Simmer Down (19 page)

Roasted Baby Vegetables

Depending on where you shop, you may or may not be able to find true “baby” vegetables, but you can simply buy larger sizes of your favorites and cut them down into roughly one-inch chunks. For this dish, you can use whatever vegetables you choose and select from the best of the season, but you’ll want to select hard, dense vegetables (butternut squash, carrots) as opposed to softer ones (summer squash, tomatoes). If you are making the Stilton Potato Cake, you can pop your tray of vegetables in to cook with it.

Recommended Vegetables

All of your vegetables need to be well washed, peeled, and destemmed. Use any or all of the following to total about four cups:

Baby carrots (not the prepackaged, bagged ones)

Cauliflower florets

Butternut or acorn squash

Baby onions or any larger onions

Baby or regular-sized beets

Brussels sprouts, sliced in half

Celery root

Parsnips

Beets

Other ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp. each salt and pepper Optional: 3 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme or both, or

2 tsp. of dried herbs

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Once you have your vegetable selection prepared and cut into uniform sizes, simply toss them in a bowl and mix with generous amounts olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs if you are using them. If using fresh herbs, you can simply add the whole stems without removing the leaves. Spread your vegetables out on a baking sheet and cook them in the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes until just tender but not mushy.

Grilled Steak with Peppercorn Sauce

4 steaks, any good cut, for example, tenderloin, sirloin, or rib eye

Salt, pepper, and sugar to season

Whenever Josh is cooking a simple meat dish, he begins by generously coating each meat portion with a good dusting of salt, pepper, and sugar. This dusting gives a delicious crust. About twenty minutes before serving dinner, grill the steaks. If it is not grilling season where you are, or if you do not have a stove-top grill, you may certainly sear the steaks in a skillet set over medium-high heat. After cooking, set the steaks aside while you make the sauce.

Peppercorn Sauce

1 cup Madeira wine

2 tbsp. ground tricolored peppercorns

1 beef bouillon cube

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. cornstarch

Pour the Madeira and the peppercorns into a skillet and set the pan over medium heat. If you’ve cooked your steaks in a skillet, you can use that pan for the sauce. Bring to a simmer and reduce the wine down to a syrup. Add your beef base or bouillon cube, water, and the bay leaf and bring this back up to a simmer. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with a little bit of water, so that you have a thick liquid, and then add this to the sauce. Remove from heat and pour over steaks. Serve with the Stilton Potato Cake and Roasted Baby Vegetables.

Banana Three Way

Eggroll Cups

1 tbsp. sugar

3 tbsp. Chinese five-spice powder

Canola oil

4 eggroll skins

Mix the sugar and the five-spice powder together. In a deep skillet or pan, heat around four inches of canola oil over medium-high heat. Measure the temperature of the oil with a cooking thermometer. When the oil reaches 350°, lay an eggroll skin in the oil and press down with the bottom of a ladle, forming a cup shape. Hold in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes until nicely browned. Gently remove and dust with the sugar and five-spice powder mixture. Set aside. Repeat with the other three egg roll skins.

Chocolate Rum Sauce

1/4 cup dark rum

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. butter

1 cup bittersweet chocolate

Add the rum to a saucepan and reduce to about half, over medium-high heat. Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until well combined. Set aside.

Banana Chantilly

1 pint heavy cream

1 tsp. banana extract

2 tbsp. powdered sugar

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and, using a hand blender, mix at high speed until you have a fluffy, whipped cream. Set aside while you cook the bananas.

Sautéed Bananas

1 tbsp. butter

2 bananas, sliced

1 tbsp. sugar

Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the banana slices and toss in approximately 1 tablespoon of sugar or enough to coat the bananas well. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from heat.

Plating the Banana Three Way:
Banana or vanilla ice cream. For each serving, put 1 tablespoon of the Banana Chantilly in the center of a plate and place an eggroll cup on top. Fill with ice cream and pour one-fourth of the sautéed bananas on top and then a good dollop of the chantilly. Drizzle with the rum sauce, pouring a bit around the plate as well.