Roast Beef with All the Fixin's

Tonight, after a dreary winter's day, is the perfect time for an old-fashioned Sunday roast dinner. So, tonight, we're going to have rosemary garlic roast beef, yorkshire pudding, brussels sprouts, carrots, parmesan mashed potatoes, gravy, and caramel molten cakes.

The roast beef is super simple: rub with olive oil, ground pepper, sea salt, crushed rosemary and chopped garlic. Place in slow cooker. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of worcestershire sauce over top, and add 1 cup of beef stock to pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. After about 3 hours, drain liquid from pot. Remove grease from liquid and use the liquid to make gravy (combine 2 tbs flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper in sauce pot; gradually whisk in liquid, plus 1 cup beef broth or oxo+water; whisk over high heat until thick; add extra bouillon powder for more flavor if needed.) The yorkshire pudding is super simple too: preheat oven to 450 F; beat 2 eggs and 1 cup milk together; in separate bowl, sift 1 cup flour and 1 tsp salt. Whisk liquid into flour mixture until smooth. Grease an 8-inch square pan with oil. Pour in about 1/4 cup beef broth. Pour in flour mixture; bake for 20 min. Slice into 9 squares and serve.

Parmesan mashed potatoes. Boil potatoes until soft, and drain. Add 2 tbs butter, 1/4 c grated parmesan, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp choppped garlic, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1 cup milk and mash until smooth.

Caramel Molten Cakes:

•2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus more for ramekins
•2 large egg yolks
•1 large egg
•1 2/3 cups canned or jarred dulce de leche
•Vanilla ice cream

Line a 1-doz muffin tin with parchment paper liners. Preheat oven to 425°F. Bbeat egg yolks and egg in a medium bowl until doubled in volume and eggs hold a slight ribbon, about 2 1/2 minutes. Add dulce de leche; beat until well blended, then gradually add 2 1/2 Tbs. flour; beat until well blended. Divide batter among muffin cups.

•Transfer muffin tin to oven. Bake cakes until outsides are golden brown in color but the centers still jiggle, 12–14 minutes.

•Transfer muffin tin to a rack. Remove liners from tin and loosen them from the cakes; invert cakes onto plates or into shallow bowls. Serve hot with ice cream

2012 Almost Over - And a New Favourite Recipe to Add to the Collection

I can't believe that 2012 is almost over! It's going out with a blast, at least in my part of the world - big snowstorm here today. Which means it was the perfect day to spend in the kitchen cooking up another kind of storm. Today's (and yesterday's) creations included seafood chowder (for tomorrow night's party), glazed ham and scalloped potatoes au gratin (for tonight's supper), frosted sugar cookies, butterscotch squares, and my new favourite recipe....Spicy Cheese Crackers!

Spicy Cheese Crackers

1 pkg cream cheese (250 g)
3/4 c. butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1 tbs (heaping) grainy dijon mustard
4 c. grated sharp cheese (I used a mix of gruyere, cheddar, and romano)
1 c. finely chopped pecans
2 c. flour

Cream butter and cream cheese in large bowl. Add egg, salt, chili flakes, and mustard. Mix well. Stir in cheese. Meanwhile, in separate bowl, combine flour and pecans and mix well. Add to cheese mix and stir until well mixed. Divide dough into two portions and, on lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 2-inch diameter log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat oven to 350 F. Unwrap log(s), and slice thinly (about 1/8th inch thick) into rounds. Place rounds on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 16 minutes (turning pan halfway through). Let cool on cookie sheet.

These make a great snack on their own, or use them as dippers for salsa, red pepper jelly, etc.

Well, that's it for now....perhaps my new year's resolution on Tuesday should be to post more regularly.....if only to give myself something to do, lol.