Moving my blog

…to my own domain name and stuff is up there in the top 3 HARDEST THINGS EVER (electronically speaking.) Phew. 

It’s, like, 2 am. My husband got all into it because he’s a computer guy. Apparently I can’t actually do anything to it for a few hours because it needs that time to update itself. Or something. lol 🙂

Anyway, if and when it ever gets fully updated, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, if it self-destructs and/or vaporizes, never fear. I will return. I think. 😉 

Pina Colada Muffins

First I’d like to thank Annie from Annie’s Eats for posting this recipe for Pineapple Muffins. Please visit her blog for the original recipe!

Mine became Pina Colada Muffins simply because I couldn’t find the yummy-looking yogurt that Annie used. Instead, I used Wegman’s brand Pina Colada flavored yogurt. They came out very good, but I agree with Anne that some shredded coconut would be a good addition. The pineapple flavor definitely overpowered the coconut 1/2 of the “pina colada.”

I also decided this was a good excuse to use my new square silicone muffin cups from Wilton. Sadly, though, I filled them too much, and they sort of pushed themselves into a round shape anyway! Oh well. I learned something for next time. My husband thinks I should mix a little Malibu Rum into the glaze. I think that’s something we should try for dessert because I don’t know that I could handle rum for breakfast 😉 . I will update if it’s good.

(note the brown sugar clump that didn’t get dissolved in the glaze. oops!)

Chicken with Pancetta and Olives

(Do you like the water bottles in the background? They’re waiting to be recycled. I get the best light next to my sink, lol.)

This was THE BEST chicken I have ever made, at least as far as bone-in, skin-in, roast chicken is concerned. I didn’t make any changes to the recipe (except for only making 1/2), so I will just direct you to the original recipe here: Roast Chicken with Pancetta and Olives, from Gourmet Jan 09 issue. There are some much better photos there as well. We were so hungry by the time I was ready to take pictures that I must admit I just took a few quick snap shots! We ate some of the chicken and removed the rest of it from the bones to reserve for other uses this weekend.

With it, I served the suggested Polenta with Franklin’s Teleme, again from Gourmet Jan 09. We used the recommended tip of subbing a combination of mascarpone and parmesan, since our local grocery store does not carry Franklin’s Teleme. I thought I didn’t like polenta, but apparently I was wrong. Definitely not the healthiest recipe, but SO GOOD!

I also served some steamed broccoli. I highly recommend this recipe!

Quick dinner take 2

Well, kind of quick. Less than 1 hour anyway, which to me is pretty quick! 55 minutes, to be exact. 🙂 Actually, there were 2 main reasons this took longer than about 20 minutes: 1. I had to defrost the frozen shrimp, and 2. I decided to make Kasmati rice to with this diner, simply because we had it on hand and I love it!

The original recipe that inspired this dish was from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2009 issue. I halved the recipe and then added shrimp, rice, scallions, and some soy sauce. Here’s the basic idea:

Steamed Snow Peas and Peppers with Shrimp over Rice
adapted from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 09; this recipe serves 2

Ingredients

• handful of snow peas (the amount you’d like for 2 people)
• 1 orange bell pepper (or whatever color looks good at the store that day)
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• cooked white rice (I think this would be good with brown rice too)
• 1/2 pound shrimp (I used frozen because I had them leftover from another recipe; I’m sure fresh would be great too; for fresh, you’d probably have to adjust the cooking time a bit.)
• scallions for garnish

Directions

• Cook rice according to package directions (I used Kasmati, so I started this first because it takes 50 minutes. Yes, 50! 20 min. for the rice to soak in water, bring to boil, 20 minutes to simmer with lid on, and let sit 5-10 min. May seem like a long time, but I really really love it. A quick cooking rice would speed this recipe up drastically of course!)
• Meanwhile, defrost shrimp in cold water if frozen. Devein if necessary, and remove tails. Sautee shrimp in a non-stick pan with cooking spray for a few minutes (until warmed for frozen, pre-cooked shrimp, or until cooked through, pink and opaque for fresh or uncooked frozen shrimp.)
• Trim snow peas, and de-seed pepper. Cut pepper into strips. Put snow peas and pepper into a vegetable steamer above simmering water and steam for 4 minutes, or until tender but still crisp.
• In a bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, vegetable oil, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. 
• When shrimp and veggies are done, combine in one pan and toss with above vinaigrette. Serve over cooked rice. If desired, sprinkle some scallions on top for garnish, and add a splash of soy sauce (I used low-sodium soy sauce.)

Had to include this photo because my camera started to steam up while I was trying to get it to focus, haha.  Maybe we can say the haze adds to the ambience of the photo? 😉

A 51 minute meal.

Today I decided to try something new: I wanted to see how fast I could make an interesting, somewhat balanced dinner. Tonight my husband had rehearsal until 5:00, I was teaching lessons at home until 5:00, and we were both going to have to leave for a board meeting by 6:45. Although I know that’s plenty of time to whip up something for dinner (and eat it), on days like this I typically resort to a frozen pizza or even just snacking and then stopping for a bite to eat on the way home from the meeting (at about 9:00 pm).

Today’s solution: bite the bullet and just COOK. I figured if I didn’t finish in time it wouldn’t be the end of the world. As you can see, I started at 4:43. When I say I “started,” I mean I hadn’t done anything yet. This time includes preheating the oven, prepping all the veggies, etc., and also plating the food and setting the table! I really loved the combination of flavors. They reminded me of summer! I think it was the mint and lime.

Spice-Rubbed Turkey Cutlets with Roasted Carrots and Minted Couscous
(adapted from Everyday Food Jan/Feb 2009); I made it to serve 2 *Note: original recipe calls for roasting turkey breasts with the carrots, but I wanted to speed up the process. I used cutlets instead.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into 2 inch lengths
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound turkey breast cutlets (very thinly sliced)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinammon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots, garlic, and 1-2 teaspoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 35 minutes, tossing occasionally.
• Sprinkle turkey cutlets with cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat to medium. Cook turkey cutlets until cooked through, a few minutes on each side.
• In a small bowl, mix yogurt, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon cumin; season with salt and pepper. Serve on the side.

Minted Couscous (again, from Everyday Food Jan/Feb 2009. This recipe is listed “as is.” It serves 4. I halved it to make 2 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 cup couscous
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, torn (*I did not use the full amount because I was afraid the mint would overpower. It turned out to be much better than I thought it would be! I’m glad I took a chance. I would add the full amount next time.)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions

• In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous; season with salt and pepper. Cover and, off heat, let steam in the pan, 5 minutes.
• Add scallions, mint, oil, and lime juice; fluff couscous with a fork.

Granted, our board meeting was canceled because of bad weather, but I decided to use the opportunity to see if I really could make an interesting, healthy dinner on a busy weeknight. Added bonus: more time to update the blog. 🙂

I found it, I found it!

I think I found my “go to” spaghetti and meatball recipe. I really love a good red sauce that tastes like it could be authentically Italian. I know taste is a matter of opinion, but I think this sauce had the perfect mix of flavors for me. I also love meatballs a little more than the average person probably should, and these were fantastic meatballs. I think the method of soaking the bread in milk made a difference (see instructions below.)

The recipe came from the Jan. 09 issue of Gourmet. It’s their cover recipe, actually, titled Spaghetti and Meatballs. I halved the recipe because I wanted to freeze leftovers, but not THAT many leftovers. The recipe here is listed “as is,” not halved.

Spaghetti and Meatballs (recipe from Gourmet, Jan 09)

Serves 12 TO 16;  Active Time: 2 HR; Start to Finish: 3 HR  

FOR TOMATO SAUCE     

Ingredients       

(28-oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice (preferably San Marzano *I did find this kind of tomato, and I think it did make a difference in the flavor)

2medium onions, chopped

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil *Use a good quality oil because this is really flavoring the sauce

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

FOR MEATBALLS  

Ingredients

2medium onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 cups torn day-old Italian bread

3 cups whole milk

6 large eggs

2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 lb)

1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped oregano or 1 tsp dried, crumbled *I used fresh

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 lb ground veal

1 1/2 lb ground pork

1 1/2 lb ground beef (not lean)

1 cup olive or vegetable oil

FOR PASTA

Ingredients

2 lbs dried spaghetti

ACCOMPANIMENT:

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

EQUIPMENT:  

a 12- to 16-qt nonreactive heavy pot or 2 smaller nonreactive pots; a 6- to 8-qt pasta pot with a pasta/steamer insert for cooking spaghetti in 2 batches

MAKE SAUCE:

Drain tomatoes, reserving juice in a large bowl. Crush tomatoes with your hands and add to juice. *I thought this would be a pain in the butt, but it was actually really fun.

Cook onions in oil in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, 4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Simmer sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt. *I did not add any more salt.

MAKE MEATBALLS WHILE SAUCE SIMMERS:            

Cook onions in extra-virgin olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Soak bread in milk in another bowl until soft, about 5 minutes. Firmly squeeze bread to remove excess milk, discarding milk.

Stir together cooled onion mixture, bread, eggs, parmesan, parsley, oregano, lemon zest, 5 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp pepper until combined. Add meats to bread mixture, gently mixing with your hands until just combined (do not overmix).

Form meat mixture into about 70 (1 1/2-inch) balls with dampened hands, arranging meatballs on 2 large baking sheets or in shallow baking pans.

Heat olive or vegetable oil (1 cup) in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meatballs in 4 or 5 batches (without crowding), turning frequently, about 5 minutes per batch. Return to baking sheets.<

Add meatballs to sauce and gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. (If pot is not large enough, divide meatballs and sauce between 2 pots.)

My sauce simmering away on the stove:

PREPARE PASTA:             

Cook spaghetti in 2 batches in pasta insert in boiling salted water (3 Tbsp salt for 6 qt water *I did not add this much salt) until just al dente, draining and tossing each batch with some of sauce in a large serving dish.

Serve with meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated cheese.

COOKS’ NOTES:                        

Meatballs can be made and simmered in sauce 5 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool).

Meatballs with sauce can be frozen in an airtight container or heavy-duty sealable bags up to 3 months.

RECIPE BY MAGGIE RUGGIERO

I served the spaghetti and meatballs with a red leaf lettuce salad with homemade croutons (had to make use of the leftover day old Italian bread!) We had blue cheese dressing because it’s my husband’s favorite… so I cheated and used store bought. 🙂

I also made the Garlic Knots from “Amber’s Delectable Delights.” Thanks for posting, Amber! They were a huge hit. Here is the recipe with my modifications in italics. The source that Amber got the recipe from is listed too. Please visit her blog for some awesome pictures of how to tie the dough into knots!

Soft Garlic Knots
Source: I Heart Food for Thought adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
Dough
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
Glaze
2-4 cloves peeled, garlic
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or Italian seasoning, optional *I omitted.

Directions
1. For the dough – In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the dry ingredients together then add the olive oil, milk and water *I heated the milk and water a bit together on the stove. Using the paddle attachment or dough hook, mix and knead to form smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk. *I mixed and kneaded by hand.
2. Divide the dough into 8 pieces *For some reason, I got 11! I guess I don’t divide evenly well 🙂, and roll each into a rope about 10 inches long; tie each rope into a knot. Place the knots on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to about an hour, until very puffy looking.
3. To make glaze – Unpeel garlic cloves. Chop the garlic in a food processor (or you can use a garlic press), with the melted butter.
4. To bake – Bake the knots in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes *I let mine go for about 23 minutes because some of them were big. They were also kind of baking together because I used a small pan. They should be set, but only very lightly browned. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush or drizzle them with the seasoned butter. (You can reheat the butter briefly in the microwave, if it’s solidified).

My very first crepe…and a new bar?

…well, at least my first time making crepes. I have eaten them out at restaurants several times, and love them! Tonight, after our steak dinner we went shopping. We’re looking for something to put in our living room on an empty wall. First we thought maybe a hutch or cabinet of some sort, but we weren’t sure. So, off to Christmas Tree Hill we went, which is our absolute favorite place to shop for our house. We sort of have a modern country look going on. If you’ve never been to one, you really should go check it out. The website doesn’t do it justice! 

Ok, I know I’m off topic, but I think we might get this to go on the big empty wall:

It’s the perfect size for the wall, the perfect color, and when we walked up to it we thought “oh, nice cabinet!!” and low and behold… IT’S A BAR! Better yet, it’s a bar that doesn’t always have to look like bar. 🙂 We love to entertain, and really don’t have a convenient place to put bottles of wine, glasses, etc. It’s a teensy bit damaged (not even noticeable, and very possibly fixable) so it’s like 50% off.

Back to crepes! When we got home I decided to make dessert. I adapted this recipe from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2009 issue: Crepes with Sauteed Bananas and Chocolate (sorry no link…it doesn’t appear to be up online yet!) Crepes totally weren’t as hard as I thought they’d be. My adaptations are in italics. Enjoy!

Crepes with Sauteed Bananas and Chocolate (Everyday Food Jan/Feb 2009)
Serves 6 *I halved the recipe, but it’s listed here “as is.”

• 1 cup AP flour (spooned and leveled)
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon melted unsalted butter, plus more for skillet
• 3 bananas, peeled and sliced
•  1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center. Add milk, eggs, and 1 tablespoon butter *I made sure my melted butter was cooled before adding so it couldn’t start to cook the egg; whisk to combine. Cover, and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 1 day.)

2. Preheat oven to 250; place a baking sheet in oven *I used the “warm” function in my convection toaster; I lined the baking tray with parchment just to be safe. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high. Lightly coat skillet with butter *I used cooking spray. Pour 1/3 cup batter into skillet, and quickly swirl skillet so batter evenly coats bottom. Cook crepe until edges are dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Loosen with a wide spatula, and using both hands, grip edges with fingertips and quickly turn over *If you move fast, this is not as hot and painful as it sounds!. Cook for 1 minute more. Slide onto sheet to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter (you should have 12 crepes.)

3. Heat 1 teaspoon butter in skillet over medium. Add bananas and brown sugar; cook, stirring occasionally, until bananas are lightly browned on one side, about 3 minutes. *Here’s my big addition: my husband LOVES bananas foster, so here I added a splash of banana liquer and slightly larger splash of dark rum, and ignited. Fold crepes into quarters; top with bananas and chocolate *I melted the chocolate over simmering water in my double boiler.

“DeChristma-fying”

 

That’s what my husband said we were doing today (aka taking down the Christmas tree and other decorations.) I thought it would be nice to end the day of hard work with a rewarding dinner at home, instead of being tempted to go out. I have to say a big THANK YOU to Carrie from Carrie’s Sweet Life  for posting this recipe for Steak au Poivre with Brandied Cream Sauce (original source: Cooks Illustrated). I made this tonight with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray via http://www.foodnetwork.com) and steamed broccoli. The brandied sauce was such a hit that my husband got up to get more sauce and even put it on his potatoes! (He’s normally not a sauce kind of guy.) Definitely make this steak…totally worth it!

Steak au Poivre with Brandied Cream Sauce

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium shallot , minced

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup brandy

1 tablespoon brandy

1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar *I used lemon juice

Table salt

4 strip steaks (8 to 10 ounces each), 3/4 to 1 inch thick and no larger than 3 inches at widest points, trimmed of exterior gristle *I splurged on some prime filet mignon…we don’t eat steak very often, so when we do we go all out!

1 tablespoon black peppercorns , crushed

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat *I used my cast iron skillet; when foaming subsides, add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add beef and chicken broths, increase heat to high, and boil until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes *This took about 13 min. for me. Set reduced broth mixture aside. Rinse and wipe out skillet.

Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt; rub one side of each steak with 1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns, and, using fingers, press peppercorns into steaks to make them adhere.

Place now-empty skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Lay steaks unpeppered-side down in hot skillet, increase heat to medium-high, firmly press down on steaks with bottom of cake pan (see illustration below), and cook steaks without moving them until well-browned, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip steaks, firmly press down on steaks with bottom of cake pan, and cook on peppered side, about 3 minutes longer for rare, about 4 minutes longer for medium-rare, or about 5 minutes longer for medium. Transfer steaks to large plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Pour reduced broth, cream, and 1/4 cup brandy into now-empty skillet *Here I flambeed to cook off some of the alcohol, mostly just because I think it’s so much fun to flambee!; increase heat to high and bring to boil, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Simmer until deep golden brown and thick enough to heavily coat back of metal tablespoon or soup spoon, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 1 tablespoon brandy, lemon juice or vinegar, and any accumulated meat juices. Adjust seasonings with salt. *I did not have to add any more salt.

My brandied cream sauce, bubbling away:

Set steaks on individual dinner plates, spoon portion of sauce over steaks, and serve immediately.

Serves 4.   Published September 1, 2001.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small fingerling potatoes 
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, 1 to 2 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper

Directions
Heat oven to 500 degrees F. *I heated to 450 because I was doing these in my convection toaster.

Spread potatoes out on a cookie sheet. Scatter garlic over potatoes. Coat lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and season potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. *Note: the oil got very smokey as it was cooking at a high temp. The garlic also got more “toasted” than “roasted.” Next time I think I will reduce the temperature and roast for a longer period of time.

Please pardon the fuzzy photo…we were hungry!

Resolution 1: Make yeast bread by hand.

Resolution 1: Check!

Saffron and Raisin Breakfast Bread (recipe courtesy of Cooking Light)

Yield
2 loaves, 20 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water (100º to 110º)
5 1/4 cups bread flour, divided
1 1/2 cups raisins
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preparation
Combine milk and saffron; let stand 10 minutes.

Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir in milk mixture. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 5 cups flour, raisins, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and salt to milk mixture, stirring to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide in half. Shape each portion into a 5-inch round loaf. Place loaves, seam sides down, 3 inches apart, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Make 2 diagonal cuts 1/4-inch-deep across top of each loaf using a sharp knife. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375º.

Uncover dough. Bake at 375º for 30 minutes or until loaves are browned on bottom and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on wire racks.

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2003

Things I learned today:
1. Yeast bread isn’t so hard by hand.
2. Kneading bread by hand is actually pretty satisfying.
3. I should do some upper body lifting. I can’t believe how tired my arms are!

All packed up for my husband to take to work for breakfast… plus a heart shaped drop of honey that happened completely by accident!

3…2…1…

Happy New Year! First I would like to thank our family and friends who came over for New Year’s Eve dinner. We’re so glad you were able to join us! We couldn’t have asked for a better evening…hopefully you all had a great time too. 🙂

I posted my menu a few days ago, but now I’m able to give you some more details and photos! We’ll start with a photo of our table. Linens are from Christmas Tree Hill (LOVE them). Napkin folding is courtesy of my ever-so-talented husband!

We started the evening with a cocktail, served with the cocktail nuts in my last blog post: Apricot Fizz

Ingredients

3 tablespoons chilled apricot nectar or peach papaya mango juice *I used apricot nectar
1/2 cup chilled Prosecco
lime slices for garnish

Directions

Pour the apricot nectar in a champagne flute and top with Prosecco. Garnish with lime slices if desired.

The first course was Fallen Goat Cheese Souffles on Wilted Spinach (courtesy of Emeril via Food Network website)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons plus 5 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon fine dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons minced shallots

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3 large egg yolks

4 ounces goat cheese

1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 large egg whites

Pinch cream of tartar

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts

Wilted Spinach, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter 6 (3/4 cup/6-ounce) ramekins with 4 teaspoons of the butter. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and use to dust the bottoms and sides of each ramekin. Set inside a roasting pan large enough to hold the cups without touching. Lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 teaspoon of the butter and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens slightly and forms a light roux, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the milk, and bring to a boil. Simmer, whisking, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the cheese, tarragon, salt, and pepper, and stir to incorporate.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks just form. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the yolks in 3 additions. Divide among the prepared custard cups and fill the roasting pan with warm water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake without opening the oven door until slightly puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let rest uncovered for 30 minutes. Run a thin, sharp knife around the edges of the ramekins to release the souffles. (Note: souffles can be covered at this point in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.) *I refrigerated for a few hours. It worked very well!

Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Bake the souffles until puffed and heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Add the dried cherries and pine nuts to the spinach and stir to combine. Divide the wilted spinach mixture among 6 salad plates. Arrange 1 souffle on each plate and serve.
Wilted Spinach

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 18 ounces baby spinach, tough stems removed, well rinsed and spun dry
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat butter in a wide 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until foam subsides, add garlic and balsamic vinegar and cook for 30 seconds. Then cook spinach, stirring, until just wilted but still and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Some photos for you of removing the souffles from the ramekins:

Step 1: Pray 🙂

Step 2: Place souffle in palm of hand

Step 3: Carefully place souffle on baking sheet for later

These were definitely a hit! They weren’t quick and easy by any means, but they were totally worth it.

With the first course, we served a French Sauvignon Blanc:

Next up: main course! We served a Pork Tenderloin En Croute with Pear and Parsnip Puree (again, both Emeril from Food Network’s website.)

Pork Tenderloin En Croute

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 pound assorted mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloins
• 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 sheet prepared puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• 1/4 cup Creole mustard or any whole-grain mustard *I used Creloe
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons of water to make an egg wash
• Haricots Verts, recipe follows *We omitted these because, frankly, I forgot to buy them!

Directions

To make the mushroom stuffing, in a large, heavy skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are wilted and begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan and until the liquid has almost all evaporated and the mixture is tight, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat. Let cool completely before using.

Season the pork tenderloins with the Essence. *I actually sliced the tenderloin into 8 smaller pieces and decided to make individual servings.

Heat the oil in a skillet or Dutch oven large enough to hold the tenderloins over medium-high heat. Add the tenderloins and reduce the heat to medium. Sear evenly on all sides and cook, turning frequently. Remove pork from the pan and cool for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 12 by 18-inch rectangle. Place the pork tenderloins on 1/2 of the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Evenly coat the tenderloins on all sides with the mustard.

Pack the cooled mushroom mixture around the pork tenderloins. Brush a 1/2-inch border of egg wash on the pastry around the meat. Gently pull the remaining pastry over the meat to completely enclose, and press gently to seal. With a small knife cut away the excess pastry to make an even border and crimp the pastry edges with a fork dipped in flour. Make a small slit in the top of the pastry for steam to vent.

Carefully transfer the tenderloin to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the pastry evenly with egg wash. *At this point, I put them in the fridge for about an hour before baking because we weren’t quite ready for them yet. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan. Bake until golden brown and an instant read thermometer reaches 140 degrees F, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minute before serving.

Slice the pork tenderloin and serve with the Haricots Verts.

Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning)

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from “New New Orleans Cooking”, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Haricots Verts

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 pound haricots vertss
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram

In a saute pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until the shallots begin to soften. Add the haricot vert, lemon juice and zest and cook until crisp-tender – about 3 minutes. Add the marjoram and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Pear and Parsnip Puree

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch piece
• 2 tablespoons nut-flavored liqueur
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a baking dish, combine the parsnips, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until the parsnips are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and uncover.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the pears and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the liqueur and tilt the pan to ignite the contents. (Alternately, remove from the heat, light with a match, and return to the heat.) *Couldn’t get mine to ingite. Sigh. Cook while flaming for 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.

In a skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter is golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Add the browned butter, baked parsnips and their cooking liquid to the food processor. Puree on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sour cream, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. Serve immediately or cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

 

These turned out very well… rave reviews from our guests. 🙂 I am fully aware that it looks a bit like a mummy head. Stop laughing. Ok, you can laugh, I’m laughing too.

With the main course, we served a French red:

Finally… dessert! Grand Marnier Creme Brulee with Chocolate Ginger Shards (again, you guessed it: Emeril, Food Network website.)

Gotta make a mini brulee to test it first!

Super yummy and indulgent

Ingredients *I quadrupled this recipe because there were 8 of us.

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 vanilla bean, split in 1/2 lengthwise and seeds scraped out and reserved
• Very small pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 mint sprigs, for garnish
• Chocolate-Ginger Shards, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, combine the cream, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the vanilla bean pod and reserved seeds, and salt and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pods. Stir in the Grand Marnier and orange zest.

In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of the sugar and whisk until frothy and the sugar is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the cream mixture. Divide between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins. Place in a small roasting pan or baking dish and fill with enough water to come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custards are just set and still tremble slightly in the center, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours.

Preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the top of each custard with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Place under the broiler and broil until sugar melts and caramelizes, 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning and turning the custards as they cook. (Alternatively, use a kitchen blow torch to caramelize the sugar.)

Stick the sharp ends of the shards down into each custard, garnish with mint, and serve immediately.

Chocolate Ginger Shards: 

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Line a small baking sheet with foil and chill. 

In the top of a double boiler, or in a small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the ginger and spoon onto the center of the baking sheet. Spread with a rubber spatula into a rough rectangle and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of ginger, pressing lightly to help adhere.

Chill until firm, about 30 minutes, then break into triangle-shaped pieces (shards).

Yield: garnish for 2 brulees

With dessert we served a Sauternes:

At midnight, of course, a champagne toast! We watched the ball drop on TV, raised our glasses, and kissed a little. 🙂

Overall, it was the best New Year’s Eve I can remember in a long time! Happy 2009!!