Valentine's Day

Since we have been dating, Jules and I make it a point NOT to fight the crowds, put up with shitty prix fixe dinners, bad reservation times, etc.  Instead, we always make something tasty at home.
This year was no exception, the menu worked out very well and was quite delicious...

Mixed Spring Greens Salad with Grape Tomatoes, Slivered Almonds, Candied Bacon and a French Vinaigrette

Grilled Filet Mignon
Butter Poached Shrimp
Sauteed Asparagus with slivered almonds
Creme Brulee
















Candied Bacon:

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. sliced bacon

1/4 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

Cut the bacon into 1-inch strips.

Slowly brown in a large skillet over medium heat. When beginning to crisp and rendered, pour off the fat.

Put pan back on heat, add sugar and toss until caramelized. Spill out onto a non-stick tray or SilPat.

French Vinaigrette:

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 Tbsp hazelnut oil

2 Tbsp peanut oil

1/4 cup cream

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together the mustard and vinegar. Add the oils, blending well and then blend in the cream.

Adjust for seasoning and reserve.

Butter Poached Shrimp:

Butter poaching is a fairly classic technique involving slowly cooking food, usually shrimp or lobster, in a rich bath of butter. The end result, if done properly, is a succulent dish, slightly salty and buttery from the cooking liquid in which it swam. It is a sublime way to cook that is used in many high-end restaurants to produce memorable dishes.

Still, butter poaching doesn't have to stay in the restaurant. You can do it at home, too. Sure, you're going to need a lot of butter, but it will be so worth it.

INGREDIENTS

4 sticks butter, sliced into tablespoons-sized chunks

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium shallot, finely sliced

1 pounds 18-20 count shrimp, peeled, deveined, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter, garlic and black pepper.

Melt the chunks of butter until you have a skillet full of melted butter.  Try to keep the temperature low to avoid separating the butter.

Immediately after the butter has melted, add the shallot and shrimp.

Cook them for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp has cooked through.

Serve immediately.

Creme Brulee:

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

Unsalted butter, for greasing

6 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons sugar, plus more for browning

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Line a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with a kitchen towel. Butter six 4-ounce ramekins and place in the dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream.

Divide the custard among the ramekins.  Place the dish in the oven and pour enough hot water into the dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 1 hour, until the custard is just set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Let the custards cool in the hot water bath at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Remove the custards from the water bath and let cool completely. Wrap the ramekins in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To serve, sprinkle the tops of the crème brûlées with an even layer of sugar and use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately.

NOTE: The crème brûlée can be prepared through step 3 and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Weeknight Comfort Food

Now, I have really never been one for Chicken (or fill in your favorite meat here) Pot Pies.  Usually they are dry and flavorless with overcooked veggies and chicken.
Well, for some reason I was jonesing for some chicken pot pie...I know, WTF?!
I ran across this recipe (well, something like it) and made some adjustments.  I must say it was pretty damn good! Chicken was perfect, veggies were as well, and the sauce...tasty.  I used puff pastry for the crust on the top and it did the trick.  I have issues with bad/marginal crusts, but how can you go wrong with puff pastry?
It did take a decent amount of prep time, between cutting all of the veggies, grilling the chicken, etc. but if I have the time I'll definitely make this again!

PERSONAL CHICKEN POT PIES

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and diced (about 3)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 oz. mushrooms, diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2/3 cups white wine

1 tsp chicken bouillon/caldo

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 Bay leaf

2 medium red-skinned potatoes (about 1/2 pound), diced

2 small plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1 17 -ounce box frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the onions, celery, mushrooms, carrots and garlic and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and Mrs. Dash.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add the wine; simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 more minute.

Add chicken stock, the heavy cream, bay leaf, potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, 12-15 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, tomatoes and caldo.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Set out 4 8-to-10-ounce ramekins. Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.  Gently roll out the pastry so it is extended by about 1/2 inch in each direction.  Using a ramekin as a guide, cut out 4 rounds slightly larger than the ramekins with a paring knife.

Divide the filling among the ramekins, filling each nearly to the top. Brush the rim and outer edge of 1 ramekin with the beaten egg.  Set a puff pastry round on top and gently press around the edge to secure the dough. Repeat. Brush the remaining egg over the pastry.

Transfer the pot pies to a baking sheet and bake until the pastry is domed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.  Caution: filling will be hot for quite a while!

Weekend Brunch and Leftovers

I do a good amount of cooking during the week.  Consequently, when the weekend comes around I have a lot of leftovers.
One of my favorite leftover dishes for a Sunday morning is a Frittata.  Call it a Spanish/Argentine Tortilla, a quiche w/o the crust or whatever, Frittata works for me.  It's a healthy, tasty one pan meal that everyone will LOVE!  Even Lauren, who hates eggs, devours it...

Note: Can be eaten hot, out of the oven; or at room temperature, so it's great for a brunch or a party item.

JD's Frittata

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
2 shakes Mrs. Dash, or whatever seasoning you wish
2 potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (mandolin)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 red, yellow or orange pepper, thinly sliced
1 zucchini sliced in 1/4in. discs
1 handfull of baby spinach
4 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 grilled chicken thigh, diced
3 cooked breakfast sausage links, diced
1/2 cup corn
8 eggs, beaten with salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Like I said, this is an opportunity to use what you have in the fridge.  If you have leftover brie, use it!  If you have leftover steak, use it!  Whatever works for you...meats, veggies, etc.  I love to add grape tomatoes, sliced in half but didn't have any last weekend.
In a 10" non-stick saucepan, on medium-high, heat Oil and butter until butter stops foaming.
Add potatoes and stir fry for about 2 min. until they start getting soft.
Add onions, garlic, Mrs. Dash, and peppers - cook until they start to smell delicious, about 2 min.
Add mushrooms and cook until they start to render their juice, about 2 min.
Stir everything else (except eggs) in and cook for a couple of minutes, until well combined.

Add eggs and lightly stir, making sure egg covers the bottom of the pan.
Drop the heat to medium and cover for about 10 min. After about 6 min., it helps to run a heat resistant spatula around the perimeter every once in a while to make sure the frittata unsticks from the side of the pan.
At 10 min. uncover and shake it as well to detach it from the bottom of the pan.







Grab a plate that is larger than the pan, place it over the top of the pan - flip the frittata so the top/uncooked side is on the plate.
Slide frittata back into the pan and let that side cook for about 3 min, until it's golden brown (if needs be, add a little more olive oil to the pan before reintroducing the frittata).

Slide Frittata onto serving plate and allow to cool for about 5 min. before slicing.

Garnish with any fresh herbs used in the frittata, flowers, cheese, tomatoes, etc.

I like to slice it like a pie and serve it in wedges.

You can add any kind of hot sauce, cheese, ketchup (?), sour cream/creme fraiche, whatever you want...






I like mine with Sriracha...

Super Bowl

I seriously can't believe I missed posting around Super Bowl..At least we ate well!

Big Papi's Wings
Chips and Queso
Salsa
Char Shu Pork and Steamed Rice
Veggie plate and Chips with Onion Dip
Various Cheeses and Crackers

Pretty basic, but lots of munchies.

This week however, I did make a couple of dishes that were pretty damn good...(if I do say so for my damn self:)

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 whole roasting chicken, cut in quarters, (For a lighter version, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2” pieces)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered

1 pinch salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 sprigs rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 can diced tomatoes, Italian style

1/2 cup white wine

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 med/large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 med/large yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced

2 zucchini sliced in 1/4 in. discs

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add chicken and cook until browned on the outside. Remove to a bow l to capture the juices.

Stir in onions and mushrooms; cook for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, oregano, tomatoes, and wine.

Place chicken pieces and any juices that have accumulated in the bow l on top of the cooked vegetables. Add more salt and pepper. Place pepper slices and zucchini on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Serve over Linguine or Fettuccine with some freshly grated/shredded Parm.

Last night, I was jonesing for Stroganoff, but when I got home from the office, all I had thawed was chicken, so I gave it a whirl. Turned out pretty tasty.  I added a little lite soy sauce, 'cause that's what I do with Stroganoff.

Chicken Stroganoff

Serves: 4+

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

8 oz. fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup chicken broth

¾ cup white wine

 

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1 Tbsp Lipton Onion Soup Mix

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream cheese

Hot cooked egg noodles

White rice

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil over med-high heat.  Cook the onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft, add chicken and cook until it is no longer pink.

Add the white wine and cook for 2-3 min.  Stir in broth, salt, pepper and Onion Soup Mix. Mix well until dissolved.  Cover and simmer for 15minutes.

Combine flour and sour cream until smooth; add to the skillet.

Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Wisk in cream cheese with the heat off at the end.

Serve with noodles and/or rice.