Cowboy-style Philly cheesesteaks

We made Rachael Ray's Cowboy-style Philly cheesesteaks for dinner a few nights ago and they were a big hit! Robert and I are suckers for anything involving flank steak, bacon, and provolone cheese, so I knew this would be a winner before we even started!! This is a fantastic sandwich with lots of flavor. I can't wait to make these again!

NOTE: There is a discrepancy between the recipe link and the way Rachael cooked it on the show: on TV, she coated the meat with the spice rub when the flank steak was WHOLE and before putting it on the grill, not after it had been sliced like the link says.

Jalapeno popper sliders

Dinner tonight was jalapeno popper sliders from Rachael Ray. They taste just like a jalapeno popper on top of a hamburger. Robert raved about the cream cheese topping and asked if he could eat it with a spoon - sure, why not?? Make sure you have enough pepper slices because we liked having some in every bite. We'll definitely be making these again!!

Curry tomato spaghetti

We made Rachael Ray's curry tomato spaghetti last week and it was a hit! This recipe combines a little bit of Indian with a little bit of Italian - the curry flavor really shines, and we loved the chickpeas also. Delicious!

Roasted tomato and pepperjack grilled cheese

We had these roasted tomato and pepperjack grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner last week. They are SO simple to make and taste like a delicious combination of bruschetta and grilled cheese. Mmmmmmmmm!

Barbecue sliced steak sandwiches

Technically this recipe is for barbecue sliced steak sliders, but I couldn't find any small rolls I liked so we went the sandwich route. This is a delicious, slightly messy to eat sandwich. We loved the homemade pickles and onions (note: make those the day before!) - they were the perfect addition to the sweet and tangy barbecue sauce!

Asian lettuce wraps

Dinner tonight was Asian lettuce wraps from Sunny Anderson on the Food Network. We love ordering these at PF Chang's, and it's so easy to make at home, too! We followed the recipe as is, with the addition of some chopped water chestnuts. These take no time to pull together - 10 minutes from start to finish - so they're great for a fast meal. Try them, you'll love them!!

White chocolate ice cream with fudge ripple

It's warming up outside, and that means it is time to put the ice cream maker back into regular rotation! My first batch of the season was white chocolate ice cream from The Perfect Scoop, with the addition of homemade fudge ripple. Do I even have to say it?? YUM.

White Chocolate Ice Cream
Yield: 1 quart

8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup whole milk

2/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

5 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

Put the chocolate pieces in a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top.

Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer over the white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, then stir in the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to maker instructions.

Fudge Ripple
Yield: 1 cup

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.
Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using.

Mixing it in: The fudge ripple should be thoroughly chilled, as it's easiest to use when very cold. Just before you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the fudge ripple into the bottom of your storage container. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between the layers of ice cream. (Avoid stirring the fudge ripple, as it will make the ice cream muddy looking).

Grilled chicken and roasted tomato salad

This grilled chicken and roasted tomato salad from Every Day with Rachael Ray was a little outside of our usual food genre - and by that I mean lighter and healthier than our usual fare - but it was still delicious, and we didn't feel guilty about eating that white chocolate ice cream with fudge ripple (more about that in the next post)!

Bruschetta & rosemary roasted cashews

These appetizers are actually from one of our Bachelor watch parties in February, but I am just now getting around to putting them on the blog. This honey-tomato bruschetta with ricotta from Food & Wine and these rosemary roasted cashews were FANTASTIC! Seriously, I would plan a party just so I could make these again. We've actually made the nuts a few times since - it's impossible to stop eating them once you start!

Pork quesadillas

We had friends over on Saturday to watch basketball (and watch our brackets implode) while we munched on these layered pork quesadillas from Tyler Florence. These are a fun variation on a typical quesadilla because it uses pork tenderloin that is marinated in a DELICIOUS rub. The recipe calls for blue cheese, but I subbed monterey jack in half of mine because I'm not a fan of blue cheese. Yum!!

Chicken verde stew with hominy

As expected, the spring weather didn't last long and it has cooled off around here again. It is perfect weather for soup, so we made this chicken verde stew from Cooking Light. Next time we make this I'll add a jalapeno for some extra spice, but the tomatillo sauce is fantastic, and we licked our bowls clean!

Pimiento cheese

Since the Bachelor finale was an hour longer than usual, I made this easy pimiento cheese to accompany my usual sweet snack. This recipe has been on my to-make list for a few weeks - she had me at pepperjack cheese, one of my favorites! I made a pimiento cheese recipe from Southern Living earlier this year, but Robert and I agreed that we prefer this version- we like the spicier cheese and no nuts. I served it with Ritz crackers, but it would make a great sandwich, too!