Date Night, Shrimp & Filet Mignon

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Shrimp Skewers

Filet Mignon with Caramelized onions and Mushrooms

Horseradish Mashed Potato

Stuessel Topped Cake

BBQ Spice Rub

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

3 Tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Optional)

Directions

Mix brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a bowl.

Store in an airtight container or keep in the freezer in a resealable plastic bag.

Bacon Wrapped Barbeque Shrimp

Ingredients

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 slices bacon par cook

barbeque seasoning, to taste

Directions

Wrap shrimp with 1/2 slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick. Be sure and use the large shrimp–the cooking time for the shrimp and the bacon is similar. If you use medium-sized shrimp, you might want to precook the bacon a little–over cooked shrimp are tough and rubbery–and a real shame.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Line a jelly roll pan with extra heavy duty foil, and place baking rack in the pan. Place the shrimp on the rack, and sprinkle heavily with the barbecue seasoning. Turn and sprinkle second side. Set aside for 15 minutes. The bacon will turn from creamy white to a little opaque, and the seasonings will soak in.

Bake in the preheated oven until bacon is crisp and shrimp are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Beef Tenderloin

Yield 2:

½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms

½ cup sliced onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 5oz beef tenderloins, butterflied and pounded

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided

3T oil

PAN SAUCE

½ cup red wine

¼ cup beef stock

1 tablespoon butter

In skillet add enough oil to coat bottom of the pan. Turn heat on to medium. Thoroughly dry filet and salt and pepper both sides.  Once pan is up to temperature cook until desired doneness, then remove from the skillet and let it rest.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan, add onions and mushrooms, cook until caramelized.  Add the red wine and reduce by ½ scraping up all the brown bits.  Then add the beef stock and reduce.

Finally add the butter and just swirl to incorporate.  Add the filets back to the sauce and any juices the release.

Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

  Yield: 2

2 Russet Potatoes

A handful of salt

1 Bay Leaves

½ cup Half & Half Cream or heavy cream

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

¼ cup Sour Cream

2 tsp Prepared Horseradish

1/2 cup Shredded White Aged Cheddar

¼ cup Swiss or Gruyere

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Place potato pieces and bay leaves into a large pot, and cover with enough water so that the water is 1 inch over the potatoes. Add enough salt to the water so that the water is similar to seawater. Place over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Remove bay leaf

Using a potato ricer or a masher, mash the potatoes back into the empty pot. Add butter, infused cream, sour cream, horseradish, and cheese to the pot, and mix well until completely combined. Season with salt and pepper, and serve

Crumb Cake

8×8 inch baking dish

Ingredients

For the Crumb Topping:

▢ 1¼ cups all-purpose flour divided (150g)

▢ ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar (110g)

▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)

▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

▢ ½ teaspoon salt

▢ ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)

For the Cake:

▢ 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)

▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder

▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda

▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)

▢ ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)

▢ 1 large egg

▢ ⅓ cup sour cream

▢ ¼ cup milk (60mL)

▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

▢ confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter an 8×8-inch square baking pan or spray with baking spray. Line with parchment paper.

For the Crumb Topping:

In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Using a fork, stir in the melted butter until mostly combined but still crumbly. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup flour until the mixture is very crumbly and still has large pieces.

For the Cake:

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (Use the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.) Add the egg and beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Add the sour cream, milk, and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. (The mixture will look runny and curdled.)

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat just until all of the flour is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it evenly. (Batter will be very thick.) Sprinkle the crumb topping all over the batter.

Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the cake is browning heavily before 40 minutes, loosely cover with foil. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving.