ASIAN BAHN MI BURGERS and CUBAN SANDWICHES WITH ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Celebrate your favorite team with fabulous international flavors. Both of these pork sandwiches are casual and can be made for a crowd, or a smaller more intimate group.
Whether those you are supporting win or lose, you will feel successful and satisfied with either the Bahn Mi or Cuban.

ASIAN BAHN MI BURGERS

1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 pound of ground pork
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon siracha, or to taste
French baguette, split, toasted and cut into size of your choice
butter lettuce
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
3/4 cup shredded carrots

Mix fish sauce, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, lime zest and juice, and green onions until combined. Add pork and chopped cilantro and gently mix to combine.
Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions (or however many you need) and loosely form them into 1 inch patties. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until oil begins to shimmer.
Cook burgers 12 to 14 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.
Mix the mayonnaise and siracha sauce, and spread the spicy mayonnaise on the cut sides of the buns. Top the buns with lettuce, a burger, cucumber and carrots.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Redbook Magazine
www.redbookmag.com/recipefinder/‎

CUBAN SANDWICHES WITH ZUCCHINI PICKLES

PORK
3 quarts water
1 1/2 cups apple juice
3/4 cup coarse kosher salt
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup sugar
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 heads of garlic, halved horizontally
2 bay leaves
2 whole star anise
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 teaspoon whole allspice
2 large oranges, halved
1 2-1/4 pound boneless pork loin
AIOLI
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
SANDWICHES
10 ciabatta rolls, halved horizontally
2 pounds thinly sliced ham
zucchini pickles (recipe follows)
1 pound Emmenthal cheese, cut into slices

PORK
Place first 12 ingredients in a heavy, large pot. Squeeze juice from orange halves into pot, then add orange halves. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Reduce heat to medium and simmer brine 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Cool, then cover and refrigerate brine overnight.
Add the pork to the brine, marinate in refrigerator two days, occasionally turning pork.
AOLI
Whisk mayonnaise and oil in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk in all remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
SANDWICHES
Heat oven to 350F.
Place rack in roasting pan. Remove pork from brine, place in prepared pan. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 145F, about 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Slice thinly.

Heat broiler. Spread 1 rounded tablespoonful of aioli on cut side of each ciabatta roll half. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the ham just until heated through and beginning to brown, turning occasionally, about 1 minute.
Place roll bottoms on large rimmed baking sheet. Divide ham among roll bottoms. Working in batches, fry sliced pork until heated through and just beginning to brown. Divide among sandwiches. Arrange 1/4 cup zucchini pickles over pork on each sandwich. Top each sandwich with cheese, dividing equally. Broil sandwiches until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover each with roll top and serve.

ZUCCHINI PICKLES
2 1/2 pounds zucchini, trimmed, cut crosswise into thin slices
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 cups champagne vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 2 inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

Toss the zucchini, onion and salt in a large colander. Place in sink and let drain 2 hours. Rinse vegetables, drain. Transfer to kitchen towels. Gently squeeze vegetables to dry. Place in an 8-cup glass bowl.
Bring vinegar and all remaining ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. Pour vinegar mixture over zucchini mixture, pressing on vegetables to submerge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill overnight.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2009
www.bonappetit.com/recipes‎

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

I wanted to celebrate the end of the first week of school, with a Happy Hour - to allow the kids to play and the parents to chat and relax.
I had a full and busy week, and a full and busy day, so kept it very simple - beyond cleaning my house, buying a fruit tray, and baking refrigerated cookie dough, I didn't do much at all.
However, I had been craving this Buffalo Chicken Dip, and wanted to make it for a crowd, as it is extremely difficult for me to stop eating it once I start, so the more people I can share it with, the better!

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

2 (10 ounce) cans of chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and chopped into pieces
crackers

Heat chicken, cream cheese and ranch dressing in a skillet, until warmed through. Add the pepper sauce and the cheddar cheese. Cook, stirring until blended and heated through.
Transfer mixture to a slow cooker, cover and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly.
Serve with celery sticks and crackers.
Enjoy! and please share recipedoodle with your friends!

Recipe adapted from All Recipes
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buffalo-chicken-dip/

SPIRITED SHRIMP COCKTAIL and POTATO CHEESE MUFFINS WITH PORK AND CINNAMON PLUM CHUTNEY and WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKES WITH PATRON XO CAFE CARAMEL SAUCE and BACON TEQUILA TRUFFLES

I had a lot of fun cooking for the Arkansas game this past weekend. Being from New Zealand, I don't know much about Football, but I know I love the Tailgating!! I have recently discovered Patron XO Cafe - absolutely divine - and wanted to incorporate it into my recipes, along with the time-honored Patron Silver. The inclusion of these definitely added depth and deliciousness to the fare.
I easily could have removed the shrimp from the SPIRITED SHRIMP COCKTAIL, added a little more Patron Silver, and been left with a very respectable and tasty Bloody Mary - and I loved, loved, loved the BACON PATRON XO CAFE TRUFFLES - the clever combination of bacon and chocolate with a hint of coffee - perfect any time of day, but they seemed especially fitting for a morning gathering.
In the words of a wonderful friend of mine, after trying these treats at a recent Social Media social my husband and I hosted, "I will now want all my party foods to have Patron in them!". Thanks Whitney, I couldn't have said it better myself!

SPIRITED SHRIMP COCKTAIL

FOR THE SHRIMP
24 shrimp
1 heaping tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
FOR THE SAUCE
1/4 cup Patron Silver
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
zest of 1 orange
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups ketchup
1 serrano chili, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
FOR THE GARNISH
1 avocado
1 cup popped popcorn
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

FOR THE SHRIMP
Add seasoning to a pot of boiling water, reduce heat to a simmer.
Add shrimp and cook until they just begin to turn pink, 30 to 45 seconds.
Cool shrimp in refrigerator, peel and devein.
FOR THE SAUCE
Mix all ingredients together, chill until needed.
FOR THE GARNISH
To serve, mix cooked shrimp with sauce. Place shrimp in a glass, spoon extra sauce over, then top with a little avocado, popcorn and cilantro if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Wall Street Journal, June 2012
online.wsj.com/.../SB1000142405270230367400457743455074201...

POTATO CHEESE MUFFINS WITH PORK AND CINNAMON PLUM CHUTNEY

FOR THE MUFFINS
3/4 cup peeled, cooked and mashed potatoes
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese

Heat oven to 375F.
Place paper liners into 24 cups of a mini muffin pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with buttermilk, egg, salt and sugar. Add the flour and baking soda, and mix just until combined. Fold in butter, Herbs de Provence and cheese.
Fill each paper cup 3/4 full of batter. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

FOR THE PORK
3 pound pork tenderloin
18 ounce bottle barbecue sauce
12 ounce can Dr Pepper

Place tenderloin in a lightly greased slow cooker, pour barbecue sauce and Dr Pepper over the top. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours or until meat is tender. Transfer pork to a cutting board, shred or slice.

FOR THE CINNAMON PLUM CHUTNEY
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 pounds ripe plums, pitted and diced
1 cup golden brown sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 onion, diced
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons Patron

Stir mustard seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until seeds darken slightly and begin to pop, about 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to a saucepan. Add plums, brown sugar, vinegar, onion, cinnamon sticks and salt. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until liquid is thick and syrupy and mixture is reduced, stirring frequently, about 55 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Mix in Patron.

TO ASSEMBLE
Split the muffins horizontally, spread with plum chutney and fill with pork.
Enjoy!

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKES WITH PATRON XO CAFE CARAMEL SAUCE

300 grams brown sugar
200 grams butter
225 ml cream
4 tablespoons Patron Cafe xo
Filo pastry cases
360 grams white chocolate
250 grams cream cheese
250 grams creme fraiche or sour cream
200 grams Russian fudge, diced

To make caramel sauce, simmer together the sugar, 150 grams of the butter and the cream in a saucepan for 5 minutes, then cool. Add Patron Cafe xo and stir well.
Break up chocolate and put into an oiled microwave dish, microwave for 2 minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals, until just melted. Process the cream cheese and creme fraiche in a food processor. When smooth add the melted chocolate, until just combined. Transfer to a bowl, add the fudge and mix.
Place a teaspoonful of the cheesecake mixture into the pastry cases. Drizzle with a teaspoonful of the caramel sauce.
Enjoy!

BACON TEQUILA TRUFFLES

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup honey roasted peanuts
6 thick bacon slices, cooked
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons Patron xo cafe
8 ounces chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon shortening

Process sugar, salt, peanuts and bacon in a food processor 20 to 30 seconds, or until finely ground. Stir together bacon mixture, peanut butter and Patron cafe xo in a small bowl until smooth. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Shape teaspoonfuls of bacon mixture into balls. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, chill for 1 hour.
Microwave chocolate and shortening for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals. Dip truffles into chocolate mixture then place on a cooking rack. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, March 2011
www.southernliving.com › Food › Entertaining

PEANUT HUMMUS

I originally made this dip for an "unusual pairings" party, my husband and I hosted. Not being familiar with boiled peanuts, I used the roasted kind, easily found in every supermarket in this area. My first attempt didn't turn out very well - it resembled a satay sauce, rather than hummus!
My dear friend let me know that in fact boiled peanuts were very different to roasted and they were to be found in abundance down South. On a recent family trip through Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, we came across many stands at the side of the road that were selling boiled peanuts - and I was excited to try them, and to attempt this recipe again. The texture was very like a large, soft bean, perfect for a hummus-like dip.

PEANUT HUMMUS

1 cup shelled boiled peanuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of ground red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Process first 7 ingredients in a food processor until coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add olive oil, processing until smooth - adding more lemon juice and/or olive oil as needed.
Serve with pita chips, sliced carrots, cucumbers, and red pepper strips, as desired.
Enjoy!

THE DERBY

My husband and I put the kids to bed, and settled down to watch our hometown of Fayetteville Arkansas, on the "Great Food Truck Race". I wanted a fun cocktail to relax and enjoy the show with, and I think the cool weather was inspired me to look to a bourbon drink. I added orange juice to this recipe, simply because we had half an orange in the fruit basket. It was a perfect cocktail, I loved the whiskey paired with the fruit juices - wonderful for a chilly evening

THE DERBY

1 ounce bourbon whiskey
juice of 1/2 orange
juice of 1 lime
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/2 ounce orange curaçao

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the bourbon whiskey, orange and lime juices, sweet vermouth and orange curaçao. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats
www.seriouseats.com/

LEMON PASTA SALAD WITH TOMATOES AND FETA

This was a dish I originally planned to take for a picnic in the park with our friends and neighbors. However, it seemed easier to invite them to our home, and to serve directly from the kitchen, as opposed to carrying everything a block away to our local green space. I thought the food was very good, but the best thing by far, was the fabulous company, the conversation, and the fact that our kids played so well together, leaving the adults to actually formulate complete sentences, and follow ideas through to their completion.
I served this salad in individual dishes, having anticipated pulling them out of a picnic basket. I think this pasta salad would taste good anywhere and with most main dishes, but I love the idea of it outdoors - picnic, tailgate, beach, park, forest, or kitchen table - enjoy!

LEMON PASTA SALAD WITH TOMATOES AND FETA

4 to 7 tablespoons olive oil, to taste
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
12 ounces pasta, such as penne or rigatoni
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell peppers
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup chopped green onions

Whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and lemon peel in a small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse pasta with cold water to cool quickly and drain again. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add tomatoes, bell peppers, feta cheese, and green onions. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2003
www.bonappetit.com/