Just put the cassoulet in the crockpot, I'll post a photo on Wednesday!
Monday morning and I am tired and cold! What to publish this week? Well, one recipe for sure is Chocolate Caramel Walnut Tart since that was the winner of last week's voting, I thought for sure it would be the Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce, love that, it's a dessert I am kind of known for. Anyway, with a storm brewing for tomorrow, I think comfort food is in order, I put together a whole menu. Cassoulet is a perfect dish for entertaining, it is an impressive comfort food and a great "do ahead". You might see a picture tomorrow since it sounds like a good idea for tonight's dinner. The salad is in my repertoire of recipes and honestly I barely remember it but it sounds like it would be perfect with the cassoulet. As for the pistachio shrimp, another perfect "holiday entertaining" appetizer. I did a seafood appetizer class last week at Diamond Fresh Seafood, made 5 different hor d'oeurves and the class voted on that one as their favorite! Enjoy and check back on Wednesday for something new and delicious!
And The Winner is...
Chocolate Caramel Walnut Tart
Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup walnuts
½ tsp. Salt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temp.
1 large egg
Filling:
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup whipping cream
2 Tbls. sour cream
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Chocolate Glaze:
¾ cup whipping cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
For Crust:
Blend flour, walnuts, powdered sugar and salt in the food processor. Add butter using pulse then slowly add the egg. Gather dough and press into a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce dough with a fork and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake about 30 minutes or until golden.
For Filling:
Place sugar, water and corn syrup in saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and let boil until syrup is a deep amber color, occasionally brushing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes.
Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and cream (mixture will bubble). Mix in sour cream and when beginning to cool mix in walnuts. Pour into crust, let caramel firm up before spreading chocolate glaze over it.
For Chocolate Glaze:
Bring cream to a boil, remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Pour glaze over caramel. Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Serves 8-10 generous servings.
Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup walnuts
½ tsp. Salt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temp.
1 large egg
Filling:
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup whipping cream
2 Tbls. sour cream
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Chocolate Glaze:
¾ cup whipping cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
For Crust:
Blend flour, walnuts, powdered sugar and salt in the food processor. Add butter using pulse then slowly add the egg. Gather dough and press into a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce dough with a fork and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake about 30 minutes or until golden.
For Filling:
Place sugar, water and corn syrup in saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and let boil until syrup is a deep amber color, occasionally brushing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes.
Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and cream (mixture will bubble). Mix in sour cream and when beginning to cool mix in walnuts. Pour into crust, let caramel firm up before spreading chocolate glaze over it.
For Chocolate Glaze:
Bring cream to a boil, remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Pour glaze over caramel. Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Serves 8-10 generous servings.
This Week's Menu
Pistachio Encrusted Shrimp with a Tarragon Mustard Dipping Sauce
20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper
½ cup flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 ½ cups finely chopped pistachios
¼ cup oil
½ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ Tbls. Dijon (Mix ingredients together)
1 tsp. dried tarragon
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour dip shrimp in beaten egg. Gently cover shrimp with chopped pistachios. Pour oil into non-stick skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in batches and cook about 2 minutes, turning once and then remove to a paper towel. Finish cooking in the oven at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.
Skewer shrimp with a decorative pick. Serve with sauce.
Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Pancetta, Craison and Port Dressing
1 ¼ cups craisons
¾ cup port
5 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
2 shallots minced
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ cup olive oil
3 Tbls. balsamic vinegar
pinch of sugar
2 small logs of goat cheese, cut into ½ inch slices
8 oz. mixed greens
½ cup toasted pine nuts
Combine craisons and port in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and let stand until dehydrated. Sauté pancetta in a pan until crisp, add shallots and garlic, add oil, vinegar and sugar. Stir in craison mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Warm goat cheese slices at 350 until warm5-7 minutes. Top greens with goat cheese and pine nuts, pour hot dressing over and serve. Serves 6.
Quick Cassoulet
½ pound dried Great Northern Beans
1 large onion, sliced
14 thick bacon slices, in 1-inch pieces
28 ounces chopped tomatoes (I like petite diced), use some of the juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. dried thyme
pepper to taste
5 parsley sprigs, chopped
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken stock
1 lb. smoked sausage, (like Kielbasa) cut in ½ inch slices
1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
1 lb. pork, cubed
Soak beans overnight in water to cover. Sauté onions and bacon until bacon begins to brown. Drain fat, add tomatoes and juice. Stir in pepper, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and stock. Simmer 15 minutes.
Brown sausage, chicken and pork in olive oil. Cook beans until almost done. In large Dutch oven layer enough beans to cover the bottom. Top with meats. Add remaining beans, then onion mixture. (Add duck if using) Stir gently.
Cover and bake in oven at 325 for 1 to 1/12 hours or great in the crockpot.
Serves 12.
20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper
½ cup flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 ½ cups finely chopped pistachios
¼ cup oil
½ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ Tbls. Dijon (Mix ingredients together)
1 tsp. dried tarragon
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour dip shrimp in beaten egg. Gently cover shrimp with chopped pistachios. Pour oil into non-stick skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in batches and cook about 2 minutes, turning once and then remove to a paper towel. Finish cooking in the oven at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.
Skewer shrimp with a decorative pick. Serve with sauce.
Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Pancetta, Craison and Port Dressing
1 ¼ cups craisons
¾ cup port
5 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
2 shallots minced
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ cup olive oil
3 Tbls. balsamic vinegar
pinch of sugar
2 small logs of goat cheese, cut into ½ inch slices
8 oz. mixed greens
½ cup toasted pine nuts
Combine craisons and port in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and let stand until dehydrated. Sauté pancetta in a pan until crisp, add shallots and garlic, add oil, vinegar and sugar. Stir in craison mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Warm goat cheese slices at 350 until warm5-7 minutes. Top greens with goat cheese and pine nuts, pour hot dressing over and serve. Serves 6.
Quick Cassoulet
½ pound dried Great Northern Beans
1 large onion, sliced
14 thick bacon slices, in 1-inch pieces
28 ounces chopped tomatoes (I like petite diced), use some of the juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. dried thyme
pepper to taste
5 parsley sprigs, chopped
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken stock
1 lb. smoked sausage, (like Kielbasa) cut in ½ inch slices
1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
1 lb. pork, cubed
Soak beans overnight in water to cover. Sauté onions and bacon until bacon begins to brown. Drain fat, add tomatoes and juice. Stir in pepper, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and stock. Simmer 15 minutes.
Brown sausage, chicken and pork in olive oil. Cook beans until almost done. In large Dutch oven layer enough beans to cover the bottom. Top with meats. Add remaining beans, then onion mixture. (Add duck if using) Stir gently.
Cover and bake in oven at 325 for 1 to 1/12 hours or great in the crockpot.
Serves 12.
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