Chopped Challenge #9: Steak Chili-Smothered Tater Tots

For Chopped challenge #9, Justin gave me tater tots, chili powder, pearl onions, and beef jerky. I decided to make a steak chili served over tater tots. It was really quite tasty, and I think it's something I would definitely make again sometime, though I could really take or leave the beef jerky. It's used here sort of like bacon bits and would be wholly unnecessary if it hadn't been one of my required ingredients. It tastes good, but it just really wasn't needed.

Chopped Challenge #8: Pulled Pork Sliders with Macaroni and Cheese

Even though I wasn't writing any blog posts during the holidays, Justin and I were still trucking along with our Chopped challenges. Over the next week or two, I'll try to catch up on the posts for the ones we did during that time. We'll start with my challenge to Justin to use Hawaiian sweet bread (one of my favorite foods), steak sauce, mushrooms, and condensed cheese soup.

Chocolate-Marshmallow Whoopie Pies

What exactly is a whoopie pie? Is it a cake? Is it a cookie? Does it really matter? It's delicious, whatever you consider it. I used to make these all the time when I worked at the coffee shop, and the older customers especially would snatch them up, saying that they tasted like childhood. I think that's a pretty apt description no matter who you are. These whoopie pies have a simple, classic taste that almost has the flavor of a homemade Oreo, though the texture is quite different.

Bang Bang Shrimp

I should preface this post by saying that I have never eaten at Bonefish Grill, where this is apparently a menu item. Our favorite local restaurant has an appetizer called Boom Boom Shrimp for which the menu description only says "You know the story. We stole it and made it better." Having heard a few times just how great these shrimp were, we decided to try them, even though we really didn't know what to expect at all. We were quite pleasantly surprised at what we received, fried shrimp coated in a sweet, creamy, rich sauce with a lot of Asian zing to it. When we asked what the "story" was behind them, that's when the owner told us that he improved upon the Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill. I had no idea what ingredients the original recipe would include, much less this modified version, but I knew I wanted to try to make it at home because it was extra tasty.

Pancetta and Mushroom Quiche

I love eggs. If we go out to breakfast, it's hard for me to resist getting an omelet or frittata or scramble of some sort. When I was a kid we used to go out for big, family brunches on Sunday at the buffet at a local casino, and the first thing I would do was head straight for the omelet making station, every single time. Breakfast is one of my favorite dinners. I seriously just love eggs.

Another thing I love is pie crust, though Justin thinks that that love is unnatural. I think if he could have pie without the crust, he'd be all for it. I on the other hand want it surrounded by crust--bottom, sides, and top. I'll take the extra bits that stick up off of his pieces of pie. Pie crust is flaky and delicious. I don't know what his problem is.

Naturally, these things combine to mean that I really, really love quiche. It's basically a frittata in a pie crust, and what's not to love about that? According to Justin, everything apparently. He likes eggs, but he doesn't like it when they're baked. He's weird like that. Therefore, quiche is one of those things I only get to make when he's not around. This was my first time trying this particular combo, and it's definitely a winner. If you are cheap--like I am most of the time--you could just get regular bacon instead of pancetta, but where's the fun in that?

Mushroom Soup

Mushrooms are another one of those things that I really love but that Justin could really live without. He'll eat them in various recipes if they're chopped up pretty small, but he definitely doesn't want to eat soup based entirely around them. I knew that this was something I wanted to make while he's out of town, and I was not disappointed.

I've only tried making mushroom soup once before, and I didn't love it. It wasn't creamy enough or mushroom-y enough for me. This one was much better. It would make a good first course, but I just ate it as dinner along with some crusty bread. I still think it would be even better with a few additions; my favorite mushroom soup ever was one we had at the coffee shop where I worked which was made with brie and madeira wine, so I think next time I'll try adding those and see how it comes out. However, if you just want a basic, tasty, creamy mushroom soup recipe, this is it.

French Onion Soup Pizza

Let me start by apologizing for the lack of posts in the last two months or so. I wasn't really cooking as much as usual, and when I did cook, I wasn't really making a lot of interesting, fun things. I did save up a few recipes during that time though, so I have quite a few lined up to post now. Things should hopefully be back to what might be considered normal. So with that said, let's get to it...

Justin's in California right now for a conference. As much as I miss him when he's gone, I do always look forward to planning my solo meals. There are things that I love that he just can't seem to get behind, so when he's not here, I make as many of them as I can.