EASY RECIPES AND STUFF

EASY RECIPE

How about a ruby red grapefruit with basil martini with a great chorizo brunch recipe.

Recipe serves four

CHORIZO BRUNCH

Ingredients:

10 oz chorizo (beef, pork or soy).

1 package frozen hash browns.

8 large eggs.

14.5 oz can re-fried beans.

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes.

4 flour tortillas (or not depending on your tastes).

3 Tbsp canola oil.

1/2 cup chopped onion.

1 Tbsp diced green chiles (canned).

1 tsp dried basil.

1/2 tsp salt.

1 clove garlic – minced.

Preparation:

In large fry pan brown chorizo on medium high heat. Spoon out grease as the chorizo browns.

Add onion and garlic to browned chorizo and saute for few minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, chiles, basil, and salt. and then reduce heat to simmer and stir occasionally. Reduce for 5 to 15 minutes depending on progress of remaining ingredients.

In large fry pan heat canola oil on medium high heat add hash browns and cook pursuant to package instructions. When cooked place in serving bowl and cover with foil.

Heat re-fried beans in sauce pan.

In large fry pan melt butter for eggs, add the eggs (four at a time). Once the eggs form up a little add 1/2 cup of water and then cover with foil to steam eggs. Do not over cook (think of it as almost a poached egg).

Plate the flour tortilla (or not), add re-fried beans, hash browns, drizzle chorizo sauce over the hash browns, and then top with two eggs.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Martini with Basil

Recipe serves 1

Ingredients

4 oz fresh squeezed red grapefruit

2 oz vodka

1 basil leaf – minced and ground

1 basil leaf for garnish

1/2 tsp simple syrup

Preparation:

For simple syrup: add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 C water to saucepan and heat on medium. Stir until the sugar dissolves, a couple minutes, and then remove from heat (there will be a great deal of simple syrup left over for other drinks).

Mince and grind one basil leaf.

To shaker add ice, vodka, squeezed red grapefruit juice, minced basil, and simple syrup. Shake and then pour through strainer into a martini glass straight up or on ice.

And that’s all there is to making an awesome summer drink.

(PS drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive).

AND STUFF

I’m very proud to share this recent 5-Star review on my new novel VEYRON.

Reviewed By Eileen Johnson for Readers’ Favorite – 5 stars

In Veyron by Roger Scouton, Jack Fields and Amber Reyes are a high powered team hired to oversee a security job at the Marine Corps Warrior’s Hospice Car Rally, a rally of classic cars in Arizona. The most classic and most expensive of the cars in the rally is a Bugatti Veyron owned by Prince Ahmed. Jack and Amber are ex-military and clandestine operatives hired by the insurance firm in London to work with Colonel Day, whose organization is providing security for the event. Of course, the event does not proceed as planned, as priceless cars are stolen, owners are killed, and the Prince is kidnapped during the rally. Now, Jack and Amber are required to use their considerable skills and connections to solve the mystery and bring the perpetrators to justice. Veyron is a sequel to Roger Scouton’s book Goldplay in which readers were first introduced to Jack and Amber, the team of protagonists in his new novel. Not having read the first novel, I am sure there is some back story that describes how Jack and Amber ended up being a couple and a team. However, Veyron definitely stands on its own and the reader should not feel compelled to read Goldplay first. Having said that, the energy, characters, and plot line in Veyron were so interesting that I intend to go back and read Goldplay, too! The best part about Veyron is that the reader essentially gets three stories in one book. The characters are the glue that holds the book together – and the primary and secondary characters are wonderful. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes action, adventure, and mystery.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

Available in select bookstores, and all e-book formats. Signed copies available through http://www.rogerscouton.com

Easy Recipe 

A number of years ago our Colorado friends gave us a cookbook published by The Junior League of Denver, entitled, “Colorado Cache Cookbook”. The Junior League of Denver has published a number of cookbooks. I have two of their cookbooks in my library, and I use them on a regular basis. I contacted The Junior League to seek permission to publish a version of the following recipe, and I am very pleased to tell you that they readily agreed to allow me to post my version of their Filet Mignon en Filo Avec Sauce Madere recipe featured in Colorado Cache Cookbook. After you enjoy the recipe, I am guessing you will want to check out their cookbooks at http://www.jld.org/

What I love about the recipe is the ease in which you can make a wonder beef wellington style dinner for four.

The recipe makes 4 servings as set forth.

Ingredients:
4 6-ounce tenderloin filet mignons, cut 1 1/4 inches thick, trimmed. salt and pepper to taste.
¼ pound fresh mushrooms minced.
2 ounces cooked – minced.
3 shallots – minced.
2 tablespoons butter.
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
1 tablespoon dry sherry.
8 sheets filo (phyllo) dough.
6 tablespoons butter – melted.
Sauce Madere:
½ cup beef broth
½ cup Madeira
juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons butter – softened.

Steps:
Oil a large heavy skillet and in it sear the filets over high heat for 1 minute per side. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the same skillet sauté the mushrooms, ham and shallots in 2 tablespoons of butter for about 5 minutes. Add the mustard and sherry. Cook and stir a few more minutes to from a moist paste. Set aside.

Brush 1 sheet filo dough with butter and place another sheet on top. Repeat this three more times [so now you have four double pieces of filo –one set for each filet].

On each stack of filo, place 2 tablespoons of mushroom mixture in the center and top with 1 filet mignon.

Wrap the filo around the filet and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Meat will be medium rare.

Blend pan juices from meat with  canned beef broth, Madeira. Bring to boil, reduce heat, add lemon juice and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat and swirl in butter and then pour into a bowl.

Cook asparagus in same fry pan used for sauce, add a little olive oil and cook a few minutes on medium high heat until tender.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of sauce over each filet packet, and drizzle a little over the asparagus and serve.

Pour remaining sauce in a sauce boat.

I promise, this recipe is not that hard to make and you will be the worshiped when your guests cut into the filo and take their first bite of the perfect filet mignon.

AND STUFF

I’m very proud to share this recent 5-Star review on my new novel VEYRON.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

Available in select bookstores, and all e-book formats.  Signed copies available through http://www.rogerscouton.com

EASY RECIPE

New Years Eve is coming and I’m guessing some of my readers may throw a party.  I saw a photo in Sunset magazine that I thought was cool, if I saw what I thought I saw. So if I did see what I thought I saw  in the photo I give props to Sunset.  If not, then I came up with something pretty cool.  Lime tequila shot glasses.

serves 10

Ingredients:

Fifth of quality agave tequila.

10 to 15 large limes.

Kosher salt.

Preparation:

Slice the lime in half.

Slice a little bit off both ends of the lime so it sits level. Make certain you do not slice through to the lime interior.

Carve around the interior as you would do with a grapefruit. and then spoon out the fruit center.

Dip top edge in kosher salt, and measure a shot of tequila (so you and your guests can drink responsibly) and pour the shot into the lime.

How about that for an easy and cool way to bring in the new year.

AND STUFF

Running out of time to get a gift across the country, or you need a stocking stuffer? You can buy one of my books on Amazon Kindle and instead of downloading the book click on gift certificate code.  You will get a purchase code for my book which you can e-mail or write in your holiday card. Boom problem solved.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

Easy Recipe

This week’s easy recipe Baked Penne Rigate with Meat Sauce and Sausage would make a great, tasty, no fuss, holiday dinner. My teenage son had at least seconds, so ….. the pasta dish must be good.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 lb. penne rigate.

8 oz breakfast sausage links (such as Farmer John).

3/4 lb. ground beef.

28 oz can crushed tomatoes.

1 carrot – finely sliced and then chopped.

1/2 medium yellow onion -finely chopped.

2 cloves garlic – finely chopped.

1 bay leaf.

1/4 cup chopped flat Italian parsley.

1/2 cup red wine.

1/4 tsp. oregano (maybe a dash more)

1/8 tsp. allspice.

salt and pepper to taste.

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.

1 Tbsp. butter.

Preparation

Melt butter in fry pan and sauté onion, garlic, carrot ingredients on low heat until soft, and then remove from fry pan.

To large sauce pot add crushed tomatoes, sauté ingredients, allspice, oregano, parsley, and wine, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally as the mixture is brought up to a low boil.

Brown ground beef, making sure to break it up into small pieces. Spoon out grease and discard. Remove ground beef and add to sauce pot. Cook on low boil. As you prepare the pasta the sauce will reduce.

Prepare penne rigate per package instruction (likely getting the water to boil and cooking the penne will allow the sauce to reduce for at least 20 minutes).

Brown the sausage in fry pan. As sausage browns and grease builds up spoon out 1 Tbsp. of grease and add it to sauce. When sausage is browned remove and cut sausages into bite size sections.

Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with canola oil.

Drain water from pasta.

Drizzle a little meat sauce onto bottom of baking dish, and add a layer of pasta. Add half of the remaining meat sauce, and arrange in equal rows half the sausage. Cover with less than half the cheese. Add layer of pasta, and the remaining meat sauce, sausage and cheese.

To an oven heated to 350 degrees add the pasta dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes more or less (until top cheese takes on a nice brown color).

When cooked, using hot pan mittens, remove the pasta from oven and let it set up in baking dish for at least 5 minutes.

And there you go, you just made a wonderful festive dinner for family and friends.

Happy Holidays!

Good Eating And Table Talk,

Roger

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes.