One of my very favorite things to do is to create when I'm in the kitchen. I love to take leftovers and transform them into a whole new meal. I like to substitute ingredients when necessary and still come out with something spectacular.But, what I like most of all is to take something as glorious as a prime rib of beef and turn it into not one, but three elegant, easy and totally different meals. You may think that prime rib is fancy, expensive or pretentious, perhaps all three. You may be intimidated but a huge hunk of beef that will set you back $45.00 on sale. Don't let it scare you.
I cooked the whole holiday meal this year for Terrell's family and we had Prime Rib. While I have cooked prime rib many a time, this was for people that I love and I wanted the meal to be perfect. I had performance anxiety, I had doubts, I changed my recipe four times. Where was I going to cook it (we were eating at my sister in law's house 2 hours away)? How was I going to cook 16 pounds of meat? How would I function in a kitchen that was not mine? What if I screwed up $100 worth of dinner and the whole meal? All of these thoughts were running through my head! I even had a "practice run" before hand and perfected my recipe. Terrell and Dalton were almost tired of eating Prime Rib! Everyone offered to help me, several times, but I would hear nothing of it, this had become a challenge to myself and I was going to win!
I then calmed myself down, remembered that it's only a steak (just a big one) and that my family would still think highly of my kitchen skills even if I screwed up. It was decided I would cook at Cathy's house (my sil). I packed up my whole kitchen (it seemed). Apron? check! Knife? check! fresh ground pepper? check! and the list went on. We got there without forgetting anything, for which I thank God. I set up my station, unpacked my ingredients and went about playing chef! I trimmed, seasoned and slathered in fresh chopped garlic. We had two beautiful eight pound, bone in, ribs of beef! Magnificent! After cooking, testing, temping, worrying and resting, I now had to carve those bad boys! It seemed like an eternity to wait the mandatory resting time of atleast 15 minutes. I also had to stave off everyone who "just wanted a peek" and then tried to snag a piece!
I set up my cutting board. I got my knives ready and proceeded to carve. First one slice around the bone. Second a slice down the side of meat. Then one slice to Nirvana. You could hear the knife against the crackle of carmelized fat. The crusty coating of garlic, parsley and black pepper falling against the meat when I sliced it. I made another slice and another. The smell was heaven! There was a hint of rosemary, some heat from the peppercorns and freshness from the parsley. OMG, I can smell it now. Turns out, one roast was a perfect medium rare, the other a perfect medium, Served with pan roasted potatoes, fresh green beans and your choice of au jus or horseradish cream sauce it was a meal worthy of $24.95 in a chain steak house. $39.99 in an upscale steak house. I know that's great, but what about the leftovers? That's the easy part.
The next day I sautee up thin slices of beef, add some sauteed peppers and onions and ~voila~ I make a cheese steak sandwich. Great no matter what sides you serve with it. (I am partial to roasted potato logs).
Once you have prime rib for dinner (sometimes twice), then have cheese steaks, you can get a bit tired of it. There is however, one more way to use the leftovers and have something totally different. Remember the bone we carved the prime rib from? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yep, you bet one of my favorites (and a request from Boo) French Onion Soup! That bone will make the most luscious stock ! Even if you don't have time to cook it now, throw the bone in the freezer for a cold rainy Sunday. It's an easy recipe you can throw on the stove and let simmer for hours (or not -if you're hungry). That recipe is one you will have to ask me for or wait for the cookbook to come out! :D
Don't be intimidated by a prime rib, they're very user friendly, versitile and with the many ways to use the leftovers it's really a deal of the day when you can buy it on sale.
Enjoy!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Shrimp Kimberly.......and how it became
I was a single parent, female and all of 27 years old. I had a small boy child and anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I'm not only a klutz but also very mechanically challenged. I can't put a simple toy together without having extra parts, the manufacturer always sends extra parts right? Anyway, I'm sure you have an image. I had bought my first home and as always something always needed to be done. Having a home and not being able to repair or put together something most people could do themselves is a bit demeaning. (and expensive) There was a young lguy iving down the road, a few years younger then me that I befriended and I would often barter with him. 'Hey I'll cook you dinner if you come help put up this screen door." "If you help me with this wiper on my car I'll bake you banana pudding". It got to the point when I would call and say, do you want to come to dinner, he would ask, what do you need put together now? We had grown very close and I not knowing how to cook in small amounts always had extra and welcomed the adult conversation at the dinner table and either invited him to dinner or sent home care packages several times a month. I gew very close to Robert and he still calls me Big Sissie. If I remember correctly I cooked dinner for Robert and a date one evening...
Anway... this blog is for you Robert, you requested 'shrimp kimberly', so here is the story....
One night I had made a sauteed shrimp dinner for myself and Dalton. I just kinda threw this and that together, not really following a recipe but putting together things I thought would taste good together. While we're eating Dalton says, this is good, what is it called? I said it doesn't have a name, I just made it up. Dalton thought for a minute and said... Well since you made it and it has shrimp in it, we can call it Shrimp Kimberly. (creative I know, wait until the Bunny Bunny and birdy bird stories) So Shrimp Kimberly was born. Now, my 5 year old had a sophisticated palate for a child, but I wanted some adult input so I invited Robert to dinner. He swore it was wonderful. So, I had added this dish to the "cookbook in my mind" and went about making it every couple of months. I wanted it to be special and not a once a week meal. Fast forward 5 years. I start to date a man and I decided to invite him to dinner. What to cook? Do I go dress dinner up or down? Will I scare him if I cook something he might think is weird? Is he a picky eater? (Oh Boy, wait for that blog) Is he allergic to anything? Do I cook steak, seafood, something casual or something a bit special? After all it is the first meal at my home that I'm cooking for this guy! I wanted to impress him, but what if I cooked something and he didn't like it.. OMG.... why did I open my mouth and say "Would you like to have dinner at my house this weekend?" ... Anyway.. I remembered that he ordered shrimp one night on an earlier date, so I decided on shrimp. I really liked this guy and I wanted to impress him with my cooking. Now how to cook it? I thought and I pondered and then it hit me.. I hadn't made Shrimp Kimberly in awhile. So I asked a few qualifying questions, most importantly do you like garlic? I second guessed, I thought about changing the recipe, I thought about making steak instead, but in the end I made the shrimp. I really liked this guy alot and knew I needed this to be the meal of all meals ( THE MEAL)... I cooked dinner...(he said I threw out the bait)... I served dinner (he said it got him intersted). Now he might have been a polite person but he asked for seconds! (and then he said I set the hook)! Eight years later we're still married. Terrell still teases me, when we talk about having shrimp for dinner he tells me that I knew what I was doing and that I planned on using the Shrimp Kimberly"catch" him! hmmmm shhhhhhhh I was just trying to make a guy a nice meal.... :D
Here's the recipe - serve with a green salad and seasoned rice. A nice Pinot Grigio goes well with this.. serves 2..... easily doubled
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
2-3 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped
1 lemon zested and juiced
1/4 c chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 - 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 T shredded pecorino romano cheese (or parmesean)
Old bay dry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Have EVERYTHING else ready to serve, this dish takes 6 minutes from start to finish
Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Lay the shrimp on a plate in a single layer and sprinkle with Old Bay. When the pan is heated add 1 T olive oil and the garlic, sautee lightly. Add the shrimp in a single layer - add the zest - lemon juice and black pepper. Shake the pan to move the shrimp around. When the shrimp are cooked 1/2 way, turn the shrimp over and shake the pan again. Sprinkle the parsley and breadcrumbs on the shrimp. Drizzle another 1-2 T of olive oil on the shrimp to moisten the bread crumbs. Turn the heat to Medium-high and add the shredded cheese ,cover for about 30-45 seconds to slightly blend in the cheese and for the bread crumbs to stick to the shrimp. Remove from the pan and serve over rice with lemon wedges. Quality ingredients cooked with great flavors and you've impressed them with an elegantly easy meal. Enjoy!
Anway... this blog is for you Robert, you requested 'shrimp kimberly', so here is the story....
One night I had made a sauteed shrimp dinner for myself and Dalton. I just kinda threw this and that together, not really following a recipe but putting together things I thought would taste good together. While we're eating Dalton says, this is good, what is it called? I said it doesn't have a name, I just made it up. Dalton thought for a minute and said... Well since you made it and it has shrimp in it, we can call it Shrimp Kimberly. (creative I know, wait until the Bunny Bunny and birdy bird stories) So Shrimp Kimberly was born. Now, my 5 year old had a sophisticated palate for a child, but I wanted some adult input so I invited Robert to dinner. He swore it was wonderful. So, I had added this dish to the "cookbook in my mind" and went about making it every couple of months. I wanted it to be special and not a once a week meal. Fast forward 5 years. I start to date a man and I decided to invite him to dinner. What to cook? Do I go dress dinner up or down? Will I scare him if I cook something he might think is weird? Is he a picky eater? (Oh Boy, wait for that blog) Is he allergic to anything? Do I cook steak, seafood, something casual or something a bit special? After all it is the first meal at my home that I'm cooking for this guy! I wanted to impress him, but what if I cooked something and he didn't like it.. OMG.... why did I open my mouth and say "Would you like to have dinner at my house this weekend?" ... Anyway.. I remembered that he ordered shrimp one night on an earlier date, so I decided on shrimp. I really liked this guy and I wanted to impress him with my cooking. Now how to cook it? I thought and I pondered and then it hit me.. I hadn't made Shrimp Kimberly in awhile. So I asked a few qualifying questions, most importantly do you like garlic? I second guessed, I thought about changing the recipe, I thought about making steak instead, but in the end I made the shrimp. I really liked this guy alot and knew I needed this to be the meal of all meals ( THE MEAL)... I cooked dinner...(he said I threw out the bait)... I served dinner (he said it got him intersted). Now he might have been a polite person but he asked for seconds! (and then he said I set the hook)! Eight years later we're still married. Terrell still teases me, when we talk about having shrimp for dinner he tells me that I knew what I was doing and that I planned on using the Shrimp Kimberly"catch" him! hmmmm shhhhhhhh I was just trying to make a guy a nice meal.... :D
Here's the recipe - serve with a green salad and seasoned rice. A nice Pinot Grigio goes well with this.. serves 2..... easily doubled
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
2-3 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped
1 lemon zested and juiced
1/4 c chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 - 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 T shredded pecorino romano cheese (or parmesean)
Old bay dry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Have EVERYTHING else ready to serve, this dish takes 6 minutes from start to finish
Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Lay the shrimp on a plate in a single layer and sprinkle with Old Bay. When the pan is heated add 1 T olive oil and the garlic, sautee lightly. Add the shrimp in a single layer - add the zest - lemon juice and black pepper. Shake the pan to move the shrimp around. When the shrimp are cooked 1/2 way, turn the shrimp over and shake the pan again. Sprinkle the parsley and breadcrumbs on the shrimp. Drizzle another 1-2 T of olive oil on the shrimp to moisten the bread crumbs. Turn the heat to Medium-high and add the shredded cheese ,cover for about 30-45 seconds to slightly blend in the cheese and for the bread crumbs to stick to the shrimp. Remove from the pan and serve over rice with lemon wedges. Quality ingredients cooked with great flavors and you've impressed them with an elegantly easy meal. Enjoy!
Monday, January 17, 2011
The trials and tribulations of the ice cream maker
ok, so I love kitchen gadgets. I am addicted to them, yes I admit, and I crave new ones each and every day. The gadget might be something as trivial as a souflee cup to hold a sauce to a set of different sized "ice cream" type scoops to make cookies all the same size. The gadet can be small, it can be large, I may have a use for it, and I may not. But to be able to not only say I have said gadget, but to be able to use it proficiently is also part of my addiction.
I read kitchen supply magazines and cookbooks like people read cheap novels. I can read them several times and never get tired. Most recently I wanted an ice cream machine. Oh my, there are so many different kinds out there. I thought this was going to be a quick pick, oh was I mistaken. There are inserts and parts. There are parts to freeze or not. There are options for ice cream, gelato and sorbet. There are recipes for cooked custard or for a milk type base. Then the big question, Chocolate or Vanilla? Before the holidays were were in my bestest most favoritest store, Williams Sonoma. If you've never been to a Williams Sonoma, that's another topic for another blog, however go online an see what they offer. http://www.williamsonoma.com/ There were a few choices for ice cream makers, they ranged in price from $79 to $219. Did I really need to be able to make two batches of ice cream back to back? Do I have room in the freezer to hold not one but two freezer bowls for when the urge hits for icecream? Did I want to spend alot of money for something I might use occassionally? Do I have room to store this when it's not in use? Anyway, I looked, I read, I made up my mind, I changed my mind and changed it again. I decided that I wasn't at the " i have to have it now"point so I left. Unbeknownst to me, Santa Claus made my decision easy, he bought me the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker with the extra freezer bowl. I have had to make some adjustments to my freezer, and those who do dare to open the freezer do so at their own risk of a "freezer-lanch" of items that might slide out. I don't like that idea that you have to freeze the work bowl for 12-16 hours, but keeping one in the freezer at all times for when the urge hits is nice. I never realized that you could make a custard, or a milk & cream only base. I have yet to cook a custard to make ice cream but what I've made has been out of this world.
1 cup warm milk or 1/2 and 1/2
pour milk over chocolate and stir until melted
add 2 ounces brewed coffee and a pinch of salt
add 1/2 cup sugar and mix until disolved
add 2 cups heavy cream and mix
chill 2 hours or over night
pour mix into ice cream machine and churn for 18 - 22 minutes
remove and put into container.
this is soft serve stage and is ready to eat, however chilling for 4 or more hours allows you to make sundaes and other concoctions without having the ice cream melt before you get finished.
I read kitchen supply magazines and cookbooks like people read cheap novels. I can read them several times and never get tired. Most recently I wanted an ice cream machine. Oh my, there are so many different kinds out there. I thought this was going to be a quick pick, oh was I mistaken. There are inserts and parts. There are parts to freeze or not. There are options for ice cream, gelato and sorbet. There are recipes for cooked custard or for a milk type base. Then the big question, Chocolate or Vanilla? Before the holidays were were in my bestest most favoritest store, Williams Sonoma. If you've never been to a Williams Sonoma, that's another topic for another blog, however go online an see what they offer. http://www.williamsonoma.com/ There were a few choices for ice cream makers, they ranged in price from $79 to $219. Did I really need to be able to make two batches of ice cream back to back? Do I have room in the freezer to hold not one but two freezer bowls for when the urge hits for icecream? Did I want to spend alot of money for something I might use occassionally? Do I have room to store this when it's not in use? Anyway, I looked, I read, I made up my mind, I changed my mind and changed it again. I decided that I wasn't at the " i have to have it now"point so I left. Unbeknownst to me, Santa Claus made my decision easy, he bought me the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker with the extra freezer bowl. I have had to make some adjustments to my freezer, and those who do dare to open the freezer do so at their own risk of a "freezer-lanch" of items that might slide out. I don't like that idea that you have to freeze the work bowl for 12-16 hours, but keeping one in the freezer at all times for when the urge hits is nice. I never realized that you could make a custard, or a milk & cream only base. I have yet to cook a custard to make ice cream but what I've made has been out of this world.
Double Chocolate Ice Cream
4 ounces Vahlrona (or good quality) Chocolate chopped1 cup warm milk or 1/2 and 1/2
pour milk over chocolate and stir until melted
add 2 ounces brewed coffee and a pinch of salt
add 1/2 cup sugar and mix until disolved
add 2 cups heavy cream and mix
chill 2 hours or over night
pour mix into ice cream machine and churn for 18 - 22 minutes
remove and put into container.
this is soft serve stage and is ready to eat, however chilling for 4 or more hours allows you to make sundaes and other concoctions without having the ice cream melt before you get finished.
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