Wild Mushroom Bruschetta
1 cup sliced mushrooms
splash of white wine
1 french baquette or other crusty bread
3/4 of a tablespoon of butter
olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Truffle oil
Slice bread and brush one side with olive oil and minced garlic. Lightly toast in oven at 350 for about 5 min. Saute mushrooms in frying pan with butter, add a splash of white wine, stir in parsley. Drain mushrooms, remove bread from oven and top with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan and salt and pepper and pop back in oven for 2 minutes. Remove from oven place on plates and drizzle with truffle oil.
Coq au vin
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
4 ounces bacon diced
4 ounces pearl onions peeled
4 ounces crimini mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves of garlic choppped
4 tablespoons of brandy
1 1/2 cups red wine (Burgundy or Beaujalais)
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 boquet garni, (3 thyme sprigs, 4 parsley sprigs, and 3 bay leaves tied with string)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
Melt half of the butter with the olive oil in a large casserole dish. Add chicken and cook over medium heat, stirring for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Add the bacon, onions, mushrooms, and garlic.
Pour in the brandy, wine, stock and bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through. Using a knife, cut into a thigh to check if the center is cooked. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and cover to keep warm. Discard bouquet garni.
You may want to skim of some of the fat at his point, just let the dish settle for about ten minutes and then skim off the fat. Stir the remaining butter and flour together to form a paste and add to the casserole dish. Bring to a boil, return the chicken to the dish and serve immediately.
Gingerbread Cake
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups hot water
5 tbsp butter
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch oval dish with butter. Place flour, salt, spices, and baking soda in a mixing bowl and whisk together to combine. Beat butter and sugar until combined and then add beaten egg, blend. Mix molasses and warm water together. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture alternating with molasses mixture. Blend well. Pour into prepared dish and sprinkle with brown sugar. Combine hot water with 5 tbsp butter and pour over top of batter. Careful as you place into oven not to burn yourself with the hot water. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until top is crackled looking. Remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes. Serve with freshly whipped cream.
Tomato and Bocconcini salad
So easy and it never disappoints. Make sure to use fresh basil and invest in a bottle of Balsamic Glaze. Thicker and sweeter than Balsamic Vinegar, it’s perfect for drizzling over cheese or vegetables.
Tomato and Bocconcini salad
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
1 large Bocconcini ball (If you can find buffalo it’s worth the price!)
Fresh Basil
Olive Oil
Balsamic Glaze
Salt and Pepper
Slice tomatoes and Bocconcini and arrange on plate. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze and top with hand torn fresh basil leaves. Give it a little dash of salt and pepper and you are ready to impress.
Total prep time: 10min if you are slow
Pizza ai Fungi Kyra Style
1 ball ready-made pizza dough
1 cup sliced mushrooms
¾ cup of arugula leaves
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Don’t cheat on this step buy the block and grate it yourself) reserve ¼ for garnish
Olive oil mixed with a glove or two of garlic
100g of prosiucitto
Turn oven to 450 and heat pizza stone for about 20min. Roll out dough on a floured surface. I like to stretch it really thin. Take stone out of oven and be careful it will be very hot! Sprinkle stone with cornmeal and place rolled out dough on top. This is the fun part you’ll actually hear it start to sizzle and see it bubble! With a pastry bush spread a thin layer of olive oil and garlic mix. Spread mushrooms and top with ½ cup of Parmesan, and prosciutto then place in oven for 6-8 minutes. Remove and quickly top with arugula and place back it oven for another 2 minutes. Remove pizza top with remaining Parmesan and if you feel like it drizzle it with a little more olive oil. Slice and serve.
Total prep and bake time: 30 minutes you waste more time waiting for the delivery guy!
Mid Summer Dinner For two
Olives Sautees
50g large, fleshy black olives (about 20)
1tsp of olive oil for coating pan
100g Serrano ham
8 sage leaves
1/4 red chilli, seeds removed and finely sliced
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Drain olives, rinse and pat dry. Warm oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add olives and toss for about 30 seconds. Add ham, sage and chilli, mix briefly and then transfer to a serving platter. Top with fresh, thinly sliced parmesan, and ground pepper.
Minted New Potato Salad
250g new potatoes halved
4 radishes thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, diced
3/4 cup arugula leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
Dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
1tbls milk
1tbls fresh dill
salt and pepper
Boil water and cook Potatoes for 12min, drain and cool. Add radishes and red onion to bowl with cooled potatoes. Mix dressing ingrediants together and whisk until creamy. Add dressing to potatoes and radishes, toss to coat. Finally add, arugula and mint leaves gently toss again. Salt and pepper to taste
Grilled Lamb Steak with Pesto
500g (a little over 1lb) lamb leg steak
2tbls ready made pesto sauce
1 beef boullon cube
1/8 cup hot water
1 clove garlic fresly chopped
freshly cracked pepper
2tbls olive oil
Mix pesto with boullon cube and hot water. Use a meat pounder to thin out steak to a consistant 1″ thickness. Lay in a non metallic dish and brush both sides with the pesto. Sprinkle both sides with garlic and pepper (no salt as it will pull moisture from the meat) and drizzle with olive oil. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hrs but overnight is ideal.
For dinner, before grilling bring meat to room temperture. (Remove from fridge during appetizer portion on meal) Preheat grill and place meat on grill rack at high for 4 minutes each side for medium rare. Transfer meat to cutting board and tent loosely with foil, allowing to stand for 15 minutes. Carve meat on the diagonal across the grain. Serve immediately.
Seasonal Vegetable’s Braised in Oil
1lb mixed baby vegetables, carrots, turnips, eggplants, zucchini, green beans, pattypan squash, onion, corn
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2tbls chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
Bring pot of water to boil. Prepare vegetables, peel, trim and coursely chop. Blanche in boiling water for 1minute, drain, and then plunge in a cold bath (locks in color and pre cooks vegetables) This first step can be done early to save you time later.
When ready to eat, coat pan with olive oil over medium heat. First add carrots, turnips, and onions toss well to evenly coat with oil, reduce heat and braise for 5 minutes. Add Eggplants, zucchinni, squashes, corn and toss, cover loosely and continue to cook for anothe five to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt, pepper and parsley. Transfer to a platter and serve.
Hint: To make it easy on yourself ask your partner to grill the lamb steak so you can prepare the vegetables. It actually makes the process more fun when your both involved!
Fresh Peaches with Creme Fraiche
3 peaches
6tbls creme fraiche
4tbls honey
lavender for garnish
Slice peaches, remove pit, and grill over high until searing marks appear. Remove. (Can be done beforehand)
When dinner is being served place in dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 min.
Place 3 sections on each plate, drizzle with creme fraiche and honey, garnish with lavender. Enjoy!
kyramason 