Rosemary~Balsamic Filet Mignon with Stilton Butter

Cheese...stinky cheese! You really have to like bleu cheese to really enjoy this recipe. You can omit the stilton butter, but really?? Why would you do that?

Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. Actually, I like all fresh herbs, but I will put rosemary on or in almost everything. When I was in high school, I dated a chef who claimed to despise the herb. Needless to say, that didn't last :o) I do credit my culinary awakening to him, and we are still friends, so not all was lost! There's just something about pulling fresh herbs right out of the garden. The scent is stronger, the flavor more powerful, and knowing that you grew it yourself give a little sense of reward. At least to me it does. I have a brown thumb. I managed to keep my basil alive all winter, only to forget it out in the cold one night and lose all three plants.

Enough ramble, and more food! This dish is something that I've been making for years. There used to be a steakhouse up the street from Waters Edge Resort (where I worked at the time) that served a rosemary balsamic filet, that I fell in love with. This is my take on it:

Ingredients:

2-4 Petite Filets (This recipe can be expanded to make any number of filets)

5 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

5 Cloves of Garlic-Minced

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt & Cracked Black Pepper

Crumbled Stilton-I'd guess 1/4 cup

1 Stick of Sweet Cream Butter-Softened

Side:

Bundle of Fresh Asparagus

Hand full of Pignoli Nuts (Pine Nuts)

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

*I made this with saffron risotto. I didn't particularly like the flavor medley when it mixed with all the other strong flavors in the dish. I would suggest a wild rice, plain Parmesan risotto or a mild rice/orzo mix.

**Also, I make this in a cast iron skillet. This fairs just as well on a grill. It's your choice!

Pre-Heat your oven to 450 degrees. Place your cast iron skillet on the middle rack and heat while you prep your ingredients. With a fork, pierce the top and bottom of your filet, sparingly, to absorb the vinegar. If you are planning to marinate for longer than a half hour to an hour, skip this step. Lightly dust your file with salt and pepper on both sides.

On a clean cutting board, mince your garlic and finely chop 5 sprigs of your rosemary. Along with the filet, place all three ingredients into a plastic freezer bag. Pour in a generous amount of balsamic vinegar; enough to mix with the rosemary and garlic and not be a sludge. Allow to marinate in your refrigerator for half an hour to an hour.

In the meantime...

In a small bowl, mix 1 stick of butter with about half the amount of stilton cheese. A stick of butter is 1/2 a cup, so a quarter cup to 2/3 of a cup is ample. More or less depending on your taste for bleu cheese. Pour your mixture onto parchment or plastic wrap and form a new stick of butter. Put in the fridge to firm up while you cook. This is enough to feed an army, so feel free to freeze it for the next time you make this dish!

Since you'll have some time while you're marinating the steak, let's make some asparagus! This is super simple! Wash your asparagus and break off the woody bottoms. If you bend the asparagus, they will break right where they need to! Coat them with olive oil, kosher salt, cracked pepper and hand full of pignoli nuts.

When your filet is ready, move your cast iron skillet to a medium/medium high burner. Put your asparagus into the oven to roast (no more than 10 minutes). Sear your filet for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove your asparagus from the oven and cover with tin foil. In the meantime, move the cast iron skillet, with your filet, into the oven and roast until you reach your desired doneness:

135 Degrees-Rare

145 Degrees-Medium Rare

160 Degrees-Medium

170 Degrees-Well Done

 You can also use the thumb test

I usually remove them around 5 degrees below the desired doneness, because you want them to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to distribute throughout the meat. This is a good time to put your asparagus back in the oven for a few minutes if they've cooled down substantially.

Once your filet is cooked, it's time for plate up. You can go all fancy, or you can just put the filet on your plate and cut a 1/4 inch round of stilton butter and let it melt over the top.  Add a small dash of vinegar, a little more kosher salt and pepper to taste and VOILA, you're done!

As I mentioned before, I didn't like the strong scent of saffron with all the other flavors. Lesson learned! Don't choose pretty over taste. Always go with your gut!

This is also a great marinade for Porterhouse steaks and pairs well with Cajun Shrimp Skewers. Just a thought!

**Please note that you don't need that much balsamic vinegar on the finished product. I took out the doo-hicky on the top of the bottle that restricts how much comes out...well, that bit me in the butt, as it poured out faster than I expected. No worries, though. I just tilted the plate and poured the excess off after the picture was taken!

Sneak Peek: Rosemary~Balsamic Filet Mignon with Stilton Butter

Light Summer Chowder with Roasted Vegetable Baguette Sandwich

Chowder...Chowdah...I just can't help calling it that! I have about 1,001 recipes for Clam Chowder, from creamy to clear and from spicy to tomato and herb. Keep an eye out this summer for a few other of my favorite Chowder recipes, including the one that took 2nd place at the Annual Guilford Chile and Chowder Cook-off!

My love for shellfish began as a toddler on the back patio of my great-grandparents lake-side home. I was eating steamers by the dozen before most kids even made it to solids. It was love at first bite. From the back yard clam bakes with the Flying Tigers, to combing the beaches of East Setauket, Long Island, to Sunday trips to Bills Seafood with Gramps late into his 80's; seafood was a passion and bond shared with my grandparents that I will carry until MY great grandchildren are driving ME every Sunday for Lobster at Bills.

So, On to the recipe! Having worked 10 hours, I didn't have the time or patience for my usual New England version. I opted for a quick, light clear broth chowder that could be whipped up with very little mess. I will also include a recipe for the grilled veggie sandwich we had on the side. This is a great beach meal if you share my fear of slimy lunch meats in the beach cooler!

Ingredients:

2 Ears of Farm Fresh Corn-Cut Off the Cob
1 1/2 Dozen Little Neck Clams
6 Quahogs
(You can also choose to do all Little Necks or All Quahogs. I like having whole bellies in my broth, plus some chopped, so I mix it up)
1/2 a Large Vidalia Onion-Diced
12oz Package of Salt Pork
4 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes-Cubed
A Small Bundle of Fresh Thyme
Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper- To Taste
Butter
Olive Oil
A dash of Worcestershire Sauce

The first thing you want to do is prep your ingredients! Slice your corn off the cob (roast with olive oil if you'd like), cube your potatoes and dice your onions. Pull the little leaves of thyme off of their stems until you have about a tablespoon or two. Enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Give them a quick rough chop on the cutting board to release the flavor. You can use more or less thyme depending on your preference for its flavor. Diced up your salt pork, removing any extra fat that you're not comfortable with. The fat is the best part though, so don't lose it all!!

Scrub, scrub, scrub your clams! You're going to use the broth you make out of the boiling water, so the less dirt you have, the better! After you've scrubbed, place your clams in a large stock pot and fill with cold water...just about covering your clams. If a few are sticking out, that's fine! They'll steam open! Turn your burner on high and bring the water to a boil. Keep a close eye on your clams and remove them as soon as they open. The little necks will open quicker and will get rubbery if you leave them in too long, so don't neglet the little guys!

Once they've steamed open, let the shells cool a bit and then remove the meat and give the quahogs a rough chop. Put these in a bowl and save for later.

Take your stock pot and let the sand/gunk settle to the bottom of the pot. Pour (slowly) your broth into a bowl, except for maybe the last cup or so. The sand is heavier and will stay back in the pot until the last bit of broth is ready to come out. Once you get to the point where you see the sand moving towards your bowl, dump that part down the drain! Give your pot a quick rinse and return to the stove.

Add a small amount of olive oil to your stock pot and add your salt pork, onion and thyme. Allow the pork to brown slightly and your onions to become translucent. At this point, slowly add your broth, keeping sure to scrape the drippings off the bottom of the pot and incorporate into your broth. Add your corn, clams and potatoes and bring to a boil. Continue simmering until your potatoes are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now for the optional part: Butter and Worcestershire. I'm lactose intolerant, which has often left me with no choice but to cook Rhode Island style chowdah...but, it's just not the same without butter. So, take a few little squares of butter and melt them into the broth.

Worcestershire sauce is the weird one. I did this on a whim during the Guilford Chowder cook-off. This is where the imaginative cooking comes in. I have no idea why I thought it would taste so good, but I put a dash in for good measure. Well, now, years later, I read that it's actually called for in some chowders!! How weird is that? I just add a few dashes and I'm done!

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 Yellow and 1 Green Squash
1 Large Bell Pepper-Any Color
1/2 Large Vidalia Onion
2 Large Portabella Caps-Sliced
Roasted Garlic Hummus
Chevre Cheese
Spring mix, spinach or field greens
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
4 Mini Baguettes or 2 Large Baguettes
Light all burners on your grill and adjust to medium heat.

While the grill is warming up, roughly slice all of your vegetables. Remember to make them big enough to stay on top of the grates. The onions are the hardest, and YOU WILL lose some. It's just part of the game!

Place your vegetables on a sheet pan or in a large bowl and coat with olive oil, kosher salt and cracked pepper.

Place evenly on the grill grates and watch carefully as they roast on the flames. The vegetables will cook very, very quickly. Turn over when you notice they're starting to brown. Be sure to remove your mushrooms first. If you cook them too long, they may seem soft, but they'll harden like a rock as soon as they cool!

Slice your baguettes in half and spread garlic hummus on one side and sprinkle the chevre on the other.

Layer your choice of lettuce/greens with the grilled vegetables on your sandwich. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and place the top of your sandwich on. Slice into small appetizer portions or large lunch portions.

Enjoy!

Sneak Peak: Summer Soup & Sandwich

FINALLY! Rosemary Lamb Chops with Sundried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Relish

Every once in a while I get a craving for lamb chops. It's not a common craving, but when it comes, I have to have it...and  lot of it! I'll eat a dozen little lamb chops in one sitting.

We didn't grow up eating lamb. I don't know if it was our mutual dislike for mint jelly, or that it was just too pricey for a family of 6. We raised our own steer and swine, so there was always a freezer packed with meats to dine on and seafood always took presidence if you were going to spend the extra penny. It wasn't until I was in high school that I was introduced to things like lamb, rabbit, duck and exotic meats such as bison. It was probably a very smart move on my parents part as they might have gone broke had I developed my taste buds that early.

Here is an easy and quick recipe that originated in my early catering days with Pintore. We served baby lamb chops as an appetizer with a tepanade-like relish on top. This is obviously my take on a dish that I had eaten often, but never had a recipe for:

Ingredients:
10 Lamb Chops
2-3 Tablespoons of Roughly Chopped Garlic
4 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
Kosher or Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil
1/2 Cup (ish) of Sun-dried Tomatoes (Packed in Olive Oil)
1/2 Cup (ish) of Kalamata Olives (Preferably Pitted)

Heat 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of Garlic and 3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary. Sautee until the rosemary is fragrant and the garlic is slightly cooked. Do not burn your garlic. If you do, start over. You'll never get that taste out! Remove your rosemary just before browning your meat.

In the meantime, sprinkle your salt and cracked pepper generously on either side of the chops. Add your lamb chops one at a time to the skillet, making sure not to over-crowd your pan. You want a nice sear, not a steamed piece of meat. Continue cooking about 3-4 minutes until slightly browned and flip. Do the same on the opposite side. This should bring your chops to about medium rare. Cook longer if you prefer your meat a little more well done, or pop the skillet into a hot oven to continue cooking while you prepare the rest of the batch.

For the topping, mince your sundried tomatoes (with a little of the oil from the jar), leftover garlic, rosemary leaves and kalamata olives and mix together. You can also pulse these ingredients in a food processor. Occassionally I will also add in some feta or chevre...or even combine the ingredients with a little bit of lemon rind and butter. This tastes wonderful when you smear the butter over the lamb chops and it melts.

Spoon your topping over your lamb chops and voila! You're done!

I served mine with parmesan cous cous and a light spinach salad.

Sneak Peek: Rosemary Lamb Chops with Sundried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Relish

Those lovely fish measuring spoons!

Way back, when I was just learning to cook, there was no such thing as measurements. You learned to cook by smell, by feel, by taste. That was how we did things. Nothing ever came out exactly the same. Never was a recipe written down; other than maybe a list of ingredients...which was often lost or thrown away soon after the dish was done. You memorized ingredients in your head, not by name, but by taste. A special skill in my household was being able to tip your head back, eyes closed, and taste how that particular herb would meld with that particular concoction. It worked. It sometimes failed, but not often. We like to make things a little bit more difficult in our household, because then, the end result is purely your own.

The need for utensils slowly shifted as I got into baking and realized that it was more of a mathematical science than cooking was. I still don't consider myself a great baker. There's something about not being able to drift too far from a recipe that just bores me to death. Plus, the ratio of defeat to win in baking situations is much larger.

All in all, I began to respect...and NEED measuring equipment. I got it. I was a semi-convert. Then there were the FISH MEASURING SPOONS! If ever there was a thing I could love, it was them! Oh dear lord, mother Paula Dean! I still remember the day I first saw those measuring spoons. I needed them! I went on a google fueled search for them and turned up without any luck. I don't think the world knew how important this was to me. It took something that I slightly loathed, and made it beautiful; whimsical; fun! Then, out of the blue, I was scouring the clearance section in Home Goods and there they were. There was a little wooden bracket with pewter hooks that held the four beautiful little fishies. What luck!

Well, we spent 2 great years together before the bottom fell out. My engagement ended, and in the division of property a few things were not returned. One very sentimental rolling pin of my great grandmothers and the fish measuring spoons. There was more, but those two things were so obviously, so heartbreakingly mine. (Spoons? Really? Talk about having a problem right? I know! I'm working on it!)

The rolling pin has been replaced (Thanks mom), but the measuring spoons have not. They still live in our old house on their little rack over the sink.

So, where is this going right? This is not a blog about stalking ex's to get property back. I promise! What this event forced me to do was go back to my roots. Cooking with the senses. Tilting my head back with my eyes closed to see if this will taste good with that. I will document my ingredients and NOT throw them away this time, to share with you the recipes that fill my little head.

It's also a metaphor for throwing out the rules and marching to the beat of your own drum. In the spirit of throwing out the rules, you'll also find posts on event planning, music, books...whatever strikes my fancy!
Cheers to a life without measuring spoons!