Beef's Calico Baked Beans

1/2lb diced bacon
1/2lb ground beef
1 large chopped onion

Saute bacon in a large oven proof pot. Add beef and onion. Add the following to the mixture.

2T white sugar
1/3c packed brown sugar
1/4c ketchup
1/4c BBQ sauce
2T mustard
2T molasses
1/2t chili powder
1t salt
1/2t pepper
1 - 16 oz kidney beans
1 - 16 oz garbanzo beans
1 - 28 oz pork & beans

Cover and bake at 350 for an hour. Uncover if mixture is too juicy.

These rock for non-veggies at our 4th of July neighborhood BBQ!

Simple Supper: Pasta w/Broc & Pesto

Simplest dinner ever. When I was in Guanaguato, Tom made penne w/steamed broccoli and fresh pesto. Honestly, I didn't think it sounded that interesting but changed my tune after my fourth helping. I made it as soon as I got home and the rest of the fam felt the same.

1lb pasta of choice
1 head chopped/steamed broccoli. I chop mine fine so it doesn't need to be cut
1.5 to 1c pesto of your choice. Fresh, bought. ... it all works
Top w/fresh grated parm.

Yard Happenings

Turner Ladies in Lousiville

At 211 Clover with Hunter, Ches, & Beef

Richardson and Garvey Boys on the Run

Five boys under the age a 9 makes for an active evening!

L'artiste

Will's been spending a lot of time at his easel recently

Go Brasil

Ben doing his part at Muir Beach

Pancetta Salmon Kebabs with Parsley Vinaigrette

There's a reason this recipe is on the cover of Sunset this month. I've had these kebabs twice so far this week and loved them both times. Double the dressing recipe to use on a salad.

At Flying Fish restaurant in Seattle, chef Christine Keff makes this super-easy, luscious recipe with fillets. It's worth it to buy really good oil and vinegar for the vinaigrette—you'll taste the difference. You'll need 8 (10-in.) skewers; soak wooden ones in water 4 hours to prevent burning.

Total: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons good-quality red wine vinegar, such as Kimberley
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds skinned king or coho salmon fillet (1 in. thick), cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Combine 1/4 cup oil, the vinegar, garlic, salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat grill to high (450° to 550°). In a large bowl, combine remaining tbsp. oil with remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper. Turn salmon in oil to coat.

3. Set out rows of 3 salmon chunks on a work surface. Unroll pancetta slices into strips and wrap strips once or twice around salmon, weaving long pieces between chunks. Skewer each row of salmon with chunks slightly separated.

4. Oil cooking grate, using tongs and a wad of oiled paper towels. Set kebabs on grate, then grill, covered, turning once, until fish is barely cooked through, 4 minutes.

5. Arrange kebabs on plates. Stir parsley into dressing; spoon on top of kebabs. Serve with warm, crusty bread for dunking.

Little/Big Bro Comes to Visit

Todd comes to hang w/the Americas en route to Tahoe.

Green Chili Pistachio Mole Sauce and Cilantro Lime Rice

I came back from Guanajuato hankering for more of the tasty food I had there. The Pistachio Mole from Las Mercedes was amazing so I found a post online and it turned out good. The rice was behind the mole recipe so I made both. The recipes are from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

Comments are in red italics.

The Green Chili Pistachio Mole Sauce

1 cup shelled pistachios
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 tomatillos, husked, washed, and roughly chopped or 1 1/2 cups canned tomatillos, drained
2 serrano chilies or 1 jalapeno peppers; halved, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 (1inch) cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 whole cloves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 cups plus 1 cup water or chicken stock
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime

For the spices I googled the translation to powdered spices for cinnamon and cloves b/c its what I had on hand.

To prepare the Green chili pistachio mole sauce:

Toast the pistachios in a large, dry, deep skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly browned. Remove the pan and reserve.
add the love oil to the pan and saute the tomatillos, chilies, onion, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves over medium heat for 3 minutes, until they begin to brown.

Place the sauteed tomatillo mixture, cilantro, and browned pistachios in a blender with 3 cups water or stock and puree until smooth.

Take out cinnamon stick and 2 cloves before blending if you don't use the powdered versions.

Place the pureed mixture back into the skillet, and bring it to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and cook slowly for 30 minutes, gradually adding more water or stock until the medium-thick sauce is formed(it will coat a spoon). Season with the salt and lime juice. Source: The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

I made this in the AM and reheated and it worked well. Also made enough that there was plenty for drenching the rice too.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups water
1 cup basmati rice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced ( 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste
2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups washed finely chopped baby spinach
3 scallions, finely chopped
Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Ad the rice, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lime juice, and salt, and reduce to medium heat. Stir gently, cover, and simmer slowly for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Leave the rice covered so the steam stays in, making the rice fluffy.
Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, spinach, scallions, and the salt. Combine thoroughly. Source: ( The Whole Foods Market Cookbook)

I made the recipe using my rice cooker but added in the lime juice at the end b/c the original post said that the lime got muted in the cooking.

Popsicle Break

Focused snackers on a hot day.

Building Muscle

A little teamwork with Brendan to move Ben around the yard.