Strawberry Shortcake in an RV

 Is there anything better than fresh spring strawberries? Seriously...you just rinse them really well, cut them up into quarters (or just in half if they are on the smallish side), sprinkle on a little sugar...just a little, they don't need a lot to get super sweet...and let them set. They create a fantastic juice that just begs to be soaked up by a good shortcake recipe. Not those funky round things that are located in the produce section of the super market that claim to be sponge cakes. Don't get me wrong, I've totally used them my fair share of times...but these strawberries that I picked up at the farmers market need to really soak into a homemade short (not sponge) cake recipe.

 If you've followed my blog, you'll know me well enough by now to know that I really hate rolling things out or patting things out, so if I can invent a way to bypass those dreaded kitchen tasks that I hate, I'm all over it!

 The recipe for my shortcake is simple:

Easy Shortcakes
*Makes 6 servings

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a glass 9 x 9-inch square baking pan. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. I find that using my hands to get the last bit of flour worked into the dough works wonders. Pat into baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Let set in pan for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Mine actually took closer to 30 minutes, but keep in mind that I'm baking in a propane oven and it's not an even heat and I'm still getting used to it.

 Once these were cooled, I cut the cake into 6 pieces.

 I cut each piece in half...

 Scooped on some strawberries with their juice...

 Top with other half of shortcake...

 Put some whipped cream up on top and chow down! This was dessert tonight after we had:

 Macaroni Salad. Mine is simple: whole wheat macaroni, onion, cucumber, black olives, celery, egg and pickles. The dressing: mayo, mustard, black pepper and Penzey's Fox point Seasoning Blend.

And BLT's on multi-grain bread...YUM!
Enjoy....Peace!

Black-N-Bleu Bacon Burgers in an RV

 This monster was dinner tonight. I found out Tuesday that on May 30th, I'll be having a super minor surgical procedure. I wouldn't even say it was surgical but they are going to cut a subaceous (is that how it's spelled?? Spell check says no, but screw spell check on somethings!!) cyst from my abdomen. I want it gone, but I just don't dig needles. I've got the heeby-jeebies. Anyhow, a great burger always cheers a person up when they have a bunch of life's crap going on around them...unless you're a vegetarian (I AM NOT!)...then maybe you can go with whatever it is that vegetarians have that makes them happy. I'm not knocking vegetarians, either...vegetarians probably have more sense than I do and lower cholesterol, too!

 But, I find that a big ol' hurkin' burger calms me down. Or maybe it's the fat/carb overload...either or...gotta go with what works. I asked a question on the Baked Lava Facebook page today, too. I try to ask a question each day, not that it matters. But I did ask! I asked what people like to dip their fries in. I got some interesting responses, but, it does seem that I am the only freaking person on this planet that dips their fries in regular yellow mustard. Mustard is my first choice (I also like it on hashbrowns, but that will be one of my few and far between breakfast posts). My second choice is to get a small bowl and pour a liberal amount of just plain Frank's Red Hot in it and dip my fries into that. I realize that I have eclectic, eccentric, weird, effed-up tastes about somethings, but I really cannot stand ketchup. I think it's gross. I do not eat it. I've never eaten it, even when I was an eclectic, eccentric, weird, effed-up kid! I'm a mustard girl. I'm ok with that.

 My Black-N-Bleu Bacon Burger is just what it says! It has a liberal amount of coarsely ground black pepper on both sides, it has a generous amount of bleu cheese mixed throughout and, to add insult to injury on the calorie scale, I crisp up a slice of pepper bacon to put up on top.
Now here is where I get all weird about food again. I don't mind bleu cheese IN my burger, but I am not a fan of cheese ON my burger. It's just me. I won't turn down a good cheeseburger, but, my preference is just a burger and not a cheeseburger. Anyhow, add in some Fleur de Sel (French grey salt) and some more black pepper into 1-1/2 pounds of not-lean ground sirloin. I grind my own and I use about 80/20 mix for burgers that will get grilled. What that means is that the ratio of beef to fat is 80% beef and 20% fat.
 If you want one of those burgers that drip down your arm like they do in a Carl's Jr. commercial, don't plan on a lean mixture.
I also shake in some Worcestershire sauce in before the burgers are made. Don't ask me how much, I don't measure, I just shake it in. If I had to guess, I'd say a tablespoon. Then goes in a good 1/2 cup or so of crumbled bleu cheese (or gorgonzola or rocquefort or Stilton) That's all. I don't put anything else in. Mix everything together with a fork...I saw Ina Garten do this for meatloaf and, by Jeeves, it really does work! Shape into 3 big ol' hurkin' 1/2 pound patties. Grill the patties over medium until they get to almost where you want them...and I want mine medium, thank you very much (but, if you want to be safe, grill them done and use a meat thermometer and all that happy jazz).

 I buy these buns at Safeway, they are usually 2 for a buck...I split them, grill them and build awesome burgers on them.

Enjoy...PEACE!

And The Winner Is....

I want to thank you all for voting for me in the 5th Annual Morel Recipe Challenge sponsored by Marx Foods. The results are in and....YES! Baked Lava has won the grand prize of 2 pounds of fresh morel mushrooms. This is super cool because this is the first cooking challenge that I've ever entered into and I won! I'm so jazzed!!
You don't have to take my word for it...here is the link to the announcement!
I just wanted to share the awesome news with everyone and say thank you so much!

Pacific Sea Bass with Morels al Cartoccio

 I was cruising around Facebook one day, not too long ago, when I saw a post about Marx Foods 5th Annual Morel Challenge. I was intrigued! I clicked on the link and read about the contest and decided to submit Baked Lava for the cooking challenge. It sounded like this contest was right up my alley and would give me the chance to do what it is that I love to do best...create! I was really surprised when the delivery truck showed up and delivered some dried morels to create with. Just as my excitement reached a crescendo, the reality of the situation hit and I was sitting there wondering what I could do with these fantastic little gems of the mushroom world. The contest rules are clear: you must create an original dish and it must be baked in the oven. So, the following recipe is what I created and, just an FYI, this is the first ever cooking contest that I have entered.

 I decided on Pacific sea bass because my younger sister, Ginger, goes fishing all the time with her husband and she had some frozen filets in her freezer. She offered up the treasured filets and I gratefully accepted. I opted to cook these "al Cartoccio" style which is the Italian version of "en Papillote" or, for us who are not versed in French or Italian...baked in parchment pouches. This recipe starts out with 3 big sheets of parchment, roughly 24 x 24 inches each. Cut them into big heart shapes and then thinly slice a lemon. A fish recipe is just not complete without lemon in it.

 Next, I diced up a large shallot. I prefer shallots with fish because they have a milder onion flavor. Another great option would be leeks.

 I got a quick lesson in wine from my awesome friend, Donna Barnes. I went with this Californian Pinot Grigio. I like white wine with fish because it compliments the flavor and doesn't overpower it. I don't drink wine...I don't like the taste of wine...but I love to cook with it and I usually have 4 or 5 bottles of different wines in my cabinet at all times.

 Here are the coveted little gems of the mushroom world. I've never really worked with morels before, so I gave myself a crash course. Morels belong to the same phylum of fungi as truffles do. They have a deep, rich earthy, almost smoky flavor.

 To rehydrate the morels is simple: rinse under running cold water and then cover with boiling water. I actually used a cup of boiling liquid: 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup Pinot Grigio. Let the morels steep for 3-5 minutes, then remove morels from liquid. IMPORTANT: Save that soaking liquid!! Do not throw it out! It is full of flavor and you'll need it a bit later on in this recipe.

 Beautiful Pacific sea bass filets on top of my "rack" of thinly sliced lemons. I used a French grey salt on these beauties.

 See? A "rack" of lemons!

 Next, I sliced up about 4 of the reconstituted morels for each filet.

 The filets are topped with French grey salt or Fleur de Sel. It is a salt that has a higher moisture content and a milder salt flavor and it goes perfectly with fish and seafood. Next, they get a sprinkle of coarsely ground black pepper. Then they are topped with morel slices, a sprinkle of fresh orange thyme which I happen to grow in my container garden (about 1/2 teaspoon), a sprinkle of minced shallot (about 1 tablespoon), then topped with 2 lemon slices and...

 Close up!

 they are finished with a sprinkle of freshly snipped chives, again, grown in my container garden. Everything gets a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good drink of Pinot Grigio and the packets get sealed up airtight.

 Repeat for all three packets. This recipe can easily be increased for more servings or decreased for less.

 Remember up there when I said to save the morel soaking liquid?? Well, this is the reason. I made a reduction sauce to go over the fish packets once they were opened. I sauteed some shallot, shaved garlic and capers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter.

 I added in 1/2 cup of the Pinot Grigio and 1/2 cup of the morel soaking liquid. Remember, I reconstituted the morels in wine and water, so it all went hand in hand.

 I added in some Fleur de Sel (I just love sounding all fancy and exotic like that!) and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste.

 The packets bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Be careful not to overcook because there is nothing worse than overcooked fish of any type...YUCK!

 Ladle some of the Pinot Grigio-Morel Reduction Sauce over the top and dig in!

Pacific Sea Bass with Morels el Cartoccio

Serves 3

To reconstitute dried morels:
 4 ounces dried morel mushrooms
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup Pinot Grigio or whichever white wine you plan on using with the fish

Rinse dried mushrooms briefly under cold running water and place in a heat proof bowl. Bring water and wine up to boil and pour over mushrooms in bowl. Let stand 3-5 minutes. Remove mushrooms from liquid, set aside and reserve soaking liquid. There is a ton of flavor in that liquid, so don't throw it out!


For sea bass packets:
3-24x24 inch pieces of parchment paper cut into big heart shapes
3 half-pound Pacific sea bass filets (a good substitute would be halibut or cod if you can't find sea bass)
1 lemon, thinly sliced (you may have to use another half of a lemon to finish the job because you need 5 slices per packet)
4 ounces dried morels, rinsed and rehydrated (reserve liquid), sliced
Fleur de Sel and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh orange thyme leaves
3 tablespoons shallots, finely minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons fresh chives, minced
6 tablespoons Pinot Grigio or whichever white wine you'd like to use...but use one that tastes or good because that's just how it is.

For each packet:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make a "rack" out of 3 lemon slices on each piece of parchment paper, on one side of the "heart" near the fold. Put one sea bass filet on top of the lemon "rack". Sprinkle each filet with Fleur de Sel and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste. Top with 4-5 sliced morels. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of orange thyme, 1 tablespoon of minced shallot and 2 lemon slices. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and start sealing up the packets by folding tightly and making sure that the crimps are airtight. Just before you seal the end, add in 2 tablespoons of Pinot Grigio and finish sealing. Place packets on a baking sheet that has a side on it...just in case they leak. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until fish is done and flakes easily with a fork.

Pinot Grigio-Morel Reduction Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, shaved paper thin (this is when a really good, really sharp knife comes in handy!)
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 cup reconstituted dried morels, sliced
Fleur de Sel and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Pinot Grigio
1/2 cup reserved morel soaking liquid

In small skillet, heat olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Saute shallots, capers and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes. Add sliced morels and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine and morel soaking liquid and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low and simmer about 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Turn off heat, add 1 tablespoon butter and season with Fleur de Sel and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste.
 Spoon over sea bass packets when they are cut open.

AND NOW YOU CAN GO AND VOTE! The 5th Annual Morel Challenge is up and going! There are 12 fantastic and worthy bloggers (yes, I'm counting myself amongst them) with 12 unique, gourmet recipes and we need your votes!
 Pacific Sea Bass with Morels al Cartoccio
How good does this look?

And...a bonus salad side dish recipe!
This is simple:
Tear up some red leaf lettuce. Thinly slice a bunch of radishes and throw those in the bowl. Sprinkle in some minced shallots. Cut the rind and zest off of 2 navel oranges and thinly slice. Throw those into the bowl. I also added in the extra chives and thyme that I had left from the Pacific Sea Bass with Morels al Cartoccio. That's the salad. Here's the dressing. I had to use an extra half of a lemon to get the required amount of lemon slices for the fish packets. I juiced up the half that I had left over. I added in a tablespoon of minced shallot, used double the amount of olive oil in ratio to the lemon juice. Fleur de Sel and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste. 1 teaspoon of grainy dijon mustard and some snipped chives. Shake until everything combines. Super easy, fresh and a perfect compliment to the Pacific Sea Bass with Morels al Cartoccio.
Enjoy...PEACE!

German-Inspired Currywurst in an RV

 Tonight I had dinner solo mission. Bob is working a weird shift at work. I'm just glad he's working again. He could get off work at 8:30, he could work a double...we just don't know. That's how these mill shutdowns go...you work! LOL! Anyhow, I decided that I would make something tonight for just myself. I didn't make Neighbor Ralph dinner because he wouldn't have been able to eat this, anyhow, because it's sort of spicy. A bit too spicy for Ralph. I made Currywurst when I cooked for my German blog and we enjoyed it, but there were many aspects of the recipe that I thought could be improved upon. I discarded any recipe that I've ever looked at and decided I would just wing since I knew what basically went into it.
These are the typical spices that are included: curry powder, paprika, black pepper and sugar. 

 The recipe that I used for the German blog contained onion powder. I like fresh onions, so I minced up some.

 Authentic currywurst uses knockwurst...I used a kielbasa...I do want to try it with the knockwurst some day, though.

 The spices and onion get mixed in with tomato sauce and chili sauce.

 The kielbasa gets browned up in just a bit of oil...the kielbasa gets combined into the sauce and...

you get this delicious dish! YUM!

German-Inspired Currywurst

1 cup low-sodium tomato sauce
1/2 cup chili sauce (sweet or hot...your choice...I used sweet)
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon half-sharp Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 medium-sized onion, finely minced
1 pound kielbasa or knockwurst, cut into 1-inch pieces

Combine all ingredients, except kielbasa, in a medium saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until onion is tender. Meanwhile, brown kielbasa in a skillet with a bit of olive oil. Put kielbasa into the sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
You can serve this like I did, in a hot dog bun, or over rice. Even more authentic is a hard roll dipped in the sauce.
Enjoy...PEACE!

Sriracha Marinaded Fried Oysters with Ponzu Tartar Sauce in an RV

 Last night, I cooked for just Bob and myself. Ralph had dinner with his daughter because it was her birthday. Ralph cannot eat oysters because they make his gout act up something fierce. It's too bad, too, because Bob and I love oysters and so does Ralph, but he just can't eat them. So, when Ralph's away, I will play...in the kitchen, that is!
I caught the tail-end of an episode of Diners, Drive-ins & Dives last week and ol' Guy was at this place where they served seafood smothered French fries and oyster sandwiches. I've been drooling ever since I saw that. I've been wanting oysters. I had half a quart sitting in the freezer from the last time that I didn't have to cook for Ralph, so I had Bob grab them for me.
The marinade is simple. It's buttermilk, Sriracha hot sauce and black pepper. That's it. Nothing fancy. Super easy. I let them sit in the marinade for a couple of hours.

 I used small oysters just because I like to fry small oysters. Mediums are just too big for my taste.

 Marinating in the Sriracha and buttermilk.

 I don't know about you, but I can't have fried oysters without something to dip them into. I prefer tartar sauce with mine and I cannot stand the jarred crap from the store. The taste doesn't jive well with me and it's super easy to make up your own.

 Mine includes my home-canned dill pickles, capers, pepper, mayonnaise and...

 ponzu. I've been dying to try ponzu. I'd never tried it. Usually, in tartar, I add some lemon zest and juice, but I was curious, so I cracked open the bottle and took a small taste. Yep! That's what I'm talking about!!

Sriracha Marinaded Fried Oysters

Marinade:
1 pint of small or extra small oysters, drained
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Combine buttermilk, hot sauce and black pepper in a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Add in drained oysters, cover and fridge it for about 3 hours.
 Remove oysters from marinade with a slotted spoon, dredge in plain, unseasoned flour and deep fry for about 4 minutes or until firmed up in 350 degree oil.

Ponzu Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small dill pickle, finely minced
1 tablespoon capers, drained and minced
2 dashes hot sauce
1 tablespoon Ponzu seasoning/dressing/marinade
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and fridge until ready to use.

 Enjoy...PEACE!