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Valentine's
Day
Soup
Asparagus and Leek Soup
· 1
cup finely chopped white and pale green part of leek, washed well
· 1 garlic clove, minced
· 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
· 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
· 1 ¼ cups chicken broth
· 1/3 cup sour cream
In a saucepan cook the leek and the garlic in the butter over moderately
low heat, stirring, until the leek is softened, add the asparagus except
the tips (which will be steamed ands sprinkled over the soup), the broth,
and ½ cup water, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10-12 minutes
or until asparagus is very tender. Puree all of the mixture in a blender
until it is very smooth; stir the puree into the mixture remaining in
the pan, and whisk in the sour cream and salt and pepper to taste. Cook
the soup over moderately low heat until it is heated through, but do
not let it boil. Serves 2. Preparation time: approximately 45 minutes.
Entrees
German Style Pork Tenderloin
· 2 lb. pork tenderloin, cleaned and trimmed
· 4 Tbs. olive oil
· 1/3 cup whole grain mustard
· ¼ cup rosemary, fresh and minced
· 1 tsp. salt
· 1 tsp. pepper
· ½ cup apple juice + 1 cup apple juice
· ½ cup Chardonnay
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Coat each tenderloin with all ingredients divided equally. Marinate 2-4
hours. Heat oven-ready sauté pan until very hot on medium high
heat. Add 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add pork tenderloins searing all sides golden
brown 1-2 minutes a side. "Shock" pan with 1 cup apple juice
and wine. Place rosemary sprigs across the top (optional). Cover with
lid or foil. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes or until meat thermometer
comes out at 155-160 degrees. Take out of oven and remove pork Make sauce
out of pan.
Crisp Apple Chardonnay Sauce
· ½ cup
Chardonnay
· ¾ cup apple juice
· ¾ cup apples, peeled and diced (preferably Jonathon or Macintosh)
· 2 Tbs. flour
· ½ tsp. mustard
· 2 Tbs. shallots minced
· ½ tsp. nutmeg
· ½ tsp. minced rosemary, fresh
In hot sauté pan, add shallots and apples, cook until apples are
slightly tender. Add flour and mustard. Stir until evenly coated. Add
all liquids and spices. Reduce down by ¼. Sauce should be slightly
thin.
Deer of Beef Wellington
· 3 ½ pound
fillet of deer (or beef) with thin sheets of larding fat at room
temperature
· ¾ pound mushrooms, chopped fine
· 2 ½ Tbs. unsalted butter
· ½ pound pate de foie gras (available at Krogers) at room temperature
· 1 pound puff paste or thawed frozen puff pastry plus additional for
garnish if desired
· 1 large egg white beaten
· an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg yolk with 1 tsp. Of water
· ½ cup Sercial Madeira
· 2 tsp./ arrowroot dissolved in 1 tsp. Cold water
· ½ cup beef broth
· 2 Tbs. finely chopped black truffles (find a pig to help you find these)
if desired
· watercress for garnish if desired
In a roasting pan, roast the meat in the middle of a preheated 400-degree
oven for 25-30 minute, or until the thermometer registers 120 degrees.
Let the fillet cool completely and discard the larding fat and the strings.
Skim the fat from the pan juices and reserve the pan juices.
In a heavy skillet cook the mushrooms in the butter over moderately low
heat, stirring, until all the liquid they give off is evaporated and
the mixture is dry, season them with salt and pepper, and let them cool
completely. Spread the fillet evenly with the pate de foie gras, covering
the top and sides, and spread the mushrooms evenly over the pate de foie
gras. On a floured surface roll 1 pounds of the puff paste into a rectangle
about 20 X 12 inches, or large enough to enclose the fillet completely,
invert the coated fillet carefully under the middle of the dough and
fold up the long sides of the dough to enclose the fillet brushing the
edges of the dough with some of the egg white to seal them. Fold ends
of the dough over the fillet and seal them with the remaining egg white.
Transfer the fillet, seam side down to a jellyroll pan or shallow roasting
pan and brush with dough with some of the egg wash. Roll out the additional
dough and cut the shapes with decorative cutters.
Arrange the cutouts on the dough decoratively, brush them with the
remaining egg wash, and chill the fillet for at least 1 hour and up
to 2 hours. Bake the fillet in the middle of a preheated 400-degree
oven for 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees, and bake the fillet
for 5-10 minutes more, or until the meat thermometer registers 130
degrees. For medium-rare meat and the pastry is cooked through. Let
the fillet stand for 15 minutes.
In a saucepan
boil the reserved pan juices and the Madeira unit the mixture is
reduced by one fourth.
Add the arrowroot mixture, the broth,
the truffles, and salt and pepper to taste and cook the sauce over
moderate heat, stirring, being careful not to let it boil, for 5 minutes,
or until it is thickened. Loosen the fillet from the jellyroll pan,
transfer it with two spatulas to a heated platter, and garnish it with
watercress. Serve the fillet, cut into ¾-inch-thick slices,
with the sauce. Serves 8.
To prepare platter:
slice pork ¼ inch thick. Arrange the pork
on a bed of mixed field greens and garnish with endive, cherry tomato,
grilled apples and fresh rosemary.
Starch
Twice Baked Potatoes with garlic and rutabaga
Bake potato and then scoop out the insides. Add a fresh clove garlic
and ½ of a rutabaga; mash these together; add to potatoes and
put back inside and bake. Very yellow and colorful!
Desserts
Poached pears with sweet wine and fruit confetti
· 6
small firm but ripe Anjour pears, peeled
· 3 ½ cups sweet white or red wine (such as Moscato) from 1-liter
bottle
· 2 cups pear nectar
· 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
· 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
· 1 ½ tsp. Arrowroot
· ½ cup chopped peeled kiwi
· ½ cup chopped peeled seeded cantaloupe
· ½ cup quartered hulled strawberries
· fresh mint sprigs
Using melon baller, remove core from bottom end of pears. Combine wine,
pear nectar and cinnamon stick in large pot. Scrape in seeds from vanilla
bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Add pears (liquid should cover pears
halfway). Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until pears are tender, about
120 minutes, turning pears halfway through. Transfer pears and cooking
liquid to large bowl. Cool completely. Drain poaching liquid back into
pot. Mix 2 tablespoons liquid with arrowroot in small bowl; return to
pot. Boil until sauce thickens and is reduced to 2 cups, stirring occasionally,
about 12 minutes. Cook sauce to room temperature. (Pears and sauce can
be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Bring to room
temperature before serving.)
Spoon sauce into 6 shallow bowls. Place pears atop sauce. Sprinkle
kiwi, cantaloupe and strawberries around pears. Garnish with mint and
serve.
Serves 6.
Tiramisu
· Pre-made
sponge cake or a chocolate graham cracker crust
· 5 large egg yolks
· 1/3 cup sweet Marsala
· 1 Tbs. water
· ½ cup heavy cream
· 2 tsp. Vanilla
· 14 ounces marscarpone cheese softened
· 1 cup cooled espresso or extra strong coffee
· 3 Tbs. of Kahlua
· 3 Tbs. sugar
· 5 ounces of semisweet grated chocolate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the chocolate piecrust according to the directions, or bake the
sponge cake for about 10 minutes then let cool. In a bowl beat on high
speed until thick and pale yellow the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of sugar.
Whisk in the Marsala and the water. Put in a double broiler and whisk
until it reaches 160 degrees F. Remove and let cool, stir every couple
of minutes. Beat the heavy cream and vanilla until you get soft peaks,
set aside. Put the Mascarpone cheese in a bowl and fold in the whipped
cream and the cooled egg yolk mixture. Set aside. Mix the espresso or
coffee with the Kailua and the sugar. Put this mixture on the sponge
cake or in the graham cracker crust, and then spread the mascarpone mixture
on top. Garnish with the semisweet chocolate on the top of the mascarpone
layer. Place chocolate covered espresso beans at the top with the whipped
cream. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Cut into sections
and enjoy!
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