Salmon Pâté with Crostini

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced into 16 pieces diagonally
¼ c olive oil
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz. smoked salmon, chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 T lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
½ cup Greek nonfat yogurt
1T fresh dill finely chopped
salt & pepper
fresh dill and capers for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425º F.

2. Place the sliced bread onto a baking sheet. Brush each slice with a little olive oil. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of your food processor, add the cream cheese and pulse 2-3 times. Add the salmon, shallots, lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, and dill. Pulse a few time until combined and reached desired smoothness (I like my pâté a bit chunky). Season with salt and pepper. Place the salmon pâté in bowl, terrine, or mold, and place in refrigerator until chilled firm, about 3 hours.

4. Remove ½ hour before serving. Decorate the top with dill and capers. Serve with crostini.

Tips & Tricks

• The differences between a mouse and a pâté are texture. A mouse is pureed smooth, where a pâté is a little chunky. So do as you prefer.

• This pâté can be made 3 days is advance.

• Serve the pâté with crostini, bagels, chips, or crackers. It is fantastic as a filling for tea sandwiches or if pureed smoothly can be used as a filling for stuffing cherry tomatoes or on top of cucumbers.

Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb, Mint Salsa Verde

Ingredients

Lamb:
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
½ packed cup mint leaves
4T fresh thyme leaves
1 packed cup parsley Italian leaves
1 T lemon zest
5 T Olive oil
1 4-5 pound leg of lamb
salt and pepper

Mint Salsa Verde:
2 clove garlic, peeled
1 cup fresh mint leaves, packed
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, packed
1 shallot, finely diced
2 T capers, rinsed
1 T lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
2/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper

1. In bowl of the food processor, with the motor running, add the garlic and process until chopped. Add the herbs, parsley, lemon zest, and process into a smooth paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the olive oil; pulse until combined.

2. Remove the meat from the netting; wash and pat dry. Place the leg of lamb on a cutting board, using a boning knife to “butterfly” the thickest part of the leg areas so that the overall thickness of the meat is the same. If necessary, trim any large pieces of fat off the leg.

3. Place on a baking sheet. Spread the herb mixture all over both sides of the leg of lamb. Roll the lamb up into a roll. Using butcher twine, secure the roll. Refrigerate for 8 hours or over night.

4. Pre-heat oven to 450° F.
5. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking and let rest at room temperature.

6. Transfer the leg of lamb to a rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add enough water to cover the bottom of pan (2-4 cups) and place in a 450° F oven. Close the oven door and immediately lower the oven temperature to 350° F. Roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes (20 minutes a pound) until the meat reaches 130-135° F in the center for medium rare. Check the temperature at 1 hour and every fifteen minutes thereafter until the desired temperature is reached.

7. Remove the lamb from the pan, place onto a platter, and cover with foil. Let rest for at least 15 minutes. Pour the pan drippings into fat separator. Once separated, pour into a small saucepan and reheat.

8. Slice the lamb, place it on a platter, and serve with mint salsa verde

Tips & Tricks

• Rub the marinade all over the lamb and let it sit uncovered in your fridge over night is best for maximum added flavor.

• I feel lamb has gotten a bad rap a lot of people think that is gamey tasting meat. It’s not, the meat has a delicious mild flavored. If there were any hint of gamey taste it would be in the fat. So remove any large pieces from the center of the meat, but leave a fat cap on the outside of the roast to keep it moist as it cooks. Lamb is high in iron, zinc & vitamin B12.

• Since the size of the boneless legs of lamb vary from low 4 to high 5 pounds a leg. I recommend you cook it 20 minutes a pound, checking the meat at a hour to insure that it is not overcooked.

• Left over lamb, is fantastic in sandwiches. Try it in a pita with tzatziki sauce

Mint Salsa Verde
Makes 2 cups

Preparation:

1. In bowl of a food processor, with the motor running, add the garlic, mint, and parsley leaves. Process until finely chopped, but still has texture.

2. Add the shallots, capers, lemon zest, and juice. Pulse until chopped and combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. With machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Mix until smooth.

4. Season with salt & pepper

Tips & Tricks

• I make this sauce right after I make the marinade for the lamb, so I don’t have to wash the food processor twice.

• It can be made 3 days in advance and last a week in your fridge.

• It is wonderful on rack of lamb or on grilled or sautéed fish.

• Replace the mint with oregano and thyme and the sauce is wonderful on other grilled meats.

Yukon Gold Potato Gratin

Ingredients

1 ½ cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup dried breadcrumb, or panko
½ cup grated Parmigiano - Reggiano cheese
salt & pepper
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.

2. In a saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat, heat the milk, cream, garlic, and thyme until it comes to a boil. Turn off the heat. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and cheese. Set aside.

4. Wash and slice the potatoes into 1/8 –inch slices Place in a large bowl, toss the potatoes with salt and pepper. Place them in an 8-x10 oven proof-baking dish, layering and over-lapping the slices as you go.

5. Pour the milk mixture on top, then sprinkle the breadcrumb topping on top.

6. Bake in a 425° F oven for 45-55 minutes, until bubbly and brown.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Tips & Tricks

• This dish is best cooked then served, but you can prepare all the steps ahead then assemble it at the last moment. You can steep and strain the milk/cream mixture (just rewarm in before adding to potatoes). Prepare the breadcrumb topping ahead and slice the potatoes ahead, just cover them in water to keep them from turning brown, drain and pat very well before assembling dish.

• I love using Yukon gold potatoes because the texture is so creamy and buttery. T. hey also hold their shape very well after being cooked. But you could substitute and use Idaho potatoes. Their texture is fluffier.

• Potatoes need to sit 10-15 minutes after cooking so that the cream mixture will set. They keep warm for up to 30 minutes after cooking, but if you need to reheat cover with foil and pop in oven for just a few minutes, otherwise they will dry out

Carrot Cake With Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

Cake:
1 T Butter, soften
2 T flour
3 cups all purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
¾ cups vegetable oil
1 cup can crush pineapple w/ juice
¾ cup Greek nonfat yogurt
2 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 T orange zest
¾ honey
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup chopped pecans

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F.

2. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together, add the carrots and nuts and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Set aside.

4. In a mixer set on medium speed, mix together the sugar and the eggs until well combined. Add the oil, pineapple, yogurt, and vanilla. Mix well, scrape down the side of the bowl.

5. With the mixer on low, add carrot nut ingredients. Mix just until combined.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350º F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

7. Place cake pans onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. Allow to completely cool before frosting.

8. Frosting: In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and honey until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add in the sugar and orange zest. Beat until smooth.

9. Place one layer of completely cooled cake on the platter. ( if you wish use a cake cutter to remove/cut off the cake edges) Spread ½ the frosting on top. Place the remaining cake on top and frost with remaining frosting.

10. Decorate with chopped nuts. Serve and enjoy.

*To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more. Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be stored in an airtight container for weeks.

Tips & Tricks

• The cake can be made the day ahead and placed in zip lock gallon bags or covered very well.

• You may frost the cake in advance, just place in fridge, and remove 1 hour before serving so the frosting can soften slightly.

• You may cook this cake in a 9x11 square pan or as cup cakes (check the cupcakes after baking 20 mins.)