My Tiny Oven: June 2012

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Cheese Sauce

I used to love the nights when we had cauliflower and cheese sauce at dinner. It didn’t happen a lot but I gotta say cheese sauce makes the world a better place!!

It is easy and so tasty, plus it is good on every vegetable you can think of, including mashed potatoes!

What you need,

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3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1½ cups milk (I used 1%, but 2% or whole would just make it even better.)

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Start by melting the butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until starting to turn golden brown.

Gradually whisk in the milk to combine. Continue to stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens up. Stir in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour liberally over the veggie of your choice, in this case cauliflower!

YUM! Cheese Sauce rocks!

Jen

Monday, June 25, 2012

Rhubarb Strawberry Mojitos

It was your typical sucky Monday, so by the time I got home from work I needed a cocktail, BAD…

As you all know Mojitos are my favorite summer beverage! I just love how cool and refreshing they are.

I had some rhubarb kicking around so I thought I would make a simple syrup and kick up my mojitos a bit.

What you need for the simple syrup:

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1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of rhubarb, chopped

1 cup strawberries, chopped

Put the sugar and water in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved add in the fruit slowly bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the heat, cover and let the mixture cool on the counter.

Pour the syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Chill this mixture for a few hours.

The simple syrup will stay good in the fridge for a week or so, just keep in in an airtight container.

To make the mojito you need,

1 oz. white rum

1 oz. of the rhubarb strawberry simple syrup

6 fresh mint leaves

½ lime cut into wedges

Ice

Club soda

In a glass place the lime wedges and mint leaves, muddle gently until the limes release their juice.

Add in the rum and simple syrup and stir. Top with ice and club soda, stir to combine.

Garnish with a lime wedge.

There you have it a twist on the usual mojito.

It was the perfect beverage, just what I needed after today!!

Jen

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Mushroom Swiss Burgers with “Wanna Be” Triple O Sauce

One of my favorite places to get a burger is White Spot. They have this Monty Mushroom Swiss Burger that I get every single time I go there.

I think the real reason I love this burger is the sauce. White Spot has a secret sauce they call Triple O Sauce, I want to marry this sauce it is so good!

I decided to try making it at home. I have to say it was close but not quite right. Don’t get me wrong this sauce was amazing, I even used it as a dip for my homemade fries, but I will have to keep tweaking to see if I can get the real Triple O Sauce.

What you need,

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1 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp. milk

1 ½ tsp. honey

1 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. ketchup

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Adjust seasoning to your taste. Let it chill in the fridge for an hour or more to give the flavors a change to mingle!

To assemble, grill up your burgers top with some lovely Swiss cheese.

Sauté up some sliced white button mushrooms in a little butter. Cook them until they are nice and cooked down, you can season them with a little salt and pepper and I like a little dash of soy sauce, I find it really brings out the mushroom flavor.

Toast your buns by buttering both sides and cooking face down in a skillet until nicely browned and crisp.

Put a good amount of the “wanna be” Triple O Sauce on the bottom bun and some red hamburger relish on the top bun.

Lay on the burger with melty Swiss, then some sautéed mushrooms. Top with crisp iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes and a pickle if you like.

Get a couple of napkins and stuff this amazing burger in your face!

If anyone out there has any insider info on what is really in Triple O Sauce, let me know!

Jen

Friday, June 22, 2012

Favourite Things Friday Vol 30

Howdy friends! I am so happy it is finally Friday. Whew, what a week.

I thought since yesterday was the first day of Summer, I would share with you 15 of my favourite Summer recipes. They are all perfect for summer get togethers with friends and family.

Caprese Skewers, so easy to make for a crowd.