Company Breakfast

I made a delicious breakfast this AM.  We have company visiting from VA for NYE.  I started on it yesterday. 

First I thawed puff pastry and made little jelly pockets.  Froze them on a sheet pan and then put them in a plastic bag.  I baked them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.  I placed them on non-stick aluminum foil.  Good thing as the jelly oozed out all over.  However they were good and not too sweet.

Next I made a Sour Cream Coffee Cake from the Evergreen Beach Hotel Cookbook.  This is a bed and breakfast hotel in Wisconsin that Jim’s cousin visited this summer.  I got the cookbook for Christmas.

Ingredients:

1 C sugar

1 stick butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 C flour

1 t baking soda

½ t baking powder

½ t salt

1 C sour cream

Topping:

1 C chopped pecans

½ C sugar

1 t cinnamon

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 square pan.

2.      In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter; beat in eggs and vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sour cream.

3.      Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. 

4.      Pour half of the batter into prepared pan and top with half of the topping.  Cover with remaining batter and top with remaining topping. 

5.      Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. 

6.      Cool cake for 10 minutes.  Loosen edges with a sharp knife and cut into 24 slices. 

I left it in the pan over night and served this morning.  My over took 20 minutes more.  The cake was delicious and not too sweet. 

So all I had left to do this morning was make the Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon.  This is a Rachael Ray recipe and serves 6.  There were only 4 of us, but we will give the leftovers to Max for dinner. 

Ingredients:

¼ # sliced smoked salmon

12 eggs

½ C heavy cream

Salt and pepper

1 T butter

12 to 15 blades of chives, finely chopped. 

Directions:

1.      Chop the salmon into very small pieces.

2.      Whisk the eggs and cream together. 

3.      Melt butter in the pan and add the eggs. Scramble eggs with a wooden spoon.  When the eggs have come together but remain wet, stir in chopped salmon.  Cook to desired doneness and sprinkle with chives. 

I really liked this dish.  I added the pepper in, but not the salt as I was afraid of it being too salty from the smocked salmon.  It was fine.   

Pork-and -Pineapple Fried Rice

Yesterday was a busy day getting ready for NYE and also going to therapy.  When we got home I collapsed for a while and then proceeded to kind of follow the following recipe.   I found this recipe on the internet.  It does not give the serving quantity, but easily 4. 

Ingredients:

¼ C Low sodium soy sauce

1 T hoisin sauce

1T rice vinegar

3 T canola oil

4 oz of ground pork

3 small Chinese sausages, thinly sliced or you may substitute matchstick slices of maple-cured bacon

3 scallions, white and green parts minced

1 T minced fresh ginger

½ t minced garlic

1 red hot chile, seeded and minced

4C cold cooked jasmine rice

¼ C cilantro

¼ C finely diced fresh pineapple 

Directions:

1.      In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, hoisin and vinegar.

2.      Heat a wok or large skillet. 

3.      Add the oil and heat until smoking.

4.      Add the pork, bacon and cook over high heat, stirring until the pork is lightly browned about 2 minutes. 

5.      Add the minced scallion, ginger, garlic and chile and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

6.      Add the rice, breaking up any lumps as you stir fry.  Add the hoisin-soy sauce.  Heat thoroughly.

7.      Finally add the cilantro and pineapple. 

The only thing I did different is that I had 3 smoked pork chops left over from the Loveless Café that we went to the day before.  Instead of adding the pork in step 4 as it was already cooked, I added it in step 6.  We though the chops really added to the flavor of the dish.  Unless you can find Chinese sausages, maybe instead of using bacon as suggested, use a flavorful Adele sausage.

More about the Loveless Café, this is a Tennessee landmark, and is definitely southern cooking and portions.  We enjoyed it and look forward to taking guests there in the future.  The pastry chef has just written a cookbook.  We were too full for dessert, but in the future I plan to eat less biscuits and save room for dessert.  The guy at the table next to us had both banana pudding and chocolate peanut butter pie! 

Christmas Dinner

Christmas Eve Jim and I made the fixings for the salad to go with the first course.  I wrote that recipe with the potted shrimp.  The last to be made was the hardest and really could not be done until Christmas morning.   So I started early.   These two recipes came from Williams-Sonoma.  I considered these as Jim’s cousin has to have her beef well done.  Jim likes his rare.  So here are the last of the recipes that made Christmas dinner.

Short Rib Wellington Potpie

Ingredients:

2 ¼# boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1” dice (order the short ribs bone removed from a butcher)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (watch this and I will explain later)

2T EVOO

¼# Prosciutto, cut into ¼” squares

¾# cremini mushrooms, quartered

8T unsalted butter, cut into cubes

½ C all purpose flour

½ C red wine

1 ½ T beef demi-glace (see below)

3 C beef stock

1 t chopped fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 ½ C pearl onions (I used frozen so I did not have to boil and peel)

¼ C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 sheet puff pastry, 10-11 “square

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 t water

Directions:

1.      Preheat an oven to 325°F.

2.      Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a 3 1/2-quart wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl.

3.      Reduce the heat to medium. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Add to the bowl with the beef. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add to the bowl with the beef.

4.      Pour off the excess fat in the pot. Return the pot to medium heat and melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the wine and demi-glace and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the thyme, bay leaf, pearl onions, beef, prosciutto and mushrooms. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Discard the bay leaf and spoon the excess fat off the cooking liquid. Stir in the parsley. (I held on warm until ready for next step after appetizers and before first course. 

5.      Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

6.      Place the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp knife, score the pastry with diagonal lines about 2 inches apart, forming a diamond pattern. Brush the edge of the pot with water, and then brush the pastry with the egg mixture. Place the pastry, egg wash side up, over the pot and press the edges to seal. Trim the overhanging pastry to 1 inch.

7.      Transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

This dish turned out way to salty for me.  No one else thought so.  I did not make a big deal of it, but I could not eat it.  I blame it on two things.  I could not find salt free beef stock and used this stock to make the demi-glace.  I used Rachael Ray’s quick version, but instead of reducing by half, I reduced the 2C beef broth to the two T I needed.   This was concentrated salt.  I slated the beef as stated in the beginning of the recipe and so the salt began.  I weld advise that If you cannot find commercially made demi-glace to skip it and very, very lightly slat the meat.  It did look very nice.   

Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash with Bacon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

4 oz. thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 Tbs. cider vinegar

1 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

6 Tbs. olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch dice

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

1 cup coarsely chopped steamed chestnuts

Directions:

1.      In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until browned and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour all but 1 Tbs. of the fat into a heatproof bowl and reserve. Add the shallot to the remaining fat in the pan and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool.

2.      In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, thyme and shallot. Slowly whisk in 5 Tbs. of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the vinaigrette aside.

3.      Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Brussels sprouts to a bowl of ice water. Drain well, then cut them in half lengthwise and place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.

4.      Return the water in the pot to a boil, add the butternut squash and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain again and place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.

5.      In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the squash and sauté, stirring occasionally, until light golden and warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

6.      In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the reserved bacon fat. Place the Brussels sprouts, cut side down, in the pan. Cook, without moving them, for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir and add the sage and chestnuts. Cook for 2 minutes more.

7.       Transfer to the bowl with the squash. Add enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the vegetables (you may not need all of it), then stir in half of the bacon.

8.      Transfer the vegetables to a platter, sprinkle with the remaining bacon and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

I liked this dish.  And the spacing I did which was to bring it to step 5 and then finish while the pot pie was in the oven for the final cooking. 

Finally it was time for dessert.  I wanted a light dessert and Jim wanted chocolate.  So we compromised.  Remember I talked about making the Chocolate corks.  I found some gorgeous Baklava and made the following from Fine Cooking.  This was really good. 

Oranges in Cardamom Syrup with Honey whipped Cream

Ingredients:

4 large navel oranges cut into segments

¼ C granulated sugar

¼ t ground cardamom

½ C heavy cream

2 t honey

Directions:

1.      Drain the orange segments in a strainer set over a medium bowl.  Set the segments and juice aside

2.      Put the sugar in a small heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until melted and light amber in color, 3-5 minutes.  Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the orange juice.  The mixture will bubble and clump; whisk until smooth again.  Stir in the cardamom.

3.      Put the orange segments in the juice bowl and add the syrup.  Toss well. 

4.      In a large bowl, whisk 1 T of the cream with the honey until smooth.  Add the remaining cream and beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form 2-3 minutes.

5.      Divide the oranges and syrup among serving bowls. Top with the whipped cream.

I did everything the day before except whipping the cream which I did while Jim made coffee. 

The dinner was accompanied by two delightful wines.  Chateau Haut-Maillet from Pomerol, 2000 and Lewis Cellars, reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, also a 2000.   By all  accounts, 2000 was a very good year. 

Cioppino

Christmas is closing in fast.  I got a little mixed up thinking tonight was CE when I ordered the fish.  But it is Friday and tomorrow we are going to Jim’s cousin’s for lunch and will probably not feel like a big fish dinner so I am making it tonight.  Tomorrow evening as we open presents, we will have appetizers and if Jim is still hungry left over fish stew.   Many years ago I started a tradition of eating fish dishes on CE.  I thought boy am I going to be in trouble this year.  Ends up, just been going to the wrong store, Kroger is off our list.  Publix ordered squid and made sure to have mussels.  The ladies at the checkout had never seen squid before.  It is incredibly beautiful squid.  We went to Al’s to custom order the beef needed for Christmas and learned of a great butcher in Mt. Juliet where we ordered the standing rib for NYE.  I tend to be a little impatient and grumpy about a Wegmans not at my back door, but we are learning the ways talking to people.  I have to keep in mind that Jim’s cousins are just fine with what grandma made.  This recipe is in the Dec. Bon Appetite and serves 6-8  

Ingredients:

1 t fennel seeds

3 T EVOO

1 medium onion, finely chopped, I used red

1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

3 bay leaves

1 t oregano

½ t crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes.  I used crushed

1 ½ C white wine

1 8 oz btl. clam juice

1# skinless cod cut in 1” cubes

1# mussels, scrubbed, debearded

1# large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1# cleaned squid cut in ½” rings

Country-style bread

Directions:

1.      Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over med. heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Finely grind in a spice mill, set aside.

2.      Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, fennel, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and fennel are soft, about 12 minutes.

3.      Stir in ground fennel seeds, tomatoes with juices, wine, clam juice, and 1C water.  Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often until flavors meld about 15 minutes.

4.      Stir in fish, mussels, and shrimp and bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

5.      Add squid, cover, and cook until mussels open and seafood is cooked through, about 5 minutes. 

Frankly, just keep stirring in the fish and it will be cooked enough.  Serve with country style bread.  This dish was fabulous and couldn’t have been better if we were on the wharf in San Francisco.        

Potted Shrimp on Toast with Celery Radish Salad

Continuing with preparation for Christmas dinner, I did a little baking.  Williams-Sonoma sells Bouchon Silicone Baking Molds.  I am a complete sucker for molds Bouchon means cork and so you make little chocolate corks.  I also bought Bouchon Bakery Chocolate Bouchon Mix.  Although there is nothing unusual in these cakes, they claim the mix has superfine ingredients like Guittard Cocoa Powder, Pure Nielsen Massey Vanilla and Calleaut Chocolate Chips.  The recipe without the mix is on the back of the box that the mold comes in.  It is a package deal so I will not repeat the recipe here.  They are certainly cute and will go with the orange dessert I am going to make and the baklava treats I purchased.

Today I am making potted shrimp.  I seem to make this recipe only when in rental houses.  The last time I made this dish, we were in the rental house in CA having been displaced by the flood of our house.  This recipe is from Fine Cooking Magazine.  It is served with a salad that I will not make until Saturday. This will be my first course.  For the appetizer I am serving cheeses and pate that I purchased.

For the potted Shrimp:

Ingredients:

½ C dry white wine

1/3 C coarsely chopped carrots

1/3 C coarsely chopped celery

1/4C champagne vinegar

5 whole pepper corns

4-6 allspice berries

3 ½” strips of lemon zest

3 dry bay leaves

Kosher salt

10 oz shell on large shrimp

6 oz best quality salted butter

1 ½ T lemon juice

½ t Worcestershire sauce

1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 t cayenne

12-15 cocktail size slices of pumpernickel rye

Directions:

1.      In a 2-3 qt. saucepan combine 2 C water with the wine, carrot, celery, vinegar, peppercorns, allspice, lemon zest, 2 of the bay leaves and 1 t salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cover and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 

2.      Add shrimp and return to simmer, cover, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. 

3.      Drain in a colander and let cool. 

4.      Peel and devein the shrimp.  (Discard the other solids.)  In a food processor pulse the shrimp until coarsely chopped.  The pieces should be about pea size. 

5.      Melt the butter in the skillet and add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg and cayenne.  Add the shrimp, stir to coat and scrape into a 10 oz ramekin or bowl. 

6.      They don’t say this, but after it sets a semi-soft stage I am going to stir it again. 

7.      Cover and refrigerate of up to 2 days.  Serve with toasted party pumpernickel bread that has been cut on the diagonal.  Remove from refrigerator 2 hours before serving. 

For the Salad:

Ingredients:

3 C thinly slices celery on the diagonal.  (Use a mandolin)

1 ½ C thinly sliced radishes

3T EVOO

1T lemon juice

½ t Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and fresh pepper

¼ C coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1.      Toss the celery and radishes in a bowl.

2.      Mix remaining ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine.

3.      Dress the salad right before serving.   

Spiced Roemary Nuts

I started my Christmas cooking today.  The first thing I made was the nuts to have as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

2 ½ C mixed raw nuts such as pecans, walnuts peanuts (I used mixed nuts from Costco

2T EVOO

1 ½ T chopped fresh rosemary

1T sugar

1 ½ t ground cumin

1 t salt

1 t freshly ground black pepper

¼ t cayenne pepper

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.     Place the nuts in a bowl

3.     In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the EVOO.  Add the rosemary and stir until aromatic, about 1 minute.

4.     Pour the seasoned oil over the nuts.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir to coat the nuts evenly.

5.     Transfer the nuts to a baking pan. 

6.     Bake stirring occasionally, until the nuts are toasted, about 20 minutes. 

7.     Transfer to a plate to cool completely. 

8.     Store the nuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. 

Penne with Spinach, Gorgonzola, and Walnuts

This was an excellent dish, just what we needed on a rainy day.  It said serves 4, but I kind of played with the ingredients and we have none left.  It is from Fine cooking Dec/Jan. 

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

8oz. fresh baby spinach leaves (I had a choice of 6 or 10, I chose 10)

¼ C coarsely chopped walnuts

12 oz dried penne (I used 8 oz, whole wheat rotini)

¾ C heavy cream

2 ¼ oz. crumbled Gorgonzola (I had great blue cheese from Costco and used that)

Freshly ground black pepper

3 T chives (forgot)

Directions:

1.     I toast my walnuts on top of the stove is a small pan.  Watch closely, but this is the way I do not burn them. 

2.     I cooked the pasta for 10 minutes and added the spinach at the end. 

3.     Meanwhile I used my wok and melted the cheese in the cream with a pinch of salt and ¼ t pepper. 

4.     Drain the pasta and spinach and mix in the cheese/cream mixture.  Mix and add the walnuts. 

Serve to the delight of all. 

Apple and Sasage Quiche

Tonight’s dinner comes from a free Tennessee magazine that appears every month.  It is a page of different Quiche recipes.  The amount is to serve 6-8.  Jim ate half, so we have some left over.  He liked it and did not realize that I actually got fruit in him. 

Ingredients:

1 single-crust pie pastry, uncooked

1# ground pork sausage

1 ½ C shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 apple, peeled and chopped

½ C chopped onions

¼ C chopped green bell pepper (I used red as Jim does not like red)

½ t dried basil

1/8 t garlic powder

4 eggs beaten

1 C milk

Paprika

Directions:

1.      Heat oven to 4oo degrees. 

2.      Place pastry in a 10” pie plate or a quiche pan.  I used a smaller diameter but deeper pie pan and it took longer to cook.  Prick bottom and sides with a fork.

3.      Bake the pie shell for 8 minutes.

4.      Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.  Crumble and drain.  Set aside to cool. 

5.      Reduce the oven temp to 325.

6.      Combine the sausage, cheese, apples, onions, peppers, basil, and garlic in a mixing bowl.  Spoon into the prepared crust.

7.      Beat the eggs and milk at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.  Pour over the sausage mixture.

8.      Sprinkle lightly with the paprika.  Bake 50 minutes or until set.  (Mine took 90 minutes)

9.      Let stand 10 minutes before serving warm.