Recipes to celebrate another year of marriage

After cooking for Scott for 31 years now, I know his food preferences very well.

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary and I always try to make it a special day for us. I usually cook at home and when our children were still at home we made it a fun, nice, family dinner.

Scott is a mid-western meat and potatoes kind of guy, so I can be creative but I know just how far I can push the envelope. One thing for sure, I know I can never go wrong with a good steak and a few simple yet tasty side dishes. One of Scott's favorite snacks is chocolate chip cookies. I don't make them as often as I used to, and he often reminds me.

Today I'm sharing a few tasty recipes to celebrate the blessing of our 31 years togehter.

Pan-Seared Steak with Garlic Butter

This Pan-Seared Steak has a garlic rosemary-infused butter that makes it taste steakhouse quality. You'll be impressed at how easy it is to make the perfect steak — seared and caramelized on the outside, and so juicy and perfectly tender on the inside.

• 2 pounds New York Strip Steaks (2 steaks) or Ribeye or Top Sirloin Steaks (1 pound each steak, 1 1/4-inch thick)
• 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or any high heat cooking oil like canola or extra light olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Thoroughly pat steak dry with paper towels. Just before cooking, generously season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper

Heat the cast iron pan until hot then add 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat. Once the oil is very hot, add steaks to the skillet. Sear the steaks on the first side for 4 minutes until a brown crust has formed then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the steak on its sides to render the white fat and sear the edges (1-minute per edge).

Reduce heat to medium and immediately add 2 tablespoons butter, quartered garlic cloves and rosemary to the pan. Spoon the butter sauce over the steak, tilting the pan to get butter on your spoon. Continue spooning the sauce over the steak for a minute or until the steak is about 5-10 degrees from your desired doneness (the temperature will continue to rise another 5-10 degrees while steaks rest).

Transfer steak to a cutting board, loosely cover and rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch strips to serve. Spoon extra butter sauce over sliced steak to serve.

Notes:

Steak Doneness Chart:

Medium Rare: 145 degrees

Medium Doneness: 160 degrees

Well Done: 170 degrees

Source: www.natashaskitchen.com/pan-seared-steak/

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

• 14 strips bacon (about 13 ounces)
• 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lay the bacon onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with a baking rack. Bake until the bacon has rendered some of its fat but is still completely flexible and hasn't begun to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees.

Generously sprinkle the tenderloin with salt and black pepper.

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, brown sugar, garlic powder and cayenne. Coat the tenderloin all over with the mixture.

Starting at one end, wrap the bacon strips around the tenderloin, overlapping them slightly so they are shingled.

Place the tenderloin on the baking rack and roast until 130 degrees at the thickest point, about 17 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board using a long offset spatula and tongs. Slice into 1-inch-thick rounds and serve.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/valerie-bertinelli/bacon-wrapped-pork-tenderloin-4721167

Fontina Rolled Chicken

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup julienned oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, chopped and patted dry
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix the first six ingredients; stir in 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and the remaining salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, toss bread crumbs with paprika.

Carefully pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Spread cheese mixture over chicken. Roll up chicken from a short side; secure with toothpicks.

Dip chicken in egg, then coat with crumbs. Place in a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan, seam side down. Drizzle tops with oil.

Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and chicken is no longer pink. Let stand 5 minutes; discard toothpicks before serving.

Source: www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fontina-rolled-chicken/print/

Twice Baked Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes

• 6 large Idaho potatoes
• Vegetable oil for coating
• 1 stick 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 pound shrimp sauteed and peeled
• 8 ounces grated Cheddar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup green onion, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Begin by washing the potatoes, drying them and gently pricking them with a fork on the sides. Coat each potato with vegetable oil, place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and slice the top third off of each potato. Gently scoop out the potato and place in a large bowl. Place the butter in the bowl. Using a mixer on high, mix together, and then add the sour cream and green onions and salt and pepper to taste.

Reserve six whole shrimp and chop the remaining shrimp into large pieces. Fold in the chopped shrimp and cheese into the mixture.

Gently stuff the mixture back into the potato shells, making sure not to break them. Pile the mixture as high as you can on top of the potato shells.

Top each potato with a whole shrimp and sprinkle each potato with more cheese.

Bake in the oven until browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Source: www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/paula-deens-twice-baked-shrimp-stuffed/

Homemade Creamed Corn

Sweet buttery corn in a creamy base seasoned to perfection.

• 4 cups corn kernels drained if canned
• 1 small onion diced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried

Combine onion and butter and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add flour, salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes while stirring. Add corn and mix well.

Add in milk, cream, sugar and thyme. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Allow to boil 1 minute while stirring.

Remove 1 cup of the corn mixture and blend with a hand mixer until smooth. Stir back into the creamed corn.

Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

You can blend more than 1 cup of the corn mixture if you prefer a smoother creamed corn.

Source: www.spendwithpennies.com/homemade-creamed-corn/

Stromboli

This easy Stromboli recipe starts with refrigerated pizza dough, and is loaded with all your favorite pizza toppings. Salami, pepperoni, ham and lots of cheese are the key ingredients in this easy stromboli recipe. And, it's ready in about 30 minutes. Be creative and fill with your favorite pizza toppings.

• 1 can refrigerated pizza dough enough for 1 pizza
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup cooked ham, chopped
• 1/2 cup salami slices
• 1/2 cup pepperoni slices
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll pizza dough out on a lightly floured surface into a roughly 12- x 16-inch rectangle (it doesn't have to be perfect).

Spread marinara sauce over pizza dough, but leave one inch all the way around and 2-3 inches at the long side furthest from you.

Top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese, then ham, salami, and pepperoni. Finish with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Roll up as tightly as possible, doing your best not to push out the toppings as you do so. Stop just before you reach the end.

Whisk together egg, water, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Brush over pizza dough where the edges will meet, then pinch together.

Place on prepared baking sheet with the seal down and brush with the egg wash.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and slightly puffed. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Source: www.spendwithpennies.com/stromboli-recipe/

Butterfinger Ice Cream Pie

This recipe is from my cousin, Cindy Dude, and Scott loves it. When making this just for us, I do cheat by using the Oreo crust and usually purchase the hot fudge sauce. But you can easily make all from scratch to make this extra special. As simple as this is, it is so good!

One purchased Oreo pie crust (found in the baking aisle with the graham cracker crusts) or make your own from instruction, below

• 1/2 gallon really good quality vanilla ice cream
• 5 regular size (2.1 ounce) Butterfinger candy bars (or 3 King size )
• 1 (10 ounce) whipped topping, thawed, or lightly sweetened whipped cream

Set ice cream out to thaw (about 20 minutes). Crush 4 candy bars with a hammer, open wrapper and pour into a large bowl. Reserve the other candy bar for garnish. Scoop softened ice cream into the bowl and stir until the candy is distributed evenly.

Gently spoon into pie crust one large scoop at a time so that you don't break the crust. Work quickly, the ice cream will be getting very soft by now. It will mound up above the crust.

Place in the freezer for a few minutes if it is getting too melted before you frost it. Frost with the whole tub of thawed whipped topping or use the whipped cream. Sprinkle with reserved crushed candy bar. Cover loosely with 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Freeze overnight. Serve frozen with a drizzle of purchased hot fudge or homemade.

Serves 8 to 10.

Note:

For homemade crust:

• 30 Oreos, processed until fine
• 1/4 cup melted butter, add to cookie crumbs, pulse until combined

Press into a deep dish pie plate. Continue with directions above.

Homemade Hot Fudge

• 12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 corn syrup

Place all in a glass bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave another 20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Can easily cut this in half and you can also use Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate 4 ounce bar. It has become one of my favorites. Use about 1/3 third cup of the cream and 1 tablespoon of corn syrup.

You can substitute Heath Bars for the Butterfingers. Equally as good.

Source: canigetthatrecipe.online/2012/06/28/butterfinger-ice-cream-pie/

The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe has been around a long time and has been changed and perfected to claim to be the best chocolate chip cookies around. Chilling the cookie dough is imperative and cornstarch makes them extra soft and thick!

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Add into the wet ingredients, then beat on low speed until combined. The cookie dough will be slightly thick. On low speed, beat the chocolate chips. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Chilling is mandatory for success with this cookie dough.

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Once chilled, the dough will be slightly crumbly, but will come together when you work the dough with your hands. Roll balls of dough, about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough each, into balls.

Bake for 11-12 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. The cookies will look extremely soft when you remove them from the oven. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. If the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. If desired, while the cookies are still warm, press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops. This is completely for looks.

Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes: Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with preheating the oven in step 3. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

Source: www.sallysbakingaddiction.com/chocolate-chip-cookies/

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.