What the Forks for Dinner? - Page 96 of 202 - Recipes and ideas so you never have to ask what the forks for dinner!

Bloody Mary Bruschetta

Bloody Mary, brunch booze…..the cure for a hangover? How about a super yummy topping for Bloody Mary Bruschetta?

Bloody Mary’s are a common “Hair of the Dog” drink. Its combination of tomato juice (to settle the stomach), salt (to replenish lost electrolytes) and alcohol (to relieve head and body aches). But I think, the alcohol takes the edge off. Its reputation as a hangover cure makes Bloody Mary’s in the morning and early afternoon, brunch booze.

Well, its been years since I have drank, but the flavor of a Bloody Mary can be had without booze, and anything on toasted bread is delicious.

Bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers. I learned to love it when I worked for my long time friend Michelle at a restaurant she owned. The Herb Garden Deli Cafe & Bakery. What a sweet and wonderful place it was. It expanded my foodie-ism and we put out some fancy smancy spreads. Michelle’s bruschetta was and still is my favorite, tomatoes marinated (secret) and served on toasted french bread spread with herbed goat cheese.My mouth is watering just thinking of it.

I have made many different versions of bruschetta over the years and this ranks right at the top of the list. It will never over take Michelle’s, but it is damn good!

The abundance of tomatoes at this time of year helped make this even sweeter. Fresh, ruby red, ripe tomatoes, marinated with all the tastes of a Bloody Mary, horseradish, Worcestershire, celery, and tabasco.

A creamy base, not Bloody Mary like, but really adds to the dish, made of Miracle Whip (as always use mayo if you must), horseradish, and celery seed, is spread on toasted bread and topped with the marinated tomatoes.

Garnish with extra celery seed, celery leaves, and what Bloody Mary is complete with out a pickle and a wedge of lime?

Bloody Mary Bruschetta, not a hanover cure, but a delicious appetizer cure!

Sriracha Orange Glazed Green Beans

Sometimes in the blog world you need a little help from your friends. Sriracha Orange Glazed Green Beans was a recipe I found over at Simply Recipes.

If you follow me you know I am the Food Service Director for a small town in Northern Illinois. School started this week. Can you say crazy busy??

So, I after visit to a local produce cart and purchased some really nice green beans, I needed a recipe. But, with my mind on school lunch, it was hard to focus on anything other than chicken nuggets, and school pizza. I really needed a recipe!

My go to Pinterest led me to Sriracha Orange Glazed Green Beans from Simply Recipes. Simply delicious and simply simple.

Blanch the green beans, which takes only minutes, once the water boils…..oh hum!

Give the cooked beans a quick dip in some icy water to stop the cooking process. This method gives them a beautiful green color, and a crisp snap.

In a small bowl the “dressing” is 3 simple ingredients, orange marmalade, soy sauce, and Tim’s favorite Sriracha. Spicy ketchup. It adds a little kick to the recipe.

Drain the beans and toss with the sauce……lol, I’m a poet!!

Serve at room temperature. They are the perfect side for anything grilled, or would be a nice on a Crudite Platter. Fancy French word for veggie tray.

A big thanks to Simply Recipes for giving my over worked blog brain a rest so I could focus on the busy business of feeding the future leaders of the world a nutritious breakfast and lunch!

Have some green beans to use? Try Sriracha Orange Glazed Green Beans.

BLT Pizza

When you have a garden and you plant tomatoes, they all seem to come on at once!!! What to do, what to do? BLT Pizza of course.

I don’t know about anyone else, but nothing beats a Summertime BLT, and a BLT Pizza= Summertime heaven.

There is something that just can’t beat a summer fresh from the garden tomato. The flavor is something that cannot be duplicated in any hothouse or other mass produced tomato.

Just a few thing to know about tomatoes you get at the grocery store. The ones for mass production have been breed to have tougher skin so they don’t bruise, and the skins won’t break so easily, so they have a higher yield, and are uniform in shape and size. The saddest thing is they are ALL picked green……that right green. It’s the easiest way to ship them so they are intact when they reach the store. But they never reach their full ripening potential without sunlight which gives tomatoes their wonderful flavor.

Tomatoes from a Farmers Market or home grown have a thin skin that is, for lack of a better word, fragile.Fresh home grown tomatoes almost melt in your mouth, with a sweet, juicy, rich flavor that is beyond compare. So, when in season, eat them up!

Now, for a word on bacon…….when using the best of summer tomatoes, buy good, thick cut bacon. No whimpy, skinny, no flavor bacon! Enough said!

As always, I am a Miracle Whip lover, I don’t get paid to say it, it’s just the fact! If you must use mayo…..she says with a slight gag;) Its the perfect “sauce” for a BLT Pizza

This pizza is super duper easy, so you can whip it up any weeknight. I used a pre-made crust, but you can use your own crust if you desire. If using your own, be sure to pre-bake the crust first or you will have a soggy mess.

You can make this pizza in the oven or on the grill. Whatever your pleasure.

If you love BLTs, and who doesn’t, you will love BLT Pizza. Try one this week!