Ham asparagus and Swiss Cheese Crepes, with Mustard Sauce To Stephanie with Love

I make this dish just for Stephanie, she loves it. 

Ham asparagus and swiss cheese crepes

Servings/Yield

10 crepes

Plan to make the crepe batter at least an hour ahead of time, or refrigerate the batter for up to 24 hours.

• 8 oz. cooked ham, chopped
• 1 cup swiss cheese
• 1 lb asparagus, lightly steamed
• 10 crepes, recipe below
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup stone ground mustard
• chives, chopped
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoons vegetable oil, (in my house we use only olive oil and its fine.)
• 1 cup flour
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

In a blender, combine the last five (eggs-salt) ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet; pour 2 tablespoons batter into center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between.

preheat oven to 400

Combine ham, swiss and pepper in a bowl.. Place 1/4 cup of this mixture and 4 asparagus spears down the center of each crepe. roll.
Arrange crepes seam side down on a baking sheet. Bake until cheese has melted, 15-20 minutes.

Melt butter for sauce. wisk in flour cook about one minute.Whisk in broth and milk and bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium and cook three minutes. Whisk in mustard, salt and pepper. Serve crepes with sauce and top with chives.

London Broil with Herb Butter: "why don't you marry it?"

I LOVE it!

 This dinner was AMAZING!!! I was just in the mood to try something new and this is what came up. It wasn't very hard, and the two pan method of cooking was a little weird, but it all worked out to be the most succulent steak I have ever eaten. Ever!       

London Broil with Herb Butter

Prep Time:20 minInactive Prep Time:4 hr 40 minCook Time:12 min

• Ingredients
• For the steak:
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 top round London broil steak (about 2 pounds)
• For the herb butter:
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil or tarragon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method

Directions
Prepare the steak: Dissolve the bouillon cube in 3/4 cup hot water in a bowl; set aside to cool. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the steak in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade and seal, squeezing out the air. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.

Prepare the herb butter: Mix the butter with the chives, parsley, chervil, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the lemon juice in a bowl.

About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the meat from the bag (discard the marinade), dry it well and bring to room temperature. Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat, about 2 minutes. Rub the steak with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over the surface of the pan; add the meat and set a heavy skillet on top to weigh it down. Sear for about 7 minutes; turn the steak, replace the weight and cook until a thermometer inserted into the side reads 110 degrees for medium-rare, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board; brush with some of the herb butter, tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain; top with more herb butter and drizzle with the pan juices.

Macaroni and cheese for grown-ups

Sometimes I am not around to make dinner, (shreik!) like tonight when I am out with the girls. I went home on break and made Mike dinner. All he has to do is pop it in the oven for 30 minutes when he gets home.
 This is not your garden variety macaroni and cheese.  It has three kinds of imported cheeses in it, and its not exactly the budget variety either, but I promise you a mouthwatering, belly filling delight.
 Your kids will hate it. Its not cheddar, and its not orange, and there's no cheese dust in sight.

Mac and Cheese for Grown Ups

This could possibly be Mikes favorite dish. Gooey and rib-sticking,this dish is perfect for an Autumn evening. I usually do not put in the Sherry, only because I dont remember to buy any. It is very very good without it. 

• ½ cup Emmenthaler cheese --
• 1 lb macaroni (I use Raditore)
• ¼ cup Butter Shredded
• 3 tablespoons All-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon Thyme
• 2 cups Chicken stock
• ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg
• ¼ cup Sherry
• Salt
• 1 cup Heavy cream
• Cayenne pepper
• 1 cup Fontina cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ cup Gruyere cheese--grated
• ¼ cup Bread crumbs

Method

Boil pasta according to package directions, undercooking slightly, and drain. Melt butter, stir in flour, and cook roux one minute. Gradually whisk in stock. Bring mixture to a boil and boil one to two minutes. Whisk in sherry and cream and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in fontina, Gruyere, and Emmenthaler cheese until the cheese melts. Season with thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour into a 9“ x 13” baking pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

The Perfect Cookie. Honest!

Now for something completely different. Sometimes you just want to bake something.  When I get that feeling, there is only one cure.   Cookies.

 These could possibly be the best cookies on the face of the planet. Possibly! Crispy on the outside, soft peanut butter on the inside, and with chocolate too! Delicious!

Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup peanut butter chips
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern (I used the back of a palette knife to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

See if any of these actually make it to the cookie jar.