New Recipes

I catered a party for 40 guests a couple of weeks ago.  the hosts and guests were more than pleased with the results so here are the main courses for your consideration.  Hope you try one or more of them sometime soon.

Beef Tips with Sherry Pan Gravy

I like to use a sirloin tip roast for this recipe and save the remaining roast for a later date.  If you would rather, you can use any cut of sirloin (ie. Sirloin Steak, London Broil, etc.

Equipment Needed:

·         Large Sauté Pan

·         Medium Mixing Bowl

Ingredients:

·         2 Tablespoon Olive Oil or more

·         2 Tablespoons Butter or more

·         1 lb. Sirloin cut into ¾ inch cubes

·         ½ Onion – small dice

·         2 Cloves Garlic – Minced

·         1 Cup All Purpose Flour (for dusting the beef)  plus 1 tablespoon

·         2 Tablespoons Seasoning Mix (recipe follows)

·         ½ Cup Dry Sherry

·         2 Cups Beef or Chicken Stock

·         Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

·         ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour and seasoning mix and whisk to combine.  Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add ½ tablespoon oil and ½ tablespoon butter to the heated pan. Add several pieces of  the sirloin to the flour mix and cover completely. Sift off any excess and add to the pan once the butter has stopped sizzling. Brown on all sides. When done, remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl to capture any juices that may accumulate.  Repeat with the remaining beef in batches until finished.  (Note – do not put the beef ion the flour until right before you are ready to sauté.)  When the beef is done, add ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon oil to the pan.  Add the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Add the garlic (and cayenne if some spicy heat is desired) and cook for an additional 30 seconds.  Sprinkle one tablespoon flour over the vegetables (for additional flavor, you can use the leftover seasoned flour from dusting the beef cubes).  Combine completely and cook for about 2 – 3 minutes stirring constantly.  Add the sherry and stir.  Cook until the sherry has just about evaporated.  Add the stock and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  When the boil occurs, add more stock if the sauce seems too thick.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Add the beef cubes and any juices back to the pan and cook for an additional 5 – 10 minutes to bring the beef up to temperature. 

Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or with roasted potatoes. 

Seasoning Mix

Ingredients:

·         2 Tablespoons Paprika

·         1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt

·         ½ Tablespoon Fresh Ground Pepper

·         ½ Tablespoon Onion Powder

·         ½ Tablespoon Garlic Powder

·         1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

Chicken Piccata

To make this for the family dinner, keep the chicken breasts in one piece (if they are of a standard approx. 6 oz.size) or cut in half if they are larger. 

Equipment Needed:

·         Sauté pan with lid – large enough to hold 2 chicken breasts comfortably

·         Wax or Parchment Paper

·         Medium Mixing Bowl

Ingredients:

·         1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or more

·         1 Tablespoon Butter or more

·         4 Chicken Breasts - cleaned

·         ½ Onion – Diced

·         2 Cloves Garlic – Minced

·         1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour – more for dusting the chicken

·         2 Tablespoons Spice Mix (recipe follows)

·         ½ Cup White Wine

·         1 Teaspoon Grated lemon Rind

·         Juice from One Lemon

·         2 Cups Chicken Stock

·         1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar

·         ½ Cup Fresh Parsley - Chopped

·         Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions

Pound the chicken breasts to approximately ½ inch thick.   In a mixing bowl, combine flour for dusting (about ½ Cup or more) and spice mix and mix thoroughly.  Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat.  Dredge one chicken breast at a time in the seasoned flour.  Add ½ tablespoon oil and ½ tablespoon butter to the sauté pan.  When the butter has stopped sizzling, sauté the floured chicken breast until golden brown on both sides – about 4 minutes a side. You should be able to sauté 2 breasts at a time.  Remove and reserve on a paper towel lined plate.  Repeat with the other chicken.  Add ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon oil to the pan.  Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the onion and garlic and combine.  Cook for about 3 – 4 minutes stirring constantly until the flour taste has been cooked away.  Add the wine and stir to combine.  Cook until the wine has all but evaporated. Add the chicken stock and vinegar and stir to incorporate completely.  Bring to a boil.  If the sauce appears too thick, add a bit more chicken stock.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley then add the chicken breasts back to the pan, cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Serve immediately.

Spice Mix (Combine all ingredients thoroughly.)

Ingredients:

·         1 Tablespoon Kosher salt

·         ½ Tablespoon Fresh Ground Pepper

·         ½ Tablespoon Onion Powder

·         1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

·         1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

·         1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

·         1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

·         ½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Thin slices of zucchini and yellow squash are difficult to roast and maintain some kind of firmness so I sauté them over high heat to resemble the roasting process. Alternatively, if you have a grill pan, grill them stovetop to achieve the same results. 

Equipment:

·         13 x 9 Lasagna Pan

·         Large Mixing Bowl (cleaned and re-used)

·         Large Colander

Ingredients:

·         1 Box Lasagna Noodles

·         5 Zucchini – cleaned and cut into ¼ inch slices the long way

·         5 Yellow Squash – cleaned and cut into ¼ inch slices the long way

·         3 Green Bell Peppers – cored and cut into large pieces

·         3 Red Bell Peppers – cored and cut into large pieces

·         3 Yellow Bell Peppers – Cored and cut into large pieces

·         2 Medium Onions – cleaned and cut into large wedges then separated

·         3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

·         1 32 oz. Tub Ricotta Cheese

·         1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

·         3/4 Cup Parmesan, separated ½ and ¼

·         3 Eggs

·         2 Quarts Marinara Sauce

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cover the zucchini and squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and sauté ore grill stove top until almost charred.  Remove and reserve.  In a mixing bowl, combine the pepper pieces and onion with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread evenly on a roasting sheet pan leaving room in between the pieces.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, stir and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.  Roast the vegetables in batches until done.

 Reduce the oven temp  to 350 degrees and place one rack in the middle position with another rack in the bottom position.  Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  When the noodles are done cooking, drain them then lay-out on layers of waxed or parchment paper.  Mix the ricotta, mozzarella,  ½ cup of the parmesan, and the eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Place one ladle or so of marinara on the bottom of the lasagna pan followed by a layer of noodles then a layer of the cheese mixture, then a layer of roasted .  Continue this order until you have three complete layers finishing with a layer of noodles on top.  Finish the lasagna by ladling enough sauce on the top layer of noodles to completely cover them and then sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup parmesan over the sauce.  Bake covered for 40 minutes on the middle rack with a roasting pan on the bottom rack in the event the lasagna bubbles over.  Uncover the lasagna and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.