Cuisine: American

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Cookies

Pumpkin spice – the festive blend can be found flavoring absolutely everything at this time of year. From late summer to early January, coffee drinks like lattes and cold brews, baked goods such as cookies, muffins, and pies, and various breakfast items like pancakes and oatmeal. It’s also found in cereals, creamers, and even some savory dishes, while non-food products like candles and soaps are popular as well. Its associated spices have become laden with nostalgia during the fall season.

The modern demand for all things pumpkin spice can be traced to Starbucks’ introduction of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) in 2003. The PSL’s success cemented the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves as the quintessential flavor of autumn. 

The flavor itself is much older. Spice companies like McCormick began selling pre-mixed ‘pumpkin pie spice’—a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves—in the 1930s. This made the seasonal flavor more accessible to home bakers. 

The history of pumpkin spice cream cheese cookies is a recent development, emerging in the 2020s. The cookie gained popularity by combining the established autumn tradition of pumpkin spice with the widespread appeal of cream cheese-filled, ‘bakery-style’ cookies. 

These pumpkin spice cream cheese cookies feature a vanilla dough with a pumpkin-spiced filling swirled together in a spiral of simple sweetness and aromatic spice. I guess you could say, ‘the same only different’.

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 Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Cookies
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword pumpkin spice cream cheese cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
Pumpkin/Cream Cheese Filling
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword pumpkin spice cream cheese cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
Pumpkin/Cream Cheese Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Cookie Dough
  1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat softened butter & sugar until light & fluffy, approx. 2 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk & vanilla. Mix until well combined, about 1 minute.
  3. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mix on low speed until a thick, sticky dough forms.
  4. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces & chill for at least 2 hours.
Filling
  1. In a bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, spices & vanilla. Beat until smooth & creamy. Set aside but do not refrigerate.
Assembly
  1. Once dough has chilled, roll out one piece of dough at a time between 2 large pieces of parchment paper about 1/4 inch thickness. Divide filling mixture between the two rolled out pieces of dough.. Using the parchment paper, roll each tightly into a log. Cover with plastic wrap & place in freezer overnight.
Baking
  1. Remove dough from freezer & allow to sit at room temperature only long enough so you can slice it as this is a very soft dough.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Slice logs (I like to use floss for slicing to make a clean cut) into 1/4"-1/2" thick cookies. Sprinkle with pepita seeds. Arrange on cookie sheets & bake for 10-12 minutes.
  4. Allow to cool for 2-5 minutes on the pan then remove them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes

These are a soft cookie & are best eaten within a few days. We enjoyed them so much that wasn't a problem!

Gorgonzola Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats

It appears that the zucchini, as we know it, was developed in Italy around the latter half of the 1800s and thought to be reintroduced to the United States by Italian immigrants in the 1920s. This humble vegetable is very well traveled.

Since it is such an easy plant to grow many home gardeners are inundated with the fruits of their labors. It seems there is no end to what you can do with a zucchini such as zucchini bread, muffins, cake, pancakes, pickles or cookies. I have read you can even make it into wine! Did you know the flowers are edible and an expensive delicacy which can be deep fried as fritters or tempura or even used in soup?

Today for our supper, I just wanted to use a few things I had on hand, so our 2 zucchinis became ‘Gorgonzola Turkey Zucchini Boats’. Gorgonzola cheese has long been a favorite of Brion & mine and it tasted just great in this combination.

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 Gorgonzola Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Gorgonzola turkey stuffed zucchini boats
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Gorgonzola turkey stuffed zucchini boats
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Using a small spoon, hollow out the inside of each zucchini half, leaving a 1/4-inch shell.
  2. Finely chop the scooped out zucchini flesh. Chop onion & mince garlic. In a saucepan, sauté zucchini flesh, onion & garlic in oil.
  3. Add ground turkey, summer savory & salt. Continue to cook, breaking turkey up as it browns. Remove from heat & set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  5. Crumble gorgonzola & add 2/3 of it to the turkey mixture. In a square casserole dish, place a small amount of turkey mixture & broth on bottom then top with the zucchini halves. Put remainder of turkey in hollowed out zucchini halves then top with remaining gorgonzola.
  6. Cover casserole with a piece of foil paper & bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven & garnish with sliced green onion.

Fig & Boursin Pork Wellington

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here in Canada, we are in the autumn season of our year. Autumn is not to be taken lightly with its stunning foliage. It’s really quite a magical season that’s often overlooked. Ancient cultures, science and astrology have associated many aspects of this beautiful season to human life. These symbolic associations are powerful reminders that Mother Nature has an incredible influence on our lives. Soon most of the fall colors will disappear and slowly but surely, frosty white will take its place. I think it’s so important to take time to recognize these beautiful moments in our imperfect world.

For our holiday meal I am preparing a stuffed pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is incredibly tender since it is essentially the ‘filet’. Because there is very little fat in a tenderloin, it’s perfect to stuff with all sorts of tasty things to bring in both moisture and flavor. A little prosciutto, shallot, dried figs and fig balsamic Boursin cheese make a really delicious combination that pairs perfectly with pork tenderloin adding a unique twist to the classic recipe.

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 Fig & Boursin Pork Wellington
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Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword fig & Boursin pork wellington
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword fig & Boursin pork wellington
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine green onion, figs & Boursin cheese.
  2. Cut away and discard the silver skin from the pork tenderloin. Butterfly the pork by cutting a slit down the tenderloin lengthwise, but don't quite slice it all the way through. The 2 sides should remain attached.
  3. Open the pork tenderloin flat like a book and cover it with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Lightly pound it to an even thickness. Spoon the cheese/fig mixture evenly on the cut side of the pork.
  4. Starting with a long edge, roll it up jelly-roll style. Lay out the prosciutto slices on a piece of parchment paper so that they overlap slightly on the edges. Then place the stuffed tenderloin at one end and roll the whole thing up in prosciutto.
  5. Once rolled in prosciutto, heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Carefully add the tenderloin to the skillet & sear it all over, about 1 or 2 minutes per side, carefully turning the tenderloin. Remove from heat & set aside to cool.
  6. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  7. Place puff pastry sheet onto a large piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Cut out a few designs down the center then place the tenderloin at one edge of the pastry & roll it up. Start by rolling it lengthwise & then folding over any excess pastry at either end after you are done rolling. Press down gently on seams to create a good seal.
  8. Beat together egg & water to make an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, liberally cover the puff pastry.
  9. Place the wellington into the oven on the lower third rack & bake for about 40 minutes.
  10. After 35 minutes check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. The pastry should look a nice golden brown & the thermometer should read between 150 & 160 F.
  11. Allow the wellington to sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing using a long, sharp, serrated knife. Plate & serve immediately. We really enjoyed this meat with a cranberry/raspberry sauce.
Recipe Notes
  • Simple Cranberry-Raspberry Sauce:
  • 348 ml whole cranberry sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp orange zest
  • In a saucepan, combine whole berry sauce with raspberries, sugar & orange zest
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thicken slightly & is bubbly
  • Remove from heat & allow to cool.

Grated Apple Pie w/ Salted Carmel Topping

Many cultures have embraced the apple pie and put their own spin on it, so why is it known as the quintessential American dessert. German immigrants brought over the modern hamburger and Italians were the first to combine cheese with macaroni. Apple pie—a dish that commonly follows the words ‘American as’ —has a reputation for being one of the rare dishes the country can fully claim. But as it turns out, the history of the iconic American dessert isn’t so simple.

The phrase ‘as American as apple pie’ emerged in the early 20th century. It gained widespread popularity during World War II, when soldiers were asked what they were fighting for. The response often included apple pie, alongside other symbols of American life like mom and baseball. This association cemented apple pie’s status as a quintessential American food.

For some cooks, grated apple pie was a practical alternative to the traditional sliced version. Grating or shredding the apples creates a pie with a tender, uniform, and almost custard-like filling, unlike the chunkier texture of a standard pie. Shredding the fruit reduces the cooking time required to soften the apples, which was an advantage for home bakers. As shown in some historic recipes, eggs and melted butter were often mixed into the grated apples, creating a richer filling. 

This pie reminds me of an experience I had that seems quite comical when I think of it now. Before I had ever studied in the commercial food industry or made any number of pies, a friend gave me a recipe for a ‘Swiss’ apple pie. Her instructions were to place the shredded apple in a pastry lined pie pan. Next, pour vanilla pudding over the apples and bake. It sounded great! I purchased a box of Jell-O brand vanilla pudding & pie filling, made a crust and filled it with shredded apples. I assumed you were supposed to cook the pudding before covering the apples with it for some reason. Wrong!! What resulted was apples baked in a pastry shell with a ‘rubber top’. I guess we all have to start somewhere, right?!

Today, I wanted to revisit the grated apple pie idea being fall with all the wonderful apples that are in season right now.

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 Grated Apple Pie w/ Salted Carmel Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword grated apple pie w/ parsnip pastry & salted caramel
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Apple Filling
Salted Caramel Sauce
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword grated apple pie w/ parsnip pastry & salted caramel
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Apple Filling
Salted Caramel Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Pastry
  1. Sift flour, sugar & baking powder into a bowl. Add salt & rub butter into flour with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar & water. Sprinkle the egg/water mixture over the flour mixture & combine ONLY until dough comes together. DO NOT OVERMIX. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Apple Pie
  1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
  2. Grate apples & combine with lemon juice.
  3. Line a 9-inch pie plate with chilled pastry. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp evenly in the bottom of the crust & set the rest aside.
  4. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the remaining sugar mixture & beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla & eggs. Beat until mixed well & the mixture turns lighter. Stir in the apples.
  5. Pour the filling mixture into the crust & spread out evenly. Place a pie ring or one made out of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust.
  6. Bake at 450 F. for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 F. & bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. If the crust is not brown enough, remove the pie ring for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
Salted Caramel Sauce
  1. Place the sugar & water into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook, stirring, over a low heat until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat & bring to a boil for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a deep amber color.
  2. Remove from heat & immediately add the heavy cream & stir. Be careful as it will bubble up quite a lot. Once the caramel has dissolved into the cream, add the butter & salt. Place in a small blender & blend for a few seconds until mixture comes together nicely. Place into a small container & cool.
Finish
  1. Once pie is at room temperature, brush or drizzle sauce over the apple filling. Chill further & serve.
Recipe Notes

The purpose of putting some of the sugar mixture into the bottom of the pie crust is to absorb some of the liquid that forms when sugar & fruit are mixed together.
If the apples produce a lot of juice, drain them BEFORE adding them to the batter. If you pour off the juice after adding the apples to the batter, you will lose a lot of the spice flavor.
Using a deep dish will help avoid it from running over in the oven.

Retro Porcupine Meatballs

Porcupine meatballs are an North American casserole dish of ground beef and rice meatballs cooked in tomato sauce. This recipe, that appealed to cooks in the 1930s, appears to have been developed during World War I when rice was affordable and readily available, but meat was pricey. The recipe appeared as ‘rice meat balls’ in the 1918 cookbook ‘Conservation Recipes’, a clear forerunner of the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (1939). The name comes from the appearance of the meatballs, which appear prickly when the rice pokes out of them as they cook, resembling a porcupine.

Meat, even something as mundane as ground beef, was expensive and home cooks used innovation and imaginative ways to make a small amount of protein stretch to feed a large and hungry family. Porcupine meatballs were one of the answers to the problem.  It’s great that generations later we are still enjoying them!

Of course, this simple recipe is very customizable. Other ingredients could be added to the meatballs like green pepper, mustard, celery, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, or other seasonings. The simple tomato sauce made with canned soup could be enriched with molasses and seasoned with chili powder and cumin. A later recipe from 1969 for ‘porcupine meatballs paprika’ replaces tomato soup with cream of mushroom, and adds other ingredients like mustard, or sour cream and paprika. ‘Porcupine meatballs Chinois’ was a variation influenced by Chinese cooking techniques and ingredients. Served with peach sauce, the Chinois meatballs are made with ground pork, shrimp, rice and green onion, seasoned with soy sauce and sherry, and steamed instead of being cooked in sauce.

Ground turkey can also be substituted for the ground beef, just add 1/4 cup oatmeal to the mix to compensate for the extra moisture in the turkey.

I recall my mother making these meatballs numerous times when I was growing up. They tasted great then and still do today. I decided to make some with the tomato sauce and some with mushroom sauce since Brion was not familiar with this meal. I think he will enjoy them.

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 Retro Porcupine Meatballs
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Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword vintage porcupine meatballs
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Meatballs
Sauce
Alternative Tomato Sauce
Alternative Brown Mushroom Sauce
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword vintage porcupine meatballs
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Meatballs
Sauce
Alternative Tomato Sauce
Alternative Brown Mushroom Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Meatballs/Sauce
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a medium bowl, lightly mix together all meatball ingredients. Form mixture into 12 meatballs & place in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients; pour over meatballs. Cover & bake 1 1/4 hours or until rice is tender.
  4. These meatballs are nice served over rice, egg noodles, mashed or baked potatoes. Simple but tasty!
Alternative Tomato Sauce
  1. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender crisp. Add crushed tomatoes & simmer for about 5 minutes. Add seasoning to taste & sour cream; combine then whisk in chicken broth. Pour over meatballs & bake.
Alternative Brown Mushroom Sauce
  1. In a skillet, heat oil & sauté onion & mushrooms. Add beef base, pepper, garlic powder & 2 cups of the water. Bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch with remaining 1/2 cup water. Gradually add cornstarch mixture to pan & stir as you are pouring. Cook, stirring often, until thoroughly mixed. Pour over meatballs & bake.
Recipe Notes
  • The advertisement picture on the blog was from life magazine in 1948.

Focaccia w/ Pork, Apple & Apricot Filling

CELEBRATING LABOR DAY!

Once again, the last long weekend of summer has arrived. Here in Canada, families with school age children, take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. Others enjoy the company of family and friends at barbecues, picnics, fairs, festivals and fireworks displays. Canadian football fans may spend a large portion of their weekend watching the Labor Day Classic matches live on television. Whatever your choice of relaxation is, you know good food will be a part of the holiday.

This stuffed focaccia came into my thoughts for a tasty choice. If you’re barbecuing, it can be wrapped in foil and heated on the grill. If a picnic is your preference, add a nice potato salad (or salad of choice) and of course, a beer. Perfect, easy and delicious!

I can’t quite remember when my love for ‘sandwiches’ began. I have memories of my brother and I having cold, leftover mashed potato sandwiches with my mother’s homemade bread after school. To me, anything is fair game for making a sandwich with.

The sweet potato focaccia I’m using in this recipe is adapted from the Focaccia Pugliese idea using the regional tradition of adding mashed potatoes to the yeasted dough for focaccia. The result is worth the extra effort — yeasty and spongy with a delicious tenderness and crusty edge.

Regional cuisine in Italy is a big deal. Focaccia recipes differ in many regions: Liguria, Puglia, Sicily, each region has its own version. Every tiny little village in Italy has its own recipes and everyone has their own ideas on how you should cook this or that.

Puglia’s cuisine is a mirror to its soul, simple yet flavorful, and deeply rooted in local produce. Its unique location ensures an abundance of seafood, and its fertile land blesses it with high-quality vegetables, grains, and olive oil.

The bread dough is not difficult to work with, it stretches easily to make focaccia pockets. This recipe is another idea that I developed into handheld stuffed focaccia pockets for picnics or lunch on the go. It consists of sweet potato focaccia filled with pork, apple & apricot filling. What’s not to love!

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 Focaccia w/ Pork, Apple & Apricot Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword stuffed focaccia w/ pork & apples
Servings
POCKETS
Ingredients
Filling
Sweet Potato Focaccia
Topping
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword stuffed focaccia w/ pork & apples
Servings
POCKETS
Ingredients
Filling
Sweet Potato Focaccia
Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Filling
  1. To a skillet add butter & melt. Add onion, apples, celery & spices as well as salt & pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add garlic & cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Remove from pan.
  2. Place ground pork in skillet & cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until no longer pink. Drain on paper towel. Return to skillet & add veg combo along with apricots & grated cheese. Set aside until ready to use.
Focaccia
  1. In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1/2 cup flour & 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes until frothy.
  2. Cook & mash sweet potato; add it along with the remaining 3/4 cup lukewarm water, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt & 4 cups flour. When dough forms, knead for about 7-8 minutes until the dough is soft & satiny. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise in a draft fee place until doubled in size, about an hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  4. Spread work surface with olive oil. Place risen dough on it & roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. Divide filling between 6 of the circles leaving a border on each one. Top each one with remaining circles of dough. Pinch edges to seal in filling.
  5. On 2 parchment lined baking sheets, place filled focaccia. Sprinkle with dried rosemary & coarse sea salt if using.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven & cool on wire racks.

Stuffed Zucchini w/ Shrimp & Boursin Cheese Sauce

When it comes to zucchini, there is virtually nothing it seems it can’t be made into. To be honest, my love affair with this vegetable spans many years. Long before the internet and Pinterest gave us access to any recipe you could ever want, print cookbooks were the go-to. So, to make a long story short, I actually have a recipe book solely devoted to zucchini that is still relevant in today’s cooking and baking procedures. Fresh garden veggies are what summer is made for. Eating fresh and in season not only tastes amazing but is so enjoyable.

I’m sure everyone is well acquainted with the zucchini ‘boat’ idea. Basically, zucchini sliced in half lengthwise, hollowed out and filled with whatever you choose. I think incorporating the zucchini you scoop out into the filling is a good idea. This versatile veggie takes on the flavor of whatever you’re cooking, so the possibilities are endless.

For this recipe, I’m filling the zucchini boats with succulent pieces of spicy shrimp & mushrooms then baking them in a Boursin cheese sauce. I find the best zucchini to use is a medium size, about 8-10 inches in length. Zucchini, that is smaller than that really tastes the best but should be saved for other recipes because they’re not big or sturdy enough to hold the filling. Those super large zucchinis are best for grating to add to baked goods like bread and muffins.

This stuffed zucchini meal is real good with steamed rice and roasted tomatoes.

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 Stuffed Zucchini w/ Shrimp & Boursin Cheese Sauce
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Rating: 5
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Cuisine American
Keyword stuffed zucchini w/ shrimp & Boursin cheese sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Shrimp/Mushrooms
Cheese Sauce
Zucchini
Cuisine American
Keyword stuffed zucchini w/ shrimp & Boursin cheese sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Shrimp/Mushrooms
Cheese Sauce
Zucchini
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Zucchini / Shrimp & Mushrooms
  1. Trim ends off zucchini & slice lengthwise so that you have 4 long halves. Using a spoon, hollow out the middle of each half, leaving a little bit on each end to prevent the filling from running out. Place zucchini halves in oven proof serving 'boats'. Chop zucchini pulp to use in filling.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add shrimp & seasonings. Allow to cook about 5 minutes, turn & cook for another minute. Transfer to a bowl & set aside.
  3. In the same pan, melt the remaining butter. Add the mushrooms & chopped zucchini pulp. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic & sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
Cheese Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, melt butter then add Boursin cheese & milk. Whisk until combined. Once sauce is heated through, turn off heat & let rest for 5 minutes while sauce thickens.
Assembly / Baking
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Place zucchini 'boats' with zucchini halves on a baking sheet with sides. Fill with the cooked mushroom/zucchini filling. Top the filling with cooked shrimp. Pour Boursin cheese over the filled zucchini halves.
  3. Bake for about 45 minutes or until zucchini is tender & cheese is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
  4. Nice served with steamed rice.

Pork Chops Stuffed w/ Smoked Gouda & Bacon

Brion & I seem to have a natural affinity to smoked cheeses so I like to make use of them whenever I have an opportunity. Generally, I shy away from the bone-in pork chops opting for the boneless sirloin cut. But sometimes bone-in has its place and this meal is one of them.

Smoked Gouda is a semi-hard to hard, cow’s milk cheese which is creamy and mild with a natural smoked flavor and rich musky aftertaste. The rind is typically brown rather than the yellow rind on the unsmoked version. Only cheese exposed to real smoke may be called ‘smoked’. Cheese that has only had liquid smoke added to it must be labeled with ‘smoke flavor’.

Smoking cheese imparts a unique flavor, everything from the intensity of the heat or kind of wood chips used, can affect the flavor outcome. Every part of the process, no matter how small it may seem, has some bearing on the final taste of the product.

An easy and elegant meal for summertime!

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 Pork Chops Stuffed w/ Smoked Gouda & Bacon
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Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword pork chops stuffed w/ smoked gouda & bacon
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword pork chops stuffed w/ smoked gouda & bacon
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat.
  2. In a small bowl, combine cheese, bacon, leeks & pepper.
  3. Lay the chops flat on a cutting board & with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, going all the way to the other side, but leaving the sides intact.
  4. Stuff cheese mixture into each pocket & close with a wooden toothpick. Brush meat with oil & season with Montreal steak spice.
  5. Lightly oil a foil tray. Grill over medium heat on each side until pork is cooked. Be careful not to overcook!

Roasted Grape, Chicken & Gorgonzola Pizza

Halfway between the two main California metropolises of Los Angeles and San Francisco is Paso Robles Wine Country. Located along California’s famed Central Coast, the Paso Robles winegrape growing region’s climate is perfect for the production of award-winning premium wines. A long growing season of warm days and cool evenings gives rise to vibrantly ripened fruit with dynamic flavor profiles that translate beautifully into a glass of Paso Robles wine.

Over the years, Brion and I have vacationed many times in the Carmel / Monterey area on the Central Coast of California. As a rule, we make Pacific Grove ‘home base’ and from there do numerous day trips. The Paso Robles area, a beautiful scenic drive with rolling hills, vineyards and estate wineries, is always one of our favorite day trips.

Paso Robles was named for its local oak trees, El Paso de Robles, ‘The Pass of the Oaks.’ Today the city’s name is commonly shortened to Paso Robles. Since Brion works for a retail liquor store and is well versed in the wine industry it is always interesting to stop at some of the wineries that produce products he sells. One of these is J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. The tasting room is a quaint farmhouse style building with views of the vineyards from the tasting room and back patio. When we arrived, we were greeted by a ‘tasting room wine educator’ by the name of Geraldine Honer-Hollstien. She was an extremely knowledgeable person. She gave us unlimited time telling us about anything and everything we wanted to know about the winery. It added so much to our adventure that day.

Fifty years ago, the California Central Coast had not yet emerged as one of North America’s world-class wine-growing regions. With little history or viticultural precedent, planting on the Central Coast was a gamble. One of the handful of early pioneers, Jerry Lohr, was among the first to realize the inherent potential of Monterey and Paso Robles for growing high-quality grapes and producing superb wines.

Jerry Lohr is a farmer at heart who also happened to have a passion for winemaking. Besides the normal infrastructure and financial challenges of starting a new company in the early 1970s, the initial learning curve for wine grape farming in Monterey and Paso Robles was very steep. Unlike France or Italy where they have thousands of years of accumulated knowledge, on the Central Coast, for the most part, there was no track record. Jerry Lohr and a few other producers were having to ‘write the book’ as they went along. 2024 marks fifty years in business for J. Lohr. In 1974, J. Lohr released its first wine. Since that day, the Lohr family and team have helped bring Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles and Chardonnay from Monterey County to global prominence.

Boundless sunshine, rolling hills, beautiful morning fog, endless beaches, a luxurious hospitality sector and, of course, delicious wine. It’s easy to see why the Central Coast of California is unmatched when it comes to enjoying the finer things in life. Wonderful memories!

I’ve added a few pictures I hope you will enjoy.

  • Ranch style J. Lohr winery at Paso Robles
  • Patio overlooking the vineyards
  • Beautiful vineyards
Print Recipe
 Roasted Grape, Chicken & Gorgonzola Pizza
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword roasted grape, chicken & gorgonzola pizza
Servings
NAAN BREADS
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword roasted grape, chicken & gorgonzola pizza
Servings
NAAN BREADS
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil & lay grapes in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, season generously with salt & toss to coat. Roast grapes for 25-30 minutes, until slightly wrinkled. Remove from oven, lift foil with grapes off & set aside.
  3. Sliver onions, place on baking sheet, sprinkle with a bit of salt, drizzle with oil & roast until soft.
  4. Spread each Naan bread with some garlic mayo. Top with roasted chicken, onions, grapes & sprinkle with crumbled Gorgonzola.
  5. Place pizzas on a baking sheet or pizza pan & bake for about 10-12 minutes or until all ingredients are nicely heated & cheese is melted.
  6. Drizzle with honey & sprinkle with fresh thyme for a garnish.

Roasted Boursin Salmon

When it comes to creating delicious and sophisticated flavor combinations, Boursin cheese and salmon are a match made in culinary heaven. The creamy and tangy taste of Boursin perfectly complements the rich flavor of the salmon.

Boursin Garlic & Herbs was launched in 1963 and quickly became a household name across France. Its unique texture and taste revolutionized the fresh cheese market, especially after being the first cheese brand to be the subject of a television campaign in 1968.

For those unfamiliar with it, Boursin cheese is known for its smooth, creamy texture and fresh herbs. That’s what makes it so versatile and perfect for sauces! With a variety of flavors to choose from, Boursin recipes open a world of possibilities.

Print Recipe
 Roasted Boursin Salmon
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Cuisine American
Keyword Boursin salmon
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Salmon
Boursin Cheese Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword Boursin salmon
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Salmon
Boursin Cheese Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Salmon
  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly grease a baking dish.
  2. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, & Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Place the fillets in the baking dish & rub with this mixture. Season with a generous pinch of salt & pepper.
  3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through.
Boursin Sauce
  1. As the salmon bakes, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Pour the chicken stock into the mixture & blend in the Boursin until it's thoroughly incorporated with the stock. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Take off the heat & stir in the lemon juice & any natural pan juices from the salmon.
Serving
  1. Place cooked salmon on a serving plate & pour sauce over top.
  2. Garnish with parsley & lemon slices if desired.