Jumbo Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Puree on Polenta

Jumbo Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Puree on Polenta

4 jumbo scallops
1 zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick and grilled 3 - 4 minutes per side (reserve 3 slices)
1 package plain polenta
1 large shallot or two small, diced
1 - 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoon olive oil

For the red pepper puree
2 large red pepper, roasted and peeled
Reserved 3 slices grilled zucchini
2 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

For the pepper puree. Combine the red pepper, zucchini, garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the olive oil and blend. Set aside. This can be made a day in advance.

For the shallot topping. Heat oil in a pan and add the diced shallots. Simmer until translucent. Add the thyme. Simmer for one minute. Add a the balsamic and simmer for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Slice off four 1/2-inch thick rounds of polenta and set aside. Grill the polenta slices 4 minutes on one side. Pan-sear the scallops about 2-3 minutes per side.

Layer the polenta, red pepper puree, and scallops. Dress with the shallot-balsamic sauce.

Plate with the grilled zucchini and serve with a Chardonnay-Viognier blend.

Wine of the Month

July's wine of the month is a Coppola Cabernet! This amazing red wine is layered with flavors of blackberry, cassis and roasted espresso.

Kona Fancy Coffee

    Kona Fancy Coffee is grown in the volcanic soil of Mauna Loa in Hawaii, it is the only coffee grown in the United States. Definitely one of the great and most desired coffees of the world, Kona Fancy has a very smooth, full bodied, rich flavor, and wonderful aroma. Kona coffee is produced in very small quantities, it is carefully tended, processed and graded. Come into El Toro Gourmet Meats today to try a cup of this delicious blend!

Deschutes class of 88 Barely Wine

Deschutes class of 88 Barely Wine.  A hoppy citrus aroma radiates from this pale amber Barley Wine Ale. Its sturdy malt backbone is balanced with clean bitterness. Finishes pleasantly without overpowering.

Malt: Pale, Carahell, Maris Otter
Hops: Nugget, Millennium, Northern Brewer, Cascade, Mosaic

Garlic Herb K.C. Strip Roast

Photo Source: Epicurious 

Serves: 4 to 6, depending on roast size.

Ingredients

• 1 Kansas City strip roast
• 2 heads roasted garlic
• 3 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 cups red wine 
• 1/2 cup beef stock

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Separate the heads of roasted garlic into cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peels.
3. Place the garlic in a small bowl and mash with the back of a fork until mostly smooth.
4. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the rosemary and theyme, and stir to blend.
5. Pat this mixture evenly over the top and sides of the roast.
6. Place the roast in a roasting pan and add 1 1/2 cups red wine and 1/2 cup beef stock to the bottom of the pan.
7. Cook to desired doneness, removing roast at 135 degrees for medium rare; 150 degrees for medium.
8. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let stand for 15 minutes. 

Recipe Source: vintagenaturalbeef.com 

Bison Meatballs

Photo Credit: CNN Eatocracy 

1 lb ground bison
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Cumin, salt and pepper to taste
1 large can pureed tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 large shallot, diced
2 or 3 sprigs of sage

Mix the bison, egg, breadcrumbs and seasoning in a bowl. Form into meatballs the size of golf balls and let them rest for 20 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large pan with high sides. Add the meatballs and sear on all sides. You’re not trying to cook them through, just get color on the outside. Remove meatballs once they’re brown and reserve.

Add a touch more olive oil to the pan, reduce the heat and sauté shallots and garlic. Scrape up the burnt bits of bison as you go. Add the tomatoes and sage and let simmer for 10 minutes, never letting the sauce boil. If it gets too thick, add some stock or water.

Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer in the sauce until they’re cooked through. Serve meatballs and sauce over pasta.

Source: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/07/09/national-bison-month/?hpt=ea_bn2

T-Bone Steak With BBQ Rub

(Photo Credit Google Images)

Ingredients

• 4 T-Bone Steaks cut 1" thick (about 3-4 pounds)
• 2 Tablespoons Chilli Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
• 2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
• 2 Teaspoons Cider Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Red Pepper

Instructions:

1. Combine rub ingredients and press evenly onto steaks
2. Place steaks on grill over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill uncovered, 14-16 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally.
3. Remove steaks, season with salt, as desired.  

source: vintagenaturalbeef.com 

Palm Beach Ribeye With Garlic Butter

 

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• Kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Ample pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large (16 to 20 ounces) or 4 small (8 to 10 ounces) Vintage®Bone-in Ribeye steaks

Directions

1. Chop the garlic finely. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over the garlic and continue to chop it, occasionally smashing andsmearing the garlic with the flat side of the knife, until the garlic becomes paste-like. Mix the garlic paste, butter, thyme, and pepper in a small bowl. Fold the softened butter over and onto the garlic and thyme, mashing it down with the back of a spoon or spatula. Use a sheet of plastic wrap to help shape the butter into a log, wrap the log well with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use (the garlic butter can be made up to 3 days ahead; it can also be frozen, well wrapped, for a couple of months). 
2. Melt half of the garlic-butter mixture in a small pan over medium heat (rewrap and save the other half for future use). 
3. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
4. In a large ovenproof sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat until very hot. Season the steaks with a little salt and pepper. Add the steaks to the pan and brown them well on 1 side, about 5 minutes. Turn the steaks and brush them liberally with the garlic butter. Finish cooking the steaks in the oven, brushing them occasionally with more garlic butter, until done, about another 5 minutes (the time will vary depending on how you like your steaks cooked and how thick they are). Remove the steaks from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: http://vintagenaturalbeef.com/rec-palmbeachribeye.pdf

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

•  
• Serves: 8
•  
• Ingredients
•  
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
2. Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

 

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/brown-sugar-meatloaf/detail.aspx?src=3865_33 

Shrimp Scampi Bake

(Photo credit)

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 pounds medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails attached

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.
3. Arrange shrimp in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

Recipe source: http://allrecipes.com

Craft Beer of the Week: Deschutes Black Butte Porter

(photo credit: Google Images)

This week's craft beer is: Black Butte Porter. This is a dark beer with a slight hop bitterness up front and ends with a distinctive chocolate roasted finish. This beer won Bronze Medal, Brown Porter in the 2009 Great American Beer Festival and won Gold Medal in Porter Category in 2007 at the Australian International Beer Awards. In 2005 it won Silver Medal in the World Beer Championships. 

This beer goes great with: salmon, wild rice, elk burger, and onion soup. 

Come and purchase this at El Toro Gourmet Meats in Lake Forest, CA!

Port Brewing Wipeout IPA

This week's craft beer is Port Brewing's Wipeout India Pale Ale. According to Port Brewing's website:

This one is dedicated to everyone who has gotten up at the butt crack of dawn, headed towards the shores and found it 4-6 feet and offshore only to find 30 of your “buddies” have already claimed the peak.

As you paddle out, a swell arrives from nowhere signaling your turn to go. The surf Gods are shinning on you today.

You turn, stroke like mad for the wave. Standing up you are alone and blammo you Wipeout….blowing the only chance of a right hander all to yourself.

You know who you are. We’ve all been there too. It’s inside each and every one of us.

Welcome to the waters of Wipeout IPA, a massively hopped India Pale Ale with enough substance and body to overcome even the worst and most tragic of on the water spills.

We brew Wipeout IPA for everyone- especially those hardy souls who brave the cold winter water and monster sets produced by an amazing northwest swell.

Only a tidal wave of hops can overcome the surging tide of malt that is required to produce a beer of this shape. We invite you to drop in, hang on and kick out the backside.

This beer goes excellent with spicy food. You can pair Port Brewing's Wipeout IPA with:

• Thai cuisine
• Burgers that are smothered in BBQ sauce
•  Curried food
• Fish 
• Poultry
• Salmon  
• Shellfish

Baked Salmon

 

Photo credit: Oxmoore House

 

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon

Directions

1. In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

recipe source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-salmon-ii/detail.aspx

Deschutes: The Stoic

The weekend is almost here! Looking for a new Belgium craft beer to start off your weekend? Check out Deschutes "The Stoic". Four nuanced fermentations. Aged, sequestered, in select rye whiskey & wine casks. It goes great with seared scallops, braised pork belly, and even pastry puffs.



This beer is very difficult to find, but you can come in and purchase it at El Toro Gourmet Meats.