Spring is finally Springing!!
When I think spring, I think the beginning of grill season. Why wait until summer to spark up the fire when spring gives us the beginnings of what is to come?
Nothing goes better on a grill than lamb chops. Not only are they delicious, they are a great grill warm-up as they are simple to make (just in case your grill skills have become rusty over the long winter). They go great with simply grilled asparagus and perhaps some grilled red potatoes. As a wine note I have to suggest Crofut Rose'. I love this wine and it is great with all that is spring.
Grilled Lamb Chops
The Need
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 lamb chops
The How:
Chop garlic, rosemary and thyme and place in bowl. Drizzle your olive oil in the bowl and toss in your salt. Place the lamb chops in the bowl and place in the fridge for about an hour or two.
Before grilling take the chops out and let them come to room temperature. About a ½ hour.
Place chops on a high heated grill. Cook about 2 minutes on each side for medium rare (my liking) or about 3 minutes per side for medium.
I may just have to bring these to the vineyard this weekend and help Don and his family bottle up this year's gifts of the grapes!
\m/ Richard
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A Quick (yet Fancy) Taste of Summer in the Winter
I was walking through the grocery store the other day and noticed that the mussels were on sale for about $5 buck per pound. I don’t know about any of you, but I love these mollusks. Not only for personal consumption; as a chef this is one of the easiest items to prepare while impressing your guests.
1pound Mussels
1 Tbs. Olive oil
2 Clove Garlic (chopped)
2 sprigs Fresh Tarragon (chopped)
½ cup Sundried Tomatoes (Julianne)
2 cups Crofut Prairie Blanc
½ pound butter (room temp is the best)
Salt & Pepper to taste
In Sautee pan heat olive oil and garlic. Add Mussels, Sundried Tomatoes, Tarragon and Vino. Bring to a boil and reduce the wine by half. Doing this allows plenty of time for the mussels to open without becoming over cooked. Once reduced, add butter while swirling the pan so the butter melts in the wine. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour in large serving bowl, allowing the sauce to cover the mussels. Discard any un-opened mussels. Serve with crusty bread and drink the remained of the wine….
Easy-peasy!
\m/
Richard
rdollarhide@hotmail.com
1pound Mussels
1 Tbs. Olive oil
2 Clove Garlic (chopped)
2 sprigs Fresh Tarragon (chopped)
½ cup Sundried Tomatoes (Julianne)
2 cups Crofut Prairie Blanc
½ pound butter (room temp is the best)
Salt & Pepper to taste
In Sautee pan heat olive oil and garlic. Add Mussels, Sundried Tomatoes, Tarragon and Vino. Bring to a boil and reduce the wine by half. Doing this allows plenty of time for the mussels to open without becoming over cooked. Once reduced, add butter while swirling the pan so the butter melts in the wine. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour in large serving bowl, allowing the sauce to cover the mussels. Discard any un-opened mussels. Serve with crusty bread and drink the remained of the wine….
Easy-peasy!
\m/
Richard
rdollarhide@hotmail.com
Monday, February 9, 2009
Valentine Dinner for Two
Now that we have a winter thaw going on outside, I can take off my gloves (Molly told me “real men don’t wear mittens”) and start posting on this blog again.
With a chill in the air, I wanted to heat things up and what better day to do so than Valentines Day? In honor of Valentines Day I decided to put together a “dinner for two” using easy-to-follow recipes that are influenced by many of my culinary friends. These are a little spicy, but this is the holiday when things should get spicy.
Though some of these may seem hard to the novice cook, I assure you that they are easy to make and what a better gift to give your Valentine that something you created rather than bought?
If you have any cooking questions or comments and ideas please feel free to drop me a note at rdollarhide@hotmail.com
\m/ Richard
Valentines’ Menu
Spanish Citrus (Frontenac Gris)
Sizzling Shrimp Diablo (Le Crescent White)
Spicy Truffle (for most I would recommend La Crescent Sweet though I have to tell you, I like this with the Frontenac Red it just adds to the power! )
Spanish Citrus Salad
2 cups arugula, torn into pieces
1 cup mandarin orange, sections
8 radishes, thinly sliced
10 black olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper
In a bowl whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, cinnamon and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour in to a shakable container and let dressing sit at least 20minutes before serving.
In large serving bowl, lay out arugula on bottom of plate in single layer. Then layer oranges. Then layer, radishes. Top with the olives, Pour dressing and serve.
Again.. I like to serve most salads at room temperature. It really gives truth to the flavors
Shrimp Diablo
8-10 large shrimp, deveined, tail on
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup yellow onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced with seeds
2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine (I like La Crescent in this one)
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan cheese
1/4 lb linguine, cooked
In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Sauté onion and jalapeno about 3 minutes.
Add garlic, crushed red pepper and shrimp and cook until shrimp is opaque, about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, lemon juice and white wine and reduce until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
Spicy Truffles
3.5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup butter
Small Pinch cayenne pepper
2.5 tablespoons cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Truffle Coating
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Pinch teaspoon ginger
Pinch teaspoon cinnamon
Melt chocolate, butter and cayenne in a double boiler, or a bowl in the microwave. Stir well.
Remove from heat. Mix in cream and powdered sugar. Stir well. (The sugar will stick together in small lumps if you aren't vigorous about it.) Cover, and chill overnight.
Coating: Scoop out the chocolate, one tablespoon at a time (I like to use a melon baller). Mold it into ball then roll in the powder mixture to coat them.
Keep Cool until ready to serve
With a chill in the air, I wanted to heat things up and what better day to do so than Valentines Day? In honor of Valentines Day I decided to put together a “dinner for two” using easy-to-follow recipes that are influenced by many of my culinary friends. These are a little spicy, but this is the holiday when things should get spicy.
Though some of these may seem hard to the novice cook, I assure you that they are easy to make and what a better gift to give your Valentine that something you created rather than bought?
If you have any cooking questions or comments and ideas please feel free to drop me a note at rdollarhide@hotmail.com
\m/ Richard
Valentines’ Menu
Spanish Citrus (Frontenac Gris)
Sizzling Shrimp Diablo (Le Crescent White)
Spicy Truffle (for most I would recommend La Crescent Sweet though I have to tell you, I like this with the Frontenac Red it just adds to the power! )
Spanish Citrus Salad
2 cups arugula, torn into pieces
1 cup mandarin orange, sections
8 radishes, thinly sliced
10 black olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper
In a bowl whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, cinnamon and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour in to a shakable container and let dressing sit at least 20minutes before serving.
In large serving bowl, lay out arugula on bottom of plate in single layer. Then layer oranges. Then layer, radishes. Top with the olives, Pour dressing and serve.
Again.. I like to serve most salads at room temperature. It really gives truth to the flavors
Shrimp Diablo
8-10 large shrimp, deveined, tail on
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup yellow onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced with seeds
2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine (I like La Crescent in this one)
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan cheese
1/4 lb linguine, cooked
In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Sauté onion and jalapeno about 3 minutes.
Add garlic, crushed red pepper and shrimp and cook until shrimp is opaque, about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, lemon juice and white wine and reduce until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
Spicy Truffles
3.5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup butter
Small Pinch cayenne pepper
2.5 tablespoons cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Truffle Coating
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Pinch teaspoon ginger
Pinch teaspoon cinnamon
Melt chocolate, butter and cayenne in a double boiler, or a bowl in the microwave. Stir well.
Remove from heat. Mix in cream and powdered sugar. Stir well. (The sugar will stick together in small lumps if you aren't vigorous about it.) Cover, and chill overnight.
Coating: Scoop out the chocolate, one tablespoon at a time (I like to use a melon baller). Mold it into ball then roll in the powder mixture to coat them.
Keep Cool until ready to serve
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Perfect Holiday Steak
I remember growing up with traditional turkey or ham being served every holiday. I remember anticipating the dinner and the goodies that followed, which this “Husky” kid could not pass up. I was an odd kid, as I always looked forward to the meals on Christmas Eve before wondering what Saint Nick would leave for me Christmas morning. When most kids lay in bed counting sheep, I would count lamb chops with a light garlic and rosemary glaze. Let’s just say I was destined to become a cook.
Asking my friends and colleges what they are serving for the holidays; it seems that beef tenderloin has become the choice holiday feast of this generation. So I decided that I would share this recipe with you.
Here is a great steak rub that I use for almost any event. Pair this with Crofut Frontenac and you will have the perfect steak.
Dollarhide Espresso Steak Rub
8 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons dehydrated onion
1 tablespoon dehydrated garlic
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried fennel
4 tablespoons ground espresso
Happy Holidays
The Dollarhides
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Oh Deer!
My favorite gifts are those of food. Whether its’ venison from one of my brother-in-laws hunts or pheasant from my uncle Craig, the gift of food is always the best. These gifts do come with an alternative motive, being that Molly and I have to cook for them, though this motive is a good one as not only do we get the gift of cuisine but the gift of family and the story of how the feast came to our table.
Venison bites “Minnesota Style”
This is the easiest recipe I have ever tried (I tend to say this a lot). It makes for a great appetizer for the football game or even just sitting around the house on a cold day watching movies or playing video games (all of which Molly tells me is me being non-productive). This is also a great recipe to introduce venison to a first timer.
For this recipe I use a sauce I found at the Prior Lake farmers market earlier this fall. It is based out of Eagan and called “Spooky All Natural Hot Sauce”.
2 pound cubed venison roast (about 1 ½ inch thick)
1 cup flour (seasoned with a little salt and pepper)
2 Tbs Olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 cup hot sauce
2 cups Frontenac
A little patience
The how:
In a large skillet heat the oil. Dredge the cubed venison in the seasoned flour. Toss the floured venison in the skillet and brown each sides of the cubed meat. Once these are brown add the wine, hot sauce & garlic. Bring to a boil for one minute then turn the heat down to a simmer for ½ hour.
The smokiness of the wine and the sauce make for a great combination.
\m/ Richard
P.S. I found the website for the sauce. Keep it local!
http://www.spookygourmethotsauce.net/index.html
Venison bites “Minnesota Style”
This is the easiest recipe I have ever tried (I tend to say this a lot). It makes for a great appetizer for the football game or even just sitting around the house on a cold day watching movies or playing video games (all of which Molly tells me is me being non-productive). This is also a great recipe to introduce venison to a first timer.
For this recipe I use a sauce I found at the Prior Lake farmers market earlier this fall. It is based out of Eagan and called “Spooky All Natural Hot Sauce”.
2 pound cubed venison roast (about 1 ½ inch thick)
1 cup flour (seasoned with a little salt and pepper)
2 Tbs Olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 cup hot sauce
2 cups Frontenac
A little patience
The how:
In a large skillet heat the oil. Dredge the cubed venison in the seasoned flour. Toss the floured venison in the skillet and brown each sides of the cubed meat. Once these are brown add the wine, hot sauce & garlic. Bring to a boil for one minute then turn the heat down to a simmer for ½ hour.
The smokiness of the wine and the sauce make for a great combination.
\m/ Richard
P.S. I found the website for the sauce. Keep it local!
http://www.spookygourmethotsauce.net/index.html
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Fondue and Tapenade
Due to popular demand I was going to sell these on eBay, but I decided to share it with you all instead!
\m/ Richard
Molly’s Fondue
In a medium sauce pan melt 1/2 cup Butter and1/2 Cup Flour. Whisk until thick then start adding 2% Milk a little at a time until medium consistency is reached.
Add any of the following cheese blends, just make sure they are shredded: Sharpe White Cheddar, American, Gruyere, Fontina, Herb Gouda and - maybe for something different - a little Blue Cheese.
When whisking in the cheese, only have the milk at medium heat so it will not scorch. Once you have reached a creamy pancake-like consistency, take it off the stove and add a few dashes of the following, one at a time: Crofut Frontenac Gris, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice salt & White Pepper.
When reheating, I recommend either keeping it in a crock pot or double boiler so it does not burn.
Frontenac Tapenade
2 cups pitted Kalamata olives
2 Cup Black olives
2 tablespoons capers
3 anchovy fillets
Juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1/2 cup of olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup sundried tomatoes
1 cup Crofut Frontenac
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except tomatoes. Pulse until until well combined (You want it a little chunky.) Season with freshly ground black pepper.
\m/ Richard
Molly’s Fondue
In a medium sauce pan melt 1/2 cup Butter and1/2 Cup Flour. Whisk until thick then start adding 2% Milk a little at a time until medium consistency is reached.
Add any of the following cheese blends, just make sure they are shredded: Sharpe White Cheddar, American, Gruyere, Fontina, Herb Gouda and - maybe for something different - a little Blue Cheese.
When whisking in the cheese, only have the milk at medium heat so it will not scorch. Once you have reached a creamy pancake-like consistency, take it off the stove and add a few dashes of the following, one at a time: Crofut Frontenac Gris, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice salt & White Pepper.
When reheating, I recommend either keeping it in a crock pot or double boiler so it does not burn.
Frontenac Tapenade
2 cups pitted Kalamata olives
2 Cup Black olives
2 tablespoons capers
3 anchovy fillets
Juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1/2 cup of olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup sundried tomatoes
1 cup Crofut Frontenac
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except tomatoes. Pulse until until well combined (You want it a little chunky.) Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Evolution of a Recipe.. Not so hard!
Here's how a chef comes up with a recipe... we all want to believe that being creative is hard work but the fact is, Great things come out of nowhere!
This morning I was playing with new Ciabatta bread that our bakery made for us. I looked around and found a rarity - a half drank bottle of River Valley White. Why it was half empty? I do not know, yet it is not a crime when you find something wonderful to do with it.
I simply grilled a piece of Ciabatta bread and slapped a couple of pieces of bacon on it. Grilled a little Pacific Salmon (not that farm-raised stuff!), then sautéed some Shiitake and Button Mushrooms with the Crofut wine until the mushroom became dry. I put the mushrooms on the salmon and topped it with some Boursin Cheese. Placed everything under a broiler for two minutes then topped it with a little spinach tossed in Balsamic. ..Done
This morning I was playing with new Ciabatta bread that our bakery made for us. I looked around and found a rarity - a half drank bottle of River Valley White. Why it was half empty? I do not know, yet it is not a crime when you find something wonderful to do with it.
I simply grilled a piece of Ciabatta bread and slapped a couple of pieces of bacon on it. Grilled a little Pacific Salmon (not that farm-raised stuff!), then sautéed some Shiitake and Button Mushrooms with the Crofut wine until the mushroom became dry. I put the mushrooms on the salmon and topped it with some Boursin Cheese. Placed everything under a broiler for two minutes then topped it with a little spinach tossed in Balsamic. ..Done
Yum!
\m/ Rock on!
Richard
rdollarhide@hotmail.com
\m/ Rock on!
Richard
rdollarhide@hotmail.com
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