Grilled Salmon Sandwiches {with Bacon!}

Lots of exciting things are happening. In the last 2 weeks, I indulged in a beast of a feast at Burning Beast, ran my 4th Ragnar Relay, threw a bridal shower, went to a bridal shower, shook it all night at a joint bachelorette party, hung out with a BFF who's visiting from the UK, celebrated Amanda's 29th birthday (ps. when Mel was 29, Amanda was 8, and I was 6…whoa! Mel also had a wicked perm in those days), and won a softball championship. No big deal. 

I also made grilled salmon sandwiches with bacon and sun dried tomato mayonnaise (I wanted to name them slammin' salmon sammies… but then I'd sound like Rachel Ray). I like my salmon pretty simple, not covered in a lot of heavy sauces or tucked between other attention-stealing ingredients. Which is why it may be surprising that I couldn't get enough of these sandwiches, with sweet and tangy mustard-honey-thyme glazed salmon surrounded by attention hogs like bacon and sun dried tomatoes. It worked. Somehow, people, this combo just worked for me. And I think it will work for you too. You can cook the salmon on a grill or under the broiler. I actually sort of did both… our gas grill's propane tank ran outta gas about half way through, so these tasty-fresh filets were finished under the broiler, which was actually kind of awesome. The salmon got a nice smoky flavor from the grill, and then a perfectly caramelized glazed top from the broiler. I totally planned that. 

Grilled Salmon Sandwiches 

Adapted from Food & Wine 

2.5 tablespoons grainy mustard

2.5 tablespoons honey

1.5 tablespoon mayonnaise

1.5 teaspoon fresh thyme

4 six ounce salmon fillets, skinned

Vegetable oil

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup pureed sun dried tomatoes

splash cider vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

8 slices cooked bacon

Lettuce

4 hamburger buns, toasted 

For Salmon: Light grill, and brush with oil. Mix the mustard, honey, mayo, and thyme. Rub the salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon over moderate heat, skinned side down, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip and grill for 3 minutes longer, until the salmon is almost cooked through. Flip again and spread each fillet with a hearty layer of glaze. Turn and grill until glaze is gooey and cooked into salmon, about 30 seconds. For a cleaner, less fishy flavor, scrape the grey flesh off the bottom of the salmon after cooking. Broiler method: Preheat  broiler. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil, and spray with nonstick spray. Arrange the oiled, S&P'd salmon fillets on the baking sheet and broil for 2 minutes. Spread sauce over the salmon and continue broiling until the cooked through, about 5 minutes longer.

For Mayo: Whisk together mayonnaise, sun dried tomatoes, vinegar, and s&p. Taste and adjust as necessary. 

For Sandwiches: Spread bun with mayo, top with lettuce, salmon, and bacon. 

Strawberry Ice Cream + Summer Sweets Poll

What's your favorite sweet summer treat? You vote, and I'll make the winner, take pictures of it, and post it right here for you to enjoy. Check out the poll to the right! 

And, in the meantime, you can cool off with some homemade strawberry ice cream!

Egg-free Strawberry Ice Cream

While I love the creamy richness of a custard (egg-based) ice cream, I love the simplicity and spontenaity of an eggless ice cream, one that you can throw together at the drop of a hat, with minimal prep or planning. With how crazy-busy my summers are, these kind of recipes are a must. You can't taste the balsamic vinegar, but it brings out a great tangy-tart flavor in the berries, which goes perfect with the sweet, sugary vanilla cream. 

(ice cream maker required) 

1.5-2 pints strawberries

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup white sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, combine strawberries, vinegar, and 1 T sugar. Mash with a pastry blender (or similar mashing object) to desired mashed-ness (bigger chunks can get icy and difficult to bite into once frozen) and let sit. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, cream, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour into the ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Add the strawberry mixture about half way through the freezing process. 

Homemade Everything Burgers

It's almost July 4th, and in my mind, nothing is as all-American as the good ol' grilled hamburger. And, nothing is as delicious (seriously) as an all-American burger with homemade everything! I'm talking home-baked buns, homemade mustard and ketchup, and fresh ground steak burgers. 

I may never be able to go back to bottled ketchup. I definitely won't go back to pre-ground meat. Although, I must admit, it was my first home-grinding, and I was a little squeamish. I just kept picturing Pink Floyd's The Wall music video (not all-American). 

I discovered the recipes for these bad boys in an old issue of Gourmet, and couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Lady Liberty's birthday (Happy Birthday, old gal!). Luckily, Gourmet still has the recipes online too, so after you give Lady Liberty the ol' hip-hoorah and 236 spankings, you can celebrate Independence Day with the best burgers ever. Or with Will Smith. Whatevs. 

Give yourself plenty of time to make these burgers. The mustard seeds need to soak 1-2 days, the buns need to rise twice, and the ketchup is best after cooling a few hours. These homemade everything hamburgers are so worth the wait and effort. 

I would recommend talking to your butcher about the best cuts of beef for the patties. Mine recommended a mix of two cuts (top sirloin and a choice something-or-other), and the combo made incredible burgers. I also ran it through the thick-grind and then the smaller-grind, but you could totally keep these chunky and meaty, and it would be awesome. The recipe calls for just salt in the meat, but I did my standard salt, pepper, and a dash of worcestershire. 

And, the buns are adorable. Yes, Michael Scott... That's what she said. 

Summery Shrimp Rolls

Something about a buttery top-split hot dog bun filled with fresh seafood makes me think of lazy summers on the beach in New England. PS. I've never spent a lazy summer on the beach in New England. I've never even been to New England, for that matter. But, I've got an active imagination, and a girl can dream. She can also bring a little bit of that New Englanduh Summah to the Northwest, with a quick, easy, summery take on the classic lobster roll…minus the lobster and the beach. 

With or without a beach, it' summer! Sort of… I mean, the date and the whole daylight lasting far into the night thing, those are totally summer. This drizzly, dreary weather we've had lately, however, totally Juneuary. But, I'm not too worried about it, as long as it starts getting sunny soon. It's almost July, for cryin' out loud, and I want some summer…regardless of which coast I'm on!

What are your big summer plans? I have my big race at the end of July, followed by a couple of bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and weddings. Just like last year, it's shaping up to be another wedding filled summer. And, if I have anything to say about it, it'll be a tasty one! I see fruit pies, ice cream, BBQs, salads, and popsicles (!) in my future! And shrimp rolls. Lots of lemony, not overwhelmingly-creamy shrimp rolls. 

Shrimp Rolls

Adapted from this recipe 

Makes 2 super stuffed rolls, or 4 lightly stuffed rolls

1 lb. large shrimp (peeled and de-veined) 

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

pinch salt

pinch dill (dried, or a sprig of fresh)

1 lemon, halved

2 thyme sprigs

6 cups water

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic 

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon oregano

3 tablespoons unsalted butter- melted 

1 tablespoon mayo

1 lemon (juice of 1/2 lemon, slice 2nd half for serving)

2-4 hot-dog buns

lettuce or salad greens

chopped fresh chives 

In a large pot, bring water, lemon, Old Bay seasoning, salt, dill, and thyme to a boil. Add shrimp and simmer 2-3 minutes, until cooked through. Drain and set shrimp aside to cool. Discard lemon and herbs. 


In a medium bowl, mix together celery salt, granulated garlic, thyme, and oregano. Whisk in the lemon juice, mayo, and 2T of the melted butter. Add shrimp and toss until well coated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Brush the insides of the buns with the remaining melted butter, and toast under the broiler or on a grill pan (or grill) until golden brown. Add a handful of salad greens to each bun, and pile in the shrimp. Top with chives, and serve with a lemon slice. 

NYC + Pea Shoot Pesto

Sometimes you visit a place, and you have that "I was meant to live here" feeling. It's happened to me a few times. And when it happens, I know that I really could make it in one of those place, that my life could happen there. It didn't happen in Hawaii, or Honduras, or Mexico, or Tahiti, or Miami. I love those places, a lot. I love the sun and beach and the easy, carefree lifestyle. But I never saw myself living there, it always felt like a glorious get away. And that's good, it's nice to dream of tropical destinations, it gives you something to look forward to, to plan for. 

But, then there are the places where I can picture myself getting a job, and going to work every day, and making a life there. Amsterdam was one of those places. Hot damn I love that city. If the opportunity arose for me and Evan to live there, I would. In a heartbeat. And then there's THE city. New York City. A lot of people say "I love to visit, but could never live there." And then there are the people who move to NYC, pay a ton of rent to live in tiny little apartments, and just make it happen. And love it. I think I could do that. 

Evan and I went for a short visit, to see his sister and meet her new (amazing) baby. We went to almost every neighborhood in Manhattan. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. We ate about 6 meals a day. Seriously. Thankfully leggings seemed to be pretty popular there, because that's all I could fit in by the time we left. We spent a ton of time in Central Park. We met up with an old friend. We mastered the subway (that is, until we took the wrong train to the airport and missed our flight home, which happened to be the last flight of the day). We tried to find where Ted lives in How I Met Your Mother. And...we fell absolutely head over heels in love with New York City. 

There's something about the energy the city has. And the people. I don't care what you've heard, but the people are NICE. So much more helpful and friendly than in the PNW. Seriously. (Look up Seattle Freeze… it's true).  Don't get me wrong, I love Seattle. But, Seattle is conservative (not politically, but you know what i mean…emotionally). In Seattle, people are buttoned up and keep to themselves. I feel like everything is laid back and casual here, but not carefree. In NYC, everyone works hard and plays hard in the city, going out on weeknights…work nights! In Seattle, everyone conserves their energy for the weekend, to get out of the city and go to the mountains. To hike, bike, snowboard, and camp. I love the great outdoors, but I spent the first 18 years of my life out in the country, and it's made me crave the constant hum of a big city.  

Speaking of cravings, the food in NYC was incredible. My favorite meals were from Russ and Daughters, Prune, Momofuku Ssam Bar, and of course, Shake Shack. But, after eating pizza, bagels, and mile-high meat filled deli sandwiches, when I got home I wanted nothing but salads and fruit. I've heard that NYC has a pretty good green market scene, but I will say, we have killer farmer's markets here in Seattle, including an incredible Sunday market in my neighborhood. That's where these pea shoots came from.  And, since that whole wanting-nothing-but-salads thing only lasted a few days, I made garlicky pea shoot pesto and slathered it inside a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. 

Pea Shoot Pesto

Adapted from Coconut & Lime

1 bunch pea shoots/vines, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup grated parmesan 

1/3-1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup toasted pinenuts

juice and zest from one small lemon

salt & pepper

Combine ingredients in a food processor and blend to desired consistency (start with about 1/3 cup of oil, and more as necessary). Salt & pepper to taste. 

For Sandwiches:

On slices of your favorite grilled cheese sandwich bread (I used a baguette here, because I had it), spread on a thick layer of the pesto, top with grated mozzarella cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkle of good flaky sea salt. Top with un-pesto'd bread slice. You can oil, butter, or mayo the outside of the bread if you want, or oil your pan. Grill until melty and gooey and awesome. 

Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

Lets talk about the birds and the bees. Sometimes, when a guy and a gal fall in love, they make a baby. And when the gal in that scenario is Evan's sister (and the guy is her guy, obviously), they make our first nephew, an adorable baby boy. Sometimes the guy and gal live right, smack-dab in the middle of Manhattan (or, well, somewhere in Manhattan), giving us the perfect excuse to go to the Big Apple THIS WEEKEND (for the first time ever)! 

Similarly, sometimes when a fudgey chocolate brownie and a peanut butter blondie fall in love, they make peanut butter brownie bars. 

You can make peanut butter brownie bars too, without all the birds and bees business. But be warned…there's a lot of gooey, peanut buttery, chocolatey awesomeness going on here…who knows what that could lead to. 

Step 1: Preheat ove to 350, grease a 9x13 baking pan

Step 2: Whip up a bowl of the Brown Eyed Baker's peanut butter blondie batter (swap the peanut butter chips for chocolate chips, leave out the peanuts). Spread evenly in baking dish.

Step 3: Whip up a bowl of basic brownie mix, like this one. Add some chocolate chips to this too, for good measure. Spread evenly over peanut butter mixture.

Step 4: Bake for 35-45 minutes*, cool before cutting.

Step 5: Bite, swoon, love, repeat. 

*I didn't extensively test this, just pretty much made one peanut butter blondie recipe and topped it with one brownie recipe, and waited 9 months. I mean…40-ish minutes. 35 minutes wasn't solid enough, and 50 minutes was a little too dry. When you test them, they'll be gooey, and that's ok, as long as they seem set all the way through. 

Food Revolution!

I seriously couldn't be more grateful for how amazing my friends are. Yesterday was Loves Food, Loves to Eat's 3rd birthday (three years!!), and I celebrated in a big way—by hosting a Food Revolution dinner party! With the help of friends and family, I raised $146 (in only 3 days) to help educate kids and families across America about cooking and eating and real food. 

I came up with the idea, invited guests, planned, and pulled off a 20 person dinner party in three and a half days. I love Jamie Oliver, and am a big fan of his cause, but I didn't know about Food Revolution Day until Wednesday. And, when I realized it was the same day as my blogiversary, I knew I had to get involved.

On Wednesday I created the donation page for my event, and invited guests. The response was more than I ever expected: 19 people (20 counting me) rsvp'd and bought tickets, only 3 days before the event. Not only that, several people made extra donations (including Mel—thanks mom!!). On Thursday, I started looking for a location that would fit 20 people. Amanda found a park we could use, with first-come picnic tables to seat 18. With her patio set, we had enough room for 20…a brilliant idea, and a bit of a risk. Luckily, we grabbed all the tables right before a group of picnickers showed up. 

On Friday, I planned the menu, and went shopping after work. At 8:00PM the night before the event, I discovered that beef tenderloin (the main ingredient for my main dish) doesn't exist…at least not at any of the 3 stores I went to. So, after a brief panic, (read: calling my mom, sister, and Evan about 10 times, running back and forth around the store, trying not to cry) I went with flank steak. Crisis averted. Friday night I prepped and cooked until 1AM. On Saturday, I made 12 mini-strawberry almond cakes, which ended up not coming out of the pans…two hours before the event. New plan: trifle! Crisis #2 averted. I finished cooking, assembling, and prepping, just in time to head to the park and get set up. 

Everything went off without a hitch. I had an amazing time planning and pulling off this dinner party, everyone raved about the food, and it was a super fun evening! An absolutely perfect way to celebrate 3 years of blogging! 

So, with 3 days to plan, 6 lbs of flank steak, 4 baguettes, 20 steak sandwiches, 2 gallons of gazpacho, 40 grilled shrimp, 20 berry trifles, 8 bags of homemade pita chips, 2 cups of grated parmesan cheese, 20 jars for drinking, 19 awesome friends (plus 2 adorable babies), and $146.61 donated to Food Revolution…I'd call that one successful dinner party! 

Thanks so much to Amanda and Evan for all the help prepping and planning, to LZ and Dave for convincing me that people would, in fact, buy tickets to my dinner party, to Treasa and Kyle for the generous donation, to Mel for donating even though she didn't get to attend, to Carleigh, Jeff, and Preston for your enthusiastic eating, to Brit and Cindy for bringing the two cutest dinner party guests ever, to Connie and Rachel for showing up without knowing what they were getting themselves into, to Mark and Anthony for always supporting my blog and eating everything I make, to Becky and Deric for sharing my blog with everyone they know, and to Amanda and Colin for biking all the way across the city to be there. You're all amazing. 

And, thank you so much to all of you, who continue to read my blog and support me after 3 years!!