Valentine's Day Treats

This year we had several requests for Valentine Treats so last night after running all over two small towns, I found enough strawberries and chocolate to fill the need. Below is a sample of what we delivered.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake for Two.
(Strawberry Cheesecake with dark chocolate ganache)

New York Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberries

Black and White Strawberries

Dark Covered Strawberries with Almonds

Teriyaki Elk Sticks

I received a new gas grill for Christmas and have had a few nice evenings to enjoy it. Last night we made Teriyaki Elk Sticks.

Soak bamboo skewers in water so they don't burn on the grill. Then load them with strips of tenderized elk steak that has been soaked in teriyaki sauce and fresh garlic. Place on a hot grill for 4-5 minutes a side and brush with remaining sauce while cooking.

My 8 year old daughter loved these! Remember - Kids will eat anything on a stick.

Dim Sum Sunday

On the last day of Christmas Vacation we decided to go out for something very special. We went for Dim Sum at Chinatown off Mopac in Austin. This was an amazing experience. I had never been to a traditional Dim Sum service. It was so beautiful and artistic and the servers were fantastic salesmen and women. The only torture was getting full and not being able to taste all of the delicious treats.

Thank you Chinatown! We will be back.

Baked Potato Soup

Last Sunday we had a large catering job and brought home an entire roasting pan full of mashers. The weather dropped to freezing Monday night so the Soup Season continues. Below is a simple version of Baked Potato soup made with left over mashers. Of course this recipe is a one pot dish. After all, who wants to spend the evening washing dishes. It is warming, hearty and delicious. Enjoy!

Start by chopping a package of bacon and frying it up in your soup pot. Take out the bacon when crispy, leaving a small amount of grease in the soup pot. Fill the soup pot half way with left over mashed potatoes. Heat through. Add enough chicken broth to fill the pot about 3/4 full. (basically, 2 parts potatoes and 1 part chicken broth) Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Serve soup hot with grated cheddar cheese, chopped green onion and crisp bacon pieces.

Elk Meatball Stew

It's hunting season again and this year we were lucky enough to get some ground Elk from a generous and mighty hunter who braved the cold New Mexico mountains for this delicious Elk Meatball Stew.
Season the ground Elk with Salt and Pepper and form into small balls. Then brown in bacon drippings.


While the meatballs are browning, chop a small onion, three carrots, one clove of garlic and two red potatoes. Add all of this to the pot with the meatballs and cover with beef broth. Add one can of tomato paste for richness and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min to an hour. As always salt and pepper to taste.


When the soup was done I simply rolled out pieces of raw bread dough and toasted them in a skillet. (Perfect for dipping)

French Onion Soup

Who doesn't like French Onion Soup? I could do without the crying but the end result was so good!

Ingredients
2 Tbl Olive Oil
2 pounds onions thinly sliced
1 small clove garlic chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbl white wine vinegar
2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1/2 French baguette cubed
cooking spray
Kosher or Sea Salt
Shredded Swiss cheese

1. In saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt and pepper, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, beef broth, and water. Reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan.

2. Cut French bread into cubes and place on sheet pan. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with course grain salt. (Kosher or Sea Salt) Toast at 350 degrees until brown.

3. Place a handful of toasted bread in bowls and ladle soup over bread. Top with grated swiss cheese.

Teriyaki Beef Soup

This is a soup that costs very little and goes a long way. Serve with egg rolls for a perfect meal.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces boneless beef sirloin steak
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 14-ounce cans lower-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup bite-size strips carrot (2 medium)
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli
• 2 cups Udon noodles
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions

1. Trim fat from beef. Cut beef into bite-size strips. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until beef is brown.

2. Add broth, water, carrot, ginger, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

3. Stir in Udon, broccoli, green onion, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper. Simmer, covered, for 3 minutes.

Note: I made this soup again with left over pork that we grilled for fajitas and it was even better!