Kentucky Bourbon Steak

This special steak has been served at the famous Hereford House in Kansas City. Its skillet preparation makes it an easy dish to prepare year round.

8 (3-oz.) beef tenderloin medallions (fillet mignon)

2 Tbsp. clarified butter, or vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. shallot, finely chopped

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

Lightly sprinkle medallions with salt and pepper and bring to near room temperature.

Heat a 12-inch skillet to medium-high heat. Add butter; when butter is hot, add fillets and cook to desired doneness, turning only once. (7-9 minutes for medium doneness.) Remove fillets from skillet and keep warm.

For sauce, reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings in skillet; discard remaining drippings. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned.

Carefully add beef broth, then bourbon. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly, uncovered for 6-8 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Stir in cream and mustard. Return to boiling. Boil rapidly, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Transfer fillets to 4 serving plates. Pour some of the sauce over fillets and serve with additional sauce if desired.

Serves 4

Jasper's Boulevard Pale Ale Lobster Mac & Cheese

Jasper Mirabile Jr. is chef and owner of Jasper’s Ristorante, one of Kansas City’s best Italian restaurants. Recently, he served The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, when she visited Kansas City. She tasted this special dish and loved it. In fact, Mrs. Obama took some to go as she headed back to Air Force One! One of her aides told Jasper that this was the first time The First Lady has EVER asked for food to go from an event. Yes, it’s just that good.

Jasper’s Restorante holds a special place in my heart too, because this was where my husband took me for our first date! (I was still in high school and he wanted to impress me on how sophisticated he was.) We had Caesar Salad prepared at table side and lobster tails. Impress me he did and 41 years later we still celebrate our anniversaries at Jasper’s.

With permission, here is Jasper’s wonderful recipe.

1 lb. penne rigate or shell pasta

1 lb. lobster meat, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter, divided

1/2 cup pale ale beer

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Havarti cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan/Gouda cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Pinch nutmeg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Boil pasta in salted water, following package directions. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.

In heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add lobster and saute until cooked through. Add beer and continue cooking additional 2-3 minutes.

In mixing bowl, combine all cheeses. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and cream. Add milk and cream mixture to pasta. Add cheese mixture, green onions, salt, red pepper flakes and nutmeg and fold gently to thoroughly combine.

Place pasta mixture in prepared baking dish and cover with breadcrumbs, adding more cream if desired.  Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

Steak Butter

are resting, place pats of this wonderful butter on top of steak. What a difference!

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 stick margarine, room temperature

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp. chopped chives or scallion tops

1 Tbsp. basil

1 tsp. hickory salt

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Beat butter and margarine together at medium speed until well blended. Beat in the rest of ingredients.

Place butter in piece of plastic wrap and form into a log. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. To serve, slice pats of butter and place on steak just before serving.

Tacos de Carne Asada

2 lbs. flank or skirt steak

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp. Chile powder

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

Rub olive oil on steak to thoroughly coat. In small bowl combine remaining spices. Rub spiced into steak. Place in plastic bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Grill steak over medium hot coals for 3-5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is achieved. Remove from coals and place meat on cutting board, allowing it to rest for 10 minutes. Dice meat and place inside warm, soft corn tortillas. Garnish with Pico de Gallo or desired accompaniments.

Pico de Gallo

1 white onion, diced

3 tomatoes, diced

1 bunch fresh cilantro

2 jalapenos, diced

Juice of 2 fresh limes

1/4 tsp. salt or to taste

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to blend flavors.

Shrimp Creole

This recipe is said to be from Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant. Easy to prepare and very delicious, Shrimp Creole is great anytime of the year.

1/4 cup bacon, chopped

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes

6 oz. chili sauce

2 oz. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. Maggi seasoning

2 cloves garlic, diced

salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

Fry bacon in large 6 quart pot until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve. Add celery and onion to bacon drippings and saute until tender, about 7 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, including bacon, and bring to simmer. Cook 30 minutes and serve over cooked rice. Garnish with scallions, if desired.

3 lbs. short ribs

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

6 Tbsp. five-spice powder

2 Tbsp. canola oil

3/4 cup onion, diced

3/4 cup carrot, diced

8 garlic cloves

1/4 cup sesame oil

4 jalapeno peppers

6 Chile de Arbols

1 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 cups hoisin sauce

6 cups chicken stock

1 bunch cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil short ribs. Season generously with five-spice powder. In skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Sear short ribs on all sides until golden brown. Remove ribs to plate and reserve.

In large pot, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic and saute until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Add jalapeno and Chile de Arbol. Deglaze pan with soy sauce and hoisin, chicken stock and cilantro. Add short ribs, cover and place in oven for 2 1/2 hours. Remove when tender. Strain broth and reduce by half. Serve broth with ribs.

Asian Vegetable Slaw

1 1/2 cups bean sprouts

1 cup carrots, julienned

1/2 cup daikon sprouts (found in Asian Market)

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1 cup white cabbage, shredded

1 pkg. wasabi green peas

1/4 cup basil leaves

1/3 rice wine vinegar

2/3 cup cano

Orange Pumpkin Spice Cake

This is a great cake to take to a summer picnic or a holiday party.

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nonstick 10-inch tube pan; set aside.

In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and zest; beat to combine.

Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Add pumpkin and mix until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Drizzle with orange glaze.

Orange Glaze

3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest

In medium bowl, stir together juice, zest and sugar until thick and shiny. Drizzle over warm cake.

Pistachio Encrusted Salmon

2 (1/2 lb. each) salmon filets

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

2 cups shelled NutNation Smoked Pistachioz (brand name spelled with “z”) 

Zest of 1 orange, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup olive oil

Nonstick cooking spray

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place salmon in large baking dish and cover with 1 cup orange juice. Cover dish with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Finely chop Pistachioz and zest in food processor. With blade running, drizzle in oil and remaining 1 cup of juice until a paste forms; set aside.

Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place salmon on sheet, discarding excess marinade. Top wit pistachio mixture, pressing lightly to adhere.

Bake until salmon is cooked through and Pistachioz are golden, about 20-25 minutes. Garnish with additional zest, if desired. Serve immediately.

Trader Vic's Crab Rangoon

1/2 lb. fresh crabmeat, picked over for shells

1/2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 tsp. A-1 sauce

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

2 1/2 to 3 dozen won ton wrappers

1 egg yolk, well beaten

Oil for deep frying

Chinese mustard and/or red sauce 

In medium bowl, combine crabmeat and cream cheese. Stir in A-1 sauce and garlic powder and blend to a paste.

Place 1 heaping teaspoon in the middle of each won ton. Moisten edges with egg yolk mixture. Gather four corners of won ton together at top and pinch together gently to seal.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees. Add won tons in batches and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with Chinese mustard and/or red sauce.

Nordstrom's Roma Tomato Soup

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

4 large carrots, diced

1 large onion, sliced

1 Tbsp. dried basil, crushed

3 (28-32 oz.) cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes

1 qt. chicken broth

1 pt. heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Place olive oil in a 6-quart saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion and basil and cook 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. 

Add tomatoes and broth and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Puree soup in food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan. Stir in cream and heat over low heat, just until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.