January 22, 2023

We grouped at Angelica's... all but Talia.  Talia DID send us a side dish!

Angelica set us a beautiful table and Tonya began our meal with this layered dip that had such a garlicy, salty flavor. It also looks very sophisticated with the layered cream cheese, pesto and sundried tomatoes.  Tonya put in the freezer between each layer so it would make smoothing the next layer easier.

Tonya also brought a cocktail.  THIS is my new drink.  I wish to drink it all day, every day.  #retirementgoals.  It is "equal parts cocktail and dessert".

For the salad I prepared an antipasto salad.  I mixed all the toppings the day before and put on top of the lettuce and drizzled with homemade vinaigrette.   It's a hearty salad and keto if you are trying to avoid those terrible carbs.

This chicken cacciatore was complex in flavor and simple to prepare.  It has some of my favorite ingredients:  mushrooms, red bell pepper and chicken thighs. It was served with homemade pasta.  Yes. WE MADE PASTA!  With the hand machine that Angelica purchased on Amazon, it was not that difficult!  The dough was super simple and just two ingredients!  Because of this make sure you salt the water well when boiling.  Pasta water should taste like the sea.  

Our side dish, thanks to Talia, was a mushroom, parmesan farro.  Farro is an "ancient whole grain wheat with a nutty taste and chewy texture".  This side was very good and I had never had farro before. You should use pearled farro in this recipe according to my research.

Our delicious meal was completed with Mary's sweet potato custard with marshmallow meringue topping. Mary claims this recipe came out of her blond head and I will believe it.  I've never had anything like it and it was so good.  

February 27, 2022

We grouped at Tonya's along with new member Talia.  

Angelica started out our evening with a delicious cocktail.  This Pink Champagne Sangria was very refreshing.  The color was gorgeous and you can easily make a pitcher full to keep 'em flowing!

Next up was appetizers by Mary.  She put together a flat bread pizza with red onion jam.  This could be a main dish with the addition of some prosciutto.  Her recipe is a spin on this one. 

For the salad I picked this winter salad and I did cheat and buy a champagne vinaigrette.  Ssssh. This is a classic combination of greens with pears, dried cranberries, pecans and blue cheese.  You could also use apples instead of pears and goat cheese instead of blue cheese.

Our main dish, picked by Tonya, was Instant Pot Pasta Bolognese.  It tempts me to buy yet another appliance but... NO!  This was so good and like most pasta dishes, reheats beautifully and even seems more flavorful the next day.

New member Talia and dessert queen brought a trifle with many layers, each would have been enough on their own!  Wow, this is rich and decadent!  The fresh whipped cream balances the chocolate pudding and brownie layers.

Salted Caramel Brownie Trifle

Ingrеdіеntѕ:

 Brownies, сut іntо 1″ squares

 2 lаrgе рkg. іnѕtаnt chocolate pudding

 1 jar homemade salted саrаmеl ѕаuсе, recipe below

 4 Hеаth саndу bаrѕ, rеgulаr ѕіzе

 16oz whipped cream

 

Dіrесtіоnѕ:

1. Prераrе brоwnіеѕ, using the recipe below, or your favorite brownie recipe. Make sure to double it.

Onсе thе brоwnіеѕ аrе bаkеd аnd сооlеd, сut uр іntо ѕmаll, bіtе-ѕіzеd ріесеѕ.

2. Prераrе сhосоlаtе рuddіng ассоrdіng tо dіrесtіоnѕ.

3. Cruѕh thе Hеаth саndу bаrѕ іntо ѕmаll, bіtе-ѕіzеd ріесеѕ.

4. Sрооn about a thіrd оf уоur рuddіng іntо a trіflе dіѕh.

5. Add a lауеr оf brоwnіе ріесеѕ.

6. Sрrіnklе оn ѕоmе оf thе crushed Heath.

7. Drіzzlе оn ѕоmе саrаmеl ѕаuсе.

8. Tор wіth аbоut hаlf of thе whipped cream

9. To make whipped cream, pour however much heavy whipping cream into a bowl. Whip

until stiff peaks form, adding a tablespoon or 2 of sugar as you go.

10. Repeat аll layers.

11. Kеер іn thе rеfrіgеrаtоr untіl rеаdу tо ѕеrvе.

Homemade Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients

 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled

 2 1/4 cups (450 grams) granulated sugar

 4 large eggs room temperature

 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 1 cup (85 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

 ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, making sure to

leave some overhang for easy removal, spray the foil well with nonstick cooking spray, and set

aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until well combined,

then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until fully combined. 

3. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt and continue whisking until just combined,

stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it around into one even layer.

Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out

clean with just a few moist crumbs. 

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into bars.

Notes

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Freezing instructions: Brownies will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the

refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. 

Room Temperature Eggs: I suggest using room temperature eggs for this recipe. To get your

eggs to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of warm water and let them sit for 5-10

minutes before using them.

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

 1/4 cup (60 ml) water

 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy whipping cream

 3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter , cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1 teaspoon salt , or to taste

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat. Make sure

to use a saucepan that's a little bigger than what you think you will need. Stir constantly until the

sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble just a little.

2. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stop stirring completely. Let the mixture

continue boiling until it turns an amber color, this could take anywhere from 4-12 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up

quite a bit, so make sure to do this very carefully. Then, mix in the butter, vanilla, and salt one at

a time.

4. Pour the caramel sauce into a dish and allow to cool completely, then cover tightly and

store in the refrigerator. The caramel sauce will thicken up some once it's cooled and

refrigerated.

Notes

For a regular caramel sauce, just use a pinch of salt or about 1/8 teaspoon.

Store any leftover salted caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Reheat in the

microwave before using.

This recipe will yield about 1 and 1/2 cups of caramel sauce.

Risotto!

I love to eat Risotto but not so much on cooking it. I tend to "rush" the process and the rice is always crunchy. This time I calculated how many minutes I should allow for each addition of chicken broth and it turned out fabulously! It also reheats very well.

This recipe is a great basic one which uses a mixture of white wine and chicken broth as the liquid. You should spend about 6 minutes per addition of liquid, unless otherwise noted in the recipe for Spinach Risotto with Shrimp and Goat Cheese. I did not cook the shrimp separately and instead threw them in with the last 1/2 cup of chicken broth.

(I am having issues with my lap top so I thank the recipe for the picture)