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Entertaining?
Throw Chris Isaak's BAJA SESSIONS on the
old CD player
and smile as you create culinary delights in your very own kitchen.
FIRESIDE REPAST
Serves 8
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Crispy crunchy fried scallops with
hot peachy dip
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Winey Tossed Romaine
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Nana's Chicken Cacciatore with hot
buttered linguine
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Blue cheese garlic bread
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Blueberry Shortbread Crumble with
whipped cream
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WINEY TOSSED ROMAINE
8 strips bacon, crisp cooked, crumbled
1 large head romaine, washed, crisped, torn
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese, grated
3/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup seasoned homemade croutons
DRESSING:
1 egg
3/4-1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup rosé wine
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
Generous 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Generous 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Put all ingredients in blender.
Buzz. Buzz. Drizzle over salad ingredients and toss well.
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NANA'S CHICKEN CACCIATORE
2 3 lb. frying chickens cut up in
smaller than usual pieces - just breasts are good too.
1/2 lb. proscuitto, sliced thin, cut in strips
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Flour
1/2 cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 28-oz. tin plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups mushrooms
Hot buttered linguine or your favorite pasta
Season the chicken pieces with salt and
pepper and dredge lightly with flour. In a large high sided skillet or
Dutch oven brown chicken well on all sides in olive oil, a few pieces at a
time. Put all the chicken pieces back in the skillet and add
proscuitto, onion, green pepper, garlic, broth, tomatoes, oregano and basil,
brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder. Salt and pepper to
taste. Cover and simmer gently about 45 minutes. Add the mushrooms and
cook 15 minutes more. Serve over hot buttered linguine. 8
servings.
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BLUEBERRY SHORTBREAD CRUMBLE
CRUST:
1 1/2 cups flour
4 tablespoons icing sugar
3/4 cup butter
FILLING:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
3-4 cups fresh blueberries ( or 600gr. package frozen, unsweetened
blueberries)
TOPPING:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Crust: In a medium bowl, mix flour and icing
sugar together. Cut and rub in butter until mixture is crumbly and
holds together when squeezed. Press into a 10-inch pie plate or
springform pan. Press dough up sides about 1 inch. Bake at 400F for 10
minutes.
Filling: In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar and quickly toss with
blueberries. As soon as crust comes out of the oven, fill crust with
blueberry mixture and cover with topping.
Topping: In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and sprinkle on top of
blueberries.
Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.
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By special request we have left
our Mediterranean menu available to you.
Throw on your favorite Jimmy Buffet tunes
and create away.
a hint of the mediterranean dinner for 8
- icy hard pink lemonade
- white bean brushcetta
- cheddary fresh spinach salad
- succulent grilled leg o lamb - winey,
garlicky, lemony
- feta baked orzo
- summer asparagus with minted hollandaise
- fresh peach ice cream drizzled with caramel
brandy sauce
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ICY HARD PINK LEMONADE
2 cans Minute Maid frozen Pink Lemonade concentrate, or your favorite
brand
1 large bottle chilled soda water
1 bottle chilled Tanqueray Gin
1 cup chilled cranberry cocktail
Lemon slices
Ice cubes
Mix lemonade concentrate with soda water. Add cranberry cocktail and
gin. Stir and pour into tall ice filled glasses. Garnish with fresh
lemon slices and serve with straws and a silly grin. |
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WHITE BEAN BRUSHCETTA
4 firm ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
8 - 10 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can (14-oz.) small white or Navy beans
6 - 8 oz. camembert or brie, room temperature
1 French bread baguette, cut into 3/4 - 1 inch thick rounds.
In food processor put chopped
tomatoes, olives, 5 tablespoons olive oil, basil and garlic.
Process for only a few seconds, in short bursts. Ingredients should
be roughly chopped, not too fine, for the best texture. Remove from
food processor and mix in beans, season with salt and pepper.
Mixture best made a few hours ahead for flavors to mellow.
When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Place baguette rounds on
baking sheet. Brush with remaining olive oil. Don't be afraid to be
a little generous with the olive oil as it produces a perfectly flavorful
accompaniment to the fresh veggie mixture. Broil bread until golden
1-3 minutes. Spread with cheese. Top with bean tomato
mixture. Enjoy. |
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CHEDDARY FRESH SPINACH SALAD
2 eggs
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil
1 generous cup grated cheddar cheese
3-4 green onions, chopped
Fresh spinach
Bacon bits (homemade are best)
Croutons
In a medium bowl beat together eggs, brown sugar,
Worcestershire, salt and mustard for 2 minutes. Add horseradish and
mix well. Very slowly add 1/2 cup of the vegetable oil. Combine
vinegar and lemon juice in a 1 cup measure. Add vinegar mixture
alternately with remaining oil to the egg mixture, beginning and ending
with oil. Keep beating all the time, then beat 1-2 minutes
more. Transfer mixture to a blender container and process until
mixture is thick and creamy. With a wooden spoon mix in grated
cheddar and chopped green onions. Refrigerate until ready to
use. Wash and dry spinach and put in large salad bowl. Add
croutons and enough dressing to coat well. Top with bacon bits and
serve. Enjoy the best spinach salad you'll ever have.
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GRILLED SUCCULENT LEMONY
LEG O LAMB
1 leg of lamb 5 1/2 - 6 lb., boned
and butterflied
6 - 8 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup rich red wine
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Early in the day, place lamb in a glass bowl or dish. Mix together
all marinade ingredients and pour over lamb. Turn lamb to coat
everywhere. Marinate the lamb covered in the refrigerator, turning 3
or 4 times, for 4-12 hours. For charcoal barbecue use direct
heat. For gas use direct/medium heat. Remove meat from
marinade and place on cooking grate. Grill 30-40 minutes, turning
once halfway through cooking time. Check for doneness towards the
end of this cooking time, as cooking time will vary depending on thickness
of meat. Let rest for 10 minutes and then carve into thin
slices. Serve at once with mint sauce. Serves 8. |
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FETA BAKED ORZO
1 14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. orzo pasta
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 lb. good quality feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup Romano or Asiago cheese
Pour broth into a medium large pot. Add enough water
to broth to almost fill pot. Add salt and bring to a boil.
Stir in orzo and boil until just tender but still firm to the bite,
stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return to pot. Mix in
cream, oil, feta, dill and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to 1 1/2 quart baking dish. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.
Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
Preheat oven to 350F. Sprinkle orzo with
cheese. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. |