4 large
cloves garlic, minced
4 t chopped,
fresh rosemary (2 t dried)
1 t salt
1 t black
pepper
1-2 lb
boneless pork loin roast, well trimmed
Mix first 4
ingredients in a bowl. Rub mixture
over pork. Place pork, fat side
down, in roasting pan lined with foil.
Roast for 30 minutes at 400.
Turn roast fat side up.
Roast about 25 minutes more (or until 155 degrees). Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes. (Save juices for
mustard sauce)
Mustard sauce
:
3 strips
bacon
1 c heavy
cream
2 T grainy
Dijon mustard
1 sprig fresh
rosemary (or dried)
Cook bacon
and pour off excess grease. Add
mustard to deglaze pan. Add cream
and rosemary and extra juices from the roast. Whisk until thickened and serve with roast.
Samwise’s
Roasted Po-TAY-toes
2-3 pounds red
potatoes, cut into big chunks (you can also add chunks of carrots or of any
kind of root vegetable)
Kosher Salt
Olive Oil
Cover cookie
sheet with foil and preheat oven to 300. Place potatoes on foil and drizzle 2-3
tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over vegetables. Mix with
your lands or with a large spoon. Roast for 1-2 hours, stirring lightly every
45 minutes.
Mount
Doom Burgers
3 pound(s) ground beef chuck
2 tablespoon(s)
plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
4 ounce(s) blue cheese (or other soft cheese, such as Brie
or you can just use American cheese that has been cut into I inch squares)
Oil, for grates
8 rolls or buns, split
Heat
grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, gently fold together beef,
Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Form into 8
equal-size mounds.
Shape cheese into 8 equal-size disks.
Press a small well in the center of each beef mound. Place cheese in well; wrap
beef around cheese, pinching to seal.
Lightly oil grates. Place burgers on
grill; cover. Cook until grill marks are visible on first side, 4 to 6 minutes.
Turn burgers with a spatula and prick with a fork or a skewer to allow steam to
escape. This is very important so your cheese doesn’t ooze out! cook until grill marks are visible on
other side and meat is just slightly
pink in the middle, 4 to 6 minutes more for medium-rare.
Red
Pepper Lava Sauce
1 cup(s) light mayonnaise
1/4 cup(s) drained (jarred) roasted
red peppers
1/2 teaspoon(s) white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon(s)
ground pepper
In a food processor, combine all ingredients and
puree until evenly colored and almost smooth. Refrigerate, covered, if not
using immediately.
The
Onion Ring to Rule them All
2 Large Red
Onions (These are the secret to the BEST onion rings!)
1/8 cup corn starch
2
eggs
2/3 cups milk
1 1/2 c Bisquick
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup of corn meal
Heat
up your frying oil. Test it for heat with a little batter. Throw it in and if
it sizzles and turns brown, your batter is hot enough to get started. Beat
eggs slightly; blend in milk. Add remaining ingredients.
Cut
thick slices of onion. Separate into rings. Add corn starch and mix. This is
the ultimate way to getting the batter to stick to the onion rings!! Dip
in batter and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. (You may need to turn the hear down if the
outside is browning too fast. You need to cook them this long to make sure the
onion is cooked inside.)
Samwise’s
Strawberries and Cream Tart
For
the Tart Dough:
1
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2
c. confectioners' sugar
1/4
tsp. salt
9
Tb. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1
large egg yolk
Put
all dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the pieces of
unsalted butter over the top of the dry ingredients, and pulse until the butter
is cut in and the mixture looks like coarse meal. Break up the yolk a bit
before you add it to the food processor, and then add it and process in long
pulses until the dough comes together, you will hear the noise of the motor
change.
Butter
a 9 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over
the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You want to keep it crumbly here, it doesn't
have to be perfect. Freeze crust for 30 minutes.
Preheat
the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a piece of aluminum foil and fit it (buttered
side down) over the crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet, bake the crust
for 25 minutes, then remove the foil. Continue baking until the crust turns
golden brown (don't let it burn!) about 8 - 11 more minutes.
Let
cool. You can do this and store it up to 5 days before you need to serve it.
Vanilla
Pastry Cream:
2
c. whole milk
6
large egg yolks
1/2
c. sugar
1/3
c. cornstarch
1
1/2 pieces of vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract)
3
1/2 Tb unsalted butter, but into pieces and at room temp.
Boil
the milk and the vanilla (if using beans, scrape the seeds into the milk and
include the pods)in a small saucepan. As this is heating, in a medium saucepan
whisk the yolks with the sugar and cornstarch, until thick and well blended.
Still whisking, drizzle in about 3/4 cup of the hot milk in order to warm the
yolks. Continue whisking as you slowly add the rest of the milk. Put the pan
over medium heat and whisk constantly, bringing it to a boil. Keep mixture at a
boil, continuing to whisk, for about 1-2 minutes, and remove from heat.
Let
sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the butter until they are fully incorporated.
The pastry cream will be smooth and silky, not clumpy. Scrape cream into a bowl
and let it cool off. You can place a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface
of the cream so you don't get a skin. Refrigerate until it is cold and ready to
use. You can keep it for up to 3 days.
Assembly:
When
you are ready to serve your tart, pour the cooled pastry cream (give it a pass
or two with a whisk to incorporate it again) into the tart shell. Add fruits of
your choice (I find that berries or fruit that isn't too juicy works the best)
over the top. If you want a glaze, use about 1/3 cup of jelly of your choice
and one teaspoon of water, boil it, let it cool, and using a pastry brush
"paint" your fruit.
Precious
Golden Rings aka Doughnuts
1/3 c
shortening or butter
1/3 cup warm
water
2 eggs,
beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2
teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon
freshly ground nutmeg
Directions
Place
the milk in a medium saucepan
and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt
the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set
aside.
In a
small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5
minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand
mixer
and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and
shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs,
sugar,
salt, nutmeg,
and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on
low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and
beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at
first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough
hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls
away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer
to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
On a
well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2
1/2-inch doughnut cutter or pastry
ring and using a 7/8-inch ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking
sheet, cover lightly with a tea
towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oil
in a deep fryer or Dutch oven
to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts
into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Glaze immediately.
Glaze:
1/3
cup butter
2
cups confectioners' sugar
1
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4
tablespoons hot water or as needed
Melt
butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla
until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time
until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery.
