ARGHHH!: DH invited 4 for dinner next Sunday and promised beef.

C

cynupstateny

Well-known member
I'm out of town on Saturday and need to prep as much as possible on Friday. I'm also totally tapped out on ideas. I have a potato gratin recipe and I have a peach puree and peaches I froze during the summer. Thought I'd pair that with some of my blueberries and do something (?) with that.

Please help me with easy appys (how about the pink peppercorn and feta?), sides and a first course. I know that with the heavy beef and potato I should keep the rest light but I've been trying to think for 2 days and I can't come up with anything.

 
or Broccoli, Avocado and Sweet pepper salad?

Broccoli, Avocado and Sweet Pepper salad

350 g broccoli, trimmed (3/4 lb)
1 small red sweet pepper, seeded and sliced into rings
1 large avocado pear, peeled and stoned (probably 2 Hass avos)
fresh lemon juice

Garlic vinaigrette

100 ml olive or sunflower oil (less than 1/2 cup)
30 ml lemon juice ( 2 tblsp)
5 ml salt (1 tsp)
freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed

Steam broccoli for 4-5 minutes, or until bright green but still crunchy. Refresh under cold running water, drain and place in a bowl with pepper rings. Cut avocado pear into chunks and sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine with borccoli and pepper slices.

To make garlic vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a screwtop jar and shake until well-blended. Toss with salad ingredients just before serving.

The dressing may be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated until needed.

From Light and Stylish by Pat Barton and Magdaleen van Wyk.

 
With beef I really like Ina Garten's Roasted Cherry Tomatoes...

they are very easy and can roast while the beef is resting.

4 pints cherry tomatoes
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
20 fresh basil leaves, chopped or julienned
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the tomatoes lightly with olive oil on a sheet pan. Spread them out into one layer and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Transfer the tomatoes to a serving platter and sprinkle with basil leaves and sea salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.

******************

Snow Peas and Carrots with Lemon Vinaigrette is served cold. You can do the prep in advance and combine the peas & carrots with the dressing a few hours before serving.

Use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut vegetables into thin julienne strips

Carrots, peeled, cut into 3" matchsticks (julienne)
Fresh snow peas, trimmed, cut into matchsticks (julienne)
Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Place carrots and snow peas into a saucepan with boiling salted water, immediately drain and plunge into ice water; drain again, toss with a small amount of lemon vinaigrette to moisten and serve chilled with the main course.

****
Lemon Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves

Gently combine ingredients, do not emulsify making a better presentation.



An easy appetizer is Belguim Endive leaves piped with herbed boursin cheese with a bit of caviar.

Another is Walnut, Arugula and Gorgonzola Crostini. You can make the topping on Friday...bring to room temp before spreading on bread.

Walnut, Arugula and Gorgonzola Crostini Appetizer
www.finedinings.com

Serves 6

18 1/4-inch thick diagonal baguette bread slices
6 tablespoons walnuts, coarsely chopped, toasted
3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons arugula leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
crushed black peppercorns
arugula leaves for garnish

Spread butter over one side baguette bread slices; broil on baking sheet 2 minutes each side until lightly golden.

In a small bowl mix toasted walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, arugula and olive oil, spread evenly on buttered side of baguette slices pressing to adhere. Season with pepper. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Arrange walnut, arugula and gorgonzola crostini appetizer on a platter, garnish with arugula leaves and serve.

 
Quick, easy & flavorful...Jerry Traunfelds Celery, Pear, and Hazelnut Salad

Celery, Pear and Hazelnut Salad
Recipe by Jerry Traunfeld
Jerry Traunfeld makes this refreshing salad with a trio of crunchy ingredients—celery, Asian pear and toasted hazelnuts—then dresses it with a tangy vinaigrette. “Celery is underappreciated as a salad ingredient,” he says. “And Asian pears also have that great crunch.” Traunfeld prefers the sweet, oval-shaped DuChilly hazelnut over the rounder, more common variety. A good source for DuChilly nuts is Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards (holmquisthazelnuts.com).TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN
SERVINGS: 6

Ingredients
1/2 cup hazelnuts 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup hazelnut oil 6 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the bias 1 medium Asian pear, cut into 1 1/2-by-3/8-inch matchsticks 1/4 cup chopped dill
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool, then transfer to kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
In a large bowl, whisk the cider vinegar with the mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in the hazelnut oil. Add the celery, Asian pear, dill and hazelnuts and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

 
Pierre Herme's Lemon Curd

The Most Extraordinary
French Lemon Cream Tart

Makes 8 servings

The filling in this tart is everything. It is the
lemon cream I learned to make from Pierre Hermé, and
it is the ne plus ultra of the lemon world. The tart
is basic—a great crust, velvety lemon cream—and
profoundly satisfying. It is also profoundly
play-aroundable. You can add a fruit topping (circlets
of fresh rasp-berries are spectacular with this tart)
or a layer of fruit at the bottom; you can finish the
tart with meringue; or you can serve it with anything
from whipped cream to raspberry coulis.

1 9-inch tart shell made with Sweet Tart Dough, Sweet
Tart Dough with Nuts or Spiced Tart Dough (see book),
fully baked and cooled

1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons (10-1/2 ounces)
unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size
pieces, at room temperature

Getting Ready: Have an instant-read thermometer, a
strainer and a blender (first choice) or food
processor at hand. Bring a few inches of water to a
simmer in a saucepan.

Put the sugar and zest in a large heatproof bowl that
can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the
heat, rub the sugar and zest together between your
fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very
aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon
juice.

Set the bowl over the pan, and start stirring with the
whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch.
Cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180 degrees F.
As you whisk—you must whisk constantly to keep the
eggs from scrambling—you'll see that the cream will
start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get
bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180 degrees F,
it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave
tracks. Heads up at this point—the tracks mean the
cream is almost ready. Don't stop whisking or checking
the temperature, and have patience—depending on how
much heat you're giving the cream, getting to temp can
take as long as 10 minutes.

As soon as it reaches 180 degrees F, remove the cream
from the heat and strain it into the container of the
blender (or food processor); discard the zest. Let the
cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to
140 degrees F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender to high (or turn on the processor)
and, with the machine going, add the butter about 5
pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the
container as needed as you incorporate the butter.
Once the butter is in, keep the machine going—to get
the perfect light, airy texture of lemon-cream dreams,
you must continue to blend the cream for another 3
minutes. If your machine protests and gets a bit too
hot, work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a
little rest between beats.

Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of
plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight
seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or
overnight. (The cream will keep in the fridge for 4
days and, or tightly sealed, in the freezer for up to
2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.)

When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk
the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart
shell. Serve the tart, or refrigerate 'until needed.

Serving: It's a particular pleasure to have this tart
when the cream is cold and the crust is at room
temperature. A raspberry or other fruit coulis is
nice, but not necessary; so is a little crème fraîche.
I know it sounds odd to offer something as rich as
crème fraîche with a tart like this, but it works
because the lemon cream is so light and so intensely
citric, it doesn't taste or feel rich.

Storing: While you can make the lemon cream ahead,
once the tart is constructed, it's best to eat it the
day it is made.


Of Lemon Cream and Pierre Hermé

I am thankful to Pierre Hermé, France's king of
pastry, for many things, chief among them his
friendship—we have written two books together—and his
lemon cream. When we were just beginning work on our
first book, Pierre explained the cream to me. In his
typical fashion, he spoke softly, explained thoroughly
and added just the meekest editorial comment: "It is
nice," he said, with a sly little gone-in-a-flash
smile. I immediately put two stars next to the recipe,
a note to myself to try it right away.

At first glance, you would think that the lemon cream
is just another version of lemon curd—the ingredients
are almost identical. What's different is how they are
treated, and it makes an enormous difference in the
taste and texture.

In a curd, the eggs, lemon juice, sugar and butter are
cooked together until they thicken. The result is
silky, lemony and, above all, unmistakably rich and
buttery. In Pierre's lemon cream, the eggs, lemon
juice and sugar—but not the butter—are cooked together
until they thicken, just like curd. The mixture is
then poured into a blender and allowed to cool for a
few minutes. Then the butter is added, in pieces, and
the cream is whipped around for a few minutes. Here's
the genius—instead of melting as it does in curd, the
butter emulsifies (just as oil does in mayonnaise), so
that the resulting texture is velvety and deceptively
light. It is a stroke of culinary magic.

Like curd, lemon cream is a utility player. It can be
spread on toast, used as a filling for cakes and pies,
spooned over fruit desserts or just eaten off the
spoon when no one is peeking. And, it can also be
played around with, which is what I've done to create
Creamiest Lime Cream and Meringue Pie (see the book)
as well as Fresh Orange Cream Tart (see book).

 
Perfect! foldl in your peaches and blueberries, then use the peach pureee to paint the plate!

 
REC: Peach & Blueberry Crisp with Spiced-Pecan Topping - Fine Cooking

Several people have told me this is fantastic. It's on my to-try list.

PEACH AND BLUEBERRY CRISP WITH SPICED-PECAN TOPPING

Unlike most recipes for fruit crisp, which feed a large crowd, this one, baked in a 9-inch pan, is perfect for smaller households or gatherings.

Be sure to use room-temperature berries. Cold fruit straight from the refrigerator will prevent your dessert from baking evenly.

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
3 oz. (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. table salt
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 cups (about 1 lb.) room-temperature blueberries, washed and drained on paper towels
3 medium peaches (about 1 lb.), halved, pitted, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch square metal or ceramic baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp. of the salt. With your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture readily clumps together when pressed. Mix in the pecans.

In a large bowl, toss the blueberries and peaches. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the cornstarch, nutmeg, and the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and toss this mixture with the fruit.

Spread the fruit into the prepared baking pan. Pressing the streusel into small lumps, sprinkle it over the fruit. Bake until the fruit is bubbling in the center and the topping is crisp and well browned, 45 to 50 minutes.

Cool slightly and serve warm.

Serving suggestions: ...serve with vanilla-bean ice cream.

6 servings.

From Fine Cooking 93, pp. 72

http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/peach-blueberry-crisp-pecan-topping.aspx

 
REC: Tons Of Blueberry Coffee Cake - T&T

This is delicious - have made it many times.
I added 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the batter, plus I increased the cinnamon and decreased the brown sugar in the topping.

Update: The last time I made this, I used frozen cherries, unthawed, chopped very coarsely, ie, in quarters.

TONS OF BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter (I used unsalted)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk, plus 2 tablespoons milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries (I used frozen, unthawed)

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used 7 Tbsp dark brown sugar)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used 1 Tbsp)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I omitted this)
3 tablespoons butter (I used cold, unsalted, cut into small pieces)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9 inch springform pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl (of electric mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine (first three) topping ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly -- then add nuts. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake for 45 minutes (I baked about 50 - 55 minutes), or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool. (I set the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes, released the pan sides, then cooled completely on the rack).

From the poster: "I like to remove cake to cake plate and dust with powdered sugar." (I omitted this).

12 servings (I made 10 servings)

Edited from Recipezaar

http://www.recipezaar.com/117026

 
REC: Carrot Confit - T&T

Excellent.

CARROT CONFIT

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt
1 pound medium carrots
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Garnish: 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro, optional

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium skillet, combine the orange juice with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the orange zest, cumin seeds, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and simmer over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the carrots, then cover and cook until the carrots are very tender but still hold their shape, about 45 minutes. Transfer the carrots to a plate and keep warm. Increase the heat to high and simmer the sauce until reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the orange sauce.

From RED SNAPPER WITH CARROT CONFIT AND BAKED LEMON
By Jean-Georges Vongerichten

 
REC: Parmesan Green Beans - T

PARMESAN GREEN BEANS

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb green beans
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (I used about 1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I crushed them first, then chopped)
3 shallots, minced (I omitted these)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Snap ends off green beans, and cook. (I steamed them)
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and shallots and cook to soften.
4. Toss with cooked green beans.
5. Add Parmesan and toss.
6. Serve immediately.

Makes: 4 servings

 
REC: Blue Cheese Broiled Tomatoes - T&T

These are fantastic and very easy to make. I used a little more black pepper and a little less salt.

BLUE CHEESE BROILED TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS:

4 large Tomatoes (I used plum tomatoes, about 7 large)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt (I used 1/8 tsp)
dash pepper (I used more)
1 cup soft bread crumbs (I used fine dry breadcrumbs)
2 tbs melted butter
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used a little more)

*(Note: Second time I made this, I preheated oven to 350 F. Placed tomatoes with blue cheese topping on baking sheet lined with foil, then baked about 5 minutes on lower middle oven rack, until the tomatoes were just heated through. I then turned on the broiler and broiled a few minutes, until the topping was golden brown).

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut stems off tomatoes and cut each tomato into two thick slices (in half). Put on broiler rack.
2. Combine sugar, basil, salt and pepper and sprinkle little of mixture on each tomato slice.
3. Add bread crumbs to melted butter and toss lightly with a fork. Add blue cheese and toss again lightly. Spoon on tomato slices and slip under broiler until crumbs are nicely browned, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Recipezaar - Posted by Leslie O

http://www.recipezaar.com/43913

 
REC: Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

These are great! I rubbed the mushrooms with a little salt to give them extra flavor.

SPINACH STUFFED MUSHROOMS

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
24 large mushrooms, stems removed and stems chopped, set aside
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onions, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups spinach, finely chopped (I used about 2 cups, packed)
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Oil a cookie sheet with 1 tbsp oil, and place mushroom caps face up on it.
3. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat, and allow to melt. Add onions and thyme.
4. When onions begin to brown, add chopped mushroom stems, spinach, and bread crumbs.
5. Continue to cook until tender, and moisture has evaporated, approximately 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat. Add parmesan, salt & pepper, stir well.
7. Stuff each mushroom with filling - use all the filling.
8. Sprinkle oil over the caps. (The recipe does not indicate how much oil, so I drizzled a small amount).
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

6 servings or 24 mushroom caps

Adapted from Bergy -Recipezaar

 
Michael, these other recipes looks great too...mmm...Walnut, Arugula and Gorgonzola Crostini.

 
Salade de Concombres Et Chevre (Cucumber and Goat Cheese Salad) T&T

Love this!

SALADE DE CONCOMBRES ET CHEVRE (CUCUMBER AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, cored and coarsely cubed
1/4 lb (4 oz) goat cheese, crumbled
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp water
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil (I use extra virgin)
2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped (I use flat leaf)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In salad bowl, combine cucumbers, tomato, and goat cheese. (Or can add part of the goat cheese and save the rest to crumble over the top after tossing salad).

2. In mixing bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, water, salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. (Or blend all ingredients except oil in food processor, then slowly add olive oil with machine running).

3. Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss well. Sprinkle with parsley (and crumble over remaining goat cheese if you have some reserved), and serve. (I like to chill it before serving).

4 servings.

Edited from Pierre Franey's "Cooking In France"

 
This was an easy app for a dinner party last night-Bake Olive Appetizer

Baked Olive Antipasto
8 ounces mixed Italian olives, drained
1 (14-ounce) jar/can artichoke hearts, rinsed and chopped coarsely
1 (10-ounce) jar roasted peppers, drained and cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves fresh garlic, sliced thinly
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
4 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cubed
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine everything except cheese into shallow baking dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Stir in mozzarella. Bake in oven for 5 minutes. Serve with toasted bread.
Makes 12 servings.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top