The basis for this recipe is from Martha Stewart. I modified the ingredients slightly, and cleaned up the instructions. The original instructions were too wordy.

Chicken Crepes

• Simple Crepes (recipe below)
• Gruyere Béchamel (recipe below)
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 11 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or sliced
• 1 cup Gruyere, shredded
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 F with rack in center.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add garlic and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add spinach and stir until heated through and combined with garlic. Let cool. Transfer to a work surface, chop, and set aside.

Mix 1-1/2 cups béchamel with chicken. Working with one at a time, place crepe on a work surface. Arrange 1/4 cup chicken mixture and 1 heaping Tbsp spinach down center of crepe; roll into a cylinder. Transfer, seam-side down, to a 9×13″ baking dish; assemble and arrange more crepes, leaving 1/2″ in between each. Spoon more béchamel on top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Switch oven to broiler setting and cook until browning in spots, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Sprinkle with parsley.

This recipe makes enough filling for 12 crepes.

Simple Crepes

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing

For the above chicken filling, make a triple batch of crepes shells.

In a stand mixer, blend flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter until smooth, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate for at 30 minutes, or up to 1 day.

Stir for a few seconds before using. Heat an 8″ nonstick skillet over medium. Quickly pour 1/3 cup batter into center of skillet, tilting and swirling pan until batter evenly coats bottom.

Cook until crepe is golden in places on bottom and edges begin to lift from pan, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Use an offset spatula to lift one edge of crepe, then use your fingers to gently flip crepe.

Cook crepe on second side until just set and golden in places on bottom, about 30 to 60 seconds. Slide crepe onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with more butter as needed, and stacking crepes directly on top of one another. Let cool to room temperature before using.

Gruyere Béchamel

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 cups whole milk
• Pinch grated nutmeg
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (about 4 oz)
• Coarse salt & ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden and has a slightly nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Stir in mustard.

Whisking constantly, pour in milk and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-high, whisking often along the bottom of pan, until boiling, about 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Add nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens to the consistency of thin yogurt, about 10 minutes. Stir in Gruyere. Season with salt and pepper.

I was looking for a new wheat bread recipe and found one I liked. I made a few adjustments, including adding baking cocoa to the bread.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

• 3/4 cup milk, warmed to 90 to 95 F
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp butter, cut in pieces
• 1 Tbsp baking cocoa
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp bread machine yeast

Put the ingredients in a bread machine in the order listed. Set the machine cycle for “Dough” and press Start.

After the cycle completes, grease a 9×5″ bread pan. Form the dough into a lozenge and place in the pan. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake the bread in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when thumped. Cool on a baking rack.

This recipe, originally titled Maple Deer Sausage, is originally for venison, but it works great for just pork.

Breakfast Sausage 2

• 5 lbs pork shoulder, cut in strips to fit in a grinder
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp rubbed sage
• 1 Tbsp fine ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup
• 1/2 cup ice water

Grind the meat through a medium or coarse plate. The stuffer on my grinder requires a plate be installed, so I will do medium/coarse or coarse/coarse.

Combine the spices in a small container and mix with the 1/2 cup of ice water and the 1/2 cup real maple syrup.

Pour the spice mixture into the ground meat and mix thoroughly for at least 2 minutes. Use your hands for mixing to assure even distribution.

Once the sausage is fully mixed, stuff it immediately into casings and cool it down. I use smaller casings (22 to 24 mm).

Alternately, this works well as patties — I use 1/4 lb meat in a hamburger press for form the patties.

Note: The original recipe called for 3 lbs venison plus 2 lbs fatty pork shoulder or 1 lb lean pork + 1 lb pork fat.

I saw this recipe months ago and keep thinking about it. It’s credited to Julia Child and the pictures look great.

Having an extra bag of fresh cherries, I decided today is the day.

I’m posting this early, as I haven’t tasted it yet. I think I put in too much cherries, so it’s not setting the way it should. Since I have another bag of cherries, I’ll just have to try again in a few days …

Cherry Clafoutis

• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups cherries, pitted
• powdered sugar, for garnish4 to 8 Tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Using a blender, combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, and blend.

Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish, and pour a 1/4″ layer of the blended mixture over the bottom. Set remaining batter aside.

Place dish into the oven for about 7 to 10 minutes, until a film of batter sets in the pan but the mixture is not baked through. Remove from oven (but don’t turn the oven off, yet).

Distribute the pitted cherries over the set batter in the pan, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Pour the remaining batter over the cherries and sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the clafouti is puffed and brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Servings: 6-8 for dessert, 4 for breakfast.

Notes:

Way too late I discovered we only had 1 egg left, so I substituted buttermilk for the last 2 eggs. This will make it tangier, but I don’t know for sure what it will do to the structure.

I think I added too many cherries. My result shows a LOT more cherries than the pictures I’ve seen … NOT that pictures of food are anything remotely authentic.

It baked for 72 minutes and still wasn’t fully set in the center. I’m letting it cool, and if it’s not quite right? Well, I’ll eat it anyway.

I have plenty of cherries to try again in a couple of days, and intend to do so.

Patrick & Grace were in town at Christmas, so Eric & I discussed making a special dinner. Individual Beef Wellingtons was top of the list.

Why individual? Because there are differences in likes, and we want everyone happy. Differences include:

• Duxelles — some like mushrooms and some don’t.
• Cheese — some like bleu cheese or Gorgonzola, and some don’t.
• Doneness — some like medium-rare, and some don’t.

We took the recipes the KLO did for a dinner 25+ years ago and the one Eric, Patrick, and I did a few years ago, and made a new one. The result was amazing, possibly the best thing we have ever made. We said that about the last time we made this type of dish, but this one was better.

Beef Wellington with Two Duxelles

CHESTNUT DUXELLES:

• 4 to 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 lb chestnuts
• 2 medium shallots, finely sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 tsp finely minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup cognac, brandy, or bourbon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp soy sauce

MUSHROOM DUXELLES:

• 8 oz mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

BEEF:

• 4 to 6 Beef filet, 8 to 12 oz each
• Salt, ground black pepper, oil
• spicy mustard
• 1/2 to 3/4 lb prosciutto
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 oz bleu cheese, crumbled (other cheeses can be used)

ASSEMBLY:

• puff pastry – each sheet can be used for 2 or 3 filet, depending on size of the filet
• 3 large egg yolks, well beaten

SAUCE:

• 1 cup veal or beef demiglace
• 2 Tbsp Madeira, Marsala, or Port

Chestnut Duxelles:

We used a jar of prepared chestnuts, which saved effort. If using fresh chestnuts, search regarding how to cook them. Chop chestnut meats finely.

Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large skillet and saute the chestnuts until lightly browned. Note: The chestnuts will absorb butter so add more as needed.

Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add brandy. Scrape bottom of skillet with a spatula or wooden spoon to release browned bits. Continue to cook until brandy is nearly dry, about 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and soy sauce and continue to cook, stirring frequently until mixture is thick and collects in one large mass when you shake the skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and place in the refrigerator.

Mushroom Duxelles:

Thinly slice mushrooms and in a heavy skillet cook in butter with shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, until mushrooms are lightly browned. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl to cool completely.

Beef:

Pat filets dry and season with salt and pepper. The beef is partially cooked, then finished in the oven, using one of the following methods, keeping in mind that if you overcook the beef, it’s not fixable:

Griddler: Preheat a griddler on high, using the waffle plates. Cook the filets for 1 minute for medium-rare, 2 minutes for medium, and 3 minutes for well-done. Adjust time for the thickness of the filets.

Skillet: Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a skillet over high heat until smoking. Add filets and cook without moving until well browned on the first side, about 2 minutes. Rotate filets until browned on all sides, up to 10 minutes.

Oven: Preheat oven to 425 F. In a shallow roasting pan roast filets in the middle of the oven until a meat thermometer reads 110 F for rare.

Regardless of cooking method, remove filets to a plate.

As soon as the filet are cool enough to handle, coat with a thin layer of spicy mustard. This should be done while hot so the beef soaks up the flavor.

Lay prosciutto overlapping on a sheet of plastic wrap. Next put a spoonful of the desired duxelles in the middle of the prosciutto. Using both duxelles is a good choice.

Lay a filet on top of the duxelles and top with garlic and cheese. Wrap the prosciutto around the beef, and tightly seal in plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow the filet to set and keep their shape.

Assembly:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the puff pastry so it’s thin. Note that it will stretch to cover the package, but it’s better to have the pastry too large than too small.

For the first package, brush the top of the pastry with egg yolk. Unwrap a filet and place in the middle of the pastry. Fold the pastry around the package, sealing all seams well.

Put the pastry, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top and sides of the pastry with remaining egg yolk.

Note: We had different duxelles, cheeses, and doneness, so excess pastry was formed into initials and placed on top of each packet to mark each person’s filet.

Repeat for all filet. When done, put the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 22 minutes, or until the pastry is well browned. Serve with sauce:

Sauce:

Make sauce while beef Wellingtons are baking: In a saucepan boil demiglace and Madeira 1 minute and keep sauce warm. Serve beef Wellingtons with sauce.

I was reading taco seasoning recipes a few weeks ago. The one(s) I’ve been using are good, but the chili powder doesn’t always agree with our stomachs, so I was looking for ideas.

One caught my eye — a seasoning that had paprika as the primary ingredient, not chili powder. I found a few more like it, played around with amounts, and came up with this recipe.

Taco Seasoning

Seasoning:

• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp dried onion
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper

Cooking:

• 1-1/4 lbs ground beef or turkey
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry wine (red or white)

Blend the seasoning ingredients together.

Brown the ground meat in oil over medium high heat. Add the seasoning mix, stock, and wine. Stir to blend. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes, until thick.

For Mother’s Day, Eric found a recipe on AllRecipes for stuff leg of lamb. His rendition was delicious!

However, I immediately got the idea to use the recipe for pork tenderloin. This recipe is the result

Fruit Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Filling:

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped prunes
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1/4 dup creme de cassis liqueur
• 1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped

Seasoning:

• 1-1/2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1-1/2 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1-1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint (optional)

Pork:

• 2 large pork tenderloins (original recipe called for 4 lb boneless leg of lamb, rolled, tied)
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced, stemmed figs
• 5 tsp chopped fresh basil

GARNISH:

• 6 leaves mint
• 6 leaves basil

Preheat oven to 350 F (400 F for lamb).

FILLING: Combine the chopped prunes and currants with the creme de cassis in a small bowl. Mix in the almonds and mint; set aside.

When making with pork tenderloin, skip the mint. When making lamb, the mint is a good flavoring to have.

SEASONING: In another small bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, coriander, salt, and pepper; set aside.

PORK: Remove excess fat and the silverside from the pork. Lay a tenderloin flat, and cut 3/4 of the way through on the thin side. Flop the pork onto the thick part, and put a slash into the thickest parts if more than 1″ thick. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick. Repeat for the second tenderloin.

If making lamb: Untie and unroll the lamb, lay it out flat on the work surface. Trim off excess fat, and cut any thick parts open so that it is evenly thick and somewhat rectangular in shape. Cover with plastic wrap and and pound any thick parts to 3/4″ thick.

Sprinkle half of the herb mixture over the pork. Spread the prune/currant mixture evenly over the pork.

Roll up starting at one of the short sides, and tie with kitchen twine in 1″ intervals. Cut 9 slits about 1″ deep into the top of the pork, and insert a slice of garlic in each. Rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining herb mixture.

Place pork seam-side up on a rack set in a roasting pan. Roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

If making lamb: For medium-rare, a thermometer inserted into the center will read 140 F. Remove lamb from the oven and cover with foil.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes while proceeding with the recipe.

SAUCE: While the pork is resting, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until the vinegar has reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Once reduced, stir in the butter, honey, and sliced figs. Stir until the butter has melted, then remove from the heat, stir in the chopped basil and set aside.

To serve, remove the twine from the pork and cut into 1/2″ thick slices. Arrange on a warm serving platter and drizzle with the fig sauce, garnish with mint and basil leaves.

This is a very simple recipe that always comes out good. I have recently adjusted proportions, including doubling the wine to produce more sauce.

Originally I sliced the tenderloin in thin slices, but it’s a LOT faster to cut the meat in thicker pieces, cover with plastic, and pound thin.

Pork Fillet in Mustard Cream Sauce

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 1-1/2″ slices, pounded to 1/4″ thickness
• salt & ground black pepper
• 1 cup medium dry white wine
• 1/2 cup soured cream
• 1/4 cup mild whole grain mustard

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute without browning it. Add the meat and brown on all sides, seasoning with salt & pepper.

Push the meat to one side of the pan and pour in the wine. Stir to loosen any sediment at the bottom of the pan, then add the soured cream and mustard. Mix the meat into the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Serve hot. 4 servings.

Notes:

Use any kind of mustard desired. I often use spicy brown mustard and sometimes yellow mustard.

I found this on the AllRecipes site a while ago, and got around to trying it tonight.

Since I don’t keep self-rising flour in the house, mine changed to Four Ingredient Naan, but it worked nicely.

Two Ingredient Naan

• 1-1/4 cups self-rising flour, or more as needed
• 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt

Mix flour and yogurt together in a large bowl until combined. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, adding more flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking, 2 to 3 minutes.

Pat dough into a rough 9×7″ rectangle. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Lightly dust each piece with flour and flatten into a semi-rectangular shape, about 1/4″ thick.

Lightly grease a large skillet and place it over medium heat. Add 1 or 2 of the flattened dough pieces to the skillet. Cook until they begin to bubble and brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip over and cook an additional 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining dough until all pieces are cooked. Serve warm.

Cook’s Notes: Cooking these flatbreads can be a bit of a smoky process! Make sure to have a window open or a stove vent on just in case!

Homemade self-rising flour: for every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of baking powder to make it “self-rising”.

Notes:

I patted the dough into a 7″ diameter, cut it in 8 pieces, then rolled each piece into a ball before flattening it.

1/4″ thick is way too thick. The bread was burning before it cooked through, so I had to turn the heat down a couple of notches. The last part of the batch I rolled to 1/8″ thickness and it worked much better.

2 minutes per side was plenty — the original instructions said it would be smoky — the house smelled of “burnt”, but the naan was fine.

I defrosted a package of hamburg, with the intention of making tacos. But at the last minute I didn’t want tacos, so I whipped together this recipe.

Quick Meat Sauce

• 1/4 lb bacon, strips sliced in 3 or 4 pieces
• 1-1/4 lb hamburg
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 can red wine
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, brown the bacon over medium heat. Remove to a plate and let cool.

Increase heat to medium-high and brown the hamburg in the bacon grease. When done move to the sides of the pan and add the onion. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until onion is soft.

Chop the bacon in small pieces and add to pan. I used kitchen shears to cut the strips into 1/4″ wide pieces.

Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally If the sauce gets too thick, add a few tablespoons of water at a time, stirring well after each addition.