As do I! I haven't done that, though.

My paternal grandfather would make "toad in the hole" with an egg in toast. He was pretty good at making breakfast.

Pat

Made an Almond butter lemon curd cake, first time I've made my own curd. Never will I buy curd again!! :D

This was so delicious, not too sweet...just enough. Had some left over curd and served it on the side. Didn't make the whipped cream this go round.

For the lemon curd:

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 extra-large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

For the cake:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
1 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 extra-large eggs
½ cup ground toasted almonds
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
About 1/2 cup heavy cream for garnish
1 tablespoon almond liqueur (optional)

Nutritional Information


Preparation

For the curd, combine zest, juice, sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl,
and beat well. Add butter, and place over a saucepan full of simmering
water. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden
spoon, until mixture thickens into curd, about 5 minutes. Strain into
a bowl, and press plastic wrap onto surface to keep skin from forming.
Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch spring-form pan with 1
tablespoon butter, and dust with 1 tablespoon flour, shaking out
excess.

With an electric mixer, cream the remaining butter and 1 cup sugar
together until light and fluffy. Sift together the remaining flour,
baking powder and salt, and stir in. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs
until they start to foam. Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough.
Add eggs and ground almonds to batter, and mix well.

Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons
lemon curd around perimeter of batter, leaving a 1-inch border, and
taking care to space drops evenly. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons curd into
center of batter. Refrigerate remaining curd for another use. Sprinkle
cake with toasted almonds and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, depending on
taste.

Bake until cake is toasty brown on top and a toothpick inserted into
cake (not curd) comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on rack 10
minutes, then remove sides of pan, and cool completely.

Whip cream with almond liqueur and serve.

Beef Wellington
 

Thread seems to have tapered off since my last visit. Being a new dad has kept me a bit busy, but it is time again for my annual over-the-top Valentine's Day meal (see last year's butter poached steaks)
I got Pat LaFrieda's Meat a year ago and hadn't tried anything from it. The Beef Wellington recipe looked good, so that was my choice this year.
(I halved the recipe and only made two)

Two parts to this recipe: Mushrooms and Wellingtons

Mushrooms
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 lb mixed mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, white, etc) finely chopped
1/4 c finely diced shallots
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs, heaping, minced fresh sage leaves
2 tsp truffle oil (optional)

Wellingtons
4 beef filet mignons, 1.5" thk, 5oz (I used an 8oz and a 6oz)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs canola oil
1 box frozen puff pastry, (17oz)
2 (8") flour tortillas (help absorb moisture and keep puff pastry from getting soggy)
All-purpose flour for dusting
2 large eggs

1c heavy cream

Mushrooms:
Heat oil/butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until they wilt and brown slightly (~15min)
Add shallots, salt and pepper, reduce to medium until shallots are softened (~5min)
Remove from heat, stir in sage and truffle oil, season w/ salt to taste, set aside to cool.

Wellingtons:
Season beef with salt/pepper.
In second large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high.
Sear beef on both sides (~30sec per side).
Set aside to cool slightly.

Take puff pastry out of freezer and package and let sit for 5 minutes.

Fold each tortilla into quarters and cut 2.5" rounds from each quarter.
Cut .5" circles out of the center of 4 of the tortillas (or cut "X" with paring knife), as vents.

Dust work surface with flour and lay a sheet of puff pastry out.
Cut out four 6" circles and four 3.5" circles of puff pastry. Again, vent the smaller circles with either a half inch hole or an "X". Put the smaller circles in the fridge while working.
Put the larger rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Add a non-vented tortilla to the center of each large puff pastry round, then add a Tbs of the mushroom mixture on top of it and spread it out; make sure none get on the puff pastry.
Put a filet on top of the mushrooms, then top with another Tbs of mushrooms.
Put a vented tortilla on top of the mushrooms, then add a 3.5" round of puff pastry on top.
Fold up the 6" circle and pinch it closed with the puff pastry on top of the Wellington (wet the pastry to help it stick, if needed).

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 450F

Pull Wellingtons from freezer. Tear off 2" strips of aluminum foil and wrap around the sides of the wellingtons for initial bake to help keep it from collapsing.

Put in the over for 10 minutes.

Whisk both eggs in a bowl as an egg wash.

Pull the Wellingtons out, remove foil, brush all surfaces with egg wash.

Back in the oven until beef is 130F (~10-15 min)
Additional 10-15 minutes gets you from rare to medium.
If pastry is browning before meat hits temp, tent the Wellington with foil.

Sauce:
Re-heat remaining mushroom mixture until warm. Add 1c heavy whipping cream and reduce for 5 minutes (I added a splash of sherry).

I served with a spinach salad with strawberries, mushrooms, bacon, and pecans. Also had potatoes au gratin and chocolate dipped strawberries.
Mascota Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012

Very Nice!!

The wife is making spaghetti........moose meat....the best

You have Desert Moose?

First time ever cooking in a pressure cooker...

Made a pot roast. Came out like soup. It was good, but I imagine I need to do some reading on how to cook with steam under pressure.

Billy- Try a piece of Corned Beef. It is a lot tougher than a roast and like you, it can take the pressure!:lifter

I am planning to make corned beef/cabbage in it this weekend

Yeah, they come down from BC with the snow birds

Simple meal for a simple guy
 

Whitetail backstrap medallions with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper as the only embellishments. EVO in the hot Le Creuset braiser, a quick sear on both sides, and a Flintstone feast on the plate. Dinner done.

Even with my Irish heritage on both sides of the family I hate corned beef. Just pass me a plate of Irish whisky.

I don't mind corned beef as long as its prepared well. I've made it before and I inject it before marinating for 10 days. Great as a sandwich. When I think brisket I usually think BBQ. ;)

I use a pressure cooker for corned beef. Cooks faster and seems to hold the flavor in better...

Divemaster County Kerry here, and I agree. Never liked it, or the cabbage it is usually cooked with, foul smelling. Producing intestinal issue that can clear any room.