CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY!
Honoring your father on Father’s Day doesn’t require his physical presence. I feel what is more important, is just the act of doing it. I am very grateful to have had a father who was such a strong role model in my life. Everything he did was driven by his commitment to provide and care for the family he loved.
My father passed away in 2005 and Brion’s in 2011. Both our Dad’s loved to talk and tell stories from their lives. We often wish we could retrace that time and hear their voices again. It seems you never fully appreciate your parents until they are no longer on this earth. It is so important to appreciate every hour they are in your life.
My special meal to honor them on this Father’s Day, is a nice medley of pork, shrimp and mushrooms.
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Ingredients
Stuffed Mushrooms
- 8 large white mushrooms, cleaned & stems removed
- 1 small zucchini, shredded
- 100 grams blend of mozzarella & parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 slices bacon, fried & crmbled
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp EACH dried onion & garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing for dipping mushrooms in
Parmesan Shrimp
- 150 grams WILD, fresh large shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried basil & oregano
- 10 grams Parmesan cheese freshly grated & finely chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
Stuffing / Tenderloin
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp butter, room tempature
- 2 Tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup capers (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 30 grams Gruyere or Parmesan cheese, grated
- 120 grams baby scallops
- salt & pepper
- 454 gram pork tenderloin
- 4-6 slices bacon
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Peppercorn Sauce
- 1 Tbsp butter,
- 1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
- 2-3 tsp crushed peppercorns (use a mixture of red, black & green)
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 thyme sprigs
- 1/4 cup 1/2 & 1/2 cream
- salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water
Instructions
Stuffed Mushrooms
- Shred zucchini, sprinkle with a little salt & set aside. In a bowl, combine the cheeses, crumbled bacon, egg & seasonings. Squeeze as much liquid from zucchini as possible. Add it to the filling & mix well. Divide the filling between mushrooms. Place a small amount of Zesty Italian dressing in a cup. Dip bottom of each mushroom in dressing & allow to dip off for a few seconds. Place stuffed mushroom caps on a small baking dish making sure they will stay upright. Place in fridge until ready to bake.
Parmesan Shrimp
- In a bowl, combine oil, garlic, oregano, basil, Parmesan, salt & pepper. Add shrimp & toss gently; thread onto skewers. Place on a plate & refrigerate until ready to cook.
Stuffing / Tenderloin
- In a saucepan, saute garlic & shallots in 1 Tbsp olive oil for a few minutes. Add a few pinches of salt & pepper; stir in breadcrumbs. Add water; stir till all is combined & transfer to a bowl.
- In a bowl, cream together butter & cream cheese. Add 1/2 of the capers, the parsley & stir thoroughly. Add the Gruyere & scallops, stirring gently. Set aside.
- 'Butterfly' tenderloin & pound making it all the same thickness. Spread stuffing evenly on flattened cut side. Starting with the long side, carefully ROLL the tenderloin as opposed to just FOLDING it over. On work surface, lay out bacon strips side by side. Lay stuffed tenderloin at one end & roll up in bacon strips, placing a toothpick at end of each strip.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a skillet, heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil, add the roast carefully & saute for about 3-4 minutes on each side to cook the bacon a bit. Place a rack in a shallow roasting pan & lay stuffed tenderloin on it; bake at 400 F. for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F. & bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven, set the roast on a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, & let rest while the shrimp & stuffed mushrooms are cooking. When ready to serve, slice into 1 - 1 1/2" thick 'medallions'.
- Increase oven temperature to 400 F. Remove stuffed mushrooms from refrigerator, bake for 20-30 minutes or until filling is golden & mushrooms have softened. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil, place skewered shrimp in oven for the last 6-8 minutes of cooking the mushrooms.
Peppercorn Sauce
- This can be made earlier or while the last items are cooking in the oven. In a hot skillet, add butter, shallots & peppercorns; stir until shallots are golden, about 1 minute. Add broth & thyme sprigs; reduce heat & allow sauce to simmer for a few minutes. Remove thyme sprigs. Add cream & salt & pepper to taste. If you wish to thicken sauce, combine cornstarch & water in a small dish, stirring until smooth. Add a bit at a time to your hot mixture, stirring until desired thickness is achieved.