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Recipes

Blueberry, Lemon Cream & Honey Heart Tarts | Valentine's Day | Bjorn Bites & Booze
Dessert, Holiday, Recipes, Valentine's Day

Blueberry, Lemon Cream and Honey Heart Pastry

Blueberry & Lemon Cream Heart Tart | Valentine's Day | Bjorn Bites & Booze

Blueberry, Lemon Cream and Honey Heart Pastry

Blueberries and lemon are such a classic combination! These elegant desserts are light, super flavorful and easy to make! Cut them into heart shapes and share with your sweeties for Valentine's Day!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp milk

Blueberry sauce

  • 1 pint fresh blueberries, or 1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Lemon Vanilla Cream

  • 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup store bought lemon curd
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish

  • ¼ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • Place thawed puff pasty sheet on cutting board, and roll out slightly. You can cut them into rectangles, circles or hearts. Place cut shapes on a silpat/baking sheet. Then score each of your shapes about ½" from the outer edge, and pierce the center of each shape with a fork. Whisk together beaten egg and milk and brush the edges with the egg wash.
  • Bake puff pastry until golden brown – around 12-15 minutes (watch carefully). You may need to cut around the inner scoring and press center down slightly to make room for lemon cream. Place on wire rack to let cool to room temperature

Assemble Blueberry Sauce

  • Combine blueberries, honey and vanilla into a small bowl. Gently turn blueberries into sauce to marinate for at least 10 minutes. Strain liquid and discard.

Assemble Lemon Vanilla Cream

  • Using a hand held mixer, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a small bowl. While mixing on low, slowly add the heavy whipping cream until it starts to thicken. Increase the speed and beat until medium soft peaks form.
  • Gently fold lemon curd and vanilla extract into cream mixture. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Assemble

  • Place tarts on a serving plate, and divide lemon cream evenly among the tarts. Top with blueberry sauce, and toasted almonds. Dust with powdered sugar, serve and enjoy!
Keyword Blueberry, Blueberry desserts, blueberry pastry, blueberry tarts, Dessert recipes, lemon cream, Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day sweets
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Citrus & Herb Grilled Salmon | Bjorn Bites & Booze
Main Course, Recipes

Citrus & Herb Grilled Salmon

Citrus & Herb Grilled Salmon | Bjorn Bites & Booze

Citrus & Herb Grilled Salmon with Grilled Potato Slices

This recipe is super easy, quick, and flavorful – great for any night of the week. The fresh herbs and bright citrus flavors complement the salmon perfectly! Served with grilled potato slices and a fresh tomato salad, you won't even realize you are eating so healthy! Grilling over red hot Jealous Devil Charcoal on the Big Green Egg MiniMax makes this cook even easier!
Lastly, to ensure the perfect internal temperature, I use my MEATER thermometer!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp rosemary, fresh and chopped
  • 1 tbsp thyme, fresh and chopped
  • 2 tbsp parsley, fresh and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest, chopped
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • (1) Lemon, (1) orange and (1) lime sliced thin

Instructions
 

  • Start and heat your grill to 450°F
  • Prepare salmon fillet by patting the salmon fillet with a paper towel to remove moisture.
  • Place butter, oil, herbs, garlic, lemon juice, zest and salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir to mix well. Use a spoon or brush to add liberally over salmon fillet.
  • Place salmon fillet on cedar plank, or foil pan over lemon slices to prevent sticking.
  • Add lemon, orange and lime slices on top of salmon fillet
  • Place salmon on grill, and cook until salmon reaches internal temperature of 140°F.
  • Remove from grill, serve with additional lemon zest, lemon slices, and fresh parsley.
Keyword Fish Recipes, Grilled Fish, Grilled Salmon, Healthy Eating, Healthy recipes, Salmon Recipes
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Pork Belly Burnt Ends | Bjorn Bites & Booze
Appetizers, Recipes

Tequila-Lime Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Tequila-Lime Pork Belly Burnt Ends | Bjorn Bites & Booze

Tequila-Lime Pork Belly Burnt Ends

These boozy bites of tender, mouth-watering goodness were grilled on the Big Green Egg over red hot Jealous Devil Charcoal. The Pork Belly seasoned liberally with BGE Ancho Chili & Coffee Rub, cooked on low heat for 2.5 hours. Made a boozy sauce with amazing lime citrus flavors to compliment the kick of Cazadores Tequila Blanco and splash of Topo Chico ranch water. I added a little heat from Flatiron Pepper Hatch Green Chile Pepper, and a touch of sweetness from some Agave Nectar. Served with fresh lime and jalapeño slices.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Course Appetizer

Ingredients
  

Pork Belly

  • 2 lbs pork belly, cubed into 2-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup Big Green Egg Ancho Chile & Coffee Rub
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Crutch

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Agave Nectar

Tequila-Lime Sauce

  • 4 oz Tequila Blanco
  • 4 oz Topo Chico Ranch Water
  • ¼ cup Ketchup
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Agave Nectar
  • 1 lime, juiced and zested
  • ½ tbsp Flatiron Hatch Green Chile Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Prepare grill. Heat to 300°F, using BGE Eggspander, and indirect heat
  • Slather cubed pork belly with olive oil, and BGE Ancho Chile & Coffee (or your favorite BBQ seasoning)
  • Place pork belly pieces on grill, and cook for 2.5 hours, or until pieces are around 160-180°F.
  • Remove pork belly, and place in foil pan. Top with cubed butter, sprinkle brown sugar over bites, and drizzle agave nectar over all the pieces. Cover with foil, and grill for an additional 30mins – 1 hour.
  • Prepare Tequila-Lime Sauce. Add tequila to a sauce pot and heat to a simmer. Then add all other ingredients, mix and cook until reduced and thick.
  • Add the sauce to the burnt ends, and let it simmer and caramelize for about 15 minutes.
  • Pull the pork belly off the grill and let it cool for 5 minutes. Serve with sliced jalapeños, and limes.
Keyword burnt ends, grilling recipes, pork belly, pork belly burnt ends, Pork Recipes, tequila pork belly burnt ends
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Smoky Maple Old Fashioned | Bjorn Bites & Booze
Drinks, Recipes

Smoky Maple Old Fashioned

Smoky Maple Old Fashioned | Bjorn Bites & Booze

Smoky Maple Old Fashioned

This Old Fashioned is made with Barrel Proof’s new Bourbon Dust!
As if Barrel Proof didn’t already bring us enough with their amazing Smoking Bourbon Chips – now they bring us, Bourbon Dust! What’s more perfect with bourbon than more bourbon!! This cocktail brings sweetness from the maple syrup, a medley of bitters, an amazingly smooth bourbon from Woodford Reserve, and then the Bourbon Dust! Bring it!! Skål and enjoy!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp Pure maple syrup
  • 3-4 drops Angostura
  • 2-3 drops Orange Bitters
  • 2 oz Bourbon (I used Woodford Reserve)
  • 2 orange zests
  • 2 bourbon cherries

Instructions
 

  • Add maple syrup to the whiskey glass, and add bitters, and bourbon. Add 1 large ice cube, and stir to mix for 30-60 seconds.
  • If you have a smoker for cocktails, use this now to add smoke flavor to the glass.
  • Express orange zest into glass, and rim the glass with the orange.
  • Garnish with orange zest and 2 bourbon cherries.
Keyword Barrel Proof, Bourbon Chicken, Bourbon Cocktails, Bourbon Dust, Old Fashioned, Smoke Your Bourbon, Smoked Cocktails
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Grilled Pork Tenderloin | Bjorn Bites & Booze
Main Course, Recipes

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Apples & Crispy Sage

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apples & Sage | Bjorn Bites & Booze

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Apples & Crispy Sage

This fall dish is so juicy and oh so tender! The tenderloin was marinated with olive oil, lemon zest, garlic and fresh sage for a couple of hours. Sliced Braeburn apples brushed with olive oil, fresh sage, and a little sugar. The MEATER+ was instrumental in getting the tenderloin to a perfect temperature. Truly a fall meal with all the seasonal flavors.
Served with Butternut Squash Risotto
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 20 hours
Course Main Course
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

  • 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • ¼ cup fresh sage, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt

Grilled Apples

  • 1 large Braeburn apple, cored (keep skin on)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

Crispy Sage

  • 5-6 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

Instructions

  • Add all marinade ingredients together in a bowl, and stir until well mixed. Place tenderloin in bowl, or in zip lock bag and pour marinade over tenderloin until well coated. Place tenderloin in fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.
  • Prepare and heat grill to 350°. Take tenderloin out of fridge to let it warm up.
  • Prepare apples, core and cut into ¼" slices. Gently toss with olive oil, brown sugar and fresh sage, use remaining to brush while grilling.
  • Remove tenderloin from marinade, and place on grill. Sear for 3-4 minutes on both sides. Lower heat. Place apples on grill, and grill apples for 3-4 minutes on both side. Remove apples when desired grill marks and color have appeared.
  • Continue cooking pork until tenderloin reached 150-160°F. Remove tenderloin from grill, and let it rest before slicing.
  • Heat olive oil in small pan on medium-high heat. Add fresh sage leaves for 20-30 seconds. Remove immediately, place on paper towel to dry.
  • Slice pork into medallions, arrange apples and crispy sage on platter. Serve and enjoy
Keyword Grilled Pork, Pork Recipes, Pork Tenderloin
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Honey Pear Ginger Galette | Bjorn Bites & Booze-banner
Dessert, Recipes

Honey Pear & Ginger Galette

Honey Pear Ginger Galette | Bjorn Bites & Booze

Honey Pear & Ginger Galette

This dessert was grilled on the Big Green Egg over red hot Jealous Devil Charcoal. This is one of those desserts you make over and over again! My happy taste testers have said that this is one of my best desserts I've made. Flaky puffy crust, sweet cream filling, topped with fall's harvest of sweet pears dripping with raw honey and tangy lemon juice. Grilled to perfection with the most amazing golden brown crust. Finished off with fresh lemon zest and powdered sugar. My taste testers were begging for another piece!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

Filling

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened, room temperature
  • ¼ cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 Bartlett pears, sliced into ¼" slices
  • 2 tbsp raw honey
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tbsp turbinado sugar

Instructions
 

Prepare Grill

  • Place pizza stone on grill, heat to 400°F

Make Cream Cheese Filling

  • Place cream cheese in bowl, add turbinado sugar, ginger powder, and vanilla. Stir until smooth

Prepare Pears

  • Add sliced pears into shallow bowl. Add raw honey, and lemon juice. Very gently, fold pears, careful not to break, with honey/lemon juice mixture

Prepare crust

  • Place thawed crust on floured surface. Stack one sheet on top of the other. Fold in half. Roll out to compress, then fold in half again in the opposite direction. Roll out until you have a nice even dough. Roughly cut out into a rustic circle.

Place Galette together

  • Place dough on some parchment paper. Spread cream cheese filling on top of puff pastry dough, leaving a 1-2" border.
  • Arrange pear slices in a concentric circle, slightly overlapping.
  • Fold edges of dough over filling and pears. Brush edges of dough with beaten egg. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar over dough.
  • Place galette with parchment paper on top of pizza stone. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
  • Let stand until cooled to room temperature. Sprinkle with lemon zest, and powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!
Keyword Dessert recipes, Galette, Grilled Desserts, Pear Desserts, Pear recipes
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Pear Vanilla Gin Fizz | Bjorn Bites & Booze
Drinks, Recipes

Pear Vanilla Gin Fizz

Pear Vanilla Gin Fizz | Bjorn Bites & Booze

Pear Vanilla Gin Fizz

Heading into Autumn with this fall cocktail! Homemade pear vanilla simple syrup, Kendrick's Lunar Gin, topped off with club soda and garnish with a thinly sliced pear. This is the way to welcome Fall! Skål and enjoy!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Course Drinks

Ingredients
  

Pear Vanilla Simple Syrup

  • 1 Bartlett pear, finely chopped
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup Vanilla Syrup (I used Torani)

Assemble Cocktail

  • 2 oz Kendrick Lunar Gin
  • 2 tbsp Pear Vanilla Simple Syrup
  • ¾ cup Club Soda
  • Crushed Ice
  • turbinado sugar to rim glass, and thinly sliced pear for garnish

Instructions
 

Pear Vanilla Syrup

  • Combine water and sugar in a sucepan, heat to boil, add chopped pears and vanilla syrup. Simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Strain syrup from pears into separate bowl. Let syrup cool to room temperature.

Assemble cocktail

  • Add gin, pear vanilla syrup, and ice into cocktail shaker. Shake until well combined and cool. Strain into sugar-rimmed glass glass with ice, top with club soda. and add a thinly slice of pear.
Keyword Fall Cocktails, Gin cocktails, Gin Fizz, Gin recipes
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Smoky Blackberry Halloween Margarita | Bjorn Bites & Booze
Drinks, Halloween

Smoky Blackberry Rosemary Margarita

Blackberry-Rosemary-Margarita

Smoky Blackberry Rosemary Margarita

I'm giving you all the spookilicious vibes heading into this Halloween season. A concoction of tequila, lemon juice, orange bitters and honey, mixed in with muddled fresh blackberries and rosemary leaves, smoked for that eerie look, giving off a subtle smoky flavor. Skål and enjoy!
Course Drinks
Servings 1 drink

Ingredients
  

  • 4 oz tequila
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 3-4 dash orange bitters
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, plus sprig for garnish
  • 11 blackberries

Instructions
 

  • Muddle 8 blackberries, and 2 tsp rosemary leaves together in a cocktail shaker until broken down and fragrant
  • Pour tequila, lemon juice, bitter and honey into cocktail shaker with ice. Give it a good shake. Strain and pour into glass with ice.
  • Use your favorite cocktail smoker. Smoke into glass, and garnish with fresh blackberries and a sprig of rosemary.
Keyword Blackberry Margarita, Halloween Cocktails, Halloween Drinks, Margarita Recipes
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Berry Tart | Bjorn Bites & Booze | Wild West Viking
Dessert, Recipes

Berry Tart

Berry Tart | Bjorn Bites & Booze | Wild West Viking

Berry Tart

Your guests will love it when you share this amazing Berry Tart on a lovely summer evening. A sweet pastry crust with a delicious vanilla and lemon cream cheese filling topped off with fresh berries and sweet vanilla whipped cream. Release your inner culinary artist and have fun designing your dessert to your liking. Use any type of berries you have on hand although I'm partial to strawberries and blueberries.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

Pastry Crust

  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 9 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (keep cold or frozen)
  • 1 egg yolk

Lemon & Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling

  • 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ lemon, finely zested

Topping

  • ½ pint blueberries
  • ½ pint strawberries, hulled and cut crosswise
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions
 

Prepare Crust

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 8-inch springform pan, set to side.
  • Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse a couple of times to just combine.
  • Add in butter, a little at a time, and pulse until mixture turns into cornmeal.
  • Add egg yolk, and pulse to combine. If needed, add in 1-2 tbsp cold water until dough sticks together.
  • Remove mixture from food processor, and press dough into spring form pan evenly as well as up the sides of the pan. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  • Place buttered foil over dough, pressing gently into surface and up the sides.
  • Place tart shell onto baking sheet, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

Prepare Filling

  • Add cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest into a medium size bowl. Using electric hand mixer, combine until you have a smooth consistency.
  • Place filling mixture onto cooled crust, and spread evenly over the crust.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

  • Add vanilla and heavy cream into a bowl, and whisk until soft peaks form.

Assemble tart

  • Arrange freshly washed, and dried berries on top of filling in a decorative manner, piping vanilla whipped cream in between berries.
Keyword Berry Tart, Dessert recipes, Desserts, Summer desserts
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Nordic Summer Cocktail | Bjorn Bites & Booze | Wild West Viking
Drinks, Recipes

Nordic Summer Cocktail

Nordic Summer Cocktail | Bjorn Bites & Booze | Wild West Viking

Nordic Summer

The Nordic Summer cocktail is exactly the drink you want to enjoy during Sankt Hans, a Danish Midsummer tradition, or really, at any point during the summer! This cocktail is an elegant trifecta with a combination of Aquavit, Aperol and fresh lime juice. This unexpectedly refreshing cocktail has notes of crispy fruit, and unique herbal flavors. This cocktail is enjoyed around the bonfire as we bake the "snobrød" or Twisty Bread, baked over hot coals. The bonfires are lit all over Denmark on Sank Hans evening, where hygge and songs are enjoyed with family and friends.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 oz Aperol
  • 2 oz Aquavit
  • 2 oz Lime Juice

Instructions
 

Directions

  • Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake for 20 seconds or until well combined. Strain into champagne coupe or martini glasses. Serve with a fancy orange garnish.
Keyword Aperol, Aperol recipes, Aquavit, Aquavit recipes, Cocktail recipes, Cocktails, Nordic Summer, Sankt Hans
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