Recipes

Avocado-Basil Zucchini Noodles with Chile-Lime Shrimp & Corn
(pinterest)

Ingredients

• For the sauce:
• 5 tsp lime
• 8 cranks of the sea salt grinder
• 10 cranks of the peppercorn grinder
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup Chobani 0% plain Greek yogurt
• 12 basil leaves
• 1 medium clove of garlic, minced
• For the rest:
• 2.5-3 zucchinis, Blade C
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp chili powder or more (to season shrimp)
• 8 medium shrimp
• 1 whole lime
• 1 ear of corn
• olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place your corn on a baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper. When oven preheats, bake for 10 minutes. When done cooking, scrape off kernels with a knife into a bowl and set aside.
3. Place all of the ingredients for the sauce into a food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust, if needed.
4. Place your zucchini noodles into a bowl, pour over the creamy sauce and mix to combine thoroughly. Add in the corn.
5. Plate the noodles into a bowl.
6. Season shrimp with salt, pepper and chile powder. Set aside.
7. Place a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Once heated, add in the shrimp and squeeze the lime over the shrimp. Cook for about 2 minutes, flip over and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until shrimp is opaque and cooked through.
8. Top the zucchini noodles with the shrimp and enjoy! 

***I have tried this recipe with amazing results!!!

NEW YEARS EVE PRIME RIB & BAKED POTATOES!!!

This is a great menu idea for new years with friends! You can make a small side table for your baked potato fixings. Load it up any way you would like!

Make sure to check out my "Rochester Happenings" page for the upcoming events to spark up the new year!

Easy Prime Rib

1. Get a prime rib roast at your supermarket. It’s usually labeled bone-in ribeye roast.
2. Mix up equal parts of onion salt, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Approx 1/4 cup total.
3. Pat the salt mixture on both ends and the fat side of the roast. The salt may not stick as well on the fat side. Don’t worry about it.
4. Pre-heat oven as high as it will go. Usually 500 degrees, but NOT broil.
5. Stick the roast in a dutch oven preferably on a small rack that will lift it off the bottom. Bone side down (fat side up). Get a meat thermometer and stick it in the middle of the roast.
6. Cook the roast in the oven for 5-6 minutes per pound and then shut the oven off.
DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR FOR TWO HOURS UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH.
7. After two hours take it out and check the temp. If its 140 degrees it’s perfect. If it’s cooler, put it back in the oven at 375 degrees until it hits 140 degrees.
8. This procedure will yield a PERFECT MEDIUM RARE PRIME RIB. (Don’t ask me how to do medium or well done because cooking prime rib roast past medium rare is a felony.)
9. Get a package of Au Jus mix in the spice section of your supermarket and make following directions.
10. INVITE ME OVER FOR DINNER.
Funny huh? ;-)  I thought so…and decided to put my full faith into his instructions and followed them to the T!!!! I even printed out a sign that said “DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH” and taped it to the oven door…essentially taping it shut. My family, as usual, thought Mom had “lost it”…but I’m used to it by now. Besides, I definitely had the last laugh on this one. :-)
The ONLY thing I did different was I took the suggestion of several other recipes I read and, using a small knife, cut slits in the fat side of the meat and stuck in slivers of fresh garlic before roasting.  mmmm mmmm mmmm. I do love garlic…and this method allows it to just MELT into the fat and the meat while it cooks.

I have now made this the last 3 Christmas dinners in a row and every year have received RAVE reviews. Even my Uncle SY, who is a self-proclaimed prime rib connoisseur, LOVED it! This is from a man who has traveled all over the world and had prime rib at some of the most expensive restaurants. I kid you not.
In our family we like to serve the prime rib room temperature with au jus and Creamy Horseradish Sauce. Well, I personally am not a fan of the horseradish…but everyone else seems to LOVE it.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
1 pinch white pepper, or to taste
1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) (optional)
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Directions
Whisk the cream in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the cream should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Season with the white pepper, hot sauce, and horseradish. Stir to combine.
Note: This sauce doesn’t keep very well. Just plan to use it the same day you make it.

Supporting Roles!

Baked Potatoes in the Crockpot (since the oven will be busy!)

Not really a “recipe”…more of an idea than anything. A GOOD idea when the oven is already occupied. Wash potatoes….wrap in foil…pierce with small knife in several places…set in Crockpot….cover…cook. Depending on how much time you have….LOW for 6 to 8 hours….or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.  Great thing about this is if you’re off on your timing a little (or even a lot!)…the potatoes will wait their patiently until you are ready.
Personally I just can’t imagine having a wonderful steak or piece of prime rib without a salad to accompany it!  The balance of the meat, the potatoes and a salad are just perfect according to my tastebuds. My absolute FAVORITE salad is my sister-in-laws recipe for Spinach Salad…which we creatively call…Marianne’s Spinach Salad. :-)  It’s a BIT involved….so if you’re in charge of the prime rib…I say delegate this dish to someone else. If you can’t do that….a lovely green salad with homemade ranch dressing would be WONDERFUL too!  This salad is good ANY time of year….so save it for another special occasion if you need to.

 (http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/12/foolproof-prime-ribperfect-everytime.html)

http://www.countrycleaver.com/2013/10/crab-cakes-with-ipa-hollandaise.html

I found this recipe on pinterest and am so excited to try it out for my guests on sunday!

Ingredients:

Crab Cakes::
8 oz. Fresh Lump Crab
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Green Onion, chopped
¼ cup Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
¼ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
Pinch of Cayenne
2 Tbsp IPA Beer
1 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 cup Panko Crumbs, Plus 1 Additional Cup, divided
¼ cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
IPA Hollandaise Sauce::
4 Tbsp Butter
5 Egg Yolks
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp IPA Beer
½ tsp Red Chili Sauce (like Sriacha)
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Crab Cakes::
In a medium-sized bowl ix together the crab meat, egg, green onions, red peppers, salt pepper and Old Bay, cayenne, beer, melted butter and 1 cup panko. Form into 4 patties about 1 inch thick. Place remaining panko into a small bowl. One at a time, place the patties into the panko and press until well coated on all sides.
In a pan over medium-high heat, add the canola oil. Cook crab cakes until golden brown on the underside. Flip carefully and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. (I carefully drained them on a paper towel).
IPA Hollandaise::
Place 4 Tablespoons of butter in a microwaveable glass dish. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, or until melted, remove and let stand for 1 minute. Spoon off and discard the top layer of white foam.
In a large saucepan, add the yolks, lemon juice, and beer. Whisk quickly and continually over low heat until the mixture is frothy and doubled in size - about 5 minutes. Keep heat low - too much heat will scramble the eggs. While continuously whisking, stream in the melted butter. Continue whisking until thickened about 5 minutes. If the sauce gets too dry add in a few teaspoons of water or beer. Add in the chili sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Serve the crab cake topped with hollandaise sauce.