Mary’s Birthday Dinner
Edit: Chicken Wellington recipe was corrected.
Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Caprese Salad on Sticks
Frico
Pear, Port and Parsnip Soup garnished with Stilton
Chicken Wellington
Mushroom Parmentier
Caramelized Pearl Onions
Steamed Asparagus
Champagne BlueBerry Fool
Cookies
Salt and Pepper Shrimp (A Laura Calder Recipe)
Yield: 6
Ingredients:
Salt and Pepper Shrimp
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 24 x medium shrimp (thawed are fine), peeled
* 1 tsp coarse sea salt or fleur de sel
* 1 tbsp mixed peppercorns (especially pink and black), cracked
Directions:
Salt and Pepper Shrimp
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shrimp, tossing the pan to coat, then immediately add the salt and pepper. Keep tossing until the shrimp have turned pink and curled, 2 to 3 minutes. Slide onto a plate, pierce with toothpicks, and serve straight away.
Skewered Caprese Salad
A Buitoni Recipe
A fun twist on this Italian favorite that looks as good as it tastes. Fresh mozzarella, perfectly ripe tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil are essential to this simple salad.
Estimated Time(s):
Preparation Time: 20 min
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes 2 ounces fresh basil leaves, remove stems 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 24 8-inch wooden skewers
Instructions:
To assemble skewers, alternate tomatoes (cut side facing up), mozzarella, and basil leaves, until skewers are covered. Arrange attractively on large platter. Drizzle skewers lightly with oil. Repeat with balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Serving Size: 8
Parmesan Crisps and Baskets (Frico)
8 ounces freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano, Montasio, or Asiago cheese*
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
* Use a stainless-steel grater, preferably one with small perforations or slits of half-moon-like cutting edges using largest holes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a lightly greased baking sheet with parchment paper or line a large baking sheet with a nonstick liner (such as a silpat). NOTE: I prefer using the silpat.
Spoon level tablespoon-size mounds 4-inches apart on baking sheet; gently spread or pat mounds into 3 1/2-inch long ovals in an even thickness with your fingers. NOTE: If you make them too thick they will be chewy rather than crispy, and if you brown them too much they will taste bitter. I also find it easier to make a small batch at a time, 6 to 8 on a baking sheet. This allows me to work with them while they are still warm.
Bake approximately 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and any bubbles that form turn into a crunchy light golden crust. Your wafers should be golden in color and lacy in appearance.
Remove from oven and cool crisps completely on baking sheet. Remove crisps carefully with thin metal spatula to paper towels to drain.
Store between layers of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
VARIATIONS:
Rosemary Parmesan Crisps - Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves to the grated parmesan cheese.
Cumin Parmesan Crisps - Add 1 teaspoon cumin, caraway, or fennel seeds.
Nut Parmesan Crisps - Sprinkle the top of each cheese circle with a little chopped nuts (of your choice). Bake as above.
Pear, Port and Potato Soup with Stilton
Holiday 2000 LCBO Magazine
By: Lucy Waverman
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
3 Bosc or Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) white Port
6 cups (1.5 L) chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup (250 mL) chopped onion
3 leeks, white part only, cleaned and chopped
1⁄4 cup (50 mL) chopped celery
2 cups (500 mL) peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes or carrots
1⁄4 cup (50 mL) whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 oz (125 g) Stilton cheese, crumbled
1. Melt butter in a skillet on medium heat. When butter sizzles add pears and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender and browned. Add Port and bring to boil. Reserve Port and pears.
2. Add stock to large pot. Add onion, leeks, celery and potatoes. Bring to boil on medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Add pears and Port and cook together 5 more minutes.
3. Purée in food processor or blender until smooth. Return to pot, add cream, season with salt and pepper and simmer together for 5 minutes to blend flavours.
4. Serve topped with cheese.
Serves 6 to 8
Chicken Wellington
4 chicken boneless and skinless chicken breasts
6 leaves of phyllo
melted butter
For the filling:
4 ounces goat cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup roasted pecan pieces
2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt and pepper
Process all ingredients until grainy. Makes about 1 cup.
* 1 tbsp butter
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or 8 skinless, boneless thighs
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 tbsp chopped basil leaves
* 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
To cook the chicken:
1. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat
2. Add chicken and sauté until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side
3. Pour in chicken broth, then scrape up and stir in any brown bits from pan bottom.
4. Sprinkle with basil, pepper and generous pinches of salt.
5. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low.
7. Simmer, covered, turning halfway through, until chicken feels springy when pressed, about 10 minutes.
8. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
9. Increase heat to high.
10. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 6-8 minutes.
11. Lower heat and add 1/2 cup heavy cream and cook till sauce is thickened.
Cool chicken and refrigerate till needed.
Cool sauce; refrigerate until needed
Assembly
1. Cut phyllo leaves in half.
2. Place a phyllo leaf on the counter, short side toward you. Brush with melted butter. Place a seond leaf of phyllo on top. Brush with melted butter. Repeat till you have a stack of 3sheets of phyllo.
3. Place a chicken breast at the bottom of the phyllo stack, centred.
4. Spread 2 tbsps of the goat cheese mixture over the breast.
5. Bring sides of the phyllo across the chicken breast and roll to make a neat package.
6. Place roll onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with PAM.
7. Repeat for all breasts.
8. Give the rolls one final brushing with melted butter.
Baking:
1. While preparing the rolls, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place pan of chicken breasts in oven.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until phyllo is nicely golden.
Serving:
1. Remove chicken from the oven and allow to rest. Meanwhile gently heat the sauce and place in a gravy boat.
2. Plate the Chicken Wellington along with your sides. Allow guests to serve themselves some of the sauce.
Mushroom Parmentier
Yield: 6
Ingredients:
Mushrooms
* 2 pounds mushrooms
* 3 tbsp butter
* 2 tbsp olive oil, more as needed
* 1 x large red onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic
* A handful of chopped fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 cup red wine
* 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
* Salt and pepper
* 1 tbsp flour
* A handful chopped fresh parsley
Potato Topping
* 6 x medium floury potatoes, such as Yukon gold
* 2 to 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup milk
* Salt and pepper
* 4 ounces Comté or gruyere cheese, cut into very fine dice
* 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Mushrooms
1. Clean and quarter the mushrooms. Heat just two tablespoons of the butter with one tablespoon of the olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until cooked and golden. Remove. Heat the other spoonful of olive oil (adding more if you need it) and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic for one minute. Deglaze with the wine and reduce to no more than a spoonful. Add the stock, the thyme, and the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the stock has reduced by half. Knead together the flour with the last tablespoon of butter and stir it in. Cook until the liquid has thickened to a sauce, a matter of minutes. Stir through the parsley. Spoon the mixture into a gratin dish.
Potato Topping
1. Steam the potatoes in a covered saucepan with about an inch-2.5-cm water in the bottom, until very tender. Mash with the butter and milk until very smooth, adding more milk if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Stir through the diced cheese. Distribute evenly over the mushroom mixture, and smooth with the back of the spoon (if you want to be very retro-housewife, make patterns with the tines of a fork or make waves with a spoon.) Sprinkle over the Parmesan.
2. Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Bake the gratin until bubbling hot and golden on top, about 15 minutes.
Caramelized Shallots (I used pearl onions)
Ina Garten
6 Tbls. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 pounds fresh shallots, peeled with roots intact
(they should all be of comparable size)
3 Tbls sugar
3 Tbls good red wine vinegar (or Balsamic)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbls chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. (I found 15 minutes was plenty but I also did them on the stove-top a bit longer too.) Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot on the side.
Champagne and Blueberry Fool (LCBO FLCBO Food & Drink)
1 cup frozen blueberries (I used fresh)
1/4 cup champagne or sparkling wine
1 cup cold whipping crea.
3 tbsp icing sugar
coarse sugar
1. Combine blueberries and champagne in a bowl.
2. Cover and let stand about 1 hour, or until thawed.
3. Mashy lightly with a fork.
4. Using a straight-sided bowl, beat the whipping cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form.
5. Fold about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the blueberry mixture until well incorporated.
6. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, leaving streaks.
7. Spoon into champagne flutes or other serving glasses.
8. Cover loosely and chill until ready to serve.
9. When serving, sprinkle with a few frozen blueberries and coarse sugar.
Edit: Chicken Wellington recipe was corrected.
Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Caprese Salad on Sticks
Frico
Pear, Port and Parsnip Soup garnished with Stilton
Chicken Wellington
Mushroom Parmentier
Caramelized Pearl Onions
Steamed Asparagus
Champagne BlueBerry Fool
Cookies
Salt and Pepper Shrimp (A Laura Calder Recipe)
Yield: 6
Ingredients:
Salt and Pepper Shrimp
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 24 x medium shrimp (thawed are fine), peeled
* 1 tsp coarse sea salt or fleur de sel
* 1 tbsp mixed peppercorns (especially pink and black), cracked
Directions:
Salt and Pepper Shrimp
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shrimp, tossing the pan to coat, then immediately add the salt and pepper. Keep tossing until the shrimp have turned pink and curled, 2 to 3 minutes. Slide onto a plate, pierce with toothpicks, and serve straight away.
Skewered Caprese Salad
A Buitoni Recipe
A fun twist on this Italian favorite that looks as good as it tastes. Fresh mozzarella, perfectly ripe tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil are essential to this simple salad.
Estimated Time(s):
Preparation Time: 20 min
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes 2 ounces fresh basil leaves, remove stems 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 24 8-inch wooden skewers
Instructions:
To assemble skewers, alternate tomatoes (cut side facing up), mozzarella, and basil leaves, until skewers are covered. Arrange attractively on large platter. Drizzle skewers lightly with oil. Repeat with balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Serving Size: 8
Parmesan Crisps and Baskets (Frico)
8 ounces freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano, Montasio, or Asiago cheese*
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
* Use a stainless-steel grater, preferably one with small perforations or slits of half-moon-like cutting edges using largest holes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a lightly greased baking sheet with parchment paper or line a large baking sheet with a nonstick liner (such as a silpat). NOTE: I prefer using the silpat.
Spoon level tablespoon-size mounds 4-inches apart on baking sheet; gently spread or pat mounds into 3 1/2-inch long ovals in an even thickness with your fingers. NOTE: If you make them too thick they will be chewy rather than crispy, and if you brown them too much they will taste bitter. I also find it easier to make a small batch at a time, 6 to 8 on a baking sheet. This allows me to work with them while they are still warm.
Bake approximately 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and any bubbles that form turn into a crunchy light golden crust. Your wafers should be golden in color and lacy in appearance.
Remove from oven and cool crisps completely on baking sheet. Remove crisps carefully with thin metal spatula to paper towels to drain.
Store between layers of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
VARIATIONS:
Rosemary Parmesan Crisps - Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves to the grated parmesan cheese.
Cumin Parmesan Crisps - Add 1 teaspoon cumin, caraway, or fennel seeds.
Nut Parmesan Crisps - Sprinkle the top of each cheese circle with a little chopped nuts (of your choice). Bake as above.
Pear, Port and Potato Soup with Stilton
Holiday 2000 LCBO Magazine
By: Lucy Waverman
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
3 Bosc or Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) white Port
6 cups (1.5 L) chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup (250 mL) chopped onion
3 leeks, white part only, cleaned and chopped
1⁄4 cup (50 mL) chopped celery
2 cups (500 mL) peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes or carrots
1⁄4 cup (50 mL) whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 oz (125 g) Stilton cheese, crumbled
1. Melt butter in a skillet on medium heat. When butter sizzles add pears and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender and browned. Add Port and bring to boil. Reserve Port and pears.
2. Add stock to large pot. Add onion, leeks, celery and potatoes. Bring to boil on medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Add pears and Port and cook together 5 more minutes.
3. Purée in food processor or blender until smooth. Return to pot, add cream, season with salt and pepper and simmer together for 5 minutes to blend flavours.
4. Serve topped with cheese.
Serves 6 to 8
Chicken Wellington
4 chicken boneless and skinless chicken breasts
6 leaves of phyllo
melted butter
For the filling:
4 ounces goat cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup roasted pecan pieces
2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt and pepper
Process all ingredients until grainy. Makes about 1 cup.
* 1 tbsp butter
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or 8 skinless, boneless thighs
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 tbsp chopped basil leaves
* 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
To cook the chicken:
1. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat
2. Add chicken and sauté until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side
3. Pour in chicken broth, then scrape up and stir in any brown bits from pan bottom.
4. Sprinkle with basil, pepper and generous pinches of salt.
5. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low.
7. Simmer, covered, turning halfway through, until chicken feels springy when pressed, about 10 minutes.
8. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
9. Increase heat to high.
10. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 6-8 minutes.
11. Lower heat and add 1/2 cup heavy cream and cook till sauce is thickened.
Cool chicken and refrigerate till needed.
Cool sauce; refrigerate until needed
Assembly
1. Cut phyllo leaves in half.
2. Place a phyllo leaf on the counter, short side toward you. Brush with melted butter. Place a seond leaf of phyllo on top. Brush with melted butter. Repeat till you have a stack of 3sheets of phyllo.
3. Place a chicken breast at the bottom of the phyllo stack, centred.
4. Spread 2 tbsps of the goat cheese mixture over the breast.
5. Bring sides of the phyllo across the chicken breast and roll to make a neat package.
6. Place roll onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with PAM.
7. Repeat for all breasts.
8. Give the rolls one final brushing with melted butter.
Baking:
1. While preparing the rolls, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place pan of chicken breasts in oven.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until phyllo is nicely golden.
Serving:
1. Remove chicken from the oven and allow to rest. Meanwhile gently heat the sauce and place in a gravy boat.
2. Plate the Chicken Wellington along with your sides. Allow guests to serve themselves some of the sauce.
Mushroom Parmentier
Yield: 6
Ingredients:
Mushrooms
* 2 pounds mushrooms
* 3 tbsp butter
* 2 tbsp olive oil, more as needed
* 1 x large red onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic
* A handful of chopped fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 cup red wine
* 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
* Salt and pepper
* 1 tbsp flour
* A handful chopped fresh parsley
Potato Topping
* 6 x medium floury potatoes, such as Yukon gold
* 2 to 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup milk
* Salt and pepper
* 4 ounces Comté or gruyere cheese, cut into very fine dice
* 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Mushrooms
1. Clean and quarter the mushrooms. Heat just two tablespoons of the butter with one tablespoon of the olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until cooked and golden. Remove. Heat the other spoonful of olive oil (adding more if you need it) and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic for one minute. Deglaze with the wine and reduce to no more than a spoonful. Add the stock, the thyme, and the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the stock has reduced by half. Knead together the flour with the last tablespoon of butter and stir it in. Cook until the liquid has thickened to a sauce, a matter of minutes. Stir through the parsley. Spoon the mixture into a gratin dish.
Potato Topping
1. Steam the potatoes in a covered saucepan with about an inch-2.5-cm water in the bottom, until very tender. Mash with the butter and milk until very smooth, adding more milk if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Stir through the diced cheese. Distribute evenly over the mushroom mixture, and smooth with the back of the spoon (if you want to be very retro-housewife, make patterns with the tines of a fork or make waves with a spoon.) Sprinkle over the Parmesan.
2. Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Bake the gratin until bubbling hot and golden on top, about 15 minutes.
Caramelized Shallots (I used pearl onions)
Ina Garten
6 Tbls. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 pounds fresh shallots, peeled with roots intact
(they should all be of comparable size)
3 Tbls sugar
3 Tbls good red wine vinegar (or Balsamic)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbls chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. (I found 15 minutes was plenty but I also did them on the stove-top a bit longer too.) Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot on the side.
Champagne and Blueberry Fool (LCBO FLCBO Food & Drink)
1 cup frozen blueberries (I used fresh)
1/4 cup champagne or sparkling wine
1 cup cold whipping crea.
3 tbsp icing sugar
coarse sugar
1. Combine blueberries and champagne in a bowl.
2. Cover and let stand about 1 hour, or until thawed.
3. Mashy lightly with a fork.
4. Using a straight-sided bowl, beat the whipping cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form.
5. Fold about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the blueberry mixture until well incorporated.
6. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, leaving streaks.
7. Spoon into champagne flutes or other serving glasses.
8. Cover loosely and chill until ready to serve.
9. When serving, sprinkle with a few frozen blueberries and coarse sugar.