Wellington County Dark Ale Coffee-Crusted Porterhouse with Roquefort Butter

I dont think I have ever made a recipe as amazing as this one! The amazing aroma of the steak paired with the sharp-tenderness of the butter is to die for! To be honest, I was originally skeptical of the idea of a coffee infused steak. Since when does the liquid that compliments my daily breakfast go with a AAA grade piece of meat? However, this recipe has lead to one of the most amazing meals I have ever made. All I can say is that you haven't lived until you've given this a shot. The porterhouse steaks were subbed with some top quality rib-eye steaks and were also accompanied by cedar planked mashed potatos and a vinaigrette style caesar salad.

Ingredients

Wellington County Dark Ale Coffee-Crusted Porterhouse

• 4 porterhouse steaks (24 oz/750 g each)
• 1/2 cup coffee rub (125 mL)
• 3 bottle Wellington County Dark Ale (12 oz/341 mL each)

Coffee Rub

• 1/2 cup dark-roast coffee beans (125 mL)
• 6 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped (60 mL)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (60 mL)
• 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper (60 mL)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (60 mL)
• 1/4 cup Wellington County Dark Ale (60 mL)
• 2 tbsp molasses (30 mL)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (30 mL)

Roquefort Butter

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (125 mL)
• 1/2 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese (125 mL)
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (10 mL)
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (10 mL)

Golden Halibut Steaks

As the days grow colder and colder in Ontario, and the days start getting dark earlier I decided to do something a little different where I didn't have to go outside to the BBQ. As much as I LOVE seafood and fish, all of us never seem to eat enough of it. Which really is a shame. They are packed with omega 3 and are a very good source of lean protein. The recipe that I found was originally made for sea bass filets, however I decided to switch it to halibut steaks which turned out equally as amazing. This great recipe can become anybodies staple, weekly meal. It is quick, simple, tasty and ultimately; healthy. I added a horseradish mayo which really balanced out the full flavour of the halibut and really gave it some zip. The salad was a great blue cheese and vinaigrette salad which again balanced everything out. The garlic bread was a last minute addition. I have made it a couple times with a very special recipe of mine. I will post it eventually but not this time. The garlic bread was great but not fully necessary. There was more than enough fish to have a substantial meal with just it and the salad. All in all an incredible recipe and meal that I will be sure to make again. 

 

Golden Halibut Steaks

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed potato flakes
• 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 pounds sea bass fillets or halibut steaks
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Paprika

Directions

• In a shallow bowl, combine the potato flakes, dressing mix and
• pepper. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip fillets into egg, then
• coat with potato flake mixture.
• Place in a single layer in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan
• coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with butter; sprinkle with
• paprika.
• Bake, uncovered, at 450° for 10-14 minutes or until fish flakes
• easily with a fork. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 3 ounces cooked fish equals 180 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 81 mg cholesterol, 451 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 22 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

Herb Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
• 2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish

Directions

• In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, lemon juice, and horseradish; season with salt and pepper. Set in fridge until ready to serve. 

Greek Spiced Chicken

Last night I decided to make a favourite of mine: Greek Spiced Chicken. The recipe has been a trial and error of my own so please do not take the measurements exactly. Do as you feel and add a little more or less depending what you like. I also did a fresh baby spinach greek salad along with the chicken and paired out perfectly. The next few recipes I will be posting will be on the healthier side however I will do my best to sneak in some amazing taste. This greek chicken is one of my favourites and while I was out in Calgary, I easily made a full batch of chicken, marinated, cooked and had meals ready for the week. Marinading this meat for 8 hours or overnight will definitely give you a full range of flavour. 

Greek Spiced Chicken

6 Chicken Breasts 

4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1 Lemon Juiced

4 Garlic Cloves (Pressed or Minced)

3 Tbsp Franks Red Hot Sauce

1 Cup Red Onion Minced

Club House Greek Spice

Put the chicken breasts in a large bowl and mix all ingredients together, slowly mixing in the greek spice. Put the mixture back in the fridge and let sit for over 2 hours. I sometimes like to put them in a ziplock container with all the mixtures and let them marinade overnight. After marinade is complete remove from packaging and put on that piping hot grill! Should take about 25 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Greek Salad

Dressing:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mediterranean is best)

Salad:
1 head lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces ((I use Romaine)
3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped (the long, thin, almost seedless ones)
1 medium red onion, cut into thin rings and soaked for 10 minutes in a small bowl of ice water to make it less sharp
1 small green pepper, cut into thin rings
3/4 cup kalamata olive
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. Whisk dressing ingredients together until blended.
2. Season to taste.
3. Drain onion from ice water and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Combine all salad ingredients, except cheese, in large bowl.
5. Toss with dressing.
6. Sprinkle cheese over and serve.

Read more at: http://greek.food.com/recipe/the-ultimate-greek-salad-90975?oc=linkback

Better Butter Brie Burgers

Heres a recipe that I had done a couple weeks ago but didn't have the time to post it. So finally, here it is. This is yet another Ted Reader recipe. His better butter burgers are absolutely fantastic. We decided to top them with some nice soft brie, sautéed mushrooms and sautéed onions. The combination of flavour on a ciabatta bun was just perfect. The burgers were sweet and tasteful. Once again I got my meat from The Butchery in Bells, Corners. I completed the meal by doing grilled romain hearts. Once again I didn't get the chance to take a picture of the final product. It seems I should hide the food from the crowd before getting the chance to take a picture of it all together. 

THE BETTER BUTTER BURGER

By: Ted Reader

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
3 lbs regular ground beef or ground chuck (1.5 kg) 
1/4 cup butter, softened (60 ml) 
1 onion, finely chopped 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (15 ml) 
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (15 ml) 
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (1.5 ml) 
Pinch cayenne pepper 
Salt and freshly ground pepper 
6 or 12 burger buns 
1/2 cup butter, melted (125 ml)

Instructions
1. Preheat grill to medium-high, 450–550°F (230–280°C).

2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, butter, onion, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Season to taste with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.

3. Form into twelve 4-oz (120 g) patties as uniform in size as possible. Grill burgers for 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-well doneness.

4. Brush burger buns with melted butter and grill, cut side down, until crisp and golden brown.

5. Assemble your burger! Bun, burger, garnish with your favourite burger toppings, bun.

Yield: 12 burgers or 6 double-stacked burgers

GRILLED ROMAINE HEARTS WITH CEASER VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
olive oil flavored cooking spray
2 romaine lettuce hearts

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan Cheese.

2. Preheat the grill over medium-high heat, oil grills surface.

3. Cut romaine hearts in half length-wise and leave end in tact so each half holds together.

4. Spray Romaine lightly all over with oil spray.

5. Grill until grill marks form and the lettuce wilts slightly, about 6 minutes.

6. Turn once or twice.

7. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Yield: 4–6 Servings

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-romaine-hearts-with-caesar-vinaigrette-456354?oc=linkback

Creemore Pilsner Steaks

Cutlery and Craft

What happens when you plan on booking reservations at Johnny Farina's and they're full? Make some amazing steak! To add to the whole situation, all of our Ted Reader and BBQ cookbooks are still at the cottage. What do you think we did? Not go on the internet like a typical human being. No. We decided it was best to go to the nearest chapters, find some good books and take pictures of some recipes. I found plenty of things that I would love to cook but time was also of the essence. I decided on a Creemore Pilsner Steak recipe from the Beerlicious: The Art of Grilling and Chilling cookbook. I was so very tempted to buy that book, and believe me I will have it within a week.These steaks were marinated in a mixture of beer and other ingredients for about an hour. I also doubled the garlic of course to get a nice broad range of flavour.

Marinade and steaks ready for BBQ.

Steaks with their pairing. 

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to take a picture of these beautiful steaks before they were fed to the hungry crowd. I can assure you that it will definitely be one to find its way into my permanent recipe book. If you are to make this recipe yourself be sure to get some good quality steaks as I did once again from The Butchery in Bells Corners – Ottawa, Ontario; and pay close attention to step #7 (you may need to repeat this step) 

Steak Recipe: 

4 New York Strip Loin Steaks 
(I used boneless rib eyes) 

1 Bottle of Creemore Springs Pilsner

1 Small Onion, chopped

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 

2 Cloves Garlic, minced


2 Green Onions, minced



Directions: 


Combine beer, onion, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and onion in a bowl.

Place steaks in a large self-sealing plastic bag, and add marinade. 

Preheat grill to high (about 550oF/280oC). (Note: I prefer to always cook my steaks over charcoal. If you agree, and are using charcoal, get that bed of coals white-hot (700–800oF/372–430oC). The coals should be glowing white, with a fine layer of ash forming on their surface.) 

Drain steaks, discarding leftover marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. 

Place steaks on grill and cook over direct heat with the lid open, drizzling with extra beer, for 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Remove steaks from grill when desired doneness is reached and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Have a swig of tasty Creemore, wipe your brow, and dig into your deli- cious mouth-watering, tender, juicy steaks.

Serves 4 

Smoked Salmon Chowder

We all know and love the typical seafood chowder, but what about something different? This week I decided to do a smoked salmon chowder that tasted amazing. At the same time I decided to make a quick fresh loaf of bread to give the meal some filler. I took a quick recipe from the web; however, I chanced it up to make it a wholegrain loaf instead of white. The only thing with whole grain is that it does not settle the same way as white. I may have rushed the rising process so the bread was a little dense. None the less it was still a fantastic addition, especially with the smell of fresh bread making its way through the house. The only thing I could say about the chowder is to double the garlic. I found there was not enough to sautee with the leek, but I am also a garlic freak. I definitely suggest this recipe to anyone looking for something different. It made about 6 portions, more than enough for the two of us that were eating it, leaving plenty for a couple days worth of lunches!

The wine that I ended up pairing was a 2008 Pinot Noir called Brandborg from Oregon. It was from the vintage section of the LCBO and went very well with the salmon flavour of the chowder. It was a great light red that definitely added to the overall experience of the meal. 

Smoked Salmon Chowder: 

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed and sliced (about 3 cups)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large stalk celery, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups milk (any fat content)

8 ounces smoked salmon, flaked

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over low heat. Add the leeks and garlic and sautée them for 2 minutes.

2. Add the potato, celery, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

3. Add the broth and simmer until the potato is tender, about 15 minutes.

4. Add the tomato paste and milk, then the salmon, and bring the mixture back to a simmer for a few minutes (but don't let it boil, or the milk will separate).

5. As it simmers, stir in the cream.

6. Remove from heat, garnish with the chives, and serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Smoked-Salmon-Chowder-240816#ixzz2B0XnhAgb

Bread: 

5 1/4 cups white bread flour
2 – 4 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. (rounded) saf-instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups hot water

1. Mix dry ingredients.  Add oil and water.  Mix for 1 minute and then check the consistency of the dough.  The dough should be very sticky.  If it is too dry, add more water.

2. Mix for 5 minutes.  (Do not add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.)

3. Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto surface.  Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish)

4. Divide dough into 2 pieces (or more if you wish to have smaller loaves) and shape loaves into desired shapes and place on greased baking sheets.  Cover with a large dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.

5. While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  When loaves are ready to go into the oven, use a sharp knife (you can lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging) to make several slashes in the top.  Make each cut about 1/4-inch deep at a 30 degree angle.  Bake loaves for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Cannot wait for tonight! Going to be making an awesome soup and salad combination!