Ingredient: gorgonzola, crumbled

Steak & Shrimp Roll-Ups w/ Gorgonzola Sauce

CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY!

Father’s Day is celebrated on many different dates around the world. It gives us the opportunity to thank or reflect on that special person we call ‘Dad’.

The imprint of a father remains forever on the lives of his children. For daughters, he is the standard against which she will judge all men. To a son, he is his first hero.

Fathers are some of the most unsung, unpraised and unnoticed valuable assets of our society. Growing up, I recall that wonderful feeling of being very protected by our father.

Both of our fathers are no longer with us, but we will always hold dear fond memories of them. It seems a father’s love and influence are never fully appreciated until they are no longer with you.

Today, I’m making a ‘surf & turf’ meal which I think they both would have enjoyed.

Surviving and evolving through the centuries, ‘Surf & Turf’ has more than withstood the test of time. It’s easy to call something a classic, but when a dish is as ubiquitous and widespread as surf and turf, how could it not be a classic? What helps its ubiquity and popularity is that it technically can be a combination of any red meat and seafood, though lobster and steak are the most popular. 

There are other pairings for surf and turf besides filet mignon and lobster or crab. You can pair a filet mignon with large shrimp or pair scallops with a strip steak such as the New York Strip. You may also want to try pairing a strip steak with lump crabmeat, which gives you both sweet and savory flavors.

The origins of surf and turf are debated, but the dish likely originated in a coastal community in the United States. The earliest known citation of the term was in the Los Angeles Times in 1961. 

Truly a dish that, at its most basic, implies a special occasion. 

Print Recipe
 Steak & Shrimp Roll-Ups w/ Gorgonzola Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Keyword steak & shrimp roll-ups w/ gorgonzola sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Steak / Shrimp
Gorgonzola Sauce
Keyword steak & shrimp roll-ups w/ gorgonzola sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Steak / Shrimp
Gorgonzola Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Steak / Shrimp
  1. Season tenderloin with Montreal steak spice & wrap 2 pieces of shrimp inside. Secure rolls with toothpicks.
  2. In a hot saucepan, brown steak rolls on each side. Remove from pan & set aside. Cover to keep warm.
Sauce
  1. In a saucepan, melt butter & add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté them for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid evaporates.
  2. Once the liquid is mostly gone, add the Worcestershire sauce & garlic. Stir to cook for 1 minute, add the room temperature cream & then the crumbled Gorgonzola.
  3. Stir in parsley & return steak/shrimp rolls to pan. Cook an additional 5-6 minutes or just until steak is cooked to your liking.
  4. These rolls are nice to serve over rice which can be prepared ahead of time.

Balsamic Pork Chops w/ Peaches & Gorgonzola

CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY!

Father’s Day is celebrated on many different dates around the world. It gives us the opportunity to thank or reflect on that special person we call ‘Dad’.

The imprint of a father remains forever on the lives of his children. For daughters, he is the standard against which she will judge all men. To a son, he is his first hero.

Fathers are some of the most unsung, unpraised and unnoticed valuable assets of our society. Growing up, I recall that wonderful feeling of being very protected by our father.

Both of our fathers are no longer with us, but we will always hold dear fond memories of them. It seems a father’s love and influence are never fully appreciated until they are no longer with you.

I think both are dads would have enjoyed this meal I’m preparing today.  Since the trendiness of balsamic vinegar in North America has only gained momentum over the past few decades, its probably not a version they would have been familiar with but liked it just the same.

Peaches and balsamic vinegar are the perfect accompaniment to pork chops. Pork chops pair so well with fruit and the natural sweetness of honey balances perfectly with the moderate, natural acidity of the balsamic vinegar.

The history of balsamic vinegar is a fascinating journey that spans centuries. Balsamic vinegar’s rise in prestige began with its medicinal use in the Middle Ages, gained royal favor and eventually became globally recognized as a highly prized product originating from the beautiful Italian regions of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

These balsamic pork chops are served with peaches, gorgonzola and a hint of thyme making them sweet and savory at the same time.

Print Recipe
 Balsamic Pork Chops w/ Peaches & Gorgonzola
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword balsamic pork chops w/ peaches & gorgonzola
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword balsamic pork chops w/ peaches & gorgonzola
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil & let it warm up.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme. Add the peaches, toss to coat, & set aside.
  3. Pat the pork chops dry, and cover them in the salt & pepper.
  4. Add the pork chops to the hot oil in the pan & cook for 6 minutes on one side without moving the chops around, then flip them.
  5. Add the peach vinegar mixture to the hot pan over the pork chops. Cook for 3 minutes.
  6. Remove the pork chops from the pan & set them aside on a clean plate, leaving the peach vinegar mixture in the pan.
  7. Turn the heat up to high. Cook for 8 -10 minutes, until the peaches are soft & the sauce has reduced.
  8. Place the pork chops back into the hot pan. Spoon the peaches & sauce on top of the chops. Scatter the gorgonzola on top of the peaches & pork chops. Broil on high for 3 - 5 minutes, or until the gorgonzola has melted.

Turkey-Bacon Rolls w/ Mushroom Risotto

Bacon is not one of my most favorite foods. I have a very clear ‘taste of a memory’ from the bacon my father would cure on the farm when I was growing up. It was way too salty and fatty for my liking, so I avoided it like the plaque. Brion, on the other hand, loves bacon!  Over the years I have come to find there are many versions of smoked bacon that can really take a recipe to another level. I have used it on, in and around so many things.  I have dipped filets in it, encrusted filets in it, wrapped chicken and salmon filets in it, extra, extra …

Bacon fans are an innovative bunch. Forget the simple slice alongside eggs. Diehards have dipped the meat in chocolate, crumbled it into ice cream, infused it into vodka and the list goes on. You’d have to be living under a rock to miss the signs of our cultural obsession with bacon these days.

In this meal I’m making some sliced turkey-bacon rolls to have with our mushroom risotto. Should be quite flavorful.

Print Recipe
 Turkey-Bacon Rolls w/ Mushroom Risotto
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Keyword turkey-bacon rolls w/ mushroom risotto
Servings
Ingredients
Turkey/Bacon Rolls
Mushroom Risotto
Course Main Dish
Keyword turkey-bacon rolls w/ mushroom risotto
Servings
Ingredients
Turkey/Bacon Rolls
Mushroom Risotto
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Turkey/Bacon Rolls
  1. Chop the rosemary & thyme leaves, add a pinch of dried marjoram, parmesan, breadcrumbs & a little lemon zest.
  2. Lay out turkey slices on a work surface, brush them with mustard, distribute the prepared mixture & roll them up to perfectly contain filling. Wrap each roll tightly with a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.
  3. Sauté garlic in a drizzle of oil for 1-2 minutes over low heat. Add more oil if necessary & brown mini rolls evenly for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally & adding salt & pepper to taste.
  4. Add wine, lower heat a little & put the lid on & continue cooking for 5-6 minutes, adding very little boiling water if necessary, Remove from heat & keep warm until risotto is cooked.
Mushroom Risotto
  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the porcini mushrooms, remove the pan from the heat & set aside for 30 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms & set aside.
  2. Return the broth to a simmer & keep warm over low heat.
  3. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat. Add onion & mushrooms & cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions are tender but not brown. Add rice & stir to coat with butter. Add wine & simmer for about 3 minutes, until the wine has almost completely evaporated.
  4. Add a soup ladle full of warm broth & stir for about 2 minutes, until almost completely absorbed.
  5. Continue with remaining broth, adding a ladle full at a time & allowing each addition to be absorbed, until rice is tender to the bite & the mixture is creamy. This should take about 20-25 minutes in total.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the parmesan, gorgonzola, chives, salt & pepper. Transfer to a warm serving bowl & serve immediately.

Chicken & Pear Bundles

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thanksgiving represents many things to me. I have wonderful memories of growing up on the farm and all the hustle and bustle of harvest time before winter came. Of watching the Autumn landscape transforming into a beautiful tapestry of reds, gold and yellows.

As the fall comes in, the days grow shorter and the mornings darker, we start to reflect on the year we have had with its inevitable highs and lows. The Autumn season gives us a little bit of extra time to make the most of what we have left in the year before the ‘grand finale’. It is so important to just take the time to be grateful and appreciate the blessings we are fortunate to have in our lives and make every day count.

Since turkey is usually our Christmas meal, I’m making some chicken breast with pears and Gorgonzola cheese ‘bundled’ in puff pastry for our Thanksgiving dinner today.

Print Recipe
 Chicken & Pear Bundles
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Chicken & Filling
Raspberry Coulis
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Chicken & Filling
Raspberry Coulis
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Raspberry Coulis
  1. In a small bowl, combine coulis ingredients well & set aside.
Chicken & Filling
  1. Peel, core & chop pear. Chop walnuts & crumble cheese. Slice breasts in about 1/4-inch thickness; sprinkle with salt & pepper.
  2. On parchment paper, roll thawed puff pastry to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut 4 circles large enough to fit custard cups & have extra on top to gather & tie. Using the custard cup only as a form, place a circle of pastry in each. Line the pastry with thin sliced chicken breast, then sprinkle some walnuts & cheese in the bottom. Add some pear pieces, cheese, more walnuts. Top with another piece of chicken, cut to fit. Bring sides of pastry together in the center on top, pinch then tie with a chive green if you wish.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a cup, beat together egg wash. Lift bundles out of custard cups & place on baking sheet. Lightly brush egg wash over each bundle. Bake about 30-40 minutes or until pastry is puffed & golden & chicken is done (I sliced into one of the bundles just enough to see if the chicken was cooked).
  4. Slightly warm coulis in microwave & pour some on the serving platter. Carefully lay bundles on top & garnish with fresh herbs if you wish.

Balsamic Glazed Fig & Pork Kabobs

Thirty or more years ago, balsamic vinegar was relatively unknown outside of Italy. Due to our exposure to gourmet food magazines, television cooking shows and celebrity chefs, there is hardly a household without a bottle in its pantry these days.

Balsamic vinegar actually derives its name from the word ‘balm’, which refers to an aromatic resin or odor, as well as a substance that soothes, relieves and heals.

For hundreds of years, wealthy Italian families have made balsamic vinegar for their own consumption, nurturing their supplies over the years. Passed on from generation to generation, gifting small amounts to treasured friends and honored guests and perhaps even bequeathing some to a daughter as part of her ‘dowry’. Balsamic vinegar came to be considered a symbol of peace.

In about 1980, the popularity of balsamic vinegar soared due to Italian chefs discovering how intense flavors complemented modern Mediterranean cuisine. Local families couldn’t gear up production to meet the new demand. New producers developed imitation versions, consequently many of us have yet to taste truly authentic balsamic vinegar or ‘Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale’, as its known in Italian.

Print Recipe
 Balsamic Glazed Fig & Pork Kabobs
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Cuban, Spanish
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Cuban, Spanish
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes. Combine next seven ingredients; place pork cubes in a plastic bag. Toss to coat well; refrigerate until ready to grill. In a small dish, make a glaze by whisking together vinegar, honey, mustard & oil. Set aside.
  2. On water-soaked wooden skewers, thread pork cubes & figs. Grill, covered, on a greased rack over medium-high direct heat, turning occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. During last half of grilling, brush cooked surfaces frequently with glaze.
  3. Let skewers stand 5 minutes; add a tomato to each. Transfer to serving platter & sprinkle lightly with Gorgonzola & basil. Serve some of your Blueberry & Blackberry Rustic Tart for dessert.

Persimmon Pork Tenderloin

Persimmons are definitely an underrated fall and winter fruit deserving of the same hype as pumpkins and squash. Mildly sweet and juicy with a slight crunch reminiscent of a cross between a peach and a pear. Persimmons work well in both sweet and savory applications.

The two most commonly available varieties are Fuyu and Hachiyas. Fuyus are squat and round where as Hachiyas are acorn shaped and have a pointed bottom. When buying persimmons, look for unblemished skin with the green leaves and top still attached. The texture should be like a tomato —firm but with a bit of give without being too soft. Persimmons are usually sold unripe, so leave them on the counter for a day or two until the skin deepens to a rich sunset orange. Aside from eating them fresh, persimmons can also be cooked. They make good jams, puree, tarts and cakes as well as used in baking, being poached or caramelized.

If your following my blog, you are well aware of my love for stuffing pork tenderloin. It’s a meal that never disappoints. Today I am using persimmon and Gorgonzola cheese for stuffing and topping it off with caramelized onions and persimmon wedges. The taste is just wonderful!


Print Recipe


Persimmon Pork Tenderloin

Votes: 3
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!

Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, European, Spanish

Servings


Ingredients

Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, European, Spanish

Servings


Ingredients

Votes: 3
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!


Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. & adjust rack to center. In a small bowl, combine rosemary, 1 tsp of thyme, garlic & 1 Tbsp olive oil. Set aside. Slice about 1/2-inch off stem end of each persimmon & about 1/4-inch off bottoms then peel them. Cut one of them into slices, as thinly as possible. Set aside. Cut the second one into approximately 1/2-inch wedges & set aside.

  2. 'Butterfly' tenderloin & gently pound meat, to make it all the same thickness. Spread both sides with oil mixture. On a large piece of plastic wrap, lay the bacon slices on it, layering them by about 1/8-inch along their edges, lengthwise. It should be about the length of the tenderloin.

  3. Cover the butterflied tenderloin with persimmon slices, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle the crumbled Gorgonzola evenly over the slices. Staring with the end closest to you, roll up the pork, as tightly as possible. Once the pork is tightly rolled, with the seam side down, use the plastic wrap to help you wrap the bacon around the outside of it.

  4. Place a rack in a shallow roasting pan & lay a piece of foil on top creating sides for it. Lightly oil center of foil; place tenderloin on it & roast for about 45 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 160 F. & a hint of pink remains.

  5. While meat is roasting, caramelize sliced onion. In a saucepan, heat oil & add onion. Sprinkle with salt; cook & stir about 10 minutes or until moisture is evaporated & onion is soft. Reduce heat; sprinkle with cider vinegar. Cook & stir until golden. Stir in brown sugar; cook & stir until caramel brown in color. Add persimmon wedges. Gently stir until heated through.

  6. Remove meat from oven. Allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing. Slice tenderloin about 1-inch thickness; place on serving dish & top with caramelized onions & persimmons.