The Executive Cook

Weeknight Cook ~ Weekend Entertainer

tonmarmor

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Leeks & Pear

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Ingredients
4 cups shredded Brussel Sprouts
1 Leek
1 cup sliced Pear
3 slices Thick Cut Bacon
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
½ Lemon
1 ½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
 

❃❃Serves 4❃❃

Preparation
Shred sprouts by thinly cutting them with a knife or run them through a food processor with the cutting blade.  Clean leek and chop into half-moons, cut pear into fourths, remove core, cut into half-moons and cover with lemon juice to prevent browning.  Cut bacon into lardons.

Assembly
Add bacon to the pan with olive oil and butter.  Cook on medium high heat until bacon begins to crisp and add leeks.  Cook until leeks begin to soften and add Brussel sprouts, pears, salt and pepper.  Cook until sprouts and pears begin to soften.  Season to taste, remove from heat and serve.

Four Cheese Mac-n-Cheese with Bacon & Peas

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Ingredients
Pasta: 
1 1/2 lbs. Pasta (Cavatelli)
1 Tbsp. Salt
Sauce:
6 Tbsp. Butter
6 Tbsp. Flour
3 cups Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. ground Nutmeg
1 cup White Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Fontina Cheese
1 cup Gruyere Cheese
1 cup Havarti Cheese
6 strips Thick Cut Bacon
2/3 cup Frozen Peas
Topping:
3 Tbsp. Butter
½ cup Panko

❃❃Serves 8 – 12❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 and spray a large casserole dish or an 8 X 10 glass pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Grate cheeses and defrost peas.

Bacon
Lay bacon on baking sheet and cook about 20 minutes until slightly crispy.  Remove from oven and drain on a paper bag or paper towels.  Once cooled cut into pieces. Reduce oven to 350.

Pasta
Fill a stock pot or pasta pot with water, add pasta and salt.  Bring to a boil and cook until al dente.  This should take about 8 – 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain.

Cheese Sauce
In a large, deep sided skillet over medium high heat add 6 Tbsp. butter.  Once butter is melted whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Whisk in milk and heavy cream until smooth and add salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Turn heat down to medium and add cheeses melting each one into sauce. 

Breadcrumbs
Melt 3 Tbsp. butter and mix into panko.

Assemble
Add pasta, bacon and peas to the cheese sauce and mix well.  Transfer to the baking dish, top with panko and bake for 30 minutes covered with foil, remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. 

Low Country Boil Risotto Cake Benedicts

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Ingredients
Risotto:
2 ½ cups Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
¾ cups Risotto
½ cup White Wine
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 cup chopped Leeks
1 ½ cups Corn Kernels
7 oz. Smoked Sausage
½ lb. Shrimp
1 Tbsp. chopped Garlic
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
½ Lemon juiced
¼ cup Flour
Salt
Pepper
2 cups Vegetable Oil
Dredge:
¾ cups Flour
2 Eggs
½ cup Cornmeal
1 ½ cups Panko
Eggs:
 4 – 6 Eggs
2 Tbsp. White Vinegar
Cajun Hollandaise Sauce:
6 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning
1/4 tsp. Old Bay
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
3 Egg Yolks
2 dashes Tabasco
1 tsp. Siracha
1/2 Tbsp. Tarragon Leaves
Salt
Pepper

❃❃Make 4 – 6 Cakes❃❃

Preparation
Cut sausage into bite size pieces, chop garlic, cut shrimp into bite size pieces, clean and chop leeks and chop parsley.
Preheat oven to 200.
Cover a cookie sheet with foil or parchment.
Crack eggs into 4 – 6 separate ramekins or small bowls.
Add water to a saucepan that is at least 3-4” high. 
Place chicken stock and Old Bay in a small saucepan and heat on low.
Place flour for dredge into a bowl or on a plate, beat eggs in a bowl and mix cornmeal and panko in a bowl or on a plate.

Risotto Cakes
In a heavy bottomed pot add the butter, leeks, pinch of salt and pinch of pepper.  Cook until leeks begin to soften and add risotto.  Cook until risotto begins to slightly brown.  Add garlic and cook for a minute until no longer raw and add white wine.  Cook until wine has reduced completely and over medium heat start to add chicken stock two ladles at a time.  Allow all the stock to absorb into the risotto and add two more ladles of stock.  Continue this process until all stock has been used and is absorbed into the risotto.  The risotto should be completely cooked, and this process should take around 20 minutes.
Add sausage, corn and shrimp and cook until heated through.  Once everything is warm and the risotto is soft remove from heat and stir in parmesan.   Finally stir in a squeeze of lemon, taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper.  Cool risotto until it can be handled and stir in ¼ cup flour.  Form mixture into 4 – 6 risotto cakes.

Begin to heat vegetable oil in a cast iron pan until it reaches 350.

Place each cake in the flour lightly covering, place in the egg mixture ensuring all parts of the cake are covered and finally thoroughly coat each cake in the panko, cornmeal mixture.  If you have time to refrigerate do so for about an hour to set cakes.

Once oil has come to 350 place the risotto cakes in the oil and cook on each side until browned and slightly crunchy.  As cakes finish remove them and place them on the cookie sheet.  Once all cakes are cooked place cookie sheet in oven to keep them warm.

Hollandaise Sauce
In a blender add egg yolks, lemon juice, tabasco, siracha, tarragon leaves, old bay, Cajun seasoning, pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.  Blend until everything is combined and it starts to thicken.  Melt the butter in a microwave safe measuring cup, remove small cover on the top of the blender lid and while blending slowly stream in the butter.  The sauce will start to become very thick but still pourable.  Set aside until ready for assembly.
If sauce thickens too much add a teaspoon of hot water and blend or stir until it loosens.

Eggs
In a pan that is large enough to hold 4 – 6 eggs and is about 3 inches deep, add enough water to fill it ¾ full.  Bring water to a simmer and add white vinegar.  Slowly add each egg, one at a time, and let the whites slightly solidify and fold over the yolk before adding the next egg.  Cook each egg for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the whites are solid and the yolk is still wobbling but not raw.  Remove each egg to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon slightly tapping to drain any excess water.

Assembly
As eggs are cooking remove cakes from oven.  Place 1 – 2 cakes on each plate, top with poached egg as you remove them from the water.  Once all are assembled pour hollandaise over each or serve on the side.

Note:  See Mains for Low Country Boil Risotto.  Use the leftovers to make cakes for the benedicts by adding ¼ cup flour to cooled mixture.  If there are no leftovers from the Low Country Boil Risotto the recipe can be made, and cakes formed the night before and in the morning dredge and fry in the oil.

Elk Sausage in Puff Pastry with Huckleberry Dipping Sauce

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Ingredients
Sausage:
1 lb. ground Elk
3 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp. Juniper Berries
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
¼ tsp. Allspice
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
½ tsp. Onion Powder
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Pastry:
2 sheets frozen Puff Pastry
1 Egg
Water
Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup Huckleberry Syrup or Preserves


❃❃Serves 12❃❃

Preparation
Grind the bay leaves and juniper berries in a spice grinder and defrost puff pastry in refrigerator.

Sausage
In a bowl mix together the elk, ground bay and juniper, salt, pepper, allspice, garlic powder, onion powder and olive oil.  Form into two equal size sausages and roll tightly in plastic wrap ensuring there are is no air or air bubbles so that once boiled they do not explode. 

Boil plastic wrapped sausages in water for about 5-6 minutes until they set and are slightly firm.  Remove from water, unwrap and cool.  At this stage the sausages can be smoked, grilled, sautéed or baked until fully cooked through. Once fully or almost fully cooked set aside to cool.

Assembly & Baking
Cut the sheets of puff pastry so that the sausage can be fully encased but so that it won’t overlap beyond sealing the edges.  On the ends cut pastry so there is just enough to fold over, the same way you would wrap a gift, and seal with egg mixture or with water.

Combine egg and about 2 tsp. of water, whisk and brush on the puff pastry before baking and to seal edges and ends.  Bake encased sausage for 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is browned and golden.

Optional:  Cut out leaf shapes or other shapes that can be placed on the puff pastry roll for decoration.  Adhere these to the puff pastry with some of the egg mixture or with water.

Sauce
In a saucepan heat sauce until warm and remove to a serving bowl. 

Fig & Goat Cheese Tart

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Ingredients
Filling & Topping:
8oz. Goat Cheese
1 Tbsp. Honey
pinch of Salt
1 tsp. dried Lavender
1.5lbs. fresh Figs
2 Tbsp. Fig Preserves
Flaked Sea Salt
Crust:
½ cup Butter
½ cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 ½ cups Flour
pinch of Salt

❃❃Serves 8❃❃

Preparation
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

Slice stems from figs, cut figs in even slices and allow goat cheese to come to room temperature.

Crust
In the bowl of a mixer cream butter and sugar until combined and then add the egg and mix until combined.  In a separate bowl whisk or sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add flour mixture to the mixer and mix until just combined. 

Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for an hour.

After the dough has been in the refrigerator for an hour preheat the oven to 350 and roll the dough out to about ½ inch thick.  Place the dough on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Tart
In a bowl combine goat cheese, honey, salt and lavender.  Evenly spread goat cheese mixture over the tart dough.  Top evenly with the sliced figs and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes.

In a microwave safe bowl slightly heat the preserves until they are loose and easy to brush over the figs.  Brush the preserves evenly over the figs once the tart is removed from the oven and cooled.  Lightly dust over a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, cut and serve.

Ham, Comte & Apple Tart

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Ingredients
2 sheets Puff Pastry
2.5 oz. Ham
6 oz. Comte Cheese
½ Apple (Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp)
1 tsp. Dijon
2 tsp. Honey
1 Egg

❃❃Serves 6 – 8❃❃

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325, cover a cookie sheet in foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Whisk together the Dijon and honey, slice apples and shred cheese.

Ensure puff pastry has been thawed out in the refrigerator.

Tart
Roll each piece of pastry out to about 14” x 10”.  On the bottom piece evenly spread the Dijon and honey mixture leaving a ½ inch border.   Evenly top with ham, then apples and finally the cheese. 

Brush the edges of the bottom sheet with egg wash, top with top piece of pastry and with a fork seal the two pieces together along the border.  Cut three vents in the top of the pastry and brush with egg mixture.

Bake for 18 – 25 minutes or until the pasty is cooked and golden brown.  Let rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.