Categories
Beef Main Dish

Peppered Roast Beef

5 pounds beef round roast, all visible fat removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fresh, coarsely ground black pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1/2 cup dry red table wine
Preheat oven to 350: F.  Rub meat with oil and pepper, and place in an open roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so tip reaches center of thickest part. Arrange onion, carrot and celery slices around meat. Pour wine over meat and vegetables. Place in oven and cook uncovered 1 1/2 hours, or until meat thermometer registers desired degree of doneness. If more liquid is needed, baste with additional wine during the roasting period. Do not use drippings from the roast for basting. Skim fat from pan juices or remove juices with bulb baster and discard fat. Remove meat from pan and slice thin. Spoon pan juices over meat and serve immediately.     
Categories
Beef Main Dish

Pepper Rubbed Beef Dijon

1-pound flank steak, all visible fat removed
2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
Vegetable oil spray
1 cup (about 3 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup evaporated skim milk or skim milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Preheat broiler. To prevent meat from curling as it cooks, make 6 shallow slashes on each side of the meat in a crisscross fashion (three slashes in each direction).Rub cracked pepper onto each side of the steak. Place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 5 inches from the heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and broil meat about 5 minutes more, or until desired doneness. Meanwhile, spray a medium saucepan with vegetable oil. Place over medium heat. Cook mushrooms, green onions and garlic in skillet until mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add milk and mustard all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. To serve, thinly slice steak diagonally across the grain. Serve with mustard sauce.     
Categories
Bacon Chicken Italian Main Dish Pasta Seafood

Penne Rustica

Gratinata Sauce:
2 teaspoon Butter
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream
Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown but do not burn the garlic.  Add marsala wine and then reduce by one-third. Add remaining ingredients and reduce by half of original volume. Set aside.
Penne Rustica:
1 oz. pancetta or bacon
18 shrimp peeled and deveined
12 oz. grilled chicken breast, sliced
4 1/2 cups of granita sauce
3 lbs. cooked Penne Pasta
3 teaspoons pimentos, minced
6 oz. butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
1 pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Sauté pancetta until it begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pick but still translucent, you do not want to overcook the shrimp or else it will be rubbery. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add granita sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and simmer until the sauce thickens. In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.
6  Servings
Categories
Bacon Main Dish Pasta

Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms & Bacon

12 oz fettucine pasta
Sauce:
4 strips bacon, cut in 2-in. pieces
1 medium onion, cut in thin wedges
1 pkg (8 oz) presliced mushrooms
1 large clove garlic, cut in slivers
1 bag (10 oz) prewashed fresh baby spinach
Nice to add:
Diced tomato and grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as package directs.2. Meanwhile cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Place on a paper towel to drain. Remove all but 1 Tbsp fat from skillet. Add onion and mushrooms to skillet. Sauté 4 minutes or until onion has browned. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add spinach; cook until wilted. Scoop 1/2 cup cooking water from pasta pot; stir into spinach mixture. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add Sauce and bacon; toss to mix. Sprinkle with tomato and cheese.
4  Servings
Categories
Ham Italian Main Dish Pasta Spinach

Pasta Florentine

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 oz ham (Black Forest if possible), julienned
1/4 cup chopped parsley
8 oz pasta (your favorite shape), cooked according to package directions
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
Heat extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once garlic starts to sizzle, add mushrooms. Sauté 2-3 minutes. Add heavy cream and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Allow to slightly reduce, for about 10 minutes. Add ham, peas and parsley and cook 4 minutes.  Return cooked, drained pasta to pot and add sauce. Cook until sauce simmers and coats the pasta.  Remove pot from heat and stir in grated Parmesan. Toss gently to combine.  Transfer to large serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. 
Chef’s Tip: Use a small amount of salt. The parmesan cheese naturally contains salt.
4  Servings
Categories
Chicken Main Dish Make Ahead

Party Chicken

Cooking spray
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
Large zip-top bag
1 1/2 lb chicken fillets
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.  Cut butter into small pieces and place in medium bowl to soften.  Place flour in large zip-top bag. Season chicken with pepper; add to bag. Seal bag; shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag; shake off excess flour. Arrange chicken in baking dish.   Combine soup and mayonnaise; spread evenly over chicken. Stir panko and cheese into softened butter, mixing until crumbly. Top chicken with cheese mixture; cover dish with foil. Bake 10 minutes.  Remove foil. Bake 10–15 more minutes or until top is golden and chicken is 165°F. Serve.
4  Servings
Categories
Sandwiches Turkey

Panera’s Turkey Artichoke Panini

loaf pesto focaccia bread
8 ounces freshly sliced turkey
4 ounces spinach artichoke spread (Available at your local grocer)
2 ounces asiago cheese (asiago parmesan blend)
1 small red onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 tomato, sliced (6-8 slices)
1 pinch salt and pepper
Preheat panini grill to medium temperature. In a medium sauce pan, sauté diced red onion in olive oil until transparent. Add balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  
Slice the loaf of pesto focaccia into two semi-circles, and halve each semi-circle. Layer the turkey onto the bottom halves of the focaccia bread, and spread spinach artichoke mix over turkey. Layer sautéed onions, asiago/parmesan blend and tomato slices. Close face of panini with the top halves of focaccia bread.  Add panini to preheated grill and press lightly. Grill 5 minutes on medium or until the cheese begins to melt and there are grill marks on the focaccia bread.  Serve hot with chips or your favorite soup!
4  Servings
Categories
Main Dish Seafood

Pan-Seared Cajun Scallops

1 pound fresh sea scallops
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 to 2 teaspoons blackened steak seasoning or Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 10-ounce package prewashed spinach
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces
Rinse scallops; pat dry. In a plastic bag combine flour and seasoning. Add scallops; toss to coat. In a large skillet cook scallops in hot oil over medium heat about 6 minutes or until browned and opaque, turning once. Remove scallops.  Add spinach to skillet; sprinkle with water. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Add vinegar; toss to coat evenly. Return scallops to skillet; heat through. Sprinkle with bacon.   
Categories
Beef Sauces

Outback Steakhouse Marinade

1 cup Scottish ale
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Accent Flavor Enhancer

Place your favorite cut of steak in a shallow pan and pour ale on steak and marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator. Remove steak from ale and mix dry ingredients together and rub steak on both sides.  Let marinate with dry ingredients for 1/2 hour.  Preheat a skillet or grill to med high heat add vegetable spray or vegetable oil and braise to perfection

Categories
Main Dish Pork

Olive Garden’s Pork Filettino

Four 10-12 oz. pork tenderloins
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Sprinkle tenderloin with salt and pepper on all sides. Brush with olive oil, rosemary, garlic and parsley. Let marinate approximately 2 hours. Cook on a hot grill until internal temperature reaches 165º F. 
4  Servings