Roasted Mushrooms

Roasted Mushrooms

Roasted Mushrooms sounded like a good idea. I searched my recipe archive and found a goody thanks to Gourmet and Smitten Kitchen. This is fabulous with a Steak! The mushrooms roast in a garlic butter caper sauce and it is finished with a refreshing twist of lemon juice and parsley. The capers add a burst of flavor.  This dish was even better than I had anticipated. Arguably the best part of the Roasted Mushrooms is sopping up the juice with grilled Texas Toast! Go Big, or Go Home. 

Roasted Mushrooms Escargot-Style adapted from Gourmet January 2009

Roasted Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mushrooms, Cremini, halved




Getting Ready to get Roasted...


• 2 Tablespoons capers
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ACCOMPANIMENT: crusty bread

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450ºF
• Toss mushrooms with capers, garlic, olive oil, and 1/8 tsp each of salt and pepper in a 1 1/2- to 2-qt shallow baking dish.
• Top with butter and roast, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in lemon juice and parsley.

Gratin Dauphinois

Baked Gratin Dauphinois

Gratin Dauphinois is basically Au Gratin Potatoes, frenchified...Simply stated you take layers of Potatoes and Gruyere Cheese and top if off with a creamy mixture, more cheese and baked it until golden and creamy.  It is a perfect sort of Steak and Potatoes accompaniment.

Gratin Dauphinois

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds potatoes peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 medium baking potatoes)
• 2 Cups Half and Half (you could use heavy cream...)



Prepared Gratin Dauphinois

• 2/3 Cups Skim Milk (first time for everything)
• 1 clove Garlic Minced
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper
• 1/2 Pound Grated Gruyere (Fancy Swiss) Cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 
• Combine all ingredients, except cheese, and mix
• Layer half of potatoes in Gratin dish, sprinkle with 4 ounces cheese
• Add remaining potatoes and pour mixture over potatoes, top with remaining cheese
• Bake 60 minutes or until golden, bubbly and cooked through

Sweet Caramel Sauce

Caramel Sauce

Oh I love homemade Caramel Sauce.  I got spoiled back in the day when I worked at Atrium.  There was a Pastry Chef, Debbie  and she made some of the best desserts and sweets of anyone person that I have ever known.  She thought nothing of making homemade caramel sauce.  I have adapted her approach and I won't even buy it in the store because I am so dedicated to the real stuff.  I used this Caramel Sauce on many types of desserts and it is really good on ice cream.  Everyone who tries this caramel sauce is smitten with it.  I think you will be too.  This is the Caramel Sauce that I used in my Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (sometimes I add 1 Teaspoon Vanilla or sometimes in addition to the Vanilla Extract, I will add the beans from one Vanilla bean, I like to mix it up and do things that intensify the sauces flavor)
• 1/3 Cup Water



This is what color the caramel should be before you add the cream

 Directions:

• Mix Sugar and Water in Saucepan over Medium Heat
• Cook without stirring.
• If sugar crystals build up on side of pan use a silicon brush dipped in cold water and circle the rim of the pan just above the crystallized sugar.  This will ensure that your Caramel Sauce is smooth.
• Watch the caramel carefully as it can easily scorch if the heat is too high.
• Resist the urge to stir.....don't stir the caramel.
• Boil until candy thermometer reaches 350-360 degrees, until it is a toasty brown. 
• Remove from heat
• Add Heavy Cream and Vanilla
• Now you can stir it vigorously until the solidified caramel is smooth and creamy
• Allow to cool 4 hours, it will thicken as it cools
• Store in refrigerator for several weeks (if it lasts that long, people have been known to eat this by the spoonful)

Caramel Sauce

Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes



Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes


Cafe Latte in St. Paul makes all kinds of fablous food. They have many delicious cakes, one that they are famous for is the Chocolate Turtle Cake. It has coffee as an ingredient and I always think that coffee helps to intensify the chocolate flavor. I recreated it home, using the finest choclate and my homemade caramel. It is very easy to make. I then frost and freeze the cupcakes for the future.

Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes Topped with Sea Salt

Cake Ingredients:

Toasted Pecans

• 1 Egg
• 2/3 cup Vegetable oil
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 2 cups Cake Flour
• 1 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Good quality cocoa
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Baking soda
• 1 cup Hot coffee

Directions:

Baked Chocolate Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners
• In bowl, combine egg, oil and buttermilk
• In large separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda
• Gradually add wet ingredients to dry until well mixed
• Gradually add hot coffee
• Scrape batter into prepared cupcake liners
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
• Let cake rest in pans for 10 minutes
• Turn out onto wire racks to cool
• Frost with Chocolate Frosting
• Drizzle with Caramel
• Top with toasted Pecans
• Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

Chocolate Frosting

• 1/2 cup Half and Half
• 1 cup Sugar
• 6 tbsp. Butter
• 2 cups Good-quality semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup Caramel
• 1 1/2 cups Toasted pecans

Directions:

• Mix sugar and half and half in saucepan
• Add butter
• Bring to a boil
• Remove from heat
• Add chocolate chips to pan
• Using wire whisk, mix until smooth
• If frosting is too thick or grainy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons hot coffee

Boundary Waters Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Boundary Waters Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Back in the day we used to shop at Daytons.  Daytons had restaurants in their department stores.  They had a really good Wild Rice Soup.  I like to add Chicken and Almonds to mine for a little extra substance, but it is good on its own.  This recipe for Boundary Waters Chicken Wild Rice Soup was adapted from Someone's In the Kitchen with Dayton's, Marshall Field's, Hudsons.  I often double the recipe, so that I can freeze it for later use.

Boundary Waters Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 4 Cups Liquid Gold or Chicken Broth
• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/3 Cup Sherry
• 1 1/2 Cup Cooked Wild Rice
• 1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper
• 1 Cup Cooked Shredded Chicken (optional)
• 1 Teaspoon Better than Bouillon
• 1/2 Cup Toasted Slivered Almonds (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Melt Butter in saucepan
• Saute Onions in butter until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes
• Stir in Flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often
• Add Liquid Gold or Broth and whisk until smooth
• Add Cream and Sherry and heat to simmer
• Add Chicken, Cooked Rice, Pepper, Better than Bouillon
• Simmer 5 minutes until heated through and thickened, add extra milk, cream or broth if too thick
• Serve and top with toasted almonds

Boundary Waters Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole

I love the spicy flavor and substance in Shrimp Creole.  I have been making this dish since 1993!  I have made this for many people, including my Parents, Sister and Erick.  Everyone loves it.  If you don't like shrimp, you could substitute fish or chicken instead.  For you Veg Heads...it is also very good without any meat or fish.  If you like it spicier, like me, you can add more heat by adding 1 chopped jalapeno.  This is sooo good and only takes about 30-45 minutes to prepare.  Whenever I make this I think to myself "why don't I make this more often, this is sooo good."

Shrimp Creole adapted from Lunds & Byerly's Shrimp Creole

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Medium Shrimp (28 count, shelled and deveined)




Vegetables Sauteing


• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Onion Chopped (2 Cups)
• 1 Cup Chopped Green Peppers (I was out, so I used Red Peppers instead)
• 1 Cup Chopped Celery
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 -- 28 ounce cans of whole tomatoes (I use San Marazano), undrained and chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon  Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Hot Paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 diced Jalapeno (optional)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Hot Sauce (optional)
• 2 Cups Uncooked rice, cooked
• Fresh Parsley

Directions

• Saute olive oil, onion, green pepper, celery, jalapeno (optional), and garlic for 5 minutes, stir occasionally,
• Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, paprika, cayenne and salt
• Simmer 15 minutes and stir in shrimp (I cut shrimp in half the long way so they are more "bite size")
• Continue to simmer until shrimp turn white and are cooked through (about 4 minutes).
• Discard Bay Leaf and taste for additional seasoning (i.e. hot sauce? more cayenne? Salt? Pepper?)
• Spoon Shrimp Creole over cooked rice and top with parsley
• It will be kinda soupy and very satisfying

Finished Shrimp Creole

Pasta with Aspargus and Pancetta

 


Pasta with Asparagus and Pancetta


I love pasta of all sorts.  Asparagus looked fabulous in the store yesterday, bright green, pencil thin, and to top that off, it was on sale for $1.99 a bunch.  I started to rack my brain for a way to use this hint of spring.  Then it came to me....Asparagus and Pancetta with pasta.  Sounds like a great combo and I ended up really liking it.  It is one of my "lighter" pasta dishes especially considering there was no butter, mozzarella or cream. ;)

Pasta with Asparagus and Pancetta

Ingredients:

Pasta and Asparagus cooking in cast iron skillet



• 1/2 box pasta cooked in salted water (I use Penne or Gemelli)
• 1/2 Cup reserved salted pasta water
• 1/3 Cup Thick Cut and Diced Pancetta (1/4 inch thick)
• 1 Medium Onion Diced
• 1 Clove Garlic Minced
• 1/4 Teaspoon Hot Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup White Wine (or broth)
• 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
• 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Cups Asparagus (or 1 bunch, woody stems discarded)
• Pepper to taste (I use fresh cracked pepper, about 1/4 Teaspoon)

Directions:

• Cook Pancetta in cast iron pan until fat is rendered and Pancetta is crispy, remove from pan and set aside
• Add Olive Oil and Onion to pan and saute and stir until tender and translucent
• Add Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes and saute another 5 minutes, stirring frequently
• Add dry White wine to deglaze pan, bring to simmer for 2-5 minutes
• Add Liquid Gold or Chicken Broth, stir and bring to simmer
• Add Asparagus and cook a few minutes until asparagus is hot, slightly cooked but still has a tender crisp texture
• Add Pasta and to pan and heat through, add reserved pasta water to desired consistency.
• Add Parmesan and Pancetta and stir
• Top with more shredded Parmesan cheese and serve

How about that for your first bite..yum

Delicate Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies Cooling on Wire Rack

When I worked at Atrium Catering, I worked with a lot of characters, many are still good friends today.  One gal that I worked with was Leeann.  She had THE best Sugar Cookie recipe and she was generous enough to share it with me.  Though I have lost touch with Leeann, whenever I make these cookies, I think of her and the fun times that were had back at the Atrium.  This is the very best sugar cookie recipe you will ever find.  Your quest for the perfect sugar cookie will end with this recipe....seriously.  They are delicate and melt in your mouth. 

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

Dropped Sugar Cookies



• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Cup Softened Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 2 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Directions:

Flattened Unbaked Cookies

• Mix Sugar, Butter, Oil and Egg until Creamy
• Mix in dry ingredients flour, soda, salt, cream of tartar and Vanilla Extract
• Form in Balls or using a mini scoop, drop onto cookie sheet (using a mini scoop for consistent sizes)
• Place on cookie sheet
• Use a sugar dipped glass, cup or whatever to flatten the cookies a bit
• Bake for 8-9 Minutes
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees



Baked Cookies, Silpat underneath



Scoops Used for Portioning



Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Mimmas Cafe is a favorite restaurant of ours.  When we first moved to Milwaukee we lived within walking distance of Mimmas.  During those years we enjoyed many walks to Mimmas for dinner.  Mimma Megna creates exquisite dishes from her homeland, Italy.  Mimma is the best in every way and we truly adore her.  She always welcomes us with a generous smile and is a gracious lovely host.  One of my favorite dishes at Mimmas is Faralle Taormina, Bow Tie Pasta with Mimmas Homemade Chicken Sausage, Chili Pepper, Tomato and basil in a cream sauce.  HELLO!!!!  This is my best attempt at replicating it at home.  It may not be Mimmas, but it is as close as I will get on my own. 

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound cooked pasta (I use Campanelle)
• 2 cooked crumbled Chicken Sausages (I use two or three Whole Foods Italian Style Chicken Sausages, then I remove the casing and cook the crumbled sausage in a cast iron pan.)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Peppers
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Salt to taste (1/4 Teaspoon)
• Pepper to taste
• 1 Cup Diced Tomatoes (fresh, canned, or roasted cherry)
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 3 Tablespoon Fresh Basil (Chiffonade)
• 3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Chicken Broth or White Wine (this cuts some of the richness from the cream and helps to balance out the sauce)
• 1/2 Cup Salted Pasta Water (reserve and use if sauce is to thick)
• 1/2 Cup Shredded or Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

• Cook Pasta (I cook it two minutes less than the package indicates, it will cook more when you add it to the cream sauce), reserve 1/2 Cup of Pasta Water
• Add 1 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil and Sausage to pan and cook through
• Remove Sausage from pan
• Add Onion to pan and saute 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent (add remaining 1 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil)
• Add Wine/Broth to onions and deglaze pan, bring to simmer
• Add Chili Pepper, Cayenne, Cream, and bring to simmer and reduce until thickened
• Add Tomatoes, Sausage, Salt and Pepper to cream mixture and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes
• Toss Cooked Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce and heat through, add reserved pasta water (if sauce is too thick add as needed to desired consistency) 
• Remove from heat and toss in Parmesan Cheese
• Serve and Enjoy

Red Velvet Valentines



Red Velvet Cupcakes

 I have a tradition that I like to make special cakes for special people on special occasions.  Over the years I have come accross some of the most amazing cakes...Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd and Blackberries Sauce from the Bon Appetit Cookbook (or Bon Appetit June 1994) Sunshine Cake from Watts Tea Shop and this Red Velvet.  I love the rich red color and Sweet Cream Cheese Frosting in Red Velvet Cake. The first time I made this was for our friend Jimbo's Birthday.  This time around, I decided to make it in honor of Valentines Day.

Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 Cup Cake Flour
• 1 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Ounce of Red Food Coloring

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• Sift dry ingredients together
• In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together until well incorporated
• Slowly add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and beat on medium speed until combined
• Bake in Cupcakes or Round 9 inch round cake pans for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester (toothpick or wooden skewer) comes out clean.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar
• 1 Pound Softened Cream Cheese
• 1/2 Pound Softened Butter
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients until light and fluffy

Twice Baked



Twice Baked Potato


Sunday Supper February 13th.  Lynn and I finally got a chance to catch up since the Holiday break and the Packer mania.   Today's mild weather sent a lot of people outdoors.  We noticed that the days are getting longer and that the sidewalks were filled with runners with spring fever.  I thought it was a perfect day to grill.  It reminds me of days gone by in Mpls. with my friend Debbie, she was famous for grilling out, through-out the winter...she made an adventure of it.  Today's menu was Filet Mignon on the grill, Twice Baked Potatoes, Homemade Boule, Fruit Salad and Red Velvet Cake for Dessert.  For Christmas Don gave me one of those really cool instant read thermometers and it read my perfect medium rare on the steaks.  It was really fun to try out that new gadget.  It worked really slick.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 Large Baked Russet Potatoes
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 4 T Butter
• 1/2 Cup Grated Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

• Rinse, Dry and Prick Potatoes (with Fork) and Bake Potatoes 1 hour in 425 oven
• Cut Potatoes in Half and scoop out tender fluffy filling, reserving the potato skins in tact
• Mash Potatoes, Cream, Butter and Salt until fluffy
• Stir in Grated Wisconsin Cheddar
• Mound Potato Filling into 4 of the 6 remaining shells (discard remaining shells or make potatoes skins)
• Bake Potatoes in 425 oven until golden and bubbly about 20-30 minutes
• You can use a cooler oven, I was baking bread in a hot oven at the same time

Juicy Lucy



Juicy Lucy

It has been several months since I have made burgers.  Erick loves burgers and requested we have them soon.  Off to the store I went, fresh ground beef -- check, fresh Wisconsin Cheddar -- check, fresh bakery buns -- check, crisp romaine lettuce -- check.  I decided to kick it up a notch...extra cheese...how to incorporate more cheese?  We are Feeling So Fly Like Cheeseheads after all.  In Minneapolis there is a burger joint, Matt's Bar that is famous for their Jucy Lucy's.  Jucy Lucy's require you to fill the center of the burger with shredded cheese.  BTW, Matt's spells Juicy as Jucy.  Regardless of how you spell Juicy, this sounds like delicious goodness.  The Travel Channel, Food Wars even went to Minneapolis for a taste off between Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club. 

Juicy Lucy

Ingredients:

• Ground Beef
• Salt and Pepper
• Cheddar Cheese (freshly grated)
• Fresh Buns
• Romaine Lettuce

Directions:

• Form 4 flat thin disks/patties with ground beef 
• Shred Cheddar Cheese
• Put mound of Cheese on top of each of two patties
• Top each cheese pattie with the remaining patties
• Seal seams of the patties together to prevent cheese from leaking out during cooking
• I try not to overwork the ground beef
• Once patties are formed refrigerate 30 minutes, this helps the cheese filled burgers stay together during cooking
• Heat cast iron pan until it is sizzling hot. 
• "Caramelize" burgers on both sides. 
• It takes a while to cook these through, cook them 5-10 minutes longer than you think you should.  I do and I serve our Medium.
• Even after all of that, Erick likes melted cheese on top of his burger too!  So, I throw on a slice of cheddar and throw the pan under the broiler until the cheese is perfectly melted.