St. Patrick’s Day Dinner: Bangers and Mash

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Last night for our St. Patty’s Day dinner we tried out a traditional Irish dish, Bangers and Mash.  Although I usually stereotype Irish food as being bland and low on flavor, this combination of pork sausage, gravy and mashed potatoes was incredible!  We’ll definitely be making this dish again!!  We adapted the recipe slightly from one that I found on AllRecipes.com.

Bangers and Mash  (serves 2-3)

You will need…
2 Large Baking Potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4-1/2 stick Butter, divided
2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3 “Banger” Pork Sausages (some stores like The Fresh Market and Whole Foods actually sell bangers; if your store doesn’t have bangers specifically then normal pork sausage will be fine)
1/2 Small Yellow Onion, roughly diced
1/2 Packet of Dry Brown Gravy Mix

Directions:

Place the quartered potatoes in a pot and fill with water until they are just covered.  Boil for approx. 20 minutes, then strain the potatoes and return to the pot.  Mash the potatoes, add 2-3 tablespoons of the butter along with the heavy cream, salt, and pepper, and then continue to mash until creamy and smooth.

In a large pan (we used our wok), sauté the bangers in the remaining butter until they are cooked through. When cooked, remove the bangers from the pan and allow to cool. In the same pan, add the diced onions and fry until tender. Add the 1/2 packet of gravy mix and water as per the gravy mix instructions to the onion mixture and allow the mixture to thicken.

Meanwhile, slice the bangers into small, bite-sized pieces. Add the bangers to the thickened onion/gravy mixture and mix thoroughly.

Assemble your bangers and mash in a small casserole dish.  We used three individual-sized dishes but you could probably use one large, shallow dish as well.  Fill the bottom half of the dish with the sausage/onion mixture.  Spoon the mashed potatoes over top of the sausage until the casserole dish is full.  Bake the casseroles in a preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes, then move the oven rack to the top position and broil for approx. 5 minutes until top of potatoes is browned.

Enjoy your bangers and mash with a side vegetable and a tall glass of your favorite beer!

Bangers and Mash with Sautéd Pancetta and Asparagus

Gardening… on Saint Patrick’s Day!

Last year I planted a little vegetable garden in a square-ish plot next to our back patio. I didn’t really know what I was doing at that time (not that I know that much more now, but I’d like to think that I have learned a little bit from last year’s garden..) but I still managed to harvest a healthy crop of basil, jalapeño peppers, mint, rosemary, and heirloom tomatoes. This year I am expanding the garden slightly and I hope to add thyme, parsley, bell peppers, and maybe even container strawberries to the mix.

A blurry photo of last year's garden

As I’ve mentioned before, we have had gorgeous weather in PA the last few weeks. Yesterday was Saint Patrick’s Day and it was 70 degrees outside!! This is unheard of and the mild temperatures are really making me want to get moving on my garden. I know that it’s too early to plan my “warm weather” veggies like tomato and basil, so I checked online to see what kind of plants could withstand a potential early-Spring frost. It turns out there are all sorts of veggies that love to be planted at this time of year including lettuce, spinach, arugula, peas, and beans. (There’s even a tradition of planting peas on St. Patty’s Day, perfect!)

We headed over to our local Home Depot and I found packets of beans and spinach seeds that boasted a mere 41-50 days to maturity. I figure that this timing should work out well so that I can harvest the spinach and pull out the bean plants just in time to plant my normal veggies at the end of April.


Back at our house, I removed the layer of shredded leaves that has been covering my garden since last fall and I turned/loosened up the soil with a shovel and a hoe. I mixed in about half a 40 lb. bag of “garden vegetable soil” and leveled the bed with my hands. I carefully planted my bean seeds (it is “bean seeds” or just ‘”beans” ? The “seeds” are just beans, after all) in the back half of the garden and then I planted my spinach seeds in four little row in the front half. I left the section of the garden next to our new trellises empty because I hope to plant moonflower and morning glory (two sun-loving, flowering vines) there very soon.

After my seeds were safely in the ground, I inserted my newly painted bright green fencing around the garden. This fence should hopefully keep Bailey out of my garden — she usually assumes that any freshly loosened soil has been created just for her digging pleasure. I learned this the hard way last year when she completely dug up my newly planted tomato and basil plants about an hour after I finished planting them! Although Bailey can easily step over my little green picket fence, it will hopefully make it less convenient for her to dig there. (After nearly 24 hours the fence is still standing and Bailey hasn’t touched the dirt yet!!)


I’m very excited to officially start gardening this year. I really had fun with my garden last summer (the constant supply of fresh basil was awesome!) and Matt and I worked hard in the Fall planting bulbs and composting fruits and veggies in a “spin bin.” (The compost isn’t really yet but it should be fully “cooked” in time for my late April veggie planting!) Below are a few photos of our plants as of today — can’t wait to see what they look like in the coming weeks!!

Garlic "Ramps" enjoying the afternoon sun

A pair of pale yellow Crocuses blooming in the back yard

We planted 150+ daffodil bulbs last Fall. The first one is blooming today!

Our beautiful pink weeping cherry tree is budding!

Crocus in the front yard

Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwiches

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Last night we bought an 8 pack of sandwich buns since we needed rolls for our yummy salmon burgers.  We knew that we’d have lots of rolls left over so we planned another sandwich-centric meal for tonight with some of my favorite grilled ingredients: sausage, peppers, and onions!  It was still 70 degrees at dinnertime so we built a fire in our fire pit and spent the evening sitting out on the patio.

Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwiches

You will need…
1 Red Pepper, cut into thin strips
1 Yellow onion, cut into thin strips
Olive Oil
2 Sausages (Matt had Kielbasa, I had Hot Italian Sausage)
4 Sandwich Buns, sliced in half lengthwise

Directions:
Place the red pepper and yellow onion on a bowl together and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat.  Transfer the peppers and onions to a grill pan and place on a preheated grill.  Cook for approximately 10 minutes until the peppers and onions are tender.  When we cook peppers and onions (or any small veggies that benefit from a good “toss” as they grill) we use a stainless steel Grill Chef’s Pan with a removable handle.

Uncooked Peppers and Onions in the Chef's Grill Pan

While the veggies cook, place the two sausages on the grill.  If you have the ability to control the heat on the sausage side of the grill, increase it to high heat (but leave the veggies at medium).  Cook the sausages over high heat for approx. 6 minutes per side (or longer if you’re using medium heat).

Sausage, Peppers and Onions Grilling

If desired, lightly toast the buns on the grill by placing them cut face down over medium heat.  Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

In order to fit the sausages neatly on our round sandwich buns, we sliced the cooked sausages in half and then sliced each piece lengthwise.  Place the sausage on the buns and top with grilled pepper and onion mixture.  Enjoy your completed sandwich while lounging outside by a fire pit if at all possible… it makes it taste even better!

Salmon Burgers with Dill Sauce, Asparagus, and Fries

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Daylight savings time has begun!  In southeastern PA our first week of daylight savings also happens to be the most beautiful week of March weather that we’ll probably ever see (65-70 degrees and sunny every day!) so we are taking full advantage of our extra hour of daylight by doing huge amounts of yard work.  Today after work Matt dug up the last of two enormous boxwood bush stumps while I cut up the boxwood branches into manageable trashcan-sized pieces.  By the time we were done our outdoor work we were tired and not in the mood to make a crazy, involved dinner.  We went to our favorite grocery store (The Fresh Market in Glen Mills) and picked up a few ingredients to make this yummy, fancy-looking meal!  (Well, I think it looked fancy… maybe it was just the rectangular plate!)

Salmon Burgers with Dill Sauce, Grilled Asparagus, and Oven-Baked Waffle Fries

You will need…
1/2 Bag of “Family Size” Alexia Waffle Fries
2 Premade Salmon Burgers (from The Fresh Market or your favorite grocery store)
Asparagus Spears (Thin, tender spears are the best!)
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to Taste
2 Hamburger-sized Sandwich Rolls, cut in half lengthwise (we used The Fresh Market’s Sandwich Rolls, sold in an 8 pack)

For the Sour Cream Dill Sauce…
3 Tablespoons Sour Cream
2 Teaspoons Dried Dill
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Spread half of the fries out on a cookie sheet and place in a preheated 400°F oven for 28 minutes (or use whatever temperature and time your oven-baked fries need).

Place a flat grill pan on your grill and preheat the grill to medium heat.  This year we’re trying out a Weber Grill Pan and so far we’ve been very happy with it.  (The Kitchenaid pan that we bought from Target didn’t hold up very well last summer.)  Place each salmon burger carefully on the preheated grill pan.  Grill the salmon burgers for approximately 7 minutes per side.

Asparagus and Salmon Burgers cooking on our Weber Grill Pan

Wash the asparagus spears and then toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Spread the asparagus spears out on the grill pan next to the salmon burgers.  Grill the asparagus for approximately 10 minutes (longer if you have thicker asparagus).

While the burgers and aspargus are grilling, assemble your sour cream dill sauce by mixing the sour cream, dill, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a small bowl.

Sour Cream Dill Sauce

When the grilling is complete, place your burgers on the sandwich rolls and top with a dollop of sour cream dill sauce.  Add your asparagus and waffle fries to the plate and voila! you have a beautiful Monday-night-of-daylight-savings meal.  Enjoy!

Linvill and Indian Orchard Trails (Middletown Trails)

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A few years ago when we lived in Media we discovered that there were miles of hiking trails in our neighboring township.  While this kind of revelation may not be that shocking for many people in most parts of the country, we live in the Philadelphia suburbs and this was quite a pleasant surprise for us.  We immediately started to explore the Middletown Township Trails and have since hiked each of the six trails multiple times.

General Location of each of the Middletown Trails

One of our favorite trails is the Linvill Trail.  It follows the perimeter of the awesome Linvilla Orchards, home of pick your own apples (and blueberries, peaches, strawberries, you name it), a brand new garden center, haunted hayrides, and, my favorite, cut your own Christmas trees.  We’ve cut down a tree with Matt’s family for the past 6+ years and we always get our tree (a frazier fir) from the pre-cut tree area in the market.

A field of Linvilla Christmas Trees

The Linvill Trail and its neighbor, the Indian Orchard Trail, wind around through beautiful, quiet woods and wide open fields.  I especially like the few spots where you suddenly stumble upon an old, crumbly spring house, a ‘hidden’ swim club, or, (my absolute favorite!!) abandoned railroad tracks.  You can take an easy detour off of the Linvill Trail and visit the Chester Creek Branch, a single track that is completely falling apart and overgrown.  (But be careful, parts will collapse and slide into Chester Creek if you don’t watch your step!!)

Eventually the Chester Creek Branch is supposed to become a Rail-Trail.  Although I know that this will be great for the overall community, I love seeing the actual abandoned tracks and having the right-of-way to ourselves.  It just won’t be the same once it’s paved over and populated with bikers and runners… Oh well!

Bailey on the Chester Creek Branch tracks looking down over Chester Creek

Another underutilized right-of-way on the Linvill Trail is the huge swath of land that has been cut back for a gas pipeline.  Although the initial lack of vegetation can be a surprise at first, I like pipeline right-of-ways because they create a whole new open area in the woods to explore.  Every once in a while you’ll come to a point where you can see along the pipeline for several hundred yards which is kind of a neat sight in an otherwise dense forest.  According to the township map, this pipeline is also slated to become a ‘future trail’ at some point.

Matt and Bailey walking down the Linvill Pipeline Right-of-Way

I’ll finish this post off with another photo of the beautiful fields of Linvilla Orchards.  For more information on the Linvill and Indian Orchard Trails, check out the trail map (with my notes!) or visit the Middletown Township Trails web site!

Linvilla Orchards

Linvill & Indian Orchard Trail Map (with my notes!) click to enlarge

Cilantro-Lime Rice

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In this recipe, simply adding some cilantro and lime can transform a mundane frozen package of Trader Joe’s white rice into a fancy-tasting side dish.  Try this with Tequila Shrimp or substitute it in for normal rice in your favorite burrito recipe.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

You will need…
2-3 tablespoons of chopped Cilantro
2 tablespoons Lime Juice
Lime Zest from one small Lime
1 pouch of frozen Trader Joe’s White Rice

Directions:
Place the Cilantro, Lime Juice and Lime Zest in a serving bowl.  Cook the packet of rice according to the package instructions (for TJ’s white rice, microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes).  Add cooked rice to serving bowl and stir to combine.

Tequila Shrimp

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We’ve had an unusually warm Winter this year.  Usually January and February are characterized by nightly (and sometimes daily) below-freezing temps, salt-brined roads, and melting snow piles in parking lots.  This year, it has hardly dipped below freezing at night and we’ve gotten a grand total of around 2 inches of snow.  It’s not all bad though because the warm temperatures mean that we can use our grill to make yummy meals like Tequila shrimp!  This recipe is from our Weber Book of Grilling with a few additions from me.

Tequila Shrimp

You will need…
1/3 cup Tequila
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Lime Juice
3-4 cloves of Minced Garlic
1 fined chopped Jalapeño Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped Cilantro
1 teaspoon ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
Place the first 8 ingredients (Tequila through Black Pepper) in a large resealable bag and ‘mix’ by squeezing/shaking the bag gently.  Add the shrimp to the bag and coat them with the marinade.  Put the bag in the fridge for approx. 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill and grill pan (we have a large wok-shaped skillet with small holes it in but a flat grill ‘tray’ works well too).  Remove the shrimp from the fridge and slide them out of the bag onto the hot grill pan.  Grill over direct heat for 3-5 minutes until they turn nice and pink.  Serve warm!

Tequila Shrimp with Cilantro-Lime Rice, Corn con Salsa Salad, and a Margarita

Delicious Sides to Serve with your Tequila Shrimp:

Addicted to DOCKDOGS!

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Back in 2009 Matt and I were watching the “Diving Dogs” in the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge on ESPN.  In this competition each dog sprinted down a 40 foot long dock and catapulted itself as far as it could go into a big pool of water.  The dog with the longest jump, a GSP named “Seven,” in that particular competition, won the event.

Bailey catches her wubba on a practice “Big Air” jump

This looked like great fun and our GSP, Bailey, had just learned how to swim and already was great at jumping over a two-rail fence in and out of my mom’s garden.  We decided to put the two skills together and try out the sport of dock diving.  We entered our first “Dockdogs” event in central PA in June 2009 and from that point on we were officially addicted to Dockdogs!

Since that first event we have traveled all over the East Coast with Bailey to compete with our Dockdogs friends and our club members from Delmarva Dockdogs.  Bailey has jumped at county fairs in New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut and Waterfowl Festivals in Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware.  The farthest we’ve traveled so far was to a Bark in the Park event in Lawrence, Ohio (about a 10 hour drive!).

Bailey shows off for a big crowd at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland

Bailey has earned an “Elite” Dockdogs title for Big Air (the long jump event that first got us hooked).  She’s also earned a “Top Gun” title in the sport of Extreme Vertical, which is a high jump competition where the dogs must knock down a bumper that’s extended up and over the pool.  Some of the high points of Bailey’s Dockdogs “career” so far are listed below.

Bailey competes in Big Air (left) and Extreme Vertical (right)

If you think Dockdogs sounds like a sport that you and your dog might enjoy, I highly recommend that you give it a try!  There are local clubs all over the country that have practices and events during the summer.  Check out www.dockdogs.com to learn more!

Bailey catapults herself off of the dock in an attempt to catch her duck

Bailey’s Top Performances:

  • #1 Ranked German Shorthaired Pointer in the Country for 2010 and 2011
  • 1st Place Elite/SuperElite Finals, 2012 Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show (Tuckerton, NJ)
  • 1st Place Elite/SuperElite Finals, 2012 Delmarva Summer Splash (Dover, DE)
  • 2nd Place Top Gun Extreme Vertical, 2012 Delmarva Summer Splash (Dover, DE)
  • 1st Place Pro Finals, Monmouth County Fair (East Freehold, NJ)
  • 2012 World Championship Invitation, Elite Big Air
  • 4th Place Elite, 2012 Eastern Regional Championships (McHenry, MD)
  • 2nd Place Top Gun Extreme Vertical, 2012 Delmarva DockDaze (Bivalve, MD)
  • 1st Place Top Gun Extreme Vertical, 2011 Ocean County Decoy Show (Tuckerton, NJ)
  • 1st Place Top Gun Extreme Vertical, 2011 Chesapeake Pondfest (Adamstown, MD)
  • 1st Place Top Gun Extreme Vertical, 2011 Delmarva Summer Splash (Dover, DE)
  • 1st Place Pro Finals, 2011 Harford County Farm Fair (Bel Air, MD)
  • 1st Place Elite/SuperElite Finals, 2010 Delmarva Summer Splash (Dover, DE)
  • 2nd Place Elite Finals, 2010 Keystone Stoltzfus Summer Splash (Gap, PA)
  • 2nd Place Pro Finals, 2010 Harford County Farm Fair (Bel Air, MD)
  • 1st Place Elite Finals, 2010 Keystone That Pet Place Event (Lancaster, PA)
  • 1st Place Top Gun Extreme Vertical, 2010 Delmarva Doggone Fun Event (Dover, DE)
  • 3rd Place Pro Finals, 2010 Clay’s Bark in the Park Event (Lawrence, OH)
  • 1st Place Elite Finals, 2010 Tidewater Paws for a Cause Event (Newport News, VA)
  • 2nd Place Pro Finals, 2009 Harford County Farm Fair (Bel Air, MD)

Bailey’s Personal Bests:

  • Big Air – 25’6”
  • Extreme Vertical – 7’0”
  • Speed Retrieve – 6.550 seconds

Bailey at the Big Butler Fair in Butler County, PA

For more photos, visit TheLittleGSP on Flickr!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

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When you hear “slow cooked pulled pork” do you think about state fairs and BBQ joints in the deep south?  I love pulled pork and when I learned that we could make our very own version of this delicious summer treat with only a crock pot, apple cider vinegar, and a bottle of BBQ sauce I was thrilled!

This is probably one of the easiest and most rewarding recipes that I’ll share on TheLittleGSP.  We put the pork in the crock pot before work and come home to the aromas of slow-cooked meat.  5 minutes of “pulling” later and the pork is ready to enjoy on a nice soft sandwich bun.  This recipe is adapted from instructions that I found on about.com.


Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
(makes 6-8 sandwiches)

You will need…
3-4 lbs. “Pork Butt” (also called “Boston Butt” or Pork Shoulder)
3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
A Bottle of BBQ Sauce (our current favorite is Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet)
6-8 Sandwich Rolls (we love the burger rolls from The Fresh Market)

Directions:

Trim any excessive fat off of the pork and place the meat in your slow cooker.  Season the pork with salt and pepper on both sides.  Pour the apple cider vinegar into the slow cooker around the pork (don’t pour it directly over the top of the pork or you will wash the salt and pepper off).  Set the slow cooker to High and put the lid on.  Allow the pork to cook for approximately 10 hours.

Pork Butt ready to be cooked for 10 hours

After 10 hours have elapsed, use two forks to transfer the pork to a plate (it will be falling apart at this point so you may have many little pieces of pork already).  Dump the apple cider vinegar and juices out of the slow cooker, then return the pork to the pot.  If your pork butt had a bone, locate and discard the bone.  Use the two forks to pull the pork apart into several large pieces (but don’t completely shred the pork yet).

Add the bottle of BBQ sauce to the pork.  If your piece of meat was on the smaller side you may want to only add about 3/4 of the bottle first (you can always add more later if you want a wetter sandwich).  Use the two forks to mix the BBQ sauce into the pork and pull the pork until it reaches your desired texture.

BBQ Sauce Added and Pork Pulled!

Slice open the sandwich rolls.  If you want, broil them face-up in the oven for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.  Place a heaping mound of pulled pork onto your roll and enjoy!

Best Sides to Eat with your Pulled Pork Sandwich:

  • Baked Beans (I recommend Bush’s Southern Pit BBQ Baked Beans)
  • Corn and Black Bean Salad (I’ll post the recipe next time I made this!)
  • Corn on the Cob
  • Macaroni and Cheese
  • Apple Crisp

More Pizza: Tomato, Goat Cheese and Pesto Pizza!

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Tonight I experimented with pizza dough that I picked up at Whole Foods over the weekend.  The Whole Foods dough was good but we found it to be much breadier and chewier than Trader Joe’s dough.  Next time I make this I’ll probably go back to TJs!


Tomato, Goat Cheese, and Pesto Pizza
(makes two generous individual-sized pizzas)

You will need…
1 package of fresh pizza dough (Trader Joe’s preferred!)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 oz. herbed goat cheese
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
15 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes, drained
Pinch of dried thyme
6 heaping tablespoons of pesto
 2 teaspoons (approx.) grated parmesan/romano cheese
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil

Ready to go in the oven

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425° and allow the pizza dough to sit out at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.  In a frying pan, heat up approx. 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil and sauté the minced garlic until just browning.  Remove the garlic from the pan with a spoon and place in a small bowl.  Add the herbed goat cheese to the minced garlic and mix well.

Add the sliced shallots to the frying pan and sauté until they start to soften.  Add the (drained) whole peeled tomatoes and cut them into small pieces (quarters or smaller).  Stir to combine then let the tomato mixture simmer at medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the thyme, salt and pepper to the tomato mixture and remove from heat.

Remove the pizza dough from the bag and split it into two balls.  If you want, you can lightly dust your hands and/or work surface with flour when working with the dough if you want to but it’s not a necessity.  Flatten one of the dough balls between your palms and then start to slowly stretch the dough out by squeezing the outside edges evenly.  When you get the dough stretched out the size and shape that you like, place it onto a cookie sheet.  Repeat the stretching procedure with the other dough ball.

Scoop two heaping spoonfuls of pesto onto each pizza and spread the pesto out with the back of the spoon.  Next, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese (about 1 teaspoon per pizza, or more if you want!) over the pesto topping.  Lightly salt and pepper the pizzas.  Spoon the tomato mixture onto each pizza and distribute evenly.  Spoon (or use your fingers) the goat cheese/garlic mixture evenly onto each pizza.

Cook the pizzas in an oven at 425° for 12-15 minutes.  The pizzas are ready when the crust is starting to brown.  Enjoy!