Mardi Gras 2012

So much fun when it's Mardi Gras Season at Chez Lolly's.  This year we were fortunate enough to celebrate with friends and with our children who now live in New Orleans. Here's some pics to get the party started.

and the perfect ending of a great meal

Please check out all the wonderful coffee selections of Orleans Coffee Exchange

http://www.orleanscoffee.com/

Beef Wellington with Creamy Green Peppercorn Sauce

Beef Wellington is another one of those dishes that has intimidated me for years.  So what better time to attempt this dish than Valentine's!  NO pressure there is there?  I read and studied several recipes before choosing Tyler Florence's  Ultimate Beef Wellington.

Several steps and then an interesting assembly process, but let's start!

Our ingredients:

For the Duxelles:

3 pints (1 1/2 pounds) white button mushrooms

2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Beef:

1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 thin slices prosciutto

6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Flour, for rolling out puff pastry

1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Minced chives, for garnish

To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.   Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat.  Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board.  Shingle the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire filet of beef.  Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles.  Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard.

Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight.  Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef.  Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape.  Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness.  Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together.  Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic.   Set the beef in the center of the pastry.

Fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal.  Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired.  Top with coarse sea salt.  Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.  Remove from oven and rest before cutting into thick slices.  Garnish with minced chives, and serve with Green Peppercorn Sauce.

Green Peppercorn Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

1 cup brandy

1 box beef stock

2 cups cream

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

1/2 cup green peppercorns in brine, drained, brine reserved

Add olive oil to pan after removing beef.  Add shallots, garlic, and thyme; saute for 1 to 2 minutes, then, off heat, add brandy and flambe using a long kitchen match.  After flame dies down, return to the heat, add stock and reduce by about half.  Strain out solids, then add 2 cups cream and mustard. Reduce by half again, then shut off heat and add green peppercorns.

Valentine's Day 2012

I'll post the pictures of our Valentine's Meal then I'll make a separate post for the recipe for the Beef Wellington.  

Mixed green salad with raspberry poppy seed dressing

Beef Wellington with Creamy Green Peppercorn Sauce, Pickled Beets and Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Fudgey Brownies with Cherry M and Ms baked inside!

Chocolate Waffles for Valentine's Day

This is a chocolate lover's dream for breakfast and it only takes 30 minutes to whip up these delicious chocolate waffles. Perfect for Valentine's Day or any morning you want to make special.

3 T. unsalted butter

3 T. vegetable shortening

2 cups all purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

3 T. sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup chocolate syrup, plus more for topping

1/2 t. vanilla extract

cooking spray

Melt the butter and shortening in a small saucepan, stirring to combine; remove from the heat and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

Whisk the eggs, milk, chocolate syrup and vanilla in a large liquid measuring cup or a separate bowl. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Whisk in the butter mixture until combined.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Preheat a waffle iron and spray with cooking spray. Ladle some of the batter into the waffle iron to within an inch of the edge (1/3 to 1/2 cup batter, depending on your waffle iron); cook until crisp. Transfer the waffle to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining batter.

Divide the waffles among plates. Dust with confectioner's sugar and top with berries and/or chocolate syrup.

From Food Network Magazine.

Pimento Cheese

I've decided to work a little more on the pimento cheese recipe. It's a work in progress. Next week I plan to try a Mexican version. But for tonight this one was delicious. Take the time to shred the cheese yourself. The pre-shredded in a bag kind doesn't have enough moisture to help bind everything together. Shred it first, THEN measure.

4 oz. diced pimentos, drained

4 oz. cream cheese, softened and cut into small cubes

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar

2 cups shredded mild cheddar

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 t. Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 t. cayenne

1/4 t. granulated garlic

1/4 t. onion powder

1/4 t. smoked paprika

1 1/2 t. minced water chestnuts

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  If possible, make a day ahead and refrigerate.  The flavors will have time to blend.  Serve on crackers, as a sandwich filling or spread on celery sticks.

Smoked Sausage & Veggie Pot

Do you ever have one of those nights where you have no idea what to cook for supper and you refuse to go to the grocery store?  Well, this nice mixed vegetable and sausage pot is a result of exactly that.  So a little of this and a little of that and about 30 minutes later, supper is on the table.

2 T. olive oil
1 pound Conecuh County Sausage, diced
2 yellow onions, chopped
half a cabbage - shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 can Rotel tomatoes
 salt, pepper, parsley

In a medium Dutch oven, over medium high heat, heat the olive oil and add the sausage.  Stir occasionally until sausage is well browned.  Add vegetables and garlic.  Blend well and lower heat to simmer.  Let cook until cabbage is tender.  Season with salt, pepper and parsley.  Serve with cornbread.

Spicy Rosemary Pecans

If you ever need a quick little nibble for family or friends, please take 30 minutes and mix a batch of these little beauties. You can adjust the heat level to your taste preference, of course. Try one and you'll be hooked!

2 1/2 cups pecans (or walnuts)

3 T. chopped fresh rosemary

2 T. canola oil

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Toss the nuts and rosemary in a medium mixing bowl. Heat the oil in small heavy saucepan over medium low heat until warm. Add the cayenne and stir until  it is dissolved.  Pour the oil mixture over the nut mixture. Sprinkle on the sugar and salt, and toss to coat everything evenly.

Bake in single layer on an ungreased baking sheet, stirring often, until the nuts are toasted and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container for 2 weeks. But they won't last two weeks. Seriously. 

Adapted from Cooking up a Storm.

Beef & Broccoli served with Fried Rice with shrimp and ham

I love to order beef and broccoli when dining in a Chinese restaurant.  This version is as good as (if not better in some cases) of many variations I've had of this dish.   No thick goupy sauce with soggy broccoli here. 

8 oz. sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain
6 oz. broccoli florets
Water, for boiling
2 ½ tablespoons oil
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

Marinade
½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine or sherry
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch

Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
4 tablespoons water

Marinate the beef with all the ingredients for the Marinade, about 15 minutes.

Bring the water to boil and add a few drops of oil.  Blanch the broccoli florets in the hot water, about 10 seconds.  Remove the broccoli immediately with a strainer or slotted spoon, draining the excess water.  Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the beef until 70% cooked.  Dish out and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok or skillet over high heat.  Add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Transfer the beef into the wok or skillet and stir-fry until the beef is cooked through and the center of the meat is no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli and then the sauce, stir to combine the ingredients well.  As soon as the Sauce thickens, dish out and serve immediately.

From Easy Asian Dishes

Fried rice with shrimp and ham

5 cups cold cooked rice (cooked at least one day in advance)
1 cup small raw shrimps, shelled, deveined, and split in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
2/3 cup cubed Chinese sausages (2 small) or cooked ham
3 eggs
½ cup cooked fresh or frozen green peas
1 t. salt
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
½ cup chopped scallions, green part included

Flake the rice so that the grains do not stick together.  Set aside.

Combine the shrimps with the soda and salt and let stand 15 minutes or longer.  Rinse thoroughly in cold water and pat dry on paper toweling.

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet until it is almost smoking and add the shrimps.  Cook, stirring quickly and turning them in the oil until they turn pin, about 30 seconds.  Remove them to a sieve fitted over a mixing bowl and let them drain well.  Return the oil from the drained shrimps to the pan.

Add the sausages or ham to the pan and cook just to heat through, stirring.  Add the rice, stirring rapidly, and cook until thoroughly heated without browning.

Do the following quickly: Make a well in the center of the rice and add the eggs, stirring constantly. When they have a soft-scrambled consistency, start incorporating the rice, stirring in a circular fashion.

When all the rice and eggs are blended, add the peas and the salt, stirring.  Stir in the oyster sauce and the cooked shrimps, tossing the rice over and over to blend everything.  Stir in the bean sprouts and cook, stirring and tossing, about 30 seconds.  Add the scallions and serve immediately.

From The Chinese Cookbook

Pork Lettuce Wraps

Everyone likes to play with the their food, right? How much fun to let your children or grandchildren have permission to scoop this flavorful filling into crisp lettuce leaves!

1 lb. ground pork
4 ounces white button mushrooms ( remove stems and chopped finely)
3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
2 fresh water chestnuts (chopped finely)
2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 green onion (finely chopped)
3 dashes white pepper

1 fresh and cold iceberg lettuce head  (I used romaine)

Heat up a wok and add the cooking oil. Saute the garlic until light brown and then add the pork. Stir-fry the ground pork and break up the lumps so they form nice small pieces. Continue to stir-fry until the pork is cooked.

While the pork is cooking, mix the next 9 ingredients in a small bowl. Carefully pour mixture into the browned pork and heat together. Remove from heat.

Carefully peel off the lettuce leaves from the iceberg lettuce head. Be careful not to break the leaves. Scoop up a big spoonful of pork and place it in the middle of a lettuce leaf. Wrap it up carefully in the lettuce leaves. Add spicy Asian hot sauce or additional soy sauce if desired.

Adapted from Easy Asian Recipes

Pork Cutlets with Creamy Dijon Caper Sauce

My love of mustard is legendary. I don't care what kind either. Sweet, honey, hot, spicy, dijon, coarse grain, Creole, I love them all. This is one of my favorite recipes. You can serve these beautiful cutlets over rice, noodles, couscous (shown above) or just as they are. I added about a tablespoon of honey to the sauce just to sweeten it slightly. Feel free to omit or add more as your tastes varies.   

1 package pork tenderloin (approximately 2 lbs.) cut into ½” thick rounds

2 T. butter or olive oil
¼ cups sliced shallots
4 T. heavy cream
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 T. capers, drained
2 T. coarse grained Dijon mustard

Using a meat mallet, flatten pork rounds slightly to scant ½” thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté in butter or olive oil until brown and cooked through about 2 minutes per side. Transfer pork to a plate. Add shallots to skillet and stir 1 minute. Add chicken broth and cream. Boil until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, stirring up browned bits about 3 – 5 minutes. Mix in capers and mustard. Return pork to sauce. Simmer to heat through.

*An additional note here: Instead of pounding these cutlets out to 1/2", I bought the thin, boneless, breakfast style pork chops. Adjust cooking time accordingly if you use thicker pieces of pork. Also, just an added helpful hint here, DOUBLE the sauce. You can thank me later.

Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork) & Classic Cuban Style Black Beans

Smoked some Boston Butts this weekend and decided to try a completely different dish for the leftovers. This recipe is based on this one.  http://ediblearia.com/2009/10/30/lechon-asado-cuban-roast-pork/

But here's my version:

2 T. olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken stock

Juice of three oranges

Juice of one lemon

Juice of one lime

2 T. cumin

2 T. dried oregano

3 cups shredded cooked pork

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, pepper and garlic and cook 7 - 8 minutes until softened. Add stock, juices and seasonings. Cook for 10 minutes until mixture has reduced by a third and thickened slightly.

Add shredded pork and let simmer for 5 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper if needed. Serve over rice.

Added bonus!  Here's the recipe for the black beans served as the side dish.

Classic Cuban Style Black Beans

2 cups dried black beans

1 green bell pepper, seeded and quartered

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 T. minced garlic. 

2 t. ground cumin

1 t. salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1 - 2 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. light brown sugar

Pick over beans and rinse under cool running water. Place the beans in a large non-reactive pot and enough cold water to cover them by about 2 inches. Soak the beans overnight.

After soaking, drain beans and refill with water to cover by 2 inches. Add the bell pepper, garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 1 - 3 hours. If more water is needed during cooking, add hot water, as cold water tends to toughen the beans.

While the beans are cooking, make the sofrito: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until the onion turns translucent, 3 - 4 minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin,salt, pepper and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute more, then remove from the heat.

Place 1 cup of the cooked beans and half of the sofrito in a blender or food processor and pulse until pureed. 

Stir the puree and the remaining sofrito into the pot of beans. Taste; add vinegar and sugar, if necessary, and, if you like a drizzle of oil to complete the seasoning. Bring the beans to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently to avoid sticking for about 10 minutes to blend flavors.

From Eating Cuban

Announcement!

I would like more participation from our group.  With that in mind, if you'd like to submit a recipe and picture for consideration to be published on Fleur de Lolly, send me an email at fleurdelolly@yahoo.com.

Add a little info about yourself and your dish, i.e., how many times you've made it, what changes you've made etc. 

I expect to see emails coming in!

Lolly 

Smothered Cabbage

This is just one of those tasty, rustic dishes that you can serve from the cooking pot on the table.  Even if you don't care for cooked cabbage, give this one a try.  If you want to up the flavor and heat, use Rotel tomatoes instead of plain diced.  You could also add some chopped bell peppers or diced jalapenos.  I love this dish. 

Cabbage (usually about 2 heads, depending on size) , cut into 8ths
1 onion, diced
Several garlic cloves, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 can petite diced tomatoes (or use Rotel)
salt and pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano or Tony Chatcherie's

Brown the ham in a little bit of oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Let the edges get crusty brown.  Add onions until they start to caramelize just a bit, stir in garlic, carrots and undrained tomatoes and cook for 5 -10 minutes.

Add cabbage and seasonings to your taste.  Cover with a well fitting lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally from the bottom to mix in the ham/onion/carrot mix from the bottom of the pot and make sure nothing is sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot.  Return the lid to "smother" it.  Cook until the cabbage is tender.

Serve with cornbread.  Great for New Year's Day!

Shrimp Magazine

During our visit to New Orleans last week we enjoyed a wonderful meal with friends at Joey K's on Magazine Street. Several of the diners chose Shrimp Magazine as their meal. I thoroughly enjoyed mine and decided to attempt to recreate it at home last night. Here's my version.

8 oz. finely diced ham

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, quartered, drained well
1 medium bunch of green onions, washed, sliced on a thin diagonal
red pepper flakes
2 T. butter
12 oz. chicken broth or dry white wine
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied
12 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions

In a large skillet, add 1 T. olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add ham and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add artichoke hearts and green onions and mix in well. I usually add about 1 t. red pepper flakes. Adjust to your taste and heat sensors. Add butter and let melt and then stir in chicken broth or wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let cook until liquid is reduced by half.  Add shrimp and cook only until pink and opaque. Season with salt and pepper.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl and pour the ham/shrimp mixture over and mix well. Top with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese if desired. Divide onto individual plates.

Here's a pic of the Joey K's version. I liked mine just as well!

Shrimp Stuffed Pork Loin with Andouille Cream Gravy

Easy enough to make anytime, but elegant enough for company. You can't mess up with that combination, now can you?

1/2 lb. peeled, small raw shrimp, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 T. Cajun seasoning, divided

1 (3 1/2 lb.) boneless pork loin

1/4 cup butter, softened

Andouille Cream - recipe to follow

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss together shrimp, pepper and 1 T. Cajun seasoning.  Place mixture on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and peppers begin to caramelize. Let cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim pork loin roast. Butterfly pork loin by making a horizontal cut (about one-third down from top) into one side of pork, cutting to within 1/2 inch of other side. Do not cut all the way through meat.

Unfold top cut piece, open, and lay flat. Butterfly and repeat procedure on opposite side of remaining two third portion of pork loin, beginning at top or bottom of inside cut.

Place pork loin between two sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap, and flatten to a 1/2 inch thickness, using a rolling pin or flat side of a meat mallet. Spread 2 T. butter over pork; sprinkle with 1 T. Cajun seasoning. Spread shrimp mixture over pork, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Roll up, starting at 1 long side, and tie with kitchen string, securing at 2 inch intervals. Rub remaining 2 T. butter over roast; season with remaining 1 T. Cajun seasoning. Place roast on a lightly greased rack in a roasting pan.

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and bake 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155 degrees. Cover with aluminum foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Slice pork into 1 inch pieces. Serve with andouille cream.

Andouille Cream Gravy

1/2 lb. andouille sausage, chopped

4 cups heavy cream

1 T. Creole mustard

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes until browned.

Add cream and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes stirring occasionally, or until cream is thickened and reduced by half. Stir in mustard. Remove from heat.

White Cheese Grits with Mustard Greens and Bacon

I fell in love with this side dish and I don't even LIKE mustard greens.  The goat cheese added the perfect zing to the grits.  Try this one.  You'll be glad you did.

6 thick bacon slices

5 cups packaged, fresh chopped mustard greens, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups uncooked quick cooking grits

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

2/3 cup whipping cream or half and half

2 T. butter

 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon and drain on paper towels; reserving drippings in skillet.  Crumble bacon.

Saute mustard greens in hot drippings 6 - 8 minutes or just until tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring broth and 3 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Gradually whisk in grits, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally 5 - 7 minutes or until thickened.  Add cheese and next 3 ingredients; stirring until cheese and butter are melted.  Transfer grits to a serving bowl; spoon greens down center of grits and sprinkle with bacon.

From:  Southern Living Christmas 2011

Browned Butter Carrots

Candied carrots are one of Sweet Harold's favorite vegetables. These are a different variation in that they have vinegar and black pepper. This my new favorite carrot recipe.

3 lbs. carrots

1/3 cup butter

1 t. salt

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2 t. vanilla extract

Garnish:  fresh herbs such as flat leaf parsley or thyme

Cut carrots in half lengthwise; cut into 2 inch pieces. Cut thick pieces in half lengthwise. Melt butter in an extra large skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Add carrots, salt and pepper; cook 8 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally or until carrots are barely tender.

Add 1/2 cup water; cover and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and add brown sugar and vinegar and cook 8 to 10 minutes until carrots are glazed and most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Garnish, if desired.



Christmas Dinner - Entree' & Sides: Shrimp stuffed pork loin with andouille cream gravy, browned butter carrots, goat cheese grits topped with mustard greens and bacon

Here's a picture of the entree' and sides. I'll post the individual recipes separately.

Christmas Dinner - Soup: Creamy Pecan Soup

As soon as I saw this recipe, I was intrigued.  I am so glad I decided to try it!  Smooth, creamy and the taste of the toasted pecans was a perfect combination.

1/2 cup butter

3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

2 sweet onions, chopped

1 large baking potato, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups heavy cream

1 t. salt

1/2 t. ground white pepper

1 lb. pecan halves, toasted

Garnishes:  creme fraiche, chopped chives, additional pecan halves

Melt butter in a Dutch oven oven medium heat; add celery and onion.  Saute' 20 minutes or until translucent.

Add potato and next 5 ingredients.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until slightly thickened and potato is very tendered.  Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Process soup mixture, in batches, in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.  Ladle into serving bowls.  Garnish, if desired.  Serve hot.

From Southern Living Christmas 2011



Christmas Dinner - Salad: Field greens with country ham cornbread croutons & muscadine vinaigrette

I try to like muscadine wine.  I really do.  That being said, this was not my favorite homemade salad dressing.  But the croutons were great!

Country Ham Croutons

2 T. butter

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped country ham

2 cups buttermilk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 3/4  cups plain yellow cornmeal

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Melt buter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion and ham.  Saute' 6 minutes or until ham is browned and onion is tender.  Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Combine buttermilk, egg and saute'ed  ham mixture in a medium bowl.  Combine cornmeal and remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.  Gradually add buttermilk mixture to cornmeal mixture, whisking until blended.  Pour batter into a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Run a knife around edges to loosen cornbread from sides of pan.  Remove cornbread from pan; cool slightly on a wire rack (about 20 minutes).  Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Cut cornbread into 1 inch cubes.  Place cornbread cubes in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until toasted.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Top salad greens with croutons.

Muscadine Vinaigrette

1 1/4 cup sweet muscadine wine

1 T. country dijon mustard

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

Bring wine to a boil over medium high heat in a small saucepan.  Cook 15 minutes or until wine is reduced to 1/2 cup.  Let cool completely about 20 minutes.

Combine wine reduction, mustard and shallots in a 2 cup glass measuring cup.  Gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.  Whisk in salt and pepper. 

Drizzle over salad greens.

From:  Southern Living Christmas 2011

Christmas Dinner - Appetizer: Pickled shrimp with lemons, red onions and capers

This was just delicious. I can't wait until the hot days of summer to mix up a large bowl of this goodness to enjoy on the deck while sunning!

2 lbs. unpeeled, large raw shrimp (26/30 count)

3 large garlic cloves, sliced

3 bay leaves

2 large lemons, thinly sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 T. Old Bay seasoning

2 T. drained capers

1 T. whole black peppercorns

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. hot sauce

2 t. kosher salt

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. dried crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Peel shrimp and devein. Cook shrimp in boiling water to cover 3 to 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Rinse with cold water.

Combine shrimp and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together oil and next 9 ingredients, pour over shrimp mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in parsley just before serving. 

From Southern Living Christmas 2011

Christmas Dinner - Amuse Bouche - Pimento Cheese & Shrimp on Toasted Bread Bite

An amuse bouche is just the one little bit of goodness to begin a meal. I went with a somewhat Southern touch for this Christmas meal. Let's begin with a little dollop of pimento cheese on toasted bread rounds topped with baby shrimp.

Of course, I made just a very small amount of pimento cheese since it was just the two of us. To make enough for sandwiches or to eat with crackers start with at least 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

I'll just list the ingredients.  Mix enough mayo to get a thick dip like consistency. 

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Diced Pimentos

Duke's Mayonnaise

S and P

A dash of cayenne

Lightly toast bread and cut into a bite sized piece. Top with a little pimento cheese. Broil a few baby shrimp and gently place on top of pimento cheese.

Christmas Dinner for just the two of us

For the past several years I have given Sweet Harold a Christmas Dinner as part of his Christmas present.  Here are pics of the menu and our table.

A nice glass of Prosecco to begin the festivities!

Fiestaware Christmas

Yes, I love Fiestaware.  I really enjoyed having these place settings to welcome in the Holiday Season. The fresh fruit and greenery added such a special touch to the table, don't you think?

Christmas Dinner Party 2011

It's time to play catch up on the blog.  December is always rushed and hectic for everyone.  We had out of state company to visit mid-December and then a wedding and a trip to New Orleans!  Here's a few pictures of the dining room tabled all decked out for a dinner party mid month.

Green Beans with Bacon and Toasted Pecans

I made this side dish for our dinner Saturday night. We, and the guests, loved it. Something a little different, but still a classic pairing of green beans and bacon. The recipe was in the November issue of Food Network magazine. I don't adhere to the rule of never trying new recipes on guests.  If they're your friends and they're willing to give new recipes a whirl, go for it!

Instead of blanching the beans, I steamed them until tender/crisp.

2 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and washed

Kosher salt

1/2 pound bacon, roughly chopped

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. red pepper flakes

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

Toss the green beans into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until bright green in color and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain the beans and shock in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Drain the beans again and pat dry.

Cook the bacon in a large, heavy saute' pan until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Spoon off the excess grease, leaving 2 T in the pan.  Add the onion to the pan and saute' until soft and very tender, 4 - 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute' until just fragrant, about 1 more minute. 

Add the reserved green beans and the pecans and cook until heated through, 5 - 6 minutes more.  Return the bacon to the pan, pour in the lemon juice and toss.  Season with salt and pepper.

Asian Grilled Pork Chops (or pork tenderloin)

Super fast meal for a hectic week night.  You can either use a prepackaged teriyaki noodle packet or prepared some soba noodles and drizzle with a little sesame oil and teriyaki sauce.

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 T. vegetable oil

2 T. brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 t. ground ginger

1 t. dark sesame oil

4 (5 oz.) boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick

In a large, resealable plastic bag, place oils, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic.  Mix well.  Add pork chops.  Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes - 2 hours.

Remove from marinade.  Grill in a grill pan until cooked through.  Alternatively, you can grill these over medium coals, 6 - 7 minutes per side. 

Heat remaining marinade to boiling.  Boil for at least 3 minutes.  Serve over pork chops, if desired.

Adapted from http://www.food.com/

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

As soon as I saw this on the cover of November's Southern Living magazine, I knew it would be on our Thanksgiving dessert table. If you're not a fan of pumpkin, you may substitute sweet potatoes instead. Awesome!

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
5 T. butter, melted
3 T. light brown sugar
4 (8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened)
1 cup granuated sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
Praline Topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides up a 9 inch springform pan. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Beat cream cheese and next two ingredients at medium speed with heavy-duty mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, beating until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust. Pan will be very full.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. DO NOT remove sides of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 - 24 hours. 

Remove sides and bottom of pan and transfer to a serving plate. Prepare praline topping. Immediately pour slowly over top of cheesecake, spreading to 1/4 inch of edge.

Praline Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 t. vanilla extract

Bring first three ingredients to a boil in a 1 quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute, remove from heat. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Use immediately.

French Onion Soup

It always amazes me how just a few simple ingredients can be transformed into a dish that is so decadent and satisfying.  The secret to a great French Onion Soup is to let the onions slowly caramelize until they are soft, golden and sweet.  I adapted this recipe from a Williams Sonoma version and it received great reviews at last night's dinner party. 

2 1⁄2 lb. yellow onions

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 Tbs. canola oil

Pinch of sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 cups light red or dry white wine

6 cups beef stock

1 can beef consomme'
1 bay leaf

2 t. dried thyme

6 slices coarse country bread, each 1 1⁄2 inches thick

3 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (Please don't use Swiss!)

Using a mandoline or sharp knife, thinly slice the onions lengthwise. Set aside.

In a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the onions, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, adding the sugar and seasoning with salt and pepper, until the onions are meltingly soft, golden and lightly caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes.

Add the wine, increase the heat to high and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the stock, consomme, bay leaf and thyme, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer, uncovered, until it is dark and fully flavored, about 45 minutes. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly and the soup seems to taste too strong, add a little water, then cover the pot and continue cooking.

Just before serving, preheat an oven to 400° F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast, turning once, until golden on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Remove the bay leaf from the soup and discard. Arrange 6 ovenproof soup bowls on a baking sheet and ladle the hot soup into the bowls. Place a piece of toast on top of each bowl and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and the toasts are lightly browned around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.