Slow Roasted Birthday Bash September 19, 2015

My friend Jay prepared a wonderful meal for his wife, me and our long lost friend Mary (from high school).  It was great!

First course: "Soup and Such"

Chilled summer squash soup, chicken cracker, slow roasted cream cheese, Leslie's pepper jelly (yeah, that's me...I made pepper jelly from the jalapenos I grew in my garden and brought it along).

Most importantly, paired with Dibon brut.

Second course:  "Shrimp and Grits?"

Pot likker poached Carolina shrimp, collard pesto, cornbread puree.

Paired with Pine Ridge chenin blanc/voignier

Third course:  "BBQ from the Sea"

Sea scallop, smoked tomato sauce, spicy micro greens

Fourth course:  "It ain't Waffle House"

Seared duck breast, bourbon-sorghum demi.  Scattered and smothered.

Paired with St. Cosme Cote du Rhone

And now for dessert!!

Jelly donut ice cream with a pecan brittle cracker (missing the picture)

Paired with a super delicious five o'cocktail

Summer Seafood Stew

Got this one from feastingathome.com

This was a very tasty recipe, however, I recommend making this for a group and eating the whole pot on day one.  The leftovers weren't as good.

8 ounces chorizo, casings removed, crumbled

Brown in a Dutch oven, remove to a plate, wipe out pot with a paper towel.

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat (in same pot) at medium/high.

2 cups finely diced fennel

Add to pot, stirring often, 3 minutes.

1 cup finely diced onion

Add to pot, turn down to medium, and cook 8-10 minutes.

4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

Add and cook 3 minutes.

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Add to pot, increase heat to high, cook 3 minutes.

1 cup dry white wine

Add to pot, reduce heat to medium/high, stir until wine evaporates, 1-2 minutes.

4 cups chicken stock (I always use unsalted)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon fish sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Add to pot along with chorizo.  Bring to a simmer.

8 ounces firm fish (halibut, tilapia, mahi mahi, salmon...I used tilapia)

Add and simmer a couple of minutes.

1 pound shrimp

Add and simmer a couple of minutes.

1 pound mussels (be sure to purge them well to get rid of sand otherwise they will be all kinds of gritty!!)

Add and simmer a couple of minutes.

1/2 lemon (juice)
1/3 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

Sprinkle over.

Serve with cannellini beans and/or crusty bread.

Oh Stingray's...how I've missed you

Another short trip this summer took us back the the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  Always great to see our old buds and eat at our favorite places.  Nothing fancy but that doesn't matter!!

A trip to ESVA is never complete without breakfast at Stingray's  AKA Chez Exxon.  The only place Justin will eat grits.

Oh, and a trip to Don Valerio.  It was a Sunday and our usual restaurant wasn't open so we had to travel a bit North.  So very yummy!

With our buddy and old neighbor, Renee

Then to Brown Dog ice cream in Cape Charles.  It's new (since we were there last) and oh so delicious!  Crazy flavors that are insanely good.

This is Brown Dog...we met a celebrity!

Justin and I at at Uno in Chicago July 2015

Justin and I took the trek to Chicago this summer to see the Fare Thee Well shows with the remaining guys from the Grateful Dead.  We had a great time and needless to say, we stopped for some deep dish pizza at Uno.

June 2015 Farmers' Market in Fredericksburg, VA

Chicken au Champagne

I got this recipe from cookingwithcurls.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 chicken breasts or thighs with bone in and skin on
salt and pepper

Sear for 3 minutes on each side.  Remove to a plate.

1 shallot, minced

Add to the pan and cook 1 minute.

1 cup champagne (brut)

Add to the pan and scrape the bottom.  Return the chicken to the pan.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms

While the chicken is cooking, cook the mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes.

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon

Add to the mushrooms and drizzle some lemon juice from 1/2 lemon over.

When the chicken is done, remove from the onion and add the mushrooms.  Serve along side some veggies and rice.

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast

Time to catch up on some posting.  This recipe came from acooksquest.blogspot.com

3-4 pounds boneless chuck roast

seasoned salt 
black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

Combine seasonings and rub all over roast.  I didn't measure, just sprinkled some of each on all sides.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and brown the roast well on both sides.  Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup beef stock.

2 large onions, sliced

Place the onions in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Please meat on top.

3/4 cup beef stock 
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Add to the pan, stir to combine and then pour over the roast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the meat from the crock and cover with foil to keep warm.  Strain the liquid to a pot, skim fat and cook down to one third.

Pour over the meat (I sliced it first so it can soak up more juice) and onions.

Pretty damn good!