Steak Au Poivre

Garlic/Herb Risotto

Mixed Berry Romaine Salad

Toffee Brownie Trifle

Steak Au Poivre

2thick-cut Steaks Beef Tenderloin or NY Strip steak, 5-6 ounces, about 1 1/2 – inches thick

Coarse salt

1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns crushed

1/2 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup 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

Herb and Roasted Garlic Risotto

Yield: 2 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon  olive oil

½ bulb garlic

3 ½  cups low sodium vegetable stock

¾ cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons

¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced

¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Freshly grated Romano cheese to taste

  Preheat oven to 425’

  In a small saucepan, heat vegetable stock to 180-200 degrees. Keep hot.

  With a pastry brush, coat garlic bulb with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil and roast for 20 minutes or until softened and aromatic. Open foil and let cool. Once cooled, gently squeeze out garlic pulp and set aside.

  To a medium saucepan, add vegetable oil and heat on low until oil shimmers. Add rice and stir until lightly toasted. Add roasted garlic pulp stirring until incorporated.

   Increase heat to medium/high and add ½  ladle of hot vegetable stock while stirring constantly. Stir at a slow, rhythmic pace careful not to break up rice grains. When liquid has evaporated or been absorbed and bottom of pan begins to show, add another ½ ladle. Continue adding stock and cooking/stirring in the same way until stock is gone. Remove from heat and taste. Add salt, pepper and freshly grated cheese to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.

  To reheat, you can add a pinch of water to loosen while gently stirring.

Mixed Berry Romaine Salad

Servings: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 cups chopped romaine

1/4 cup blueberries

¼ cup raspberries

2 oz slice strawberries

1/4 cup parmesan

1/4 cup walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the recipe for homemade poppy seed dressing.

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

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

immediately.

Poppy Seed Dressing

Servings: 2 servings

1½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 oz olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp mayonnaise

1/2 Tbsp honey

1/2 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.

Nick’s Supernatural Brownies

1/2 pound/2 sticks/227 grams unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

1/2 pound/227 grams dark chocolate (60% is perfect), cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup/200 grams firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar

1 cup/135 grams unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups/about 200 grams pecan or walnut pieces, divided (optional)

9×13 pan

1. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Let the butter start to sizzle and get very hot. Off heat add the chocolate. Shake the pan to submerge the chocolate and wait a minute. Whisk smooth.
3. Place the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle on medium speed until the mixture is very fine and powdery, 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate between additions, followed by the vanilla.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and thoroughly fold in the butter and chocolate mixture. Fold in three quarters of the nuts, if using.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts, if using.
7. Bake the brownies until they are slightly firm and no longer liquid in the center of the pan, about 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then wrap in plastic and wait until the next day to cut them—they are still too soft immediately after cooling. To rush the process, chill the cooled and wrapped brownies for a couple of hours before cutting the brownies into 2-inch squares.

Toffee sauce

½ cup unsalted butter

 ¾ cup heavy cream

 ¾ cup brown sugar, packed

 2 teaspoons unsulphured molasses (teaspoons, not tablespoons)

 pinch salt

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cream, brown sugar, molasses, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally, and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and set aside to cool slightly; it will thicken as it cools.

Toffee Brownie Trifle

  Yield: 8

1 (18 ounce) package brownie mix (9×13 pan size)

2 1⁄2 cups cold milk

1 (3 1/2 ounce) package cheesecake flavor instant pudding or (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding

1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant white chocolate pudding

1 cup cream whipped

2 -3 Heath candy bars, chopped (can also use packaged toffee bits)

Prepare and bake brownies as directed on package.

Cool completely, and then cut into 1-inch cubes.

Beat milk and pudding mixes on low speed 2 minutes.

Fold whipped cream into pudding.

Place 1/2 brownies into dish, cover with 1/2 pudding mixture.

Repeat layers.

Refrigerate until needed.

Sprinkle top with Heath bits just before serving.