Side Dishes

Green Beans
In the store I found these new, nifty things in the Ziploc section called Zip n Steam which allow you to steam veggies in the microwave. My first thought was, "Great, a new way to create waste in our world." My second thought was, "Well, it's on sale." They turned out to be amazing. With super instructions right on the bag, and the fastest cooking times, even we couldn't mess things up. I highly recommend them!

Ingredients

• Zip n Steam Bags
• Green Beans
• Salt
• Butter

Instructions

1. Wash desired amount of green beans and cut off ends.
   
2. Put green beans in Zip n Steam Bag. Add salt. Follow instructions on bag for microwaving times.
3. Empty bag into serving bowl. Smoother in butter. Serve.

Orgasmic Mac 'n' Cheese
(based on the recipe from what we're eating)
The hunt for a great Mac 'n' Cheese recipe was long and hard, but this one looked the best, hands down.

Ingredients

• 2 c Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 c Shitake Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp Bacon Grease
• 1 1/2 tbsp Sherry Vinegar
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 4 tbsp Flour
• 3 1/2 c Milk, warmed
  
• 4 oz Herb Chevre, crumbled
• 4 oz Sharp Cheddar, shredded
• 6 oz Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded, divided
• 1 tbsp Thyme, fresh, minced
• 2 tsp Rosemary, fresh, minced
• 1 tsp Sage, fresh, minced
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 3 tbsp White Truffle Oil
• 1 c Panko
• 12 oz Elbow Macaroni
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large pot of water over high heat and cover. Place a large saute pan with bacon grease over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms to the pan and saute for 7-10 minutes or until the mushrooms are fully cooked and slightly caramelized. Toss or stir occasionally. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper then deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar. Allow all of the vinegar to cook out, then remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Once all the butter is melted and hot, whisk in flour. Cook the flour, whisking, for about 30 seconds. Add the thyme, rosemary, sage, and red pepper flakes. Continue stirring and allow the herbs to saute for about another 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously, so the roux and milk incorporate smoothly and there are no lumps. Allow the bechamel to come to a simmer (it won’t gain it’s full thickness until it does), stirring occassionally.

3. While waiting for the sauce to come to a simmer start the pasta. Liberally salt the pot of boiling water, almost to the point it tastes like sea water. Add the pasta to the water and cook the pasta for a minute or two less than the suggested time on the box.

4. Once the bechamel has reached a simmer, stir in the chevre, cheddar, 3oz of parmigiano, and truffle oil until all the cheese has melted. Turn off the heat and and taste the sauce for seasoning levels. Season with salt and pepper as necessary. In small mixing bowl, mix together the panko and remaining 3oz of parmigiano reggiano.

5. Strain the pasta immediately once finished cooking. In a mixing bowl, toss the pasta, cheese sauce, and mushrooms together. Pour the macaroni and cheese into a deep glass or ceramic loaf pan and sprinkle the panko/parmigiano mixture evenly across the top. Bake the mac-n-cheese in the upper part of the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and the cheese sauce is bubbly.
   

Serves 8

Dessert

Bread Pudding with a Whiskey Sauce
(based on the recipe from NOLA Cuisine)
We should have chopped the bread into slightly smaller pieces, and used slightly less bread as well, but otherwise this was yummy. The sauce made this dish!

Ingredients

• 2 c Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
  
• Pinch of Salt
• 13 Eggs
• 3 c Heavy Cream
• 1 c Milk
• 2 tbsp Vanilla
• 2 loaves of French Bread, cubed
• 1 tbsp Butter

• 2 tsp Corn Starch
• 2 tbsp Water
• 1 1/2 c Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/3 c Jack Daniels
  
• 1/3 c Sugar

Bread Pudding Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, then whisk in the cream, milk and vanilla extract. Add contents from the small mixing bowl. Fold in the bread cubes being sure to not break them up too much.
4. Place the prepared mixture into the cake pan, cover with foil and place the cake pan into a larger pan, sufficient enough to allow for a water bath which will cover the smaller pan by half way.
5. Place the pans into the oven and bake for 2 hours. Remove the foil and raise the temperature to 300 degrees for 1 hour more or until the top of the pudding is golden brown. The finished pudding should be slightly firm, while moist, but not runny.
6. Serve warm, topped with Whiskey Sauce (instructions below)
   

Whiskey Sauce Instructions

1. Mix together the water and cornstarch in a small bowl.
   
2. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. While boiling slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
3. When the sauce is thickened remove from the heat and add the vanilla, bourbon and sugar. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Serves 8

Appetizers

Calamari
(based on the recipe from FoodNetwork.com)
To be honest, this isn't the best recipe for calamari. It was pretty boring, and we think there is a lot that could have been done to make it better. Next time...

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 1 lb Squid, cleaned with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings
• 2 c Flour
• 2 tbsp Dried Parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Lemons, cut into wedges
• 1 c Marinara Sauce, for dipping

Instructions

1. Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
4. Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.

Baby Octopus Salad
(based on the recipe at Epicurious.com)

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs Baby Octopuses, cleaned, thawed if frozen
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/3 c Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, fresh
• 1 tsp Sea Salt, coarse
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp Fresh Oregano, chopped
• 1 lb Mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil and garlic
• 2 tbsp Capers

Instructions

1. Rinse octopuses under cold water, then cover with water by 2 inches in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Bring to a boil with bay leaf, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until octopuses are tender (tentacles can easily be pierced with a fork), about 45 minutes.
2. Transfer octopuses to a colander with tongs, then discard cooking liquid and bay leaf. When cool enough to handle, cut off and discard heads and halve octopuses lengthwise. Cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk together oil, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, and oregano. Toss octopuses with dressing and marinate, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes at room temperature.

Salad

Arugula Salad with Egg Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• Arugula (enough for 4)
• 2 Hard-Boiled Eggs, coarsely chopped, 1-yolk reserved
• 4 tbsp Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 2.75 tsp White-Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 c Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Add reserved egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend well. With motor running, add oil in a very slow stream blending until well combined
2. Assemble arugula, eggs and cheese onto four plates. Drizzle dressing on top.

Serves 4

Dessert

Sour Cream Panna Cotta with Vanilla and Red Wine-Infused Strawberries
(based on the recipe from Cooking.com)
This dish was better than we could have ever expected. What started out as a way to use all the strawberries that recently went on sale turned into the best dessert ever! Panna cotta means "cooked cream" and offers a smooth contrast to the juicy strawberries. We served with with a generous serving of the strawberries and lots of the wine juice.

Ingredients

• 1 c Milk
• 1.5 tsp Unflavored Gelatin
• 1/3 plus 1/4 c Sugar
• 1 c Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 c Sour Cream
• 1 Vanilla Bean, halved lengthwise then crosswise
• 2 lbs Strawberries, hulled, quartered
• 1/2 c Merlot

Instructions

1. Pour milk into heavy medium saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over milk. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
   
2. Bring milk mixture to simmer, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/3 cup sugar. Gradually stir in whipping cream. Whisk in sour cream. Scrape seeds from half of vanilla bean into sour cream mixture; mix well (reserve pod). Pour mixture into six 1/2-cup ramekins. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. We refrigerated it overnight.
   
3. Combine strawberries, wine and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Scrape in seeds from remaining half of vanilla bean; add pods. Stir to combine. Cover and let stand until very juicy, about 4 hours, though a little longer wouldn't hurt
   
4. Invert panna cotta into 6 shallow bowls. Surround with strawberries and juices.

Delicious Details

Last Night's Delicious Details
Guests:

8

Salad:

Spinach & Strawberries (Recipe)
Fresh Baby Spinach tossed with Strawberries & Almonds, drizzled with a Balsamic Vinaigrette

Main Course:

Beef Fillet en Croute with Green Beans and Walnuts (Recipe)
A healthy cut of Fillet Mignon, lightly seared on each side, smothered in Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onions, wrapped in Puff Pastry and baked to medium-rare. Served aside steamed Green Beans with Lemon Zest and walnuts

Side Dish:

Prudent Scalloped Potatoes (we didn't come up with the title) (Recipe)
Thinly sliced Potatoes layered with Gruyere, Comte & Parmesan cheeses, Caramelized Onions and Sage, doused with Heavy Cream and baked to golden brown perfection

Dessert:

Ginger Peach Pie (Recipe)
Freshly sliced Peaches and chopped Crystallized Ginger sprinkled lightly with Sugar and Mace, and baked in a flaky crust

Music:

Across the Universe Soundtrack

Board Game:
Pirate's Cove

Salad

Stylish Strawberry Salad
(based on recipe from Sweet Revenge, by Diane Mott Davidson)
This dish was more of an afterthought than anything else, as all our other recipes were so labor intense, but it turned out great. We served these in Ramekins, and had a large bowl on the table for extra salad.
Ingredients

• 1 bag Baby Spinach
• 3/4 pack Strawberries, sliced
• 1 c Almonds, toasted and sliced
• 3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp Garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. In individual ramekins, layer spinach, strawberries and almonds. Throw any extras in a salad bowl.
2. Whisk vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil whisking constantly, set aside.
3. Just before serving time, drizzle dressing over the ramekins. Toss extra in the salad bowl, tossing to coatAt serving time, arrange lettuce on 4 plates
4. Arrange strawberries and slices on top of leaves
5. Shake vinaigrette and top on each salad
6. Top with salt and pepper
7. Serve immediately

4 servings

Main Course

Beef Filet En Croute with Green Beans and Walnuts
(based on recipe from Cooking.com)
This was possibly the most difficult recipe we ever tried, and it definitely helped to have two people making it. The original recipe called for 3 onions, and even having doubled the recipe, we only used 3 onions total (a lot of slicing onions gone to waste). Also, the goat cheese/caramelized onion combination was delicious, especially on crackers, but we're not sure it added anything to the flavor of the meat. We also learned the Filet Mignon is was more expensive than we ever knew, and that 6 o is really too much for any one person to consume. Next time, get smaller steaks! The walnuts in the green beans were pretty, but didn't add much flavor, and were a little difficult to eat with forks.

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
• 4 Filet Mignons, about 6 ounces each, completely trimmed, 1 1/4 inches thick, choice grade
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 1/2 large Yellow Onions, sliced
• 3 tbsp Beef Stock
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 6 oz Goat Cheese
• 1 sheet Puff Pastry, 9 inches square, thawed
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 lb fresh Green Beans
• 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 c Walnuts, toasted and chopped

Instructions:

1. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a nonstick pan set over medium heat and sear the filets on all sides, about 1 minute per side, or until browned. Remove the filets and any juices they have released and set aside.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and saute the onions for about 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Turn down the heat to medium-low, add the beef stock and any reserved beef juices, and continue to cook until the onions have cooked all the way through and are moist but not wet, about 5 -10 minutes longer. Stir in the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let the onions cool completely. Add the goat cheese to the onions and mix gently with a fork to incorporate.
3. Roll out the puff pastry until it measures 14 inches square and then cut into four 7-inch squares (the squares should be large enough to fold around the fillets). Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the beaten egg and place 3 tablespoons of the onion-goat cheese mixture in the center of each square, spreading it out with the back of a spoon. Place the beef filets on top of the mixture and spoon the remaining onion mixture on top of the filets and around the sides. To finish, bring up the 4 corners, and tightly enclose the puff pastry by closing the sides over and using more beaten egg to seal. (Don't worry too much about how this looks as the joined edges will be on the bottom of the puff pastry package when serving.) Turn over the puff pastry and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Let rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or overnight.
4. Pour the wine into a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until 1/2 cup remains and the consistency is syrupy.
5. Start boiling a pot of water for the green beans.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. When ready to bake, remove the packages from the refrigerator and brush the surface with the beaten egg. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes for medium-rare, 25 minutes for medium, or until the pastry is golden brown. (If the pastry gets browned too quickly, cover with foil and continue to bake.)
7. As soon as you put the steaks in the oven, blanch the green beans in a saucepan of salted boiling water to cover for about 5 minutes, until they turn bright green and are just tender; they should still have a bite to them. Drain the beans in a colander. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the blanched beans, and sauté for about 3 minutes, taking care not to overcook them. Add the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste, and add more lemon juice if desired. Toss the walnuts with the green beans.

Serving

1. Drizzle the wine reduction sauce in pretty spirals on the plates. Place the pastry-covered steaks halfway on top of the sauce. Using tongs, arrange the green beans next to the pastry. Drizzle any remaining butter from the pan over the green beans.

Serves 4

Side Dish

Prudent Potatoes Au Gratin
(based on recipe from Sweet Revenge, by Diane Mott Davidson)
This was by far the favorite of the night. The blend of cheeses & cream were absorbed by the potatoes making for one of the least healthy and most delicious dishes we've ever eaten. There were no leftovers.

Ingredients

• ½ tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 large Yellow Onion, sliced
• 4 lbs Russet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ lb Gruyere, grated
• ½ lb Comte cheese, grated
• ½ c Parmeasan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 tbsp fresh Sage, chopped
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• ½ tsp Pepper
• 2 c Heavy Cream

Instructions

1. Melt butter & oil over med heat. Add the onions. Cook until limp and caramelized, 15-20 min. Cool slightly.
2. Preheat 375.
3. In a large bowl, toss grated cheeses.
4. Layer potatoes in a 9 x 13 glass pan. Add a layer of onions. Then add a layer of cheese. Top with sage. Repeat this process until the pan is completely full, ending with cheese
5. Stir salt & pepper into heavy cream, then pour over the potatoes. Don’t disturb the cheese
6. Bake 1 hour until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown

8-12 servings

Dessert

Ginger-Peach Pie
(based on recipe from Cooking.com)
We were worried that the ginger would be overpowering, but it turned out to add the perfect amount of interest to the pie. We used fresh, over-ripe peaches which made for a softer, sweeter pie as well.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Sugar
• 3 tbsp Flour
• 2 tbsp Crystallized Ginger, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground Mace
• 8 Peaches, peeled & thinly sliced
• Pastry for Double-Crust pie
• Milk
• Sugar

Instructions
In a large mixing bowl combine the 1/2 cup sugar, flour, crystallized ginger, and mace. Add the peaches. Toss gently till peaches are coated.
Prepare pastry as directed.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Stir peach mixture; transfer to pastry-lined pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim. Place top crust on filling. Cut slits in top crust. Trim, seal, and crimp edge of pastry. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 50 minutes for fresh peaches or till top is golden. Cool on a rack.