Category: Town and Gown

Town & Gown Magazine
July 2015
Recipes and photos

Sample recipe below. Click here for e-edition.

 

 

 

 

Pepper Jack Stuffed Burgers with Bourbon Caramelized Onions

For the burgers:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• ½ cup grated Pepper Jacks cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the bourbon caramelized onions:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Half a medium onion, very thinly sliced
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ¼ cup bourbon
• 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

For the burgers:

Divide the burger meat into eight equal portions.

Form a patty from each portion, about four inches in diameter and about ½ inch thick.

Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese in the middle of four patties, leaving about ¼ margin around the outside.

Place one of the remaining four patties on top of a patty with cheese. Gently press the meat together so that it forms a single patty.

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill burger for approximately 15 minutes, flipping about halfway through, until burger reaches desired doneness.

Top with bourbon carmelized onions.

For the caramelized onions:

In a medium skillet, heat butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, reduce heat to medium, and sauté until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the salt and sugar and continue to sauté for an additional 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slowly pour in the bourbon and add the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.

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Town & Gown Magazine
June 2015
Recipes and photos

Sample recipe below. Click here for e-edition.

 

 

 

 

Spinach, Mushroom, and Feta Frittata

• ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, rinsed, sliced
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach, thawed, drained
• 4 large eggs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup milk
• 2 ounces feta cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5-7 minutes until soft and most of their liquid has drained off. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Spread the spinach into an even layer onto the bottom of a prepared pie plate. Top with the cooked mushrooms and the feta cheese.

Whisk the eggs together to break the yolks. Add milk, parmesan, and salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over mushrooms and spinach. Top with shredded mozzarella.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes until the center is set and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

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Town & Gown Magazine
April 2014
Recipes and photos

Sample recipe below. Click here for e-edition.

 

 

 

 

Rich Orange Sorbet

• 3 cups blood orange juice, divided
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons white wine, optional
• Zest of 1 blood orange

In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup orange juice and sugar over medium heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove pan from heat. Add the remaining orange juice, white wine, and orange zest. Pour mixture into an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

One the mixture is chilled, process according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Once churned, place sorbet into the freezer and allow it to freeze overnight.

Serves 6

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Town & Gown Magazine
March 2014
Recipes and pictures

Sample recipe below. Click here for e-edition.

 

 

 

 

Mie Goreng
Mie Goreng is a true Indonesian dish. Mie means “noodles” and “Goreng” means fried.

• 8 ounces dried noodles or one pack of fresh cooked noodles
• 4 tablespoons sweet soy sauce, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 large carrot, cut into thin strips like matchsticks
• 1 cup cabbage cut into strips or squares
• 1 cup cooked, diced chicken
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Cook noodles according to package instructions. Remove from heat and drain. Drizzle a small a small amount of vegetable oil over the noodles along with 3 tablespoons of the sweet soy sauce and stir until noodles are evenly coated.

Heat a small amount of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the eggs and scramble. Remove eggs when cooked and set aside.

Add a little more vegetable oil to the pan, then fry the garlic and ginger until they become fragrant. Add the carrot, spring onion, and cabbage and continue to stir-fry until the vegetables become tender.

Add the diced chicken, scrambled eggs, and the cooked noodles to the pan. Add the light and dark soy sauce, remaining sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly and continue to fry until heated through cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

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Town & Gown
February 2014
Recipes, pictures, and cover photo

Sample recipe below.  Spread also included oven Braised Beef Short Ribs and Meyer Lemon Pesto and Feta Penne with Shrimp.  To view the entire issue online, visit the Town & Gown website.

 
 
 
 

Clementine Baked Chicken
● ⅓ cup chicken broth
● 1/4 cup olive oil
● 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed clementine juice
● 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
● 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
● 3 tablespoons maple syrup
● 2 teaspoons kosher salt
● freshly ground black pepper
● 8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
● 2 fennel bulbs, cut into quarters
● 4 clementines, unpeeled, sliced thin
● 2-3 few sprigs of fresh thyme

In a large mixing bowl or resealable plastic bag, whisk together chicken broth, olive oil, clementine and lemon juices, mustard, maple syrup and salt. Season with pepper, to taste.

Place chicken in the mixing bowl or bag. Toss gently until chicken is evenly coated with the sauce. Allow chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place marinated chicken skin side up in a 9 x 12 x 2-inch baking dish. Reserve the marinade. Arrange fennel slices in between the chicken, layer clementine slices and thyme over the top. Pour the reserved marinade over the entire dish.

Bake chicken for 30 minutes. If the skin is browning too quickly, turn the oven down to 400ºF and continue roasting until the skin is brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes longer.

Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Arrange everything in a serving platter and drizzle the pan juices over the top.

Serves 8

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Town & Gown
December 2013
Cover and Recipes

Recipes included chocolate and peppermint cheesecake cupcakes, peppermint meringue cookies, and gingerbread candy cane latte.

Sample recipe below. Click here for the e-dition of this magazine.

 
 

Gingerbread Candy Cane Latte
Gingerbread Candy Cane Simple Syrup:
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 candy cane, broken into pieces
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 inch fresh gingerroot, thinly sliced ( or 1 tablespoon ground ginger)
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 8 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Latte:
• 8 ounces strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup milk
• Gingerbread candy cane simple syrup, to taste
• Whipped cream and crushed candy canes, optional

For the simple syrup:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes or at least until the candy is melted. Strain liquid, discarding any solids.

For the latte:
In a small saucepan, heat milk just until heated through.
Froth milk with a frother or pour milk into blender. Vent the lid and frappe just until foamy.
Pour coffee into two mugs.
Stir 1/2 cup milk into each mug.
Add simple syrup to each mug to taste.

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Town & Gown
June 2013
Recipes and pictures

Sample recipe below.  Spread also included oven baked fries.  To view the entire issue online, visit the Town & Gown website.

 

 

 

 

Southwestern Turkey and Black Bean Burgers

Serves 4

• 1 pound 90% lean ground turkey
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 slice whole wheat bread, torn into smaller pieces
• ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 4 slices pepper jack cheese
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Town & Gown
May 2013
Article and photos

Spring is our reward for surviving the wet, cold, grey weather that comes with winter.  When green buds start forming on the tree branches, it’s like a glimmer of hope has arrived.  However, when fresh produce starts showing up at the local farmer’s market, it’s time to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Currently, strawberry season is in full swing in Mississippi.  Unfortunately, it won’t last for long.  Canning is a great way to take advantage of the plentiful fruit that is in our backyard right now so you can enjoy it all year along.  Preserving and canning food isn’t just for grandmas anymore.  The art has seen a resurgence in recent years due to the increase in the price of food and concerns over the use of artificial ingredients and preservatives.

One advantage to canning your own fruit is the quality and freshness of the fruit.  Fruit begins to lose nutrients as soon as it is harvested, so the sooner you eat it, the better.  Fruit purchased from a local farmer’s market has typically been picked within the last 24 hours.  Fruit purchased from a major grocery store chain may have been picked up to a week prior.  Sometimes the fruit has been picked before its ripe, in anticipation of the long lead time needed to get it to its final destination, preventing it from fully developing all its nutrients.

Canning works by boiling food to kill any bacteria and sealing the can (or jar), creating a completely sterile environment.  Because there is no bacteria present, the food does not spoil, allowing home canners to store unopened food for an extended period of time.

If you are new to preserving and canning fruits and vegetables, strawberries are a good place to start.  Strawberries are naturally high in acid, meaning they can be processed using the water bath canning method and do not require the use of a pressure cooker, as is required when canning vegetables and meat.  The only tools you need are a stockpot deep enough to cover your jars with at least two inches of water, glass mason jars with lids and rings, a jar rack, and a basic utensil kit.  Most of these items you may already have on hand or can be purchased at your local grocery store.

Because the goal is to create a sterile environment for the food, it makes sense to thoroughly clean and sanitize your jars.  Check jars to make sure they are not chipped or cracked.  Wash jars, rings, and lids in warm soapy water, then sterilize the jars only in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Once sterilized, remove the pot from the heat, but allow your jars to stay in the hot water to keep warm.  Pouring hot jam into a cold glass jar can cause the jar to shatter.

Place jar lids in hot, but not boiling, water.  Hot water softens the gummy material on the lid that seals the jar.  However, boiling water will activate the lids and render them useless before you even get started.  While jars and lids can be reused, lids can only be used once.

One term you may come across in canning is “headspace.”  Headspace is the space from the top of the jar to the food or liquid in the jar. Too little headspace, and the food may boil over and prevent the lid from sealing. Too much headspace and the jar may not seal properly because the processing time is not long enough to drive the air out of the jar. Food at the top of the jar may also discolor.  Most recipes will instruct you on how much headspace to leave.  Many basic kits come with a ruler to help you measure headspace.

Once the jars have been processed and allowed to cool, check the lids to make sure they do not flex up and down.  Occasionally, a jar will not seal.  The contents are safe to eat, but the jar needs to be refrigerated and eaten immediately.  According to the The National Center for Home Food Preservation, properly sealed jars have a shelf life of at least one year.  Once opened, your strawberries should be kept refrigerated and consumed within one month.

Taking that first taste of real homemade jam made with fresh strawberries is like nothing you can buy in a store.  Once you’ve made your first successful batch, you may find the process extremely rewarding and completely addictive.

Sample recipe below.  To view the entire spread and recipes, visit the Town & Gown website.

Small Batch Homemade Strawberry Preserves

• 2-1/2 cups sliced strawberries (about 3 pints)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoon pectin (I used Sure Jell)
• 3-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 (12 ounce) glass preserving jars with lids and bands