Shrimp Cakes with Red Pepper Aioli Sauce

Ingredients

Red Pepper Aioli Sauce:
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 egg yolks
1T lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
4-5 grinds of pepper
½-cup olive oil
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup roasted red peppers, drained
1T lemon zest

Cakes:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup green onion (white and light green part), finely diced
1T parsley, finely chopped
1T lemon zest
2T lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
4-5 grinds of pepper
1cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup vegetable oil

1. Sauce: In the bowl of your food processor with the motor running, add the garlic. Process until finely chopped.

2. Add the eggs yolks, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl

3. Combine the oils into a liquid measuring cup.

4. With the motor running, slowly add a few drops of the oil, then in a steady stream, continue adding the oil until it becomes a thick sauce.

5. Place the aioli in a small bowl.

6. In the bowl of your food processor (no need to wash it) with the motor running, add the red pepper; process until finely chopped.

7. Fold the chopped red pepper and lemon zest into the aioli mayonnaise. Adjust seasoning if needed. Place in serving bowl. Set aside until needed.

8. Cakes: In the bowl of your food processor (no need to wash it if your preparing them right after the sauce), place half the shrimp. Pulse until finely chopped.

9. Add the remaining shrimp, green onion, parsley, lemon zest, and juice. Pulse until combined.

10. Add the beaten egg, salt and pepper; pulse a few times until combined.

11. Dampen your hands. Place a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture in your hands and form into a round patty. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture, forming about 20 cakes. Place the tray in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

12. Pre-heat oven to 450° F.

13. In a medium size bowl, place the panko breadcrumbs. Gently toss each patty in the panko until well coated, placing them on a cooking rack on a baking sheet pan.

14. In a medium sauté pan, over medium-high heat, add half the oil; when the oil is hot, add the patties to the pan (don’t overcrowd) and pat then down slightly into cakes. Cook the cakes for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, flipping over once. When the cakes are brown, transfer them back on to the cooking rack on the baking sheet pan. Continue with the remaining cakes. Add more oil if needed.

15. Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook 10-12 minutes until the shrimp are cooked.

16. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Transfer to serving platter and serve with red pepper aioli sauce.

TIPS & TRICKS

• You may substitute 1-cup prepared mayonnaise instead of making the aioli. Just add the 4 cloves garlic to step 6 and pulse until chopped, then continue with# 7. Making homemade mayo is so delicious and easy with the food processor. Do give it a try once. It takes just 3 minutes and it could change your life. ☺ Sauce can be made 3 days ahead.

• You can prepared the shrimp cakes ahead and then reheat just before serving. To reheat: Place on a baking sheet with a rack in a 425° F oven for 5-7 minutes, or until hot.

Individual Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients

¼ cup roast beef dripping
3 eggs
1¼ cup milk
1¼ cup flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.

2. Place about a teaspoon of roast dripping in each of 12 muffin cups or popover tins. Place the pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until smoking hot.

3. While the pan is heating, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, and milk until well blended.

4. Add the flour, salt and pepper. Stir until combined and all the lumps are gone.

5. Pour about ¼ cup into each muffin cup/popover cup and bake 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden. Do not open the door.

6. Remove from the oven, place on platter or basket and serve immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS

• The batter can be made several hours in advance, either leave it on your counter, or if you place in fridge allow it to come up to room temperature before cooking.

• The pudding will puff up but deflate quickly (like a soufflé) so cook them at the last moment.

Classic Sautéed Spinach

Ingredients

3T olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 lbs. spinach (12 cups); washed and drained
salt & pepper
10 large or 20 medium mushrooms (baby bella/cremini, or portabello)
2T chopped toasted almonds

1. Pre-heat oven to 375° F.

2. Line a colander with a damp, ugly kitchen towel. Set aside.

3. Spinach: In a large pot, with a lid, over medium heat, add the olive oil; when warm, add the shallots and sauté 3-4 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the spinach, toss well, and cover with the lid. Cook about 2-3 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and turn the heat to medium-high. Toss the spinach for another 1-2 minutes until the greens are wilted. Season with salt and 4-5 twists of pepper. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place in the towel-lined colander. Let the spinach cool.

6. Once the spinach is cooled, squeeze all the extra water out of it.

7. Place the spinach on your cutting board and rough chop it. Set aside.

8. With a mushroom brush or damp towel, wipe any dirt from the mushrooms.

9. Using a melon baller or spoon, remove the stem and remove a little of the interior of the mushroom to create a larger opening, if needed.

10. Fill the mushrooms with the spinach and place on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet pan.

11. Bake at 375° F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until mushrooms are slightly softened and hot.

12. Transfer to a platter or plates. Topped with chopped nuts and serve immediately.

• Nuts: 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 store in an airtight container for weeks.

TIPS & TRICKS

• This is the best way to cook spinach so that all the water cooks out but is doesn’t get mushy or slimy. Serve it as a the perfect side, by doing recipe to step #5. Once cooked place the spinach in a serving dish and enjoy.

• I use a large pot , like the type you would cook pasta in and two wooden spoons to “toss” the spinach as you would pasta so that it wilts evenly.

• Spinach can be prepared the day ahead. Then fill the mushrooms before cooking.

• You can also fill tomatoes instead of mushrooms. You can also fill tomatoes instead of mushrooms.

Standing Rib Roast of Beef

Ingredients

8 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. dried thyme
2T salt
2T cracked black pepper
4 cups beef stock
one 4 -5 bone standing rib roast (about 10-12 pounds total)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 jar prepared horseradish

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.

2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to create a coarse paste. Rub the paste all over the roast. Let sit 1 hour at room temperature.

3. Place the roast on a rack of a roasting pan bones faced down. Pour stock into bottom of pan and place in 450° F oven for 15 minutes.

4. After 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 350° F. DO NOT OPEN DOOR. Continue to cook the roast about another 1 hour and 45 minutes, then check the internal temperature. It should be 115-120º F deep in the center of the roast. If not, return the roast to the oven and continue roasting, checking every 15 minutes until your reach temperature.

5. Remove roast from pan and place on a platter; tent loosely with foil and let rest at least 30 minutes.

6. Pour the pan drippings from the roasting pan into a fat separator. Pour de-fatted drippings into a gravy boat to serve with the roast, retaining the fat in the separator for use in preparation of the Yorkshire pudding.

7. To carve the roast set it on its side. Using a knife, cut along the bones to separate them from the meat. Slice in between the ribs; place the ribs on the platter. Place the meat fat side up on the cutting board and slice into slices, Place the slices on the platter and serve with au jus (dripping), whipped horseradish cream and Yorkshire pudding.

Horseradish Cream

1. In a bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks are formed. Fold in 4 tablespoons of horseradish. Give it a taste; if you want it spicier, add an additional tablespoon at a time until desired spiciness is achieve.

TIPS & TRICKS

• If you can rub the paste all over the roast 1-4 days before cooking and place on a rack uncovered in your fridge, it will improve the flavor of the meat and also develop a more beautiful crusty brown exterior.

• By cooking the roast to 115-120° F in the oven and then letting it rest, the internal temperature will continue to rise. We call this “carry over cooking”. It will bring the internal temperature to 125-130° F which will give you a rare center and a mostly medium rare roast. If you want it a little more done, cook it to 125-130° F in the oven, which will give you a more medium roast.

Amaretto, Almonds & Pear Trifle

Ingredients

Custard:
2½ cups cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
6 egg yolks
3T cornstarch
½ cup sugar
pinch of salt
1T vanilla paste or extract
1T butter, cold

Trifle:
2 cups pears, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes (about 2-3 pears). Use Bartlett, Anjou, or Comic
1 cup frozen raspberries, defrosted
1 cup sliced almonds toasted
½ cup toasted, shredded coconut
1pkg ladyfinger biscuits/cookie, (24 biscuits)
1 cup apricot jam
½ cup Amaretto liquor
1 cup heavy whipped cream
3T confectioner’s sugar
12 half pint jars with lids

1. Custard: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat the milk, cream until hot, but not boiling.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk together until light in color and well blended. Add a cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Now pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot milk, whisking constantly.

3. Return the pan to the stove and stir until mixture thickens, about 6-8 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and pass through a fine strainer. Stir in the butter and let cool completely. Place a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly on top of the custard so that it doesn’t form a skin.

5. In a small bowl, combine the pears and raspberries. Mix until combined. Set aside.

6. In a small bowl, combine the toasted nuts and coconut. Mix until combined and set aside.

7. In a bowl with a whisk/beater, whip the heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks are formed. Set aside.

8. Place the ladyfinger biscuits on a baking sheet pan and spread each one with jam. Sprinkle the amaretto on top of the biscuits.

9. Break a biscuit in half and place the pieces, jam side up on the bottom of a jar, pushing them down.

10. Add a tablespoon of the custard, then a tablespoon of the pear-berry mixture.

11. Sprinkle some of the nut-coconut mixture on top.

12. Repeat with another layer of biscuit, custard, and fruit.

13. Top with the whipped cream. Decorate the top with nut-coconut mixture. Cover with lid. Repeat with the remaining jars.

14. Refrigerate 3 hours (or overnight is better) before serving.

15. To serve, tie a bow around each jar, place on dessert plate and serve.

Notes:

• Nuts: 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 store in an airtight container for weeks.

• Coconut: To toast coconut: preheat oven 350º F. Place coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until coconut is slightly brown (not all the coconut will become brown).

TIPS & TRICKS

• Trick to test if custard is cooked enough: stir the custard with a wooden spoon. It should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, and when you draw a line with your finger, it holds. Custard can be made 2 days ahead.

• In the winter months, I like to use a combination of pears and frozen berries, or you can use just the frozen berries. In the summer months, I use fresh berries and stone fruits or a combination of both. This is just the best dessert for a crowd!

• Chopped walnuts, pecans, also work well too!

• You can use pound cake instead of ladyfinger biscuits.

• Change the jam to match your fruit. Strawberry and raspberry work as well.

• As you change the fruit and jams, you can change the liquor. Traditionally trifle is made with sherry, but you could also use Cointreau, cassis, or Bourbon.

• The trifle is traditionally served in a trifle bowl. I thought it would be fun and festive to have each guest have his or her own little dessert to resemble a present. You can also make the trifle in a large glass bowl. You might not need to break the biscuit into pieces if the container you are using is larger than the jars.

• The trifle cans be assemble 2 days ahead.