Valentine’s Special-Stuffed Tenderloin

Savory Beer Cheese Dip served with Pretzel Bites

Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

French Onion Baked Potato

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

with a Mocha Heart Shaped Cookie

Savory Beer Cheese Dip served with Pretzel Bites

Yield: 2

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup milk

⅔ cup beer

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups sharp cheddar shredded

1 cup gruyere or swiss cheese, shredded

Pretzel bites for serving

Melt butter, flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper over medium heat in a saucepan. Cook 1 minute.

Stir in milk and beer a bit at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Continue cooking over medium heat, add in mustard and Worcestershire, cooking sauce until thick and bubbly.

Reduce heat to low, add cheeses, and stir just until melted and smooth.

Serve warm with soft pretzels.

 

French Onion Baked Potato

Yield: 2

2 russet potatoes

Oil

Salt and pepper

FOR THE SOUP

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 sprigs thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup red wine

1 tablespoon flour

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup beef broth

½ cup shredded Gruyère

Preheat oven to 350° and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Rub with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make onion soup filling: In a pot over medium heat, melt butter. When melted, add onions and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized.

Remove thyme (if using fresh) and add wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until wine is mostly evaporated. Add in flour and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant. Add in broth and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until thickened slightly. Turn heat off, Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

When potatoes are tender, cut top off of potato and scoop potato filling out into a bowl. Leaving the potato skin intact. Mash potato and pour in half of soup mixture and ¼ cup cheese. Mix to combine. Place mashed potatoes back into potato skin and top with remaining soup and cheese. Place in oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve.

 

Sautéed Green Beans with almonds and Parmesan

yield: 2 servings

½ pound fresh green beans, trimmed and blanched

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon garlic, minced

¼ cup parmesan

¼ cup almonds slices

Sea salt and ground black pepper

Prepare small saucepan of lightly salted water to blanch beans

Prepare ice bath

To blanch beans:

  Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook for 3-5 minutes until beans are bright green and tender but not mushy. Drain and transfer to ice bath until fully cooled and set aside.

To cook beans:

  Add 1 tablespoon oil to medium skillet and heat until oil shimmers. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, just until garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Add beans and sauté stirring occasionally until fully cooked. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper.

Garnish with shaved parmesan and almonds

 

Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

Yield: 2

2 beef tenderloins filets, butterflied and pounded

oil

¼ onion, minced

4 mushrooms, minced

2-4 cloves garlic minced

¼ cup dried fruit

¼ cup panko

Fresh or dried Thyme to taste

Fresh or dried sage to taste

¼ cup sherry

Butchers twine

¼ cup Marsala

½ cup red wine

2 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Lay out pounded beef on parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

In a large skillet drizzle in some oil over medium high heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms have cooked down. Add garlic, dried fruit, panko, thyme and sage. Cook until fragrant. Add sherry and cook until all liquid has dissipated. Turn heat off. Spoon mixture onto both pieces of beef. Roll and tie with butchers twine. In the same large skillet over medium high heat add some more oil add beef to pan and sear until internal desired temperature is reached. and add Marsala and red wine. Deglaze pan and cook until liquid is half. Add butter, once melted season with salt and pepper then serve.

 

The BEST Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Chocolate cookie Crust¹

1 ½ cups ground oreo’s(170g)

2-3 oz  butter, melted

Cheesecake

32 oz cream cheese² softened to room temperature (910g)

1 cup sugar (200g)

⅔ cups sour cream (160g)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup white chocolate chips melted

2 cup frozen raspberries tossed lightly in flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (160C).

Prepare crust first by combining oreo crumbs and  melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.

Pour crumbs into a 9” Springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. Set aside.

Cheesecake

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).

Add sugar and stir again until creamy.

Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.  Mix in melted white chocolate and then fold in by hand the raspberries.

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with foil.

Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F (160C) for 50-60 minutes (or longer as needed, see note 3). Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly. Don’t over-bake or the texture will suffer, which means we all suffer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven⁴ for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.

Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator and allowing to cool overnight or at least 6 hours. I remove the ring of the springform pan just before serving then return it to the pan to store. Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Shortbread Heart Cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature + 3 Tbls

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips melted

Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough 1/4-inch thick as evenly as possible.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Cut out the cookies with a heart shaped or other cookie cutter. Arrange the cookies, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until crisp and firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes and then transfer to a wire

cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are cool dip the hearts into the melted chocolate. I only dipped about 1/4 of the heart. Sprinkle the chocolate section with sprinkles, if desired. Place the heart cookies on wax paper until the chocolate is completely set up.

 

 

by

Mardi Gras

Shrimp Remoulade Galatoire’s

Bourbon Street Rib-Eye Steak

Grits a Ya Ya

Bread Pudding with Praline sauce

Shrimp Remoulade Galatoire’s

Ingredients

  • 4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup tomato puree

  • 1/2 cup Creole mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/8 cups vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 pounds large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 12 lettuce leaves

Directions

  1. In the container of a food processor, combine the celery, green onions, onion and parsley. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the vinegar, ketchup, tomato puree, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Process until well blended, stopping to scrape down the sides a couple of times. With the food processor running, drizzle the oil in a steady stream, processing until blended. Stir in paprika. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.
  2. When ready to serve, stir the sauce, then pour over the shrimp and toss to coat. Serve on top of lettuce leaves.

 

Bourbon Street Rib-Eye Steak

¼ cup bourbon

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Pepper to taste

2 (6 ounce) beef rib-eye steaks

1 T oil

Directions

Instructions

Make the bourbon glaze by adding the bourbon, brown sugar, soy, vinegar and garlic to a pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to ½.

Season and sear the steak

Let the steak sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to preparing it. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel, then generously season with kosher salt. You want to make sure to season the top, bottom, and sides of the steak.

Now heat your cast iron pan over high heat. Once the pan is smoking pour in the  oil and gently place the seasoned steak into the pan. Always make sure to place it away from you so the hot oil doesn’t splash back at you.  Grill with out moving for 3 minutes, rotate 90 degrees and grill another 2 minutes.  Turn and cook to desired doneness.

 

Grits a Ya Ya

 Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup old fashioned grits
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
  • 1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese, or more to taste
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 8 slices bacon, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 splash white wine
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.
  2. Slowly pour the grits into the stock while stirring constantly.
  3. Reduce heat to low; simmer until the grits are tender and thick, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream to thin the grits.
  5. Stir in the Gouda cheese and 1/4 cup butter until melted and smooth.
  6. While the grits are cooking, place the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium heat; cook until the bacon fat is rendered, about 3 minutes.
  7. Stir in the shallot and garlic; cooking and stirring until the shallots are tender, about 5 minutes.
  8. Pour in the white wine and stir in 3 tablespoons butter, cooking and stirring until the butter has melted. Stir in the spinach, mushrooms, and green onions; cook and stir until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes more. Stir in 2 cups heavy cream. Simmer until the cream is reduced by about a third, about 10 minutes.
  9. Fold the mushroom mixture into the grits, thinning out with heavy cream if needed. Season with hot sauce.

 

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 cups water

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup stone-ground grits

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a pot over high heat. Add salt and pepper. Stir in grits; reduce heat and let simmer until water is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar cheese and butter. Cover and set aside

Rinse shrimp and pat dry.

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels.

Heat remaining bacon grease in the skillet over medium heat. Cook shrimp until bright pink on the outside and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Add bacon, scallions, parsley, garlic, and lemon juice; cook for 3 minutes.

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

 

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

½ Cup Raisins

¼ Cup Bourbon

4 Cups Stale French Bread

2 Cups Heavy Cream

¾ Cup Sugar

1t Cinnamon

2 Large Eggs

1 T Vanilla

  1. In small bowl combine raisins and bourbon, let stand at least 30 minutes preferably overnight.
  2. In large bowl combine bread cubes and cream. Set aside.
  3. Preheat oven 350. In bowl whisk together sugar, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla and raisins with their liquid.  Add this mixture to the bread mixture and fold together. Mix in chocolate.
  4. Place 1 ½ t butter in individual ramekins, put in oven to melt. Scoop bread mixture into them and bake until pudding is firm and knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Approximately 30 minutes.
  5. Serve warm with scoop of ice cream and the bourbon caramel sauce.

 

Praline  Sauce

1/2 pound unsalted butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Stir 1/2 pound unsalted butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar together in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir pecans into the cream mixture, and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes; pour over bread pudding to serve.

  1. In small bowl set over simmering water, whisk the sugar and egg together until warm to the touch and beginning to fluff up. Whisk in the melted butter; whisk in the bourbon.
  2. Pour the sauce over each serving.

by

Valentine’s Special-Touch of France

French Country Salad with Lemon Dijon

Homemade Fettuccine with Cream Sauce

Steak Au Poivre with White Truffle Aioli 

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake with a Mocha Heart Shaped Cookie

French country salad with citrus vinaigrette

 

1 (5 oz.) bag of arugula

4oz asparagus, tough ends trimmed.

olive oil, to drizzle over asparagus

sea salt, to sprinkle over asparagus.

1/4 cup sliced cooked beets, canned, jarred, home-cooked.

1/4 cup whole walnuts or pecans, toasted.

1 oz crumbled goat cheese

For the vinaigrette

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 oz olive oil

1 clove small garlic, minced.

1/4 tsp sea salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

                        Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Cut the asparagus into 1 1/2″ long pieces. Spread the asparagus out onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus along with a sprinkle of sea salt. Roast for 4 to 5 minutes, until the asparagus is tender but still has a bite. Allow the asparagus to cool before using. Toss the arugula with the asparagus in a large bowl; temporarily set aside. To create the dressing Whisk all of the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl Toss the salad with the vinaigrette until everything is lightly coated in the dressing. Then garnish the salad with the sliced beets, toasted nuts, and crumbled goat cheese.

Fresh Pasta Dough

yield: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

 

 

 

White wine cream sauce

  yield: 2

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup parmesan

 ½ cup white wine

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon veggie oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat add veggie oil and garlic, as soon the garlic is aromatic Add white wine. Cook wine down until the pan is almost dry then add heavy cream and cheese. Mix until cheese is fully melted then season with salt and pepper.

 

 

 

Steak Au Poivre

2 thick-cut Steaks Beef Tenderloin or NY Strip steak, 6-8 ounces, about 1 1/2 – inches thick

Coarse salt

1Tablespoon whole black peppercorns crushed

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons brandy

1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

  1. At least 30 minutes up to an hour before cooking remove the steaks from the fridge. Sprinkle all sides of steaks with salt. Just before cooking, pat steaks dry with paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Generously coat all sides of steaks with the fresh ground black pepper, pressing it into the steaks.
  2. Heat a large heavy cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil. Just as butter begins to smoke, place steaks in pan for medium rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Adjust cook time for desired doneness, using a meat thermometer for doneness. Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil.
  3. Turn burners off. Carefully pour Cognac into hot frying pan. Carefully light the alcohol with a lighter and swirl the pan around until the flame burns out. Turn heat back on to medium. Whisking until sauce lightly thickens, about 6-8 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, pour sauce over steaks.

Steak temperature:

Rare 125F, Medium Rare 135F, Medium 145F, Medium well 150F Well done 160F

 

 

Truffle Aioli (Truffle Garlic Mayo)

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon white or black truffle oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic grated

kosher salt or sea salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

Whisk – Add mayonnaise, truffle oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic to a bowl and whisk until combined.

 

 

The BEST Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Chocolate cookie Crust¹

1 ½ cups ground oreo’s(170g)

2-3 oz  butter, melted

Cheesecake

32 oz cream cheese² softened to room temperature (910g)

1 cup sugar (200g)

⅔ cups sour cream (160g)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup white chocolate chips melted

2 cup frozen raspberries tossed lightly in flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (160C).

Prepare crust first by combining oreo crumbs and  melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.

Pour crumbs into a 9” Springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. Set aside.

Cheesecake

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).

Add sugar and stir again until creamy.

Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.  Mix in melted white chocolate and then fold in by hand the raspberries.

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with foil.

Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F (160C) for 50-60 minutes (or longer as needed, see note 3). Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly. Don’t over-bake or the texture will suffer, which means we all suffer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven⁴ for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.

Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator and allowing to cool overnight or at least 6 hours. I remove the ring of the springform pan just before serving then return it to the pan to store. Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Shortbread Heart Cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature + 3 Tbls

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips melted

Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough 1/4-inch thick as evenly as possible.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Cut out the cookies with a heart shaped or other cookie cutter. Arrange the cookies, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until crisp and firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes and then transfer to a wire

cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are cool dip the hearts into the melted chocolate. I only dipped about 1/4 of the heart. Sprinkle the chocolate section with sprinkles, if desired. Place the heart cookies on wax paper until the chocolate is completely set up.

 

 

by

Valentines Creamy Lobster Pasta

Grilled Caesar salad

Fresh Pasta from scratch

Lobster Pasta

Cheddar bay biscuits

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

served with a Heart Shaped Mocha Cookie

 

Grilled Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

Yield: 2 servings

2 thick slices Italian bread or 4 thick slices French baguette cut in 1 inch cubes

¼ cup olive oil,

Vegetable oil for brushing grill pan

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup grape tomatoes split lengthwise

1 large egg yolk

1 small anchovy filet or ¼ teaspoon anchovy paste

Juice of ½ lemons

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced and divided

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 head romaine lettuce, split lengthwise

Sea salt and pepper to taste

  Preheat cast iron grill pan at medium-high heat.

    To make garlic croutons: In a small bowl toss bread cubes, garlic, and parsley. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over mixture, gently tossing as it is added. Season with salt and pepper and mix being careful not to mash the bread. Spread out croutons on small parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until croutons are just crispy outside but still soft inside. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

  To grill romaine: Brush preheated grill pan with vegetable oil Place split romaine head cut side down in pan at 45’ angle. Sear for 1-2 minutes, then rotate romaine 90’. Grill for 1-2 more minutes or until desired grill lines are achieved. Immediately transfer lettuce to cooler uncovered to chill before it can wilt.

 To make Caesar dressing: Add egg yolk, ½ teaspoon garlic, Dijon, and anchovy to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously to combine and extract flavor from garlic. Squeeze half of lemon into mixture and whisk to incorporate

 

Fresh Pasta Dough

yield: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

 

Creamy lobster pasta with homemade pasta

yield: 2 servings

1 pasta recipe, prepared and rolled out

½ cup lobster

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup parmesan

1 teaspoon fresh dill

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup white wine

½ lemon, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat add oil and garlic. Cook garlic for 30 seconds then pour in white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook slightly and pour in heavy cream. Stir in parmesan, dill, red pepper flakes, and allow coming up to a boil and turning heat off. Stir in butter, and lobster. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Boil fresh pasta and add directly into sauce once cooked.

 

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients

 2 cups all purpose flour

 1 Tablespoon Sugar

 1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Garlic Butter Topping:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  1 Tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Whisk together the melted butter and buttermilk. Combine with the dry ingredients until incorporated. It will make a thick dough. Fold in the cheddar cheese.
  3. Measure out each biscuit in a ¼ cup measuring cup. The measuring cup worked great for packing the dough into the cup and spooning the dough out onto the baking sheet. It made perfect round biscuits.
  4. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven until golden brown. Combine garlic butter topping ingredients and brush onto each biscuit. Makes 11 biscuits.

 

The BEST Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Chocolate cookie Crust¹

1 ½ cups ground oreo’s(170g)

2-3 oz  butter, melted

Cheesecake

32 oz cream cheese² softened to room temperature (910g)

1 cup sugar (200g)

⅔ cups sour cream (160g)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup white chocolate chips melted

2 cup frozen raspberries tossed lightly in flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (160C).

Prepare crust first by combining oreo crumbs and  melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.

Pour crumbs into a 9” Springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. Set aside.

Cheesecake

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).

Add sugar and stir again until creamy.

Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.  Mix in melted white chocolate and then fold in by hand the raspberries.

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with foil.

Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F (160C) for 50-60 minutes (or longer as needed, see note 3). Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly. Don’t over-bake or the texture will suffer, which means we all suffer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven⁴ for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.

Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator and allowing to cool overnight or at least 6 hours. I remove the ring of the springform pan just before serving then return it to the pan to store. Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Shortbread Heart Cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature + 3 Tbls

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips melted

Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough 1/4-inch thick as evenly as possible.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Cut out the cookies with a heart shaped or other cookie cutter. Arrange the cookies, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until crisp and firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes and then transfer to a wire

cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are cool dip the hearts into the melted chocolate. I only dipped about 1/4 of the heart. Sprinkle the chocolate section with sprinkles, if desired. Place the heart cookies on wax paper until the chocolate is completely set up.

 

 

 

 

by

Valentine’s Upscale Steakhouse

Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin topped with scallops,

Garlic Herb Compound Butter and Asparagus

Smokey Hazelnut Scalloped Potatoes 

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

served with a Heart Shaped Mocha Cookie

Scallops

  Yield: 2

6 scallops

Oil

4 tablespoons butter

 On a paper towel, lay scallops down and dry well..

In a small skillet over medium heat add oil. Once shimmering add scallops and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 30 seconds.

Remove scallops from skillet.

Add butter to pan and brown, pour over scallops.

 

 

 

 Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Compound Butter and Asparagus

  Yield: 2

2 (6-ounce) Filet Mignon steaks, about 1 1/2 inch thick

1 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoons kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

fresh chopped parsley or dry –for garnish-

FOR THE GARLIC HERB BUTTER

1/4 cup butter softened

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

½  tablespoon fresh thyme

1 garlic cloves minced

ASPARAGUS

1 bundle of asparagus

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon complete seasoning

Remove steaks from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper place asparagus, oil and seasoning. Cook for 10 minutes.

Heat a cast-iron or oven-safe skillet on high heat add olive oil and butter, once butter is melted and done foaming add steaks. Cook for 2 minutes then flip  cook for 7-8 minutes or until desired doneness. Using a meat thermometer you can check the temp. Rare – 120-125F, medium rare – 130-135F, medium – 140-145F, medium well – 150-155F and well done – 160-165F

In a small bowl add butter, herbs, and garlic and mix until combined.

Remove the skillet from the oven and add the garlic herb butter and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with asparagus and garnish with fresh parsley and pan juices.

 

 

 

         Smokey Hazelnut Scalloped Potatoes

yield: 2 servings

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Pinch ground black pepper pepper

¼ cup crusted hazelnuts

2 strips hickory smoked bacon, cooked

½ teaspoon liquid s smoke

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½  cup grated smoked gouda

1 cup whole milk

1 cup white potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick

½ teaspoon shallot, minced

1 teaspoon Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

  In a small saucepan at low heat, melt butter and when butter subsides, add shallots. When shallots are soft and translucent, add flour and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly. Add milk, cheese, liquid smoke, paprika, salt and pepper and continue to cook until cheese is melted and sauce thickens. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.

  Arrange potatoes in a shallow baking dish so equally layered. Alternate hazelnut and bacon then, ladle sauce over top, careful not to overflow. Gently move potatoes to allow sauce to separate the slices and wipe inside rim of dish to avoid burning.

  Bake uncovered for  45-60 minutes, until potatoes are tender and sauce is bubbling brown but not too dark. Transfer half to a warmed dinner plate and garnish with chopped parsley

ice and serve

 

The BEST Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Chocolate cookie Crust¹

1 ½ cups ground oreo’s(170g)

2-3 oz  butter, melted

Cheesecake

32 oz cream cheese² softened to room temperature (910g)

1 cup sugar (200g)

⅔ cups sour cream (160g)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup white chocolate chips melted

2 cup frozen raspberries tossed lightly in flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (160C).

Prepare crust first by combining oreo crumbs and  melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.

Pour crumbs into a 9” Springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. Set aside.

Cheesecake

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).

Add sugar and stir again until creamy.

Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.  Mix in melted white chocolate and then fold in by hand the raspberries.

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with foil.

Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F (160C) for 50-60 minutes (or longer as needed, see note 3). Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly. Don’t over-bake or the texture will suffer, which means we all suffer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven⁴ for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.

Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator and allowing to cool overnight or at least 6 hours. I remove the ring of the springform pan just before serving then return it to the pan to store. Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Shortbread Heart Cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature + 3 Tbls

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips melted

Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough 1/4-inch thick as evenly as possible.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Cut out the cookies with a heart shaped or other cookie cutter. Arrange the cookies, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until crisp and firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes and then transfer to a wire

cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are cool dip the hearts into the melted chocolate. I only dipped about 1/4 of the heart. Sprinkle the chocolate section with sprinkles, if desired. Place the heart cookies on wax paper until the chocolate is completely set up.

 

 

 

by

Valentines French Kiss-Filet Mignon

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Pan Sauce

Lobster Mashed Potatoes

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

Homemade Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe. Packed with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries with walnuts and brie on a bed of spinach and homemade dressing, this salad is crazy amazing.

Servings: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

5 oz fresh spinach

1/2 cup blueberries

3 oz raspberries

4 oz strawberries, halved

3/4 cup cubed brie

1/2 cup walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the recipe for homemade poppy seed dressing.

In a bowl add the spinach, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, Feta cheese, and walnuts.

Drizzle salad with the homemade poppy seed dressing. Gently toss to combine and serve

immediately.

Poppy Seed Dressing

Servings: 4 servings

1½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp poppy seeds

Salt and pepper

Whisk Balsamic vinegar, oil, Dijon mustard, mayo, honey, poppy seeds, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.

 whisk dressing vigorously until ingredients are combined.

 

 

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Pan Sauce + Garlic lobster Mashed Potatoes 

 

Serves 2

2 8 oz Filet Mignons, at room temperature

Kosher Salt 

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Herb de Provence
1 Tablespoon Shallot, minced
1/4 Cup Red Wine
1/4 Cup Beef Stock

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted

Heat a skillet  over medium high heat and season filets with salt and pepper and herb de Provence on both sides if filets.   Add remaining oil and sear filets, undisturbed, for 4-5 minutes. Cook to desired temperature.  Remove from pan to let rest.

Place the cast iron skillet used to cook steaks back on stovetop over medium high heat and sauté shallots for 1-2 minutes.  Deglaze pan with wine and reduce mixture by half.  Add stock, and once again reduce mixture by half.  Remove from heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter, and season the pan sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Lobster Mashed Potatoes

This recipe adds the richness of lobster to the comfort of potatoes

Serves 2

Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes

2 lg youkan gold potatoes

4 gloved of garlic peeled

2tablespoon butter

1/8cup heavy cream

1tablespoon herb cheese

Salt and pepper

Lobster

½ cup chopped lobster meat

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 clove of garlic minced

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon thyme

Instructions

Mashed Potatoes

cook potatoes in salted water, and garlic drain and mash with butter, heated heavy cream, herb cheese, and fresh ground pepper

Lobster

in a saucepan over med heat, sauté garlic in olive oil; after about 30 seconds add thyme and chicken stock; whisk in butter.

heat and stir until blended and then add lobster meat. With a slotted spoon remove the lobster and toss with the mashed potatoes.

place in a casserole dish and drizzle 2-3 Tbsp of juice over top.

 

 

 

The BEST Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust¹

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (170g)

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon brown sugar (can substitute white)

7 Tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake

32 oz cream cheese² softened to room temperature (910g)

1 cup sugar (200g)

⅔ cups sour cream (160g)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup white chocolate chips melted

1 cup frozen raspberries tossed lightly in flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (160C).

Prepare Graham Cracker crust first by combining graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and brown sugar, and stirring well. Add melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs,2 Tablespoons sugar,1 Tablespoon brown sugar,7 Tablespoons butter

Pour crumbs into a 9” Springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. Set aside.

Cheesecake

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).

Add sugar and stir again until creamy.

Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.  Mix in melted white chocolate and then fold in by hand the raspberries.

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with foil.

Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F (160C) for 50-60 minutes (or longer as needed, see note 3). Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly. Don’t over-bake or the texture will suffer, which means we all suffer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven⁴ for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.

Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator and allowing to cool overnight or at least 6 hours. I remove the ring of the springform pan just before serving then return it to the pan to store. Enjoy!

Chocolate Shortbread Heart Cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature + 3 Tbls

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips melted

Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough 1/4-inch thick as evenly as possible.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Cut out the cookies with a heart shaped or other cookie cutter. Arrange the cookies, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until crisp and firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes and then transfer to a wire

cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are cool dip the hearts into the melted chocolate. I only dipped about 1/4 of the heart. Sprinkle the chocolate section with sprinkles, if desired. Place the heart cookies on wax paper until the chocolate is completely set up.

by

Valentine’s Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington

Sun Dried Tomato Risotto

Brie Stuffed Mushrooms

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

with Heart Shaped Mocha Cookie

Beef Wellington

  yield: 2

ingredients

Tenderloin

4 sheets prosciutto

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ t thyme

4 oz mushrooms, minced

¼ c Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Puff pastry

Egg wash

Preheat oven 400F

In a large skillet over high heat add oil.  Season steak and add to hot skillet. Sear all sides and remove from pan.  Turn heat down to medium and add mushrooms, cook until all liquid and steam dissipates, add garlic and thyme, cook until fragrant.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Coat meat with mustard and wrap in prosciutto.  Lay puff pastry out and add mushroom mixture.  Then add meat and wrap puff pastry around.  Lay the wellington on a sheet tray lines with parchment paper seam side down.  Coat with egg wash and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the desired temperature.

 

Sun Dried Tomato Risotto

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 oz sun-dried tomatoes chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
  • 1 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oi
  • 3/4 cup arborio rice
  • ¼ cup dry white wine or sub more vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoon freshly chopped herbs plus more for serving parsley and/ or basil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large saucepan cook the onion in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes.
  2. While the onions are softening bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add the tomatoes, cook for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes, set aside. Turn the broth down to warm.
  3. Add the garlic to the onions, cook for 1 minute. Add the rice, stirring until each grain is coated with oil, and stir in the tomatoes. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates, stirring as needed.
  4. Add ½ cup of the simmering liquid and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the liquid, ½ cup at a time, stirring every 30 seconds and letting each portion be absorbed before adding the next until the rice is tender but still al dente. Between 15 and 20 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle the risotto with the parsley.

 

`                                                                                 `

Classic Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

yield: 2 servings                                                                           

½ head trimmed Romaine lettuce, cut in 1 inch slices

2 ½ inch slices Italian bread, cut in cubes

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon parmesan cheese, grated

½ teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 small filet mashed)

½ lemon, juiced

¼ teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon garlic, minced and divided

1 large egg yolk

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

Small block of parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish

  In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 teaspoon garlic, anchovy, lemon and Dijon. Whisk to thoroughly mix. Add egg yolk and lemon whisking again quickly to combine and begin drizzling oil at slowest steady stream possible while whisking vigorously. If oil begins to pool, stop pouring and whisk until excess oil is emulsified. Continue adding oil until a lightly thickened dressing is formed. Taste and add salt and pepper to eliminate acidity of lemon. Set is cooler until needed.

  In a small mixing bowl combine ½ teaspoon garlic and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix for 2 minutes to combine and extract garlic oils. Add bread cubes and toss quickly to evenly distribute garlic-oil min. Add parsley, fold in, and transfer croutons to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 3-5 minutes until cubes are golden brown but still chewy in the center. Set aside to cool.

To assemble the salad, Toss Romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing in a mixing bowl to lightly  coat, using only half of dressing to begin. Add more dressing if desired uniformly coating the lettuce. Add croutons and fold until evenly distributed. Divide salad between 2 chilled salad plates and garnish with shaved or shredded parmesan block.

 

Brie Stuffed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

  • 8Baby Bella Mushrooms
  • 1small wedge of Brie cheese
  • 1/3cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4cup Pecorino Cheese
  • 1/4cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1tsp fresh thyme chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2tablespoons Olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stem. Place them bottom side up on a baking dish. Put about 1 tablespoon of brie into each of the mushroom cavities.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Fill the mushroom cavity with a small scoop of the bread crumb mixture.
  4. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and then cheese is melted.
  5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and serve.

 

The BEST Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Chocolate cookie Crust¹

1 ½ cups ground oreo’s(170g)

2-3 oz  butter, melted

Cheesecake

32 oz cream cheese² softened to room temperature (910g)

1 cup sugar (200g)

⅔ cups sour cream (160g)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup white chocolate chips melted

2 cup frozen raspberries tossed lightly in flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (160C).

Prepare crust first by combining oreo crumbs and  melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.

Pour crumbs into a 9” Springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. Set aside.

Cheesecake

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).

Add sugar and stir again until creamy.

Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.  Mix in melted white chocolate and then fold in by hand the raspberries.

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with foil.

Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F (160C) for 50-60 minutes (or longer as needed, see note 3). Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly. Don’t over-bake or the texture will suffer, which means we all suffer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven⁴ for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.

Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator and allowing to cool overnight or at least 6 hours. I remove the ring of the springform pan just before serving then return it to the pan to store. Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Shortbread Heart Cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature + 3 Tbls

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips melted

Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough 1/4-inch thick as evenly as possible.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Cut out the cookies with a heart shaped or other cookie cutter. Arrange the cookies, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until crisp and firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes and then transfer to a wire

cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are cool dip the hearts into the melted chocolate. I only dipped about 1/4 of the heart. Sprinkle the chocolate section with sprinkles, if desired. Place the heart cookies on wax paper until the chocolate is completely set up.

 

by

Bountiful Brunch!

Brunch Potatoes

Citrus Salad

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Honey Butter Toast

English Muffins

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (330g)

2 1/4 tsp yeast instant or fast acting one package

1 teaspoon salt

2 tbsp sugar

3/4 cup milk (180ml)

1/2 cup water (120ml)

3 tablespoons butter (42g)

1 egg large, room temperature

cornmeal for dusting or Semolina

Instructions

Combine the milk, water, and sugar in a bowl or glass measuring cup then stir together and warm in the microwave to 110F add the yeast and stir once more. Set aside for 5-7 minutes or until a foamy head develops.

While the yeast wakes up combine the flour and salt in the bowl of your mixer and whisk together then fit with a paddle attachment.

Mix the egg and melted butter into the milk mixture then slowly pour the liquid into your flour mixture while mixing on low. Increase the speed to medium high and mix for about 7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth.

Transfer to a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic. Allow to double in size in a warm spot (about an hour). You can also refrigerate the dough overnight, in which case you’ll let it warm for an hour when ready to use.

Transfer the dough to a floured counter then gently spread out and pat down until it’s just under an inch thick. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina.

Use a 3 inch round cutter to cut your muffins then gently transfer them to the prepared baking sheets using a spatula or your hands. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting until the dough is used up. Cover loosely with plastic and place in a warm spot to rise for about 30 minutes.

Place a large skillet over very low heat. Once you can feel the heat when placing your hand a few inches over the surface sprinkle the surface with cornmeal or semolina then carefully place 3-4 muffins on the pan. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Clear the old cornmeal off the pan then add a fresh sprinkle and cook the remaining muffins. Enjoy warm! If you haven’t made these before it’s best to cook a test muffin to get the feel of it.

 

Breakfast Potatoes

Ingredients

1 pound small potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional sautéed onions & peppers

½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ yellow onion, chopped into ½-inch pieces

1 red pepper, chopped into ½-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, chopped

⅓ cup cilantro, for serving

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the potatoes onto the sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, the smoked paprika, and pinches of red pepper flakes. Toss to coat, spread evenly on the pan, and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp around the edges. Stop here and serve as-is or mix with sautéed onions and peppers.

Make the onions & peppers: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic and sauté until soft and lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the potatoes and sprinkle with cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

 

Poached Eggs Recipe

Ingredients

1 large egg

1-2 tbsp vinegar optional

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

While waiting for the water to boil, crack an egg into a small fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Swirl the egg in the sieve until all the liquidy egg whites have been removed. Then, place the egg in a ramekin.

Stir the vinegar into the water and create a vortex. Add the egg to the middle of the vortex and cook the egg for 3 minutes.

Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and dab it on a paper towel to remove any excess water. Serve immediately.

Alternatively, if making the poached eggs for meal prep or ahead of time, transfer the cooked poached eggs to an ice water bath and refrigerate for a couple of days. When ready to serve, add boiling water to a bowl, then add the cold poached egg and submerge for 20-30 seconds or until warmed through. Remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon, dab dry and serve immediately.

 

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

2 large egg yolks

2 Tbsp lukewarm water

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp)

1/4 tsp fine sea salt, or more to taste

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Instructions

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Store the egg whites in an airtight container in the fridge for another recipe.

Add the egg yolks to a small non-reactive saucepan with water, lemon juice, and dijon, and whisk until well-combined.

Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the egg mixture.

Place the pot over medium-low heat, whisking the mixture constantly. As the butter melts, it will get a little frothy. Continue whisking constantly for about 3 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken then immediately remove from heat. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Season with salt and cayenne pepper, adding more seasoning to taste. Serve right away or cover to keep warm. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it up.

 

Citrus Salad Recipe

Ingredients

2 Blood Oranges peeled and sliced

1 large Navel Orange peeled and sliced

1 large Grapefruit peeled and sliced

½ cup Arugula

¼ cup Red Onion thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon Honey or other liquid sweetener

¼ teaspoon Sea Salt

pinch Black Pepper

¼ cup Walnuts

Instructions

Use a sharp knife to carefully remove peels and pith from the surface of all ORANGES and GRAPEFRUIT.

Discard peels. Turn the peeled citrus on its side and cut into ¼-inch thick slices.

Arrange GRAPEFRUIT, ORANGES, and (optional) RED ONIONS on a bed of ARUGULA. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.

To make the dressing, whisk together LEMON JUICE, OLIVE OIL, DIJON, HONEY, SALT, and PEPPER in a mixing bowl until creamy and well combined. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

To serve, drizzle dressing over salad and garnish with WALNUTS.

Store in an airtight container up to 2 days, once dressed.

 

Honey butter toast

Ingredients

4 thick slices of brioche bread

6 tbs/80g softened unsalted butter.

¼ cup light brown sugar

2 tps honey

Pinch of salt

Vanilla cream (optional):

½ cup cold heavy cream

1 tbs vanilla bean paste (try to get this over vanilla extract. It’ll make a huge difference)

1 tbs powdered sugar.

Steps:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/356°F.
  2. Trim the crusts of your brioche slices and set them aside.
  3. In a small bowl combine the butter and brown sugar with a spatula.
  4. Add salt and honey and mix.
  5. Spread the butter mixture evenly over all the faces of the slices of bread- the top, bottom, and sides.
  6. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and gently flip each piece of bread.
  7. Return to the oven for 8 more minutes.
  8. Take the toast out and let them sit for about 2 minutes without touching them before moving them to a cooling rack. They will be very hot and soft, but they’ll harden as they cool.
  9. Let them sit on the cooling rack for about 8-10 minutes, then enjoy.
  10. If making the whipped cream, mix the cold heavy cream, vanilla bean paste and powdered sugar in a bowl. You can add more sugar if you want, but I don’t recommend making it very sweet.

by
,

Fresh pasta from scratch

Fresh Hand-Made Pasta Dough

Savory Meatballs

Fresh Marinara Sauce

Chicken and Fettuccini with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Vanilla Pudding with Cookie Crumble

Fresh Pasta Dough

yeild: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups (6.25oz) all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

 

Zesty Basil Marinara Sauce

Yeild: 2 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 15 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (crushed tomatoes can be used for smoother sauce)

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 tablespoons basil, cut into thin ribbons or hand torn

½ cup water

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

  To a medium saucepan, add oil and preheat until oil begins to shimmer. Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds or until garlic browns lightly around the edges and becomes aromatic. As soon as garlic begins to brown slightly, add water. Scrape bottom of pan to remove any garlic (deglaze)

  Set heat to medium-low and add tomatoes. Using a wooden spoon, mix ingredients until fully incorporated. Add basil and pepper flakes and stir. Set heat to low, adding water if needed so sauce does not become too thick and burn. Simmer for 60 minutes minimum to caramelize the natural sugar in the tomatoes making the sauce taste less acidic. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

 

Savory Meatballs

yield: 12 1oz meatballs                                                                

8 oz ground chuck (80% lean)

2 tablespoons yellow onion, minced

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon tomato paste

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Pinch ground black pepper

½ teaspoon parmesan cheese, grated fine plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped.

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  In a small mixing bowl, combine cubes bread and milk, mixing frequently to saturate bread. Mash into a chunky paste by hand, then add ground beef and sausage. Add remaining ingredients and using a wooden spoon, mix until just blended but do not overmix.

  Use a small scoop or disher to portion meatballs into desired size. Pick up each portion and roll between hands to form a tight ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and continue until all portions are rolled. Place close together but do not compress or meatballs will be “meatcubes”.

  Bake for 8-10 minutes until meatballs brown slightly and are firm to the touch. Lowest internal temperature should be 145 degrees. Transfer to pot of marinara sauce and simmer until ready to use. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated cheese if desired

`

Fettuccini with Tarragon Chicken Cream Sauce

yeild: 2 servings                                                                           

8 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1 inch cubes

4 oz mushrooms, cut in half

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon sea salt

Pinch ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tb flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  In a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter and melt at medium heat. When foam subsides, add chicken and sear until caramel brown on bottom. Turn chicken using a fish turner and brown as evenly as possible on all sides. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes, until mushrooms are browned and tender. Clear a well in the center of the skillet and add remaining butter and when melted, add garlic. Sauté until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir in, then Immediately add chicken stock, then tarragon and reduce by half. Add heavy cream and reduce heat to simmer.

  Starting with only half, add roux and cook for 3-5 minutes. If desired thickness is not reached, add more roux and cook to activate. Taste and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.

  Place cooked Fettuccini in a large mixing bowl and add half of chicken and sauce. Toss to coat but do not break up pasta. Transfer to a pasta serving bowl and ladle remaining chicken and sauce over top. Garnish with chopped parsley and/or fresh herbs.

 Vanilla Pudding Parfait with Gingersnap Crumble

  Yield: 10:

1 ½ cup cream

2 cups whole milk, divided

1 cup sugar

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

4 egg yolks

¼ cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons dark rum or Scotch whiskey or bourbon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

WHIPPED CRÈME FRAÎCHE

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT

2 cups gingersnaps (about 6 3/4 ounces), crushed (about 1 3/4 cups)

Make the pudding

Stir together heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium, whisking often to dissolve sugar.

Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, liquor, vanilla, and remaining 1/2 cup milk in a heatproof bowl until smooth.

Gradually pour about half of the hot cream mixture into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Once half of the hot cream mixture is whisked into the egg yolk mixture, scrape all egg yolk mixture into remaining hot cream in pan.

Cook pudding over medium-low, whisking constantly, until bubbly and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a medium-size heatproof bowl. Gradually add butter pieces, whisking until butter is completely incorporated. Set pudding aside.

Make the whipped crème fraîche

Combine heavy cream, crème fraîche, powdered sugar, and vanilla in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.

Spoon about 1/2 cup pudding into each of 8 glasses. Sprinkle each pudding evenly with about 3 tablespoons crushed gingersnaps. Top each with about 1/3 cup whipped crème fraîche. Garnish with remaining crushed gingersnaps (about 1/2 tablespoon each). Chill until ready to serve.

by
,

Asta La Pasta

Asta La Pasta, Baby

Fresh Hand-Made Pasta Dough

Homemade Fettuccine with Alfredo

Garlicky Herb Shrimp Ravioli

Dirty Martini Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Flour-less Chocolate

strawberry sorbet

 

Fresh Pasta Dough

yeild: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups (6.25oz) all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

 

Four cheese Alfredo

  yeild: 2

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup parmesan

½ cup mozzarella

¼ cup swiss

¼ cup brie

Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan add butter and garlic and cook until you smell garlic. Then add heavy cream and all cheeses. Mix until fully melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Garlicly shrimp herb ravioli

  yeild: 2

1/2 cup shrimp ( 4 oz chopped fine)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons mixed herbs (parsley, chives, basil)

¼ cup ricotta

¼ cup parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine both cheese,herbs,  garlic and shrimp. Mix and season with salt and pepper. Take sheet of pasta and visually divide in ½, on the bottom of the half place about tablespoon of filling spaced out about 1 inch. Dip your finger in bowl with water and wet the bottom edge of the pasta sheet and the space in-between each dollop of filling. Then fold the top ½ of the sheet over to meet the bottom.  Try to push any air out as you seal the raviolis.  Cut between each with a pasta cutter and place them on parchment.

Cook in boiling water until floating then an additional 3-5 minutes to ensure shrimp is cooked. strain and place in pan with dirty martini sauce

 

DIRTY MARTINI SHRIMP COCKTAIL

FOR THE SHRIMP

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)

3 cups water

1/4 cup dry vermouth

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 bay leaves

FOR THE DIRTY MARTINI COCKTAIL SAUCE

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup tomato puree

1 Tablespoon grated ginger (adjust to taste)

2 Tablespoons olive brine (from a jar of green olives)

1 Tablespoon gin

1 Tablespoon dry vermouth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon hot sauce (optional, to taste)

lemon wedges and green olives, for serving

DIRECTIONS

COOK THE SHRIMP

In a medium pot, combine the water, vermouth, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and lemon slices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Once simmering, add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and opaque, about 2-3 minutes. You want the water at a low simmer, not a boil, to keep the shrimp from getting rubbery.

Immediately transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Let them chill for a few minutes, then drain and pat them dry.

MAKE THE DIRTY MARTINI COCKTAIL SAUCE

In a small bowl combine the ketchup, tomato puree, grated ginger, olive brine, gin, vermouth, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and stir until well combined.

ASSEMBLE THE SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Arrange the shrimp on a platter or in individual cocktail glasses.

Spoon the dirty martini cocktail sauce into a dipping bowl or add it directly to the glasses.

Garnish with green olives on toothpicks and serve with lemon wedges on the side

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is the BEST Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe. It is easy to make, gluten-free, and oh so decadent! It is the perfect dessert for any occasion.

SERVINGS 8-10

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

For the chocolate ganache:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan. Place it in the bottom of the pan and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. To make the cake, put the chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted, and the chips are soft, about one minute. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. If you need to reheat, do for 10 seconds at a time and stir.
  3. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
  4. Add the eggs and stir until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 25 minutes or until the cake has a thin crust on the top and the center registers 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  6. Let the cake cool on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the pan with a butter knife and carefully turn it upside down onto a cake plate or serving plate. The bottom of the cake will now be the top of the cake. Let the cake cool completely.
  7. While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate ganache. Combine the chocolate and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot so it will melt the chocolate. I always start with 30 seconds and check it. It might take longer; it just depends on your microwave. Remove from the microwave and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.
  8. Spread the chocolate ganache glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Let the glaze set up for a few hours before cutting and serving the cake. I always put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
  9. Cut the cake into slices and serve with powdered sugar and raspberries, if desired. This cake is also great with whipped cream or ice cream.

Strawberry Sorbet

 

  • 1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 pounds strawberries, hulled
  •  Juice of 1 to 2 lemons

PREPARATION

  1. Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.

by

Stay Up To Date

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

“Don’t cry because it’s over,
smile because it happened.”
~Dr. Seuss

BOOK A CLASS

Our Locations

Fort Myers, FL

Naples, FL

Chesterfield, MO

Brentwood (Nashville), TN

Dallas, TX

Quick Links

Locations

Class Schedule

Gift Cards

Private Events

Popular Recipes

Book a Class