Simple Steak Au Poivre

Mmm this was quite tasty...I love a good sauce to go with my steaks sometimes.  I would give this one an 8 out 10, as it wasn't anything over the top impressive, but certainly something I'd make again.  I'm posting the link to give credit for the original--however, you won't be able to access unless you have a subscription.  I've found many NY Times recipes that I wanted access to, thus I decided to give in and pay for access...at least for this month...
Recipe for the potatoes coming tomorrow/next post :)

Original recipe link:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017319-simple-steak-au-poivre

Ingredients (with my modifications):

4 beef tenderloin steaks (filet mignon), 6 oz. each/1" thick, bacon-wrapped
salt
freshly cracked mixed peppercorns
2 T. unsalted butter, divided
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 1/2 c. chicken stock and/or rich beef broth (I combined the two for this time)
1 T. Cognac
1/4 c. crème fraîche

Instructions:

1. Place steaks on a plate and season well on both sides with salt and cracked pepper, pressing in after seasoning.  Let stand for 10 min.

2. Heat large cast iron skillet over med-high heat until almost smoking, then add 1 T. of the butter to pan, followed by the steaks.

3. Cook for 3 minutes per side (or longer, depending on desired doneness).  Transfer steaks to platter.

4. Add remaining 1 T. of butter to the pan and lower heat to just above medium.  Add shallots and sauté for around 1 minute (should be browning).

5. Add broth to pan and bring to simmer, then add Cognac.  Continue to simmer until reduced by half, around 4 minutes.

6. Stir in the crème fraîche and cook until sauce is lightly thickened.

7. Transfer steaks back to pan to warm for a couple of minutes.  Serve immediately with sauce over each and enjoy!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookies

Mmmm cookies.  This recipe makes quite a few cookies--if you are craving a great balance of peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate, this is the cookie for you.  A crunchy cookie that goes great with a glass of milk--10/10 once again :)

Link to original recipe:
http://overtimecook.com/2013/07/22/oatmeal-peanut-butter-mm-cookies/

Ingredients:

1 c. (2 sticks) butter (or margarine; I opted for butter), softened
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. rolled/old fashioned oats
1 c. M&M's (original recipe calls for mini M&M's, but the regular size ones worked fine!)
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  (Original recipe calls for baking sheets to be lined with parchment; I somehow missed this and they still turned out fine (on non-stick sheets))

2. Cream butter and peanut butter using a mixer on medium speed.

3. Beat in brown sugar and sugar.

4. Beat in vanilla, baking soda, and eggs.

5. Add flour and mix in on low speed.

6. Stir in oatmeal, M&M's, and chocolate chips by hand.

7. Scoop dough onto baking sheets using either a medium cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon, spacing 1 1/2" apart.  If a flatter/rounder cookie is desired, flatten dough balls using two fingers.

8. Bake for 10-11 min.  Leave on baking sheet for a couple minutes prior to transferring to cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Sheet pan Kielbasa and potatoes

Mmmmm!  Have to give this a 10/10 right off the bat for taste plus ease of prep and cleanup!  And I made it in my new, large toaster oven, as I only need 2 servings, which this was exactly for us--even better :)  Not trying to advertise for Black & Decker or anything, but I do have to say I really love this toaster oven so far, as does my brother who uses it all the time for frozen pizzas.  Anyway, if you want an easy dinner, here you go!  The original recipe includes green beans, but hubby is not a fan and I didn't have any on hand, so those were left out and I modified temp a bit to make sure the potatoes would get soft/done enough.

Link to original recipe:
https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2017/08/17/sheet-pan-smoked-kielbasa-with-herbed-potatoes-and-green-beans/

Ingredients (with my modifications):

5 or 6 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, large diced (leave skin on)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 tsp. coarse ground pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
14 oz. Polska Kielbasa , sliced in 1/4 to 1/2 slices

Instructions (with my modifications):

1. Heat oven (or toaster oven, in my case) to 425°F.  Line a small rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients except the Kielbasa.

3. Pour mixture, without scraping the bowl, onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, stirring once around halfway point.

4. Add Kielbasa to same bowl and stir to coat in the remaining oil/spice mixture.  Add to baking sheet and bake additional 25 minutes, again stirring once around halfway point.

5. Serve up and enjoy!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Seasonings

Mmmmm this is very, very good fried chicken...I have to give it 9.5 out of 10, because it's not as good as my favorite recipe for fried chicken, but far less work and time involved and is pretty close.  Love the awesome crispiness of this one in particular.  I doubled the amount of the original recipe's buttermilk marinade part because I had twice as much chicken as the recipe calls for.  However, the flour mixture part as written/single was enough to cover the doubled chicken amount, thus my recipe amounts below reflect these modifications.  Enjoy!

Link to original recipe:
https://tasty.co/recipe/american-buttermilk-fried-chicken

Ingredients:

12 chicken drumsticks--I used Perdue brand that I got at Target (noting this for myself, as these were very good quality and just the right size, not giant mutant chicken sized like most others)

Buttermilk marinade:

4 tsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. coarse ground pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
4 c. buttermilk

Flour mixture:

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarse ground pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

oil for frying (I used Canola)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for buttermilk marinade, then add chicken, making sure all pieces are as covered as possible in the marinade.  Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and place in fridge for around 1 hour (or longer--I went overnight the most recent time making this and it was great, too!)

2.  Combine all ingredients of the flour mixture in a medium to large bowl or dish with sides.

3.  Pour 2 1/2 to 3" of oil into Fry Daddy (or large, heavy skillet) and heat to 350°F.

4.  Dredge each chicken piece in flour mixture to cover completely, then place in fryer.  If using Fry Daddy, 3 drumsticks is optimal amount to fry as batch.

5. Fry for 15-20 minutes, then let rest/drain on wire rack or paper towels for 10-15 minutes before eating.  Enjoy!

Potato Gratin with Keisarinna

Mmmm creamy cheesy potatoes!  These are quite the treat and worth the effort to make...10/10 once again :)  they went especially well with the steak I made with Merlot sauce (posted yesterday)...mmmmmmmm ok yeah you need to have these in your life as soon as you can.  I was inspired by the cheese I bought at Costco: Finlandia's Keisarinna.  This cheese describes itself as a cross between 'sweet Gouda and sharp Parmesan'--and I find that to be quite accurate.  When I went on Finlandia's site to find a recipe for potatoes, I landed on this one.  It has their Swiss in the recipe, but I opted to sub for Keisarinna--and I think you will happy if you do the same :)  Aside from that, only other modification was the amount of potatoes and cream.  I used about 1 3/4 lbs. instead of 2 and about 1 3/4 c. cream.  I have listed these as the amounts used in my ingredients list.  Enjoy!

Link to original recipe:
http://finlandiacheese.com/cheese-recipes/classic-potato-gratin/

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, peeled (I am not so sure it's necessary to peel them, though) and slice super thin (using a mandolin slicer)
1 T. unsalted butter, softened
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
8 oz. Finlandia Keisarinna cheese, grated
1 3/4 c. heavy cream
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 c. panko

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Use the softened butter to butter bottom and sides of an 8" x 8" glass (or ceramic) baking dish.

2. Cover bottom of dish with one layer of potatoes.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, followed by scant layer of Keisarinna.  Repeat pattern until everything has been used up.

3. Pour the cream over the potatoes.  Press down very gently to get any air pockets out.

4. Grate fresh nutmeg on top, then sprinkle the panko over to make the very top layer.

5. Bake for 1 hour (I think I went exactly this, but you may need longer)--or until top is golden brown and knife can be easily inserted in center. 

6. Cool for at least 10 min. prior to serving.  Enjoy!

Steak with Merlot Sauce

Can't believe I have not blogged this one yet.  Then again, I haven't made it in forever...had to look back through my emails where I sent it to my mom...in 2009!  Made it again back in November and it was just as wonderful as ever, especially with the cheesy potatoes that accompanied it (will be in next entry :)).  Anyhow, if you love wine reduction steak sauces, this is the top, 10/10 all the way.  It does take a bit of time, but it's easy and so very worth it, I swear!  I used Red Diamond Merlot this time, but you could use any Merlot that you would also drink :)  Enjoy!
p.s. Didn't get a lot of pix to accompany this--will post more if I remember to take them next time I make it...

Link to original recipe:
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/filet-mignon-with-merlot-sauce-5653

*I made only half of this, thus it did not take quite an hour to reduce.  I'm putting the FULL recipe amounts below; whichever amount you do, make sure you pay close attention to the reduction after 30 minutes!*

Ingredients:

1 bottle (750 mL) Merlot
2 cans (14.5 oz each) low-salt chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
2 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 T. olive oil
6 filet mignon steaks (6 oz. each)
freshly cracked pepper
1/4 c. chopped shallots
1 T. chopped garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Instructions:

1. In a large, heavy saucepan over high heat, boil wine, chicken broth, and beef broth together until mixture is reduced to 2 cups--about 1 hour (start checking at 30 minute mark to make sure you don't reduce too far!).

2. In a small bowl, mix/mash together butter and flour.

3. Heat a large (preferably cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil to the pan.  Season steaks with salt and cracked pepper, then add to pan.  Sear steaks for around 4 minutes on each side (depending on thickness, this should yield medium-rare).  Transfer steaks to plate and cover to keep warm.

4. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme to skillet; stir for 30 seconds.

5. Carefully add 1 1/2 c. of the reduced wine mixture to the skillet (reserve remainder for another use).  Bring to a boil, scraping pan as you stir.  Whisk in butter mixture, then boil for additional 2 minutes.  Serve atop steaks and enjoy!

Bacon and Leek Quiche

Mm. Mmm. Mmmm.  I have a bunch of other posts waiting to be finished from the past few months, but I had to do this one first--it's just that good :) I made it the other day when we were staying out of the -50 something wind chills going on outside due to the polar vortex.  So very glad I did, too! This one is a 10/10--great taste and easy to make, even the crust!  The original recipe is for 2 quiches; I reduced by half to make just one, the amounts for which are reflected in my post. 

Update: In the video, I made the full version of the crust (for 2 quiches), just to be sure I'd have plenty, plus the scraps are excellent topped and baked with cinnamon and sugar.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/nfFqWCI5jdQ

Original recipe link: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bacon-and-leek-quiche

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients (for 1 quiche):

Crust--

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring the prep surface
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 stick (6 T.) unsalted butter COLD, cut in small chunks/dice
1/2 of a large egg yolk (if you want to be precise, use measuring spoons for this; I did not)
7 T. ice water

Filling--

8 oz. bacon, cut into small strips across the grain
1 large leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
4 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 c. heavy cream or half-and-half (I used heavy cream)

Equipment: shallow tart pan with removable bottom, pie weights

Directions:

1. Using the dough blade, in a food processor, combine flour and salt.  Add butter, then pulse a few seconds at a time until it looks like grains with peas-sized pebbles mixed in.  (If your dough blade is small like mine is, you may need to scrape the bowl after a few pulses to blend completely.)

2. Add the half egg yolk and ice water.  Pulse again for a few seconds at a time, until dough has just moistened and formed.

3. Flour a work surface and knead dough gently 2 or 3 times.  Form dough into a small round disc shape and cover in plastic wrap.  Place in fridge for 20 min.  (I actually went closer to 30 and it was still fine.)

4. Unwrap dough and roll out on the floured work surface until it is just a bit larger than the tart pan.  Carefully transfer dough to tart pan without stretching and press to fit, removing any excess at edges (can use excess pieces to fill any gaps if needed).  Place in fridge for 10 min.

5. Heat oven to 375°F.  Cover pastry with aluminum foil and add pie weights, then bake for 30 min.

6. Remove the weights and foil, then bake for additional 10-15 min, until dry and golden. (Note: I went 15 min like original recipe said and it was a bit too long, shell came out a bit overdone, but it was still super tasty :))

7. Place tart pan on sturdy baking sheet and set aside.

8. In a large skillet, cook bacon pieces over medium to medium-high heat, until just starting to crisp/brown at edges. 

9. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon, leaving rendered fat behind, and transfer to paper towel lined plate/dish.

10. Add the leeks and thyme to skillet and lower heat to medium.  Season with kosher salt and white pepper, then cook leeks until softened, not browned.

11. Transfer leeks to a bowl and let cool for a couple of minutes, then stir in the bacon and Gruyère.

12. Spread bacon mixture (gently) over the baked shell.

13. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, and cream.  Pour this mixture evenly over the bacon mixture in the shell.

14. Bake the quiche for 30 min, rotating the shell for even baking around the 15 min mark. 

15. Let quiche cool for 15 min before removing outer ring,  Serve and enjoy!