The Freshman Cook: June 2018

Friday, June 29, 2018

Stuffed S'mores / #CookOutWeek

It's always fun to end a cookout with s'mores! The creamy, gooey marshmallow, the melty, drippy chocolate, and those just a little soft, but still crispy graham crackers. They have been my favorite summer treat since I was a little girl.
But today I wanted to share my recipe for Stuffed S'mores, which are the S'mores that we have all come to love, but with a yummy twist!

Stuffed S'mores
printable recipe at end of page

3/4 pound Milk Chocolate (I used Trader Joes)
12 Jumbo Marshmallows
1 package Graham Crackers
Mini Marshmallows

Melt the chocolate over low heat using a double boiler.

While the chocolate is melting, using a cupcake plunger, or something similar, make a hole in the center of the marshmallow. Don't go all the way down to the bottom of the marshmallow.

You want to leave the bottom marshmallow alone, so the chocolate will not seep through the marshmallow.

Once the chocolate is melted, dip the marshmallow in to the chocolate, on the opposite side of where you put the hole. Make sure to get the chocolate on the bottom and up the sides a little bit.

Then dip the chocolate covered part of the marshmallow into the crushed graham cracker crumbs.

Turn the marshmallows upside down and refrigerate until they are set up.

Fill each of the holes with the chocolate ganache. Refrigerate again.

Cut the graham crackers into 1/4ths. Place the graham cracker piece into the back of the chocolate on each marshmallow. Place 1-3 mini marshmallows in front of the graham crackers.

Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows. All the marshmallows can be made up to this point and refrigerated. Take them out of refrigeration about 30 minutes before serving. Then toast with torch right before serving. Enjoy your S'mores!

This is my last #CookoutWeek recipe,

and I hope you enjoyed all of them.

Here are the others, in case you missed them!

Southwestern Cactus Needle Pasta Salad

Southern Pork and Slaw

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Enter here!

Check out todays tasty recipes from the rest of the #CookoutWeek Bloggers!

An InLinkz Link-up

Author: The Freshman Cook

Stuffed S'mores

ingredients:

3/4 pound Milk Chocolate

12 Jumbo Marshmallows

1 package Graham Crackers

Mini Marshmallows

instructions:

Melt the chocolate over low heat using a double boiler.
While the chocolate is melting, using a cupcake plunger, or something similar, make a hole in the center of the marshmallow. Don't go all the way down to the bottom of the marshmallow.
You want to leave the bottom marshmallow alone, so the chocolate will not seep through the marshmallow.
Once the chocolate is melted, dip the marshmallow in to the chocolate, on the opposite side of where you put the hole. Make sure to get the chocolate on the bottom and up the sides a little bit.
Then dip the chocolate covered part of the marshmallow into the crushed graham cracker crumbs.
Turn the marshmallows upside down and refrigerate until they are set up.
Fill each of the holes with the chocolate ganache. Refrigerate again.
Cut the graham crackers into 1/4ths. Place the graham cracker piece into the back of the chocolate on each marshmallow. Place 1-3 mini marshmallows in front of the graham crackers.
Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows. All the marshmallows can be made up to this point and refrigerated. Take them out of refrigeration about 30 minutes before serving. Then toast with torch right before serving. Enjoy your S'mores!

Created using The Recipes Generator

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Celebrate It! Blog Link Party!

Thank so much for stopping by tonight!

Link up what you have been creating!

I can't wait to Celebrate! with you!

DIY Lemon Garland for Under $25
from
Centsible Chateau

Easy Egg Benedict
from
Life of 2 Snowbirds

How to Make Easy Patriotic Art w/ Fabric Scraps
from
The Boondocks Blog

Let the party begin!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Southern Pork and Slaw Dog / #CookoutWeek

We are celebrating #CookoutWeek again today with this Southern Pork and Slaw Dog! This tasty hot dog was my husbands invention. We love to go to a local BBQ restaurant near our house, and it has become a favorite. My husband has taken to buying a hot dog when we go to the restaurant, and doctoring it up with the BBQ meal that I usually order. It is awesome! This recipe is a take off on our favorite hot dog!

I usually have this BBQ and Slaw in my fridge, and that is what I used for the pork and slaw portion of the recipe. I also have an Oven Baked BBQ w/ Vinegar BBQ Sauce recipe, that would be perfect for these Pork and Slaw Dogs also!

Southern Pork and Slaw Dog
(printable recipe at end of page)

Pork and Slaw recipe (click the link)
Black Angus Hot Dogs
Potato Roll Hot Dog Bun
Mustard
Diced Onions
Hot Dog Chili (I used Texas Pete's)
French Fries
Pork and Beans

Cook the pork recipe and make the slaw recipe. (or your favorite slaw) Score hot dogs and cook on the grill, turning when needed.

Add mustard, onion and chili.

Add slaw.

Add pork, french fries, and beans. Even if you are not a hot dog lover, you will love this sandwich! It is so full of flavor, with a little heat, a little sweet, some crunch, and juicy pork!

Don't forget about our giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by and joining me today! Don't forget to join in the giveaway------- Click Here

Enjoy #CookoutWeek recipes from these bloggers:

An InLinkz Link-up

Author: The Freshman Cook

Southern Pork and Slaw Dog

ingredients:

Pork and Slaw recipe (click the link)

Black Angus Hot Dogs

Potato Roll Hot Dog Bun

Mustard

Diced Onions

Hot Dog Chili (I used Texas Pete's)

French Fries

Pork and Beans

instructions:

Cook the pork recipe and make the slaw recipe. (or your favorite slaw) Score hot dogs and cook on the grill, turning when needed.
Add mustard, onion and chili.
Add slaw.
Add pork, french fries, and beans. Even if you are not a hot dog lover, you will love this sandwich! It is so full of flavor, with a little heat, a little sweet, some crunch, and juicy pork!

Created using The Recipes Generator

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Southwestern "Cactus Needle" Pasta Salad / #CookoutWeek

Welcome to #CookoutWeek!

This is the beginning of a fun week full of recipes for cookouts and summer meals. Read all about it below, and don't forget to enter the giveaway! It is huge! Good Luck!

But first, I want to share with you a salad I love to make and enjoy in the summer when it is hot. This salad is cool and refreshing and it is a great dish for serving a group of family and friends!
I call this dish Southwestern "Cactus Needle" Pasta Salad, not because I used cactus needles, of course, but because I made this salad with little tiny pieces of pasta called "Fideo", and they remind me of cactus needles. This pasta salad also includes little chunks of Chayote, which is a mexican squash, veggies such as tomatoes, onions, and roasted corn, and a homemade dressing that brings all these flavors together perfectly! This salad goes well with any entree, from a delicious steak to a tasty grilled hot dog!

Southwestern Cactus Needle Pasta Salad
(printable recipe at end of page)

3 1/2 ounces Fideo Pasta (1/2 of a bag)
1 medium sized Chayote
1 red and 1 orange Mini Pepper
1 large Green Onion
1/2 cup Roasted Corn
15 Cherry Tomatoes
1/3 cup cooked Black Beans
1 Avocado
5 ounces Queso Fresco

Dressing
2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Sour Cream
1/4 cup Minced Garlic
pinch of Chipotle Chili Powder
1/4 Lime

Boil the pasta according to package directions. It should boil for approx. 7 minutes. Let cool completely.

This is what a Chayote looks like. This one is rather large, and a smaller one would be acceptable for this recipe. Place the Chayote in a pan covered with water. Turn heat to medium high. If it boils, that is fine. A Chayote this large takes about 20-25 minutes to soften. A smaller one will take less. Check for tenderness every 5-10 minutes. Once it is tender, remove from heat and use a peeler to remove the outer skin. It should come off easily. Set aside to cool.

While the Chayote is cooking and cooling, chop the peppers.

Chop the onion, and slice tomatoes in half.

Roast the corn. It is easy to pan roast corn. Melt butter in a frying pan, with the heat on medium high. Add the corn. Let it sit for a minute, then swirl the pan around covering the corn with butter. Let corn cook for a few minutes, then turn corn over as it begins to brown. Remove from heat when you are happy with the color.

Make dressing by mixing together the mayo and sour cream. Add in the minced garlic. I buy mine from Target, already minced, in a jar. It is amazing! Add in the chipotle powder. Whisk together. Add the juice from the lime. When I need to add fresh juice, I use a garlic press. I have arthritis, and I can't press on the fruit anymore to get all the juice. The garlic press works so well. I roll the fruit to make it tender, then I cut the fruit to fit the press, and do it several times with more fruit if needed. So easy! Whisk everything together and refrigerate.

Now that the Chayote is cooled, remove the seed from the middle, and throw away.

Slice the Chayote and the chop into bite size pieces.

Start putting everything together by filling the bowl with the pasta, vegetables, beans, and the chopped Chayote. Hold back the avocado and cheese, and mix in the dressing.

When you are ready to serve, add the avocado and crumble the cheese over the salad.

Enjoy the salad!

Thank you for stopping by today! Keep scrolling down the page for a copy of my recipe and read about all the other recipes and the giveaway.! Don't forget to enter!

#CookoutWeek 2018 is here! During the next week, I am joining over 50 of my blogger friends to celebrate summer by posting delicious cookout-themed recipes. If you love grilling, frozen treats, picnics, berries, s'mores, campfire meals, and other summer goodies... you are in the right place!

This week, we are also hosting a HUGE giveaway thanks to our generous #CookoutWeek sponsors. Enter below to win. Here's what one lucky person will receive:

Char-Broil Classic 280 2-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill from blog hosts The PinterTest Kitchen. This grill has 280 square inches of cooking space over porcelain-coated grates and two 12-inch side shelves for extra prep space.

A Red KitchenAid Mixer and 5 Flavored Butters from our friends at Chef Shamy. Make the World a Butter Place® with Chef Shamy! The winner will receive Garlic Butter, Cinnamon Brown Sugar Honey Butter, Vanilla Bean Honey Butter, Strawberry Honey Butter, and French Onion Butter with Asiago Cheese to use in your favorite cookout recipes. And if you just can't wait, use 10BUTTER10 starting today to get 10% off your Chef Shamy butter order on Amazon. These butters contain no oil, and the savory butters are perfect for keto recipes.

A Duck Product Pack from our friends at Maple Leaf Farms consisting of 2 pkgs All Natural Boneless Duck Breasts (7.5 oz), 2 pkgs Fully Cooked Roast Half Ducks w/Orange Sauce (14 oz), 1 pkg Duck Bacon (12 oz), and 1 pkg All Natural Duck Legs (16 oz). Maple Leaf Farms is celebrating its 60th anniversary raising White Pekin ducks on local, family-owned farms.

Butter-flavored Organic Coconut Oil from our friends at Barlean's. This dairy free option offers all the healthy benefits of organic coconut oil, with the rich taste of butter. It's great on toast, popcorn, baked potatoes, or cooked vegetables. You can also substitute it 1:1 for butter in baking, cooking, and frying, and of course it is perfect as a butter substitute for all your favorite cookout recipes.

24 Cartons of Vinegar Shots from our friends at Vermont Village. You'll receive 12 cartons of turmeric flavor and 12 cartons of cranberry flavor. Each carton contains 12 individual, 1 fluid ounce vinegar shot pouches! This raw, organic apple cider vinegar has rich flavors from whole foods and is sweetened naturally with honey.

That's a prize pack worth over $750! To enter, follow our sponsors and bloggers on social media by entering your information below: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's a full list of the bloggers participating in #CookoutWeek 2018!
You can find yummy recipes by checking out any of the links below:

An InLinkz Link-up

The PinterTest Kitchen ♥

2 Cookin Mamas ♥

A Day in the Life on the Farm ♥

A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures ♥

April GoLightly ♥

Authentically Candace ♥

Blogghetti ♥

Body Rebooted ♥

Bottom Left of the Mitten ♥

Cheese Curd In Paradise ♥

Chef Sarah Elizabeth ♥

Coconut & Lime ♥

Cookaholic Wife ♥

CookwithRenu ♥

Daily Dish Recipes ♥

Everyday Eileen♥

Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice ♥

Family Around the Table ♥

Fix Me a Little Lunch ♥

For the Love of Food ♥

Frankly Entertaining ♥

Frugal & Fit ♥

Get the Good Stuff! ♥

Hardly A Goddess ♥

Herbivore Cucina ♥

Join Us, Pull up a Chair ♥

Jolene's Recipe Journal ♥

Jonesin' For Taste ♥

Karen's Kitchen Stories ♥

Kelly Lynn’s Sweets & Treats ♥

Mildly Meandering ♥

Moore or Less Cooking ♥

Our Good Life ♥

Oven Tales By Syama ♥

Palatable Pastime ♥

Sarah Cooks the Books ♥

Savory Moments ♥

Seduction In The Kitchen ♥

Strawberry Blondie Kitchen ♥

Sweet Coralice ♥

Tampa Cake Girl ♥

Technotini ♥

That Recipe ♥

The Baking Fairy ♥

The Beard and The Baker ♥

The Freshman Cook ♥

The Simple Supper ♥

The Spiffy Cookie ♥

The Weekday Gourmet ♥

This is How I Cook ♥

Who Needs A Cape? ♥

Wildflour's Cottage Kitchen ♥

Comment below with your favorite cookout recipe!

Yield: 8-10Author: The Freshman Cook

Southwestern "Cactus Needle" Pasta Salad

ingredients:

3 1/2 ounces Fideo Pasta (1/2 of a bag)

1 medium sized Chayote

1 red and 1 orange Mini Pepper

1 large Green Onion

1/2 cup Roasted Corn

15 Cherry Tomatoes

1/3 cup cooked Black Beans

1 Avocado

5 ounces Queso Fresco

Dressing

2 tablespoon Mayonnaise

2 tablespoon Sour Cream

1/4 cup Minced Garlic

pinch of Chipotle Chili Powder

1/4 Lime

instructions:

Boil the pasta according to package directions. It should boil for approx. 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
This is what a Chayote looks like. This one is rather large, and a smaller one would be acceptable for this recipe. Place the Chayote in a pan covered with water. Turn heat to medium high. If it boils, that is fine. A Chayote this large takes about 20-25 minutes to soften. A smaller one will take less. Check for tenderness every 5-10 minutes. Once it is tender, remove from heat and use a peeler to remove the outer skin. It should come off easily. Set aside to cool.
While the Chayote is cooking and cooling, chop the peppers.
Chop the onion, and slice tomatoes in half.
Roast the corn. It is easy to pan roast corn. Melt butter in a frying pan, with the heat on medium high. Add the corn. Let it sit for a minute, then swirl the pan around covering the corn with butter. Let corn cook for a few minutes, then turn corn over as it begins to brown. Remove from heat when you are happy with the color.
Make dressing by mixing together the mayo and sour cream. Add in the minced garlic. I buy mine from Target, already minced, in a jar. It is amazing! Add in the chipotle powder. Whisk together. Add the juice from the lime. When I need to add fresh juice, I use a garlic press. I have arthritis, and I can't press on the fruit anymore to get all the juice. The garlic press works so well. I roll the fruit to make it tender, then I cut the fruit to fit the press, and do it several times with more fruit if needed. So easy! Whisk everything together and refrigerate.
Now that the Chayote is cooled, remove the seed from the middle, and throw away.
Slice the Chayote and the chop into bite size pieces.
Start putting everything together by filling the bowl with the pasta, vegetables, beans, and the chopped Chayote. Hold back the avocado and cheese, and mix in the dressing.
When you are ready to serve, add the avocado and crumble the cheese over the salad.
Enjoy the salad!

Created using The Recipes Generator

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Celebrate It! Blog Link Party!

Hi Everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by for the party!

Starting today, the Celebrate It! Link Party will open at 7pm on Thursdays. It will still end on Monday night at midnight! Let's get started and link up!