EZ Cooking Love Edition
Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts
Ingredients:
1 sheet Puff Pastry, defrosted
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic
1 cup fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 cups Goat Cheese
1/2 cup arugula
1 egg, beaten
Method:
Preheat oven to 400'F
In a blender, combine basil, parmesan cheese, and garlic. Turn blender on and stream in olive oil until a smooth paste is made. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut Puff pastry in a shape of a 2 hearts & cut 1" long strips to create a border along the shape of the heart. Beat egg and brush puff pastry along the edge with egg wash to act as a glue and add the strip around the heart to create a border around the heart shape. Pierce the pastry on the inside of the border and add pesto.
Cut cherry tomatoes in half and arrange within the puff pastry shell. Crumble goat cheese on top. Brush the border with egg wash and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and drizzle balsamic reduction. Top with arugula. Serve hot.
Pan Seared Filet Mignon, Mushroom Sauce with Fingerling Potatoes & Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Steak
Ingredients:
2 each 8 oz filet mignon
Vegetable Oil
2 tablespoons Butter
2 cloves fresh garlic lightly crushed
2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
Salt & Pepper
Method: Heat a medium skillet and pat dry steaks. Season with salt and pepper and sear on high medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Add butter and garlic fresh herbs and baste steak for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat and let rest before serving. If you desire the meat to be cooked more than medium rare, you can place the steaks in the oven to cook further.
Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
3 Shallot, sliced
2 Pounds Mushroom, sliced or quartered
4 Clove Garlic, minced
3 Cups Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Onion & Chive Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Salt & pepper
1/4 Cup Fresh Chives
Method:In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add oil until hot and glistening. Add shallots & mushrooms and saute until mushrooms and shallots begin to brown and take color. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute more or until garlic is fragrant. Add cream, cream cheese, salt and pepper and let simmer on medium low heat until the sauce thickens - about 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and a generous amount of black pepper to taste. Finish with fresh chives.
Fingerling Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 Pound Fingerling potatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Method: Preheat Oven to 400'F. Cut potatoes in half, toss in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and lay in a single layer on a sheet tray and roast in oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Ingredients:
4 slices Bacon
1 pound Asparagus
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Method: Preheat Oven to 400'F. Toss Asparagus in olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Divide into 4 stacks and wrap each stack with bacon. Arrange on a rack and place over a tray. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove and enjoy immediately.
Individual Kit Kat No Bake Cheese Cake
Ingredients:
4 KitKats
300 g Digestive Cookies
150 g Unsalted Butter
250 g Dark Chocolate
500 g Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
75 g Icing Sugar
300 ml Heavy Cream
150 ml Heavy Cream
150 g Dark Chocolate
Method: Crush biscuits in a food processor or using a rolling pin to crumbs and mix with melted butter and divide equally in the bottom of 8 glasses, lightly press down. Cut 2 Kit Kats into rough chunks and sprinkle on top the cookie base. Set Aside. Next, add the first measure of dark chocolate chips to a metal bowl and place over a small pot of simmering water to gently melt the chocolate while stirring until smooth, you can also add the chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and melt in 30 second bursts mixing between. Once chocolate is melted, set aside and allow it to cool. Add room temperature cream cheese and mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and fully incorporated with the chocolate. Then add powdered sugar and cream and continue to mix on medium speed until smooth and thickened. Divide the mixture amongst the 8 glasses & set in a refrigerator while you make the topping. Add cream to small sauce pan and bring to a simmer, remove from heat and add the second measurement of dark chocolate chips, and whisk together until all of the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth ganache, divide amongst the 8 glasses and top with remaining kitkats (chopped or broken into large peices) and top with fresh strawberries. Let cheesecake set for at least 1 hour before serving in a refrigerator. (For best results, allow to set overnight).
Kit Kat Cocktail
