Whisk Wednesday: Huitres Chaudes au Muscadet

Oysters! Can't beat a recipe with oysters. I really love them. I don't cook them at home, but if I go to a great seafood restaurant, then I definitely order them.

This recipe should be reserved for special occassions because it's very rich and a few go a long way. The oysters were poached, laid in their shells with freshly steamed spinach and topped with a muscadet sabayon sauce. Delicious!

Muscadet: a dry white wine. I went in search of Muscadet. When I got to my favorite gourmet store, they were all out. But the Sommelier was telling me how Muscadet, grown on the ocean, has a hint, ever so suttle, of the salt water which is grows near. Also, Muscadet is perfect with oysters. YESSSS!! Come back tomorrow he said, the Muscadet will be delivered. Perfect.

I really enjoyed the muscadet and I think definitely don't skip that wine. It was perfect with the oysters and I will try that again.

Beautiful meal. Served with crusty, freshly made bread to sop up a bit of extra sauce. Very, very good.

Power Outage Pasta Salad

Last weekend sure was interesting. Saturday was scrub, clean, scrub, and clean. It was warm and sunny. About mid-afternoon some clouds came in and a storm. Then the power started to flicker, and yes....it went out and didn't come back on. No problem, we were grilling on Saturday anyway. After dinner, we relaxed with the candles and crank radio and we finally went to bed. As we were heading to bed we joked about how the power will come on in the middle of the night and maybe wake us. Nope.

Sunday, no power, now time to start being concerned. I decided no one is to touch the fridge. This is important, as my oysters for Whisk Wednesday were in the fridge. Lunch time came and we wondered....what would we have? Having a well stocked pantry never hurt anyone and I headed to see what I could invent.

Power Outage Pasta Salad
You will never need to even touch the fridge to make this!

4 ounces pasta noodles (I used elbows), cooked, drained, cooled
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
Seasonings:
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Touch Cayenne
Dried Parsley
Salt and Ground pepper
Good Seasonings Dressing packet, mixed according to instructions

Toss all ingredients together except the dressing. Add dressing as needed.

There is something fun about Spring Vacation. Is it buying food things? It is for me! I went to Las Vegas and hit the Sur la Table there and here is what I bought. They were so kind! If you purchased $200 or more, they said it was free shipping. Great news, I certainly didn't want to try to lug this onto the plane. My package was received this week, I've set it up and looked at it for a few days. LOL. Dreaming of how to use plates, gratin dishes, etc. I finally removed labels, washed everything and put it all away. Oh so fun. I know everytime I reach for one of these items I will say, "hey, I got that in Las Vegas". I had a great time, loved the weather, enjoyed the shopping, the food, the casinos, fountains and the lights. Don't miss it.

Whisk Wednesday: Mouclade

Of course, disaster photos, too much garnish, chipped dish and messy sauce results must still be posted. I have to say at least none of those things effected the finished dish!

Mouclade - Mussels with Wine and Cream Sauce

I think we were just supposed to eat mussels with the cream sauce. It seemed small to us so I added some freshly made fettucine to soak up some of the extra sauce. GREAT dinner. I love mussels. They are versatile, inexpensive and can take on a variety of flavors from mild creams to garlic and tomato. This was a fresh seafood, bright tasting dish and it reminds me to grab mussels more often from the seafood department. This dish was seasoned with a bit of thyme which I loved with the mussels. Note to future recipes, thyme & mussels = good news.

Check out my other "Whisk Wednesday" Friends!

Whisk Wednesday: Puff Pastry Filled with Shrimp and Mushrooms

Bouchees aux Crevettes! Puff Pastry Shells Filled with Shrimp and Mushrooms.

I missed one week of Whisk Wednesday meals and I was quite bummed about it. Although, spring vacation, aaaah...so I had to balance it out :)

This was not frozen puff pastry, but real french puff pastry, hand rolled and turned until there were 943 layers of butter and 944 layers of pastry and it puffed to a form beautiful dish. From there filling with rich, buttery-cream sauce filled with mushrooms and shrimp and finished with a touch of cognac.

It was delightful, fun to make, very tasty and there is half a recipe of puff pastry in my freezer just waiting for something...maybe this again.

Check out how the other "Whisk Wednesday" Members completed.

From The Streets Of Stromboli

Start here. Oh yum. A very good stromboli.




The moment before it goes into the oven.




Right out of the oven.



Finally, just before it passes your lips.

This was a great dinner! We passed on pizza and I made this stromboli recipe. I will definitely make it again and even vary the fillings.

My pal, Diana, found this recipe on Fabulous Foods. I decided to make it too. Very worth your time!

I did use their recipe for the dough as well as let my dough sit even longer.

Fillings:
1/4 pound capicola
1/4 pound hard salami
1/4 pound rosemary ham
1/3 pound provolone cheese
Freshly grated Parmesano-Reggiano
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly and sauteed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and sauteed
2 small tomatoes (on the vine size), sliced
8 basil leaves
Salt and Pepper

The dough was brushed with egg and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. I served with a small dipping cup of marinara, fresh tomato slices and parmesan shavings.

You will love this dish. It was great for a night where you say, yeaaaaah pizza sounds okay. And pizza does sound okay, but this really brings all those flavors together just in a different way. Plus the leftovers are superb.

Salsa Verde Enchiladas - !Muy Bueno!

In Fine Cooking, April/May 2009 issue, there is a Quick Beef Enchiladas with Salsa Verde recipe. I thought this would be something different for a weeknight mexican dish.

Quick Beef (or turkey) Enchiladas With Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed

4 jalapenos, stemmed and halved lengthwise, 2 seeded, 2 left in tact

1 medium onion, cut into large chunks

kosher salt

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

In a medium pan boil water with salt and then add the tomatillos, jalapenos and onions. Cover and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well and put into the food processor. Add the cilantro. Pulse until it is slightly chunky and season with salt if needed.

Filling

Olive Oil

1 pound ground beef (I used turkey)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

Cumin

Chili Powder

Salt and Pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add the meat, onion and garlic. Sprinkle with seasonings and continue breaking up the meat. When almost cooked through, add 1/2 cup of the salsa verde.

Grease a baking dish. I used a 9x9. Preheat your oven to 375.

Enchiladas

4 flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups mexican mixed cheese, shredded

Working with one tortilla, sprinkle cheese on it and then 1/4 of the meat mixture. Roll up and lay in the baking dish. I keep the seam side up because it's easier for me to slide the spatula under without catching the seam and having them open up. I stick two toothpicks in each roll to hold until serving. Finish the remaining 3 enchiladas.

Top with the remaining salsa verde and cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes at 375 or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. I garnished with additional cilanto and a few grape tomatoes. (and slop some around on the plate and definitely don't wipe it up before you take the photo...good grief)

Tomatillos

These are great for making salsa verde or simmering down into sauces. They are firm when you purchase them, just remove the husks and rinse. They are a bit sticky from the husk. You can oven roast or boil to make your salsa verde.

Whisk Wednesday: Scallops With Mussels and Shrimp In Cream Sauce

Great dinner and wonderful leftovers. This Whisk Wednesday meal was Scallops, Mussels and Shrimp all made together in a feather-weight cream sauce. I chose to serve mine over homemade Black Pepper Fettuccine. It really came together nicely.

The leftovers were the Scallops, Mussels and Shrimp drained and then tossed quickly into a heavier, garlicky cream sauce and also served over the same fettuccine. Delightful dinner. I ended up making two very different meals. We enjoyed both.

Never worry about a dish not being exactly what you wanted, usually leftovers can be changed into a completely new dish!

Grilled Cheese Pageant Contestant!

When my friend Michelle shared the link to the Grilled Cheese Pageant, I was geeked to submit a recipe.

I thought, ooo a Mexican Grilled Cheese...one with a chipotle spread...maybe some fresh avocado slices? Then I thought what about a good American Grilled Cheese? My humorous father suggested the plastic wrapped cheese slices, surrounded by Wonder Bread torn by butter, fried to death and then take a side picture with the cheese oozing out. "That's a grilled cheese", he said. "None of this foo-foo bull*&^%". LOL.

I decided to go with an Italian version of Grilled Cheese. Served on a Rosemary Onion Foccacia Bread that is topped with carmelized onions. The filling is hot capicola ham, 3 cheeses (Grana Pradano, Canadian White Cheedar, and real Fontina). The bread is smeared with a roasted red pepper spread that is oooo laa laa yummy.

Serves 2

Rosemary Onion Foccacia
Use your bread machine to make the dough. But hand shape and bake in your oven.
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon yeast

Add your ingredients in order according to your bread machine instructions. Program for dough or manual. Remove from the machine, shape into a large round and place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise for about 30 minutes. Dent the dough with your fingers for the traditional foccacia look, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the carmelized onions over the top.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and then finish the baking at 350 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool, use half for the 2 sandwiches and freeze or snack on the remainder.

Roasted Red Pepper Spread
1 cup roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
Sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Pulse in food processor a few times, just until chunky. Let meld about 30 minutes before using.

Grilled Cheese
Have 2-3 leaves of crisp romaine lettuce
1 small tomato, sliced and sprinkled with salt and pepper
1/2 pound hot capicola ham, sliced thin
4 ounces fontina cheese, sliced
4 ounces white cheddar (extra-sharp), sliced
2 ounces grana pradano cheese, grated

Slice the foccacia bread in half to open for a sandwich. Spread the bottom half with some roasted pepper spread. Lay capicola and cheese on top.

Bake in oven at 375F until the cheese is broiled and melted. During the last 5 minutes of baking, set the foccacia tops in the oven on an empty shelf just to toast up a bit.

Remove from oven, let cool 2-3 minutes and meanwhile, spread the remaining roasted pepper mix onto the "lid bread".

Add romaine lettuce and tomato slices and top with the lid. Serve. Eat. Love.

Creamy Mushroom Soup - Cook's Country

I received another recipe to test from Cook's Country. This was for Creamy Mushroom Soup. I don't make mushroom soups very often but this was a great version. I made this and ended up with enough for a week of lunches. Even added some fresh chives to my lunch each day. That really gave the soup a nice addition. I can give out the ingredients but not the specific directions.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 pounds cremini mushrooms, hand broken

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped

Salt and Pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

6 cups low-sodium beef broth

1/2 cup Madeira, plus additional for serving

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons lemon juice

This soup has a great texture and came out with almost a creaminess to it but if you noticed, the cream is very small amount and there is no roux here to thicken the soup. It's thicker because the mushrooms are really the base of the soup as it is all blended together and then finished with the cream. Nicely done.

I think I will make this soup with later in the year with fresh garden tomatoes, white wine and chicken stock (replacing the shrooms, Madeira and beef broth) and finish with fresh basil. Yes!

Whisk Wednesday: Frog Legs

Frog Legs. Legs of Frogs. Either way. I've only eaten them once and I wasn't a huge fan. Now, if you are the same as me, I do suggest you give them another try.

This was the dish for our Whisk Wednesday meal and I think it was not too bad. One of us ate 6 of them, while I nibbled on two. I had to try them and they were not bad! They were really good to frog leg lovers. I just am still not too sure about eating something with...an *ankle*.

Lightly breaded and sauteed in garlic olive oil and then finished wtih fresh parsley and garlic. Very nice presentation, fresh flavor and it made a "bright" accent. I will try again with something like shrimp.

I know my adventures feel really brave and different. These aren't meals we would add to our weekly menu, but I have to say I'm really learning about cooking. I'm touching new and different ingredients, I'm learning how cooking ingredients seperately and later melding together effect the entire dish, I'm trying new ingredients and I'm doing it! I'm actually cooking French food! Whisk Wednesdays have taken me from my basic recipes and given me a whole new platform. I may not be making frog legs soon, but it gave me a good foundation that I can apply to other dishes. And that my friends, is learning how to really cook!

Check out how my new friends faired during Whisk Wednesday here: The Blogroll.