This recipe is quick, easy and you only need a few items from your pantry. Yes, I think your kids could even make this or at least help. It only takes your barbecue.
- 1/4 cup fig balsamic vinegar (love this stuff)
- 1 1/2 tbsp. grainy mustard
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 8 bone in chicken thighs, skin removed
Now, whisk together the vinegar and mustard until well incorporated. Add the salt and pepper and mix.
In a mixing bowl, add the chicken thighs and pour about half of the liquid over and toss to ensure you have coated them all.
On a prepared grill, place the chicken on a 350 temperature. Simply close the lid and grill for about 6 -7 minutes. Turn them over and brush the remaining sauce over. Grill a further 5-6 minutes. The chicken is done when you pierce them with a fork and the juices are clear.
Serve with rice, or noodles. These are so yummy.
Pork Tenderloin With Mustard Crust
There are never any leftovers with pork tenderloin and with the mustard crust and the Rye-based cream sauce, this is a meal for company.
Depending on the size of the tenderloins, it will serve 4-8 people.
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 4 tbsp. whole grain mustard, divided
- 2 medium pork tenderloins
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Rye whiskey
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, room temperature
Mix together in a small bowl the butter and mustard. Set aside.
Cut the silver skin off the tenderloin, any excess fat and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a roast pan over medium high heat and add the oil. When that is hot, add the tenderloin and sear all sides, browning as you go, Now reduce the heat. While still in the pan, brush the tops of the tenderloin with the mustard butter combination. Cover and cook but when the temperature of the meat reaches 145F (63C), remove from the pan, tent with foil and let rest.
Increase the temperature to high and add the shallots, cooking until softened. Now add the rye, cooking until it has been reduced to a glaze. Reduce the temperature to medium and stir in the mustard and cream and any juices from pork cooking until it coats the back of a spoon .
Slice the pork and arrange on a platter, spooning the sauce over the top. Let the guests help themselves OR you can plate in the kitchen and bring to the table.
Mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli, chilled salad and there you go.
Darn – I almost forgot…..bring on the wine as well. A beautiful Chardonnay would be perfect.
Rib Roast With A Grainy Mustard Sauce
This can be done in the barbecue if you wish, but it is so easy to prepare and even lovelier to present to company.
- 1 – 7 lb. 3 bone rib roast
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 4 shallots, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, halved
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup Chardonnay wine (this is true)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 tbsp. grainy mustard
- 1 tsp. creamy horseradish
- 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Position the rack (if using oven) to low in oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Rub the roast with garlic and oil. Set aside. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
In a skillet brown the roast on all sides. Spoon the melted butter all over the roast.
Place roast, fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast uncovered 2 1/4 hours (medium rare) and 2 1/2 hours for medium. Keep spooning the butter over the roast.
In a large skillet, cook the shallots and garlic in hot olive oil for about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully add the wine. Return to heat and simmer for 5 minutes until reduced by half. Add the beef broth and again, cook for 8 minutes until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups.
Transfer the roast to cutting board and tent with foil. While this is ‘standing’, prepare the sauce by draining the fat from the roasting pan. Add the cream to the broth mixture and simmer in the skillet.
Strain sauce through a sieve into a small saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the mustard, horseradish and cream. Whisk in the butter, 1 tbsp. at a time.
What can I say? Serve with garlic mashed potatoes (recipe on this site), some yellow and red beets, green salad, warm rolls and, of course, a beautiful Merlot.
Perfect dinner for a wonderful time with friends and family.
Damn, you did it again.
Trout With Maple Mustard Sauce
This will serve 4 happy mouths. Add a crisp salad, rice or noodles and, naturally, a glass of the chilled grape and you have a feast that even Caesar would have appreciated.
- 4 x 4 oz. Trout fillets
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. Teriyaki sauce
Place the trout in an 8 x 8 baking dish. Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the trout.
In a preheated oven of 425 degrees, bake for about 12-14 minutes until it flakes with a fork. Add any extra sauce over the top of the fillets and enjoy.
This is a wonderful summer dish and not one to be overlooked.
Faux Cauliflower Souffle
This is yet another recipe for a tasty vegetable to serve even the most critical foodie. I know………
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into small pieces
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 1/2 cups cream
- 2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- dash of dry mustard and Worchestershire sauce
- 2 eggs, well beaten
Grease a 10 x 6 inch dish and set aside. In a saucepan, cook the cauliflower for about 12 minutes or until tender and drain well. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and gradually whisk in the cream. Cook, stirring constantly until it thickens and begins to boil.
Immediately remove from the heat.
Stir in the mustard and Worchestershire sauce. Add the cauliflower and beaten eggs. Pour into the prepared dish.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the centre is firm to the touch. Serve immediately with your favourite meat and potatoes or noodles or rice.
This is yummy.
Blushing Pear Salad
For our New Year’s Eve Dinner, we made the ‘blushing’ pear salad.
- 3/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cinnamon stick
- 2 Bosc pears, peeled but keep stems attached
- 3 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn into pieces
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp. pomegranate juice
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tbsp. honey
- crumbled chevre
- sprinkle of candied pecans, broken up
Place pomegranate juice, sugar, wine and cinnamon into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and gently stir until the sugar dissolves.
Peel the pears but keep in stem intact.
Place the pear in the simmering liquid and cover. It will take about 20 minutes until tender. Be sure to turn occasionally. Once tender, remove from the heat and let cool down. Turn the pears over often while cooling so the colour is even.
Divide the lettuce on two fancy plates. Halve the pears and core them. Cut each half into slices. Divide the slices over the two plates.
Combine the oil, juices, mustard and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer, stirring often for about 2-3 minutes (it will thicken slightly). Add the chevre pieces and candied pecans over the top of the salad and spoon some of the warm sauce over the salad.
Absolutely scrumptuous.
Glazed Ham Updated
Everybody has their own way of preparing ham and this is just one more. Give it a try, it really is DELICIOUS.
- 1 Maui pineapple, peeled, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup grainy mustard
- 1 smoked ham (approximately 10 pounds trimmed of all but 1/4 inch of fat
- 35-40 whole cloves
- 1 cup Chardonnay wine
To start bring the pineapple, sugar and water to a boil. Reduce and simmer until the pineapple looks translucent and has reduced to about 4 cups (about 1 hour). This glaze will keep covered and in the fridge for 3 days. A great make ahead.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put the rack on the lowest position. Score the ham with a sharp knife in a pattern of 1 1/4 inch diamonds. Press a clove in the center of each diamond (wear gloves if you must, cloves are sharp). Place the ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan and drizzle wine over the top. Coat ham with half of the glaze. Cover with parchment then foil and bake for about one hour. Remove from the oven.
Increase the temperature to 425 degrees. Now uncover the ham and coat with remaining glaze. Bake uncovered until browned (about 40 minutes.) If the bone becomes too dark, tent it with foil. Let set for about 30 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan drippings and pineapple.
A great dinner is upon you.