My goals were made before January 1st, but I am just getting to writing them down and committing them to blog world memory.  Don’t worry, I won’t get to the Christmas blog until even later…backwards I know, but hey my blog…my choice!

So without further adieu…

1 – Re-instating the Athletic Challenge of 2007 for a second time…We will call it the Athletic Challenge of 2010!  The premises is to commit to one athletic event in which I propel my body at least 6 miles or a minimum of a 10k.  Shannon and I did it in 2007 and succeeded with flying colors.  The greatest part is we became extremely fit and healthy as a consequence.  So, hopefully that same outcome will occur.  I can’t blame my monster thighs and jelly like belly on just having a baby any more!  No Excuses!

2 – I want to learn how to properly fillet a whole fish and how to “french” a rack of lamb…I will need to take a class to learn those techniques.  For those of you who don’t know what a “french” rack of lamb looks like, here is a picture.

Rack of Lamb that is "French-Cut"

3 – I want to organize all the cabinets in my house.  If you come over, chances are you’ll find a relatively clean environment.  Things are where they should be and we are clean, neat and tidy.  DON’T LOOK IN THE CABINETS or THE LAUNDRY ROOM!  Chances are you will be injured when things come toppling over.  We just throw everything in “there” and close the door.  It’s our nasty little secret and it is my intention to fix it this year.  So far, I have cleaned, organized and labeled the playroom and the kitchen pantry…So far so good!

So, that’s it…all doable and all needed.  Updates will of course be posted.  Good luck to me!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Do Not Tell People This is a Brussel Sprout Salad!

Don’t do it…just give it to them, have them tell you how amazing this salad tastes and then hit them with the news…They will be amazed!

Case in Point…

Earlier this week I took this salad to a Pot Luck a friend of mine was hosting.   I was quite nervous that no one would give it a go, so I happened to “forget” what I made this salad out of.  The eating started and I heard or was told my most people there that this was a delicious salad.  It was tangy, sweet and crunchy all at the same time.  The flavors were unexpected and wonderful.

Then I told them, they just ate raw Brussel Sprouts…

As one person put it…I just flipped his whole world, because until that moment he was sure he hated Brussel Sprouts.

That made my night!!!  I converted a non-believer and he didn’t even know…he didn’t even know!

I actually got the inspiration from a salad that I had in Chicago this past summer…I couldn’t believe that you could eat Brussel Sprouts raw and that they would be so fantastic!  I knew if you added bacon, garlic and shallots to them and caramelize them in the bacon fat that they were spectacular, but to have a healthier, lighter option was a culinary breakthrough in my opinion.

So, give this one a try…I wanted to name it, “Don’t tell them there are brussel sprouts in this salad, salad,” but that was just a little too long.

Instead, enjoy the combination of tangy, tart, sweet and salty…of chewy, crunchy and refreshing.  It really is quite yummy!

My Yummy Brussel Sprout Salad

Brussel Sprout Harvest Salad

• 1 ½ pound of Brussel Sprouts, shredded
• 1 Granny Smith Apple, diced small
• ½ cup Dried Cranberries
• ½ cup Roasted and Salted Marcona Almonds
• Shaved Pecorino Romano Cheese

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

• Zest of one Lemon
• Juice from ½ of a Lemon
• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• ¼ cup Honey
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 – Mix to combine in a small bowl the zest of the lemon with the juice of ½ a lemon, the vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, mix till combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.  Set Aside.

2 – Cut Brussel Sprouts in half and then cut them into small shredded pieces, making sure not to shred the core.  Then add the diced Granny Smith Apple, Cranberries and Marcona Almonds.  Toss with the dressing to combine.

3 – Let the salad sit for about 20-30 minutes either at room temperature if you will serve it right away or in the fridge if you will serve later.  This way the flavors will have a chance to meld.

4 – Right before service, shave some Pecorino Romano with a potato peeler.  I shaved about a cup of it, but you can adjust to your taste, I just really love a lot of cheese in my salad.  Take ½ of the shaved cheese and mix it into the salad and then take the other ½ and sprinkle on top.

Serves about 6-8 people

Tip:  If you want to make this a meal, served some grilled chicken breast over this and it would make about 4 main entrée servings

Happy Eating!

Look at the Amazing Textures In this Brussel Sprout Salad

FYI:  Here are a couple of other salad recipes made from Brussel Sprouts to help inspire you!

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Fresh Walnuts and Pecorino

Brussel Sprout Salad

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Easy to Make Banana Bread...

Easy Banana Bread

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ½ cup Butter
• ¾ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs, Beaten
• 4 Ripe Bananas, Mashed
• 1 tbsp Vanilla
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Nutmeg
• ¾ cup Walnuts (optional)

1 – Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan.

2 – In a medium-mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mix with a fork to incorporate ingredients and set aside.

3 – In another mixing bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter.  Cream for about 3 minutes.  Then slowly add the eggs into the mixture and continue to beat.  Finally, add the mashed banana and vanilla and mix to combine.

4 – Slowly beat in the flour into the wet mixture…only adding 1/3 of the mixture at a time.  Beat until incorporated, add second part of flour mixture, beat until incorporated, beat in remaining flour.  Fold in Walnuts and then pour batter into the loaf pan.

5 – Bake in the preheated oven for 60 – 70 minutes or until a toothpick is clean when inserted in the center of the loaf.  Let the bread cool for about 10 minutes, then invert it and let it cool the rest of the way.

As always, make some cooking memories with your kids and…

Happy Eating!

Taking a Bite Out Of Fresh Buttered Banana Bread...

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Brook with Her France Box

The school had a parade where all the kids waved self-made flags and they sang some songs of peace, unity and friendship.

Brook In Her School Parade

After the parade and songs, we all had a picnic which was provided by the parents.  We had to all bring one dish that represented the country that our children learned about.  Well, I wanted something easy and likable and this fit the bill…Semi-homemade chocolate croissants…

Semi-Homemade Chocolate Croissants

These were super easy and Brook helped put the piece of chocolate in the center and roll the dough…

Semi-Homemade Chocolate Croissants

2 Tubes of Store Bought Crescent Roll Dough

1 Large Hershey Semi-Dark Chocolate Bar

- Break up the chocolate bar into 16 pieces.  Unroll the crescent dough and break the triangles apart.  In one triangle place one piece of chocolate on the large end of the dough and then roll up into a crescent, tucking in the sides so the chocolate doesn’t ooze out during the baking process.

- Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees, following the crescent roll package directions.

- Tastes best right out of the oven and makes 16 croissants.

It was a fun day at Brook’s school and even better food…and as always, get your kids in the kitchen!

Happy Eating!

Brook with Her Preschool Teacher Ms. Rocio

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

So, the back-story on this creation was that Food 52′s weekly contest was for Chicken with Mustard.  My concept was to take a very traditional Coq au Vin and put my own spin on it.  My inspiration was watching the Next Iron Chef America when they all deconstructed dishes and someone deconstructed coq au vin and made it her own.  I thought that if I added the mustard it should be made with white wine, since typically mustard and red wine don’t really show up as a pair in the culinary world.  I actually thought I was quite smart about creating this version and was excited about submitting it.  I also twisted it up by adding sliced sun-dried tomatoes and cremini mushrooms…so yummy!

My Version of Coq au Vin called Drunken Dijon Chicken

Well, last week was really hectic and by the time that I got around to writing the recipe down and getting it ready for entry, it was late Friday night….so late that I missed the time allotted to enter the competition by twenty minutes…Needless to say, I was pissed.

I even had a great line about how this dish is to Coq au Vin as a Blondie is to a Brownie…It’s the “blond” version of a traditional French stew.  I would have like to have think it would have caught the eyes of the food testers.  Now, I will never know.

But, no matter what, I made this really good chicken dish that feeds a huge crowd…how do I know, well because the night I served it, I was feeding nine people and none of them went home hungry.  It is a little time consuming up front, but if you start the process a couple of hours before your guests arrive, it is just lovingly simmering away when they show up.  To serve all you have to do in make the egg noodles and plate it when the company is around…Easy Entertaining in my book!  Plus, the aroma in your house is amazing!

Pre-Steamed Broccoli Spears with Halved Grape Tomatoes

I served this with a simple room temperature salad of pre-steamed broccoli spears and halved grape tomatoes in a store bought red wine vinaigrette…(yes, I normally make homemade vinaigrette, but I was cutting corners this particular day).  Make sure you steam or blanch the spears for 3-5 minutes in salt water and then shock them in an ice water bath.  Then let them drain completely so they can absorb the dressing.  You can even blot them with a towel to help get rid of excess moisture.

Please try this one, it is fantastic and wonderful for the cool Autumn nights!

Drunken Dijon Chicken

Drunken Dijon Chicken

3-4 lbs of Chicken Thighs and Legs

4 slices of Peppered Smoked Bacon, diced

8 oz Cremini Mushrooms, quartered

½ cup of Sundried Tomatoes, julienned

2 Shallots, diced

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/3 cup of Grain Dijon Mustard

½ cup Sherry

2 cups Dry White Wine

2 cups Chicken Stock

6-8 sprigs of Fresh Thyme, leaves only

2 Bay Leaves

3 Tbsp Flour

Olive Oil

Chopped Chives for Garnish (optional)

1 package of Extra Wide Egg Noodles

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 – In a deep soup pot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to medium heat.  Add chicken thighs and drumsticks in a single layer and brown.  You may need to do this in batches.  Just cook till brown, not until cooked through.  Put them on a platter and set aside.

2 – In the soup pot add the bacon.  Cook till halfway done, then add the shallots, mushrooms, salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Then add the garlic and continue to cook until bacon is cooked through and the shallots are translucent.  Now put the veggies and bacon into a bowl and set aside.

3 – Hopefully you have about 3 tablespoons of bacon and chicken drippings/fat in the soup pot.  If not, add some olive oil.  Add the 3 tbsp of flour to the fat/oil and create a roux.  Cook for about 3-5 minutes on medium to medium-high heat. Deglaze the pot with the sherry.  Once combined add the veggies and bacon back to the pot and stir.

4- Add the dry white wine, chicken stock, sun-dried tomatoes and grain dijon mustard.  Stir to combine.  Now add back the chicken with any dripping that are on the plate.  Add the thyme leaves and bay.  Cook on low heat and covered for about an hour.  Taste and adjust any seasonings.

5 – Before Serving, cook egg noodles according to the package directions.

6 – To serve:  Put egg noodles on the bottom of the serving platter.  Neatly arrange the chicken pieces and then top it all with the sauce.  Sprinkle some chopped chives on top and serve…as always,

Happy Eating!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Super Easy Carmel Drizzled Popcorn Snack

This is what you will need…

Super Easy Caramel Drizzle Snack

• 1 bag of wrapped Caramels (like Kraft Caramels)
• 2 bags of any Microwave Popcorn (the large bags)
• 4 tbsp of Butter

1 – Pop the two bags of popcorn in your microwave following the packages directions

2 – Unwrap all of the caramels and put them in a microwave safe container.  Add the 4 tbsp of butter and microwave for 1 minute.  Take out and stir.  Continue to microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir.  Repeat the 30 second process until the caramel and butter are melted, combined and smooth.  You must keep an eye on your caramel though, because it can boil over and/or burn.  I think I did 5-6 (30 second and stir) cycles.

3 – Once the caramel and butter are melted and smooth, put first bag of popcorn on a serving tray.  Drizzle half the caramel over the first bag.  Put second bag on top of the first layer and drizzle the rest of the caramel over this batch of popcorn.

4 – Try to share…it will be hard I know, but the family might want some too!

So, Brook unwrapped all the caramels and she also pressed all the buttons on the microwave.  I didn’t let her touch the hot stuff, but if you have older kids, they may want to stir and or drizzle the popcorn.  Here is Brook loving the fruits of her labor…

Brook Eating Her Caramel Popcorn

I made this so Travis could munch on something during Football, but this is great for a little Halloween party or if you want to make friends at work or in your neighborhood.  Have fun cooking with your kids and as always…

Happy Eating!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I don’t know all there is to know about cooking and food!

Take a minute to digest this…I know, it’s a hard one.

How I lived my whole life and didn’t know that there was Truffle Butter?  Well, I don’t think I was quite living…I was in a fuzzy non-truffle haze.

I actually have only recently tasted truffles…Since they are about 20 bajillion dollars a pound, you don’t see them that often…By the way bajillion is a word…Google that s&%$!

Now I am not talking about the chocolate truffles…I am talking about the pig sniffing them out in the forest truffles…Do you know what they are?

Well, in-case you don’t here is a small lesson…

These are Black Truffles

Truffles are in the fungi family, which means it is the wealthy, distant cousin of the button mushroom.   They are found in Europe and they grow under ground near the root system of certain trees like birch, oak chestnut and pine. They are extremely hard to find and are hard to cultivate.

They are usual found by the use of Truffle Hogs, pigs that naturally have a keen sense of what truffles smell like or by trained dogs.  People started training “truffle dogs,” because the female pigs who are used to find the truffles usually eat them once they are discovered.  This doesn’t help people in the harvesting when the product is getting eaten by the one finding it.  The pigs desire them because it has a compound in it that is similar to a sex hormone called pheromone that is in boar salaiva, and these pigs are wildly attracted to this androstenol pheromone.

Anyway, truffles are hard to find, low in quantity and high in demand.  Therefore, the cost a pretty penny…I myself have only seen tiny shavings on my dishes or had some truffle oil drizzles over the finished dish…I have yet to see a whole one.  Now Wikipedia states that in2005 at a charity auction in Italy a truffle that weighed 2.6 pounds sold for $112,000…that is $2,693.31 an ounce.  The Black Summer Truffle usually goes for about $670 a pound.  I did find some black truffles at Amazon.com that sell for $111.30 an ounce.  They are typically sold in a brine and not sold fresh.  But, this is how retailers preserve them and really they taste fabulous anyway!

There are a few types of truffle.  There is the black truffle which grows in France and only under oak trees and the white truffle that grows in Northern Italy under poplar, beech, oak and hazel trees.  These two are the most famous and most desired truffles in the world and are harvested in the fall.  There are also Summer Black Truffles, Chinese Truffles, Scorzone Truffles and Oregon White Truffles.

People use truffles as sort of a garnish.  You can shave it over eggs, pasta or anything else that you want.  They are typically served raw, but you can put it under the skin of poultry to infuse the bird with flavor.  There are cheeses that also have small bits of truffles in it and then there is the truffle butter that I found at my local AJ’s.  If you are not from Arizona, then see if you can buy some at your local fine food store.

I bought my truffle butter for around $11.00 and it is a very small amount, but sooooo very worth it.  My favorite is to slather it on two pieces of bread and make a grilled cheese and granny smith apple sandwich…heaven!

Here is the recipe

Million Dollar Grilled Cheese Sandwich

-         Truffle Butter

-         2 Slices of Crusty Bread (any bread will do)

-         A few thin slices of Granny Smith Apple (or any apple will do)

-         1 oz Sharp Cheddar

-         1 oz White Cheddar

-         Dijon Mustard

Set your pan on Medium heat.  Put Dijon Mustard on one or both sides of the bread.  On one slice of bread put the Sharp Cheddar, thinly sliced Apples and White Cheddar on in that order.  Top with second slice of bread.  Put the Truffle Butter on one side and put in pan butter side down.  Butter the top slice of bread and once the bottom slice is golden and the cheese is starting to melt, flip over.  Cooked till the cheese is melted and both sides of the bread are golden and toasted.

Serve Immediately and it Serves One Very Happy Person

NOT MINE BUT WONDERFUL

I came across truffle butter by watching Barefoot Contessa.  She did a Fillet Mignon Sandwich with Truffle Butter and I just had to make it at home.  It was fantastic!  I would though add some Boursin Herbed Cheese or any soft Herbed cheese to one side of the bread, because it made it taste all that much better.  And I would cook a Fillet Mignon roast this way all the time, it was the best beef I have ever made in my house.  I am going to post her recipe…remember it’s not mine…I just want to share the wealth.

My Fillet of Beef with Truffle Butter Sandwich

Fillet of Beef Sandwiches on Baguette with Truffled Butter – by Ina Garten

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillet of beef, trimmed and tied
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 French baguettes, 18 to 20 inches long
• 3 ounces black truffle butter, at room temperature
• 1 (2-ounce) chunk good Parmesan cheese
• Fresh baby arugula

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean!)

Place the beef on a sheet pan and pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Spread the butter all over the beef with your hands. Sprinkle the beef evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Roast for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare.

Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove the strings and slice the fillet about 1/4-inch thick.

Open the baguettes lengthwise but not all the way through. Spread the bottom halves generously with the truffle butter. Top with a layer of sliced beef and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into thin shards and scatter the shards over the sliced beef on each sandwich. Finish with a sprinkling of arugula leaves. Fold the tops of the sandwiches over, cut each baguette diagonally in 3 or 4 sandwiches, and serve right away.

HOW I SERVED THESE SANDWICHES

Filet Sandwiches with Kettle Chips and Caprese Salad

I served them small so everyone could have one or two.  I also served them with store bought kettle chips and I made a homemade caprese salad with purple and red heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, very good extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and a reduced balsamic vinegar.  I reduce my vinegar by putting it in a small saucepan and boil it till the liquid is cut in half.  This makes for a much more flavorful salad in my opinion.

WHAT ABOUT TRUFFLE OIL?

In my research, I found out that most commercially sold truffle oil has no “truffle” in it.  So, when you buy truffle oil, be aware of what you are buying.  Although, these oils are just olive oil with infused artificial flavors, they still taste a lot like the flavor of truffle, so cooks and chefs still use it as an inexpensive way to infuse the flavor of truffles into a dish.   I personally have some black truffle oil in the house and it’s okay, but not nearly as good as the truffle butter.

So go out and experiment with truffle butter, you won’t be disappointed!

Happy Eating!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

About a year ago, I was formally introduced to Postino’s in Phoenix.  I know I’ve talked about this restaurant before, but it is always worth mentioning.  They have a fig bruschetta with mascarpone and prosciutto to die for…it is (as Corey would say) delightful.  So, this was my adult introduction to this fruit.  I’ve cooked with it a couple of times…I’ve made a fig bbq sauce, which I haven’t written a recipe for, but should.  I’ve served fresh figs with reduced balsamic glaze and cheese as an after dinner course.  I’ve also made a Chicken with Port Fig Sauce that was delish.  I was going to enter that recipe into the contest, but Travis suggested I try something not so basic.

Well, when I went to the stores there were no fresh figs to be found.  I went to AJ’s, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods…No luck.  Therefore I was left with no other option than dried figs…and this is what I came up with.

Side Note:  If you just cook the Poached Figs, they would be fabulous over some warm Brie or on top of some really good vanilla ice cream or as an addition to a fancy cheese platter.

Poached Dried Fig Creme Brulee with Ruby Port

Poached Mission Fig Crème Brulee

Poached Fig Sauce

• 16 oz of Dried Figs (I used Mission Figs)
• 2 cups of Ruby Port (Tawny would be good also)
• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (or Fig Balsamic Vinegar)
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Vanilla Bean – Scrapped
• Rind of one Orange – Peeled
• Fresh Cracked Pepper

• 1. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the port, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean (split and scraped for seeds and the pod), the orange peel and the fresh cracked pepper (about 10-12 cranks).  Bring this to a boil.  Boil without figs for 10 minutes.
  2. While the sauce is on the stove, remove the stems from the dried figs and cut figs in half.
  3. After the sauce has boiled for 10 minutes, add the fig halves and continue to boil for an additional 10 minutes.  Then remove for heat and let cool.  The figs will be poached and the sauce will have reduced.
  4. Remove the orange peel, cinnamon stick and vanilla pod from the sauce.  Reserve half of the figs for garnish.  With the other half of the figs and with all of the reduced sauce, put into a blender and blend until mostly smooth.

Note:  Once the halved figs are poached, you can stop here and use them for other things like a cheese platter, ice cream or warm brie topping.

Custard for the Crème Brulee

• 32 oz of Heavy Whipping Cream
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split in half and scraped
• 6 large Egg Yolks
• ¼ cup plus 2 tsp of Raw Sugar
• Hot Water for the Water Bath

A Look Inside to the Dried Fig Puree

• 1. Set oven to 325 degrees
  2. Put a pot of water onto the stove and start to warm it up, but not to a boil.
  3. In a medium saucepan, add heavy cream, the scrapped vanilla and the vanilla pod.  Slowly bring to a boil on medium-high heat.  Let boil for two minutes then remove from heat.  Place cover on the saucepan and let sit for 20 minutes.
  4. In a bowl, whisk briskly the ½ cup of granulated sugar with the egg yolks.  Whisk until they turn light in color (like a pale yellow).
  5. Remove the vanilla pod from the cream.  Whisking briskly, temper the eggs with a cup of cream that is slowly poured in.  Mix until combined.  Slowly add in another cup of cream to this mixture, whisk constantly.  Finally take the tempered egg mixture and slowly add it to the rest of the heavy cream whisking constantly.
  6. In 12-14 (6 ounce) ramekins take the fig puree and place a tablespoon to 1 ½ tablespoons of the puree at the bottom of the ramekins.
  7. Next in a roasting pan add the hot water to the bottom.  Place the ramekins with the fig puree into the roasting pan after the water has been put in.
  8. Finally add the custard to the ramekins evenly.  Bake for 45 minutes at 325.  Then check on them.  You may need to bake for up to an additional 30 minutes…it depends on your ramekin.  You will know they are done when they are set along the edges but slightly wiggle in the middle.
  9. Take out of the oven and let them cool out of the roasting pan, in the fridge for at least two hours.  Can be made the day ahead.

To Serve:

1. Take ramekins out of the fridge and allow them to warm up at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.  Next put 1 teaspoon of raw sugar on top of the custard.  Use a torch to melt the sugar and form the brulee top.  Finally put a few of the poached fig halves that were reserved on top for decoration.  Serve Immediately.

John Getting Ready to Enjoy His Brulee

I feel like I over explain all of my recipes, but I figure it’s better to give you every detail, then not enough…I hope you enjoy this!

Let it all be known also, the Shannon did the torching honors.  I wasn’t very good at it…basically, I burnt the sugar…but, Shannon has the magic caramelize the sugar touch.  She can use our torch (supervised) any time!

Happy Eating Everyone!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I thought for sure that I would have at least made the Editor’s Pick which is like an Honorable Mention.  At first glance I didn’t see it there either.  I was now furious.  In my head I was thinking, “what does Food 52 want?”  I know my competition is stiff.  Most of the people submitting recipes are professional chefs…one of which was a contestant in Season 3 of The Next Food Network Star.  But, I thought even this dish could compete with the big guns…

Once I cooled my head, I looked once more at the Editor’s Pick list and lo and behold there was my dish and my name.  I glanced over it so fast the first time, that I missed it.

Click here to see my name…it’s under jonewman.

I feel much better about the whole thing right now.  At least I know that I am on their radar.

Maybe they will like my Fig Creme Brulee that I will submit for this weeks competition.  You never know…

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This week focused on Mushroom soup.  Well, cream of mushroom is obvious, but I was trying for something different.  I was listening to Martha Stewart Radio when they suggested making a French Onion Soup to a listener.  That reminded me that my Mom requested that I make something like French Onion Soup soon and my brain started going to work.  If I added tons of different mushrooms and caramelized them along with a bucket load of onions, maybe I could make a fabulous French Mushroom Soup.  I added a touch of cream to the broth for body and flavor and well, for a wonderful mouth feel.  Then, I thought I would add roasted garlic to the soup, but then had a great moment and thought it would be fun to spread roasted garlic on the croutons before you add the cheese.  This technique is from one of our favorite restaurants in Burlington called BJ Wentker’s.  They always serve a bowl of roasted garlic with their bread bowl…it’s fabulous!

The Bounty of Mushrooms

So, this past Tuesday everyone got to taste the experiment…if the women at Food 52 will just give my soup a taste, I think they would agree with my friends and family that it is one of the most delicious things you can put into your mouth.  Here’s to hoping!

French Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic Croutons

French Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic Crouton and Gruyere Cheese

For the Soup:

• 4 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 Large Sweet Onions, sliced
• 8 oz Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
• 8 oz Oyster Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lb Button Mushrooms, sliced
• 6 oz Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced without stems
• 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 2 cloves Crushed Garlic
• 2 tbsp Flour
• 6 c Beef Broth
• ¼ c Vermouth
• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ c Heavy Cream
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp fresh Thyme, leaves only
• 1 tsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

For the Crouton and Topper

• 2 heads of Garlic
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• 8 oz shredded Gruyere

How to Make the Soup

• 1. In a large soup pot melt the butter and add the olive oil on medium high heat.  Add all the sliced onions and mushrooms to the pot and sauté until well caramelized, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Add the crushed garlic, granulated sugar, salt and pepper.  Continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
  2. Add the flour and stir.  Add the vermouth, balsamic vinegar and beef broth to the soup pot.  Stir and then add the bay leaves, fresh thyme and fresh rosemary.
  3. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low and cook for 15 more minutes.  Then turn off the heat and add the heavy cream.  Stir and test soup, add more salt and pepper if needed.
  4. Turn on your oven broiler to high.  In oven proof crocks pour soup into the crocks.  Place roasted garlic crouton on top of soup and put 1 oz of Gruyere cheese on top.  Put into oven till cheese is melted and toasted.  Serve immediately.

How to Make Roasted Garlic Crouton

1. Turn oven on to 400 degrees
2. Create an aluminum foil pouch.  Cut off the top of the garlic head and discard.  Place both garlic heads in the foil pouch and pour ¼ cup of olive oil into the pouch.  Salt the garlic and place in oven.
3. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Take out of oven and let cool.  Reserve the olive oil for the bread
5. Slice 8 pieces of rustic bread around ½ inch thick
6. Spread the garlic olive oil on the pieces of bread.  Then sprinkle with kosher salt.
7. Broil the bread till they are toasted…about 5 to 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them.
8. Take bread out and spread the roasted cloves of garlic on top of the croutons.  Use these for the soup topper as described above.

Serves 8

Bowl of Fench Mushroom Soup

Enjoy this on a crisp fall day with friends and family…Come together around the table!  Remember the family table is a great place to connect.

Happy Eating!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.