Tom's Birthday Dinner

Appetizer: Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 gloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 C. tomato sauce
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients but the lemon and vinegar. Add the shrimp to the bowl and stir until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Add vinegar and lemon juice the last 30 minutes of marinating...to avoid having the acid toughen the shrimp.
3. Skewer and grill shrimp on lightly oiled grill - 2 or 3 minutes each side. Do not overcook.

Salad: Mixed Greens with Warm Pancetta Dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 pound pancetta thinly sliced and chopped
1/3 C. olive oil
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 T. lemon juice
nice pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. pine nuts
1/4 pound goat cheese
1 pound mixed greens (red leaf, arugula, radicchio, or whatever you like)

Directions:

1. Saute the pancetta until slightly crispy. DRAIN FAT.
2. Mix olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. simmer for 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked pancetta and keep warm.
3. toast the pine nuts by heating them in a frying pan over medium heat until golden brown. Shake while toasting to prevent burning.
4. Toss greens with warm dressing, toasted pine nuts, and crumbled goat cheese. Serve immediately.

Side: Creamed corn with Roasted Poblano and Red Peppers.

Ingredients:

2 T. butter
1/4 red onion, small dice
1 poblano pepper
1 red pepper
8 ears of fresh corn
2/3 C. water
1/2 to 1 C. heavy cream
2 T. sugar
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2-1 T. cornstarch

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roast the peppers on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Remove and place in bowl covered with towel for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel away the skin. Remove stem, split open, and remove seeds. Slice the peppers into small dice. Use however much you like...i used 1/2 of each pepper.
2. Shuck corn and remove silk. Cut the kernels off the ears.
3. Saute onion in butter over medium heat - cook 3 minutes or until translucent.
4. Add the corn and peppers to the onions and butter. Add 2/3 C. water and the remaining 1 T. butter. Bring to simmer, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes until corn is tender.
5. Add the sugar, nutmeg, and cream to the corn. Cook uncovered for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. I added a bit of cornstarch mixed into cream to thicken. Much better texture this way.

Main: Filet Mignon in a Port Shitake Reduction

Ingredients:

2 filet mignon (7 - 9 oz cut)
salt and pepper
2 T. oilve oil
2 C. shitake or portabello mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 C. port wine
1 T. red seedless raspberry jam
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 C. beef broth

Directions:

1. Let meat stand and reach room temperature.
2. season with salt and pepper
3. Add the mushrooms to another pan with 1 T. olive oil and cook until they have wilted - about 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. Pour wine into the skillet and bring to boil over high heat. Boil until port has reduced by half then whisk in jam, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and mushrooms. Continue cooking until the sauce has reduced to 1/2 C. About 30 minutes.
5. Heat 1 T. olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add steak to pan and let it sear. do not use tongs to flip...just your hands - to avoid juices being dispersed. Flip and sear the other side and edges. Add 1 T. butter and place skillet (if oven safe) directly into the oven. Turn half way through....cook based on how you liked it done.
6. I also made some garlic, herb butter - and put a dollop on each steak....drizzle the reduction over the steak.