Sunday, November 28, 2010

Been Experimenting Again

by Suzanne

We just had Thanksgiving so I'm sure a lot of you are tired of cooking. It takes me from Monday to Thursday to wrangle that particular meal for thirty minutes of eating! But the fun and family being togther is soooo worth the effort. And Lyndsey's Caramel Apple Pie is the topper of the evening!

There are two times I experiment in the kitchen. 1. I'm bored. 2. I'm procrastinating. Uhm, this week, it's probably the latter as with Christmas fast approaching boredom is NOT on the agenda! So here's my latest creation:

SUE'S CHEESY CORN BISQUE

4 TBS of butter
½ large red onion diced
½ large red bell pepper diced
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off and
the starch scraped from the cobs
3 TBS of all purpose flour
2 small containers of chicken stock
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese
2 cans whole white corn, drained


1. Melt 2 TBS of butter in soup pot.
2. Add onions and peppers. Add corn and starch scraped from cobs. Salt and Pepper. Cook till tender.
3. Add remaining 2 TBS butter. Add flour and cook several minutes to remove starchy taste from flour. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil.
4. Pour in heavy cream then add mixture to blender or food processor until creamy.
5. Return to pot. Add canned corn and cheeses.
6. Stir then taste. Add more salt and pepper to your desired taste.
7. Simmer until ready to serve.

**May add 2cups cubed cooked chicken, shrimp or crab**

Oops! How did HE get in this? (This is my favorite hunky Gerard pic. Talk about beef!! whoohoo!!)



So, I don't know about y'all, but I'm tired of turkey and it's cousin, chicken. So beef has been on my brain. Hey, I write eroticas, as well as sexy romances, so beef is on my brain in more than one way these days, but for today's purpsoes let's talk dinner!

Here's a little recipe I make when I want some romantic time with my hubby! Trust me, this works!!

SEARED BEEF TENDERLOIN MEDALLIONS IN MUSHROOM SAUCE

2-3 Tenderloin Steaks (1 inch thick)
trim fat and cut into medallion sized pieces
salt and pepper
2 Tbs. Butter
½ small onion diced
1 pkg. baby Portabello mushrooms sliced
¼ cup good wine
2 tsp. A-1 sauce
1 small box beef stock
1 pkg. Brown gravy mix

Melt ½ of butter in medium sized pan .
Salt and pepper meat.
Sear medallions on both sides until medium rare.
Remove from pan to platter and cover with foil.
Add remaining butter, onions and mushrooms to pan. Sauté until soft.
Add wine and cook 2-3 minutes.
Add A-1 sauce and broth. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Stir in brown gravy mix, whisk until dissolved.
Return meat to pan and simmer 10 minutes, turning at least once half way through.

I serve with mashed potatoes and some steamed asparagus.



So what's your favorite, get-him-in-the-mood meal? What gets him all hot and bothered? What puts YOU in the mood? Got any good recipes to share?

40 comments:

Book Chatter Cath said...

""So beef has been on my brain. Hey, I write erotica's, as well as sexy romances, so beef is on my brain in more than one way these days, but for today's purposes let's talk dinner!""
LMFAO.....okay I almost wet myself reading that (I've a dirty mind!!)

My hubby gets excited over a good old roast beef with all the trappings and Yorkshire puds smothered in gravy...only problem is it leaves him comatose!!!!!!
Cath
cbcowley@gmail.com

Deanna said...

Hi Suzanne,

I don't think that I've got anything that qualifies as food that puts him in the mood but my boy is pretty easy to please when it comes to feeding him. He likes the simple stuff - chicken parcels (chicken pieces in filo pastry with sundried tomatoes, ham and cheese baked in the over); beef, bacon and cheese pie; meatballs and spaghetti; lime and chilli pork medallion salad; beef, proscuitto and spinach salad and all sorts of soups.

Here's a personal favorite when it comes to soups:

Fennel Soup
===========
4 fennel bulbs
4 white onions (large)
1 cup oil
Cut fennel and onion into small pieces
Fry fennel and onion with salt and pepper until see through
Add chicken stock enough to cover vegetables
Simmer till soft
Blend with hand blender
Stir in 1 large container of thickened full cream
Serve

Cath, congrats on the chook. Maybe you could feed him some of those Yorkshire puds? My boy put me in a maple syrup and butter induced coma this morning from the wonderful waffle breakfast he made me. :-)

Sheree said...

I don't think my boyfriend need any specific dishes to get in the mood. Chocolate is always good though. ;)

Helen said...

Well done Cath he did have a few Tim Tams yesterday what is the weather like in NZ have fun with him

Suz

Love the post talk about laughing and I do love the picture well all of them but you know the one I am talking about LOL.

We had pork spare ribs for dinner tonight I made them yesterday when I was home and there was enough left for dinner tonight it saved him cooking because I was at work.

He really likes this meal although I am sure he is snoozing in the recliner at the moment watching re runs of NCIS LOL.

Brown pork spare ribs (the ones without the bone in them) in fry pan then add onion carrots and potato in chunks cook on medium heat till vegies are cooked then add a couple of cans of crushed tomatoes and a bunch of spinach chopped up simmer till the spinach is done to your liking and then serve very nice with crusty bread rolls and easy to make.

Love your receipes Suz must try the beef medalion and see if it works LOL

have Fun
Helen

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

My BF swears he likes anything I cook but he seems to favor a nice pork loin, today however we are having fresh venison tenderloins. I haven't decided how I am fixing them yet but I can guarantee there will be gravy.

jo robertson said...

Yummy, yum, Suz, on all accounts. Gerard, included! Those recipes sound to-die-for. I know your family appreciates your culinary skills.

Hi, Cath, that was a very clever seque Suz did from beef to beef, so to speak.

Congrats on getting the rooster today!

jo robertson said...

My husband is pretty easy to please, but his favorite dishes involve a good steak. He fixes that himself, though, as he claims I always overcook them. Probably do, because I don't like my beef to actually moo at me while I eat it!

This is the first Thanksgiving I didn't make my homemade rolls. Everyone loves them, but they're a bit time intensive what with the kneading and all. This year I bought frozen ones (ha!).

My oldest grandson whispered to his mother, "Can you make these for us at hom?"

She answered, "Oh, that's Grammy special recipe."

Ha, fooled them all! I figure with hot rolls and butter, a growing teenager can't tell the diff between store-bought and homemade.

Nancy said...

Cath, congrats on the bird!

Suz, these sound yummy. I'm not a foodie, as you know, or much of a cook. Our favorite dinner out is fondue, but it's a splurge evening for us.

The dh made sweet potatoes with craisins and honey for Thanksgiving at my request. Last night, with the boy away, we had his Mediterranean eggplant concoction with feta cheese and couscous. There is, however, no recipe. He's one of those "dash of this, pinch of that" cooks.

A restaurant near us used to serve caramel apple pie--that was seriously scrumptious stuff.

Nancy said...

Cath, I love pot roast. We don't get Yorkshire pudding here, but my mom used to make roast in a slow cooker with fabulous gravy.

Nancy said...

Sheree wrote: Chocolate is always good though. ;)

Ain't that the truth?!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Good afternoon everyone! Sorry I didn't get back to y'all sooner. Work and my insomnia kicked my behind last night!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Congrats on being first, Cath!

So glad I could give you a good laugh with that beef comment! :)

While I make a mean potroast, I've never made Yourshire Pudding. Is it terribly hard....er...difficult?

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Daz, your simple meals sound wonderful!!

I'll have to give the fennel soup a try. My hubby is a soup nut!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Sheree!

Chocolate is always good though. ;)

That always gets me in the mood, and hubby is almost as susceptible as me for it!

Book Chatter Cath said...

I make my puds from scratch they're actually really easy:)

Its been a while so I'll go dig out the recipe

I love a pork roast myself with lashings of apple sauce and super crunchy crackle

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Helen!


He really likes this meal although I am sure he is snoozing in the recliner at the moment watching re runs of NCIS LOL.


LOL, there is always that risk after you serve them a great meal, isn't there?

Your spare ribs sound yummo! I'll have to try that one soon!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Diana!

today however we are having fresh venison tenderloins. I haven't decided how I am fixing them yet but I can guarantee there will be gravy.

Sounds like you know the way to your man's heart...gravy? LOL

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Jo!

Gerard seems to make it into lots of blog posts, doesn't he? hehehe

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Jo: Ha, fooled them all! I figure with hot rolls and butter, a growing teenager can't tell the diff between store-bought and homemade.

We start the rolls at my husband's end of the table and leave them by my son at the other end. If we did it the other way around, no one would get any!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Nancy:

Last night, with the boy away, we had his Mediterranean eggplant concoction with feta cheese and couscous. There is, however, no recipe. He's one of those "dash of this, pinch of that" cooks.

This is how I learned to cook from my mother. It's also how I taught my girls to cook. But over the years I've had coworkers ask me how I made things so I had to work out the measurements.

I've started a cookbook of sorts in my computer. If my girls or one of my friends wants to make a certain recipe, I just send it in an email attachment!

Tell your hubby to try and recreate dishes on the computer to pass on to your son.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Cath:
I love a pork roast myself with lashings of apple sauce and super crunchy crackle


Okay, I ALWAYS serve cooked apples with pork, but have no idea what crunky crackle is. (Is that like bacon?)

I make homemade applesauce for my grandbabies. They gobble it up!

And yes, I'd LOVE the Yorkshire pudding recipe, please!!

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Oh yeah, I can make gravy out of anything, really. Decided to marinate the tenderloins in a little worshchestire, rosemary and garlic, then going to a chicken fry.

Book Chatter Cath said...

crunchy crackle is what my kids call the skin off the pork roast. You score it, rub it with evoo and salt and it bubbles and spits and turns into this gorgeous (if highly fattening) yummy treat that they all fight over. I'm sure you know what I mean but probably call it something else.
I'll get back to you with the pud recipe, gotta go be mother help at pre school this morning!!

Kate Carlisle said...

Suz, I didn't think I'd be hungry this soon after Thanksgiving, but your Cheesy Corn Bisque is making my mouth water! Or maybe Gerard is doing that ... no, it's the Bisque! LOL

I'm copying both of these recipes because they really do sound like the sort of thing that will get the DH excited. Hey, the guy likes to eat!

Daz, your Fennel soup sounds yummy, too.

I'll share the highlight of our Thanksgiving dinner. It was sweet potato brulee. Basically, you whip sweet potatoes (w/brown sugar and butter, cinnamon, nutmet), sprinkle brown sugar on top and heat until carmelized and allow to harden, like a cream brulee. (Optional, serve with Gerard Butler.) OMG. To die for!!

Cath, congrats on snagging the GR!

Christine Wells said...

Hi Suz, they look scrumptious! (And I do include Gerard in that:)

Hmm, not sure if I do food for the mood but my dh certainly appreciates it when I cook Beef Wellington for him. I usually do a cutesy message on the top in pastry letters to make it extra special.

Nancy said...

Suz, the dh can write recipes down when forced. I think I shared his cream cheese swirl brownie recipe here last year. But I have to force him.

Nancy said...

Kate, sweet potato brulee?!! Yumm!

I love sweet potatoes, but I've never heard of this. Do you need one of those little mini-blowtorches they use on Food Network?

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Kate!

I'll share the highlight of our Thanksgiving dinner. It was sweet potato brulee. Basically, you whip sweet potatoes (w/brown sugar and butter, cinnamon, nutmet), sprinkle brown sugar on top and heat until carmelized and allow to harden, like a cream brulee. (Optional, serve with Gerard Butler.) OMG. To die for!!

Love your Thanksgiving highlight. Only thing better would be to serve it with a naked Gerard!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Christine!

Hmm, not sure if I do food for the mood but my dh certainly appreciates it when I cook Beef Wellington for him. I usually do a cutesy message on the top in pastry letters to make it extra special.

I've always wanted to try Beef Wellington, but never have...hmmm.

Cutesy message, huh? I know a certain hubby in Texas who would find that intriguing!

Nancy said...

Jo said: Probably do [overcook steak], because I don't like my beef to actually moo at me while I eat it!


You and me both, Jo! My dad couldn't stand a pink streak, so I grew up eating well done, and I'm always faintly put off by trying to eat anything pink, and never mind red!

Nancy said...

Christine, I like Beef Wellington. Only had a couple of times, but I liked it.

Just sayin . . .

Nancy said...

Daz, the fennel soup sounds great. And easy enough, even, for me. *g*

Book Chatter Cath said...

LOL, the only way my hubby will eat his steak is charcoal. No I'm serious....it cant be well done it has to be burnt to a flaming crisp:( yuck

Finished my 4 hour stint of mother help, now I need a nap!!!

Family Yorkshire Pud recipe is as follows
1 Cup standard/plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
250ml milk
Preheat your oven to 230 degrees Celsius
Put 1 teaspoon of oil into each cup of your metal muffin tray
Beat the first 3 ingredients and half of the milk together until frothy, then gently stir in remaining milk
Pour into your smoking hot muffin tray (don't overfill as they puff up) and bake until brown.
serve with your fave meat or sausages and smother in gravy

Kate Carlisle said...

Cath, that Yorkshire pudding recipe sounds simple and fun to make. I've only had it once before years ago but I'd love to try it again. Just have to get the Celsius-to-Fahrenheit translation first. I've already got a tendency to burn everything, I don't need any extra help. LOL

Nancy, I wish I had one of those mini-blowtorches! Just what I need, right? LOL. I'm thinking of making it in a pan (like a brownie pan) and just sticking the entire thing under the broiler for a few seconds to carmelize the sugar. If I don't burn down the kitchen, I'll report back!

Suz ... LOLOL ... even more yummy!

Uhh ... I meant to say "nutmeg" in my original comment. Not "nutmet." Sheesh. :-)

Book Chatter Cath said...

I believe 230 Celsius is 450 Fahrenheit

Nancy said...

Kate said: Nancy, I wish I had one of those mini-blowtorches! Just what I need, right?

I would think it might have many practical applications. *g*

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Cath,

That Yorkshire Pudding sounds easy! I'll have to give it a try. Hmmm...maybe this week when I'm off.

Thanks loads!

Fedora said...

LOL! Those recipes sure sound delicious, Suz! Not sure if they'd put him in the mood though; not quite sure I have a definitely "mood" food... Very fun post!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Fedora!

You're welcome to give them a try. On the soup, you can add more cheese if you want.

Thanks for stopping by everyone! Off to work now.

Tawny said...

YUM!!! Beefcake... the best choice for a vegetarian *beg*

Suz, your soup recipe looks delish. I'll have to try it out!

As for getting in the mood, I'd say just about anything that includes the words "sweetie, I made you dinner" would cover that :-) Hubby is an easy man to cook for!