chocolate fudge with bourbon sugar

Thanks Bon Appetit!  As a bonus, you'll have leftover bourbon sugar to use with other desserts (or in your morning coffee, oatmeal, grapefuit....)http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chocolate-fudge-with-bourbon-sugar

eggplant 'lasagna'

This is rich and delicious - I used a merguez kind of lamb sausage that my local butcher makes.  First I peeled and sliced an eggplant into 1/4" slices, coated with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and roasted the slices at 400 degrees until tender (about 12-15 minutes).  While the eggplant roasted I made my bechamel (white) sauce.

The casserole was 2 layers of:  bechamel, eggplant slices, grated Fontina cheese, sliced cooked lamb sausage.  Topped with more bechamel and grated Parmesan.

Baked at 400 degrees until hot throughout and browned on top (about 15 minutes), set a few moments before serving.

steak and potatoes

Chile-Glazed Flank Steak with Spicy Ketchup

Serves 4.  A quick 30-minute meal courtesy of the October 2014 issue of Sunset magazine.  Great with some fries!

            3 Tbs. chipotle hot sauce

            2 Tbs. packed light brown sugar

            2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

            ⅓ c. ketchup

            ¼ tsp. salt

            1 tsp. cracked black pepper

            1¼ lbs. flank steak

Heat grill to high.  In a small bowl, combine hot sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and ketchup.  Put half the mixture in a shallow dish for marinating the meat and reserve the other half to serve as ketchup.  Season steak with salt and pepper.  Add steak to dish and turn to coat; marinate 10 minutes.

Grill steak, brushing occasionally with any remaining marinade as you go, 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.  Serve with reserved ketchup.    

We served this with a potato-goat cheese gratin out of the Dec. 2014 issue of Bon Appetit magazine, wedges of potatoes roasted in olive oil, salt and pepper,  and rosemary at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes; crumbled goat cheese on top and broiled until bubbly.  

simply swordfish

A delightful dinner thanks to Saveur magazine:  http://www.saveur.com/find/seared%20swordfish%20with%20herb%20butter

cheesy potatoes

Smashed Potatoes with Raclette

Serves 8  We like to get the Raclette cheese at Trader Joe’s, just cut the slices in half to drape over each potato!

            3½ lbs. small Yukon Gold or fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

            kosher salt

            ½ c. olive oil

            fresh ground black pepper

            2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

            1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

            12 garlic cloves, smashed

            ½ lb. Raclette sliced cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large pot, cover the potatoes with salted cold water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain potatoes and spread them out on 2 baking sheets to cool slightly.  Lightly crush potatoes so they split at the sides but remain intact. 

Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and season with salt and pepper, carefully turning to coat.  Sprinkle thyme, rosemary, and garlic on top.  Roast for about 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until golden and crisp; discard the garlic.

Remove potatoes from oven and turn broiler to high.  Cut cheese slices to approximate size of potatoes, drape a piece of cheese over each potato.  Broil each sheet until cheese melts, becomes bubbly and starts to brown. 

spiced lamb chops

This lovely recipe is from Food and Wine magazine - we chose to use wonderful New Mexico lamb.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/merguez-spiced-colorado-lamb

small-er beef wellingtons

“Mini” Beef Wellingtons

Makes 8, but they are big enough to share.  We served this Martha Stewart recipe for Christmas Dinner 2014.  It is nice to be able to make them in advance and just bake from frozen.  Or, chill them for at least one hour and then bake for 25 minutes for medium-rare.  Of course, if you like mushrooms, you would serve with a side of sautéed mushrooms.

            1 beef tenderloin (5 lbs.), trimmed and halved crosswise

            coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

            2 Tbs. oil

            2 pkg. (12 oz. each) all-butter puff pastry, thawed

            8 oz. mousse pâté (like foie de canard)

            2 large eggs

Season beef with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a heavy skillet over high heat.  Add one beef piece (remember, you cut the tenderloin in half); cook, turning, until browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes a side.  Transfer to cutting board; repeat with second half.  Let cool, 40 minutes.  Cut each half into 4 equal pieces.

Roll out 1 sheet puff pastry to a little larger than 16 x 12 inches.  Trim edges; cut into four 8-by6-inch squares.  Place one piece of beef, cut side down, on a pastry square; top with 2 Tbs. mousse, spreading evenly.  Lightly beat 1 egg, then brush over edges of pastry, fold up corners to enclose filling, and gently press to seal.  Repeat with remaining pastry, beef, and mousse.  Arrange Wellingtons, seam-side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet; wrap well in plastic and then foil.  Freeze up to 2 weeks. 

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly beat remaining egg, then brush over frozen Wellingtons.  Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake about 35 minutes for medium-rare.  Remove Wellingtons from baking sheet and let rest 10 minutes before serving. 

new mexican take on ravioli

Carne Adovada Ravioli with Garlic Cream Sauce

Serves 6 (4 ravioli per person).  This was inspired by chef John Sedlar.  We made it for Christmas dinner 2014 and shortcut the process by buying the carne adovada from one of our favorite places – Golden Pride.  If you don’t know what carne adovada is, you’ll have to find out.  This sauce would make cardboard taste good!  Garnish with whole small dried chiles de arbol.

            Ravioli:

            1 lb. shredded carne adovada (already cooked)

            1½ lbs. fresh pasta or egg roll wrappers

            Garlic Cream Sauce:

            1 Tbs. butter

            4 large garlic cloves, minced

            3 c. cream

            1 large shallot, finely minced

            1 tsp. salt

            ½ tsp. ground white pepper

For ravioli:  cut pasta into the size ravioli you want – we like 1- by 1½” rectangles.  Place a tsp. or two of carne adovada filling in the center of half of the rectangles.  Brush pasta edges with water and top each with a rectangle of unfilled pasta.  Press down around all edges for a tight seal.  Let sit at room temperature.

For cream sauce:  Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender (do not brown).  Add remaining ingredients, raise heat to medium-high, and cook sauce at low rolling boil until reduced to about 1½ cups, about 25 minutes.  Pour sauce through a fine-mesh strainer and keep warm. 

Cook pasta by bringing 2 quarts water and about 1 Tbs. salt and 1 Tbs. oil to a boil in a large saucepan.  Cook ravioli in 2 batches for about 6 minutes each, until pasta is translucent and tender.  Remove ravioli gently with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 

Spoon sauce equally onto each plate and arrange ravioli on top. 

variations of hot chocolate to warm you

Malted Hot Chocolate Mix

Makes 3 c., enough for 12 1-cup servings.  Delicious recipe from Cook’s Illustrated Nov/Dec 2014 issue.  This is not very sweet, more of an adult sipping chocolate.  For each serving heat 1 c. milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to steam and bubbles appear around the edge of the saucepan.  Add ¼ c. of this mix and continue to heat, whisking constantly, until simmering, 2-3 minutes longer.  Pour into a mug and serve. 

            ¾ c. sugar

            6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine

            1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

            ½ c. malted milk powder

            5 tsp. cornstarch

            1 tsp. vanilla extract

            ¾ tsp. kosher salt

Process all ingredients in food processor until ground to powder, 30 to 60 seconds.  Transfer to airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 months.   

Melted Ice Cream Hot Chocolate

Serves 4.  This sweet version is from the Dec. 2014 issue of Food and Wine.  The little bit of salt on top is genius. 

            2 c. milk

            ½ c. sugar

            flaky sea salt

            1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

            1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

            marshmallows for serving

In a medium saucepan, combine milk with sugar and a pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in cocoa powder until incorporated.  Add ice cream and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until smooth and hot, about 3 minutes.  Ladle into mugs, top with marshmallows, and a bit more salt.  

crab legs with garlic butter

Garlic Butter Baked Crab Legs

Serves 2.  We enjoyed these on Christmas Eve – we basted the crab legs (in the shell) with some of this butter while heating them in the oven, then used the rest of the butter as a dipping sauce once we’d worked hard to get the crab meat out. 

            2 lbs. king crab legs

            ½ c. butter

            5 garlic cloves, minced

            juice of ½ a lemon OR ½ a lime

            2 Tbs. olive oil

            sea salt, optional

            fresh or dried parsley, optional

           

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small saucepan melt butter.  Add garlic and lightly sauté.  Add citrus juice and heat through.  Add in salt to taste and any parsley, then whisk in olive oil and remove from heat.

Place crab legs on baking sheet, brushing lightly with the butter sauce (save the rest for a dipping sauce).  Place pan in oven and roast about 25 minutes, or until heated through.        

Place reserved butter sauce in ramekins to serve up with the crab. 

baked broccolini and cheese

Inspired by a Bon Appetit recipe - I couldn't find broccolini so I used broccoli.  And, we don't like rye bread so I used a whole grain loaf instead.  Delicious!  http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/broccolini-cheddar-gratin-with-rye-breadcrumbs

coconut pancakes

Thanks to Food and Wine magazine for this recipe, I could pretend it wasn't just 20 degrees outside.  What could make it better?  Maybe some coconut syrup from Hawaii.....http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/coconut-pancakes

steak stir-fry

A quick and tasty dinner.  I ended up using some udon noodles in this version of a recxipe printed in Sunset magazine in April 2013:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sichuan-steak-asparagus

easy dinner of pasta and salad

We enjoyed this chicken and broccolini pasta dish from Martha Stewart:  http://www.marthastewart.com/1014050/chicken-and-broccolini-mac-and-cheese

and our salad was topped with this yummy blue cheese dressing:

Blue Cheese Dressing

Makes about 2 cups.  Use a premium blue cheese for the best flavor.  I like to make it a day in advance, thin with a bit of milk if needed.

            1 c. mayonnaise

            ½ c. sour cream

            1½ Tbs. garlic, minced

            1 Tbs. fresh dill, minced, OR 1 tsp. dried dill

            1 tsp. salt

            ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

            ⅛ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated

            ½ c. crumbled blue cheese

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients except the cheese.  Fold in cheese.  Chill, covered, for at least 2 hours.  Use within a couple of days.