Steak Au Poivre

Fresh Pasta with Alfredo

Caprese Salad

 Cobbler

STRAWBERRY AVOCADO CAPRESE SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients  

• 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls, extra mini
• 1/2 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1/2 large semi-ripe avocado, diced and sprinkled with lime juice
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, torn to small pieces
• ¼ cup olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Optional: honey roasted almonds, chopped or slivered

Instructions

1. Balsamic Reduction: In a small saucepan, add the balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil and stir 3-4 minutes or just until liquid is reduced by about half; should be thick and syrup-like. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temp.
2. Toss:When ready to serve, add all remaining ingredients to a large platter or bowl, folding very gently with rubber spatula. Add kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and then with balsamic glaze, sprinkle with almonds if desired, and serve immediately.

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.

Alfredo Sauce

6 servings

• ¼ cup butter , cut into large cubes or slices
• 1 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Add the butter and cream to a large nonstick saute pan, over medium-low heat; whisk until butter has melted.
2. Add in the minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; whisk until combined and smooth.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil) and cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken.
4. Stir in the parmesan cheese just until melted and the sauce is smooth.
5. Take off the heat and toss with cooked fettuccine noodles (or your favorite pasta.)
6. (If the sauce isn’t quite thick enough, allow it to stand for 2-3 minutes before tossing with the pasta.)

Steak Au Poivre

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

Coarse salt

1Tablespoons whole black peppercorns crushed

1/2 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup Cognac or brandy

1/2 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

Peach cobbler

  yield: 8

8 fresh or frozen peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced into thin wedges

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup cornstarch

1 cup flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoon butter, chilled and cut into small piece

¼ cup hot water

Preheat oven 425”F

In a large bowl combine peaches, ¼ cup sugar/brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss evenly and divide evenly among 8 ramekins that have been greased.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl combine flour, rest of both sugars, baking powder, and salt. Blend with chilled butter in your hands, or a pastry blender. Mix until mixture resembles corn meal. Slowly add in water and mix until just combined. Remove ramekins from oven, evenly divide mixture on top of each and place back into the oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Remove cool slightly, serve warm with ice cream.