Matt Dunigan Grilled Potato Skins with Corn Relish -CCC

Boy was hubby pleased that I joined in the Cooking Club Challenge for June.

Link to CCC..

Since I was already planning to barbeque some spareribs, why not throw some potato and corn on the grill at the same time and participate?

I am trying to watch calories so I left off the bacon, and I didn’t have the avocado but substituted roasted red pepper in the relish ( hence my photo recipe name change without avocado in the title).

I grilled the corn for the relish which added more smokey flavor. I oven broiled the potatoes a bit at the very end because I got some barbeque sauce on them from the spareribs and they did not brown as I would have liked. The barbeque sauce was good on them.

This is a grill recipe I know we will enjoy for years to come. It went great with the grilled spareribs and I got to use some fresh garden cilantro and the last of my frozen garden corn from last summer.
All I can add is yum!

Matt Dunigan Grilled Potato Skins with Avocado Corn Relish
INGREDIENTS

4 x Large russet potatoes washed, skin on

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups mixed grated cheese provolone and cheddar

1 cup cooked crispy bacon drained and crumbled

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat BBQ to 325°F (162°C) medium low. Leave two burners on and one burner off. Oil the grill to prevent sticking.
Rub potatoes with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of the olive oil and prick all over with a fork. Place potatoes over indirect heat for 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked.
Remove from the grill and cool.
Using a sharp serrated knife slice the potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the insides leaving a ½ inch boarder of potato on the skin.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with oil paying close attention to the rim of the potato (the ½ inch border). Sprinkle the cheese and bacon equally among the potatoes.
Preheat BBQ to medium high heat 375°F (190°C). Oil grill to prevent sticking. Place potato skins cheese side up on the grill.
Close the lid, and allow potatoes to cook for 7-8 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the skin is crispy.
Remove from BBQ. Top with scallions, sour cream and salsa if desired.
Recipe 2: Avocado Corn Relish
INGREDIENTS:

2 peeled and pitted ripe avocados coarsely mashed

2 tbsp finely chopped red onion

2 tbsp finely sliced green onion

1 cup roasted corn kernels or canned

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 large lime

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. To prepare the salsa, mix the mashed avocados, onion, green onion, corn, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and chili powder together in a medium sized bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Laura Calder’s Chocolate Mousse- CCC

The Feb. 2008 Cooking Club Challenge
link here
was to make Laura Calder’s Chocolate Mousse.

The problem I had…. I am egg phobic..mayo..mousse..raw egg..

I decided to melt the chocolate then cool a bit to beat in the yolk mixture. I then brought it back over the double boiler for about 4-5 minutes beating all the while. Then I folded in the egg white mixture and poured into individual martini glasses.

It turned out wonderful, but I had to omit the orange zest because I was out of oranges.

Hubby agreed I must make this mousse again, and perhaps the next round make sure I have orange zest.

Laura Calder’s Chocolate Mousse
INGREDIENTS:

5 ounces dark chocolate

4 egg whites

2 tbsps sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp orange zest

1 tbsp Cointreau

DIRECTIONS:
Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie (double boiler) until smooth. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, sprinkle over the sugar, and continue beating to a stiff meringue, a minute or two longer.
Beat the yolks with the orange zest and Cointreau in a bowl.
Whisk the chocolate into the yolks. Fold in a spoonful of the whites, then pour the chocolate onto the remaining whites and fold gently to combine evenly. Pour the mousse into a serving bowl. Wrap well with plastic, and refrigerate at least a few hours. Serve garnished with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a little orange zest.

Chef Anthony Sedlak of the The Main- Cottage Pie …CCC

The January, 2008 Cooking Club Challenge-
link to event
was to cook Cottage Pie by Anthoney Sedlak.

I really enjoyed this pie.

I didn’t use the breadcrumbs and was a bit short on potato.
I used ground round, and I was out of dry red wine so I substituted Marsala with a touch of vinegar to balance the sweetness.

It was enjoyable with the flavor of rosemary and thyme, although I could barely hint the bay.

Chef Anthony Sedlak of the The Main- Cottage Pie

INGREDIENTS:
Filling
4 tbsp vegetable oil
500 gram ground beef
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup diced onion — about 1/2 medium
1 cup diced celery — about 1 stalk
2 cups diced carrot — about 2 medium
2 cloves garlic — minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp flour
1 cup red wine
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
POTATOES
7 medium cooking potatoes — peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic — smashed
1/3 cup butter — cut into cubes
1/4 cup 35% whipping cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
ASSEMBLY
1 square casserole dish — (9 inch)
Extra grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Filling
Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil to large saucepot over medium high heat. Add ground beef.
Allow excess liquid to bubble away; stir and cook until meat is well browned and crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Drain excess fat using a colander.
Deglaze pot with red wine, scraping up browned bits and let reduce slightly.
In another large pot, add remaining vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes.
Add garlic, stir briefly and add tomato paste. Brown paste slightly and sprinkle in flour. Cook out for a minute or two
Add in red wine from deglazing beef, scraping up crispy brown bits from bottom of pan.
Add beef stock, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Return browned meat to pot. Simmer, covered for 20-25 minutes.
Remove lid and continue cooking for another 10 minutes; liquid will reduce and thicken. Remove rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Season well with salt and pepper.
Potatoes

Add quartered potatoes and smashed garlic to medium pot. Fill pot with cold water just to cover potatoes; season cooking water well with salt (it should taste like the sea) and bring to a boil.
Boil on medium high heat until potatoes are tender but not overdone, about 15-20 minutes.
Strain potatoes; let dry out slightly in colander before returning to pot. Add cream, butter, pepper, Parmesan cheese and more salt if necessary.
Mash roughly with fork or potato masher.

For Assembly

Preheat oven to 400. Spoon filling into the bottom of a 10-inch round casserole dish. Top with potatoes.
Grate parmesan cheese on top and dot surface evenly with butter. Season with salt and pepper and, if using, sprinkle over bread crumbs
Bake on middle rack until top is golden and filling is warmed through, about 20-25 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.