Valentine's Day Menu

 

This is a very special entry for me! I was called upon by the fabulous Mary Bigham of WC Dish to create a menu for Valentine's Day. This menu will be featured in Wednesday's edition of Chester County Cuisine and Nightlife. Thanks for another great opportunity, Mary!

Valentine's Day. Even if it is a Hallmark holiday, it looks like it's here to stay - and with it comes expectations...am I right?

I wanted this menu to appeal to those who wanted restaurant quality food, without the hassle of reservations, babysitters, parking, crowds, prix fixe menus, not to mention the $$$$. It also works well because the courses are rich in taste, but light enough to avoid any after-dinner food comas!

I suggest cooking the meal together, after all, this is Valentine's Day. But if one person insists on taking over, let the other person be the taste-tester, bartender, and do easy jobs like slicing bread, assembling apps, etc.

On with the food!

Sparkling Pomegranate Fizz

• 1 Bottle Prosecco
• 1 Pomegranate
• 2 oz of POM Pomegranate Juice (or you can choose to juice the pomegranate seeds)
• 2 champagne flutes
• cocktail rimming sugar, or 2 crushed red lollipops 

If using cocktail rimming sugar, dampen the rims of each flute, then dip into the tin and rotate. Add 1 oz of POM to each glass, then fill with Prosecco. Garnish with a few pomegranate seeds.

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Love Tap App: Fig, Chevre and Honey Creme
on Crunchy Baguette

While you two lovebirds are working closely in the kitchen, make this appetizer to munch. Figs and honey are known aphrodisiacs, so watch out for those love taps!

• 1 baguette (Toast the slices, or serve fresh!)
• 1 package of a local artisan goat cheese (Carlino's has a great selection.)
• 1 jar of honey cream
• 2-3 figs cut into wedges (or 1 small jar fig preserves)

Slice the baguette on an angle, into 1/2 inch slices. Spread goat cheese, then honey cream. Top with figs.  

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"Oh Baby, You're So Fresh!" Salad

Baby Spinach, fresh (enough for 2)

3/4 cup of POM pomegranate juice

1/4 olive oil

1/4 orange juice

3 TB of a good quality red wine vinegar

1 tsp orange zest

1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (Support local!)

1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

kosher salt, pepper (to taste)

Toasting the pine nuts: In a dry skillet over medium low, add the pine nuts. Shake frequently to ensure even browning. Remove, set aside to cool.

The dressing: Place the POM in a saucepan over medium high heat, and reduce until it measures about 1/4 cup. Remove from heat, and whisk in the olive oil, OJ, vinegar, orange zest, salt & pepper. Continue whisking until blended into an emulsion. (You'll probably have extra to save for later.)

Mix it up: In a mixing bowl, add the greens, and drizzle dressing just to coat. Toss. 

Plate it: Plate the greens, and top with the gorgonzola, pine nuts, and pom seeds.

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"Love Me Tender" Pork Loin

Ingredients (4 servings):

2-3 lb center cut pork loin

1 small yellow onion (peeled and slice in half)

1 fennel bulb (coarsely chopped) - Save stalks.

4 carrots (peeled, cut into large chunks)

5 red potatoes (cut into large chunks)

1 small sweet potato (peeled, cut into large chunks)

1 bottle of white wine (Choose one you'd drink!)

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

Kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

Olive Oil

1 TB cornstarch

Preheat oven at 350°F.

Get a skillet hot over medium-high. Rub the pork with olive oil, salt, pepper. Add about 1 TB of olive oil to the skillet and add the pork to sear until browned on both sides. 

Grease the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the fennel stalks in the center of the pan (your pork will rest on this). Place the seared pork on top of the stalks, and arrange the onion halves on either side. Add 1 cup of the wine to the pan. Cover with foil, and bake in oven for 45-mins to 1 hour, depending on the size of your roast.

Meanwhile: Toss remaining vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence.

Remove the pan from the oven, and check your wine level. If it seems dry, add more. Add the vegetables to your pan and return to the oven for approx 45 mins, covered. Remove the roast from the pan, wrap in foil, let rest. If there are a lot of pan juices, remove them and set aside.

Raise the oven temp to 400° Leave the vegetables uncovered in the pan, and return to the oven for browning. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

While the veggies are roasting, heat the pan juices in a saucepan over medium-high. Mix the cornstarch with 1 TB of COLD water in a glass, and add to saucepan. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat, stirring until thickened. 

Slice the pork, and serve with the gravy and the vegetables. Use the rest of the wine to drink with the meal. Leftover pork is great for sandwiches for the week!

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My Love is Hot Like Lava Cakes

Ingredients (4 servings):

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or use a 70% dark chocolate bar)
1 1/2 sticks salted butter (diced, room temperature)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
Butter for ramekins

Powdered sugar for heart design (optional)






Preheat oven to 350°F

1. Melt chocolate on low flame in double boiler. Remove from heat. (If you don't have a double boiler, improvise by placing a glass bowl over a small amount of boiling water in a pot.)
2. Stir in diced butter, until melted and creamy.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until blended.
4. Stir in melted chocolate. Gradually add the flour, stirring well.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins (Tip: Use the butter wrappers!)

6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the ramekins, leaving a little room at the top.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve, or serve straight from the ramekins.

Optional design: Cut out a heart stencil from any kind of paper or doily, and place atop the dessert. Add powdered sugar into a sifter and sprinkle over the stencil.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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Shopping List

Prosecco

White Wine

Pomegranate

POM Juice

Baguette

Goat Cheese

Gorgonzola Cheese

Honey Cream

Figs

Pine Nuts

Pork Loin

Baby Spinach

OJ

Fennel

Sweet Potato

Herbes de Provence (spice aisle)

Pantry List:

Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper

Rimming Sugar (optional) or 2 lollipops

Red Wine Vinegar

Onions

Carrots

Potatoes

Cornstarch

Baking chocolate

Butter

Eggs

Sugar

Flour

Powdered Sugar (optional)

Ice Cream (optional)

Parmesan Parsley Potatoes

 

Another healthy version of french fries to keep off the winter L.B.s! These are a great side to just about any meat or fish. Or...

Add these to your Superbowl menu with some sour cream and chives!

You'll need:

• 2 russet potatoes
• about 1/4 cup of olive oil
• fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt

Over at 425F.

1. Put a baking sheet in the oven and get it nice and hot while you prepare the potatoes
2. Wash and dry the potatoes. Rub each potato with some of the oil, and coat lightly with kosher salt.
3. Cut each potato into wedges. (Cut in 1/2 longways, then cut each half into fourths. Each potato should yield 8 wedges.)
4. Add the potato wedges to a bowl, and add the olive oil, and a little more salt. Toss to coat.
5. Place the potatoes on the hot baking sheet in a single layer (they will sizzle!). Bake for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Shake the pan occasionally to ensure even cooking.
6. Remove potatoes from oven, and place back into the bowl. Toss with fresh parsley and Parmesan.
7. Serve!

Ice Cream Cupcakes!

I can't even bake, so I won't pretend this was my idea. LB's little friend was having a birthday celebration at school, and she wanted our help making this fun version of a cupcake! Found somewhere on the innernets, but I don't know where. I just have the print out at my fingertips, and I'm copying it here for you to enjoy, with some changes I made on my end.

You'll need:

• 1 baking sheet
• 1 box of cake mix
• water/vegetable oil/eggwhites - follow measurements on cake mix box
• 1 box of 18 ice cream cones (flat bottom)
• 2 containers of frosting
• Sprinkles for decorating
• 3 ziploc bags (1 for batter, 2 for frosting)
• 1 empty pizza box for transporting

Oven at 350F.

Make the cake batter according to box directions.

Place cones on baking sheet. Add the batter to a ziploc bag and seal. Snip off a small hole in the corner and squeeze the batter into the cups for easy filling. Fill each cone a little more than 3/4 full. See how much I filled them?? I'd fill them just a liiiittle bit more next time! They didn't puff up as much as I would've wanted them to.

These instructions say to bake for 15-20 minutes. But mine were still very wet in the center. I think we ended up baking these for about 30 mins. Just keep a close eye on them, and when a toothpick inserted comes out clean, they are done. COOL COMPLETELY,  or you will have a melty mess.

Take a pizza box, and cut 18 "X"s into it. fold the tabs in and you'll have a nice snug place for each cone. Transfer the cones to the pizza box and get ready to decorate.

Add the frostings to the 2 ziploc bags. Snip a corner off, to form a pastry bag, and squeeze the frosting onto the cones in a spiral to form the shape of a soft-serve cone.

Decorate!

 

Does this face say it all, or what?

*A tip for transporting*
We made a makeshift "tent" over the cupcakes with chopsticks and ClingWrap.

Panko Herb-Crusted Flounder

 

 In the spirit of the new year and bandwagons of health and fitness, I present to you: a nutritious dindin. I wanted a thick whitefish for dinner, and the local fish monger only stocked frozen Chilean seabass. I had no time to wait, and defrosting fish in a microwave is a major food faux pas. Instead, the nice man at Hill's Seafood in Exton steered me to the fluke flounder. It was just what I was looking for.

You'll need:

1 lb Fluke flounder

1/4 cup of olive oil

3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, chopped (or frozen Dorot cubes)

Kosher salt

Cracked pepper

1 large handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

Oven at 400 F

Add olive oil to a heated skillet over medium high. Add panko, parsley, garlic, salt & pepper. Stir until breadcrumbs are browned.

Grease an 8x8 in glass pan. Add the flounder and gently coat the top with half the panko mixture. Layer with tomatoes. Add the rest of the panko and dot with butter cubes.

 

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Internal temp should be 140 F. Serves 4.

I served this with my Peppery Arugula Salad and Parmasean Parsley Potato Wedges.

Roasted Vinegar Potatoes

Do you love boardwalk fries doused in malt vinegar? ME TOO! But these are the next best thing without the guilt. Say hello to Roasted Vinegar Potatoes!

You'll need:

1 small sack of baby potatoes, cut in halves or quarters (I chose TJ's Teeny Tiny Potatoes)

1/4 cup of a GOOD quality red wine vinegar (or malt vinegar)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup olive oil

2 good sized pinches of  kosher salt

black pepper

Oven at 350 degrees. Place an ungreased cookie sheet into the oven to get it hot.

In a bowl big enough to hold the potatoes, add the vinegar, cumin and chili powder. Toss potatoes into the mixture. Let soak for about 10 mins.

Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to the potatoes and toss again. Scatter onto the preheated cookie sheet (Watch, they sizzle!) and roast for about 40 mins to1 hour, depending on the size of your potatoes. Turn occasionally.

Serve warm.

I served these with my Skirt Steak with Chimichurri and it was a great compliment to the vinegar in the chimichurri.

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri is an Argentinean marinade or dressing for steak. There is a red version as well, but I've only had the pleasure of enjoying the green. My first taste was a jarred one, and while it was really good, this one packed a much fresher, flavorful punch. The texture was completely different from the jarred as well.

Skirt steak is so tasty because of the amount of fat it bears. It's a long, thin cut of beef from the "plate" section of the cow. It's the same steak that is typically used in Mexican cuisine for fajitas, and Chinese use it for stir-fry dishes. Taste and cook time make skirt steak a great choice. Flanks are usually about 4 inches by 1 ft long or more.

You'll need:

• 1 skirt steak

For the chimichurri:

1. 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (make sure it's a GOOD quality - a nice, deep red.)
2. juice from 1/2 lemon
3. 3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
4. 3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (stripped from stems)
5. 2 garlic cloves
6. 1/3 cup olive oil
7. 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8. Salt and pepper to taste

Throw the first 5 ingredients into a blender and puree. 

With the blender running, slowly add the oil (through that little hole!), peppers, and salt. 


Done!

If you want another layer of flavor, add 1/2 a poblano pepper to the mix!

Store in the fridge for up to 1 day, or freeze extra for next time!


I served this with my Peppery Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Roasted Vinegar Potatoes.

Peppery Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This salad is simply one of my favorites for many reasons:

1. It goes with just about any meal (beef, italian, chicken, etc)
2. It's not complex, yet full of flavor.
3. Since arugula (a.k.a. rocket) is a sturdy green, you can make it about 30 minutes ahead of time while dinner is cooking, and it won't wilt.
4. It's a nice, peppery, leafy green that's packed for of good-for-you-stuff.
5. It's stupid easy.

Tonight I had it with my Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce (recipe to come). Great compliment to the dish.

You'll need:

• 2 nice handfuls of arugula (rocket), rinsed and spin-dried.
• Juice of half a small lemon
• 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Cracked black Pepper

Squeeze the lemon into a bowl and add the oil. Whisk until blended into a milky-yellow emulsion. Drizzle over the arugula and toss well. Top with cracked pepper.

Making Homemade Yogurt

In my quest for eating more organic/less processed foods, I wanted to try making my own yogurt. I figured my daughter could benefit from it too (that is, if I could get her to eat more than one bite). I found this cute little yogurt maker online, made by Salton, for about $20. All together now..."Awwwww."

The process was easy, but time-consuming. Definitely a Sunday project.

You'll need:

4 cups of fresh, organic 2% milk
1/3 cup of non-fat instant dry milk
1/2 cup organic yogurt (this will be your starter)

In a medium saucepan, add the milk and the dry milk (Dry milk creates thicker yogurt and takes less time for fermantation). Slowly bring up the heat and get the mixture hot over medium-low. Keep stirring, and DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL. 

Once the milk is hot, but NOT boiling (170 degrees if you're using a thermometer), remove the pan and place it in your refrigerator (on a dishtowel so you don't melt your shelves) and let it cool to about 110 degrees (lukewarm). Stir every few minutes. It should be in the fridge for about 20 mins total.

Remove the milk from the fridge and add in the yogurt (starter), stirring slowly. You'll want to blend the yogurt thoroughly, but don't use too much vigor while stirring to avoid bubbles.

Turn on your yogurt machine.

Remove all the lids from the jars, and drop about a tablespoon of your favorite preserves in each jar, for a "fruit on the bottom" treat. If you like cooking with yogurt, leave some plain.

Gently pour the mixture into each glass, leaving about 1/4 inch space at the top. Fasten the lids, and place the jars in the yogurt maker and cover. Leave for 8-10 hours.

When time is up, refrigerate your jars until set.

It's a good practice to keep a 1/2 cup of your end product to use as a starter the next time you make it.

Mmm! How rewarding! And I love bringing these cute, little jars to work with me!

My recipes featured in our local foodie paper!

Woohoo! I've been mentioned in Chester County Cuisine and Nightlife again! They are featuring 3 of my favorite recipes, and I even roped in the help of my former boss (a.k.a. favorite wine connoisseur) for some wine pairing suggestions.

Big thanks to the "Big Ham", Mary Bigham from wcdish.com :)

Click the picture above for a larger view of the article :)

Yay me!

Chorizo and Roasted Potato Hash

This is totally a breakfast meal, but I made it for dinner. What a comfort meal! Serve with salsa, or sour cream, or just by itself, but it's really satisfying. I'll definitely be eating this again for bfast tomorrow, but I'll top it with an overeasy egg. MMM.

Adapted from a recipe found on The Crepes of Wrath.

• 2 links of chorizo sausage, removed from the casing
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 red potatoes, quartered
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 TB enchilada sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flake
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning
• 1/4 cup + 1 TB extra virgin olive oil

Oven at 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the potato quarters with the 1/4 cup of EVOO, salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, and adobo.

Scatter the potatoes onto a greased cookie sheet and place in oven. Roast for 20 mins, tossing often.

While potatoes are roasting, get a stainless steel pan hot on med-high. Add the 1 TB of EVOO. Saute the peppers and onions until crisp-tender. Add the sausage and crumble with a wooden spoon. Cook for at least 8-10 mins. When sausage is cooked thoroughly, add the enchilada sauce to the eggs and whisk. Add egg mixture to pan, and scramble til egg is cooked through.

Add potatoes to pan when egg is cooked. Serve with your choice of salsa, sour cream, buttered toast, etc. A great idea is topping it with another fried egg. SO having this for breakfast tomorrow!