Union Station Denver

My hubby had a birthday last week.  He spent his birthday morning and afternoon skiing (how royally great to be able to ski on a random Friday off in May, which happens to be your birthday...because Mary Jane extended the ski season 2 extra weeks!), then we headed out for 24 hours. I planned our short adventure just 20 minutes away from our house at the newly renovated  Union Station in Denver.

 I thought it would be fun to spend our 24 kid-free hours checking out 

Union Station, because 4 years ago (can it really be that long ago?)

this was our view, for our first 5 months in Colorado.  .

 The Crawford Hotel is right inside the station.  Lovely!

The room we stayed in was so cozy, and it was fun to be staying

right were all the action was, since our trip was so quick.

 Terminal Bar had a wide array of local beers, cocktails and light fare.  

 We sat on the Terminal Bar patio for an hour, sampling beers 

(I still hate beer) and took in some amazing people watching.

 Shuffle board.

 The art deco details throughout Union Station were nearly too much

for my heart.  I loved every corner.  This is a snap of the bar

on the mezzanine level, just above the Terminal Bar.

 Interior of one of the many restaurants onsite, Stoic & Genuine. 

This restaurant was not an option for me, because of my fake

seafood allergy, but check out the sick interior.  In love.

There is zero chance you will leave Union Station hungry.

 After dinner, we popped into Milkbox Ice Creamery, inside 

Union Station.  They serve Little Man ice cream, which is

about the best thing ever (and we used to walk to Little Man, just across 

the river from our apartment that overlooked Union Station)!  

We took our ice cream outside and sat by the fountains. 

I quickly decided I need to plan a day trip down with the kids, 

via the light rail because they would

love to run through the water (the restaurants along the linear

fountains have towels for guests to dry off, perfection!)

 After ice cream, I marveled once more at the

interior design inside the station.  I also

contemplated ways to shove this chair in

my backpack.  I then wish I had packed

like Lane from Gilmore Girls, when she

headed back to Korea! See below.

 We headed to bed and I slept like a bug in a fancy rug

buried in all the cozy blankets that adorned the bed.

The next morning, we woke up and stumbled down

the stairs right into Snooze Eatery.  I mean,

could it get any better than that!  There is

always a wait at Snooze, but on this cool

morning, no one wanted to sit outside, but 

we kids with our Minnesota blood pumping, 

took a table out there and it was glorious!

 Zac and I shared the breakfast pot pie

(helloooo rosemary sausage gravy and 

puff pastry. Wanna get married?)

and the OMG! French Toast.

The mascarpone stuffed french toast was 

topped with vanilla crème, salted caramel, fresh 

strawberries and toasted coconut.  Ridiculous! 

We walked around downtown until the wind 

shifted and brought rain, but that was the

perfect excuse to go crawl back into bed until

we got the boot at check out.  

 

So...the short story is:

GO CHECK OUT UNION STATION DENVER!

xo.

South of the Boarder Smothered Corn on the Cob

I can't even!  This is absolutely the tasty thing ever, and here's the

recipe just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations 

and backyard picnics and cookouts. 

What you need:

cooked corn on the cob, set to room temperature (make in advance, chill)

Hellman's mayonnaise 

chipotle chili powder (sub chili powder, if you want flavor but no heat)

queso fresco (a chunk that can crumble)

On a prep surface, crumble queso fresco.

Mix the mayonnaise with the chipotle chili powder (make it

as spicy as you want.  I did 1/4 cup mayonnaise to 1 & 1/2 tsp powder)

Spread the mayonnaise onto the cooled corn (1-2 Tablespoons),

covering the surface.  Then roll in the crumbled cheese. 

Messy, but worth it. 

Seriously, this is ridiculous!  The sweet of the corn balances so 

nicely with the tang and spice of the chipotle mayonnaise and

the crumble cheese coating brings it all together!

xo.

Picnic BLTs

Several things in this great life give me great happiness, and I feel so lucky that I got to enjoy a few of my favorites, all squished into one night last week.  A picnic at Chatauqua Park in Boulder with girlfriends, before catching one of my favorite musical groups, The Indigo Girls, play at the auditorium at Chatauqua (which after Red Rocks is my most favorite of concert venues as it feels so very much like the mess hall at the summer camp I grew up at).  Oh, and I made BLTs for said picnic, so that is a grand tally of 4 of my favorites, in one night.

BLTs are classic.  They are summer.  They are picnic.  But...are you like me and are kind of ruded out by how soggy the bread is by the time you open your picnic basket, because of the (delicious, summer time favorite, for reals...just not here) tomatoes?  Well, I solved that problem years ago with delicious sun-dried tomato mayonnaise.

What you need:

bacon

3 T brown sugar

cracked black pepper

mayonnaise

sun-dried tomatoes

loaf of bread (ciabatta was my pick)

lettuce greens

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a piece of parchment paper.

Place bacon and sprinkle with 3 T brown sugar and a very generous

crack of black pepper.

Bake in a 375 preheated oven for 20-23 minutes. If you 

want crisper bacon, watch oven closely as the sugar

will cause a quick burn, towards the end of bake time.

Delicious peppery, sweet bacon!  This is after 20 minutes bake time.

I promptly prop the baking sheet, so all the bacon grease will

drain off to the bottom, as it is impossible to 'blot' bacon that

has been baked in sugar...unless you love eating 

delicious peppery, sweet, PAPER coated bacon!

 Place 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained) and 1 cup mayonnaise

in a food processor.  Pulse until the tomatoes are fully 

broken down and incorporated throughout.

This recipe will make much more that you will need for this Picnic

BLT, but be prepared to thank me as it is good on everything!

 I placed the sun-dried tomato mayonnaise in the deli container that

first housed the oil soaked tomatoes.  I did drain off most of the oil

before pulsing, but did not think to wipe the container clean.

But...a little sun-dried tomato infused oil will do zero harm to

this goodness.

I like to make in advance to allow the flavors to love each other up,

at least over night.

 Holy Toledo, this might be the best store bought 'artisan' bread
ever.  I picked it up at King Soopers (Krogers).

I used a serrated knife to slice the loaf in half, then popped it in the
oven (with the loaf closed up) to allow the outside to toast up a bit.
350 degrees for 8- 10 minutes.  It was good and crusty on the
outside when I pulled it out.  I then opened and gave the bread 10 minutes
to cool down then generously slathered the bread with the sun-dried
tomato mayonnaise.

Layer on the candied bacon and a huge, heaping pile of greens.

 No words!  Cut how you wish OR pretend you are Rodney
Dangerfield in the 'sandwich scene' from Back to School
and eat the whole thing!  Here is the clip from the movie, if you
are all like, this B be crazy!

I wrapped each cut of sandwich in parchment.

The sandwiches joined iced coffee, palmier cookies and raspberry
and dark chocolate brownie & mousse trifles, as my picnic
contributions.  My girlfriends and I were so on point with our
picnic planning that our spread was one for the books.
I will later blog the palmier and trifle recipes, but until then
try these legit BLTs! Oh, and as usual...The Indigo Girls
were AmazeFest!

xo

Tater Tot Hotdish Burger

The cool weather of late (of course, not today) has me in a 

Minnesota State (Fair) of Mind! 

It might also be that I just saw the official roll out of new delicacies

on a stick that one can find at said fair...but regardless of the reason

this little creation I dreamed up a few weeks ago has me thinking

of home.

Two things that Minnesotans love: Hot dish (anything baked in a 

casserole dish, for those not in the know) and Burgers. 

Minnesotans especially love the classic Tater Tot Hotdish, which

is a ground hamburger and cream of mushroom soup base, topped

with tater tots.  Sounds rather rude, but it is perfection in a 9x13.

 Marrying these two favorites seems like a no brainer, 

SO WHY DID I JUST THINK OF THIS? 

Oh dear lord, this is absolutely a must try.  

And on the plate in under 30 minutes...what are you waiting for?

 What you need?

burgers (however you like: turkey, veggie, beef, buffalo)

frozen tater tots

3/4 cup yellow onion (chopped)

3/4 cup mushrooms (dry cleaned and chopped)

6 oz. whipped cream cheese

hamburger buns

salt & pepper

oil for sauteing

Saute the onions and mushrooms in 2 T. oil, generously cracking

salt and pepper while they cook down over medium heat.  

Do this while cooking the burger, season each side of the 

burger with salt and pepper.

Also oven cook tater tots (according to package directions)

 When the onions are transluesent and the mushrooms are soft, 

turn off the heat and fold in 6 oz of whipped cream cheese.

This will act as the "cream of mushroom soup" 

component of the classic Tater Tot Hotdish.

 Building the perfect Tater Tot Hotdish Burger:

bottom toasted bun

burger

generous dollop of creamy mushrooms and onions

5 crispy tater tots

top with the other toasted bun.

And because gluttony likes green company,

serve with a mixed greens salad.

I want full report, if you make this for your

great aunt in Northern Minnesota.

xo.

Fig & Arugula Flat Bread

Last weekend as my friend and I wandered up Main Street in Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival we were invited to "lunch" by a sponsor of the events.  Dear Lord, their idea of lunch and our idea of lunch...different planets.  Though, I am so thankful we popped in as they were serving up  an amuse bouche of the most amazing flat bread I have ever had the pleasure of trying, and thanks to a few ingredients I had on hand I decided to attempt a copy cat version.  I think I won, as it tastes pretty spot on.

 

What you need:

  Flat Bread

Fig Spread

Honey

Arugula

Gruyere Cheese

White Truffle Oil

Sea Salt Flakes

On a baking sheet I placed store bought naan (which is a freezer

staple, in this house.  These were smaller in size, found at Costco). 

I topped each naan with a heaping tablespoon of Fig Butter (Trader Joe's)

 

 Lightly drizzle with honey

My little Benny is obsessed with the honey bear. He carries

it around and pats it on the back, like a baby doll.  It is the cutest/

messiest little thing ever, as I am constantly checking 'baby' to

make sure it isn't leaking all over the house.  

 Top with slices of Gruyere cheese.  

My sous chef Logi used the slicer to slice all of the cheese.  She was so proud.

Place baking sheet in a 350 degree oven and bake for 6-8 minutes,

 until the cheese is melted.

Immediately top warm flat breads with arugula,

then drizzle on white truffle oil and generously 

sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

This can be served as an entree, or sliced small

as a starter (or lunch, if you are a vendor during Sundance)

I am patting myself on the back as this is so spot on to the deliciousness

we wanted more of last week!  The blend of sweet from the fig and honey is 

perfectly balanced with the tender bite of gruyere cheese, the pepper of the

arugula and the buttery love of the white truffle oil.  

Oh and it was on the plate to be gobbled up within 20 minutes.

Frito Chili Grilled Cheese

 

If your going to mess with Frito chili, you might as well shove it in a grilled cheese.  Right?  Well, the thought came to me, I went with it and... OH MY. 

What you need:

sliced bread

tomato slices

shredded cheese (any variety you have on hand)

Frito chips

chili 

hot sauce (optional, but quite important if you ask me!)

I made up a batch of chili, to try this out.  I eliminated a lot of the

liquid that is normally found in a bowl of chili.  I browned 1 lb. of 97% lean

ground beef with a large onion, diced.  Once cooked I added chili powder,

sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. 

 Once I thought it was perfect I added a few T. ketchup.  Then hot sauce!

You could certainly make life even easier by subbing a package of chili

seasoning...then add the ketchup and hot sauce to taste.

On a hot skillet melt a bit of butter and start layering on the base bread.

 

You could also bake these sandwiches, which I would do if I was making 

multiples.  On a parchment lined baking sheet build the sandwiches,

spreading a bit of butter on the top piece of bread and bake at 

375 for 12-17 minutes.  Until the bread is golden and a bit crusty

and cheese is melted and gooey.

I mean...whaaaat!  This is for sure will change up your thoughts

on grilled cheese!  I think I will be baking a bunch of these up for a

football party ASAP!  

And as Cousin Eddie (National Lampoons Vacation) so eloquently put it:

I don't know why they call this stuff hamburger helper. It does just fine by itself, huh?

I like it better than tuna helper myself, don't you, Clark?

October Fest Egg Bake

 

Just under the end-of-October-wire I knocked out this egg bake today.

I have been thinking about it for weeks (as pretzel buns feel like a pantry

staple this time of year AND who doesn't love an egg bake on a Sunday morning?)

Slice (or chop, however you desire) a large yellow onion, over medium/high

heat slowly saute with 3 T of butter.  Add salt & pepper.

After ~10 minutes the onions will be soft and translucent. Transfer to 

a bowl and pop in the refrigerator to cool.

Some of the other ingredients, in addition to the sauteed onions:

pretzel buns

peppers (mild, slightly sweet)

sausages (any variety would work just fine)

 3 T spicy brown mustard

Not pictured:

shredded cheese (any variety will do, so use up what you have)

Eggs (I used a 32 ounce carton of egg whites)

Wash the peppers, cut off the tops, and cut down the middle lengthwise.

Use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds. Then chop the peppers.

 I did to say how much peppers to add, as you can add as little or many

to your liking.  I cut enough peppers to yield 1/2 cup chopped.

I cubed 6 cups of pretzel buns.  To the bowl of sauteed onions I added

the chopped peppers, spicy brown mustard and sausages.  

 Place the pretzel bun chunks in the base of a greased pan (this oval

is just  a couple inches shy of being the equivalent of a 9x13 pan).

Top the pretzel chunks with the onion & sausage mixture.

Top with cheese (I used 2 cups total of shredded jack, asiago and parmesan)

Like I said, any cheese will work. I had a bag of shredded jack in the

refrigerator and always seem to have a wedge of parmesan and asiago on

hand.  The combo of these cheeses was excellent!

Top with eggs (I used a 32 ounce carton of egg whites) that have been 

whipped with salt and pepper and cover for the night.  

A true egg bake always sits in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350, uncover the 

dish and bake for ~1 hour.

The egg bake will be golden brown, crusty and puffy like a souffle!

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving!

It's probably appropriate to serve this with beer, at breakfast!