Ron's Recipes

By mkusenagi2

Concept © 11-09-2006

In Tian mi's Epilog Ron and Betty have:

Menu: Appetizer Kiki's Sweet and Spicy Marinated Shrimp

Meal: Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb with Pancetta and Chop-Chop Salad w Spicy French Dressing

Dessert: Mercedes Cheesecake

Kiki's Sweet and Spicy Marinated Shrimp

2 cups red wine vinegar

1 lemon, sliced

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded, deveined, and finely minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes

3/4 cup superfine sugar

4 pounds large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

How to make it…

Pour vinegar into a pot over high heat. Stir in lemon slices, jalapeno peppers, garlic, onion flakes, and sugar. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and cool to luke warm.

Place the shrimp and cilantro into a resealable plastic bag. Pour the luke-warm sauce into the bag, seal tightly; refrigerate overnight, turning the bag over several times.

Drain liquid from resealable bag, and place shrimp in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss well.

Yield: 10 servings (Serving size: 10 servings)

Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb with Pancetta and Chop-Chop Salad w Spicy French Dressing

1/3 cup unsalted pistachios

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 (1 1/2) pound rack of lamb, frenched

6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or bacon

8 scallions, white and tender green parts only

How to make it…

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In the bowl of a mini processor, finely chop the pistachios with the thyme and rosemary. Add half of the olive oil and process to a paste; season with salt and pepper. Scrape half of the pistachio paste into a small bowl and stir in the remaining olive oil.

Coat the lamb with half of the remaining pistachio paste. Wrap the pancetta slices around the lamb, between the bones, leaving the bones exposed. Spread the remaining pistachio paste over the pancetta and set the rack in a small roasting pan. Roast the rack for about 40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 130 degrees F for medium-rare. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Reserve the pan drippings.

Meanwhile, spoon 1 teaspoon of the rendered pancetta fat from the roasting pan into a medium skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the scallions and cook over high heat until softened and browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Carve the lamb rack into four 2-chop servings and transfer them to plates along with the scallions. Drizzle the pistachio pesto all around and serve right away.

Yield: 4 servings (Serving size: 4 servings)

And the Salad…

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

Several dashes of hot sauce, to taste

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

How to make it…

In a small food processor, blend the garlic, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and paprika until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the hot sauce and blend until combined.

Place the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber and chickpeas in a large salad bowl. Toss with the dressing and top with the blue cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (Serving size: 4 serving)

Mercedes Cheesecake

Made w Chambord, Amedei Chocolate, and Honey

Pastry tin lined with a graham cracker form a single-crust 15" diameter x 3" deep pie

12 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

3 tablespoons Chambord

3 tablespoons melted Amedei chocolate

2 tablespoons Honey

How to make it…

Line a pastry tin with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 5 minutes; remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven; reduce heat to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined. Pour 1/3rd of the mixture into two other bowls and set them aside. Blend the Chambord in one bowl of batter, the Amedei chocolate into another, and the Honey into the third. Pour the Honeyed batter into pastry shell, spread it over the crust lining the tin and chill it. Stir the Chambord and the Chocolate batter; drizzle over the filling. Cut through filling with a knife to swirl the two. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.

Yield: 12-18 servings (Serving size: 6 servings)

With MANY Thanks to Yahoo Foods!

BTW: The cake's one of MY recipes!