JoDee's Kitchen

(This is not the picture of it, it’s as close to it as I could get)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 cups diced Portobello mushrooms (about 2 large mushrooms)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Six 8-ounce filet mignon steaks (about 2 inches thick)
• Olive oil, for brushing
• Béarnaise Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and rosemary and cook until the onions are slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft and most of the juices have evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Cut a deep pocket horizontally into each steak. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Stuff each pocket with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture, reserving the remaining mushroom mixture for serving. Skewer with toothpicks to close. Brush the steaks with olive oil.

Place the steaks in a grill basket (this way any filling that falls out during cooking won't fall into the fire). Transfer the basket to the grill. Close the cover and cook to desired doneness, 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes on a platter or cutting board

Serve the steaks with the remaining mushroom mixture and the Bearnaise Sauce.

Bearnaise Sauce:

• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional

Combine the wine, half the tarragon, the vinegar, garlic, shallots and some salt and pepper in a saute pan over medium-low heat. Cook until reduced by half. Transfer to a medium metal bowl.

Start to whisk the wine mixture in the bowl while adding the butter in increments. (Do not stop whisking throughout this whole process.) Temper the eggs so they do not scramble and add them to the bowl. The sauce will look glossy and thick. Whisk in the lemon juice, if using. Taste for seasoning.

FETA STUFFED SHRIMP

Ingredients:
16 jumbo shrimp, unpeeled
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted red pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, PLUS
3 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
1 large egg yolk, beaten
1/3 cup white wine

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. With a sharp knife, carefully slice the spine of shrimp from head to tail, cutting almost all the way through the shrimp; remove the dark vein, and rinse shrimp. With your fingers, carefully spread apart the shrimp, and flatten the halves on a flat surface. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, red pepper, garlic, feta, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/4 cup melted butter, and egg yolk; stir well. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of bread crumb mixture onto each butterflied shrimp, mounding the mixture, if necessary. Place the stuffed shrimp in prepared dish.

Pour wine and remaining 3 Tbsp melted butter around shrimp in baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Transfer shrimp to serving plates, and drizzle with pan juices.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups
• Arborio rice
• 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade, divided
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the rice and 4 cups of the chicken stock in a Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Remove from the oven, add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, wine, butter, salt, and pepper, and stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Add the peas and stir until heated through. Serve hot.

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?,

All Rights Reserved

This is a spin off of my Mom’s spinach stuffed chicken with red peppers.

4 Red Bell Peppers

4 Chicken breast halves

1 container of pesto

½ container of Philadelphia Italian herb cream cheese

2 cups of your favorite white cheese – Mozzarella, Havarti, Provolone, or Monetary Jack, even Swiss.

Preheat oven to 350

DO NOT MERINADE CHICKEN.

Salt, Pepper and any other seasoning you would like

Wash Red Peppers. Slice the top off your red bell pepper, and remove all the seeds and membranes. Do not puncture bottom. Place a little cheese in the bottom of the pepper. I like to make little individual foil bottoms for the peppers, so they don’t tip over, and if they leak at all the foil with hold the juices.

Place chicken breast in between two pieces of Saran Wrap and pound out, be careful not to go to thin, or a large zip lock bag

Salt and Pepper chicken

Mix pesto, cream cheese, and 1 ½ cups mozzarella then Spread with a nice layer of Pesto mixer– Make sure you spoon the pesto onto the chicken breast and the spread. You don’t want your spoon to touch the chicken and then the jar of pesto.

Then spread cheese on top of pesto, and roll up chicken breast and stuff into bell pepper. Top with more cheese.

Place in glass pan, cover with foil and cook or 45 to 60 minutes. Remove foil and let top brown. Enjoy.

STEW:
2 lbs stew meat
1 T. Sugar
3 T. Minute tapioca
1 1/2 T. Onion salt
3 beef bouillon cubes
3 c. Water
1. Cup celery
5-6 carrots
5-6 potatoes
1 onion
1 can diced tomatoes

Brown stew meat , add rest of ingredients. Cook 5 hrs uncovered in oven at 300 degrees

Pan Fried Halibut with Vegetables

The picture is as close to the real thing that could find. I got this recipe off of the Komotv.com, cooking with Todd. Ron and I both really like it. When I make this just for the two of us I cut up all the vegetables and put half in the freezer for next time. I like to use ½ cup of sherry instead of ¼ of cup. You will also need to season the sauce quite a bit with lemon pepper, bay seasoning, and a lot of salt and pepper. I have served this with rice and garlic mash potatoes, I think I like the garlic mashed better. You really don’t need a salad because there are so many great vegetables in this.

4 Halibut filets 5 oz. each

1 diced zucchini squash

½ lb. mushrooms

¼ cup sherry

2 Tbls shallots

1 diced yellow squash

½ lb fresh green beans

1 diced red pepper

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper

Corn starch

Flour

Canola oil

½ tsp Butter with canola oil

2 Tbls butter with cream for sauce

Heat sauté pan with canola oil and ½ tsp. butter. Season halibut filets with salt, pepper and lightly coat with flour and corn starch. Cook filets until golden brown on both sides. Remove fish, I usually put the fish in a warm oven covered with foil, about 275.

Add vegetables to pan. Cook vegetables for a just a couple of minutes, because the vegetables will continue to cook while sherry and cream is reducing. Add shallots and stir. Add sherry and reduce by half. Add heavy cream and reduce to make sauce.

I served this with garlic mash potatoes. So many vegetables you don’t need a salad. Sooo yummy!!!

I made this for two and cut all the vegetables and put half of the vegetables in the freezer for next time. I also used margarine (I can’t believe it’s not butter) instead of butter, and Fat Free Half & Half instead of the heavy whipping cream. I had to use about ½ cup of sherry, and added some lemon pepper. I think next time I will try seasoning it with a little Bay Seasoning. Served it with rice but, I really think its way better with the garlic mash potatoes.