Butter-Seared Scallops

Just so I don't forget how I made these for Christmas dinner...

Scallops
Olive Oil
Butter
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Lemon juice

Rinse scallops, sprinkle pretty generously with montreal steak seasoning.  Heat large cast iron skillet on medium high heat and add 2 tbs. olive oil and 2 tbs butter.  That will give you the butter flavor while the olive oil will raise the smoke point of the butter so it won't burn.  Once the oil/butter is hot, place the scallops in the pan, you should hear a nice sizzle.  If you don't, the oil isn't hot enough.  Do not put too many scallops in the pan at once, they shouldn't touch or they'll steam instead of sear.  Cook for about a minute and then gently turn over and cook for another minute.  Each side should have a nice "crust" of caramelization and the inside of the scallop should still be very tender.  Remove from pan and put a drop or two of lemon juice on each scallop.  Serve immediately.

If you have to do these in two batches in order to not over-crowd the skillet, make sure scrape the bottom of the pan clean of any drippings so the next batch of scallops gets a clean place to cook.  Replenish the olive oil and butter if necessary.

Grandma O's Breakfast Cheese Souffle

Okay, this isn't cheese souffle in the truest sense of the word, but it's what Grandma O served every Christmas morning for years, along with "funeral potatoes" and bacon, sausage, and fruit.  Dad has served it for the last few years, reviving the tradition and I'm happy about that. I had forgotten how tasty it is.  

• 1/2 lb. Kraft Old English Cheese (It comes in those little bottles that you can use for juice glasses if you want, once they're empty and you remove the labels)
• 1 cube butter
• Garlic salt and pepper to taste.  

Bring butter and cheese to room temperature, then mix thoroughly with seasonings.  Trim crusts off approx. eight slices of bread and put in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Spread cheese mixture thickly onto bread.  (This is easier if the bread is frozen, according to Gary.)  Pierce thoroughly with long-tined fork.  

Lightly beat 6 eggs and add 2 cups milk.  Beat together and pour over bread.  Refrigerate overnight.  Bake covered 1 hour at 350 degrees or until it is set up and the edges are nicely browned.  (People will fight over the corner pieces.

Perfect Prime Rib with Creamy Horseradish, "baked" potatoes, and Spinach Salad

Found this on another blog and I want to try it this year.  Thought it would be good to put it here so I could remember it.  :)


Prime Rib 

1.       Get a prime rib roast at your supermarket. It's usually labeled bone-in ribeye roast.

2.       Mix up equal parts of onion salt, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Approx 1/4 cup total.

3.       Pat the salt mixture on both ends and the fat side of the roast. The salt may not stick as well on the fat side. Don't worry about it.

4.       Using a small knife, cut slits in the fat side of the meat and stick in slivers of fresh garlic before roasting.  This method allows it to melt into the fat and the meat while it cooks(Optional)

5.       Pre-heat oven as high as it will go. Usually 500 degrees, but NOT broil.

6.       Stick the roast in a dutch oven preferably on a small rack that will lift it off the bottom. Bone side down (fat side up). Get a meat thermometer and stick it in the middle of the roast.

7.       Cook the roast in the oven for 5-6 minutes per pound and then shut the oven off. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR FOR TWO HOURS UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH.

8.       After two hours take it out and check the temp. If its 140 degrees it's perfect. If it's cooler, put it back in the oven at 375 degrees until it hits 140 degrees.. This procedure will yield a PERFECT MEDIUM RARE PRIME RIB. (Don't ask me how to do medium or well done because cooking prime rib roast past medium rare is a felony.)

9.       If desired, get a package of Au Jus mix in the spice section of your supermarket and make following directions.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1 pinch white pepper, or to taste

1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) (optional)

3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Whisk the cream in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the cream should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Season with the white pepper, hot sauce, and horseradish. Stir to combine.

Note: This sauce doesn't keep very well. Just plan to use it the same day you make it.

Baked Potatoes in the Crockpot  (since the oven will be busy!)

Not really a "recipe"...more of an idea than anything. A GOOD idea when the oven is already occupied. Wash potatoes....wrap in foil...pierce with small knife in several places...set in Crockpot....cover...cook. Depending on how much time you have....LOW for 6 to 8 hours....or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.  Great thing about this is if you're off on your timing a little (or even a lot!)...the potatoes will wait there patiently until you are ready.

Spinach Salad

2 bunches of Spinach

1 head of lettuce (I use green leaf)

3 c. grated swiss cheese

1 container cottage cheese

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

3/4 c. sliced mushrooms (fresh)

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

Dressing

1/2 to 1 c. oil (I use canola oil) 

3/4 c. red wine vinegar

3/4 t. dry mustard

1 1/2 T. poppy seeds

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 t. salt

Wash & dry spinach and lettuce. Take stems off spinach, cut up lettuce. Place in large enough bowl to toss in. (This is a BIG salad!) Add swiss cheese, cottage cheese, bacon, mushrooms & red onion.   Toss with dressing. Serve immediately!  (Don't toss with cottage cheese and dressing until just before serving or it will get soggy.)

Here is a bonus tip for you from a chef:  The best way to reheat a sourdough baguette is to run it quickly under the tap with the water running and then put it directly into a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until it’s crisp on the outside and warm on the inside...  it works! 

Maple & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

I made this the other night when Carolyn and the kids were here.  The sauce turns out yummy.  I served it with oven-roasted potatoes, which were also good with a little of the sauce dribbled on.

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
• salt and pepper
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard or country-style
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• (I used Champagne Orange vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or Maple Sugar Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water

Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place pork in the slow cooker. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme and maple syrup; pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

Remove pork to a plate, cover with foil, and keep warm. Pour the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until reduced by about one-third. Combine the cornstarch and cold water; whisk into the reduced juices and cook for 1 minute longer. Serve pork sliced with the thickened juices

Feta Dip

Awesome super easy no-cook appetizer, always a hit.  This is that ONE recipe that always gets asked for.  And it’s ridiculously, embarrassingly easy. Here’s what you need:

• olive oil
• 1 block (1#) of feta cheese
• tomatoes (any kind)…I use about 3 Roma’s
• 1 bunch of green onions
• 1 baguette
• Greek Seasoning
• 1 large platter

Wet the platter generously with olive oil.  Dice the green onions and tomatoes.. Throw them on the olive oil. Crumble the feta cheese and throw that on the platter.. Sprinkle the Greek Seasoning on top. (use about 3 tsp.)

(If you can't find greek seasoning, you can sub with oregano and a little pepper and some salt to taste.). Mix it gently all together until it looks like this.

Slice the baguette.  A special word about the bread…it MAKES the dip.  I have found that the best bread is FRESH, bakery kind….the kind that comes in the long skinny paper bag.   You want it bite-sized and you want to cut it thin  because this is how people will “dip”.  Or you can include a spoon if the people you hang around with are super polite.

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole Bake

I found this recipe on a southern cooking blog and it looked really good. I'll try to post a picture of the finished product. The cook who made it types just like she must talk, and it's really a cute blog called "Deep South Dish." There were enough other fun things on that blog that I might poke around for more. Anyway, the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups of cooked chicken (or 3 to 5 pieces of raw chicken) I'll bet you could also use leftover turkey
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth 
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup

Instructions: Use precooked chicken or poach raw chicken in the chicken broth or stock in a medium sized saucepan. Cook on a low simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is mostly done. It will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool but reserve the stock.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a Pyrex measuring cup, melt 1/2 stick of butter in the microwave and pour that into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Shred the chicken and spread it on top of the butter.  In that same Pyrex cup, whisk together the milk and the flour and slowly pour that over the chicken taking care not to disturb the chicken too much. Don't stir it up!  Strain the chicken stock through a colander into the same Pyrex cup (now you know why I wanted ya to melt that butter in it!) and whisk in the cream of chicken soup. Very carefully pour that over the flour and milk mixture and again, don't stir it up!  Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until top is light golden brown.

Lasagna Soup

for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:

8 oz. ricotta or cottage cheese

1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings:  8

Source:  adapted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski’s magazine