Blue cheese & pink peppercorn sauce for steak or beef

May 20, 2019 Belinda

There is nothing better than a great sauce to have with a roasted fillet of beef, or rib-eye steak. This sauce is a killer, as it has the fruitiness of the pink peppercorns and the saltiness of the blue cheese.

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For the sauce
1 tbsp pink peppercorns
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup brandy (nothing fancy)
1/2 cup cream (don’t use half & half; it could separate)
salt
3-4 oz blue cheese, either Gorgonzola or Cambazola.

Grind the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, and chop the shallot.

Make the sauce.
Pour off the fat in pan and melt the butter in it over medium flame. Add the shallots and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from heat and add the brandy… carefully—it may spatter.
Return the pan to heat and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly thickened.
Add the cream and peppercorns to pan.
Salt generously and stir to combine.
Raise the heat slightly and cook the sauce until it reduces by half, stirring frequently. Crumble the blue cheese into the hot sauce and stir through as it melts into the sauce.
Stir in any accumulated juices from the steak plate.

Brown Butter Caramelized Banana Bread

May 20, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Author: Kayla Howey from “The Original Dish”

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1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp kosher salt
1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup honey
12 oz mashed brown bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp pure almond extract (optional)
2 tbsp butter
2 ripe bananas, sliced
pinch of kosher salt
2 tbsp honey
softened salted butter, for slathering
more honey, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and place a piece of parchment paper inside so that it sticks to the sides and hangs over the pan.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Add the butter to a saucepan and melt it over medium-low heat. Allow it to continue to cook over low heat as it starts to bubble. After 5-6 minutes, the bubbling will begin to subside as it becomes browned and nutty smelling. The speckles should be a deep amber color, but not black (watch it closely as it will burn quickly). Turn off the heat and allow the butter to cool slightly.

Add the sugar to a large mixing bowl. Pour the brown butter in. Whisk vigorously until really well combined. Whisk in the honey, mashed bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and almond extract until incorporated.

Fold in the dry ingredients until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter and let melt. Add the sliced bananas, spreading them out into an even layer. Let caramelize on one side until golden. Season with a pinch of salt. Flip the bananas over and cook for another minute. Stir in the honey. Let bubble for a minute or so. Turn off the heat.

Spoon half of the caramelized banana mixture over the batter. Reserve the rest for serving.

Bake the banana bread uncovered for 55 minutes until browned. Let cool slightly. Use the parchment paper to pull the bread out of the pan. Slice it into thick slices and serve warm with softened salted butter, a drizzle or so of honey, and the reserved caramelized bananas.

* Use the darkest, softest bananas you can get your hands on for the best tasting banana bread!

Vegan · Vegetable sides

Whole roasted celery root

May 19, 2019 Belinda

I made this for the first time recently, and it was so good and unusual.
I get tired of the same old vegetables day in and day out, so this dish was such a welcome change.
It looks a little strange when roasted, sort of cross between a loaf of bread and a brain but it’s low carb, low calorie and low cost!

Roasted celery root

Serves 4 – 6
1 large celery root (celeriac) (about 2 1/2 pounds), trimmed, hairy roots discarded, rinsed clean
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
3 tsp coarse salt, plus extra to serve
Chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place the celery root on a small parchment-lined baking sheet. Rub it all over with olive oil and salt, and roast for 3 hours, until a knife inserted into the flesh goes in very easily.

Slice into 12 wedges and serve with a final pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of parsley.

Uncategorized

French Onion Toast

May 6, 2019July 23, 2019 Belinda

From the food blog “The Original Dish”
The most indulgent french onion toast with a hearty onion mixture and melted gruyere cheese.

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Makes 6 large toasts

olive oil, as needed
3 tbsp butter
2 ½ lbs thinly sliced onions
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
kosher salt, as needed
freshly cracked black pepper, as needed
2 tbsp sherry wine
½ cup beef stock
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
6 large, thick slices of fresh sourdough bread
3–4 tbsp butter, softened
12 oz gruyere cheese, shredded

SAGE BREADCRUMBS

4 oz sourdough bread, torn apart
12 sage leaves
vegetable oil, as needed

FRENCH ONION TOAST

1. Heat a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drizzle enough olive oil into the pot just to coat the bottom. Add the butter and let melt.

2. Stir in the sliced onions and shallots. Season with a big pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Let the onions and shallots cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the onions and shallots continue to cook until tender and caramelized, about 1 hour.

3. Raise the heat to medium. Stir in the sherry wine and let cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef stock, fresh thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook the mixture until most of the liquid has reduced. The consistency should hold its shape, but still be slightly loose. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Remove the thyme and bay leaves.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F. Place the bread on a foil-lined sheet pan. Spread the softened butter generously onto each piece of bread. Toast the bread for 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and set the oven to high broil.

5. Evenly distribute the onion mixture onto each slice of toasted bread. Evenly distribute the gruyere cheese on top of the onions. Each piece of bread should be fully covered with cheese.

6. Place the pan into the oven and let the cheese melt and brown, about 2 minutes (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn).

7. Garnish the toast with the sage breadcrumbs and fried sage.

SAGE BREADCRUMBS

1. Add the bread and 6 of the sage leaves to a food processor. Pulse until the bread resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to come up about a ¼ of an inch in the pan. When the oil is hot, add the remaining 6 sage leaves. Fry for a minute or so until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sage to a plate lined with paper towels.

3. To the same oil, add the breadcrumbs. Continuously stir until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the breadcrumbs to another plate lined with paper towels. Season with a pinch of salt.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Paprika-Seared Potato Wedges with Olive-Date Tapenade & Date Sour Cream

May 3, 2019 Belinda

Another great recipe from the food blog “The Original Dish”, author, Kayla Howey
I love the way she is so inventive with vegetables and highly recommend going on her blog and signing up.

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Serves 4
Date Sour Cream
8 oz pitted Medjool dates
1 cup cream sherry
8 oz sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Paprika-Seared Potatoes
2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed and wedged (about 4 large potatoes)
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon

Olive-Date Tapenade
4 oz pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
5 oz black pitted olives, finely chopped
1/2 oz capers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine the dates and cream sherry in a small saucepan. Bring the sherry to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the dates have absorbed most (but not all) of the sherry. Let the mixture cool.
In a food processor, blend the cooled date mixture until smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine 3 ounces of the date mixture with the sour cream, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, toss the potato wedges with the paprika, salt and pepper. Make sure each wedges is coated with paprika. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling hot, add the potato wedges (you may need to work in batches; you don’t want to overcrowd the pan).
Lower the heat to medium and sear the potatoes until golden brown, a few minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking the potatoes, about 10 more minutes. Squeeze the lemon over the potatoes as soon as they come out of the oven.

Combine the dates, olives, capers, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix to incorporate.

To Serve
Spread the date sour cream on a plate. Place the potato wedges on the plate and spoon the olive-date tapenade over the top. Alternatively, serve the date sour cream in a bowl with the tapenade on top and potato wedges alongside.
notes

** To lighten this dish up, try Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. You also will have extra date puree. Save this to flavor other dishes or to make the sour cream again. You can freeze it if needed.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Roasted carrots with scallion vinaigrette

May 1, 2019 Belinda

I get more excited about interesting vegetable dishes than meat or fish. Although I couldn’t be a vegetarian, I could happily eat this sort of dish 5 out of 7 days a week.
This recipe comes from the great food blog, #theoriginaldish Recipe by Kayley Howey

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Scallion Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 scallions
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup neutral oil (safflower, grapeseed, vegetable, etc.)
½ cup raisins
kosher salt

Roasted Carrots

½ cup raw hazelnuts
2 bunch long baby carrots, scrubbed and halved
olive oil
kosher salt
feta cheese, shaved or crumbled (as much as you’d like)
carrot top leaves, to garnish (optional)

Scallion Vinaigrette

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots. Cook until tender and caramelized, just a few minutes, stirring often.
Lower the heat and toss in the scallions. Continue to cook for another minute.
Stir in the white wine vinegar and honey. Let the mixture come to a bubble and simmer for a minute. Turn off the heat.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and slowly drizzle in the neutral oil until emulsified. Fold in the raisins. Season with salt to taste.
Let the vinaigrette sit while you make the carrots.

Roasted Carrots

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Lay the hazelnuts out onto a baking sheet. Roast for 5 minutes. Let cool just slightly and use a kitchen towel to rub the hazelnuts between your hands in order to remove the skins. Discard the skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and set aside.
Meanwhile, lay the halved carrots out onto a baking sheet. Toss with enough olive oil to coat them well. Spread them into one, even layer. Season with a pinch of salt.
Roast the carrots for 12-15 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized (time may vary depending on your oven).
Toss the warm carrots with the scallion vinaigrette. Serve them with the chopped roasted hazelnuts, feta cheese, and carrot top leaves (optional) on top.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Breakfast · Egg based · Holiday Food

“Bacon and eggs” truffle custards with crispy prosciutto

April 15, 2019 Belinda

Most of Thomas Keller’s recipes (of French Laundry fame) are too complicated for my short attention span but this one is not too hard and is absolutely life changing.

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8 large eggs (the fresher the better)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
1& 1/2 tbsp truffle oil
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

Finishing Touches
1 tbsp chives (finely diced)
1 oz (2-3 slices) prosciutto

Ragout
1/3 c veal or chicken Stock
dash of fish Sauce (or dash of white wine vinegar)
1 tsp unsalted Butter
1/2 tsp truffle oil

A used egg carton

Custards
Prepare the egg shells
With an egg topper or serrated knife, cut off wider end of the egg (make sure cut is low enough that a spoon can fit in the opening.) If cutting with a serrated knife, lay the egg on a towel, and with a steady but gentle sawing motion, cut halfway through width of egg.
Remove knife, turn egg upright, and pop off the top of the egg. Pour 2 of the eggs into a bowl to reserve for the custard, and the others you can save for any other kitchen uses you might have for them. Reserve the paper egg carton. Reserve the shell bodies.
Under running water, using your fingers, carefully remove the membrane from inside the shell bodies. Clean up any loose shell pieces from the edges of the shell cavity, then set aside.

Prepare the Custards
Preheat oven to 275°F
In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and milk. As soon as it reaches a boil, transfer to a blender. Carefully pulsing, slowly build speed of blender to prevent extreme splattering. While blending, add the 2 reserved eggs, truffle oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher that pours well. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then skim foam from top of custard.
Place the shell bodies upright into a reserved egg carton (cut away extra spaces to make carton smaller.) Carefully pour custards into shells, filling about 85% full. (If pitcher is pouring like a bitch, use a funnel to help aim the pours.)
Using a pan that is a least 3 1/2 – 4″ deep, fill about 1″ of hot water into the pan. Place custards (carton and all) into the water, and top off with more water (if necessary) to have water level reach 3/4 ths up the sides of the eggs. Place pan into oven, cover with a lid or baking sheet, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until custards are set. Remove from oven and set aside (They can stay in the warm water for about 2 hours if needed.)

Prepare the Finishing Touches and Ragout
Heat a saute pan over med-high heat, add a touch of oil, and crisp up prosciutto (just like cooking bacon.) Dab on paper towels to remove excess oils, then cut into 1/2″x 2″ pieces (there will be spare tidbits you’ll get to snack on.)
Dice the chives.
Put the stock and fish sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until it coats the back of a spoon. There should be about 3 tbsp of sauce.

Finishing
Swirl the butter and truffle oil into the reduced stock. Season to taste. Place each egg in a cup, and spoon about 1 tsp of ragout on top of the custards. Add a sprinkling of diced chives, then place a prosciutto crisp in each egg.

Fish · Gluten Free · Nuts

Seared scallops wth hazelnut butter and Mascarpone

April 15, 2019 Belinda

Recipe from the blog “The Original Dish” by Kayla Howey

Simple, yet luxurious seared scallops with a lemony hazelnut butter and mascarpone

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Serves: 4

1/3 cup raw, whole hazelnuts
1lb sea scallops, side muscles removed
kosher salt
neutral oil (safflower or canola)
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 oz mascarpone
flaky sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Lay the hazelnuts out onto a baking sheet. Roast for 6 minutes. Let cool just slightly and use a kitchen towel to rub the hazelnuts between your hands in order to remove the skins. Discard the skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts. Set aside.

Meanwhile, pat the scallops dry. Season each with a good pinch of salt on all sides.
Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add enough oil to just coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, place the scallops into the pan. You should hear a sizzle. Sear the scallops until deeply golden brown on one side (don’t try and move them until they are fully browned and start to release on their own or else they will stick and tear).

Flip the scallops over, turn the heat to low, and add the butter. Finish cooking the scallops as the butter melts, just another minute or so. Spread the mascarpone onto a large plate. Place the seared scallops right on top, leaving the butter in the skillet.

Add the chopped hazelnuts to the butter. Let the hazelnuts sizzle in the butter until fragrant, as the butter starts to slightly brown. After a minute or so, stir in the lemon juice and zest. Soon the mixture over the scallops. Top with flaky sea salt.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Pasta

Ginger-scallion ramen noodles

April 14, 2019April 14, 2019 Belinda

This recipe is by Andy Baraghani from “Bon Appetite” magazine

The noodles are just a vessel for this savory, gingery, simple weeknight sauce. Double the batch, and you’ll always have a way to brighten up simple grilled or pan-roasted chops, roasted veggies, or grain bowls.

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Serves 4
1 5-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large bunch of scallions, very thinly sliced (about 2 cups), divided
½ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp sugar
Kosher salt
4 5-ounce packages wavy ramen noodles, preferably fresh
Toasted sesame seeds and chili oil (for serving)

Stir the ginger, garlic, and two-thirds of scallions in a large bowl.
Heat grapeseed oil in a small saucepan over high until oil is shimmery and hot but not smoking, about 2 minutes.
Pour the hot oil over the scallion mixture. The scallions will sizzle, turn bright green, and wilt almost immediately.
Let sit 5 minutes before stirring in remaining scallions.
Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, sesame oil, and sugar; season with salt. Let sit to let the flavors meld, 15 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss with as much or as little scallion sauce as you’d like in bowl.
Divide the noodles among bowls.
Top with sesame seeds and serve with chili oil alongside.