October 20, 2013

Janet hosted in her new home and all were in attendance except for Carol and Teresa.  Janet's friend, Natalie, was not able to join us but she did send over our appetizer.

Angie:  Cocktail, Evening in Kingston
Natalie:  Appetizer, Squash Casserole
Janet:  Bread, Sweet Cornbread Muffins
Tonya:  Salad, Orzo Salad
Mary:  Side, Parsnip, Potato, and Turnip Purée
Janet:  Main, Chicken Marsala
Angie:  Dessert, Roasted Pear Crumble

This cocktail, Evening in Kingston, was potent though tasty.  We added some agave syrup to not only sweeten but also dilute. 

For our appetizer, Janet's friend Natalie sent over a squash casserole.  It had a crunchy topping with squash mixed with a cream.  This dish would also be an excellent side dish.

Janet whipped up some cornbread muffins for the bread course.  This was a good recipe that equally balances the sweet with the corn meal so it does not taste like a cake.

A perfect side dish for the Chicken Marsala was Mary's Parsnip, Potato and Turnip Puree.  It was a fancy take on mashed potatoes and the fresh dill not only looked pretty but made a huge flavor impact.  Mary cautioned that the vegetables do not cook at the same rate so you may want to do them separately.

Tonya's Orzo Salad had chick peas and tomatoes mixed with a vinaigrette along with fresh herbs.  This was a refreshing and light pasta salad.

The chicken Marsala was delicious.  Mary expertly flattened the chicken breasts and the rest of us assisted with chopping, slicing and stirring.  If I were to prepare this again I would use much less prosciutto and more mushrooms than called for.

To finish our meal we had Roasted Pear Crumble.  This was a simple dish to make and it can all be done ahead of time.  I simply warmed up the pears prior to serving.  The granola is delicious and I added some cinnamon to it as well as used both almonds and pecans..  The mascarpone cheese is sweet and creamy. 

Hello Cold Front!

I love the components of a cold front:  high winds followed by rain which subsides, leaving behind a cold, gray day and within a few hours.... perfection.  Low temperatures, low humidity and clear, blue skies.  It makes me feel frisky and I drive too fast with my windows down.  Even when it reaches 82 degrees.  But no matter!  LOW HUMIDITY makes it all ok!

The lower temperatures and humidity also make me want to bake and cook.  I baked these Knock You Naked Bars for a football party.  YUM.  I only put in half the amount of peanut butter called for because I have a picky eater in the house and you could still taste it so if you do NOT LIKE peanut butter, skip it all together.  But next time I make this, for my parents, I will use ALL of the peanut butter!

It doesn't matter how you dollop the top layer of cookie dough on because it will all come together creating a new crust for the caramel goodness.  These are really easy to prepare and the bars stay moist for days. 

I cooked up this pot of White Chicken Chili in 30 minutes.  It was great right after I made it and even better the next day, giving the "chili" flavors more time to develop.  Without the sour cream and half and half it is just a soup but the creamy dairy products bring this to a chili status.  It also tones down the heat from the cayenne.  I actually was out of half and half so I used evaporated milk because I had some in the fridge.  I am not sure how half and half and evaporated milk measure up to each other but I found it to be interchangeable and with less fat.  This "chili" would be good also with some potato chunks and maybe corn.  But then I think it becomes "White Chicken CHOWDER".  Haha!

Baking

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramel Sauce - this cake was so moist that I could not get it all out of the pan.  No fear - as the recipe states, just put it back together and the delicious icing will cover up any flaws.  There are a total of 4 cups of sugar in these recipes though it is not sickeningly sweet.  Very good and lots of texture with the nuts and heath chips.  The sauce hardens up and is a great compliment to the cake.

Banana Bread Bars - banana bread meets delicious icing to become a bar.  Baked in a jelly roll pan the bars are not too thick.  Which is a good thing since the icing has four cups of sugar!  Make sure you cook the butter in the icing until you get the brown bits.  This gives it a great depth of flavor.

P.S.  All these "4 cups of sugar" recipes is why I am having to take a break from my sugar addiction and just say no!

July 28, 2013

Tonya hosted and all were in attendance except for Carol (who sent her salad with Teresa).

Janet's Middle Eastern Magic
an original cocktail

3 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
3 cups sparkling water
1 cup mint syrup*
1 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange blossom water (at Middle Eastern markets)
1 cup good quality vodka

Mix all, pour into glasses with crushed ice.  Garnish with a slice of lime and mint leaf.

* Mint syrup:  In a small pot combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1 bunch roughly chopped mint.  Bring to a full boil.  Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes and strain.

Appetizers:  Phyllo Triangles (Angie) and red beet and traditional hummus (Janet).

Salad:  Greek Salad (Carol as prepared by Teresa).

Sides:  Roasted Carrots and cous cous (Mary).

Main Dish:  Falafel (Tonya).

Dessert:  Orange and honey ice cream (Teresa)

June 30, 2013

Teresa hosted and all were in attendance except for Carol.  The theme was Rick Bayless/Mexican food. 

Teresa:  Drink, Sangria;  Appetizer, Melted Cheese Casserole with Mexican Sausage and Roasted Chiles (queso fundido);  Side Dish, Beans; Main Dish, Chicken Enchiladas
Tonya:  Appetizer, Guacamole
Janet:  Appetizer, Avocado and Tropical Fruit Salsa;  Side Dish, Mexican Succotash
Angie:  Salad, Mixed Vegetable Salad with Lime Dressing
Mary:  Dessert, Lime Tart

Teresa set the table with crape myrtle blooms and had a hand made kitchen towel at each of our places.  I love the colors and Teresa said that the towels ARE actually meant to be used and not just admired.  Thank you, Teresa!

We started with sangria, Tonya's guacamole (Rick Bayless recipe), Janet's avocado and tropical fruit salsa and the queso fundido.  The sangria was fruity and refreshing, the guacamole creamy and cheesey with the queso fresco and the salsa was tangy and fresh. 

Queso Fundido

by Rick Bayless

2 medium fresh poblano peppers

1/2 cup chorizo sausage, casings removed

1 white onion, sliced

salt

12 corn tortillas

8 oz Mexican melting cheese (Monterrey Jack, mild cheddar, quesadilla or asadero), shredded

1 tsp oregano

Roast the peppers until skin is blackened.  Rub off the blackened skin then pull or cut out the stems and seed pods.  Tear the chiles open and quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin.  Cut into 1/4 inch wide strips.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In  a skillet, cook the chorizo over medium heat, breaking up clumps, until half cooked, about 5 minutes.  Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is richly golden and the chorizo cooked through, about 10 minutes.  If mixture looks oily, drain.  Stir in the poblano strips, taste and season with salt if needed.  Transfer to a shallow baking dish.  

Heat tortillas in a damp kitchen towel in the oven for about 7 minutes.

When tortillas are heated, mix the cheese into the chorizo mixture and bake until the cheese is just melted but has not begun to separate, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the oregano and "serve without a moment's hesitation" in the warm tortillas.

This cheese dish was gooey, mild and indulgent.  I was full after just appetizers!

For the salad course, I prepared Rick Bayless' Mixed Vegetable Salad with Lime Dressing.  The recipe gave different groupings of vegetables to mix and match from.  Everyone liked the potatoes and thought it was a unique green salad ingredient.  The salad was colorful and garnished with red onion and egg.  The lime dressing did not wow me however it did not overwhelm the other ingredients.

Our side dishes were beans and Mexican Succotash.  The beans are a traditional Mexican side dish and they were hearty and flavorful.  I loved the succotash.  Anything with fresh corn is a winner in my book.  The poblano chile and cilantro is what gave this dish its Mexican flavors.

Teresa picked Rick Bayless' Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken, Tomatoes and Green Chile as the main course.  These enchiladas were full of chicken, had a kick from the peppers and a nice sauce with a  layer of cheese.  We did not remove the seeds from any of the peppers and some thought these were almost too spicy.  Fortunately, the succotash and beans helped with the heat.

Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken, Tomatoes and Green Chile

by Rick Bayless

serves 4 to 6

3 pounds ripe tomatoes (round or plum) OR 2 - 28 oz cans whole tomatoes

3 Serrano or 2 jalapeno peppers, stems removed (remove some seeds if you want milder)

1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil or pork lard

1 white onion, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup creme fraiche, crema or heavy whipping cream

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

2/3 cup shredded Mexican melting cheese (Chicuahua, quesadilla, asadero, Monterrey Jack or mild cheddar)

12 corn tortillas

white onions and fresh cilantro for garnish

Roast the tomatoes and chiles on a baking sheet below a hot broiler until darkly roasted, about 6 minutes.  Flip over and roast the other side, 5 to 6 minutes.  Pull off and discard the blackened skins from the tomatoes.  Put the tomatoes and chiles in a food processor (or blender), along with juices on the baking sheet, and blend until smooth.  

Heat the oil or lard over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until golden, about 7 minutes.  Raise the heat and when the pot is noticeably hotter, stir in the tomato puree.  Cook, stirring until darker in color and thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, 10 to 15 minutes.  Taste and season with salt.  Stir the crema (or stand in) into the sauce. 

Put the chicken in a bowl and stir 1/2 cup of the sauce into the chicken.  Taste and season with additional salt if necessary. 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Smear about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish.  Lay the corn tortillas out on a baking sheet and lightly brush or spray both sides with oil . Bake just to warm and soften, about 3 minutes (WE SKIPPED THIS STEP as our tortillas were so fresh and pliable).  Stack the tortillas and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Roll a portion of the chicken up in each tortilla, then line up in the baking dish.  Douse evenly with the remaining sauce, sprinkle with the cheese and bake about 15 minutes.  Garnish with the onion rings and cilantro sprigs. 

The sauce can be made a day or two ahead. 

Mary made a beautiful Lime Meringue Tart.  The crust was crunchy and sweet.  The filling was light and creamy.  The meringue was beautifully browned.  This was the perfect desert after the cheesy, spicy enchiladas.

Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Brownies

Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Brownies.  Now that is a mouthful!  And a tasty mouthful at that!  A coworker told me "this is the best dessert I have EVER HAD".  Come on!  Now he is only 22 so maybe that explains it.

These bars are a brownie base (using the "cake like" recipe variation) with a peanut butter cream cheese layer and topped with chocolate and toffee.  The peanut butter flavor is prevalent so take caution if you are not a peanut butter fan.

I thought they were delicious, very chocolaty and creamy.  Plus, the toffee makes these unique and pretty.

Lasagna

I am sure everyone has a go-to lasagna recipe.  I do not.  I have tried several and there is always something I do not like about it.  Last night I made Pioneer Woman's recipe and I now have my winner!

First off, it looks pretty - you can clearly see the layers in my glass pan (sorry, no picture, but imagine).  Second, it is EASY to put together the homemade meat sauce and cheese layer.   I used no-boil lasagna noodles and this was all put together (including 45 minutes for the sauce to simmer) in an hour.  

The sauce is hearty and meaty.  I liked the flavor but you may want to throw in a few red pepper flakes for more heat.  The hot breakfast sausage gets a little washed out.  The whole tomatoes stay chunky so if you have a picky eater you may want to break those up some.  The simmering does a pretty good job but definitely are some big pieces at the end.

This is a delicious, simple, hearty lasagna recipe that I will stick with!

Now back to finding the perfect peanut butter cookie recipe!