Coquilles St. Jacques

COQUILLES ST. JACQUES

Ingredients 

- Mashed Potatoes

• 4 cups potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 2 tbsp butter
• 6oz  whipping cream (35%)
• salt and pepper to taste

-Seafood Filling

• 2 Shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup Gruyere Cheese
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 7-10 Raw Shrimp, peeled
• 10-15 Scallop

Directions - Mashed Potatoes

Using a pot of salted water boil potatoes until tender and drain.  Add butter and begin mashing.  When potatoes have been mashed coarsely add cream and continue mashing until a smooth and creamy consistency has been reached.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside in an icing/ pastry bag equipped with a large star tip.

Directions - Seafood Filling

In a medium saucepan melt the butter and add shallots.  Saute over medium heat until shallots have softened.  Add flour and continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring continuously.  Add white wine and milk, bring to boil.  Continue to whisk while cooking sauce for another minute.  Adding shrimp continue to stir over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add scallops, continuously stirring for another minute.  Remove from heat, stir in Gruyere and allow cheese to melt. 

 Plating

Spoon the filling into traditional shell or gratin dishes.  Using pastry bag garnish rim of dish with mashed potatoes, sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  To finish broil until cheese and potatoes have reached a golden brown.

Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Guinness Irish Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 5 Celery Stalk
• 4 Carrot
• 1 Onion
• 4-6 Red Potatoes
• 3 tsp Powdered Beef Bullion
• 1 tsp Ground Pepper
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 156ml Tomato Paste
• 250ml Guinness Beer (or your stout beer of choice)
• 1 tbsp Corn Starch
• 2lbs AAA Rib Steak, Cubed

Directions

Brown beef cubes over medium heat.  Wash and chop vegetables to preferred size.  Caramelize onions, carrots and celery on stove top.  Add beef cubes, potatoes and caramelized vegetables to crock pot.  Pour in Guiness and mix dry ingredients EXCEPT cornstarch, stir.  Add water until crock pot is full and carefully stir again.  Cover and set your slowcooker to low for 8-9hrs cooking time or high for 4-5hrs cooking time.  Thicken stew just before serving by dissolving cornstarch in 1/3 cup of water and very slowly mixing into stew, continue to stir briefly.  Stew will begin to thicken in approx 5-7min.

Plate and serve with a traditional Irish Soda Bread, or other "crusty" type bread. 

(**Pro tip:  If you find Guinness Stout too bitter you can replace with a Cream Ale like KilKenny)

Scrumptious Shepard's Pie

Shepard's Pie

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp parsley flakes
• 2 tbsp beef bullion powder
• 1/4 cup onion flakes
• 6-8 medium size potatoes
• 1/4 cup milk
•  1 1/2 cup of diced carrots
• 1 1/2 cup of  whole kernel corn
• 1 1/2 cup peas
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1-2 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1lb AAA Extra Lean Ground Beef

Directions

Peel and cube potatoes, add to pot of water and boil until tender (kitchen tip: add a tsp of butter/ margarine/ oil to prevent the starch from the potatoes boiling over).   While potatoes are cooking, in a large saucepan brown ground beef over medium-high heat.  Once ground beef is fully cooked add 1 1/2 cups of water and dry ingredients, stir while bringing water to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until all water has evaporated.  Once potatoes have finished drain all water, add milk, shredded cheese and butter.  Mash potatoes until a creamy texture has been reached.

In a large casserole dish layer ingredients starting with the ground beef, followed by a layer of vegetables.  Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula smooth mashed potatoes on top and spread across surface.  Sprinkle remainder of shredded cheese over potatoes.

Place dish in oven on broil for 10min or until cheese has browned and potatoes have a crust over them.  Remove from oven, plate and serve.

Zesty Taco Mix

Zesty Taco Mix

Taco Tuesdays will never be the same

Ingredients

• 1lb AAA Lean Ground Beef
• 6 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 5 teaspoon Paprika
• 4 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 2 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat.  Combine all dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl. 

Mix 2/3 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning per pound of ground beef in skillet, allow to simmer 3-5min (or until water is no longer visible).

Serve with your choice of shell or wrap and all your other favourite toppings!  This seasoning recipe was so popular in our house we ended up making more just to have it conveniently on hand.  If stored in an airtight container this mix will keep up to a year... now that's a LOT of Taco Tuesdays!  (Click HERE for the original recipe)

Piri Piri Chicken

Piri Piri

Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 - 4 Boneless Skinless  Chicken Breast 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Chopped Ginger (Fresh)
• 1 Tablespoon Hot Chili Powder
• 1/4 Red Onion (Finely Chopped)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 1/4 Cup Paprika
• 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice (Fresh)

Directions

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add garlic, onion, and ginger.  Stir in lemon juice and continue stirring until dry ingredients dissolve.  

Add chicken breasts to bowl and allow to marinade 30mins

For best results grill breast for 5-7 minutes each side, or until fully cooked.  Serve with this refreshing tomato and cucumber salad (we chose to substitute freshly chopped parsley for cilantro)

Surf & Turf

Surf & Turf

Tenderloin Steak and Shrimp in a Creamy Lemon-Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

• MInced Garlic   3-4 Cloves
• Softened Butter  1/2 Cup
• Chopped Parsley  3tsp
• Salt
• Pepper
• Half Lemon, Juiced
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• White Wine 1/4 Cup
• 10-12 Uncooked Shrimp
• 2  AAA Beef Tenderloin  

Directions

In a small bowl combine minced garlic, chopped parsley, and butter, mix well.  Separate half of garlic butter into frying pan, reserve remainder. Set at medium heat, add shrimp. Stir in white wine and lemon juice, allowing shrimp to simmer until cooked. You will know shrimp is fully cooked when it turns a pinkish colour, is no longer opaque, and curls into a tight C- shape. Remove shrimp and continue reducing garlic butter mixture (5-10 min on mid-low).  Return shrimp to reduction and allow to marinate before plating.

Brush Tenderloins with oil, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sear Tenderloins on high ( grill at 450 -500 degrees for 1min each side), repeat process each side, then remove from heat.  Allow tenderloins to rest 10-15min while reducing grill temperature to medium (300-350 degrees). Return meat to grill and cook to preference ( here's a link to a handy way of telling how well done your steak is without use of a thermometer or having to cut into meat, preserving its full flavour and juices).

Plate Shrimp and Tenderloin, using the remainder of garlic butter to top steak.  We chose to pair our Surf and Turf with a traditional side of mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus spears.