New Years Eve Dinner

It is really nice to have friends who get a discount at New Seasons, love amazing food and really know how to cook meat!  How does the first slice of a rib roast look to you?  Amazing?  Well, if you'd actually gotten to enjoy it, you would know that amazing doesn't even start to describe it.  I'm not exactly sure what all went into the rub...  I know there was EVOO, salt, pepper and paprika but also a couple of other things as well.  The crust was the best I've ever tasted - super crispy and flavorful! 

Of course, we didn't just eat the most amazing beef ever...  we also enjoyed perfectly sauted brussel sprouts and smashed red potatoes with lots of garlic.  Served with some good beer, it was the perfect New Years Eve dinner with great friends.  After dinner, we turned on Episode 7 of Game of Thrones and half of us promptly fell asleep... 

After a long ten hour sleep, we all awoke famished...  so Ty whipped up a little leftovers breakfast of steak bites, smashed potato patties and garlic Romano bread.  Yeah, it was all just as good the next morning with a fresh cup of piping hot coffee.  Could 2012 have gotten off to a better start? 

Brie Pockets

Brie pockets right before going in oven

Finished brie pockets

Last week, I stumbled across the above recipe while blog-surfing.  I didn't manage to mark down the blog but the recipe totally stuck in my head.  The post only included sweet brie pockets but, of course, Ty was having NONE of that.  So we made two batches.  Mine was sweet with brie and pear butter (see prior posts on canning - this was homemade!).  And Ty's batch was savory with brie, salami and jalapenos. 

They were delish!!  Brie pockets will definitely be on regular rotation for apps in our house. 

Roller Derby!

Last Saturday, we were invited to go to Portland's Roller Derby.  It was a really great time made even more so by the fact that one of the friends who we went with REALLY wants to join a team.  The action was fast but it didn't take too long to figure out what was happening.  It may have helped that we'd watched Whip It not too long ago.  The plan was to have a drink at our house before heading to Oaks Park so we whipped up some simple chicken quesidillas, chips, salsa and a small cheese tray:

 

Chicken Wings

Ty makes some amazing chicken wings.  He makes them for many occasions including Sunny in Philadelphia marathons, Wii parties and Sundays.  The Jayhawks play tomorrow and I somehow totally forgot about Valentine's Day when I invited my friend Kona over to watch the game, drink some beers and eat some of Ty's wings!!  So, he's also now making them for Valentine's Day:).  I wish I knew the recipes...  but, alas, I'm not sure he even does...  I think it's always just a bit different but always delish!  In lieu of a recipe, I've included pics. 

New Year's Eve

I have some really good friends who love to humor me.  When I was growing up, we always had clam chowder and cheese and crackers on Christmas Eve.  This tradition is something that I look back on fondly and I'm always sad when I can't honor it.  This year, I decided to keep the tradition but give it an update...  so we invited some close friends over on NYE to enjoy homemade chowder with us.  It was a great evening.  

We started with a cheese plate with three types of cheese including my favorite sun-dried tomato chevre, two types of crackers, dried apricots, dried cherries, cashews, pistachios and dark chocolate chunks.  For the main course, we had homemade clam chowder (recipe below) and BLT popovers (you might remember this recipe from Thanksgiving).  We ended the meal with coconut cheesecake that was divine (that recipe is to come).   

Clam Chowder 
4 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped 
3 potatoes, diced
1-8 ounce bottle of clam juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2-6.5 ounces cans of minced clams
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 cups half and half


Cook bacon until crisp in a Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan. Remove bacon to paper towels with slotted spoon; drain. Add onion to bacon drippings; sauté until softened. Add potatoes and clam juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat. Add minced clams with their liquid. Whisk flour into milk; add to chowder with half-and-half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until clam chowder thickens and bubbles, or about 3 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with bacon crumbles. 

If you are lucky enough to invite a fish monger to dinner, you can hope that yours will also bring fresh clams AND cook them for you to use as garnish!  Really, the perfect finishing touch...

Popovers

A couple of months ago, Ty and I were watching "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network when they profiled the popovers by a place called BLT Steak.  If I remember, it is a restaurant in New York.  When you eat there, they bring you a basket of their popovers instead of bread and they include the recipe so you can make them at home too.  The next day, I swung by Sur La Table and bought a popover pan...  and then waited for an occasion to use it!!  

Here's the recipe I found online:

4 cups mile
8 eggs
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In it put two popover pans (enough for 12 popovers).

In a saucepan, warm the milk over gentle heat.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy.  Slowly whisk int he milk (so as not to cook the eggs).  Measure the flour and salt into a sieve and sift onto the egg mixture.  Combine until mostly smooth.  

Remove the popover pan from the oven.  While the batter is still slightly warm or at room temperature, fill each popover cup three quarters full.  Top each popover with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the grated cheese.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes, rotating the pan half a turn after 15 minutes of baking.  


Remove the pan from the oven, remove the popovers from the pan and serve immediately.  


Since I only have the one popover pan and we were only hosting dinner for six people, I halved the recipe - it seemed to work and I thought they were delish!! 

Cranberry Sauce

I made this cranberry sauce on Wednesday night and served it with our Thanksgiving dinner.  It got rave reviews...

1 pound fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 whole orange, unpeeled, seeds removed and chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Sprinkle of ground cinnamon


Wash cranberries and set aside.  Bring sugar and water to a boil.  Add cranberries, oranges and cloves (I thought I had cloves but then it turned out that I didn't so I omitted this ingredient and it was fine).  Simmer over a high flame, stirring frequently, until berries pop open.  Add crushed pineapple, walnuts and cinnamon and blend.  Cool and serve.


This only took me about 15 minutes total to make.  The flavor a billion times better than anything you could ever buy in a can so it is totally worth making it from scratch.  It was bright and tart with just a subtle amount of sweetness.  I hope you enjoy! 
 

Stuffed Mushrooms

Here's the recipe that I used for the stuffed mushrooms for Isaac's party.  I really liked that they are light - some recipes that I've used end up feeling really heavy and greasy.  

Stuffed Mushrooms by Giada De Laurentiis

1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup EVOO
28 large white mushrooms, stemmed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a medium bowl to blend.

Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about one tablespoon of EVOO, to coat.  Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up.  Drizzle remaining EVOO over the filling in each mushroom.  Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top,about 25 minutes.  Serve.


When I made this, I didn't measure very carefully and ended up having enough filling left over to fill a bell pepper which I baked off the following day for lunch.  Also, I had a sous chef, Hailey, to do the actual stuffing for me - this was super handy...  she'll have to come and help out at our next party!! 

Pesto Palmiers

Pesto Palmiers by Ina Garten (aka Barefoot Contessa)

I am posting this recipe first because it was both one of my favorite things from Isaac's party and the biggest surprise in that they turned out so well.  

1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1/4 cup pesto*
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese**
1/4 cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts


Lightly flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry.  Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin until it's 9 1/2 by 11 1/2 inches.  Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto, the sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sundried tomatoes and half the pine nuts.  


Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center.  Then fold each side again towards the center until the folded edges almost touch.  Fold one side over the other and press lightly.  Place on a Silpat.  Repeat the for the second sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes**.  


Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  


Cut the prepared rolls in 1/4 inch thick slices and place them face up 2 inches apart on Silpats.  Bake for 14 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve warm.  


* We grow lots of basil in our kitchen garden and also get a lot from our CSA.  All summer, we make big batches of pesto and then freeze it in ice cube trays.  Once frozen, the cubes can be popped out and put into a freezer bag to be used the rest of the year in recipes like this and in pastas.  You'll have to wait until next summer to get my recipe:).  


** I used feta this time but I think I'll try chevre next time just to lighten it up a bit.


*** I apparently did not read this part of the recipe until sitting down to type it out.  Mine seemed to turn out just fine but I'll do this next time and let you know if there's a discernible difference. 

Isaac's BIrthday Party

There's never a dull moment in the Casa D'Engvall.  On Saturday night, we hosted a birthday party for our dear friend Isaac.  After my long run, I met Jewel at New Seasons to get all the party supplies.  We bought plenty of food and booze to enjoy with Isaac's out of town family who trekked down from the Seattle area and lots of local friends.  

After many canning days, it is obvious that Jewel and I work well in the kitchen and Saturday was no exception.  Per usual, we were fairly ambitious and super lucky for the out of towners who showed up early and ended up rolling up their sleeves to help with the last minute details.  Isaac's niece, Little Miss Hailey, was my personal sous chef and she rocked out an amazing looking cake!!  

Here's a pic of our finished work.  This week, I'll be posting recipes for the individual items that made up the buffet.  From left to right, they are fennel parm shortbreads, baked brie with tomato cashew chutney, sweet relish over cream cheese, a variety of crackers, waldorf wontons, stuffed mushrooms, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, deviled eggs, pesto palmiers and sliced bell peppers with crab dip.  

On the bar, we also had a wine station with smoked salmon dip, steamed artichokes with more crab dip and nibblers of dried bing cherries, dark chocolate chips, cashews and chocolate covered almonds.