January 19, 2025

Angelica hosted us on this cold, winter, day!  Carol was unable to join. However she did send a delicious cheeseball served with Triscuits! The worchestershire sauce was a star in this savory appetizer.

We shared strawberry mimosas from Aldi and J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay.

For this cold winter day I made soup and along side I baked salted rosemary shortbreads.  I had these at a ladies lunch recently and they were addicting.  I found other recipes for these, some using only all purpose flour and some with addition of lemon, however this is the recipe I used.  I did add some ice water to help the dough come completely together.

Salted Rosemary Shortbread

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup bread flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary leaves

flaky salt for topping

Whisk flour and salt together, set aside. Cream butter, powdered sugar and rosemary together for 3 minutes. Add flour mixture and mix thoroughly, careful to not overmix.

Form dough into a log, adding ice water if needed, using plastic wrap and tap/shape into a square or rectangle while pliable.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. After 2 hours, heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice chilled dough into 1/3 inch slices and place on baking sheet lined with parchment.  Top with salt.  Cookie do not spread so can place closely. Bake 12 minutes, turning pan half way through to ensure equal browning.  Bake until lightly brown.

The carrot apple soup features roasted vegetables and sauteed onions and is blended to a smooth consistency.

Our salad, prepared by Mary, had flavors of winter with cinnamon in the dressing. Mary suggested in the future, that the balsamic should have been white (to keep from discoloring the salad) and the addition of nuts - almonds or pecans - would have added a nice crunch.

Angelica picked the most perfect comfort food dish, chicken pot pie.  Short cuts were frozen peas and carrots and a rotisserie chicken. We doubled the recipe and used all of the chicken.  Most, not me, were skeptical that the potatoes would cook to softness in the oven only and not on the stove BUT THEY DID!  Secret is to dice to the size of a pea or carrot. The crust only goes on the top and it was perfectly flaky, and Tonya did a great job making this part of the recipe. The egg wash makes the crust shiny and beautiful.

Tonya baked a pecan cobbler.  It was like a warm pillow of pecan pie.  Follow the recipe... there is lots of sprinkling and DO NOT STIR directions.  Trust the process. Served with a side of vanilla ice cream, this dessert was a perfect conclusion to our comfort food supper.

October 25, 2015

We met at Tonya's house on a rainy, cool, Sunday amid Hurricane Patricia.  

Appetizer: Mary, Sweet Potato Corn Cakes 

Salad:  Angie, Honey Crisp Apple Salad 

Main:  Peach and Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

Dessert:  Angelica, Apple Crisp

Dinner with guest, Vivian.

Mary pan-fried these crispy, sweet potato corn cakes at Tonya's to ensure that they were hot and crispy.  To the dipping sauce recipe, Mary added Srirachi sauce.  Very yummy and a beautiful presentation.  The sweet potatoes are a subtle flavor and the corn adds some crunchy texture.  The cayenne pepper adds a kick!

For the salad, I picked one with apples, which are a fall staple.  The recipe calls for frisee however my Sprouts store  did not have any.  The produce worker scoffed when I asked for it "hardly anyone carries frisee".  HA!  I should have substituted endive but instead I used spinach.  I had not realized until later that frisee is in the endive family.  You learn something new every day!  I added some Gorgonzola cheese, pear (thanks, Mary!) and dried cranberries.  The dressing is not overly sweet with some spice from the cumin and curry.

For the main dish, Tonya picked beautiful pork chops.  Even Cookie the cat could hardly resist!  

The pork chops were rubbed with spices, seared and then finished in the oven with the peach glaze.  The glaze was not overly sweet due to the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and dash or two of Srirachi sauce.  This pork chops were tender and juicy, thanks to the bone in and watchful eye of Tonya and her trusty thermometer.  This is definitely a "company worthy" dish.  The pork chops were served with simple white rice, with some of the glaze spooned on top.

I was so excited about Angelica's apple crisp that I forgot to take a photograph.  It was a typical crisp with apples covered in a crispy oatmeal and pecan topping.

October 21, 2012

Mary was our hostess this month and she set a beautiful, fall table.  All current Gourmet Gals were in attendance.

Appetizer:  Evelyn, Tomato, Cheese and Puffed Pastry

Salad:  Angie, Grape and Watercress Salad with Caraway and Granola

Bread:  Angie, Killer Garlic Bread

Side:  Janet, Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese

Side:  Mary, Cauliflower Mash

Wine:  Janet, Taft Street Pinot Noir

Main Dish:  Mary, Osso Buco

Dessert:  Carol, Pumpkin Swirled Cream Cheese Brownies and Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Evelyn started our dinner off with puff pastry shells filled with tomato and cheeses.  She said the original recipe called for sheets of puff pastry and she bought the shells by mistake.  I LOVED the shells and thought it provided a prettier presentation than sheets as well as it was easier to eat as a finger food.  Puff pastry sheets look pretty until you slice it and then crumbs are everywhere.

 For the salad I found a recipe from Oxheart restaurant in Houston in an issue of Bon Appetit magazine.  The salad seemed "fancy" enough for our group as well as a feeling of fall with the arugula and granola.  All components were simple to put together and I made most of it the day before.  The caraway seeds in the dressing are a must and bring such a distinctive flavor to the salad.  I used my mortar and pestle to crush the seeds, something I have never done before.  I love a new cooking technique!!

We served the main meal family style with the Osso Buco on a bed of cauliflower mash.  Mary used veal chops as this is all her butcher had and it was delicious and a good choice.  The meat fell off the bone and the vegetables were so flavorful.  The cauliflower mash was insanely tasty and Mary promises it is guilt free and a great substitute for mashed potatoes.  I went for seconds and I cannot stop thinking about this dish and when I can make it again!

Cauliflower Mash

 

1-2 head of raw cauliflower

Evaporated milk (I normally use fat free but regular is a little richer)

Salt

Cream cheese (use the light but the FF is not so great)

Fresh parsley

 

Steam the cauliflower until very soft.  Put the cauliflower in the food processor and pulse a couple of times to break it down a bit.  Add some salt, just a bit at first.  Add a little bit of milk, pulse a time or two.  Add a tablespoon or two of cream cheese and a couple tablespoons of milk.  Do several longer pulses to start smoothing the cauliflower to a near mashed texture.  Do a taste test for salt and let it process until very smooth texture.  This recipe does not require much liquid so careful with the can milk, just add a bit at a time... same with cream cheese-- a little goes a long way.   At the very end, add some chopped  parsley and do one last pulse.  Ready to serve.

 

Super healthy, nearly guilt free side dish that everyone will love.

Our second side dish was from Janet.  She prepared Sauteed Swiss Chard with the following modifications to the recipe:

1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil (rather than 2 tbs of both)
1 shallot (rather than onion)
2 bunches of Swiss chard (rather than 1)
1/4 cup dry white wine (rather than 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (rather than 1)
4 tablespoons Parmesan (rather than 2)

I loved the chard.  It tasted fresh and healthy and the shallots and cheese gave it lots of flavor.  Janet had previously made this recipe which is how she knew to modify it.  Remember, WWTD (What Would  Teresa Do) and make the recipe as is first, and THEN modify.  That is a great lesson that I wish I had learned earlier in my home cooking career!

I fixed garlic bread as our bread component of the meal.  I did bake it a little too long (I thought the oven was off!!), which made the crust slightly tough, but the flavor was nice and garlicky without being over powering.  Rather than melt the butter I softened it and stirred in all the other ingredients.  I spread it on the bread and wrapped it up and put into the refrigerator until time to bake.  I had never used Ciabatta bread for garlic bread before but I really liked it and will use it in the future.

We concluded our meal with two desserts.  Boohoo.  I HATE IT when we have more than one dessert.  JUST KIDDING!!  Carol also brought some pumpkin ice cream.  The group then spent several minutes discussing seasonal ice cream flavors such as pumpkin and egg nog.  YUM.  Those are two reasons why I avoid the ice cream aisle of the store.

The Pumpkin Crunch Cake was my favorite of the two and I brought some home and had it for breakfast.  It is super easy to prepare and when I made it and brought it to work for a Halloween baking contest, I won first place!  Hooray!  

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

1 Yellow Cake Mix

1 15 oz Can Pumpkin Puree

1 12 oz Can Evaporated Milk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom of 9 x 13 pan.  Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Pour mixture into greased pan.  Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and top with pecans.  Drizzle melted butter over pecans.  Use a fork to press/lightly stir any dry cake mix.  Bake 50-55 minutes.

The second dessert was very rich brownies with swirls of pumpkin and cream cheese.  The brownies looked pretty with the orange swirl and were quite decadent.

Pumpkin Swirled Cream Cheese Brownies

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup plus 1 tbs flour, divided

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup plus 2 tbs canned pumpkin

1 tbs butter, melted

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup salted butter

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8-inch square baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, allowing edges to overhang pan to create handles.  Spray with cooking spray and set aside.

In small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbs flour, cream cheese, pumpkin and melted butter.  Beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.

Melt chocolate and salted butter in double boiler or microwave and let cool slightly.  

In a large bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup sugar, whisking well.  Set aside.

In small bowl combine remaining 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and salt, whisking well.  Set aside.

Add 1/4 cup chocolate mixture to egg mixture, stirring vigorously to incorporate and temper.  Add remaining chocolate mixture in thirds, stirring to incorporate.  Add flour mixture, stirring to incorporate.  Spread mixture into prepared baking pan, creating a smooth and level surface.

Drop pumpkin mixture by spoonfuls onto surface of chocolate mixture.  Drag a knife through batter to create a swirled pattern.

 Bake until brownie is slightly puffed and set, 57 to 60 minutes.  Let cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, approximately 4 hours.  Remove from pan by lifting foil handles.  Peel foil from brownies and cut into 16 squares.  Keep in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Lastly, our wine was so tasty that I wanted to document it for future reference.  

August 14, 2011

Some of the Gourmet Gals met at Mary's home for our August dinner with a theme of "light and refreshing".

 

Menu:

 

Appetizer - Avocado Salsa and chips, Carol

Bread & Wine - Fabulous Focaccia and Pinot Grigio, Janet

Salad - Mixed Green Salad with Cilantro Dressing, Carol

Side - Ratatouille, Angie

Main Dish - Seafood Linguine, Mary

Dessert - Neapolitan Cheesecake, Carol (a trifecta of cheesecake and entrees from our saint Carol!!)

  

 

 

Janet started off the evening with two light and refreshing Pinot Grigios to compliment the seafood main dish. I preferred the Italo Cescon one, especially its label with the little ribbon and twig (not shown).

 

 The appetizer of Avocado Salsa was a delightful blend of fresh ingredients and the star was not the avocado but the fresh corn.  Carol adapted the recipe by omitting the shrimp and cucumber and adding:

• 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
• two ears of fresh corn
• red onion rather than green onion
• 4 tablespoons of lime juice rather than 3

 

 

In Lauren's absence, Carol surprised us by doing triple duty and bringing a salad with the most delicious dressing!

Mixed Green Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Texas on the Plate

Terry Thompson Anderson

 

Salad:

 

Mixed greens, including field greens if available ( Carol added 1 head of butter lettuce to the mixed greens)

Very thinly sliced red onions

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumber rounds

 

Cilantro Dressing:

Makes about 2 cups

 

2 cups lightly packed cilantro sprigs, leaves and stems

1 Tbs minced garlic

1 Tbs minced fresh jalapeno , seeds and veins removed

2 Tbs Champagne vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon real maple syrup

1 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice

3/4 teaspoons minced lime zest

1 c mayonnaise

 

Combine all the ingredients in work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade.

 

Process until smooth. Refrigerate, covered for about 4 hours before using to allow time for the flavors to meld.

 

Arrange the mixed greens on individual salad plates and pour desired amount of dressing over the top.

Garnish the salad with slivered red onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber rounds, and avocado slices (if using).

 

 

 

Janet prepared a wonderful bread, Tyler Florence's Fabulous Focaccia, and I could have eaten the entire pan.  It was very light and a bit crispy.

 

For a side I wanted to prepare vegetables as well as try something different and I found this recipe for Roasted Ratatouille and it fit the bill perfectly!  The preparation of roasting rather than stewing made it quick and simple and the original recipe also features two other recipes that can be made with left over ratatouille.  If I made this again I would add mushrooms too.

 

For the main dish of Seafood Linguine, Mary combined two recipes together:  one from Cooks and another from I Cannot Believe It's Not Butter.  Mainly we followed the I Cannot Believe It's Not Butter Recipe and we included:

•  minced clams
• dry white wine
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
• cornstarch slurry
•  parsley for garnish
• sour cream—tossed with the boiled pasta prior to topping with seafood mixture

 

We ended the meal with a beautiful, as well as delicious, Neapolitan Cheesecake with freshly whipped cream and sliced strawberries.  Carol truly outdid herself, again!  The recipe is below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neapolitan Cheesecake

Yield: 12 servings

Best of Taste of Home - 2011

Crust:

1 cup cream filled chocolate sandwich cookie (Oreos!) crumbs

3 Tbs sugar

3 Tbs butter

Filling:

4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 1/3 c sugar

2 Tbs all purpose flour

2 Tbs heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 eggs, beaten lightly

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled

1 to 2 drops red food coloring, optional

1/4 cup seedless strawberry jam, warmed

Sliced fresh strawberries and sweetened whipped cream

1. Place a greased 9 inch spring form pan on a double thickness of heavy duty foil ( about 18 square).

Securely wrap foil around pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press onto the bottom of pan: set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in flour, cream, and extracts. Add eggs,

beat on low speed just until combined. Divide batter into thirds.

4. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; cool to room temperature. Stir melted chocolate into one portion of batter.  Pour over crust.

In a food processor, puree strawberries. Add pureed strawberries and food coloring if desired, to another portion of better. Gently spread over chocolate layer. Place spring form pan in a large baking pan; add 1 inch

of hot water to larger pan. (water bath)

5. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Gently spread remaining plain batter over top. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until top appears dull. Remove spring form pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour longer. Refrigerate over night.

6. Remove sides of pan. Drizzle jam over cheesecake ; garnish with strawberries and whipped cream.