Cranberry Pistachio Fudge

 Cranberry Pistachio Fudge 

A quick and easy Cranberry Pistachio Fudge made with white chocolate, sweetened condensed milk,dried cranberries and pistachios are a perfect sweet dessert for the holidays. 

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 

14 oz white chocolate, chopped 

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup pistachios, chopped 

Prepare an 8 x 8 dish by lining with parchment paper and set aside. 

Pour sweetened condensed milk into a medium pot and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once warmed, add chocolate and butter, stirring until chocolate is completely melted and the texture is smooth.  

Remove from heat and fold in the vanilla, cranberries and pistachios. Once combined, pour into the prepared dish and press down until smooth. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.  

Prior to serving, remove from fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes. Slice into 36 pieces and serve. 

Can be refrigerated for up Tom’s week or freeze for 3 months. 

Instant Pot Cola Braised Short Ribs

 Instant Pot Cola Braised Short Ribs 

These short ribs combine the acidity of cola with pressure cooking to create an all day braised short ribs for tender juicy flavourful short ribs 

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp onion powder 

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp ground cumin 

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper 

4 lbs bone in beef short ribs, cut cross wise into 4” pieces 

3 tbsp canola oil 

1 large white onion, thinly sliced to make 2 cups 

2 tbsp tomato paste 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 1/2  cups cola

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup beef broth

2 tbsp beef broth

3 tbsp cornstarch 

Mashed potatoes or rice for serving, optional

Combine paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, 1 tbsp salt and 2 tsp powder in a large bowl. Add the short ribs to the bowl, rub the spice mixture into the ribs and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 

Set a 6 quart instant pot to high sauté and add 2 tbsp oil once it is hot. Working in batches sear all 4 sides of each short ribs for until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Set ribs aside on a plate. 

With the pot still on high sauté, add the remaining oil and onions, stirring with a wooden spoon scraping up all the bits on the bottom until softened and the bottom of the pot is smooth. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until the to,auto paste is deeply toasted, about 1-2 minutes. Add the cola, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and 1/2 cup beef broth , stirring until combined. Return the ribs to the pot along with any juices on the plate and turn the ribs to coat with the liquid. Place the lid on the pot, set to seal and set to pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.  

Once the cycle is complete, do a quick release. Once the pin has dropped, removed the lid and transfer the ribs to a large plate 

Turn the pot to hot sauté. As the liquid begins to simmer, combine the remaining 2:tbsp beef broth with the cornstarch to make a slurry. Pour into the pot, whisking until smooth and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened, approximately 10 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Return the ribs to the pot, reheating, ensuring the ribs are coated with sauce. 

Serve the ribs and sauce over mashed potatoes or rice. 

Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

 Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta 

Pasta & Shrimp

1 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined 

1 1/2 tsp paprika 

Salt & pepper 

12 oz linguine or spaghetti 

Sauce

2 tbsp butter 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 1/2 heavy cream 

2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt 

Pinch of black pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish 

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving 

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with paprika, salt and pepper. Set aside.  

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until el dente, according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta. 

Heat a medium deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil and heat until hot and rippling. Add the shrimp and cook 30 - 45 seconds, flip and cook just until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove the shrimp to a plate and set aside.  

Add 2 tbsp butter and garlic to the pan. sauté until fragrant, about 30:seconds. 

In a small bowl, whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch until well combined. Add to pan and whisk to combine, allowing the sauce to bubble and thicken slightly, 1-2 minutes. 

Add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. 

Add the cooked noodles, lifting and tossing with tongs to coat the pasta thoroughly with the sauce. Add spoonfuls of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce until you are happy with consistency of the sauce. 

Add the shrimp and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately. 

Notes:

Any size shrimp can be used, suggested 21-30:size is recommended. 

Cornstarch is only needed if you use milk instead of heavy cream 

Increase sauce ingredients if you prefer a saucier pasta 

Freshly grated  Parmesan cheese will work best as pre shredded cheese won’t melt as well in the sauce and May result in a gritty texture