This Monin meal, featuring recipes from the Monin kitchen, starts light and eases into heavy and rich dishes that will leave guests feeling satisfied and full.  Try a sweet and tart cranberry pomegranate martini to start, followed by a light green salad tossed with a roasted hazelnut vinaigrette.  Pull out all the stops with an impressive entrée of pomegranate glazed rack of lamb, which ties together holiday flavors present throughout the meal.  Finally, satisfy your sweet tooth with rich and creamy chocolate & roasted hazelnut truffles for dessert.  Jump on in to your holiday Monin meal! Find the recipes below.  Happy Holidays!

Cranberry Pomegranate Martini. Photo courtesy of Monin.

 Beverage

Cranberry Pomegranate Martini

2 oz. cranberry vodka

8 oz. ice

¾ oz. Monin Pomegranate Syrup

3 oz. cranberry juice

1 wedge lime

Combine ingredients in a shaker, cap, and shake vigorously.  Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with lime.  

Roasted Hazelnut Vinaigrette Green Salad. Photo courtesy of Monin.

Starter

Roasted Hazelnut Vinaigrette Green Salad

1 cup Monin Roasted Hazelnut Syrup

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 shallots, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Salad greens

In a medium bowl, whisk together Monin Roasted Hazelnut Syrup, mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, and shallots until emulsified.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss salad greens with dressing.

Entrée

Pomegranate Glazed Rack of Lamb

Pomegranate Glazed Rack of Lamb. Photo courtesy of Monin.

2 cups balsamic vinegar

1 cup sugar

¼ cup Monin Pomegranate Syrup

Leaves from 2-3 sprigs of oregano

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 8-bone rack of lamb, trimmed

Salt and ground black pepper

Bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan, and reduce to half.  Stir in sugar and simmer until sugar is dissolved (about 3-4 minutes).  Remove from heat and cool at least 1 hour.  Once cooled, whisk in the Monin Pomegranate Syrup and set aside.

Preheat oven to 500°.  Chop oregano leaves as finely as possible and incorporate into minced garlic to make a paste.  Smear paste over all surfaces of the lamb.  Season with salt and pepper, and place bone side down on a rack in a roasting pan.  Cook in top part of oven for 5 minutes.  Then reduce heat to 375° and roast 15 minutes per pound, or until interior reaches 125°, for medium-rare.  Let meat rest for 10 minutes.  Pour any juices over meat and brush on a thin layer of glaze before serving.

Dessert

Chocolate & Roasted Hazelnut Truffles

Chocolate & Roasted Hazelnut Truffles. Photo courtesy of Monin.

6 oz. heavy cream

2 oz. Monin Roasted Hazelnut Syrup

1 lb bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

½ cup hazelnuts, chopped and roasted

2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Place chocolate in heatproof bowl.  Add cream to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.  Whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth.  Add Monin Roasted Hazelnut Syrup and stir again until well incorporated.  Then stir in the nuts.

Pour chocolate mixture in an 8×8 inch baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate until hardened, at least 5 hours.  Using a small melon baller or teaspoon, scoop a 1 inch sized ball of the chocolate mixture into your hands and roll it until its smooth and round.  Place on a baking sheet and repeat until remaining chocolate mixture is used.  Place cocoa powder in a shallow bowl.  Roll truffles in cocoa powder until evenly coated.  Store truffles in an airtight container in a cool room (around 55°F to 65°F) for up to 2 weeks.  Do not refrigerate or freeze, or the texture of the creamy chocolate will be damaged.

The post Monin Meal: Holiday Fixings appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Cook up this delicious Monin meal and showcase some of the season’s best flavors.  Start with a light and refreshing pumpkin cider martini accompanied by a fresh salad with a creamy granny smith apple vinaigrette. For the entrée try penne pasta with prosciutto and hazelnut cream sauce, made with Monin® Roasted Hazelnut syrup.  Finally, end the meal on a high note with a warm dish of caramel bread pudding.  Ready to give your fall Monin meal a try? Find the recipes below. Bon appétit!

Monin Pumpkin Cider Martini. Photo courtesy of Monin.

Beverage

Pumpkin Cider Martini

Ice

1 oz Monin® Pumpkin Spice Syrup

1 1/2 oz vodka

2 oz apple cider

Splash of ginger ale

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, except for ginger ale.  Shake and strain into serving glass.  Top with ginger ale.

Starter

Apple Salad

6 oz salad mix

5 to 6 apple slices

1 1/2 oz large blue cheese crumbles

1 oz candied pecans

Monin Apple Salad. Photo courtesy of Monin.

3/4 ounce dried cherries

Creamy Granny Smith Apple Vinaigrette

1/3 cup Monin® Granny Smith Apple Syrup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt pinch of cayenne pepper

Thoroughly mix or shake all ingredients for vinaigrette.  Keep refrigerated.  Toss salad mix with dressing until evenly coated.  Place in serving dish and top with remaining ingredients.

Entrée

Penne Pasta with Prosciutto & Hazelnut Cream Sauce

9 oz penne pasta, cooked

Monin Penne Pasta with Prosciutto & Hazelnut Cream Sauce. Photo courtesy of Monin.

1 cup Monin® Hazelnut Cream Sauce

1 oz prosciutto crisps

1 oz roasted hazelnuts

1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh chives, chopped

1 oz shaved Parmesan or Parmesan curls

Hazelnut Cream Sauce

4 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 pint heavy whipping cream

6 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded

4 tablespoons Monin® Roasted Hazelnut Syrup

To make cream sauce, melt butter slowly in sauté pan over low heat.  Add shallots and crushed red pepper flakes.  Bring temperature up to just above medium-low heat and allow to cook for a bit.  Reduce temperature back to medium-low before butter browns.  Stir in cream and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Stir sauce regularly for 3-5 minutes or until all solids are dissolved and sauce is thick.  Remove pan from heat and allow to cool 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in Monin® Roasted Hazelnut Syrup.

Toss pasta and Hazelnut Cream Sauce together until evenly coated.  Place in serving dish and top with prosciutto and roasted hazelnuts.  Garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.

Dessert

Monin Caramel Bread Budding. Photo courtesy of Monin.

Caramel Bread Pudding

6 cups day old bread cubes

1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Monin® Caramel Sauce

4 eggs, separated

Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 6 individual 8 oz ramekins. Mix together bread and almonds and set aside. Whisk cream with the egg yolks and Monin Caramel Sauce. Pour this mixture over the bread and stir to mix. Whip the egg whites and salt to soft peaks and fold into the bread mixture.  Pour into ramekins and bake in a hot water bath for 45 minutes. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of Monin Caramel Sauce and serve.

The post Monin Meal: Fall Flavors from the Monin Kitchen appeared first on Houston's Blog.