A WeekNite Dinner Review

These are all Cuisine at Home recipes and they are wonderful!

Seared Flank Steak w/Shallot-Mustard Sauce
Oven Fries with Lemon-Fennel Salt
Green Salad with Feta and Fresh Fruit

1 flank steak, about 1-1/2 lb.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. corn oil
6 Tbs. cold unsalted butter (4 Tbs. cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
3 Tbs. finely minced shallot
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon

Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Season the steak generously with salt and pepper. Heat an ovenproof 12-inch sauté pan over high heat until very hot. Add the oil to coat the pan and sear the steak on one side until well browned, about 1-1/2 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook until the second side is well browned, about another 2 minutes.

Put the pan in the oven and roast until the steak is cooked to your liking, 5 to 7 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest, lightly covered with foil, while you make the sauce.

Set the same skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbs. of the butter. When the butter melts, add the shallot and garlic and cook until soft and translucent but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium high, and boil until syrupy, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add the broth and thyme and boil until about 1/3 cup of liquid remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the mustard. (Don’t let the sauce boil after the mustard is added.) Stir in the 4 Tbs. butter cubes, a few at a time.

Stir in half the tarragon and season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.With a sharp knife, slice the steak thinly across the grain on the diagonal, drizzle with the sauce, and sprinkle with remaining tarragon.

We enjoyed the flavor of the steak with the Shallot-Mustard sauce. My Flank Steak was very large and 5 minutes in the oven brought it to the exact rare-to medium rare that we prefer. Leftover steak went into Fajitas wiht Pico de Gallo.

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Oven Fries

2 lg russet potatoes about 1 3/4 pounds peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4 -1/2” sticks.
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon-Fennel Salt

Put the sliced potatoes in cold water to rinse off starch. Remove potatoes after about a minute and drain. Dump water and refill with enough to cover the potatoes by 1 1/2 inches and add some kosher salt.

Put a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 450. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil turn the heat down so they simmer for about 3 minutes. Gently drain and place on paper towels to dry. Place in a bowl and gently toss with the olive oil.

Remove pan from oven and arrange the potatoes quickly on the sheet pan leaving about 1/2 inch between slices. Roast for about 15 minutes, turn fries over and roast again for about 6-8 minutes and turn again till nicely brown. Total cook time is about 30 minutes. Finish with Lemon
Fennel Salt.

Lemon Fennel Salt –
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 heaping tsp. white peppercorns
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Toast fennel, coriander and peppercorns in a small dry skillet over med. heat until fragrant, about 2 mins. Pour into a mortar or spice grinder and grind till a fine powder. In a small dish combine the lemon zest and salt with the spices.

The oven fries with their Lemon Fennel Salt was a real winner!! I kept the salt mixture and will use it on lots of dishes, but the fries will definitely be a repeat and soon!
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Green Salad
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch white sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 avocados - peeled, pitted, and cubed
4 cups mixed salad greens
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, parsley, lemon juice and garlic. Add the avocado, and stir to coat with the dressing.

Just before serving, add the salad greens, and toss to coat with dressing. Sprinkle sliced almonds and feta cheese over the top. You can add sliced pears or tangerines supremes.

The salad was nice, just nothing to write home about, but with toasted almonds and feta, it can't have been too bad!!
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and for dessert - this wonderful pie!

Lemon Buttermilk Pie with Strawberry Topping 1

For the Lemon Buttermilk Pie - Whisk Together:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 T. all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 t. vanilla extract
Minced zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Pinch salt

Pour into:
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

For the Strawberry Topping - Heat -- Pour over:
1/4 cup honey
Juice of 1 lime
2 pints strawberries -- hulled, halved

Preheat oven to 350°.

Whisk pie ingredients together in a large bowl until blended.
Pour into pie shell and place on a baking sheet. Bake until filling is just set, yet still a bit jiggly, 40 - 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature; chill if not serving right away. (Let chilled pie stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.)

Heat honey and lime juice for strawberry topping until melted. Pour over berries and let stand at least 5 minutes. Just before serving, arrange on pie with a slotted spoon.
Cuisine at home, April 2004, Issue 44, p. 49

When I served the strawberries, I spooned them to the side of the slice of pie so we could enjoy the wonderful flavor of the berries, honey and lime. What a wonderful combination of flavors.

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On to the 2nd Cod dish - from the cod from our little fisherman neighbor. This is an old Gourmet mag. recipe and I almost overlooked it because it just looked too bland, but I had everything for it, so I went ahead and made it. It turned out to be a wonderful comfort dish that is worth making and repeating!! The flavors are just perfect together. I had a bottle of L'Ecole No. 41, '05 "Walla Voila" Chenin Blanc to serve with it and it was an excellent match!!

COD, POTATO, AND FENNEL CASSEROLE

2 medium fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise; 1 1/2 lb total), stalks cut off and discarded, and fronds reserved for garnish if desired
1 1/2 lb large boiling potatoes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb skinless cod fillet (1 inch thick), cut into 6 portions

Garnish: chopped fennel fronds or fresh flat-leaf parsleyAccompaniment: lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut fennel bulbs crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices with slicer. Peel potatoes and cut crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices with slicer.

Transfer fennel and potatoes to baking dish and toss with garlic, salt, pepper, and 4 tablespoons oil. Spread vegetables evenly in dish and bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven until just tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Season fish with salt and pepper and arrange on top of vegetables. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and bake, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

My dish of potatoes/fennel was fairly deep, so it took a total of 45 minutes to cook thru. Served with roasted Asparagus with Balsami and Olive oil - Very nice!
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Very nice few days of cooking and eating - but, very lazy when it came to the camera - do better!!

Corned Beef Hash & Other Rantings!

Corned Beef Sandwiches!!! Oh my, with the German cheese, they were so good!

It’s Sunday morning – the first Sunday brunch at home in six weeks and it’s nice to be home; gorgeous weather. This is a great dish and certainly a repeat – the ketchup can be used on so many dishes, meatloaf, salmon patties, sandwiches, on and on. It’s really delicious. The hash recipe came from Cuisine at Home magazine.

Corned Beef Hash With Eggs & Spicy Ketchup

FOR THE SPICY KETCHUP WHISK TOGETHER:
2/3 cup ketchup
2 T. whole grain mustard
1 T.honey
1 T. fresh minced parsley
1 jalapeno -- seeded, minced
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. Tabasco -- or to taste
FOR THE HASH, SIMMER AND DRAIN:
1 1/2 cups russet potato -- peeled, diced
1 1/2 cups sweet potato
peeled – diced
SAUTE IN 2 T. UNSALTED BUTTER -- ADD AND STIR IN:
1 cup onion -- diced
1 cup red bell pepper -- diced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt
2 cups cooked corned beef, chopped
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. balsamic vinegar
Cooked potatoes
1/3 cup heavy cream
PLACE IN HASH:
4 eggs
FINISH WITH -- SERVE OVER:
2 T. minced fresh parsley
Fresh cracked black pepper
4 English muffins -- split,
toasted -- and buttered Prepared Spicy Ketchup

Whisk together the ingredients for the ketchup in a bowl; set aside.

Simmer both potatoes for the hash in water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Sauté onion, bell pepper, pepper flakes, and salt in butter in a sauté pan until tender about 5 minutes. Add the corned beef, Worcestershire, and vinegar; cook 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cooked potatoes and the cream; cook until heated through, then season with salt.

Make 4 small 'wells' in the hash to hold the eggs.

Place 1 egg in each well. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 3-4 minutes for 'easy' yolks; cook 1-2 minutes longer for firm yolks.

Finish hash with parsley and pepper. Serve hash and eggs over toasted English muffins - and don't forget the ketchup!
Makes 4 cups hash, 4 eggs
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Mini Crab Cake Sandwiches – another winner. We had these for a Sunday brunch in Pasco, WA, with a bottle of Prosecco. But, I can’t remember where this recipe came from. These are perfect for being on the road with all the convenient products used; but they could be ‘spiffed’ up using more homemade ingredients.





Mini Crab Cake Sandwiches

1 pound crab meat
1/4 cup green onion -- diced small
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup panko crumbs -- Japanese bread crumbs available at most supermarkets
2 eggs, slightly beaten (Note: the eggs weren’t called for, but I added them because the cakes were a little difficult to hold together – this solved the problem!)
2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce
2 tubes (8 each) refrigerator buttermilk biscuits
8 oz. bag ready cole slaw (with the dressing included)


2 eggs, slightly beaten

Make biscuits and cole slaw according to package directions and set aside

Heat oven to 400 F.

Mix crab, onion, soy, panko and chili sauce well in a bowl and shape into 16 tight little patties and place on greased baking sheet

Bake cakes until crispy brown then carefully flip, should be about 10-15 minutes each side

Cut biscuits in half and place one crab cake on each bottom half, add some cole slaw then top with other biscuit half

Makes 16 little sandwiches, or 1 giant huge one
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Some misc. notes to finish up our swing thru the western states -

There is a great market here in Pasco, Yolks, and the wine mgr. is one knowledgeable gal - had her recommend some 'finds' for us - meaning 'cheap'.





One was Gnarly Head old Vine Zin from Lodi, '05 - $9.78 this was the best of the lot so far.





Barrelstone Columbia Valley, Barrelmaster's Red Wine, '03 - $4.99!!ran a close 2nd to the above and we WILL be buying a case today to take home. (label doesn't say what the blend is)





Bohemian Highway, Cab '04, St. Helena, CA - $6.59another repeat.





Yolks also has a great deli area and I picked up some cheese -Butterkase - "soft, buttery German-style snacking & cooking cheese. Melts well, perfect in sandwiches."Instead of Muenster on our l/o Brisket sandwiches tomorrow's brunch will be with the Butterkase.
(this cheese was wonderful on the sandwiches - picture at top)

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Good News!! I found the button to push to allow anyone to add a comment to my blog - so if anyone has any comments good, bad (well,not too bad please), bring 'em on.

March Travels

Well, as usual, my pictures are a$$-backwards, so I'll start with last night, March 15th. Had the other half of the night before's Salmon and also had Mac & Cheese sauce in freezer (from Christmas??) - what comes to mind with those two goodies?? What else but Chef Kelly Johnson's "Three Cheese Mac & Cheese that I tasted a few years ago when a group from Chef2Chef met in Tecumseh, MI to cook our fool heads off together?

CJ/KELLY'S THREE CHEESE MAC & CHEESE

1/4 cup +2 T. a.p. flour
3 c milk
1 tbsp DIJON mustard
2 Tbsps butter
6 ozs White Cheddar Cheese
6 ozs gruyere cheese
1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
9 ozs Penne or short tubular pasta
3 ozs Parmesan cheese
Panko to mix w/Parmesan to top dish.

Combine flour, 1 cup milk & Dijon, stirring till smooth.
Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over med. heat.
Add flour mix. to butter; cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, 1 min.

Gradually add remaining 2 cups milk, stirring constantly.
Cook, stirring often 10-15 min. or till thickened & bubbly. Remove from heat.

Add the cheddar, Gruyere, nutmeg & salt and pepper to milk mix., stirring till cheese melts.
Stir in Pasta.

Spoon mixture into baking dish, top w/Parmesan/Panko mixture.
Bake 400° for 30-40 min.
Let set up for 5-8 min. cut in squares.

Serving Ideas : The way Kelly served:
Topped with pc of Roasted Salmon topped with BBQ sauce & Saffron & Basil oil drizzle.
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This time I added a little of Chef Tom Douglas' Dry Rub on the Salmon and grilled for 5 minutes before adding the BBQ sauce - what a nice zing the rub gave the overall dish! We were tired from being on the road all day, so didn't remember the asparagus I had in the fridge - damn, to add to the dish. It would have been a prettier plating with the asparagus. But, oh my, was this delicious!

DRY RUB FOR SALMON

3 Tbsps firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsps paprika
2 tsps kosher salt
1 1/2 tsps freshly grd. black pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme ( or 1/2 tsp. dried)

Combine the rub ingred.
Sprinkle fillets w/lemon juice
Coat either both or one side of each salmon fillet.

Roast at 375 - 400° to temp. of 140°.

The spice rub can be made a couple days ahead and stored, tightly covered, at room temp.
Good wine with the salmon - an Oregon Pinot Noir.
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I can't count the number of times I used this rub while I was cooking at the ForestHouse Lodge - it was a real winner.


Wednesday night dinner was a great trailer/travelin' meal. We started with cups of Trader Joe's Cream Corn & Roasted Pepper Soup (it comes in a waxed cardboard container (32 oz.) and it's a great starter for dinner while salmon and veggies do their thing on the grill.



I topped the cups of soup with gruyere and a little of Tom Douglas' dry rub - great flavor!






The rest of dinner, Salmon, red potatoes (if you microwave the halves for 1 min. they finish off in just about the same time as the red peppers) and red bells.









Wonderful traveling dinner and so little clean up!



Roy went to lunch one day this week and he was served the most beautiful capers - he talked the waiter out of some to bring home for me to see. Now, I have to say, I feel really ignorant - I've seen these in/on olive bars, but....I thought they were a type of olive!! I didn't know capers grew so large. Man these are great! Further proof we are never too old to learn....




More good dinners are in the offing - not too sure what we'll do - in the freezer I still have 2 lbs. of crab (thinking of some crab cakes and ????) and some noodles, think those will go to Szechuan Noodles. Stew meat, steak, small razor clams, and white bean chili. In reality, I really don't have to buy anything else to see us thru the rest of the trip....right.

Just a P.S.

A Trader Joe's Sushi Sampler - wonderful!

I was afraid this pix would get lost in the hundreds I seem to be 'saving' - what a treat this was. Roy Richard, who normally curls his lip when I mention wanting sushi, even joined the act!

Bison, Beautiful Bison!

Talk about over-indulgence!! Bison patties with just everything in the world that should go with them...including Purple Cherokees!!

Our food log for Monday, March 5th – fun day for food. This past Thursday while we were at the Food/Craft market in downtown Palm Springs (having a glass of wine), we saw a little card advertising a Mango Tandoori Chicken Pizza with a ‘Spicy Golden Curry Sauce’ and ‘Sweet Mango Chili Sauce’. Well, we were certainly hooked and yesterday we went back to the little place and grabbed a table out on the patio in the shade and people watched while we had a couple glasses of wine, me a BV merlot with our pizza.

While the pizza was good, nothing spectacular, what really stood out was the Sweet Mango Chili sauce – we loved this. Never did detect the spicy golden curry sauce advertised…. So, it is time to play with a little mango puree and my Asian Sweet Chili Sauce. This really is a great flavor combination.

Had to walk off all this wonderful lunch – and where better than the tourist shops in Palm Springs???? Finally found the perfect little present for our old friend, a mountain man who’s still on the top of the mountain….. and a couple of other goodies.

And…for dinner we had our new friend’s bison. The meat was so juicy and flavorful – so glad I kept it completely simple so the taste could shine! Formed the meat into two patties, nice thick patties, brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. Grilled just to 134 F. I got a little carried away with the sides that I grilled also, but they all sounded like they just needed to be included. First of all, not grilled, but we found three beautiful Purple Cherokee heirloom tomatoes – my absolute favorite!! On the grill, I added little portabellos (or large creminis…), red potatoes, and thick onion slices.

We’re so glad we stopped these poor people on their daily constitution and barraged them with questions – Dave & Sue Beckstrand from Pine City, Minnesota, who raise Bison. They do not ship the meat, they raise theirs as we raised pigs all those years, selling them to friends/relatives either by the half or whole. But, they have a friend who does ship Bison meat, so will certainly look into that soon! Thank you again, Dave & Sue for a wonderful surprise package that morning – we so enjoyed visiting with you.

Almost forgot one of my purchases yesterday – I forgot it for hors yesterday, so will have it for breakfast this a.m. – a sushi sampler!! (Roy will probably have l/os of some sort, he’s not a big sushi fan!)

Tonight’s dinner? The Duck Salad we had months ago that was just wonderful –

DUCK SALAD WITH CHEESE TOASTS AND PORT-CURRANT SAUCE If you are not able to find Pont l’Evêque cheese, either Taleggio or Brie would also work well in this lovely starter from Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago.

2 6- to 7-ounce boneless duck breast halves

8 (1 1/2x1-inch) slices Pont l’Evêque cheese or Brie (about 3 ounces)

8 (1 1/2x1-inch) pieces good-quality fruit-and-nut bread (such as walnut-raisin), toasted (I used the bread recipe in my blog)

3 tablespoons walnut oil or olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar (or Champagne vinegar)

6 cups mixed baby greens

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped Port-Currant Sauce (did not make - next time...)

Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle duck breast halves with salt and pepper. Add duck, skin side down, to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium. Remove duck from heat and let stand 5 minutes. (didn't do - used leftovers and didn't heat them)

Meanwhile, place 1 cheese slice on each toasted bread piece. Whisk oil and vinegar in large bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add greens; toss to coat. Divide greens among 4 plates. Place 2 cheese toasts in center of greens on each. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Thinly slice duck breasts crosswise; divide equally among salads, fanning slightly.

Drizzle warm Port-Currant Sauce around salads and serve. (I didn't get the Port sauce made, but had some reduced apple cider that I drizzled over)

Makes 4 (appetizer) servings.

PORT-CURRANT SAUCE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 750-ml bottle of ruby Port

1 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

1/3 cup dried currants

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, apple and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and golden, about 12 minutes. Add Port; reduce heat to medium. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 30 minutes. Strain mixture; return liquid to saucepan. Discard solids in strainer. Add stock to saucepan; simmer until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in currants. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat.)

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Bon Appétit September 2000, Charlie Trotter's, Chicago, IL

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The cheese toasts are just wonderful with this salad.

Today will be a maintenance day, no fun side trips…and tomorrow we’re off to Las Vegas, but just for one night.

Had a couple of questions re the duck on the grill and other goodies –
Yes, Lorraine, I cooked them in a Cast Iron skillet on the grill over, I think, high heat. So I could ‘catch’ the fat!!

Clive’s chutney? I’ll have to go back to all the chutney recipes collected over the years to see if he has posted this one – or, I guess I could go ask him….duh.

A Sunday In The Sun!

YUM! Duck breasts cooking on the grill along with grilling garlic sourdough topped with Gruyere

Duck breast layered on the Gruyere sourdough toast and topped with Clive's Masala Chutney Navideno - and leftover (frozen) rice mixed with l/o butternut squash, roasted in oven.




I'm feeling really good about our eating on the road - other than not passing up those beautiful Alaskan King Crab legs for the Sauteed Crab Leg dish, we have been eating out of the freezer....the little freezer in the trailer!! The above dinner was from the freezer - gruyere, rice and the duck breasts. The butternut squash, we had a portion of a week or so before we left home, so I just grabbed it and added it to the stock in the frig as we left.

We still have in the freezer to play with - 8 huge prawns, ~1/2 smaller prawns, a chix back quarter, ham & beans, White bean chili, lb. of razor clams, 4 pkgs. (2 oz. each) frozen fresh crab meat, and in the frig I brot along a lb. can of Costco's lump crab. So, I will have no trouble having fun with trailer dinners.

But...the nicest experience happened to us yesterday. We were our riding our bikes IN THE SUNSHINE and came upon a couple meandering around the park and as we usually do, we stop and chat them up. Well, this time, whooooeeee, did it pay off! We met Dave & Sue Beckstrand from Pine City, Minnesota - who just happen to raise Bison!!! Hello! boy, did I jump on this. None of us had business cards with us, so we met them back at their place and Dave gave us his card with his email address. They do not ship their bison, they do as we did when we raised pigs, they sell them by the halves to friends, but he has a friend who does ship, so he will give me all the info on this. While we were talking, Sue came out with a pkg. in her hand - a lb. of Bison ground meat. Oh boy, all the way home I'm thinking what WILL I do with this treasure...finally decided and I'll do it tonite - just make patties, nice big, thick patties, rub with melted butter, add s&p and grill them. I haven't had breakfast yet, and I'm just dying to get going on dinner. I have some little red potatoes, so will probably grill those also along with a green salad & berry jam vinaigrette.

Oh happy food days!

And good news from our friend Bob & Sharon (harborwitch as she is known on some boards) have found a wonderful home t0 get them out of the tiny, little yacht where they had to down-size so much it's a wonder she was able to pull of these wonderful dinners that she is know for!! Can hardly wait for our next stop at their place.

Also, need to talk to Tracie, she was a cooking fool this weekend evidently. Jimmy (grandson) and his 3 roomies have 'hired' Trace to cook 3 dinners a week for them. With her taking culinary classes, she is so anxious to do some serious cooking, but cooking for one really doesn't cut it - this will be so perfect for her...and them! And a personal chef's business is being born!

BRUNCH IN THE SUNSHINE!

SAUTEED CRAB LEGS

Blackening Seasoning, Cream Sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano

What a wonderful brunch we had this a.m. Daphne (C2C) posted a link to a website with dinner recipes for one or two peoples. This is a great site. The first one I tried this a.m. was Sautéed Crab Legs and we were able to get some gorgeous Alaskan king crab legs for the dish. It is a definite keeper –

(I will go find the chef's whose dish this is - I forgot...)

Sautéed Crab Legs

12 oz. crab claws (we used 2 King Crab legs)
¾ c. heavy cream
1 T. fresh garlic, minced
2 T. blackening seasoning (recipe follows)
½ c (2 oz.) grated parmesan cheese
1 ½ oz. olive oil
Pinch of parsley
Toasted French Bread (used Roasted Garlic sourdough)

In a large skillet, add oil & heat. When pan is hot, add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Add crab claws and stir in pan until hot.
Add blackening seasoning and parsley.
When seasonings are incorporated into the claws, add the heavy cream and let mixture heat thru. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
Add cheese to finish and pour over toasted French Bread.

Blackening Seasoning:

2 T. paprika
2 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. each: garlic and onion powders, and cayenne pepper
¾ tsp. each: ground white pepper & ground black pepper
½ tsp. each: dried thyme leaves and oregano leaves

Mix all together.

I made up ½ of the above and it was just a little more than the 2 T. needed. Since we were in the sunshine, I don’t cook inside – so I made this on the grill. One burner on and one off, so I could control the heat under the pan. After the heavy cream was added, I pulled it off the lit burner and closed the lid so it would heat and the parmesan would start to melt. It works great outside on the grill!

Add a fruit platter to the brunch and of course a nice champagne and you’re all set.