APPETIZERS
Beef Roll Ups - February 2012
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 tsp horseradish
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp minced onion
1 package dried beef slices
Mix first 4 ingredients together and then spread on beef slices. Roll up jelly roll style and refridgerate until ready to serve. Double or triple as these will go quickly!
Smoked Salmon Dip - February 2012
(Bobby Flay's)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP minced fresh dill
1 tsp prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 lb. (4 oz) smoked salmon, minced
Cream the cheese in food processor until smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon, dill, horseradish and s & p and mix with spoon. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crackers and/or crudites. Better if prepared ahead and chilled and garnished with a sprig or two of dill.
Scott's Tilapia - February 2012
Brush tilapia fillets with olive oil and then sprinkle on Cajun spice (both sides) and grill for about 20 minutes. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a few dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce.
Here's the spice that Scott and Wendy use. They say you can usually buy it in the produce dept. at Publix:
Grilled Beef Tenderloin - from our 1st Supper Club, September 2011
1 (5 pound) whole beef tenderloin
6 tablespoons olive oil
8 large garlic cloves,
minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
Prepare beef: Trim off excess fat with a sharp knife. Fold thin tip end under to approximate the thickness of the rest of the roast. Tie with butcher's twine, then keep tying the roast with twine every 11/2 to 2 inches (to help the roast keep its shape). Snip silverskin with scissors to keep roast from bowing during cooking. Then, mix oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, pepper and salt; rub over roast to coat. Set meat aside.
Either build a charcoal fire in half the grill or turn all gas burners on high for 10 minutes. Lubricate grate with an oil-soaked rag using tongs. Place beef on hot rack and close lid; grill until well-seared, about 5 minutes. Turn meat and close lid; grill until well-seared on second side, another 5 minutes.
Move meat to the charcoal grill's cool side, or turn off burner directly underneath the meat and turn remaining one or two burners (depending on grill style) to medium. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest section registers 130 degrees for rosy pink, 45 to 60 minutes, depending on tenderloin size and grill. Let meat rest 15 minutes before carving.
*Serve with horseradish sauce (mix 1 cup sour cream with prepared horseradish (at least 1 TBSP), Dijon mustard (1 TBSP) and S & P to taste.
Sheila's Birthday Cake - September 2011
Denise's Braciole - April? 2012
(Courtesy Food Network's Anne Burrell)
Stuffing:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely diced pancetta
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- Kosher salt
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups day old Italian bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
- 1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 pound spinach, stems removed and cut into chiffonade
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup grated provolone
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 pounds top round, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 12)
Sauce:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 (32-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, passed through the food mill
- 2 cups water
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish
- Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
- Special equipment: toothpicks
Directions
For the beef rolls:
Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the pancetta and bring the pan to a medium heat. Cook the pancetta until it gets brown and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions and crushed red pepper and toss to incorporate with the pancetta. Season with salt, to taste. Cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, in a large bowl, combine the bread and the milk. Toss to combine and let sit until the bread has absorbed the milk and is very soft. Use your hands to get in there and really squish everything together. Reserve.
Add the garlic to the pan with the pancetta and onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, to taste, and saute until the mushrooms are soft and have let off their moisture, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the spinach.
Add the onion/mushroom mixture to the reserved bread and stir to combine. Add the pine nuts, provolone and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and stir to combine. Taste to make sure that the mixture is delicious and season with salt, to taste, if needed. Set aside.
Lay the beef slices between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet to flatten and even out the slices. Put about 1/4 cup of filling on 1 end of each of the pounded beef slices and roll up. Secure the rolls with toothpicks. Repeat this process with the remaining beef and filling.
Coat a large, wide pot with olive oil and put over medium-high heat. Season the beef rolls with salt, to taste, and brown them on all sides. When the beef rolls are brown on all sides, remove them from the pan and reserve. Make the sauce in the same pot.
Sauce:
Remove the oil from the pot that the beef was just browned in. Add a light coating of fresh olive oil and add the onions and crushed red pepper. Season with salt, to taste, and put the pot over medium heat. Sweat the onions until they are translucent and very aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and red wine, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and 2 cups of water and season with salt, to taste. Return the beef rolls to the pan and snuggle them into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beef is very tender and flavorful, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the toothpicks before serving. To serve, arrange 2 or 3 braciole on each serving plate. Halve 1 or 2 rolls to expose the stuffing. Spoon on some of the sauce and garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped parsley.
Denise's stuffed new potatoes - September 2011
new potatoes, small
Filling ideas: use any or some of the fillings
chopped ham
shredded cheese
goat cheese,
cream cheese
feta cheese
roasted peppers
sundried tomatoes
sour cream
chives/green onion
parsley
cilantro
salt/pepper to taste
paprika/chipotle powder
Directions:
Place potatoes in salted water and cook till fork tender(20-30 minutes?).
Run under cold water.
Cut in half carefully...you don't want to break the potato skins.
Using a round melon baller (or a teaspoon measurement, as in my case) scoop out inside of the potato.
Place the scooped out potato in a separate bowl. Add any of the filling ingredients you choose. Or, if you like, just pipe some soft flavored cheese...boursin, chive flavored cream cheese, alouette, etc.Mix completely and fill the potatoes. You can top with some extra shredded cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven(425) till cheese is melted and filling is hot. Sprinkle with some paprika and parsley or cilantro. Serve warm.
