May 30, 2014 - Small Plates of Big Flavor

Good Morning, all!  Jennifer and I did an impromptu CS meal on Friday night since both the men were out doing their own thing... after all, when the cat's away, the mice will play, right?  Anyways - we decided to forgo the big, heavy meal and go for a lighter "small plates" type affair - and it turned out perfectly!  Enjoy!

Cocktail - Watermelon Cucumber Margaritas

Watermelon is in one of our small plates, so we figured we would put that juicer to use and engage in some fresh margaritas... it was delicious!  We simply juiced cucumber and watermelon - then mixed it with tequila until it tasted up to par.  (We also muddled a little mint, too.)  Light, refreshing - goes down too easy.

Plate 1 - Watermelon Mozzarella Salad

http://blog.umamimart.com/2012/08/the-forest-feast-watermelon-salad/

Oh. My. Goodness.  Yes.  Why haven't we done this before?  Follow the recipe exactly and you will not go wrong!  Juicy crisp watermelon with creamy mozzarella - more, please!

Plate 2 - Baked Fig Crostini

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/baked-fig-crostini-10000002003467/

If I had to pick one dish to eat for the rest of my life - this may be it!  Gooey, sweet, tart - I can't even begin to explain it.  You want to make something to impress?  Here you go - look no further.  BUT - let's modify a couple things.  First off - you don't need the crostini.  If you were doing crostini - I would recommend spreading the goat cheese and then a fig jam.  The way we built it - it was too cumbersome to eat.  Just serve the figs themselves - bite sized pieces of heaven.  Also - we used cooked sliced pancetta that we then chopped - it has a nice pepper to it and is a little easier to eat than chopped bacon.  Finally, a little drizzle of honey never hurt anyone.

Plate 3 - Asian Braised Pork Belly

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/emerils-new-orleans-asian-style-braised-pork-belly-recipe.html

I give up on pork belly.  It was good, don't get me wrong - but honestly, not worth the time it took to make it.  I'm just going to have to rely on good restaurants to serve the pork belly I'm craving.  Still - if you're up for a challenge - go for it!  Let me know how to improve!

Plate 4 - Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/roasted-sweet-potatoes-and-garlic-with-rosemary-recipe.html

See picture above.  Delicious!  Great side dish and a wonderful way to use up potatoes!

Wine 1 - 2011 Daglia Cannon Cabernet

Great with the pork, this oaky and dry red wine has strong berry notes in the background and a leathery type of finish.  Strong tannins but they are very refined and help with the flavor.

Wine 2 - 2007 Aspaldi Rioja Reserva

Good with everything, this Spanish red was a hit!  Black cherry with a little smokiness and a sense of Asian flavors coming out!  Delicious!

Dessert - Boozy Watermelon Cupcakes

http://cookingwithcurls.com/2013/05/15/watermelon-margarita-cocktail-cakes-spiked-recipe-challenge-tequila/

Cupcakes made with alcohol?  You can never go wrong!  These sweet little babies packed a punch but were so good!

So there you go - a small plates meal that was delicious and very much enjoyed on our ladies night.  Next post is special - it's Jennifer's birthday dinner... which means themed ingredients and a big challenge!

Next Post - Jennifer's Birthday

May 2, 2014 - Jazzed up Surf and Turf

Thanks for visiting, CS followers!  I don't even know where to start on how fantastic this meal was, so I'm just going to dive right in...

Cocktail - Whiskey Champagne Cocktail

Whiskey, Prosecco, and a large orange slice.  Simple and delicious!

Appetizer - Mini Crab Cakes

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mini-Crab-Cakes-352041

Nom nom nom.  We could not get enough of these little babies!  (We also used a lemon pepper panko to keep with our pepper theme.)  They were moist and rich on the inside but crispy and crunchy on the outside.  Great served warm or room temperature - this is a go-to brunch idea!

Appetizer Wine - Albarino

I forgot to take a picture of the bottle, so I don't remember what it was, but I do remember it was a Spanish Albarino, which is definitely one of our favorite whites.  It was crisp and grassy with a good depth to it that perfectly complemented the lemon in the crab cakes.

Entree - Crab Stuffed Filet Mignon with Whiskey Peppercorn Sauce

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crab-Stuffed-Filet-Mignon-with-Whiskey-Peppercorn-Sauce/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=crab%20filet%20mignon&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1

Ladies and gentlemen - undo a belt buckle, embrace the calories, and dive right in!  Let's break it down.  First - the sauce.  If you look at the recipe, it's really simple - but keep in mind, if there is anything you learn from this blog, it is that a good sauce will need a minimum of 30-60 minutes to properly reduce.  And we did take about 60 minutes to get it to perfection.  Also - we didn't use the mushrooms, so this recipe was mushroom-free.  (And honestly, I don't think anything was lost for that.)  The crab meat stuffing - we cheated.  I had all intentions of buying all the ingredients and making it myself - but the store didn't have real lump crab meat and I do not like the idea of crab in a can.  However, the store had pre-made "crab meat stuffing" that I guess people use to form their own crab cakes.  I picked that up instead and it was unbelievable.  So you cut a side pocket in your filet, stuff that baby with packed crab meat stuffing, and then secure a piece of bacon around it.  (I would recommend pre-cooking the bacon slightly because it will not be crispy by the time the filet is done.)  We followed the instructions and cooked it in a pan (approx. 4 min per side) and then kept warm in the oven while deglazing the skillet and finishing up the sauce.  Finger licking good!  And such a nice dish to impress - the crab meat really throws it over the top.  (And can be made in advance - the sauce, the stuffing, and putting the filets together.)

Side Dish - Roasted Asparagus and Mashed Japanese Sweet Potatoes

That is a picture of a Japanese sweet potato.  They are popping up in grocery stores more often, and Jennifer introduced me to them last night.  I am a convert and an addict.  We mashed them just like regular mashed potatoes, except for 2 sweet potatoes, we only needed about 1 Tbsp butter and a splash of milk.  And they were insanely creamy and delicious.  They are slightly sweet and almost have an earthy chestnut flavor.  It is so hard to explain, except that you must try them now!  Oh, and we just threw some asparagus in the oven to roast with EVOO and salt.  We really didn't want a crazy side dish to detract from the elaborate filet.

Entree Wine - 2012 Cherry Tart Pinot Noir

So John went to our local Stew Leonard's Wines to do a wine pairing and they were rather perplexed with the idea of steak (think Cabernet) and crab (think sauvignon blanc.)  So the guy there decided on a pinot noir, which we obviously stared cross-eyed at in the beginning.  But he was so right!  On the nose, it was immediate cherries and chocolate and we were concerned that it would be a hard balance on the meal.  However, it mellowed into a smooth wine that didn't overpower the crab and didn't get lost in the steak.  A fantastic red wine!

Dessert - Chocolate Whiskey Truffle Souffles with Caramel Sauce

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Whiskey-Truffles-Souffles-with-Caramel-Sauce-105458

O.M.G.  Seriously.  First off - let's give a huge round of applause to Jennifer for making her own truffles!  (If you read the reviews on the website for the recipe, many people recommend just buying some store bought truffles.  And honestly, you probably can and it will be just fine.)  But these truffles were amazing and the size of golf balls.  So the only recommendation I have is to watch how big they are.  (If they are the size of golf balls, like ours, half the truffle.)  Then follow the recipe exactly and keep your eye on the oven to make sure you don't overcook.  Also - save yourself the aggravation and just buy store bought caramel sauce.  This was something of a mix between a souffle and a lava cake and it was just divine.  We want to retry it now with different flavor profiles - amaretto and almond, creme de cocoa and hazelnuts, etc.

So there you go - an amazing meal that will absolutely go down in your recipe box as a "must make when I need to impress someone" meal!  

March 16, 2014 - Nuts and Espresso

Okay, full disclosure - this is NOT an Irish recipe.  And as I'm going through our previous posts, I've realized that our Irish postings are the MOST viewed postings around this time of the year.  So we totally appreciate you coming to us for some St. Paddy's day inspiration, and we totally apologize for not flexing our Irish muscles again this year.  But once again - corn beef and cabbage just isn't our thing.  

So instead, we had some fun this week and built a recipe around nuts and espresso... that's right... coffee and nuts... because why the heck not?

Cocktail - Espresso Tequila Cocktail

Cold brewed espresso, tequila, the juice from brandied cherries... delicious!

Appetizer - Sweet Potato Souffle with Frangelico Goo and Toasted Hazelnuts

http://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/recipes/a-next-day-sweet-potato-souffle-20121118

Yup, we subbed Frangelico for the rum because it's a hazelnut liqueur.  We also halved the souffles (which made 5) and did one quarter of the goo, which still made plenty.  Delicious!  Sweet but savory and the goo was insane.  Unexpected and absolutely brought this souffle to a whole new level.

Appetizer Wine - 2010 Murrieta's Well the Whip

This white blend combines a ton of different varietals for a wine that just explodes with peach, vanilla, and butterscotch.  It has a nice grassy-ness to it, and some minerality to balance the richness of the predominant chardonnay grape.  A superb white!

Entree - Duck Breast Crusted with Honeyed Nuts, Coffee Infusion and Brandied Cherries

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/duck-breast-crusted-with-honeyed-nuts-coffee-infusion-and-brandied-cherries-recipe.html

Oh yeah, let me walk you through this.  First - the sauce will take about an hour to properly reduce.  Give it time and be patient.  We also halved the sauce for 4 people and should have actually quartered the sauce because there was a ton leftover.  Also, we had no duck consomme (which is actually just clarified stock) so used the veal/duck demi-glace that we've used for other recipes.  2 cups cream, 1 cup of the demi-glace.  Secondly, the nut crust is fairly straightforward - just don't burn the nuts.  When cooking the duck, we do not recommend using the oil to cook the duck - it will hinder the duck breast from getting crispy.  And the cooking time is perfection!  Flavor-wise - very good!  The combination of nuts, honey, coffee, brandied cherries - insane!  The coffee sauce turned out fantastic - mild, light, and full of flavor.  (Keep in mind - we did not use cracked espresso beans, but instead used 2 "pods" for the coffee machine I have at home and steeped.)  Side dishes - quinoa from a box and the endive from the recipe.  The endive was great as well, especially with the orange in it!  Refreshing, light, and almost palate cleansing.

Entree Wine - 2010 Moncayo Alto Campo De Borja

Stop the presses.  Best wine I have had so far this year!  This Spanish red is explosively perfumed with dark berries, flowers, and spices.  There are lots of berries on the palate, but a nice smokiness to counter it from being too sweet.  And the finish is smooth and lingering with well-balanced tannins.  If you're looking for a nice bottle to bring to a dinner party - this will make you a rockstar.

Dessert - Chocolate Espresso Flourless Cake with Brandied Cherries

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Flourless-Chocolate-Espresso-Cake-with-Raspberry-Sauce-754

This rich, dense cake is perfection!  It has a fudge like texture and took to our brandied cherry topping very well.  Keep in mind - it uses mostly semi-sweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate so it is not very sweet.  We thought it was a perfect balance but those who prefer the flavors of milk chocolate vs. dark may want to sub out the unsweetened chocolate for semi-sweet or milk.  Delicious!  

All in all, a fantastic meal.  Who knew we could create such a gourmet menu with nuts and coffee as inspiration.  See you all soon!

PS - There are a few most posts on our sister blog culinarysundaysleftovers.blogspot.com