Tag Archives: Dinner

Brie, Prosciutto & Balsamic Caramelized Onions Flatbread

Brie, Prosciutto and Balsamic Caramelized Onion Flatbread

I was hungry. That’s how this happened. I was simply hungry. I looked in the fridge and noticed there was brie that was at the “need to be consumed or else” phase. I just happened to pick up pizza dough at the deli yesterday. I recalled there was prosciutto in the “spare” fridge on the back patio. The final piece was sweetness. How do I add sweetness without ruining the savory of the flatbread? Glancing around the kitchen and in the cupboards, I noticed red onions and balsamic vinegar. BOOM! The final piece fell into place. 20140306_150211

I’ll warn you: this flatbread borders on insanely good. The brie isn’t overwhelming. The onions aren’t overwhelming. It is over the top with flavors that work together like a symphony. Ridiculous, I say! Shhhh, don’t tell anyone how simple it is. Be prepared. It’ll knock your socks off. Feed people a salad first so they don’t eat it all!

Ingredients

1/2 prepared pizza dough (from the bakery or deli)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 lb Brie, rind removed and chopped
6 oz Prosciutto, coarsely chopped

Roll out or stretch pizza dough until very thin. Place on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, and dust lightly with kosher salt. In sauté pan, heat butter and the 1 Tbs olive oil over medium heat, until butter is melted. Add onions and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Be careful with adding the vinegar; the fumes can be powerful if you breathe them in. Combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, and reduce for about 10 minutes. Assemble the flatbread: layer brie pieces, then prosciutto (it should cover the flatbread almost entirely), and finally the caramelized onions. Bake in 400 degree over for 18 to 20 minutes.

Dogfish Head Theobroma Vinaigrette Salad

Print Spring is finally in the air! When I think of spring, I think of wild flowers blooming. And that they need rain. When I hear rain, I want to dance naked in it. Then I look in the mirror. The effects of winter are apparent. The need to shed the hibernation hips takes over! “Must eat salad”, rambles around in my head. Enter Dogfish Head Theobroma (which translates to “Food of the Gods”) to the vinaigrette rescue. From the Dogfish Head website: “This Ancient Ale is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras that revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions.” How cool is THAT? Dogfish Head Theobroma is brewed with cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey AND ancho chilies. It’s got a velvety chocolate feel at the start, and a touch of spice at the finish. Which makes it a perfect beer to create a lovely vinaigrette to top off a healthy salad. Say hello to chocolate and goodbye to those hibernation hips!

Vinaigrette Ingredients

1 cup Dogfish Head Theobroma
1/2 cup chocolate balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
“Caviar” from 1 vanilla bean
2 tsp grated shallots
1/2 cup chocolate balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plain rice vinegar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until it reduces by 1/2, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in remaining ingredients. Set aside.

Salad Ingredients

8 cups arugula
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
8 oz crumbled goat cheese

In large bowl, toss ingredients. Pour Dogfish Head Theobroma Vinaigrette over the salad mixture and serve. #YUM

New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Lobster Ravioli

Ahhh, February. Visions of hearts, Cupid, chocolate, champagne and beer dance before your eyes. Wait! Beer? No, you aren’t seeing things. I DID say beer. No matter if you love, or despise, Valentine’s Day (I personally host a “Cupid is Stupid” party each year!), this vision of New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Lobster Ravioli with a New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Browned Butter Cream Sauce will create a love affair with your taste buds that will last a lifetime. New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer has hints of coriander and grains of paradise (great name for a spice around Valentine’s Day! It’s actually a ground pepper.) that go fabtastic with the luxurious lobster without over-powering the delicate flavor. Impress your heart’s desire, or make yourself happy, this recipe is right on target for this Valentine’s Day!

New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Lobster Ravioli

24 oz lobster tail meat, divided
3 bottles New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer
32 oz seafood stock
32 oz chicken stock

4 Tbs butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs finely chopped shallots
2 tsp chopped fresh chives
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
2 oz brandy
3 Tbs New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer
7 oz ricotta cheese
Salt
Pepper
Your favorite fresh pasta recipe or wonton wrappers to form ravioli
4 Tbs butter

In large stock pot, bring the 3 bottles of New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer and stocks to a boil. Add lobster tails. Allow to poach for about 10 minutes, until just cooked. Remove from stock (save stock); cool. Remove

Henriettibles Lobster Ravioli

meat from tail, chop lobster into small pieces. Place butter in large skillet. Add garlic & shallots; cook until soft. Add 20 oz of lobster , chives and parsley and sauté for 2 minutes. Add brandy and 3 Tbs New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer; reduce for several minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Combine with ricotta, salt & pepper to taste. Place ½ tsp on each ravioli, fold and seal with egg wash. Boil reserved stock to poach the ravioli for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to drain. Heat remaining butter in skillet and sauté ravioli until lightly browned.

New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Browned Butter Cream Sauce
4 Tbs butter
2 Tbs finely chopped shallots
4 oz of reserved lobster
4 Tbs New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer
3 oz tomato sauce
10 oz heavy cream

Melt butter in skillet. Add shallots. Sauté until soft. Add lobster. Sauté 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; reduce over med low heat for several minutes, until thickened. Serve with ravioli.

Henriettibles Herb Turkey Brine

Turkey brine. It strikes fear in the hearts of many. B-R-I-N-E. Say it. Love it. Embrace it. It’ll change your turkey day! Brining turkey, chicken or pork creates a succulent and ahhhmaaazing beast. Be creative. Use your imagination. Just follow the basics of brining, and you can create magic. Add whatever flavors you love. I like to throw a little Hanky Panky in there. Grab a glass of wine and follow along!

Chow yumly!

Henriettibles Guinness Stew

You’ve had Guinness Stew. You’ve had beef stew. You haven’t had Henriettibles Guinness Stew! Lot’s of flavor, a suprise ingredient…. And plenty of heartiness for St. Patrick’s Day festivities!

I’m a HUGE fan of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations (that’s no blarney!). I really wanted to do a little more than the usual corned beef and cabbage. I love bevvies and red meat. Viola, a little of the black stuff magic happened. It’s bleedin’ deadly.

It’s not just me, friends loved the taste test. To quote one of my best birds, Tracy Collins, “Not only is it delicious, it will keep you regular, too!” Howver, the most common words from the taste testers was, “Oh. My. God. This is soooo good!” They were gobsmacked. One tester from another continent thought the flavors tasted like there were some exotic spices in the stew; you’ll be stunned at how the simple flavors combine to create some savage taste.

Enjoy and Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!

Ingredients

2 lbs lean beef (I used a sirloin roast)
3 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt, plus salt to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus pepper to taste
3 Tbs grapeseed oil
1 1/2 cups chpped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 bottle Guinness Draught
1 cup beef stock
1 cup prune juice (THE surprise ingredient!)
3 Tbs tomato pate
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cups diced potato (I keep the skins on)
1 1/2 cups carrots
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Trim fat from the steak. Cut into cubes of about 3/4 inch - try to keep them near the same size. Place in large bowl. Combne flour, salt and pepper in small bowl. Sprinkle into bowl of beef, and toss coat the beef.

In a large dutch over, add the grapeseed oil. When hot, add steak and cook until browned on all sides (about 4 to 5 minutes). Add onion and cook another 3 minutes until onions soften. Add Guinness and deglaze the pan. Add garlic, stock, prune juice, tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer another 90 minutes.

ENJOY!

Tomato Feta Pasta

My grandfather

This is a feta pasta recipe that I’ve made for so many years, always with enthusiastic results. I’ve refined it many times, trying to keep it as fresh and lively as possible. From the “You may not know this” file: I’m part Greek. My grandfather was born on the beautiful island of Crete. And, I love feta cheese. Okay, I just love cheese. This dish is a very simple way to bring have some great Greek flavors. This recipe will make your senses and taste buds sing. The smell of it cooking it such a treat, your family and guests will be enthusiastic participants. Be prepared to say “Oopah!!!!” Throwing your dishes onto the floor or into the fireplace is optional.

As with most things, I like to use as many fresh ingredients as possible when making this; it’s just so easy to cut up fresh tomatoes and chop fresh herbs! Watch for pasta making video to come. Fresh pasta makes this even more incredible! If your short on time, you can substitute canned diced tomatoes with herbs in it, I won’t guarantee the same fresh flavor.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh ground beef

Feta Pasta

1/4 tsp granulated garlic
2 Tbs finely chopped shallots
Salt & Pepper
18 oz fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 Tbs fresh chopped basil
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 Tbs (heaping) of good quality tomato paste (I like the tube kind)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1 lb cooked pasta
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Place ground beef in large skillet. Sprinkle with granulated garlic and salt & pepper. Begin to brown.

: Feta Pasta

When close to being browned, add the chopped shallots. Drain fat from beef. While the beef is browning. combine chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, oregano, basil, tomato sauce, tomato paste, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add to skillet with browned beef. Add salt & pepper and wine.Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove cover and simmer another 5 to 8 minutes, or until desired consistency. Serve over cooked pasta and cover top with feta cheese.Oopah!