Married Couples Dinner
Saturday, February 4, 2012 with Fr. Tim Schehr talking about "Great Marriages in the Bible" SOLD OUT!!!
Great Recipes from previous Married Couples Dinners...
Apple Blue Cheese Bacon Cheesecake Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours, 15 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours, 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- Nonstick vegetable spray
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use
- 1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled (reserve 2 Tablespoons of fat)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 32 ounces (4 large blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 5 eggs
- 3 Tablespoons wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup whiskey
- 12 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
- 2 Tablespoons minced chives
- Sliced fresh apples, toast wedges, and/or assorted cocktail crackers
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200 F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Sauté onion in bacon fat until softened and translucent. Add apples and garlic and continue to sauté over medium heat an additional 2 to 3 minutes until apples begin to soften. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, wine vinegar, and whiskey, beating until smooth. Stir in apple mixture, bacon, blue cheese, remaining Parmesan cheese, and chives by hand.
Pour batter into prepared pan and place in the preheated oven. Let bake overnight for 8 to 9 hours (timing is not critical). It should be fairly firm and slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on rack at least an hour.
Cover the top of the cooled cheesecake with plastic wrap. Place an inverted plate over the top, turn it over, and remove the pan. Refrigerate the upside-down cheesecake at least 1 hour. Reinvert the cheesecake and remove the plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
To serve as an appetizer, cut slices with a knife dipped in warm water and garnish with fresh apple slices, toast wedges, and/or cocktail crackers of choice.
YIELD: 10 to 12 servings
ROASTED YAMS WITH CITRUS AND CORIANDER BUTTER
10 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 pounds long narrow yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes), unpeeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
Stir coriander seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until darkened in color and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Cool seeds; grind in spice mill or enclose in plastic bag and crush finely with mallet. Place seeds in small bowl. Mix in butter, sugar, orange peel, and lemon peel. Season butter with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.)
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375° F. Spray heavy large rimmed backing sheet with nonstick spray. Toss yams and olive oil in large bowl to coat. Spread yams in single layer on prepared sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about about 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate on sheet.)
Drop butter onto yams in small dollops. Roast until heated through, glazed, and browned, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes (or 25 minutes if refrigerated). Season with salt and pepper. Mound in bowl; sprinkle with parsley.
pan-roasted brussels sprout gratin with shallots and rosemary
Serves 6 to 8
1 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 large shallots, halved
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3 1/4 oz. (1 1/4 cups) finely grated Gruyère
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne
3/4 cup panko
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375° F. In a food processor fitted with the slicing blade, slice the Brussels sprouts and shallots.
In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until it begins to brown and smell nutty. Set aside 1 Tbs. of the browned butter in a medium bowl.
Add the Brussels sprouts, shallots, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper to the pan and toss to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts and shallots begin to soften and brown in spots, about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, Gruyère, nutmeg, cayenne, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Heat until the cheese is melted, whisking occasionally, about 4 minutes. Do not boil. Add the sauce to the Brussels sprouts, carefully stirring to combine.
Add the panko, Parmigiano, rosemary, and a pinch of salt to the reserved butter and mix thoroughly. Top the sprout mixture with the panko mixture.
Bake until the crumbs are browned and the Brussels sprouts are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
For an elegant presentation, transfer the Brussels sprout mixture to a 12-inch-wide, 1 1/2-inch-deep ceramic baking dish before topping with the panko and baking.