Croissant French Toast with Soft Caramel Apples

Cook Time: 35 min

Level: Intermediate
Yield:  4 servings


Ingredients

Batter:

3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch ground cinnamon

Caramel Apples:

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large croissants, halved lengthwise
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Ground cinnamon, for dusting


Directions

Make the batter for the French toast by whisking together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until evenly blended. Cover and refrigerate.


Pay close attention while you make the caramel apples - put the sugar in a large dry skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Be careful; the sugar is really hot at this point. Still stirring, add the butter, which will foam a little. Once the sugar and butter become a caramel sauce, fold in the apple wedges. Now, because the apples are cooler than the sugar, the sugar may start to seize and harden, but don't freak out -- keep stirring, once the apples warm up the caramel will smooth out again. When the caramel sauce starts to form around the apples, pour in the maple syrup. Give it a stir and simmer for about 10 minutes until the apples are fork tender. Pull them off the heat and keep warm until you are ready to serve.


For the French toast itself, warm the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. You probably will only be able to fit a couple of croissants in the pan at once, so prepare these in batches. Take a croissant half and quickly dredge it in the batter. The key word here is quickly; the croissants are very soft and will disintegrate if soaked in the batter. Lay the croissants in the pan, cut-side down, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip them over with a spatula and brown the other side.


The presentation is like a caramel apple sandwich - take the bottom half of the croissant and put it on a plate, spoon some of the caramel apples on top of that, and cover with the top 1/2 of the croissant. Dust with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel

Cook Time: 15 min

Level: Easy
Yield:  6 servings


Ingredients

12 large sweet potatoes
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
1 cup miniature marshmallows


Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt. With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes in a couple of spots and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center goes in easily.


In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour together until it's crumbly-looking. Add the cinnamon, salt, pecans, and marshmallows; fold the streusel topping together to combine.


Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center and push the ends towards the middle so it opens up. Stuff the sweet potatoes generously with the streusel topping and return to the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and brown.

From: foodnetwork.com

Colcannon

A must-try for St. Patrick's Day!

Recipe courtesy Christabel Rossiter
Show: Tyler's Ultimate

Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1 (1-pound) piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before
4 scallions, finely chopped
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish


Directions

Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a knife and fork. Chop with a knife before mashing. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.


Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color. Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into small pieces.


Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces.


Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.


Serve in individual soup plates. Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon. Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.

From: foodnertwork.com

Cheese Fondue

A real crowd pleaser and a very good idea for your dinner date with your special someone! :)

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound imported Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cherry brandy, such as kirsch
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch nutmeg
Assorted dippers

Directions

In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of the ceramic fondue pot with the garlic, then discard.

Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in cherry brandy, mustard and nutmeg.

Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods on a lazy Susan around fondue pot. Serve with chunks of French and pumpernickel breads. Some other suggestions are Granny Smith apples and blanched vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and asparagus. Spear with fondue forks or wooden skewers, dip, swirl and enjoy!

From: foodnetwork.com

Roast Prime Rib of Beef with Horseradish Crust

Cook Time: 1 hr 40 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients

1 bone in prime rib beef roast, 3 ribs, about 6 pounds
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup grated fresh or prepared horseradish
Leaves from 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups canned chicken or beef broth


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Lay the beef in a large roasting pan with the bone side down. (The ribs act as a natural roasting rack.) In a small bowl mash together the garlic, horseradish, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil to make a paste. Massage the paste generously over the entire roast. Put the pan in the oven and roast the beef until the internal temperature of the meat registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the beef to a carving board and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.


Pour off some of the pan drippings and place pan on stovetop over medium-high heat.


Add the white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by half. Whisk in the flour, then add the broth and continue to cook, whisking until sauce thickens into a gravy, about 10 minutes.


Serve with Scalloped Potato Gratin and Roasted Red Onions.

Scalloped Potato Gratin: Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Butter
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling


Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.


In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.


While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.


Roasted Red Onions with Butter, Honey, and Balsamic Vinegar: Yield: 6 servings


6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 red onions, halved

Directions


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the butter, vinegar, honey, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute to reduce slightly. Place the onions, cut sides up, in a single layer on a baking pan. Drizzle the butter-vinegar mixture over and roast until soft and slightly caramelized, about 45 minutes.

From: foodnetwork.com

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Cook Time: 5 min
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 orange, sectioned, seeded (if there are any) and chopped
1 hot red chile, stemmed and chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 to 4 slices bacon, cut into 2 to 3-inch sections
8 leaves bibb or Boston lettuce


Directions

Preheat the broiler. In a bowl, stir together the chopped orange, chile, scallions, cilantro, olive oil, and salt and pepper.


Wrap each shrimp in a section of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Put the shrimp on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the shrimp is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes each side. To serve, lay a lettuce leaf on the cutting board. Remove the toothpick from 1 of the cooked shrimp and center the shrimp on the lettuce leaf. Spoon a little of the citrus sauce on top, wrap it all up in the lettuce like a burrito, and put it seam-side down on a plate. Keep going in the same way to wrap all of the shrimp. Serve hot.


From: foodnetwork.com

Holiday Hens with Fig Glaze and Cornbread Stuffing

Cook Time: 1 hr
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried California figs, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups warm water
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 stick unsalted butter, for the glaze
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Stuffing:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1/4 pound loose sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cornbread muffins, torn into pieces, or 1/2 loaf cornbread, cubed (about 2 cups)
1 cup rehydrated dried figs, roughly chopped
Salt
Pepper
1/2 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
4 Cornish game hens, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


Begin by re-hydrating the figs. In a large mixing bowl add the figs, honey, lemon juice and cover with warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 to 25 minutes until the figs are tender and soft. Strain the figs and reserve the liquid - as this will be the base for the glaze.


To make the stuffing, heat a little extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onions with rosemary. Add the sweet Italian sausage and continue to saute until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. When done, scrape it all into a large mixing bowl, add the cornbread pieces and figs and season well with salt and pepper. Give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and set it aside while you work on the hens.


Wash and clean the birds. Season the cavities with salt and pepper and fill with stuffing. Dot the top of each bird with butter and season with salt and pepper. Lay out on a roasting tray and pop into the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. While they are roasting, set the fig liquid over medium-high heat and add balsamic and butter. Reduce until syrupy and baste the birds with 10 minutes to go. When done, an instant-read thermometer should registers 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

From: foodnetwork.com