Quick Weeknight Dinners - Session 3; Bruschetta; and Ribeye Steak with Wine Reduction Sauce

Post Date: 24 April 2015

Quick Weeknight Dinners – April 27

The Quick Weeknight Dinners class finishes this coming Monday with the third session.  For this class, I have not yet decided on the whole program, bit I am considering Salisbury Steaks, a pork chop dish, and/or perhaps seafood.  Plus there will be a surprise.

 

Bruschetta

 

 

I had not made this in a while.  The subject came up in the last Quick Weeknight Dinners class, so I decided to make a batch.  Like many Italian recipes, there are quite a few variations on this dish, although one common thread is tomato.  I start mine by cutting the tomatoes into wedges, then scooping out the pulp and skin and discarding them.  I then mince the tomato pieces and place them in a bowl with 3 cloves of minced garlic.  I then add salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and chopped fresh basil leaves.  Sometimes I add some mozzarella, cutting the small cherry sized mozzarella balls into quarters and mixing them in.  I chill the mixture for at least 2 hours before serving,

I serve the bruschetta in one of two ways, both using a baguette.  In the first way I slice the baguette into then rounds, brush them with olive oil, spread on some minced garlic from a jar, and toast under the broiler.  This is convenient because everything can be done ahead of time, so when the guests arrive you just set everything out.

The second way I serve it is a bit more labor intensive and time sensitive.  I cut the baguette into 4 to 5 inch pieces, then cut in half lengthwise and discard the soft inner dough.  As with the baguette rounds above, I then spread olive oil and garlic on each piece and toast under the broiler.  Since what I am going for here is the give the guests the sensation of the warm bread and the cold bruschetta mix, as soon as the baguette slices come out of the oven, I spoon the bruschetta onto them and serve immediately

 

Ribeye Steak with Wine Reduction Sauce

This is a recipe from Food Network Magazine which my wife had marked for us to try, so we made it last Sunday evening.  Here is where you can find the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marc-forgione/rib-eye-steaks-with-berries-and-blue-cheese.html

The reduction sauce includes port wine, dry red wine, and veal stock, so it takes quite a while to get the sauce reduced down, but the final product is well worth the wait.  It also includes shallots, mushrooms, and as the name implies, your choice of blueberries, blackberries, or huckleberries.  We used blueberries.  As regards the steaks themselves, they are started on the stove top then finished in the oven.  Some blue cheese was sprinkled on top before serving.  Overall, this one is a keeper.

Upcoming Classes

Here are the upcoming classes I will be teaching for the rest of the spring term.  The summer schedule will be out soon.

May 7, 14, and 21 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

May 31 and June 6 – Sunday Afternoon – Beyond Biscotti – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu

 

 

 

 

Quick Weeknight Dinners Class – Session 2 and Spring Fruits and Vegetables

Post Date: 17 April 2015

Quick Weeknight Dinners – April 20

The Quick Weeknight Dinners class continues this coming Monday with the second session.  This Monday night we will start by preparing a Marinara Sauce with Fennel.  This can serve as an all-purpose sauce for a variety of Italian dishes.  We will use it to finish off a stovetop chicken parmesan with pasta.  For a salad, we will prepare a baby spinach salad with Stilton cheese and golden raisins.  We will finish the evening off with a baked salmon coated with mustard and panko bread crumbs.

Spring at Last!

Having performed the end of winter ritual of taking the ice scraper from the passenger compartment of my car and placing it in the trunk, my cooking is ready for spring.  I look forward to making the no bake desserts from my classes using strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries with ricotta and marscapone cheeses as well as some fresh fruit pies.

Pasta Primavera is on the spring menu, as well as Caprese and Panzanella salads with garden fresh tomatoes and risotto with lemon, lime, and fresh asparagus.  I will also be working on a cauliflower dish in which it is steamed, then placed in a food processor with a bit of milk or cream and some spices, and finished in the oven under the broiler.  It can be used to give the look, feel and texture of mashed potatoes for anyone avoiding potatoes in their diet.

Upcoming Classes

The A.C.E. Spring Schedule is out.  Here are the upcoming classes I will be teaching:

May 7, 14, and 21 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

May 31 and June 6 – Sunday Afternoon – Beyond Biscotti – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu

Quick Weeknight Dinners Class Starts April 13, Easter Dinner and Chocolate Stout Cake

Post Date: 11 April 2015

This week I will be discussing my upcoming Quick Weeknight Dinners class, our Easter Dinner menu, and a new twist on Chocolate Stout Layer Cake.

Quick Weeknight Dinners

This class meets for three Monday evening sessions, starting April 13^th, at 6:30 at the Plum Center in Springfield.  For the first session we will focus on salads and main courses.  For the salads, we will be doing a Caprese and my take on a Waldorf Salad which can double as a healthy appetizer.  The main courses will be Sauteed Beef Cubes in a Mustard Sauce and an all-in-one Balsamic Citrus Chicken Breast roasted with vegetables.

Easter Dinner 2015

I just wanted to share with you what we had on the menu for our Easter Dinner.  We started off with a Carrot and Ginger Soup. I got the recipe from the New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Majorie Druker and Clara Silverstein (Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, Tennessee, 2007).  We had 2 salads, fruit and panzanella.  The main course was pork tenderloin roasted with a red miso/apricot preserve glaze (from Bon Appetit magazine, January 2011).  For sides we had lemon lime risotto with asparagus and green beans with a mustard sauce, served at room temperature.  Dessert was an Easter Egg shaped cake and assorted cupcakes and cookies provided by my sister-in-law.

 Chocolate Stout Cake

I have made this many times before for family birthdays and it is always a hit.  I usually use Rogue brand chocolate stout.  Besides having a great chocolate taste, it comes in a big bottle, so after you add what you need to the cake there is always plenty left over for sampling.  This time I decided to use some Sweet Baby Jesus, the chocolate and peanut butter porter I discussed in an earlier post as being a great dessert beer.  Well, it works very well in the cake too, as well as an accompaniment.

Upcoming Classes

The A.C.E. Spring Schedule is out.  Here are the upcoming classes I will be teaching:

May 7, 14, and 21 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

May 31 and June 6 – Sunday Afternoon – Beyond Biscotti – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu

Dinner in Dublin Class on April 4

Post Date: 1 April 2015

This week I will be discussing my upcoming class "Dinner in Dublin" and the dishes we will be preparing.

Dinner in Dublin

This class would have been more appropriate around St. Patrick’s Day, but the schedule did not work out.  For this class I was looking to come up with recipes that are rooted in Irish traditions yet have a more contemporary feel.  So cheeses, cream, fresh vegetables, and salmon will play a large part here.   The picture at the top of this post is our vegetable dish, sautéed asparagus and carrot in a shallot cream reduction sauce.  Our potato soup, pictured below, begins with a mirepoix and we use a roux to thicken it at the end, along with some Irish cheese.  Our salad will feature baby spinach with a mustard and maple syrup vinaigrette.  The main dish is baked salmon with mustard, garlic and thyme.  To finish the meal, we will enjoy a Crème de Menthe parfait.

I had a lot of fun (and good eating) putting the recipes for this class together and look forward to sharing them with the class.

Next A.C.E. Classes on My Spring Schedule

My next class after “Dinner in Dublin” will be on Thursday, April 9, “Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks,” in which we will prepare a simple yet romantic 3 course meal – salad, main course with vegetable, and dessert.

On April 13, 20 and 27 we have “Quick Weeknight Dinners.”  The class will feature nutritious meals that are easy to get to the table quickly after returning home from work.  We will focus on salads and main courses while looking at the most efficient ways to manage your cooking time.  Details about registering are below.

Upcoming Classes

The A.C.E. Spring Schedule is out.  Here are the classes I will be teaching:

April 9 – Thursday Evening - Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – Woodson High School

April 13, 20, and 27 – Monday Evening – Quick Weeknight Dinners – Plum Center

May 7, 14, and 21 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

May 31 and June 6 – Sunday Afternoon – Beyond Biscotti – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu

 

Pi(e) Day, A Beer and Dessert Pairing, and Upcoming A.C.E. Classes

Post Date: 23 March 2015

 

This week I will begin with what I made for Pi(e) Day (3-14-15) and then discuss a unique beer and dessert pairing and my classes scheduled for April.

Pi(e) Day Recap

For Pi(e) Day, I made a straightforward Blueberry Pie, pictured above.  I used a recipe I found in The Complete Book of Pies by Julie Hasson (Robert Rose, Inc., 2008).  This is an excellent book, with recipes for both sweet and savory pies and may different types of crust.  I plan to return to it many times over the next few months as we start getting fresh fruits available.

 

An Interesting Beer and Dessert Pairing

A while ago my son Dan brought over a six pack of Sweet Baby Jesus Beer which is a porter flavored with Chocolate and Peanut Butter.  I liked it and put a few bottles in the fridge.  Over the next few weeks, when preparing dinner and thinking I might prefer a beer rather than wine with the meal, I would open the fridge, see the bottle of Sweet Baby Jesus, and think, “No, that taste is not going to work with this meal.” 

Then, the other day, when hiking with my friend John Treacy, the conversation turned to beer, as it inevitably does.  I mentioned my quandary about what to pair this beer with and he had a brilliant suggestion, “Tiramisu!”  Now it just so happened that I had a tiramisu in the fridge that I had made as a demo in a recent cooking class.  John further suggested that it be just a small glass of the beer, no more than a third of the bottle (picture below).  Well, I tried it for dessert that night and the pairing was perfect. 

But wait, there is more.  I had a box of cannoli shells I had ordered for a class, so I made a batch of cannoli filling and tried pairing cannoli with the beer.  Once again, excellent.  We have dessert wine,  why not have dessert beers as well?

Next A.C.E. Classes on My Spring Schedule

My next class in entitled “Dinner in Dublin” on Saturday April 4^th.  No corned beef and cabbage or boiled potatoes here though.  I am still finalizing the menu, but the main dish will probably be salmon.

On Thursday, April 9, we have “Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks” in which we will prepare a simple yet romantic 3 course meal – salad, main course with vegetable, and dessert.

On April 13, 20 and 27 we have “Quick Weeknight Dinners.”  The class will feature nutritious meals that are easy to get to the table quickly after returning home from work.  We will focus on salads and main courses while looking at the most efficient ways to manage your cooking time.  Details about registering are below.

Upcoming Classes

The A.C.E. Spring Schedule is out.  Here are the classes I will be teaching:

April 4 – Saturday Morning – Dinner in Dublin - Plum Center

April 9 – Thursday Evening - Date Night Cooking for Novice Cooks – Woodson High School

April 13, 20, and 27 – Monday Evening – Quick Weeknight Dinners – Plum Center

May 7, 14, and 21 – Thursday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

May 31 and June 6 – Sunday Afternoon – Beyond Biscotti – Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu

Dinner in Rome Class vs WInter, Pavlovas, and Pi(e) Day

Post Date: 8 March 2015

Dinner in Rome Class vs Winter

Winter is currently winning, 2-0.  Class was cancelled due to snow on the original date, February 26^th, and moved ahead a week to March 5^th.  An even bigger snow storm on March 5^th has moved the class to the following week, Thursday, March 12^th. Here’s hoping the third time is the charm.  Fortunately I was holding off on buying the perishables until the morning of the class, so I did not have any ahead of time to worry about.  Menu remains the same, Minestrone, Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo, and Tiramisu.

Pavlovas

I made this dessert for the first time last week.  A photo of it leads off this post.  It is named for the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and it was created in Australia or New Zealand in honor of one of her tours there (or at least according to Wikipedia). 

It is basically a baked meringue ring topped with whipped cream and strawberries.  I got the recipe from Food Network Magazine for January/February 2015.  Here is the link:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chocolate-pavlova-with-strawberries-and-cream.html

You need a lot of time to make this, as the meringue bakes in the oven at a very low temperature for 2 hours, then cools off in the oven for 3 more hours, with the door slightly ajar.  The low temperature is needed so that the meringue does not burn while the moisture is slowly baked out.

Happy Pi(e) Day

My mathematician friends tell me they celebrate March 14^th (3-14) by eating pie.  And this year is a very special one, as the date is 3-14-15, and 3.1415 represents the first five digits of Pi, so it is being called the “Pi Day of the Century.”  To celebrate I plan to make a Shepherd’s Pie, a fruit pie, and maybe a quiche (I know, not technically a pie, but it has a crust, so what the heck.)  And in case you really want to get your geek on, here is a link to Pi carried out to 1 million digits:

www.piday.org/million/

 

Upcoming Classes

I have one more class in the winter session, in March.

March 21 – Saturday Morning - No Bake Desserts- Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu

Making Beignets and This Week’s A.C.E.Class – Dinner in Rome

Post Date: 24 February 2015

This week I will begin by discussing Beignets and then what we will be preparing in the Thursday’s Dinner in Rome A.C.E. class.  

Making Beignets

I had not made these in a long time, but with the snow starting on Presidents’ Day, I decided to try out my new deep fryer and make a batch.  I had a recipe I had received from L’Academie de Cuisine but decided to try one I got from a French culinary newsletter, 750 Grammes.  It made quite a lot of dough, so I only used half of it, then froze the rest to see if it could still be used.  The next day I thawed it out on the counter for a while, and made another batch which was just as good as the original one.  An interesting fact about French recipes, which you may have already observed.  The measurements are given by weight not by volume; e.g., 500 grams of flour vs 1 cup, or 10 centiliters of liquid vs 1 teaspoon.  This should not present a problem, though, as there are plenty of websites where you can perform the conversions easily.

A.C.E. Cooking Class - Dinner in Rome

We will be will be spending an evening at a trattoria on Rome’s Via Veneto to prepare and enjoy a three course meal.  Dress is casual, and I promise not to sing any opera.  We will be making a Minestrone, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, and a traditional Tiramisu.  The Minestrone will be vegetable based, but we will discuss ways to add meat to the soup.  On the flip side, the chicken can be omitted from the Fettuccine dish to make a meatless Fettuccine Alfredo.  We will divide into teams and each team will make the soup and the fettuccine.  However, each participant will make their own tiramisu.

 Upcoming Classes

I have one more class in the winter session, in March.

March 21 – Saturday Morning - No Bake Desserts- Plum Center

To register for this class, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/specialinterest.shtml and scroll down to the Culinary section

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu