Herb Infused Stuffed Cornish Hen

Sous Vide Details: Cook Cornish Hen at 155ºF for 4-8 hours

Ingredients, Serves 1-2:

• 1 cornish hen (thawed)
• 3 tablespoons small diced celery
• 2 tablespoons small diced carrots
• 2 tablespoons small diced onions
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• Few sprigs of rosemary and Thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cornish hen is an interesting dichotomy for my friend.  She loves chicken, but small whole chicken?  Not so much.  Something about the movie "The Birds" early in her life causes her to have the hibijibis when it comes to small whole birds!  Well, I think cornish hens are "cute"!  So I decided to see if sous vide might change her opinion.

Pre-heat water bath to 155ºF. Typically cornish hens are purchased frozen solid, so you'll need to leave it in the refrigerator until it thaws out completely (maybe 1-2 days).  Once thawed, remove the wrapper and wash thoroughly.  Remove any parts from the cavity and pat dry with a towel.

Now, to make the stuffing, mix the celery, carrots, onions, EVO, and chopped rosemary and thyme.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Use a spoon and fill the hen cavity with the stuffing mixture.  Sprinkle hen with salt and pepper.  Place the hen in a bag and add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme.  Seal the bag and place in the water bath.  Cook for between 4 and 8 hours.

When done, remove from the water bath and pat dry.  I used a kitchen torch to sear the skin.  If you don't have a torch, place the hen on a baking sheet into the oven on broil and broil until the skin is browned.  Once browned, you're ready to plate and serve!

I presented to my friend and while she loved the taste, she still had the hibijibis on the "whole" presentation!  Oh well, at least it tasted wonderful!  Cheers.

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Irish Shepherd's Pie (with Turkey)

Ingredients, Serves 8-10:

For the mashed potatoes topping:

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk

For the meat filling:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 celery stocks, chopped
• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon paptrika
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.  Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the pot. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the EVO oil into a large deep walled pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, celery and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the turkey, salt and pepper and cook until browned, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the turkey mixture and spread evenly into an 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle on the paprika.   Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Irish Lamb Stew with Guiness Beer

Ingredients, Serves 8-10:

• 3 pounds lamb shoulder/neck (used for stew)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 6 stalks celery, cut into 1/2" slices
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped into medium pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 2 quarts beef stock
• 12 ounces Guinness stout
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• Salt and pepper to taste

In keeping with the St. Patrick's day tradition I decided to make authentic Irish Stew.  Of course, not being from Ireland, I'm not sure how authentic it is!  Well, using pearl barley and Guinness beer should hopefully make up for not being Irish!

First we need to prepare the pearl barley.  Bring 3 cups of beef stock to boil and add the pearl barley.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Then remove from heat.

Now take some Thyme, Parsley and Rosemary stems and tie them together with cooking twine.  Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep sided pan and brown the lamb meat.  Salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle some flour over the meat.

Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the pan you cooked the meat in and saute, tossing to evenly cook the vegetables.  Add the herb bundle, pearl barley, guinness, potatoes and beef stock so that it just covers everything.  Heat until just boiling and then reduce heat to low simmer and cook for 3 hours.  Stir stew occasionally.

After 3 hours, add salt and pepper to taste and add the corn starch (mix in some cold water first) and chopped parsley.  Mix and stir for a couple minutes until slightly thickened.  Pour into a nice presentation dish and serve it up!

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Irish Root Vegetable Medley

Ingredients, Serves 8-10:

• 8 carrots
• 4 turnips
• 12 fingerling potatoes
• 1 rutabaga
• 1 large parsnip
• 2 medium onions
• 2 kohlrabi bulbs
• 1 celery root (celeriac) bulb
• 1 whole head garlic
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme
• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVO)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley or chives, for garnish

I made this for a St. Patrick's Day party and it was a hit!  Healthy too!

First pre-heat the oven to 400º F.  Now, prepare all the root vegetables.  You need to peel the carrots, turnips, rutabaga, parsnip, kohlrabi and celery root.  Chop them all up (including the potatoes) into roughly same size pieces.  Separate the garlic head into individual cloves.  You can optionally peel them or leave them unpeeled.

Put all the vegetables and the herb sprigs in a large baking dish. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season well with salt and black pepper, and toss them with your hands to coat them evenly.  Put the baking dish in the oven and cook for roughly 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting, until the vegetables are golden brown and tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Present the vegetables in their baking dish or transfer them to a dinner platter, garnishing with freshly chopped parsley or chives just before serving.  Enjoy!

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Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage

Sous Vide Details: Cook Corned Beef at 180ºF for 10-12 hours

Ingredients, Serves 6-8:

• Corned Beef:
• 3-4 lb beef brisket
• 4 tablespoon curing salt (I got some at William and Sonoma)
• 4 tablespoon pickling spices
• 4 teaspoon brown sugar
• 4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar

So I decided to make corned beef from a regular beef brisket.  Be for warned, it takes 7 days to pickle the brisket into corned beef!

First, take your brisket and trim off most of the fat.  Mix the curing salt, brown sugar and garlic powder in a bowl.  Using a fork, punch holes in both sides of the brisket and rub the salt mixture into both sides of the brisket.  Now take the pickling spices and rub them into the brisket on both sides.  Once fully covered, take the brisket and seal it in a vacuum bag and place it into the refrigerator for 7 days.  Flip the brisket once every day.  If it's a thick brisket (more than 2 inches), you should let it pickle for 7 more days!  Once it's done, remove it from the bag and wash all the spices off the brisket and pat dry.  You now have corned beef!

Pre-heat water bath to 180ºF.  Lightly salt and pepper the corned beef and seam in plastic bag and drop in water bath for 10-12 hours.  The higher temperature and long cook time will worked to break down the connective collagen while maintaining a reasonably high level of water retention so that the corned beef is tender and moist.

About 15 minutes before removing the corned beef, you can start the cabbage.  Cut the cabbage into 1/8 wedges.  Add the chicken stock and vinegar to a large pot or deep walled pan.  Heat on medium high until just boiling and then add the cabbage.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.  YOu can flip the wedges once or twice.

Remove the cabbage and diagonally slice the wedges into 1" stripes.  Layer a bed of the cabbage on a serving plate.  Remove the corned beef from the water bath and bag and thinly slice across the grain.  Place the corned beef slices on top of the cabbage and garnish with parsley or you favorite green herb.  Enjoy!

You can serve this dish with this sauce to!

Horseradish Sauce:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup horseradish
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, zest, and salt. Season generously with pepper to taste. Refrigerate the horseradish sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients, Serves 4-6:

• 4 cups of flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut up into pieces
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup golden raisins or currants
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
• 1 3/4 cup butter milk
• 1 large egg

We decided to throw a St. Patrick's Day party this year and so I decided to cook authentic Irish dishes for the first time!  On the top of the list was Irish Soda Bread, a wonderfully rich and flavorful bread that doesn't use yeast and is super easy to make!

First, pre-heat oven to 425ºF.  Next, we mix all the try ingredients in a bowl.  I used a mixer bowl, but you can use any large bowl.  Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, butter, raisins/currants and optional caraway seeds.  Add the buttermilk and egg and mix until a smooth sticky consistency is achieved.  Don't over mix!

Sprinkle a layer of flour on a cutting board and place the dough in the middle and knead for about 15 seconds.  Place a sheet of waxed/parchment paper on a baking sheet and place the dough in a nice round mound in the middle of the baking sheet.  Using a knife, make two cross incisions on the top of the dough, cutting about 1 1/2" deep into the dough.  You can optionally sprinkle the top of the dough with some flour if you want it to have that "artisian" look!  Pop it into the oven and cook for 35-45 minutes.  It is done when you tap on the bottom of the bread and you hear a hallow sound.

Take the bread out of the oven and let cool, then slice it up and watch it disappear right before your eyes!

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Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1/2 lb headless shrimp
• 2 oz asian rice vermicelli
• Six  8.5" (22 cm)  rice sheets (you can get at an asian market)
• Leaves of cilantro, mint and Thai basil
• Lettuce Leafs
• Peanut sauce:
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Shirachi hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• Water to thin sauce

I LOVE Vietnamese shrimp spring rolls! They are fresh and aromatic and health too!  So I decided to make my own and now you can too!  It's super easy and makes a great snack or appetizer.

First you need to cook the shrimp.  Peel and toss into a boiling pot and cook for only about 2 minutes!  Strain and using a thin sharp knife (be careful), place the shrimp flat on a cutting board and slice the shrimp in half horizontally.  Next, you need to prepare the rice vermicelli noodles.  Place the dry noodles in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes until they soften up.  Then place them in a pot of boiling water for about 4 minutes.  Strain and set aside in a bowl.

Now comes the fun/challenging part....making the spring rolls themselves.  First, fill a bowl with warm water large enough to submerge the rice sheets.  Submerge a rice sheet for 2 seconds only and then lay it on a cutting board near you.  Place 3-4 shrimp halves down in the middle (left to right) and about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the rice sheet.  Place a piece of lettuce wrap over the shrimp, then layer some cilantro, basil, mint and shredded carrots.  Next, add some vermicelli noodles and then another layer of lettuce wraps.  Finally, add another 3-4 shrimp halves.  You should have what looks like a rectangular log of ingredients on the rice sheet.  Now, carefully fold over both sides so that they cover the ends of the ingredients.  Then carefully fold over the lower edge of the rice sheet over the top of the ingredients and roll the "log" away from you, forming the spring roll.  Do this for the other rice sheets and make as many rolls as you like!

For the peanut sauce, mix the first four ingredients in a small bowl and then slowly add small amounts of water, stirring until incorporated.  Add enough water until you reach the consistency you want for the sauce.  Place the peanuts into a zip lock bag and using the bottom of a pot or a meat tenderizer, crush the peanuts.  Add the crushed peanut on top for presentation.  You can also cut the rolls in half too!  Enjoy watching them disappear fast!

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Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup

Sous Vide Details: Cook Chicken at 142ºF for 2 hours

Ingredients, Serves 2-4:

• 1 skinless chicken breast
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 13oz can of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (use your favorite mushrooms)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup small diced celery
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, smashed and halved (3" length)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1/3 cup chopped Thai basil
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 fresh lime
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1-3 tablespoons chopped Thai peppers (depending on how spicy you want it)
• Salt and pepper for taste

I LOVE Thai food and Thai soup is a special treat.  So I decided to try to re-produce a Thai chicken coconut soup that I always get from my local favorite Thai restaurant.  The key to Thai soup is the delicate flavor.

First we want to get the chicken cooked and what better way than to sous vide the chicken.  Sous vide chicken is incredible!  Pre-heat water bath to 142ºF.  Take the chicken breast and lightly salt and pepper.  Place in plastic bag and seal.  Place in water bath and cook for 2 hours.

A half an hour before the chicken is done, you can start on the soup.  In a large pot, heat the EVO on medium high heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and stir until their aroma is released.  Add the mushrooms and cook until soft.  Add the lemongrass, red peppers, celery and carrots and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the Thai peppers and cook for 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar and turn heat down to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

When the chicken is done, remove from the water bath and bag and cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the chicken and chopped Thai basil to the soup and cook for 3-5 minutes to infuse flavor.  Finally squeeze the lime juice into the soup.  Ladle the soup into bowls and top with cilantro and scallions.  Enjoy!

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Turkey Breast Roulade with Wild Rice and Mushrooms

Sous Vide Details: Cook Turkey Roulade at 138ºF for 3 hours

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 large Turkey breast with skin on
• 1 cup cooked wild rice (I used a basmati herbed rice mix)
• 1 cup of your favorite mushrooms (I used mix of shitake and oyster)
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup small toasted bread crumbs (slightly smaller than 1/2" x 1/2")
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sauce:
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
• 1/4 cup thinly chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

I love Turkey breast sous vide, but it seams that I'm always waiting until Thanksgiving to have it.  Well, it's party because seeing the slices whole breast of white meat brings Thanksgiving visions to me every time.  So I decided to do a Turkey breast roulade as a change up.

Pre-heat water bath to 138ºF.  First we need to make the roulade stuffing.  Heat a medium skillet on medium high heat.  Add garlic and shallots and cook until shallots are transparent and there is a nice aroma.  Add the celery, mushrooms and thyme and cook until mushrooms are tender and soft.  When done, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the cooked rice, parsley, pecans and toasted bread crumbs.  Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Now, we need to "flatten" our Turkey breast.  Take the breast, skin side up, and make a horizontal slice in one side, stopping about 1" before getting to the other side.  Open the breast up like a book.  Place a large sheet of saran wrap on the counter and place the opened Turkey breast on the saran wrap. Place another large sheet of saran wrap over the top of the breast.  Using a meat mallet, flatten the Turkey breast until it is roughly 1/2" thick.  You can use a slightly diagonal striking motion to move the meat away from the center.

Once you have flattened the breast, remove the top saran wrap and place the spinach leaves over the breast.  Add the stuffing mixture over the spinach in a uniform layer.  Now, using the front of the saran wrap as a guide, carefully roll the Turkey breast into a log, wrapping the bottom saran wrap around to tighten the log form.  Pinch and twist the two sides to create a tight "log".  Place the whole Turkey breast log into a plastic bag and seal.  Place in the water bath and cook for 3 hours.

About a half an hour before the Turkey roulade is done, preheat the oven to 450ºF.  You can also start on the sauce.  In a medium sauce pan, heat the shallots and garlic over medium heat until shallots are transparent.  Add the white wine and reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until wine reduces to a thick liquid (almost completely reduced). Add the heavy cream, parsley, thyme and scallions and simmer until reduced to a thick consistency.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the butter, one cube at a time and whisk to combine.  Keep sauce warm, but not boiling until ready to serve.

When the Turkey is done, take it out of the water bath and plastic bag and carefully pat it dry.  Place it on an oven tray and place it in the oven.  Cook until skin is golden brown (about 5-8 minutes).  Remove from oven and place on cutting board.  Take a new sheet of saran and place it over the Turkey roulade and using a large knife, cut the roulade into slices.  Remove the saran and place the slices on a serving tray.  Serve with sauce on the side and enjoy!

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Turkey Bacon Wrapped Chicken Roulade

Sous Vide Details: Cook chicken roulade at 142ºF for 2 hours

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 5 slices of turkey bacon
• 1 1/2 cup of spinach
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil

Chicken by itself, even cooked sous vide can be a little "boring" at times.  I've found that an easy way to spice it up both flavor-wise and visually is to make chicken roulade, or a chicken breast roll.  It turns a boring breast into a fancy main entree!  For this particular roulade I thought I'd spice it up even more by wrapping it with turkey bacon, a little healthier than normal bacon.

Pre-heat water bath to 142ºF.  Lay out a large sheet of saran wrap on your counter top.  Place the chicken breast bottom side up in the middle and place a second large saran wrap on top.  Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a skillet, pound the breast till it is roughly 1/2" thick.  Holding both saran wrap sheets, flip the breast over and remove the top sheet.  Place the slices of bacon, perpendicular to the counter top edge, slightly overlapping over the chicken breast then place a new large sheet of saran wrap on top of the bacon.  Again, flip the sheets and breast over again so the bacon side is on the bottom.  Remove the top saran sheet and distribute the spinach over the chicken breast.  Then sprinkle the cheese over the spinach.

Now slowly roll the chicken breast into a log, using the bottom saran wrap to help form the log.  Pinch and twist the ends to compress the log at each end.  Place the chicken roulade (including the saran wrap) into a plastic bag and seal.  Place in the water bath and cook for 2 hours.

When the roulade is done, heat the grape seed oil in an iron skillet on medium high heat.  Remove the roulade from the water bath and open the plastic bag.  Remove the roulade and cut open and remove the saran wrap.  Pat the roulade dry with a paper towel.  Place in skillet and sear the bacon on all sides, roughly 30 seconds per side.  To slice it cleanly, you can place the roulade on a cutting board and place a new piece of saran wrap over it and then use a sharp knife to slice it into clean pieces.  Remove the saran after slicing.  Plate it up and server!  Enjoy...

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Vinaigrette Cole Slaw

Ingredients, Serves 6-8:

• 1 head green cabbage, julienned
• 1 head red cabbage, julienned
• 1 red pepper,  julienned
• 1 green pepper,  julienned
• 1 orange pepper,  julienned
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 1 scallion, cut to 1" lengths and then julienned
• For the vinaigrette:
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

I don't normally like cole slaw, but this vinaigrette based slaw is delish and super easy to make.  You can julienne the vegetables with a mandoline if you have one or just old fashion knife and hand!

Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl until well integrated.  Mix all the vegetables in a large bowl.  Pour vinaigrette over vegetables and toss to mix.  Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Beef Round Roast

Sous Vide Details: Cook beef round roast at 132ºF for 8-10 hours

Ingredients, Serves 4-6:

• 5-7 lb beef round roast
• Sprigs of rosemary and thyme
• 2 tablespoons powdered garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• Crust paste:
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons thyme, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon tarragon, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

I was in the grocery store the other day and decided to try a round roast sous vide style with a longer cook time at a lower temperature to see if it would come out more tender than if cooked the conventional way.  I've cooked round roast in the oven and on the stove top and both times, it comes out a little dry and tough.  So I thought I'd give it a try!

First, pre-heat the water bath to 132ºF.  Sprinkle the garlic powder over the roast and salt and pepper to taste.  Put the roast in a bag and add sprigs of thyme and rosemary.  Seal the bag and drop in water bath.  Cook for 8-10 hours.  This works well when you prep in the morning for dinner that night.

When the roast is almost done, you can make the crust paste.  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Heat an iron skillet with the grape seed oil on high until very hot.  When the roast is done, take it out of the water bath and bag and pat dry with a towel.  Rub the crust paste all over the roast.  Add the roast to the skillet and sear on all sides, roughly 30 sec to 1 minute per side or until a golden brown crust forms on each side.

When ready to plate, slice roast to display the beautiful "edge to edge" medium  rare results!!  Enjoy.

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Tilapia Fillet on Arugula with Mustard Grain and Mushroom Sauce

Sous Vide Details: Cook Tilapia at 132ºF for 30 minutes

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 2 Tilapia fillets
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Bunch of arugula leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• Mustard Grain and Mushroom Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon mustard grain
• 1 cup of your favorite mushrooms (I love Shimeji, but you can use shitake, oyster, etc...), rough chopped
• 1 tablespoon EVO
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Tilapia is a great light fish, but sometimes it seems to lack some taste (at least to me).  So I decided to make a nice tangy mustard grain mushroom sauce to give it some kick.

Pre-heat water bath to 132ºF.  Lightly season the fillets with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the fresh dill.  Place the fillets in a lag and add the lemon juice.  Seal the bag and place in the water bath.  Cook for 30 minutes.

While the fillets are cooking you can make the sauce.  Add the EVO to a sauce pan and heat on medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and stir.  Cook for 3 minutes or until mushrooms soften.  Add the mustard grain and lemon juice and stir to mix.  Reduce to low simmer and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for another 3-5 minutes.  Set aside or put on very low simmer to keep warm.

When the Tilapia is almost done, heat a case iron skillet with some grape seed oil on high heat.  Get the serving plates ready with some Arugula.  Sprinkle with some EVO.

Take the fillets out of the water bath and carefully remove the fillets and blot them dry with a paper towel.  Place them in the skillet to sear one side.  Cook for only 30 seconds.  Remove and place on top of the Arugula.  Pour the mustard grain mushroom sauce on top and serve immediately!

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Japanese Eggplant

Sous Vide Details: Cook eggplant at 185ºF for 45 minutes

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 3 Japanese eggplants
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup shaved Gruyere cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Japanese eggplant makes a great side dish and cooked sous vide makes it tender and juicy.

Pre-heat water bath to 185ºF.  Cut the eggplant into 3" lengths and then slice into 1/4" slices.  Discard the first and last slices.  Arrange the slices flat and next to each other on a cutting board.  Using either a food brush or an oil spray bottle, coat both sides of the eggplant slices.  Lightly sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Place each slice in a food bag as a single layer.  Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and seal.  Drop in water bath and cook for 45 minutes.

When done, remove from the water bath and place on serving tray in overlapping fashion.  Sprinkle the cheese shavings on top and serve!  Enjoy!

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Crostini with Prosciutto, Cheese and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients, Serves 6-8:

• 12 slices of a french baguette slices on a diagonal, approximately 3/4" thick
• 6 oz prosciutto
• 12 slices of your favorite soft cheese.  I like Jarlsberg or Gruyere.
• 6 plum tomatoes cut in half length-wise
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup of fresh basil, slices thinly
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)

This is a great party hors d'oeuvre. It's rich and yet light and has a great presentation visual.

First you need to oven roast the plum tomatoes.  Pre-heat the oven to 250ºF.  Lay the tomatoes halves, cut side up) on a baking sheet, evenly spaced.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast them for 2 hours.  They should shrivel up and soften.  Take them out and let them cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.  Lay out the slices of baguette on a cutting board and brush or spray some EVO on both sides.  If you have a oil spraying, that works the best.  If not, just use a food brush.  Evenly sprinkle the slices with the garlic powder.  Place the slices directly on the oven rack and bake for only 3-4 minutes.  Be careful and watch them so that they don't burn!  They should just turn golden.  When they do, take them out.

To assemble, put a slice of cheese on each baguette, followed but some prosciutto and then a roasted tomato.  Place on a serving plate and sprinkle the fresh basil over the slices.  Serve them up!

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Prime Rib Roast

Sous Vide Details: Cook roast prime rib at 135ºF for 5 hours

Ingredients, Serves 6-8:

• 6-8 lb prime rib roast
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• Several twigs of rosemary and thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mushroom sauce:
• 1/2 cup of your favorite mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup good red wine
• 1 tablespoon EVO
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
• 1 cup beef broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Prime rib roast is a wonderful holiday main dish and when cooked sous vide, it makes a spectacular centerpiece too!  Every bit of the roast is perfectly medium rare and ready to be gobbled up!

Pre-heat water bath to 135ºF.  In a small bowl, mix chopped rosemary, thyme, garlic, EVO and paprika together to make the roast rub.  Rub it generously all over the roast.  Place roast in plastic bag and add a few twigs of rosemary and thyme.  Seal and drop in water bath and cook for 5 hours.

To make the sauce, heat EVO on medium high heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are soft, approximately 4-5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, again, roughly 3-4 minutes.  Reduce to simmer and add the red wine and rosemary and simmer until wine is reduced.  Add the beef broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Turn off heat and whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time.  Sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

When the roast is done, turn the oven on broil setting.  Take the roast out of the water bath and bag and pat dry.  Place on baling sheet and put in oven and broil until surface is seared brown.  Again, you are not trying to cook the roast as it is already cooked.  You are just trying to get a nice sear on the surface.  Once done, remove and place on cutting board and slice.  Add slices to serving plate and serve it up with sauce on the side!  Yummmmmm!

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Pork Tenderloin Roulade Stuffed with Apple and Porcini Mushrooms

Sous Vide Details: Cook pork roulade at 138ºF for 8 hours

Ingredients, Serves 8 - 10:

• 2 medium sized pork tenderloins (3 lbs)
• 2 cups of your favorite mushrooms (porcini, shitake, shimeji, mixed, etc..)
• 8 oz spinach (1 large bag)
• 1 cup apples (your favorite type), skinned, cored and diced into small pieces
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/ cup minced yellow onion
• 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
• 8 oz prosciutto slices
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon truffle oil
• 2 tablespoons brandy or whiskey
• Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVO)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Believe it or not, I was just recently introduced to pork!  Was always a beef guy until my diet!  Then I tried a pork tenderloin sous vide!  Wow.  So now I wanted to try a stuffed tenderloin and what better stuffing than mushrooms and apples!

You can make the stuffing beforehand, even a day before.  First heat 2 tablespoons of EVO in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the diced onions and minced garlic and saute until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the diced apples and mushrooms and cook until soft, again about 5 minutes.  Add the thyme, rosemary, brandy and truffle oil and stir to mix for 2 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Then turn off heat and let cool to room temperature.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and blanche the spinach for 30 seconds.  Remove spinach and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

To prepare the pork, make a long horizontal cut on one side of the tenderloin parallel to the cutting board surface and slice the tenderloin until you almost get though but don't cut all the way through!  You are making a butterfly cut, like you are cutting a baguette to make a sandwich.  Do this for both tenderloins.  Open them up and place a large sheet of saran wrap underneath both of them large enough to accommodate the tenderloin twice their size.  Leave enough room between each tenderloin for twice their size as well.  Place another sheet of saran on top and using a meat mallet, pound the tenderloins, starting from the middle and working your way outward.  Pound them until they are roughly 1/2" thick and fairly rectangular in shape.

Now the tricky part comes in.  Carefully flip the tenderloins (still covered with the saran wrap) over and remove the top saran wrap.  Pick up one of the tenderloins and slide it over so that it slightly overlaps the other tenderloin about 1 1/2".  Take the slices of prosciutto and layer them on top of the tenderloins horizontally.  Carefully place a new sheet of saran wrap on top of the prosciutto and flip the tenderloins over again so the prosciutto side is down.  If you got here you're doing great!

Now remove the top saran sheet and take your spinach and make a layer of spinach leaving roughly 1" clear around all the sides.  Then take your mushroom and apple stuffing and make a layer on top of the spinach, again, leaving 1 around all the sides.  Finally make a layer of cheese with the Gruyere cheese.  Now, using the bottom saran wrap as an assist, carefully roll the tenderloin, starting from a long side into a "log" or roulade.  Use the saran wrap to keep it tight and cylindrical in shape.  Adjust it so the seam is up and carefully remove the saran just enough to place additional prosciutto slices over the seam.  Then place the saran back to again make a tight cylinder.  Twist the ends of the saran wrap as well to close off the roulade.  Put the whole thing into a plastic bag and seal.

Pre-heat water bath to 138ºF.  Put the roulade in and cook for 8-10 hours.  When it's done, turn the oven on broiler.  Take the roulade out of the water bath and remove from the plastic bag and carefully unwrap the saran wrap.  Using paper towels, dry off the roulade and place it on a baking pan.  Put it under the broiler and bake until prosciutto begins to crust.  Remove from oven, plate and serve up the best pork tenderloin you've ever had!  Enjoy!

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Pecan Pie

Ingredients, Serves 4-6:

• Pie Crust:
• 1 cup flour plus some for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• Filling
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 cup corn syrup (light or dark)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

My early memories of childhood are of my father loving pecan pie.  It was his absolute favorite thing to eat!  I too became a big fan of pecan pie.  So I had to do a blog on making this wonderfully rich and tasty dessert.  Making the pie crust from scratch is easy and definitely makes the pie worth waiting for!

To make the crust, in medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening until granules are formed that are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl.

Roll the pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable.

Heat oven to 375°F.  Roll pastry using flour dusted rolling pin into a round shape 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch pie plate. Place pastry into pie plate, pressing up against sides and bottom.  Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; press with the end of a fork to get pie edge look.

In another medium bowl, beat all filling ingredients except pecans with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate.

Cover edge of pastry with 2- to 3-inch-wide strip of foil to prevent excessive browning. Put in oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Let rest on counter until at room temperature and serve!

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French Onion Soup

Ingredients, Serves 8:

• 5 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced cross grain thinly
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 56 oz of beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese, shredded
• 8 slices French baguette

I love French onion soup!  There's something about the savory onions and the melted cheese over the French baguette.  It's irresistible!  Making it from scratch just makes it all the more enjoyable!

To start, peel onions and slice 1/8 inch thick, cross grain. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, lower heat and cook, covered, over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.  This gently caramelizes the onions and gives them their sweet, lovely texture.

Stir in the pepper, thyme, paprika, salt and bay leaf and saute over low heat 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the beef broth and wine and increase heat until boiling.  Add the flour and stir to integrate.  Reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Turn broiler on to pre-heat.  Set up oven proof ramekins on a baking sheet and spoon in the onion soup until about 3/4 full.  Add the French baguette slice and top with generous amount of shredded Swiss and Gruyere cheese.  Put baking sheet into oven and cook until cheese is golden brown on top, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove and using oven mitts, place hot ramekins on a plate and serve!

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Grand Marnier Dessert Souffle

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 3 large eggs, whites separated from yolks
• 3 tablespoon Grand Marnier liqueur
• 1/2 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• cooking spray (can use any cooking oil)
• 4 ramekin dishes (3")

I love dessert souffles, although I can't eat them often (or I won't fit into my jeans!).  I went out and got some Grand Marnier liqueur, wow not cheap!  You can actually make souffles with any flavored liqueur.  Grand Marnier has an orange flavor.  You don't even have to use liqueur if you don't want to.  Orange juice or other juices can work as well.

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF and place a baking sheet on a center positioned rack.  Coat the 4 ramekins with the cooking spray and then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar to coat the bottom and sides of the dishes.

Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks in a large bowl on medium-high for 5 minutes.  Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla extract and Grand Marnier and mix for another 2 minutes.

In a separate large bowl, beat egg whites with mixer on high for 1 minute or until foamy peaks form.  Add cream of tartar and salt and beat another 30 sec.  Gradually add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in one quarter of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until just mixed.  Gently fold in the rest of the egg white mixture.  Divide the mixture into the 4 ramekins.

Bake the souffles for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top and top has risen above sides of ramekins.  Gently take out of oven and dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately!  The Grand Marnier flavor goes well with raspberries or strawberries.

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