Amy & Nora's Sous Vide meat and salad night

Berry scones

Preheat oven to 425, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

Mix Dry ingredients in Processor:

1 1/2 C flour

1 1/4 C oats

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 C sugar

And 1 cold cube of butter cubed

Then pour in bowl with:

1 egg

1/2 C buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cider vinegar

Beat with mixer until it comes together, then fold in 1 c frozen or fresh berries (it’s much easier to fold in frozen berries).  I do blueberries and raspberries.

Spoon about 12 even balls onto the cookie sheet, press them down a bit and sprinkle raw sugar on top.  Bake for 16min

WOW Chicken by Kelsey Nixon

• 2 lb Chicken breasts, boneless skinless

• 1/4 tsp Chili pepper flakes

• 4 cloves Garlic

• 1 Lemon

• 1 tsp Onion powder

• 1 tbsp Honey

• 1/2 tsp Black pepper, cracked

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1 tsp Kosher salt

• 1 tsp Paprika

• 1/4 cup Olive oil, extra-virgin

• 1/4 cup Parmesan 

Marinate with 3/4 of this recipe, use the remaining 1/4 as a sauce on top of the cooked chicken

Bake 375 for 18-20min, or Grill 3-5min each side (400-450 degrees) 

Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin

I followed this video and finished it on the grill with the bbq sauce, however after this couples dinner, I followed this recipe and it was phenomenal.

Pork with chimichurri (Sous Vide with about 1/3 of the marinade and serve with the rest)

Lemon Blueberry cake

Basque Cheesecake (Follow the directions in the notes for the chocolate version)

Key lime bars (I use limes instead of lemons in the recipe).  You can double the recipe (and only need 1.5x the curd) for a 9x13 pan.

 

Amy's back to the future night

 

Appetizer:  Strawberry Yogurt clusters

Main Course- Naan Pizza and Mediterranean Tacos

Peach Pizza: 

Ingredients: Peach (frozen or fresh.  If frozen, just slice into thin pieces), Prosciutto, goat cheese, Monterey Jack, 4 large naan flatbreads, olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, balsamic reduction

Preheat oven to 450 and place baking sheet on top rack to heat up.  Prepare your Naan on tinfoil by Brushing Naan with olive oil and minced garlic.  Season with salt and pepper, then lay prosciutto onto naan.  Dollop ricotta or goat cheese onto pizza, then add the mozzarella, Asiago or Monterey Jack, and sliced peaches.  Place tinfoil with Naan on baking sheet in the oven and Bake for 6min.  Before serving, sprinkle pizza with fresh basil and balsamic reduction.  

To make Balsamic reduction: Pour 1c balsamic vinegar and 1/4c honey into a large, deep skillet..  Allow the mixture to simmer for around 15 minutes, or until the vinegar has reduced. Once cooled, it will thicken quite a bit.

BBQ Pineapple Pizza

Ingredients: Red onion, pineapple, balsamic vinegar, poblano pepper, fresh mozzarella, Monterey Jack cheese, 4 large naan flatbreads, bbq sauce, Portuguese sausage (I buy the Silva Linguica brand at smiths)

Preheat oven to 450 and place baking sheet on top rack to heat up.  Prepare your Naan on tinfoil by spreading it evenly with BBQ sauce.  Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat and add 1/2 a red onion sliced thin. Cook until softened (about 6-8min).  

While the onion cooks, very thinly slice a poblano pepper into strips, toss in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Dice mozzarella, pineapple (about 1/2c), and Portuguse Sausage into 1/2-inch pieces (I use 1 long link).

Once cooked onion is softened, increase heat to medium high and add the pineapple tidbits and chopped Portuguese sausage.  Cook, stirring until pineapple is lightly browned (2-3min).  Stir in 5 tsp of Balsamic or Red wine vinegar, stir for 1-2 min more on the heat until it all thickens a bit.  Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper.

Top bbq covered naan with the onion & pineapple mix, then diced mozzarella and some Monterey Jack cheese, then poblano strips.  Place tinfoil with Naan on baking sheet in the oven and bake for 6min.

Med Tacos

https://sunbasket.com/recipe/chicken-and-hummus-flatbread-tacos-with-greek-kale-salad

• 1 ounce sun-dried tomato strips (not in oil)
• 2 to 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 10 ounces total)
• 3 ounces organic shredded kale or other leafy greens
• Mediterranean vinaigrette (below)
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta
• Naan flatbreads
• Kroger Mediterranean herb Hummus

• (almost 3 TBSP) olive oil
• 1 tbsp) red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• little grind of salt and pepper
• little dried basil
• little dried oregano
• bit of lemon, juiced
•  Bit of dijon mustard

Dessert

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients needed (oreos, hazelnuts, bananas, 1qt. heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, 8oz of melting chocolate).  The rest of the ingredients you probably have on hand!

• For the crust:
• 20 oreo cookies, finely crushed
• 1 cup raw hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a pie pan (or 14 ramekins) with nonstick cooking spray or melted butter.  Place cookies and hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 1-2 minutes or until cookies are finely crushed. Add in melted butter and salt and process again until well combined.  Press in Pie tin (or one spoonful into each ramekin), bake for 10 min.  Then let cool.

For the Ganache

• 8 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate 
• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream

Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream, until it just begins to boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate completely melts. Pour the warm ganache into the pie crust.

Custard Filling (make 1.5x the recipe for 14 ramekins)

Combine 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1/2 C. sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 large eggs, 1 C. milk, and 1 Tbsp. butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook 30 sec. or until thick.  Remove from heat.  Add 2 tsp. of vanilla extract.  In a separate bowl beat 2 oz. of softened cream cheese until light (about 30 sec.). Add 1/4 C. of the hot custard to cream cheese, and beat just until blended.  Stir in remaining custard.

This custard seems to take a little over 5 hrs. to cool and set so to be on the safe side I just make the pie a day in advance.

For a pie:Arrange banana slices on the ganache. Pour about half of the custard filling on top of the ganache and banana slices. Arrange another even layer of banana slices on top of the filling.  Cover the banana slices with the remaining custard filling. Refrigerate until thoroughly cooled.

**For Ramekins: pour one large spoonful of custard into each ramekin (on top of ganache and banana slices).  Refrigerate until cooled then top with more banana slices then whip cream.

Beat the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until thick.

Top the pie with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Amy's "for the LOVE" night

 Appetizers:

**Pretzels and costco cranberry/jalepeno dip

**pomegranate avacado salsa

Main:

**Biscuits (I double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan, I just use 1.5 cubes of butter instead of doubling that.  It'll bake for 23 min)

**Farro & Mexican chicken bowls (I sometimes also add some diced zucchini to this, just cook it with the corn and pepper)

** deconstructed lettuce wrap bowls.  Rice, sausage/veggie mix, chopped lettuce or cabbage, Chow mein noodles, peanuts, sauces.

1lb Spicy sausage

2 tsp Szechuan seasoning

1 small zucchini chopped

8 oz mushrooms washed and chopped

2 carrots chopped

1/2 bunch green onions

8oz can of sliced water chestnuts

1/4 c. Soy Sauce

Brown the sausage with the seasoning.  Add veggies and cook until crisp-tender.  Add the soy sauce at the end.  

Sauce toppings: japanese bbq sauce, Kinders chicken dipping sauce (both found at Costco or Harmons)

or just mix some mayo, sriracha, and water for a sauce with a kick!

Dessert:

Churros with ice cream and Carmel sauce

extra large metal piping tip

Amy & Brittany host couples Breakfast

 Appetizer:

Spanish Tortilla Recipe (Tortilla de Patates)

Served with Aioli

Ebelskivers with lemon curd and berries

For the Lemon Curd:

• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Bring an inch of water in a large saucepan to a simmer. In a bowl that fits on the saucepan but does not touch the simmering water, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and eggs. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (this can take between 10 and 30 minutes). Add the butter, one cube at a time, stirring until it has melted before adding the next. Once all the butter has been added, place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool slightly and set up.

Main:

Carmelized French Toast (I omitted the extra sugar in the recipe, and used raw turbino sugar crystals to coat the slices -but granulated sugar works too).   One recipe will make about 10 slices.  I bought the challah bread from Harmons (they even sell challah with sugar on top which is great!).  I cooked the toast at 350’ on my griddle.  Use tongs to flip the slices rather than a spatula, it works a little better.  Also be sure to let those slices soak for a pretty significant amount of time!

Homemade Carmel Syrup

1 C Buttermilk

2 Cubes Butter

2 Cups Sugar

1 tsp. Soda

2 Tbsp. Karo Syrup

Boil this for 5 min stirring occasionally. This will expand so use a very large soup or stock pot.

Then add-

2 tsp vanilla

I keep this in a jar in the fridge. It hardens, but you just pop it in the microwave for a minute or two (stir in between if needed).

Banana Brûlée 

Afghanistan Tomato Egg dish:   Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with 3/4C  olive oil heated at med.  Add 4 large chopped tomatoes.  Salt the tomatoes then simmer on med low with lid.  After a couple minutes, mash the tomatoes (can add some tomato sauce if needed) and add 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 Tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp Tumeric powder, 1tsp salt, 1 tsp Cumin, 1 tsp chili flakes, 1 tsp of onion powder, dash of allspice, 2 cloves of garlic minced.  If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little water.  Put the lid back on and let it simmer some more.  Add the juice and pulp of 2 small limes, and some pepper.  Turn up heat to med-high and add the eggs (12), then salt, pepper, paprika then replace lid and let cook.  Then scrape/lift the eggs off the bottom of the pan, then gently lift and flip them.  Place lid on top and cook more until desired doneness of the yolk.  Serve immediately.

*Serve with bread 

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict  you can make the hollandaise as directed in the recipe or an easier way below!

Homemade English muffins 

Hollandaise Sauce:

3 egg yolks

¼ tsp Dijon

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp Lemon juice

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of paprika

Blend all ingredients for about 5 seconds in a blender

Melt ½ C. butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave (watch that it melts all the way but doesn’t explode). Turn blender on high and slowlypour in the butter (just a very small and steady stream). The butter still needs to be very hot when you add it so as to slightly cook the egg. Serve immediately. To keep it warm you can place the container of Hollandaise in a pot with hot water in it. Unfortunately Hollandaise sauce cannot be saved and reheated, it separates.

Dessert:

Sweet rolls

 cranberry orange filling

With this roll recipe

Passion Fruit tart   (for the mini tarts, I rolled out the dough and cut it with a flower shaped circle cookie cutter, poke with fork tines, then gently press them down into muffin tins.  Cook at 400 for 10-12 min.)

Passion fruit mousse (this is another fun recipe you might want to try with passion fruit pulp)

Buy your frozen passion fruit pulp (pictured here) from Rancho Mexican Market (in clearfield or SLC), you can also get frozen passion fruit seeds from Rancho.  The seeds are needed to spoon over top (or you could use pomegranate arils)