Supernatural Week (8/30/20) - Dean's Breakfast Bacon Cheeseburger & Castiel's Angel Food Cake

This week I let Bug-A-Boo choose what our theme would be and she chose Supernatural.  

Supernatural first broadcast on September 13, 2005, on The WB, and is the only remaining WB show to transition and stay on The CW's lineup.  Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the two brothers as they hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings.  

With Supernatural being one of my favorite shows I wanted to introduced Bug-A-Boo to it and as I predicted, it quickly became one of her favorites.   After a 15 year run, this November, the series finale will air and there will be two very sad girls in this house.  I guess we'll just have to start watching it from the beginning all over again.  

With the show's end in sight I wanted to have something that could help our fandom live on so I purchased The Official Cookbook of Supernatural.

I thought that we could have some fun making the recipes from the book and rewatching the episodes that they are inspired by.  This may be the first of a few Supernatural weeks to come, since we only have 7 episodes remaining.

This week we will be revisiting Season 3, Episode 1, The Magnificent Seven. 

"The Winchester brothers, at one point or another, both feel like they're living on borrowed time.  After he makes a deal with a Crossroads Demon to save Sam, Dean goes for broke, eating his beloved burgers whenever he wants.  When Bobby sees Dean eating them for breakfast, he says..."

So tonight we will be watching The Magnificent Seven and trying Dean's Breakfast Bacon Cheeseburgers with Honey Sriracha Aioli.

DEAN'S BREAKFAST BACON CHEESEBURGERS WITH HONEY SRIRACHA AIOLI

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 4

HONEY SRIRACHA AIOLI

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp sriracha

1 tsp honey

1 tsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic, mashed

BURGERS

1-1/2 lbs ground beef

1 Tbsp of cooking oil or 1 pat of butter

4 slices American cheese

4 Hawaiian hamburger buns or any other large, slightly sweet rolls

Salt and pepper

TOPPINGS

2 Tbsp butter

4 eggs

8 slices cooked bacon

DIRECTIONS

1.  To make the aioli:  Combine all the ingredients in a glass bowl.  Mis well with a fork until smooth, then cover and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Mashing the garlic

2.  Cook your bacon in your frying pan and set on paper towel to drain the grease.

3.  To make the hamburgers:  dived the beef into four equal-sized patties.  Do it very gently, just to combine.  If you knead the meat to much the burgers will get a chewy texture.  Burgers shrink when you cook them so form your patties a little larger than your buns.  To get flat burgers, use your thumbs to form a shallow indent in the middle of the patty.  When the burgers bulge up during cooking, they'll still end up flat.

3. Melt a pat of butter in your frying pan before you add the meat.  

4.  Cook a good sized patty on medium high for about 5 minutes on one side.  DO NOT move the burgers for these first 5 minutes.  Add the American cheese to the patties after you flip them.  Cover the pan for the last 2 minutes of cooking to help the cheese melt.  Tent your burgers with foil to keep them warm and let them rest for a minute or two after cooking.  This allows the juices to redistribute into the meat.

5.  While your patties are resting, lightly toast your Buns and prepare your toppings.  Wipe out the pan and melt 1 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat.  Break the eggs one at a time and gently add them to the pan. Cook the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, the whites are opaque, and the yoke have begun to set but aren't fully cooked.  Remove from the heat.

6. Wipe out the pan and melt the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter over medium heat.  Grill the buns, cut-sides down, for about 1 minute, until golden.  Remove from heat.

7.  Slather the top and bottom insides of the buns with the aioli, then layer the burger, egg and bacon.

Serve with home fries or tater tots and the rest of the aioli as a dipping sauce.

For dessert, I also let Bug-A-Boo choose what she wanted from the book.  I thought for sure she was going to choose a pie, since Dean's favorite is pie.  Any kind of pie.

Well, she surprised me and chose Castiel's Angel Food Cake.  Castiel, often shortened to Cass, is a powerful angel of the Lord who was responsible for saving Dean Winchester from Hell, on the archangels' command.  He becomes another brother to the Winchesters and there is nothing quite like a Sassy Cass!

CASTIEL'S ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

SERVES 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups sugar, divided

12 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

Fresh fruit, chocolate sauce of Strawberry Sauce (recipe follow)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Combine the flour and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

3.  Place the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and almond and vanilla extracts in the bowl o a mixer.  Beat on medium with a balloon attachment until soft peaks form, then gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar while the mixer is running, a few spoonfuls at a time, until the egg whites have become glossy white peaks, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the mixer.

4.  Gently fold in the flour mixture by hand with a spatula.

5.  Pour the batter into an uncreased tube or Bundt pan.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until light golden brown.

6.  Remove from the oven, invert the pan, and allow to cool for a least an hour. If the top of the cake is in danger of flattening out on the counter, place the pan on top of a long-neck bottle to hold it off the surface.

7.  run a knife around the edge of the cake once it's cool and remove from the pan.  Slice and serve with fresh fruit, drizzled chocolate sauce or Strawberry Sauce.

STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Recipe from Supernatural The Official Cookbook by Julie Tremaine

INGREDIENTS

1lb strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

DIRECTIONS

1.  Chop the strawberries, discarding the stems and hulls.  Combine them with the sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the fruit has mostly broken down and the sauce has thickened.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

This was a super yummy dinner!  I will defintitely make it again.

Local Restaurant Inspired Meal Week - Benito's Patio

Today is our last day for Local Restaurant Inspired Meal Week and we will be visiting a little dive place in Old Hillliard, Benito's Patio.  Liz White opened Benito's in 2000 and as of February 2020 she planned on selling the restaurant.  She is the bartender, server and cook and she is awesome!  If you are in a rush this is not the place for you.  Everything is laid back and it is definitely a place for the locals.

5286 Center St., Hilliard, Oh 43026

We have been there a few times since it is within bike riding distance to our house and we really loved the place.  We have tried a couple of her pizzas but our favorite is the Mexican Pizza - Provolone Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Mexican Beef, Sausage, Taco Seasoning, lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives, and sour cream.

I am going to attempt to recreate this amazing pizza for my family.  Because of the last 2 nights having incredibly labor intensive dinners I decided to take the easy way out and I used a premade crust.

My recipe is as follows:

MEXICAN PIZZA

serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

Pillsbury Pizza Crust or a premade crust to save time

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground sausage

1 packet of taco seasoning

7-8 slices Provolone Cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup Crumbled Queso Fresco

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Diced onions

Black olives, sliced 

Sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Follow package directions for the pizza crust.

2.  Brown ground beef and sausage.  Then add taco seasoning and cook according to directions on packet. Add diced tomatoes to the mixture.

3.  Assemble your pizza:  Provolone cheese slices; beef, sausage and tomato mixture; onions; cheddar cheese; black olives and Queso Fresco.    Cook according to pizza crust package directions.

5.  When finished cooking top with lettuce and drizzle sour cream over entire pizza.

This was super easy, and super yummy!  Will definitely make again!

Local Restaurant Inspired Meal Week - Cap City Diner

For our final Local Restaurant Inspired Meal we will be visiting Cap City Diner in Grandview.  Cap City Diner is one of the many restaurants in the Cameron Mitchell Family of restaurants.  The menu features classic comfort food with an upscale twist.

1299 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio 43212

We have eaten here a few times and it never disappoints.  Prince Charming and I introduces our parents here for the first time.  I decided to try to replicate their famous Meatloaf.  It is a piece of Texas toast, topped with meatloaf, topped with buttermilk-chive mashed potatoes, topped with chili onion straws served with broccoli and a BBQ gravy.  We'll see how it goes.

Cap City Diner's Meatloaf

Here is my recipe.

GRANDMA'S (aka THE QUEEN MUM) MEATLOAF

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 lbs lean ground beef

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp Worcestershire

2 tsp minced garlic

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (plain or seasoned)

1-1 oz envelope dry onion soup mix

8oz wild mushrooms, finely chopped (Optional)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine ground beef, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic, milk, bread crumbs, onion soup mix and mushrooms.  Mix thoroughly but do not over work.  Shape into a rectangle or an oval and place into meatloaf pan.

2.  Place on upper oven rack.  Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until instant-read thermometer inserted into enter registers 160°F.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Cut into slices.

BUTTERMILK CHIVE MASHED POTATOES

Recipe courtesy of Food Network

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks

2 Tbsp butter

1 small shallot, chopped

3/4 cup buttermilk

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp chopped chives

DIRECTIONS

1.  Cover the cubed potatoes with cold salted water in a large saucepan and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

2.  While potatoes are cooking, add the butter to a small saucepan and saute the shallot until translucent. Add the buttermilk and warm. Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Once tender, drain potatoes, return to pot, and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Stir in the warmed buttermilk mixture, season with salt and pepper and garnish with chives.

ONION STRAWS

Recipe courtesy of Food Network

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 large onions

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 scant Tbsp salt

Plenty of black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper

Canola oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS

1.  Begin by peeling the onions and slicing very thinly, use a mandoline slicer if you can. Separate the onion slices and place them in a shallow baking dish and pour the buttermilk over the top. Press the onions down so they're submerged as much as possible and let them soak on the counter for at least an hour. If necessary, stir them around a bit halfway through the soaking process. 

2.  In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper and cayenne, and set aside. 

3.  Pour 1 to 2 quarts canola oil in a pot or Dutch oven. Heat to 375 degrees F, or until a pinch of flour sizzles when sprinkled over the pot. 

4.  Using tongs, remove a handful of onions from the buttermilk and immediately dunk into the flour mixture. Coat the onions in the flour mixture, and then tap them on the inside of the bowl to shake off the excess. 

5.  Plunge the onions in the hot oil. With a spoon, fiddle with them a bit just to break them up, and watch them! They'll be ready to remove from the oil in no time flat. 

 

6.  When they're golden brown (this should take just a minute or two), remove them from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. 

7.  Repeat with the remaining onion slices and serve immediately. 

BBQ GRAVY

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.  Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter then stir in the flour and cook until light brown, about 1 minute.

2.  Whisk in the chicken stock and barbecue sauce, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Continue whisking and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.

STEAMED BROCCOLI

Recipe courtesy of Simple Recipes

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

1 large bunch of broccoli

Salt and pepper

Butter

DIRECTIONS

1.  Prep the broccoli crowns and stems: Cut the crowns away from the large stems of the broccoli. Break the crown up into bite-sized florets. Rinse the broccoli florets thoroughly.

Peel and discard the thick outer skin of the stems. Slice the stems or cut them into quarters lengthwise.

2.  Bring steamer water to a boil: Place 3/4 to 1 inch of water in a saucepan with a steamer and bring to a boil. (Note that is you don't have a steamer, you can simply put the broccoli directly into an inch of boiling water.)

3.  Add broccoli, steam 5 to 6 min: Add the broccoli to the steamer and cover; reduce heat to medium and let cook for 5-6 minutes. The broccoli is done when you can pierce it with a fork. As soon as it is pierce-able, remove from heat, place in serving dish.

4.  Season with salt, pepper and a couple pats of butter.

STEPS TO MAKING THE MEATLOAF:

1.  Make Meatloaf first.

2.  Next start your potatoes cooking and make your onion straws.

3.  Start making your gravy.

4.  Steam your broccoli.

5.  Cook your Texas toast.

ASSEMBLE THE DISH:

1.  Place Texas toast on plate, put slice of meatloaf on toast, pour some gravy over meatloaf.

2.  Place about 1 cup of mashed potatoes on top of the meatloaf, top with a handful of onion straws.

3.  Place some steamed broccoli around the meatloaf.

4.  Serve immediately.

This was really yummy and filling but oh my gosh was it a lot of work.  I think I used every pan, pot and cooking tool I had.  I ended up with 3/4 of a meatloaf and a lot of mashed potatoes and gravy.  I wrapped everything up and put it in the freezer for another night.

Local Restaurant Inspired Meal Week - Cousins Maine Lobster (Food Truck)

Today for Local Restaurant Inspired Meal Week we will be visiting one of the most popular food trucks in Central Ohio, Cousins Maine Lobster.  Cousins Maine Lobsters is the creation of two cousins, Jimmy and Sabin.  After starting with their first truck in LA and then winning on Shark Tank they now have 20 trucks in 13 cities throughout the country and Columbus is lucky enough to have a food truck as well as a brick and mortar restaurant coming soon to the Italian Village area.

I had seen their truck and the Columbus Food Truck Festival for a couple of years but was never able to get near it since the line was 50+ people long.  Then one day The Queen Mum and myself were at Costco on a cold winter Saturday and the truck was in the parking lot and there were only about 7 people in line.  JACKPOT!!!!  I got in line and promptly ordered a Connecticut Roll (served warm with butter and lemon on a New England style roll) combo with tots and a bowl of the Lobster Bisque.  It was amazing. 

Cousins Maine Lobster Connecticut Roll and Lobster Bisque

So I wanted to have the experience of cooking a live lobster.  I have never done it and I feel like it is a right of passage for a home chef.  I found a local place, Frank's Fish and Seafood Market, and got 2 live lobsters.  

I did some research and found the best way to go about preparing the lobsters.  This is the way that felt the easiest and most humane.

How to Put a Lobster to Sleep Before you begin cooking any live lobster, please place the lobsters in the freezer for 10-20 minutes to kill the lobsters humanely. This puts a lobster to sleep before it actually dies. This way there is no way a lobster could feel pain. Into the freezer You may then take your lobster bands off the lobster before cooking. Do Lobsters Scream When Put Into Boiling Water? - NO! Lobster cannot “scream” because lobsters have no throat, no vocal cords, no lungs, so how could they scream at all? The fact is that the noise is caused by air trapped in the shell. When heated the air expands and forces itself out through small gaps, causing the sound – sort of like when you force air out between your tightly clenched lips. You have nothing to worry about, this is a normal part of cooking lobsters.

CONNECTICUT LOBSTER ROLL

From The Food Lab at Serious Eats

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 lobsters, about 1 1/2 pounds each 

1 stick butter

1/4 cup finely sliced scallion greens or chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 top-split hoagie rolls
• DIRECTIONS
• 1.  Fill your large lobster pot with water. Allow three quarts of water per 1.5 pounds of lobster, lobster should be totally submerged in water.
• 2.  Add 1/4 cup of Maine Sea Salt for each gallon of water. (4 quarts = 1 gallon). This adds significant flavor to the lobsters.
• 3.  Bring the saltwater to a rolling boil.
• 4.  Put your live lobsters in one at a time using gloves or tongs. Do not cover.

                        

• 5.  Stir the lobsters halfway through boiling. Cook one 1.5lb lobster for 11-12 minutes.
• 6.  Boiled lobsters will be bright red when done.
• 7.  Place boiled lobsters in cool water or let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving.
• 
  
  

8.  As soon as lobster is cool enough to handle, remove meat from shell using kitchen shears, lobster crackers, and/or the back of a heavy cleaver to help crack the shells (It's OK if the meat gets a little mangled). Roughly chop into bite-sized pieces and set on double layer of paper towels to drain.

9.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a heavy bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl to coat pan. Add four buns with one cut side down. Cook, pressing on buns gently and moving them around the pan until golden brown on first side. Remove from pan, add another tablespoon of butter, and toast second side. Repeat with second batch of buns.

10.  Melt remaining butter in skillet over medium heat. As soon as butter is melted, add lobster meat. Cook, tossing constantly and using a spoon to gently fold meat and butter over itself int he skillet until lobster is mostly opaque (butter should not sizzle), about 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and continue to cook until lobster is cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

11.  Divide lobster filling evenly between rolls. Spoon excess juices over each roll. Serve immediately.

12.  Serve with Tater Tots or kettle chips if desired.

LOBSTER BISQUE

From Fantabulosity

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 14.5-ounce cans petite diced tomatoes with juices

1 32-ounce carton low-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning or your desired spice level.  Old Bay can get spicy.

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

2 packages imitation lobster, chopped in to small pieces

1 pint heavy cream

Roux (optional - if you like a thicker bisque)

2 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp butter, room temperature

DIRECTIONS

1.  Sauté garlic in a large soup pot.

2.  When garlic is sautéed, remove from heat. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, Old Bay seasoning, parsley and pepper to the pot.  Stir to combine

3.  Take soup mixture, and pour into a blender, and puree until desired chunkiness.  Using an immersion blender is easier if you have one.

4.  Add soup back to pot, and cook over medium heat.

5.  Add your chopped imitation lobster.

6.  Simmer on medium-low heat for about 45 minutes to really let the ingredients cook through one another.

7.  Just before serving, add the heavy cream and cook until heated through.  {** If you prefer a thinner bisque, you can stop at step 7.  If you prefer a thicker bisque, continue with step 8.}

8.  In a small saucepan, melt your butter over medium heat, and add the flour.

Whisk the roux mixture until a thick paste forms, about 3-5 minutes, or until the flour loses it's raw smell.

9.  Add the roux to the bisque, and continue stirring and simmer bisque over medium-low heat until bisque thickens to desired consistency.

(If soup does not reach desired consistency, after about 10 minutes, repeat steps 8-10 until bisque is to your desired thickness.)

This was really good but extremely labor intensive and expensive.  I don't know if I will be doing this again any time soon.