Juicy, garlicky, braised lamb...mmmmmmm.

Oh my GOD. I know, I've said it before, but for reals, all of us bloggers are still alive and well - but there's been little time for blogging. It's a sin. However, I have a few recent successes that I plan to share, so at least there will be a small resurgence in 2783 Miles of Meals!!

First up, it's succulent lamb - now how can you stay mad at me? I adapted this recipe that I found through to make it a little healthier - and it turned out so well that it will be requested again soon in my house. For starters, take lamb shoulder chops (these are the best deal for the money and the amazing amount of meat you actually get from them) and rinse them lightly, then pat dry and liberally salt and pepper the chops before setting them aside.

Next, take 3 tbsp of butter and heat it in a frying pan over a medium flame. Add in 1 head of garlic, minced, and then a few shakes of dried shallots. Once the garlic has started to brown, add 1/4 cup dry white wine, about five or six freshly chopped rosemary sprigs, 2 tsp of allspice and 2 tsp of dried thyme. Once this has all mixed together, say another two minutes, pour the mixture out and set aside.

While the pan is still hot, add the chops and brown them on both sides, which should take about three minutes per side. You do not want to cook the lamb all the way through - just to brown the exterior.

Take the chops and place them into a baking/pyrex dish that's filled with approximately 3/4 cup of low-sodium vegetable broth and a couple more unchopped cloves of garlic. Gently baste the tops of chops with the broth (you don't want them to be submerged) and then pour the butter and herb mixture on top of each chop. Place the lamb into the oven at 340 degrees and let it cook for about 90 minutes.

Paired with green beans crisped in lemon juice with cracked black peppercorns and oven roasted mini gold new potatoes.

- Melissa

Bourbon Cream Cheese Filled Strawberries with A Blueberry on Top

     I know it's a little late to be putting out a recipe that you could have used on the 4th but, here it is.  I was cutting up some strawberries for my daughter, and my puppy, and out of nowhere this idea popped into my head.  Even my wife, who does not like bourbon, said she loved these!

Here is what you will need:

2 Lbs. of Strawberries
1 pt. of Blueberries
8 oz. of Cream Cheese
1 oz. of Maker's 46 Bourbon

Here is what you need to do:

     About two hours before you begin making this recipe, take out the cream cheese so it softens.  After the cream cheese is soft, mix in an ounce of Bourbon.  Put the mixture into a piping bag and set aside.  (If you don't have a piping bag, you can put two sandwich bags together, one inside the other, and cut the corner.)

     Cut the tops off of the strawberries and use your knife to core out the centers (The white part), leaving the outer (red part) in tact.  Fill the strawberries with the Bourbon cream cheese mixture and top with a blueberry.  When you are done, this is what it will look like.  Enjoy!!

- Chris  

Summertime Grilled Shrimp with Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa over Basmati Rice

     Realizing that it has been ages since I have posted to this wonderful creation, I knew that I would have to show up again with something spectacular.  As a tribute to the backbone of our blog, Melissa, Danielle and I created a dish that SCREAMS Summertime!  Welcome to the wonderful world of the Summertime Grill!

     Here is what you will need:  (This can make four servings but, it only made two for us.)

1 Pound of Shrimp (Peeled and de-veined)
1 Avocado
1 Lime
2 Ears of Sweet Corn
1 Cup of Basmati Rice
Kosher Salt (On Shrimp, and Salsa, to Taste)
Fresh Cracked Pepper (On Shrimp, to Taste)
Onion Powder (On Shrimp, to Taste)
Garlic Powder (On Shrimp, to Taste)

     And here is what you will do!

Grill the corn first, cooking until you get some nice intermittent charring and remove.  Let the corn cool and cut the kernels off, placing in a bowl.

Dice the avocado, mix with the corn, squeeze half of the lime over the salsa and add a pinch of kosher salt.

Season the shrimp with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Grill until cooked through, 450 degrees for about three minutes on each side until they turn pink and have charring on them.

When you are done, plate the food, squeeze a bit of lime juice over your meal and enjoy! 

I strongly recommend pairing this with a delicious summer beer like Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy or our personal favorite, Kona Brewing Company's Waialua Wheat.

- Chris

Asian Inspired Shrimp Tacos

Holy crap. I'm alive! The blog lives on! In the midst of yet another move across this vast country, I'm taking the time to catch up on a few things...like blogging.

This take on a shrimp taco is Asian-inspired and, like an episode of Chopped, almost seems like you just grabbed whatever was closest in the fridge and mixed it together. First take one part soy sauce, one part sriracha and one part rice wine vinegar and whisk them together. Add in sesame seeds and some grated fresh ginger (powdered will do, but it’s honestly not as potent) and then continue to whisk. If you sample it and you want more heat, add sriracha and if you prefer a little more salt, add soy sauce. 

Place the shelled and deveined shrimp – either with or without tails, your call – into the marinade and refrigerate it for up to three hours.

When you are ready to grill, you want to put the shrimp on skewers, alternating with thickly sliced sections of some jalapeño peppers, and grill them for about six minutes each side over a medium flame. For the safety of your deck...remember to soak the skewers if you’re using wooden ones to avoid any fires! 

Once the shrimp are cooked, you can remove them from the skewers or serve them on the skewers - which looks cooler if you've left the tails on.

Served with flour tortillas, diced yellow cherry tomatoes and spinach leaves. This marinade can also be used with chicken, though cooking times will differ.

- Melissa

Roasted Brussels Sprouts...give them another shot!

So neither the husband nor I were ever fans of brussels sprouts. They seemed like something you just shouldn't like.  But then, a couple weeks ago, he happened to order a dish that came with brussels sprouts. He seemed thrilled, and, having been provoked by his delighted facial expression, I tried them and was similarly impressed. These were NOT the vegetable I'd been avoiding for decades...these were tasty, salty and luscious and I vowed to recreate them at home.

First you want to blanch the brussels sprouts in a large pot of lightly salted water; should take approximately 3-4 minutes and they should turn a brighter green than before. Next you want to drain them, pat them dry and then cut each of them in half. Then place them into a mixing bowl and toss with a liberal dose of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground peppercorns and fresh sea salt. Once they are entirely coated, lie them cut-side down on a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

When they are looking sufficiently tender and browned, remove them from the oven. You can now either serve them as is (which I did the first time out) or you can kick it up another notch and toss them with a little balsamic vinegar, thyme and sliced avocado for a great salad option (which I did the second time around).

Served with brown jasmine rice and grilled mahimahi.

- Melissa

Wasabi Dipping Sauce & Fries

Not everything has to be complicated - or fattening. Sometimes you just want to enjoy some fish, a few fries and a kick in the tastebuds. Rather than just do ketchup (come on, we can do better!) or ranch (dear god, I'm sorry, that's disgusting!) I decided to try out an Asian dipping sauce to accompany said fries, which were deliciously handcut from sweet potatoes.

Anyway, I combined 1 serving of plain greek yogurt, a few splashes of lime juice, two tbsp of light sour cream, 1 tbsp of wasabi paste and zest from a piece of fresh ginger, already peeled. Simply stir this all tougher for a few seconds and then taste and adjust accordingly - personally, we added more wasabi. You can make this ahead of time and then place it in the fridge so that it will retain its consistency until dinner is ready. 

To make these (healthier) fries, I julienned two large sweet potatoes and drizzled both sides with olive oil and a little salt. Then I baked them at 350 degrees on a lightly greased cookie sheet for about 20-25 minutes, flipping them once. I then turned the broiler on low and let them cook for another 15-20 minutes to get them crisp, again, flipping them once.

Served with a sesame-seed and soy albacore tuna steak and a side of edamame.

- Melissa

Arugula, Feta & Bacon Quiche

I know, we've been on a little bit of a break and I want to apologize. To update you, some of the contributors are still focused on their newly expanded family and others (speaking about myself here) haven't been feeling too creative lately and thusly not cooking up anything new. That being said, I am trying to get back on the horse so you all have something to read and so I feel better!

I have blogged abut quiche before (http://foodbloggers1.blogspot.com/search?q=quiche) so while this is similar, it does have a few differences that produce a new taste.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 large eggs, a splash of milk, some salt & pepper to taste and then a full container of plain, crumbled feta. Then you want to add in chopped shallots and 5 or 6 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon. Finally stir in 1-2 tsp of lemon zest, a splash of lemon juice and a full bunch of arugula, with the stems removed and torn lightly.

Whisk the ingredients together and then set them aside.

Before I forget, you need to roll the dough for the crust out flat and then gently place it into a round (pie) pyrex dish that's been lightly greased. Do your best not to tear the dough and try to get the sides to come up as close to the dish edge as you can. Then place that in the oven at 325 degrees for about 6-10 minutes and keep an eye on it. You want it to crisp up a little but not to fully cook.

Pour the mixture into the warmed, crisp crust and place it back in the oven at 340 degrees for 25 minutes. Check on it towards the end and adjust the time accordingly - you want the crust to be just browned and should be able to stick a toothpick into the quiche and have it come out clean. Let it sit for a few minutes before slicing to ensure that the pieces stay together.

The end result is not your usual cheesy quiche...it is a little more mediterranean due to the ingredients and definitely seems more like a dinner than a brunch.

Served with mixed greens.

- Melissa