Bloody Mary Steaks And Fresh Corn-On-The-Cob With Tomato-Horseradish Butter

Mmmmmrrrrrroooowwwww! This is one of my favorite meals, especially when fresh corn is being sold for pennies (Okay, maybe quarters...). The steaks are so tender after marinating in the Bloody Mary mix that it will blow your mind. And, the sun-dried tomato & horseradish butter compliments both steaks and corn, perfectly.

In the summer months, we like to have friends over to play yard golf, which we made up about 15 years ago at our former lake house. Being outside while we play enables me to watch the steaks as they cook on the grill and enjoy the company of good friends. However, it's no guarantee that I'm going to play well, but who cares? It's always played in fun and this meal always pleases the whole crowd.

As I recall, I got this recipe from a Food & Wine magazine, about 3 or 4 years ago. You will rave over this wonderful recipe. We've served it numerous times to friends, for dinner parties. Add some Chinese Coleslaw and garlic bread, and you've got a complete meal. When it's only the two of us, we just have the steak and corn, using the leftover butter on salmon fillets or other cuts of steaks, within the week. You might want to give this a whirl.





BLOODY MARY STEAKS AND FRESH CORN ON THE COB W/ TOMATO-HORSERADISH BUTTER:


1 Large bottle of Bloody Mary Mix

1/2 cup Pepper Vodka (or you can just go ahead and add a whole cup. I do!)

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbs. freshly grated (or prepared) horseradish

2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

6 Filet Mignon's or rib-eye steaks (butcher-cut)

Olive Oil

Salt


Tomato-Horseradish Butter (softened):

1. In a large baggie, combine the Bloody Mary mix, vodka, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt and pepper. Add the steaks & turn to coat. Allow meat to marinate at least 3 hours. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before grilling.

2. Cook corn to desired doneness by favorite method, drain and place on plates.

3. Fire up the grill. Just before putting the steaks on, lightly brush the grate with olive oil. Drain the steaks then brush with olive oil. Season the steaks generously with salt & pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, about 15 minutes for medium rare.

4. Place a fat slice of Tomato-Horseradish Butter on each steak and each ear of corn, and serve.

TOMATO-HORSERADISH BUTTER:

1 Stick of unsalted butter, softened

2 sun-dried tomato packed in oil, drained & minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tsp. of freshly grated or prepared horseradish

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

Directions:


Combine all of the ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth. Scrape the butter onto a 12-inch square of wax paper and roll it into a cylinder, twisting the ends tightly to seal. Refrigerate the flavored butter just until firm, about 30 minutes.

 

Make Ahead

The butter can be refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time. Allow butter to briefly soften before using.

Grilled Shrimp And Asparagus Over Linguine Alfredo... Quick, Economical, And Healthy

Yesterday I played golf and didn't get home until after 5:00 PM, so I had to come up with a quick, easy dinner. Luckily, I had some fresh linguine, some shrimp and some Alfredo Sauce in the freezer. I also had a small bunch of asparagus in the fridge, so I knew what I had to do.

While the coals were heating up outside in the chimney, I thawed the shrimp and the Alfredo sauce, then started the pan of water for the linguine.

Next, I skewered the shrimps and the asparagus, brushing them with olive oil and sprinkling salt & pepper about. When they were almost done, I began heating the frozen Alfredo sauce in the microwave and threw the linguine into the pot of boiling water.

By the time the shrimp and asparagus were done, the pasta and Alfredo were ready as well. After draining the pasta, I returned it to the pan and poured the Alfredo sauce over the pasta. I then added the asparagus and topped with the shrimp.

Total prep time: 30 minutes Total cooking time: 15 minutes

Easy peasy. A quick, economical, and healthy dinner for two.

Lulu LaRue's Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

Honestly, I'm a complete and total Potato Ho.I love every way you can think of to cook a potato but must admit that mashed potatoes are my favorite and mashed potato pancakes come in at a close second place. To me, there is nothing more comforting than either one of these dishes.


Therefore, this is my entry in The Potato Ho-Down for May, hosted by Cathy @ Noble Pig.



At our house, we like them hot from the skillet or cold. We also like them the next morning with breakfast. I don't think I've ever had any left that I had to throw away. Yes, they are that good. The best part is that they are easy to make, so let's get started.


Mashed Potato Pancakes:





Ingredients:


1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons of grated onion

2 tablespoons of chives, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

cooking oil (about 1/2 inch deep in large skillet)  




Directions:

1. Combine flour, mashed potatoes and eggs, beating until smooth.


2. Fold in the grated onion and the chives. Add salt and pepper to taste.


3. When skillet is just beginning to smoke, add large tablespoons of potato mixture, using the smooth side of the spoon to flatten out the pancakes. I usually cook 3 to 4 at a time.


4. Cook each pancake to desired doneness. Add more oil as needed.


5. When each batch is finished place on paper towels that are on a wire rack in a warm oven.



6. The pancakes will stay crisp in a warm oven for about 45 minutes.

Lobster Quesadillas With Sides Of Refried Beans, Pico & Guacamole... Ole'

I had every intention of posting this recipe for Cinco de Mayo, but I guess a day late won't make me a slacker. Now, whenever we have lobster tails we can never seem to eat more than half, so we save the lobster meat to have lobster quesadillas the next night. I suppose you could use fresh lobster, but then my question would be "Why would you?" Leftover lobster is perfect for this task and that way you can still dip your lobster in clarified butter, yes? Surely, you wouldn't want to miss that! 



Lobster Quesadillas: Ingredients:

4 (5-ounce) lobster tails (approximately 10 ounces actual lobster meat)

2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil, (i.e. grape seed or canola oil) plus extra for sauteeing quesadillas

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic, passed through a garlic press

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 teaspoon fine sea salt

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 medium avocados, peeled and diced

1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut through the underside of lobster shell and remove lobster meat from shell. Reserve shells for lobster stock or another use. Dice lobster meat into 1/2-inch chunks. Or, you could just use leftover lobster.

2. Place lobster chunks in mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic, lime juice and salt. Toss gently to combine ingredients and coat lobster thoroughly; marinate 15 minutes.

3. Heat a medium non-stick saute' pan over medium-high heat. Add marinated lobster and saute' until just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Place one tortilla on a work surface and layer with one fourth of the lobster, cilantro, avocado and cheeses. Cover with second tortilla.

5. Heat a non-stick sauce pan or griddle with 2 tablespoons oil. Place filled tortilla in pan, cook on medium-low heat until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and cut into wedges. Continue process with remaining ingredients, wiping out pan and adding oil between each quesadilla. 6. Serve hot with sides of refried beans, pico de gallo sauce, and guacamole. If you're feeding a crowd of big eaters you might want to make some Spanish rice as well.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin Steaks With Asparagus & Risotto Cakes, Smothered In Gorgonzola Sauce

I've been anxious to try out a new recipe for Gorgonzola sauce and at first, I wanted to serve it over chicken. But, a friend suggested that I try it with steak and boy was she right. Mr. Snooty and I do love our sauces and this has become our new favorite. I swear if I thought I could get Mr. Snoots to lick it off, I'd cover my body in it. Yes, we *old farts* do have our fun now and then. However, that's another story, for another day.



I make my Risotto cakes either the day before or earlier in the day, then refrigerate, uncooked. This makes for a much less chaotic time making dinner. I'm all for no chaos, aren't you?



You can go ahead and rub the steaks with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and put in fridge. If you cook on an outside grill, go ahead and get the coals started in your chimney so that the coals will be ready in approximately 45 minutes. If you haven't heard of a chimney, you need to go in search of one. We've been using the same one for more than 10 years and it totally eliminates the need for starter fluid. I know Academy Sports sells them at a low price.


During this time, I heat up the oil for the Risotto cakes, cook them, and keep them in a warm oven until dinner.


Next, I prepare the asparagus spears, place them in a steamer inside a pan of water and set aside. The sauce doesn't take long to make, perhaps 10 to 15 minutes. When it's ready, I cover the pan and keep the heat as low as it goes, stirring when I have a chance.




By now the fire is ready so it's time for the steaks to go on. This is the time I start steaming the asparagus, letting it steam after turning the heat off, for about 7 minutes total. We like it to still be a bit crisp.


Steaks should be done about the same time as the asparagus.


Gorgonzola Sauce:

Ingredients:


3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of flour

3 cups of 1% milk (yes, it works just fine)

1/2 cup of Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

salt, to taste

 pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, minced


Directions:


1. Melt butter in a saucepan over a medium high heat.

2. Stir in flour and milk with a whisk and heat until it begins to thicken.

3. Stir in cheese, cook until it is melted and reaches the desired consistency.

 4. Stir in salt, pepper and parsley until blended.

5. Serve drizzled over the entire plate.