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Arby's New Smokehouse Brisket Sandwich

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Arby's for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love Arby's and find myself stopping by for a quick snack and sandwich fairly often.  So when I saw the commercials showing the new Smokehouse Brisket sandwich, I was all over it. It looked incredible and had all the elements I like in a sandwich; good meat, soft bread, cheese, barbecue sauce and onion rings. 

 

Only this isn't your typical sandwich... I think it's so much more. This is a delicious sandwich that starts with quality meat and is smoked low and slow for at least 13 hours and boy it sure tastes like it. We have a smoker at home and you can tell smoked meat vs. meat soaked with liquid smoke. This was for sure smoked for a long time and I love the flavor and aroma that I experienced. And the meat was flavorful and tender. No gristly fat on this sandwich! No way! The smoked gouda cheese adds an extra unique flavor to this sandwich and the barbecue sauce and mayo added was just enough that it did not leave the bread all soggy.  I was also pleasantly surprised that the bun wasn't your typical sesame seed or plain bun you find these days but a soft bakery style bun that was delicious and didn't take away from the smoky sandwich flavor.  Pair this with one of my Arby's favorites, curly fries, and I had a delicious and satisfying lunch on a chilly rainy day. 

 

Can I also just say how much I love Arby's spokesman Bo Dietl? He's a "real" guy and not some flashy model and that is refreshing to see these days.  I just had to throw that out there. 

Is your mouth watering yet? Find an Arby’s near you and grab your own brisket sandwich. It's available as a single sandwich or you can have it in a combo with those yummy curly fries and a drink.

Tell me..... why are you excited to try the new Smokehouse Brisket? Leave a comment below and tell me if you've tried it or why you're excited to try it. I'd love to hear from you. 

Peach Mango Sorbet

Hey everyone! Summer isn't over yet.... At least not for me. I purchased a KitchenAid ice cream maker attachement with my mixer last month and I'm not ready to put it back in the box. Hubby loves ice cream and sorbet and it's not just for the summer months in my house. Today I am sharing a recipe for some delicious Peach Mango Sorbet. This is perfectly refreshing for hot summer days and not so hot fall evenings. Using this combination of fruits yielded a wonderful sorbet that you can either devour for yourself or serve at your next barbecue.

Peach Mango Sorbet

2 cups frozen peach slices, thawed

1 fresh mango, cut into chunks

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups simple syrup (recipe below)

Simple Syrup

2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Directions

Put peaches, mango and water into a food processor and blend until very smooth. I used 1/4 cup water. If you wish, strain the liquid in a mesh strainer pressing into it to get all the liquid out and discard any solids. However, I like the texture of the solids in there so I left them. It's up to you. Chill this mix for 4-6 hours in the fridge.


Meanwhile, make the simple syrup. Place the ingredients into a saucepan and heat through until sugar is completely dissolved. Place this in the fridge and chill completely, about 2 hours.

Once everything is chilled, add the simple syrup to the peach mix. As you can see the recipe for the syrup makes more then you need for this, so save some for your next batch!!

Bring out your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturers directions. I have a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with the ice cream attachment. I churned it on setting #1 for almost 10 minutes until the texture was the way I wanted. I chilled this mix in the freezer for about 4 hours or until Hubby couldn't wait any longer. If you like a softer sorbet, chill for a shorter amount of time.

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Blueberries and chocolate... sounds delicious doesn't it? Hubby had seen something on TV about blueberry white chocolate cookies and was determined to have some for himself. Being the good little wifey, I told him I'd bake him a batch. He loves white chocolate, I like dark chocolate. So I made a couple dozen cookies with 2/3 having white chocolate and 1/3 dark chocolate. My sweet tooth isn't nearly as "advanced" as his.

This recipe was adapted from The Pinterest Project and I substituted blueberries for raspberries and skipped the lemon. I also made the error of using Almond Extract instead of vanilla since I grabbed the wrong thing out of the pantry. But no worries, it turned out really great.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 sugar (or Xylitol)
1 egg
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract (or Almond like my "error")
1 Tablespoon water
1-1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, add the butter, cream cheese and sugar and blend until creamy. Add the egg and blend together. Add the extract and the water and blend until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet. Blend together.

Since I was making this with two types of chocolate, I divided the mix into 1/3 and 2/3 dough mixes. In the large one, I added the white chocolate chips since hubby loves cookies more then me. I'm so nice to give him the 2/3 batch.

In the small batch (the 1/3), I added the dark chocolate chips. I then blended the blueberries into each batch, again dividing 1/3 & 2/3. If you are using frozen blueberries (thaw them first :-)), blend them in carefully as you don't want to squish them.

Roll the dough up into little balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I made it easy on myself and used a melon baller to scoop them up and drop them on the cookie sheet.

Bake 11-13 minutes or until done.  One thing I did with my second round of baking was to flatten out the little balls so they cookies were less fluffy and more like a regular shaped cookie. This is up to you how you want to do them, but the baking time is about the same.

With the cream cheese, these came out more "cake like" then crunchy "cookie like." Don't get me wrong they were still very good and I love the mix of the tart dark chocolate with the blueberries. I think if I were to do these again (and I likely will), I would reduce the flour by about 1/8-1/4 cup to give them a bit more moisture, however these certainly were a winner in my household.

You can see the cake like texture in the center and boy were they fluffy!! Do you like yours crunchy or fluffy? Weigh in by commenting. 

Fresh Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

About a year ago I received a WonderMill flour mill for a product review. I had never milled my own flour before, but go used to it very quickly. It's nice to purchase whole grain then make flour as needed instead of having a bunch of processed white flour sitting in my pantry. The best part is when you mill your own flour, you are getting the most nutrients since flour loses it's nutrients the longer it sits on a shelf.  I milled 1 3/4 cups of whole wheat grain to make enough flour for this recipe then some extra for dusting the pizza stone.

With the flour mill, it's time to make a whole wheat from scratch pizza crust. There is a small pizza and sandwich place here in West Jordan, UT that I enjoy purchasing pizza from since they make a whole wheat crust. But now was time to make my own so out came the WonderMill and a crust was born.

This recipe is adapted from How Sweet Eats.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Combine flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Add water, honey, oil, Italian seasoning and garlic powder, mixing with a spoon to form into a ball. Continue mixing with your hands and kneed for about 60 seconds. Lightly oil bowl and add dough back in. Cover and let rise for 2-3 hours.

After 2-3 hours, remove from bowl and punch down. Roll back into ball and let sit for 30 minutes.

Lay on lightly floured surface and roll very thin. Top with toppings and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

I just rolled out one pizza crust and it was a funky rectangular shape that reminded me of a map of the state of Illinois, lol. Hubby and I like different things on a pizza so we each topped our halves with something different. 

He had fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese with a drizzle of srirracha sauce. 

My half was vegetarian. I had fresh spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, capers and goat cheese.

This was one delicious crust!! If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven while you're pre-heating it so it's nice and hot. It will give you a nice crispy crust. This crust was so good and I love the honey that was added to it. Next time, I will use small chunks of fresh garlic in my crust so it has that burst of flavor in every bite. Hubby loved his toppings but I think mine were better.

What are your favorite toppings? Mine would be mushrooms, olives, spinach and goat cheese. I prefer a veggie pizza but a nice pepperoni works too!

Designer Inspired Handbag Giveaway!!!

Welcome to the Designer Inspired Handbag Giveaway event, sponsored by BagInc and hosted by Happy Mothering! During this event, Baginc.com will be giving away a handbag of the winner’s choice from their Hottest Collection (valued at up to a $190)!

 

Remotely operating from Paris with an office and warehouse in Hong Kong, Baginc.com is comprised of a team of energetic fashion aficionados with a passion for celebrity-inspired, designer handbags. Their international coverage gives Baginc a unique edge, one that allows them to deliver the hottest bags to clients all over the globe. They have a great selection of designer-inspired handbag styles at affordable prices. They don’t charge sales tax and provide free worldwide shipping for all orders over $100. They even offer a money-back guarantee for customers who are unsatisfied with their purchase.

Here are are some of the many bags you’ll be able to choose from if you win!

You can never have too many handbags right? I love the selection here and it would be tough to just pick one!! I'm so excited to be part of this giveaway!

 

Good luck to all who enter.

 

Entering is easy. Just complete as many options as you’d like from the Rafflecopter form below. The more entries you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win – good luck! This giveaway is open worldwide and runs through September 30, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lori's Culinary Creations was not compensated for this post and is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Mom's Baked Hot Dogs with Beans

When I was a kid, my mom would make hot dogs for my sister and I. It wasn't just a dog in a bun, but it was cheesy baked dogs with pork and beans. My sister and I loved this and requested this often. She would cut the dogs down the middle and insert ooey gooey cheddar cheese which would melt and be so good when cooked. It's a traditional "mom dish" that we make when we grew up for our own kids, nieces and nephews. I loved it so much I wanted to share it with you so you can make this kid friendly delicious dish at home. I did modify mom's recipe a bit by adding bacon and brown sugar. 

Ingredients
1 large can of pork & beans or baked beans
4 strips of bacon cooked and chopped
3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 all beef hot dogs
4 ounces of cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the beans, bacon and brown sugar and place in a glass baking dish.

Slice each hot dog down the center, but not all the way through. 

Insert an equal amount of cheese in each dog

Place the dogs in the baking dish on top of the beans

Bake in the oven 25 minutes until the cheese is all nice and melty.

These are so good and your kids will love this cheesy new take on hot dogs. For the little ones, you can cut it into bite sized cheesy pieces they can easily pick up with their hands. Serve with your favorite side dish. We had some garlic bread and a side salad.  

I hope you enjoy my mom's baked hot dog recipe. It's been a hit in our family for years. Do you have an easy family recipe? Share below in the comments. 

Tortilla Roll-Ups {Guest Post}

Hello readers!!  Today I am headed into surgery and will be down for a week or so. No worries, nothing serious, just something I need to do. In the meantime, some of my bloggy friends are taking over and telling you about their adventures in the kitchen. Awesome right? I can't wait to try these recipes myself when I'm back to normal again. So sit back, relax and enjoy these guest posts.

Today my friend Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mamma is sharing her Tortilla Roll-Ups. They look amazing!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi! My name is Kathleen and I blog over at Fearlessly Creative Mammas with my oldest daughter Samantha. We blog about all of our creative endeavors like recipes, crafts, parties or just tips that we have tried and liked. We love to spend time together as a family, cook, craft and travel. We hope you will stop by and visit sometime!  I'd like to thank Lori for having me on her site today and I hope you will love what I'm going to tell you about today. 

My father-in-law loves tortilla roll ups. I usually make him a batch for Father's Day and for his birthday, plus I make them when we have big family gatherings. We happened to have a big family gathering a few weeks ago and I thought I would share the recipe for Tortilla Roll Ups with you today. They are super easy and everyone always loves them. 

First you mix the sour cream and cream cheese together until there are no lumps. I like to do this in my mixer because otherwise you are mixing all day long. I don't have that kind of patience. 

Next you add the taco seasoning and mix it well.

Then you add the rest of the ingredients, except the tortillas, and make sure everything is mixed up really, really well.

Now you take your mixture and spread some on your first tortilla, all the way to the edge. Then you roll it up. Repeat until all of mixture is used. 

My husband eats gluten free, so I made two of these with gluten free tortillas and rolled and wrapped them up separately. 

Put them all in a container and refrigerate until they are firm. I usually make mine the day before we need them and refrigerate them overnight. 

 When you are ready to eat them, slice them up and serve. Then watch them disappear! They are so good and your friends and family with absolutely love them! 

Here is the recipe:

Tortilla Roll Ups

1 package of large flour tortillas (about 16)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 package taco seasoning

1 small can chopped black olives

1 small can chopped green chilies

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

24 ounces sour cream

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sour cream until it is smooth and there are no lumps. Add the taco seasoning and mix well. Add the cheese, olives and chilies and mix. Spread the mixture on the tortillas to the edges and roll up. Store in the refrigerator until firm. Cut up and serve. 

Easy Southwest Shrimp Cakes

Since I am such a big fan of crab cakes, I wanted to try it with shrimp. I also wanted to bake them to avoid the excess oils that come with frying. I'm working to incorporate some healthier practices in my cooking while maintaining the adventure I strive each and every time I step foot in the kitchen. This southwest variety of shrimp cakes certainly fit the bill and they are very easy to make when you are in that weekday time crunch.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon shallot, chopped fine

2 eggs, beaten

Crushed red pepper to taste

Salt & pepper to taste

½ teaspoon parsley

¾ cup panko crumbs

Juice of 1 lime

Cooking spray

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine all ingredients and press into 6 cakes by rolling the mix into balls then carefully pressing them down to form a cake the shape and thickness of a slider. 

Place the cakes on a sheet of parchment paper on a cooking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes until toasted brown on the outside. 

These would be delicious served on a bed of mixed greens with a light dressing, such as raspberry vinaigrette or a creamy cilantro like you can get at Cafe Rio. The southwest flavors are delicious and not overpowering. The best part aside from the taste is that they are so easy. They can be whipped up really quick for a satisfying meal. 

Sweet Onion Salmon

How I love salmon! It is so versatile and can go into so many recipes from tacos, to pastas or just grill it up on the barbecue. This recipe takes sauteed sweet onions and grills them right on top of the fish to pack a tasty punch to your salmon. You're probably looking at the photo thinking "That's way too many onions" and I probably would too. However by using sweet onions over red or yellow, it takes on a whole new flavor and it's not "onion-y" at all.

Sweet Onion Grilled Salmon 

Ingredients - Serves 4

3 medium sized sweet onions, peeled

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tablespoons butter

1 cup crisp light white wine

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons sweet honey mustard

1/3 cup honey

Salt & pepper to taste

1.5 – 2 pound salmon fillet (I used half of the large fresh salmon from Costco) 

Directions

Slice the onions into rings on a mandolin set to thin cut. If you don’t have a mandolin, slice as thin as you can with a regular knife.

 

In a deep saucepan, heat the oil. Add the butter and garlic. Add the wine and cook the onions down until they are translucent. Add the brown sugar, mustard and honey and stir until blended. Salt and Pepper to taste. Turn to low heat and simmer about 15 minutes.

Rinse and pat dry the salmon fillet and place it on a large piece of foil. Salt and pepper the top to taste. Add about ½ of the onion mix to the top of the salmon and pour the ¼ cup of the liquid from the skillet around the fillet.

Seal in foil and cook on the grill over medium heat 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Use the excess onion mix as additional garnish for your fish.

This meal was served to company (hubby’s co worker) and I’m always a little nervous trying a new recipe idea when I have people over. I would rather taste test it myself to make sure it’s truly what I intended it to be, but no worries here. This fish dish was well received and it was all gone by the end of the meal.

 

#MeatlessMonday: Fresh Beet & Goat Cheese Salad w/Lime Mango Dressing

Roasted Beet Summer Salad with Lime Mango Dressing

Ahhh summer! When the weather heats up we all head outdoors, thankful not to be cooped up inside while the snow falls outside. Now is the time to dust off the patio set and break out the plasti-ware for outdoor eating. When the temps inch upward, more cool summer salads come out of my kitchen.

This recipe for roasted beets with goat cheese on greens was inspired by a salad I had at Cat Cora's Kitchen at the Salt Lake Airport. I just fell in love with the mix of flavor and texture so I set out to duplicate it... or come close to duplicating it.

Ingredients for the Salad
3 beets cut to bite sized pieces, roasted (recipe follows)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
6 cups Spring Green Lettuce Mix
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
3 ounces goat cheese

To roast the beets:

Preheat the oven to 375°. In an 8-inch square nonreactive baking dish, toss the beets with the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper and spread the beets in a single layer. Spray an 8-inch piece of parchment paper lightly with olive oil cooking spray and set it oiled-side down on the beets. Cover tightly with foil and roast, shaking the pan occasionally, for about 40 minutes, until the beets are tender. Chill for an hour in the fridge. You can do this a day ahead if you like.

To toast the almonds:

Put 1 Tablespoon coconut oil in a small saucepan and heat to medium heat. Add the almonds and toast until the almonds are a darker brown and you get a nice aroma of almond. Set aside. 

Ingredients for the Dressing
1 fresh mango, chopped
juice from 2 medium limes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like the heat)
1/8 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions
For the dressing, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, but still slightly thick. You do not want this really runny and the mango should keep it at a thicker consistency. Chill in the refrigerator at least two hours. 

Now that the beets are roasted, the almonds toasted, the dressing made and all has been chilled, it's time to assemble!  In a large bowl, place the spring greens. Add the beets, blueberries, goat cheese and sprinkle the top with the toasted, sliced almonds.

Serve to your guests with some crostini and a glass of light white wine while sitting on the patio enjoying a lovely summer evening. The crisp lettuce and the flavors of the beets and blueberries is just perfect! Add to that the lime mango dressing and you have a salad that will make your taste buds do the happy dance.