Things that make you go hmm - September 2006

Diva: Ashley

Drinks: Michelle

Appetizer: Lovina
Fried Dill Pickles

1 qt. dill pickles, thinly sliced
1 ¾ c all purpose flour, divided
2 tsp red pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp salt
3 dashes hot sauce
1 c beer
Vegetable oil

Dredge sliced pickles in 1 cup flour; set aside. Combine remaining 3/4 cup flour and dry ingredients; add hot sauce and beer, mixing well. Dip dredged pickles into batter. Deep fry in hot oil, 375 degrees until pickles float to surface and are golden brown. Drain on paper towels; serve immediately.

Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen appetizer servings.

Spicy Ranch Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon horseradish

Whisk together ingredients. Garnish, if desired. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Salad: Stacey
Walnut salad dressing

2 green onions, finely chopped
1 T fresh parsley, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 T tarragon
3 T white wine vinegar
3 ½ c mayo
2 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
½ c finely chopped walnuts
¾ c buttermilk

Toss dressing with mixed greens with bacon, fontina cheese, tomatoes, English cucumber.

Soup: Nicole
Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
The Hotel Del Coronado Cookbook by Beverly Bass

2 T Butter
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 large or 2 medium butternut squash (about 3 lbs.) peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
6 c Chicken Stock
2 ½ tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until golden but not browned, about 15 min. Add the squash, apples, potatoes, stock and curry powder. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 min.

In batches, puree the mixture until smooth in a food processor. Return soup to the stock pot or dutch oven and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Soup may be stored in refrigerator for up to four days

Side Dish: Sara
Grilled Peaches with Blue Cheese and Spicy Honey

Spicy Honey
½ c honey
Juice of 1 lemon
¼-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Heat on low – stir until warm and uniform

6 peaches – halved
place cut side down on hot grill (medium heat) for about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from grill; add cheese crumbles to pit area. Drizzle with spicy honey.

Entree: Tiffany
Swordfish in a Sesame Seaweed Spaetzle Crust

8 Filets of fresh Swordfish
4 c flour
4 Eggs
Water
1 T salt
Olive Oil
1 sheets Japanese roasted Nori
1 T black Sesame seeds, roasted
1 ½ c mashed potatoes

Lemongrass Dressing (double for the amount of fish above)
¾ c Raspberry vinegar
3 stalks lemongrass
2 bulbs shallots, minced
1 tsp Ginger
2 T Olive oil
1 T sugar

Step One: Make Spaetzle
Make Mix flour and salt ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat eggs individually; add to dry ingredients. After all eggs are mixed, add small amounts of water. Crush Nori and mix with sesame seeds and add to batter. Beat with a wooden spoon to create thick, yet elastic, pasta.

In a large pot, boil 6-8 cups of water. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Force the batter through spätzle machine to produce dough shape. Cook pasta 3-5 minutes stirring through 3 boiling points. Remove with a large draining spoon to cold plates, spreading the pasta to the edges of the plate to drain.

Step Two:
Make Mashed Potatoes
Cook potatoes until soft. Mash with veggies broth. Set aside.

Step Three: Make Lemon Grass Dressing
Blend all ingredients in a blender and pass through a strainer or cheese cloth.

Step Four: Assemble and Cook Fish
Spread mashed potato on one side of each filet and press spaetzle into potato. Heat oiled skillet and place fish, spaetzle side down. Cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and place skillet in a preheated 400 degree oven until fish is cooked, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle with Lemongrass Dressing.

Dessert: Erin
Gorky’s Beet Cake

4 eggs
2 c sugar
1 c oil
2 c unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3 c shredded fresh beets
1 c chopped walnuts

Beat together eggs, sugar and oil until fluffy. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add to egg mixture and stir well to blend. Add vanilla beets and walnuts. Beat together 1 min. Pour into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Almond Sauce
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
½-¾ c whipping cream
1 tsp almond extract

Blend together cream cheese, whipping cream and almond extract in blender or mixer until fluffy. Spoon onto cake or serve separately to dollop cake.

WildCard: Tamara
CD of Songs that make you go Hmmmm….

Colors - August 2006

Diva: Michelle

Drinks: Carrie Caselton - Blue (sub for Sara)
Blue Hawaiian Boones Farm!

Appetizer: Tiffany - Green
Caprese

3 vine-ripe tomatoes, 1/4-inch thick slices
1 pound fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch thick slices
20 to 30 leaves (about 1 bunch) fresh basil
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt and pepper
Crusty baguette cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

Layer alternating slices of bread, tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each, on a large, shallow platter. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Salad: Erin - Red
Harry’s Strawberry and Tomato Salad

6 ounces (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c (about 1/2 pound whole berries) small strawberries, trimmed and halved
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T aged balsamic vinegar
1 T finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
½ tsp table salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 heads Boston lettuce, halved and cores removed
2 tsp fresh chives, minced

In small mixing bowl, toss together tomatoes, strawberries, oil, vinegar, zest, salt, and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature 10 minutes.

To serve, place lettuce-head halves on 4 plates. Top each with tomato-strawberry mixture. Sprinkle with chives.

Soup: Tamara - Yellow
Sweetcorn and Potato Chowder

550g (20 oz) potatoes
1 large onion
1 sweet green bell pepper
125g (4oz) mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
2 stock cubes
285g (10oz) sweetcorn kernels (1x326g can, drained and rinsed)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp mild mustard (e.g. garlic mustard)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Black pepper to taste

Peel and chop the potato, onion and green pepper. Slice the mushrooms, halving them first if they are large. Chop the garlic finely. Dissolve the stock cubes in a pan with 1 liter (35 fl oz, 4 1/2 c) water. Bring to the boil, then add everything else except the mustard, herbs and seasoning. Simmer for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Add the mustard and thyme, and simmer 5 minutes more. Season to taste with black pepper and serve.

Side Dish: Mariah – Purple
Cabbage Slaw

3 c shredded napa or Chinese cabbage
1 large navel orange, peeled and sectioned
¼ c chopped watercress
2 T. canola oil
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
¾ tsp grated fresh gingerroot
¾ tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Dash of pepper
1 T chopped walnuts

Cabbage Slaw
2 ½ c bagged cabbage slaw mix or shredded cabbage
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 c fresh spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
2 T chopped fresh parsley, if desired
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T light soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp finely chopped peeled fresh gingerroot
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
1 T sesame seeds, toasted*

Toss cabbage, carrot, spinach and parsley in large bowl. Mix or shake vinegars, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and gingerroot. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture; toss. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

To serve, stir in salt and pepper; sprinkle with sesame seed.

Entree: Lovina – Green
Roasted Salmon with Cilantro Pesto

2 lbs. fresh salmon fillets
1 clove garlic
1 c cilantro leaves, loosely packed
2 T. olive oil
2 T. lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 ½ ripe roma tomatoes\raw, seeded and chopped

Preparation Preheat the oven to temperature 400°F. Make the pesto in a food processor or blender; process the garlic, cilantro, oil, and lime juice until creamy. Season to taste. Spray baking pan with oil and place the salmon skin-side down. Spread the pesto on the salmon, cover with the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes.
(Serves 4)

Dessert: Absent
Chocolate Bars from Ashley’s lottery bags

WildCard: Nicole - Blue
Blueberry-Blue Cheese Dip

This perfect blend of delicate sweetness and tangy, full-bodied flavor comes together in a snap. Serve with fresh raw vegetables, crackers or apple slices.

6 oz. Danish blue OR Maytag blue cheese, crumbled
1 ½ c fresh OR thawed frozen blueberries
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ to ½ tsp. hot chili sauce
½ c finely sliced green onion, green part only
½ c chopped walnuts

Place blue cheese and blueberries in bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. To give the flavors time to meld, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or as long as 3 days.
Makes 3 cups.

Lottery: Ashley
Colored gift bags and chocolate bars