The Executive Cook

Weeknight Cook ~ Weekend Entertainer

tonmarmor

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cheesecake

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Ingredients 
24 Nutter Butter Cookies
3 Tbsp. Butter
4- 8oz. bricks of softened Cream Cheese
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
4 Eggs
6 oz. Chocolate
2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
8 .55 oz Peanut Butter Cups

❃❃Serves 8 ❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375

Add the cookies and 3 Tbsp. melted butter to a food processor and combine.  Press into a spring form pan and blind bake for 10-15 minutes.  Remove and let cool.

After the crust has cooled, wrap spring form pan in foil about half way up the pan.  Set spring form in a pan large enough for spring form and deep enough to add water half way up the spring form pan to bake.

Reduce oven to 325

Melt 4 oz. chocolate, set aside.

Unwrap and rough chop peanut butter cups.  Set aside in refrigerator.

Make Cheesecake
Cream together cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer with paddle attachment.  Add eggs one at a time fully combining.  Add vanilla and melted chocolate.

Pour cheesecake into spring form pan.  Put on oven rack and add enough warm water to go half way up the spring form pan but be sure not to fill over the foil.  Bake for 1 – 1 ½ hours. 

When cheesecake is done turn oven off, leave cheesecake in and crack the door open so the cheesecake slowly cools to room temperature.

Once cooled to room temperature move to refrigerator for at least 4 hours to cool.  Once cooled add chopped peanut butter cups to the top.  Melt the remaing 2 Tbsp. chocolate and 2 Tbsp. peanut butter and drizzle both over the top of the peanut butter cups and cheesecake.

Fried Red Snapper over Red Curry Vegetables

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Ingredients
Fish:
2 lbs. Red Snapper (1 1/2 inch thick, no skin)
½ cup Flour
1 Egg
1 cup Panko
2-3 cups Vegetable Oil
Curry & Vegetables:
1  13.5oz. can Coconut Milk
90 ml. White Wine
2 – 3 cups Chicken Stock
6 yellow Fingerling Potatoes
½ Red Onion
½ small Yellow Squash
½ medium size Zucchini
1 cup Bean Sprouts
¼ cup chopped Cilantro
½ Red Pepper
10 thin slices Jalapeno
3 tsp. Red Curry
1 large or 2 small Carrots
2 cloves Garlic
Pinch Salt
Pinch Pepper
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

❃❃Serves 4❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400, cover a cookie sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on cookie sheet. 

Chop onion, slice squash, slice zucchini, chop cilantro, chop red pepper, slice jalapenos, chop carrots into slices, cut potatoes into bite size pieces and chop garlic.

Begin to heat oil in a high side pot with a heavy bottom such as a Dutch oven or in a caste iron skillet.  Heat oil to 375. 

Fish
Place flour in a bowl or on a plate, whisk egg and place in a bowl and place panko in a bowl or on a plate.  Coat each piece of fish in the flour fully but lightly coating, completely cover in the egg mixture and finally thoroughly coat in the panko.

Once oil is heated add each piece of fish to the oil ensuring that the coating is browned and crispy on all sides.  The fish does not have to be fully cooked as it will finish in the oven.  As fish is done place it on the cooling rack and finish the fish in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes.

Curry and Vegetables
Add the oil to the skillet or pan over medium high heat and add onions, carrots, salt and pepper.  Cook until carrots and onions begin to soften.  Add garlic and cook for half a minute.  Add white wine to pan and scrape up any bits from the bottom.  Add potatoes, red curry and jalapenos.  Allow to cook until the liquid is almost gone in the pan.  On high heat add 1 cup of the chicken stock and allow to cook until almost fully gone.  Add the next cup of stock and continue to cook until absorbed and finally add the final cup of stock and allow to cook until liquid is reduced by half.  Add squash, zucchini, red pepper and coconut milk to the pan.  Allow to cook until vegetables have become slightly soft and off the heat add the bean sprouts and cilantro.  This process with the curry should take about 25-30 minutes.

Assembly
Place a quarter of the mixture onto each plate and top with one piece of fish.  Garnish with a leaf of cilantro and serve.

White Asparagus & Garlic Soup

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Ingredients
Soup:
8 medium cloves Garlic
½ medium Yellow Onion
2 lbs. White Asparagus
4 Tbsp. Canola or Vegetable Oil
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. White Pepper
32 oz. Chicken Stock
2 Tbsp. Butter
Parmesan Crisps:
6 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan Cheese

❃❃Serves 6❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400, cover a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicon mat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Chop garlic and onion.  Cut about 1 inch off the bottom of the asparagus and discard.  Cut the remaining asparagus into about 1-inch pieces.

Soup
Add oil to a heavy bottomed pot on medium high heat.  After oil starts to heat add onions, salt and pepper.  Cook until the onions begin to soften and adjust heat down if they begin to brown.  Add garlic and asparagus and cook for a couple of minutes ensuring the vegetables are not getting browned but are only getting soft.  Add chicken stock and cook on medium high for 30 – 45 minutes.

Once the vegetables are very soft add to a blender, in small batches, blending until very smooth.  After all the soup has been blended add it back to the pot and add 2 Tbsp. butter. 

Serve and top each with a cooled parmesan crisp.

Parmesan Crisps
Add six rounds of parmesan cheese to sheet tray and bake until cheese just turns brown.  This will take at most 5 minutes and these need to be watched continuously as they will burn quickly.  Remove from oven and cool completely. 

Carrot Hummus

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Ingredients
5 – 6 large Carrots
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
¾ cup large chopped Orange Bell Pepper
¼ cup large chopped Red Onion
2 Tbsp. Tahini
2 – 3 Tbsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Siracha
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
Salt
Pepper

❃❃Makes 1 – 2 Cups❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450, line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Chop carrots, orange pepper and onion into large pieces to roast.

Roasting
Add carrots onto baking sheet with olive oil, pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.  Ensure all carrots are covered with oil and seasoning.  Roast for 15 minutes and then add the peppers and onions to the pan mixing slightly with a spatula to cover with oil and seasoning. 

Return to oven and roast for another 15 minutes.

Assembling
Add roasted vegetables to a food processor with tahini, honey, siracha, oil and a pinch of salt.  Process until smooth and remove to a serving bowl.

Note:  The amount of honey will vary depending on the sweetness of the carrots and your own personal taste.

Banana Caramel Chip Coconut Cookies

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Ingredients 
1 ¼ cup softened Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
¼ cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
3 ½ cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Cinnamon
3 very ripe Bananas
1 ½ cups Coconut
1 10 oz. bag Caramel Chips

❃❃Makes 28 – 32 Cookies ❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350, line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Mash bananas and set aside. 

Toast coconut on a baking sheet at 350 until the coconut is slightly browned. Once browned remove from oven and let cool.

In a bowl sift or whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

Make the Cookies
In the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and mix until fully combined.  Add vanilla and bananas.   Once vanilla and bananas are combined add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until just combined, add ½ of the milk and mix until combined, add one 1/3 more of the flour mixture until combined, add the final ½ milk and mix until combined and finally add the last 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until combined.  Add in coconut and caramel chips and mix until just combined.

Using a 2 Tbsp. scoop place 8 cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when put in the center of the cookies. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack before storing or eating.

Marsala Mushrooms over Polenta

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Ingredients 
Mushrooms:
2 Portobello Mushrooms
½ medium Shallot
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves
1/3 cup Marsala Wine
1/3 cup Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp. Mascarpone Cheese
1 tsp. Fresh Chopped Thyme
Salt
Pepper
Polenta:
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/3 cup Polenta
1 Tbsp. Butter
Salt
Pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese

❃❃ Serves 2 as Entrée – 4 as Side❃❃

Preparation
Remove the gills of the mushroom with a spoon.  Slice mushrooms into strips.

Mince shallot, thyme and garlic.

Mushrooms
Add butter and olive oil to a skillet over medium high heat.  Once melted add shallots, stirring, for one minute.  Add mushrooms, thyme, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper and garlic and continue to cook until mushrooms start to slightly soften.  Add marsala and stock and continue to cook until liquid reduces by half.  Remove from heat and stir in mascarpone cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Polenta
Add chicken stock to a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once stock boils slowly add polenta whisking the entire time.  Reduce heat to low and add a pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, 1 Tbsp. butter and parmesan cheese.  Leave on low stirring occasionally.

Assemble
Add half of the polenta to the middle of two plates and serve mushrooms over polenta.