Almond Cookies - from Table for Two

Yield: 3 dozen | Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 hours chill time | Cook Time: 15-17 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup almond flour, lightly packed

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

Pinch of kosher salt

2 eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Place the almond flour, butter, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes. The mixture will be coarse and chunky looking.
2. Add one of the eggs, reserving one for later, and the almond extract. Beat together until just incorporated.
3. Whisk together flour, sugar, and baking soda in a medium bowl and add to the stand mixer. Mix until just combined.
4. Pour mixture out onto saran wrap and form into a disc. Wrap it up and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Beat the egg you saved in a small bowl and have a pastry brush ready.
6. Take pieces of dough and roll them into balls, about 1 inch wide. Place on the prepared baking sheet and gently press them down with your palms to flatten into coin shapes.
7. Take your pastry brush and brush the tops of the cookies generously with the egg wash then place a sliced almond on top, pressing gently to keep it in place.
8. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cookies start to turn a dark golden color on top.
9. Remove and let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Holy Yum Chicken from Table for Two

Table for Two

Cook to Love, Love to Cook

Feb 06 2013 Holy Yum Chicken Posted in: Chicken, Main Entree7 comments If you have never made anything from my blog, drop everything and make this for dinner tonight. I’m telling you, YOU.WILL.NOT.REGRET.IT. I’ve made this chicken 3 times already. 3 times in ONE WEEK. I’m completely, utterly, addicted to it. It’s the EASIEST recipe, EVER and the tastiest. It will make your taste buds SING and you’ll be doing cartwheels all over your living room. Seriously. If you’re not much of a cook or if you don’t have a ton of time on your hands, this is the dish for you. Yes, yes, yes! I wish there was some technology where you can just poke your finger at your screen to try the sauce. But, since there isn’t that yet, please please believe me. Why would I lie to you? Ok, I sound like I’m on my hands and knees begging you to make this. I sort of am..and really, it’s only cause I want you to know how glorious this dish is because you probably will make this every week and share it with everyone you know so they can get a taste of this amazingness. :) Holy Yum Chicken Print Save Yield: 2 servings | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 1 1/2 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (most of the fat cut and discarded) 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (must be Dijon mustard, no substitutes) 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (again, no substitutes. No fake Aunt Jemima stuff) 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1 tbsp. cornstarch 2 tsp. fresh rosemary for garnish Instructions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a 8×8″ oven-proof pan with 2 layers of tin foil. In small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Place the chicken thighs in the foil layered pan then pour the mixture on top of it. Turn the chicken around in the sauce to make sure it gets all coated. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate. Do NOT discard the liquid. Immediately after plating chicken, whisk in the 1 tbsp. of cornstarch into the liquid in the pan. You’ll create a nice, thick sauce to drizzle over your chicken. You need to do cornstarch mixing immediately because the liquid needs to be hot in order for it to thicken properly. If it’s still not thickening after 1 tbsp., you can add a little more. Sprinkle rosemary on top before serving. Serve with rice or potatoes or vegetables.

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2013/01/white-cheese-and-chicken-lasagna/

http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2013/01/21/cranberry-white-chocolate-cookies/

http://www.simplyscratch.com/2013/01/ribeye-steaks-with-caramelized-shallot-and-blue-cheese-butter.html/caramelized-2

http://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/perfect-creamymacaroni-and-cheese/

*Good recommendation for a cheddar cheese is Cracker Barrel's White Sharp Cheddar (in the green packaging)...

Delightful Scones

Sweet Potato Fries - from "The Chew"

I was very excited to see this as an option on the show.  I simply adore sweet potatoes.  I have been looking and trying different recipes for baked fries... unsuccessfully.  It just seems like something easy, but my past attempts have not been great.  mushy and no snap.

I had the heat set too low.

It's not difficult, cut, coat (in extra virgin olive oil) and bake (425 for 18 minutes, flipping half way).  I did bake them on a pre-heated pizza stone.

And the verdict.... Almost perfect.  I think I committed the Cardinal Sin of baking and opened the door a bit too often.  I was worried that the EVOO would burn at that temp.

It didn't, it just lightly charred.  The skin indeed come out crisp, I just think a couple more minutes (or me not opening the door) would have made them just a tad more crispy.

Eggplant Risotto (This is Egg-cellent!)

This is an excellent italian dish. It is also a vegetarian option.

Yields 6-8 servings
Cook Time (with prep): 1 hour, 45 minutes

To prep the eggplant, you will need:
2 large eggplant
flour
olive oil (for frying)

For the sauce:
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion - thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
16 ounces of canned whole tomatoes, chopped with the juice
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of basil leaves (cut chiffonade aka long thin strips)
salt/pepper

For the risotto:
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of minced onion
2 cups of arborio rice
4-6 cups of warm chicken stock
1/4 cup of grated aged provolone cheese

To Assemble:
3/4 cup of grated provolone cheese
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese (optional)
1/4 cup of basil (chiffonade / thin strips)

Personally, I am a follower of "the more cheese the better" mantra. You do not have to put the parm and mozzarella in the dish, but you can, by all means top the dish with these and also, add more if you are a cheese lover, like me. (I have some roots in Wisconsin.)

Directions:
There is more preparation with the actual eggplant than you would expect. To begin, slice the eggplants lengthwise and then across, then add a pinch of salt to both sides of each piece. Let the eggplant pieces sit out on a paper towel for 30-60 minutes to release some of the moisture. When this period has concluded, rinse the eggplant and pat them dry with paper towels. Now they are ready to go!

Now that the eggplant is ready, heat a pan at medium heat and add olive oil. Flour your eggplant (both sides) and once the pan is hot and ready, fry your eggplant in batches until they are golden brown on both sides. Add olive oil to your pan as needed. Once through, set the eggplant pieces on a papertowel to drain.

Then, you will want to prepare your sauce. Heat the pan at medium, then add olive oil. Saute an onion for 3-4 minutes (until soft). Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Then, add your tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it begins to boil, move the heat back to simmer and cook at this heat for 25 minutes to blend the flavors. At the conclusion of this, add parsley, basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Now you want to make your risotto. Preheat your oven to 425. Heat the olive oil in medium-high heat in a large, heavy saute pan. Saute the minced onion for 2 minutes. Add your rice and saute for 2 minutes. Then, you will want to add your stock, but only adding 1/2 cup at a time. You will need to stir frequently. Make sure the stock is fully absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. Once the rice is al dente, remove it from the heat. Then, stir in your grated provolone and add salt and pepper to taste.

Now it is time to assemble the dish. This is very similar to a lasagna. Brush the bottom of your pan with olive oil. Then, lay 1/3 of your eggplant pieces over the bottom of the pan. Then, spread half of the risotto over the eggplant pieces. Then, add half of the sauce. Then, add half of the cheese (in the "To Assemble" ingredient list). Add cheese to your own delight. Top this first stage of assembly with five torn basil leaves.

Stage 2 of assembly involves repeating all steps in stage one: (1) eggplant, (2) risotto, (3) sauce, (4) cheese (+basil leaves).

Finally, top with the remaining eggplant slices and the rest of the cheese. Here is where you can have fun with the cheese. See what is in your fridge and play with the recipe a little bit. Again, I and most people appreciate a lot of cheese. Stick with italian blends (no cheddar, american, blue, goat, and I would stay away from swiss). I am thinking mozzarella, parm and of course the provolone. But, some people just want to stick solely with the provolone, and that is fine too. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Bon Appetit!

Beef Wellington

Total Time: 2 hr 30 min (Prep1 hr, Inactive 30 min/Cook 1 hr)

 

Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

Duxelles:

• 3 pints (1 1/2 pounds) white button mushrooms  -- this equals to about 1.5 cartons of mushrooms (not sliced).
• 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:

• Some twine for cooking
• 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 (talk to your butcher and tell him your are making beef wellington) 
• 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  --- so if you are in the grocery store, you can get by with one package of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (sheets) in the frozen section, but if you want to be safe, get two!
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• Minced chives, for garnish

*You will also want to have a knife that has just been sharpened when slicing the beef when you are through!

Directions:

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 4-5 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. This is tricky because you really have to have some nice twine. I, not having twine, have used thread. While it serves its purpose, it still does not stay as tightly packed in order to hold the cylindrical shape.

Drizzle the beef 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 for 3 minutes. Then, 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 the duxelles coating the entire rectangle in a perfect coated layer. 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. This is where you would want to have enough pastry sheet. (Purchasing more pastry is better than less because you really want to have the entire beef covered.) Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and 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 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. Don't rest for too long though because, personally, I like the pastry dough to still be warm!