Beef braciola rolls with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese recipe

An Italian classic...if you grew up with an Italian grandmother always in the kitchen...she surely had her own version of Beef braciola...and her version...was the best!

Here I layered it with a quality prosciutto (sliced very thin and not overly salty) and freshly grated Parmesan cheese...toasted pine nuts and parsley, rolled up jelly roll style, secured with kitchen twine and grilled on the outside grill.

A nice alternative to the usual grilled meat, we ate our braciola with a creamy homemade polenta... but mashed potatoes or your favorite red sauce would also be delicious! (Serving with red sauce or 'gravy' is very traditional.)

Change your routine up a little and make this tonight! You'll find the recipe here at SheKnows: Beef braciola rolls with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese recipe

Grilled skirt steak with avocado corn salad

Not my recipe here, but I was asked to make the dish and photograph for SheKnows.

I make a similar version of this grilled skirt steak with avocado corn salad and let's just say you can not go wrong when any of these ingredients come together!

Delicious and fresh...serve with warmed tortillas, cold beer with lime or a big ol' pitcher of classic margaritas! You'll find the recipe here at Sheknows: Grilled skirt steak with avocado corn salad

*Skirt steak has become expensive over the years...not horribly... but just enough to be annoying. Flank steak is a suitable substitute though has a tendency to be a bit tough. An excellent substitute is a nice flat iron steak...usually much less expensive and equally delicious! (Always slice against the grain when serving!!!)

Beef Kabobs In A Miso, Soy & Sesame Marinade

Perfect recipe for the 'wildly popular' kabob party ~

You'll find the recipe here at SheKnows: Beef Kabobs In A Miso, Soy and Sesame Marinade

Bacon cheeseburger with peanut butter Sriracha ketchup ~ Say what?!

I didn't want to like it.

I said I wasn't going to eat it.

After the editors at SheKnows asked me to come up with and then photograph a peanut butter based topping for a cheeseburger, I thought to myself...

'Ummm... OK? I guess I can do that, but I'm not going to try it.' (Pretty closed minded for this food blogger girl who says she'll eat anything...)

Cheese? Peanut Butter? Beef? Lettuce, tomato, onion?



Well, I don't know if it was the heap of crispy bacon on top that brought it all together or the sweet, savory, earthiness of this burger's "special sauce" ...but not only did it work...it was every last bite delicious... impossible to put down!

Damn you Sriracha!
Damn you bacon!
Damn you peanut butter, ketchup, beef, cheese and healthy stuff on top!
YOU ARE DELICIOUS!
On your own AND ALL TOGETHER!?

Don't forget the ice cold beer (if you're of age of course) ...you'll find my post here at SheKnows: Bacon cheeseburger with peanut butter Sriracha ketchup recipe

Grilled flat iron steak with chimichurri sauce and grilled bread

A few days ago I posted a Grilled honey-balsamic chicken with red onion plum sauce... this next recipe is similar in nature as it's a grilled meat with a fresh and vibrant accompanying sauce ~ a classic chimichurri.

Chimichurri (in my opinion) is one of those simple, must have on hand at all times in the spring and summer! It goes with just about everything...grilled meats, breads, rice, veggies ~ you name it ~ chimichurri makes it better! 

Another rustic dish perfect for communal alfresco dining...the grilled bread is a must and a spinach arugula salad makes a perfect side!  ON THE TABLE IN UNDER 30 MINUTES - you'll find my post here at SheKnows: Grilled flat iron steak with chimichurri sauce and grilled bread

Grinding meat at home for homemade burgers ~ a step by step

NO PINK SLIME!!!

NO FILLERS!!!!

JUST 100% WHOLE BEEF GOODNESS!!!!! 

Chuck, sirloin...salt and pepper!

To see step by step photos (and a cameo by my husband) please visit my post here at SheKnows.com: How to grind meat at home for homemade burgers

Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs

Why not add some excitement to tonight's dinner with a big hot bowl of Spaghetti and Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs! 

Imagine their faces when they go to cut into (what they think is) "just another one of Mom's boring meatballs"...and out comes a stream of melted, gooey cheese! 

Some garlic bread.....a salad...and dinner is served!

You'll find my recipe and "how to" here:  Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs

Cheesesteak eggrolls with Sriracha ketchup recipe

Just warning you all...be prepared for a series of posts coming up involving lots of cheese, bread and "super bowl friendly" food!  SheKnows is gearing up for the big game (among other things) and that means those who post for them...are developing recipes and ideas to get the party started right...like with these guys, Cheesesteak eggrolls with Sriracha ketchup.

Inspired by an Irish Pub close by that has a version of these on their menu, I used choice rib eye meat and chopped it up after cooking. If you can find real steak sandwich meat ~ perhaps even better! 

As mentioned in the attached post...it's important you use plenty of American cheese in this recipe, otherwise it tends to get lost - so cheese it up and get cooking!  The sriracha ketchup is a pleasant surprise! :)   Besides vegetarians...who wouldn't love these?!

Cheers! Carolyn

Guinness Bacon Cheeseburgers

A picture says a thousand words...

Steak, Guinness and Cheese Pie with a Puff Pastry Lid - A Jamie Oliver Recipe

I apologize for not taking more photographs of the actual, "making" of this dish....

It truly was a beautiful journey...from the sauteing of the vegetables, to the braising of the brisket...to the CO2 pop upon opening the can of Guinness...

Cheeseburger Empanadas ~ Baked or Fried!

More of an, "idea" than a recipe...I found these Goya empanada wrappers in the freezer section of our local grocery store. They come ten to a pack and are super easy to use!

Just thaw (they thaw quickly) and get stuffing!

Grilled Cheese with Roast Beef and Sweet Red Caramelized Onions ~ Sandwich Love.

I'm all about the food porn now a days. Sorry...I can't help it.  Seriously, I started caramelizing onions today...just because??  No reason.

I guess I figured some inspiration would emerge from the sound of the onions soaking and sizzling in hot, bubbling butter....

Some inspiration would emerge from the aroma of the onions rendering down in their sweet earthy goodness....

Well, this Grilled Cheese Sandwich is what resulted.  After its photo shoot...

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

When I came across this Spaghetti and Meatball recipe posted on Saveur's facebook page yesterday, I literally dropped what I was doing and ran to the store!



First stop was a specialty Italian Market to pick up fresh spaghetti and bread...then to Whole Foods for the trio of ground meats and remaining ingredients...

Skirt Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms, Arugula and Horseradish Mayonnaise ~ A Complete Dinner for Tonight!

Want to make someone really happy this evening? 

Make this Skirt Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms, Arugula and Horseradish Mayonnaise...

Smoked Brisket Sandwich on a Soft Onion Roll with a side of Coleslaw, Corn Bread & Pickles ~ Cooking on The Big Green Egg

My husband has been talking about preparing a Brisket for what seems like months now...

Or at least since the day he came home with this...

Grilled Skirt Steak with Thai Red Chili Sauce & Fresh Thai Basil

While gazing across the butcher counter at Whole Foods yesterday, we came across some beautiful Skirt Steak for $7.99 lb...a decent deal considering the hefty price tag this (what used to be considered modest) cut of meat is demanding now a days.

It seems 10-15 years ago....

Cheeseburger with Soft Fried Egg and Fresh Herbs

There's something about a decadent Sunday morning breakfast that sets the tone for the entire week! 

As if you're exclaiming to the days ahead.... "Let's make it fabulous folks!"



"That means you Monday morning!"

"Tuesday ...you're gonna shine!"

"Wednesday you rock!"

"Thursday...have you lost weight?"

"Friday...please...you know I love you!"



What we have here is Chef Marcus Samuelsson's recipe for the Best Basic Burger  (our new go-to for sure) topped with a soft fried egg and fresh chopped herb mix of oregano, sage, basil, chives and thyme.

Nestled between a whole grain toasted English Muffin with melted unsalted butter...well...I'd say it's gonna be a delicious week! :)

Steak House Night at Home... Saturday Night's Dinner

Because it's less expensive than going out to an upscale steak house and paying for a babysitter!

Grilled Chipotle Burgers "If I could turn back time..."

Chipotle Burgers.  Simple. Smokey.

Spicy...but not overly so...



Just ask Snacktive ...I agonized over whether or not to top the burgers with cheese....

The only cheese we had on hand was an Asiago Rosemary and a Spanish Manchego...two great choices, right...?

I wasn't sure...



I decided Chipotle Peppers and Spanish Manchego either reeeeally got along or...

...were like two ingredients who didn't want to like one another...but in the end...you just KNEW...

THEY WOULD.



Add an ice cold Corona with fresh squeezed lime ......and well...

...he told me he'd marry me all over again...

...ONLY ...if we could (elope to a tropical island and) replace the Cornish Game Hens (on our reception dinner menu some 10 years ago) with these..... Chipotle Burgers 

...IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME.  IF I COULD FIND A WAY. :)

Shepherd's Pie wrapped in Bacon ~ Breathing New Life into Leftovers

First, let me assure anyone who's reading... when we ate this Shepherd's Pie for dinner last night...it was spooned out of its casserole dish (in heaping portions) directly into shallow porcelain bowls and served along side a HUGE loaf of buttered crispy bread!

A classic Shepherd's Pie dinner...comfort food at its finest!



Now...that being said...let me explain all the "presentation and plating" I have been doing on my blog...because honestly...even I got to wondering what I was doing???

It makes sense. When I was a little girl - my make believe game of choice was - restaurant. "Tiffany's by the Bay" was the name of my establishment and I (you guessed it) was Tiffany.

Tiffany would write up menus, set tables and force her friends to play along. The windows running the perimeter of her parent's house served as the, "drive-thru" where "patrons" could ride their bikes up to the glass and order any one of Tiffany's gourmet delights!

Crab Cakes, Grilled Ham and Cheese and Cold Lobster Salad were just a few of the menu items "Tiffany's by the Bay" had to offer...



Today...I am all grown up...but still..."playing restaurant."

I continue to dream of "Tiffany"...the beautiful and ultra successful seaside cafe owner/restaurateur ~ who experiments with her food and whose specialty is redefining and breathing new life into leftovers!

Like Tiffany....I believe whether it's Shepherd's Pie piled onto a plate with nothing more than a fork and a beer...or ...leftover Shepherd's Pie cut into contrived circles and snugly wrapped with par cooked bacon then reheated 'til it's warm...

...the food we eat and serve our family...should not only taste delicious ...but LOOK delicious too!



I threw this Shepherd's Pie together using - 2 lbs. ground beef, tomato sauce, frozen corn and peas and leftover mashed potatoes. I also felt the need (last minute) to cover the Shepherd's Pie with cheese. Here's a recipe for Shepherd's Pie I found on epicurious.com that looks wonderful and receives outstanding reviews!

Below, are the steps I took to reinvent Shepherd's Pie Day Two - enjoy!

Leftover Shepherd's Pie wrapped in Bacon

Cut the Shepherd's Pie (while cold) into circles.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Par cook long bacon slices until cooked - but not crispy.

Wrap the bacon slices (about 3-4 per circle) around the Shepherd's Pie circles and secure the bacon with a few wooden toothpicks.

Heat Shepherd's Pie circles up about 12 minutes or until hot.

Remove the toothpicks and serve!