan. There are only a few ingredients, so please buy the highest quality possible. Garlic, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil...tossed with the grilled zucchini and then marinated for several hours. Served with grilled meats, platters of other marinated vegetables, good bread, great wine. Ahhh, doesn't get more Italian than that.  Happy summer everyone!

Italian Marinated Zucchini
(Serves 4)

6 zucchini (medium sized) thinly sliced crosswise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade or thinly sliced

Spread zucchini on top of a large, clean towel. Gently roll the towel to remove some moisture from squash. Unroll and, using a BBQ brush, lightly coat the squash with oil.

Heat the grill or grill pan to medium-high and grill zucchini until deep golden brown with dark brown grill marks. Flip and grill on the other side. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add the garlic, rest of the oil, vinegar, and a large pinch each of salt & pepper. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 3-4 hours (does not need to be refrigerated)

When ready to serve, stir in basil and serve. Wonderful alongside grilled meat, chicken or fish. Pile on top of pasta coated in extra virgin olive oil, add to your favorite cheese and salami platter or, my favorite, top grilled sourdough bread with the squash.

Other summer squash recipes you may enjoy:

• healthy summer squash chips
• eggplant, summer squash & tomato casserole
• roasted zucchinis and tomatoes with parmesan and balsamic
• zucchini & potato hash browns

It is "Summer Squash" week at Food Network's Summerfest roundup. Do you have a favorite squash recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network. 

In Jennie's Kitchen: 5 Sweet & Savory Zucchini Recipes
Healthy Eats: 8 Zucchini Recipes That Won’t Squash Your Summer Health Goals
Devour: Use Your Zoodle: 3 Italian-Inspired Squash Recipes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Italian Marinated Zucchini
The Mom 100: Baby Zucchini Gratin
Feed Me Phoebe: Green Shakshuka with Zucchini, Chard and Peas
Creative Culinary: Lemony Summer Squash Bread
Taste with the Eyes: Summer Squash Lasagna with Fried Basil #glutenfree
FN Dish: 10 Recipes That Prove Zucchini Is Actually a Magic Vegetable

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green? 

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

Promote Your Page Too

I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos."  Please visit and let me know what you think.