Lemon Curd

This is an Alton Brown recipe that I just LOVE.  It's super easy with a wonderful payoff.

ingredients 

5 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

4 lemons, zested and juiced

1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Directions

Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Breakfast Casserole

This isn't a quick recipe but it is a make ahead recipe.  We usually have this for breakfast on Christmas morning, but it does really well as a make ahead breakfast if you have company or, for us, a great dinner (or Dinfast if you're a Big Bang fan).  

Ingredients
6 eggs
1 tsp salt
4 slices cubed white bread, more or less depending on texture preferred
1 C grated cheddar or swiss cheese
2 C milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 lbs mild or hot pork sausage
 
Instructions
Beat eggs. Add salt, milk and mustard. Mix well.
Slightly brown and drain sausage. Layer bread cubes, sausage and cheese in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Pour egg mixture over top. Refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
If desired, casserole may be frozen. If so, bake for 30 minutes, cool and freeze. When ready to use, thaw in refrigerator overnight and reheat.

I always make a few adjustments to the recipe.  I add at least 6 pieces of bread if not more for a more substantial base and I half the sausage and use a container of mushrooms.  It lends itself to customization.

Onion-Stuffed Sirloin with Mushroom Saute

Yet again, the hubby decided to cook dinner for us.  Hmmm...maybe he should start writing the blog :D.  Anyhoo, this recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens: Great Cooking for Two (circa 1992  ) page # 10:

Ingredients

1/2  of a small  onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1  clove  garlic, minced
1  tablespoon  margarine or butter
1/8  teaspoon  lemon-pepper seasoning or pepper
1  8-ounce  boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1-1/2 inches thick
3/4  cup  sliced fresh shiitake or other mushrooms
1  tablespoon  margarine or butter
1  teaspoon  cornstarch
1  teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce
1/2  teaspoon  instant beef bouillon granules
1  tablespoon  dry red or white wine
Directions
1. For stuffing, in a small saucepan cook the onion and garlic in margarine or butter until onion is tender but not brown. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon-pepper seasoning or pepper. Set aside.

2. Make a pocket in the steak by cutting a deep horizontal slit. Spoon the stuffing into the pocket. If necessary, secure opening of the pocket with a wooden toothpick.

3. To grill, place steak on the rack of an uncovered grill. Grill directly over medium-hot coals to desired doneness, turning once. (Allow 14 to 18 minutes for rare, 18 to 22 minutes for medium, or 24 to 28 minutes for well-done).

4. Or, to broil, place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat to desired doneness, turning once. (Allow 14 to 18 minutes for rare, 19 to 22 minutes for medium, or 23 to 28 minutes for well-done).

5. Meanwhile, for mushroom sauce, in a small saucepan cook the mushrooms in margarine or butter until tender. In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon granules, and 1/2 cup water. Carefully add to the saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in wine. To serve, cut steak in half. Transfer steak halves to individual plates. Pour sauce over steak. Makes 2 servings.

Menu Suggestion: Grill new potatoes to round out the meal.

nutrition facts
Servings Per Recipe 2 servings Calories319, Total Fat (g)18, Saturated Fat (g)5, Cholesterol (mg)76, Sodium (mg)504, Carbohydrate (g)12, Protein (g)27, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

No substitutions per se, but the choices used were red wine, pepper instead of lemon pepper, and the mushrooms were morel mushrooms (my uncle grows them). Also, we used two 4 oz steaks instead of one 8 oz steak.  Wow.  My man keeps hitting it out of the park!  This honestly tasted like a restaurant meal.  This wasn't a special occasion, but you could easily use this for a romantic evening or any occasion.

*****

Individual Beef Wellingtons

OMG...I mean seriously OMG!!  I know it seems odd that I am posting anything on my wedding anniversary evening, but seriously, I just had to share how incredibly AWESOME this meal is.  Hubby decided a while ago to make our anniversary meal and this is the meal he picked.  Beef Wellington with green beans andgarlic and herb mashed potatoes. This is from the Light Cooking for Two book page 85:


Ingredients
Olive oil-flavored vegetable cooking spray
1  cup  sliced fresh mushrooms, minced
1 1/2  teaspoons  minced green onions
1/8  teaspoon  salt
2  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks
1/2  teaspoon  coarsely ground pepper
4  sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
Preparation
Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms, green onions, and salt; saute 8 minutes. Remove mushroom mixture from skillet, and set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of each steak with pepper. Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over high heat until hot. Add steaks, and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove steaks from skillet; drain and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a damp towel (keeping remaining phyllo covered). Lightly coat phyllo with cooking spray. Top with another sheet of phyllo, and coat with cooking spray; fold in half crosswise, bringing short ends together. Place 1 steak 3 inches from one end of phyllo. Spoon half of mushroom mixture over steak. Fold short end of phyllo over mushroom mixture; fold lengthwise edges of phyllo over steak, and roll up, jellyroll fashion. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 sheets of phyllo, mushroom mixture, and steak.

Lightly coat phyllo packets with cooking spray; place, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories:306 (33% from fat)
Fat:11.2g (sat 3.5g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)
Protein:27.2g
Carbohydrate:22.4g
Fiber:0.0g
Cholesterol:70mg
Iron:0.0mg
Sodium:388mg
Calcium:0.0mg

The only substitution was instead of phyllo, he used croissant roll dough. Hubby stated he had it in the oven for only about 10 minutes because of the different dough.  So, um...maybe a bit higher on the calorie scale.  Who cares?  This was a special occasion :D.  Definitely try this one, y'all!

*****