Beef Rib Roast

The diet starts on Tuesday, oh yes that would be today.  Why not finish the year with something special.  I have been thinking about a rib roast for a month or so.  New Year’s Eve seemed that the perfect night to make the perfect rib roast.  With rib roast you can either choose to cook it at a low temperature and slow or high and fast.  Having used this method before it seemed like the right thing to do; cooking it in our, rather Grandmother Story’s, 100-year-old dutch oven.  This time I decided to put some whole garlic cloves into the meat prior to cooking.  Simply push a paring knife into the meat and then push the garlic clove into the hole.  If you look closely at the photo you will see one of those cloves sneaking out.

So, before your diet starts or maybe for that special meal give this a try.  I am sure you will really enjoy it.  Match it with a Caesar Salad and a good bottle of wine.

Baked Tenderloin of Beef

We had a request for Beef Tenderloin from one of the kids for our family Christmas dinner.  With all the high energy activities around opening gifts and catching up on the latest news, I wanted a meal that was great but also one that would not require constant attention.  My mother-in-law has always told me that she just bakes the whole beef tenderloin, regardless of the weight for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  This will produce a moist and medium rare roast; perfect.

Who doesn’t love a recipe that requires very little work and produces the above results, not to mention tons of compliments.  Remember to allow the roast to rest for 20 minutes after cooking and before carving.  We did twice baked potatoes, another do ahead and forget trick and peas.  Dessert was the Cranberry Cake from our website at emealsforyou.com.

Ed's Breakfast Pizza

With the holidays coming one struggle is to find new and different dishes to serve.  On a recent trip to NJ we made a side stop at a cousin’s house for a much needed relaxing brunch.  Pat and Ed served this wonderful breakfast pizza.  Beyond the great presentation, this pizza is overflowing with flavor.

The next time you are looking for something a little outside of the box to serve give this special pizza a try.

Ed’s Breakfast Pizza

Thinly slice the onions, zucchini and tomatoes. Cut the bacon in 1/2 inch pieces, lightly brown, set aside. Heat oil in a pan, reserving 1 Tb, add the onions and zucchini, saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Spread the tomatoes, zucchini and onions evenly over the pre-baked pizza crust, leaving 1/2 inch border. Top with the mozzarella, spread the bacon evenly on top. Make 4 pockets in the toppings, break eggs into the pockets. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tb of oil, bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes until the eggs are done. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Great addition to a brunch.

More breakfast ideas at emealsforyou.com.

Hazelnut Toffee

With Thanksgiving behind us we turn our attention to Christmas.  This year we will make several homemade treats as gift packages for friends and family.  We have opted for Spicy Pecans, Cashew Brittle, Cranberry Biscotti and jars of homemade Hot Fudge Sauce.  These will be paired with the Hazelnut Toffee to make attractive and very edible gifts.

Be sure to make enough of each as it mystically disappears from the kitchen when no one is looking.

Hazelnut Toffee

Toast nuts in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, remove immediately, cool and roll in a towel to remove husk. Place in plastic bag and hit with a flat pan to crush.

Prepping the chocolate- Place chocolate bits in a small food processor and chop into small pieces.

In a medium size, heavy pot place the butter, sugar, water and honey, heat over high heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 290-300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately add the crushed nuts, remove from heat, and stir. Pour on a greased cookie sheet (11 X 17), spread out evenly and sprinkle the chocolate on top, when the chocolate melts sprinkle the ground nuts on top. Cool and store in airtight containers.

CAUTION: This is not a project you make with your kids. The sugar reaches 300 degrees and is very dangerous if handled improperly.

Find the easily made and wonderful homemade treats at emealsforyou.com.

Date & Nut Bread

Driving to NJ this week to pick up my mother-in-law and bring here back to Cincy for a visit.  As I plan the meals I decided that one of the breakfasts would be a variety of breads and muffins; served on the deck in the morning sunshine.    There is something relaxing about idling over a second cup of strong coffee and enjoying sweet breads adorned with a bit of butter or some creamy cream cheese.

The good news is I can make these ahead and simply pop them into a plastic baggie and then into the freezer to be rapidly thawed and served almost warm later in the week.  I bake them in 4 inch springform pans so that I can take just the right amount out of the freezer and keep the rest for a later time.  I think I will make some banana muffins, blue berry muffins and maybe a few palmiers just for grins.

Date & Nut Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 81/2 X 41/2 X 3 inch loaf pan.

Put dates, walnuts, baking soda, salt, karo syrup and butter in a bowl. Heat water to the boil and pour on top of date mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Beat eggs and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the flours and stir. Add in the date mixture and stir until well blended. Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake 40 -50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Slide a knife around pan and invert over a serving plate. May be frozen.

Find the recipes for the muffins, the palmiers and more at emealsforyou.com.

Pan-roasted Sea Scallops

The big question that always comes up around Thanksgiving is not about the turkey.  It is “just what do I feed the out-of-town relatives when we are not eating turkey.”  I admit it, I am not a huge turkey fan, once or twice a year and maybe a sandwich after the big event, but my “turkey tolerance” is limited.

Speaking with a friend this morning he told me that he had just made the Pan-roasted Sea Scallops on the site (emealsforyou.com) and they were really good.  Bingo, a timely reminder of another great meal that I can serve during the week.  The good news is this is a very quick and easy to cook meal that will keep the family talking halfway to Christmas.  Christmas is another story, lots of options for the Christmas meal; I can tell you it won’t be turkey.