May 2010—Amber & Elizabeth

Sparkling Punch
Pea Pesto Crostini
Beggars Purse

Spinach Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette

Guacamole Salad
Carrots Vincenzo
Hazelnut-crusted Chicken with a Creamy Thyme Sauce

Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Pot with Shortbread Spoons
Not-So-Angelic Angel Cake


Sparkling Punch
Favorites Recipe Book

1 (2-liter) bottle of Shasta Soda—(Fresca will do however Shasta is better)
1 (12-ounce) can of Welch’s frozen grape, apple, cranberry juice

Mix with ice.


Pea Pesto Crostini
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Pesto:

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1/3 cup olive oil

Crostini:

8 (1/2-inch thick) slices whole-grain baguette or ciabatta bread, preferably day-old, * see Cook's Note
1/3 cup olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 small tomato, diced

Directions

For the pea pesto: Pulse together the peas, garlic, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

For the crostini: Preheat a stovetop griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bread to a clean surface and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prepared pesto on each slice.

Top with tomato halves and serve.

*Cook's note: If you don't have day-old bread on hand, you can dry out fresh bread by putting the slices in a preheated 300 degree F oven until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.


Beggar's Purses
Neiman Marcus cook book

2 cups drained, rinsed, and crumbled feta
1 cups Veloute sauce (recipe follows)
1 lg egg plus 2 yolks
Dash of cayenne
Dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 pkg fillo dough, thawed
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Place feta in a lard bowl and ad veloute, eggs, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cover and and chill in fridge for 1 hour.

Unfold fillo sheets on clean work surface and cover with damp paper towel. Work with 1 sheet at a time. Remove from under towel. Fold in half and brush entire top with butter. Fold in half again to create a square and brush with butter again. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of feta mixture onto center of the fillo square and pull up corners together and twist to form a little purse, pinch a little to seal it. Brush the outside with butter and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Chill 1 hour. Heat oven to 400. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot.

Veloute Sauce

(this is a mother sauce and once I made it I have found many uses for it!!)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt

Heat chicken broth in a small saucepan to a boil, add cream and return to a boil. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and gradually add the flour, stirring continuously with wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add hot broth/cream mixture to flour mixture while whisking. Bring to simmer and cook for 4 minutes, season with salt.


Spinach Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette
Cooking Light

Syrup provides body and a rich, sweet base to the dressing. Using a lighter syrup grade creates a more delicate vinaigrette. For even more maple punch, seek out maple-cured bacon, steering clear of products with imitation maple flavoring, which tends to taste artificial.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

1/4 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp minced shallots (about 1 medium)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp country-style Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped Braeburn apple
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add mushrooms and remaining ingredients; toss well to coat.


Guacamole Salad
adapted from a recipe by Ina Gardin

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers) **use 1 if you don’t like it spicy
1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Carrots Vincenzo

1 lb carrots
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic—optional
1/2 tsp. garlic Salt
1/4 tsp. ground Pepper
1 Tbsp parsley flakes

Slice carrots in processor into very thin discs. Heat oil slowly in pan with garlic, garlic salt, and add carrots. Toss in parsley. Stir carrots until all are coated. Allow carrots to cook for 1-2 minutes then stir, repeat cycle until carrots become tender. Serve hot!


Hazelnut-Crusted Chicken

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs lightly whisked
6 (organic) boneless, skinless half chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup grape seed oil

On a baking sheet, combine breadcrumbs and nuts. In a bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper, dredge the chicken, patting off excess flour. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat well with nut mixture. In a large sauté pan heat butter and oil. Sauté chicken 3-4 minutes on each side and remove to a paper towel lined oven safe platter. Allow to rest 10 minutes and serve with Creamy Thyme Sauce.

Creamy Thyme Sauce

1 cup white grape juice
1-cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp finely chopped thyme
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, combine wine, stock and shallots and reduce to 1/2 cup. Add crème fraiche and mustard; reduce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Allow plenty of time for the sauce. It takes at least half an hour for the wine and chicken stock to reduce. This is especially true when you double or triple the recipe. We always do this because everyone LOVES the sauce.

I like to get the reduction out of the way earlier in the day or the night before and then refrigerate until ready to continue.


Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Pots with Shortbread Spoons
From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor
Serves 8

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325° F.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Boiling water as needed
Sweetened whip cream (see recipe below)
Shortbread Spoons (see recipe below)

In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat before the cream starts to boil and add the chocolate, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Set aside and let cool to room temp.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking will after each addition, until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla, and salt and whisk to combine.

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the mascarpone cheese mixture and whisk gently until smooth. Put eight 4 ounces custard cups, ramekins, or small ovenproof coffee cups in an empty 9x13-inch baking pan. Divide the chocolate-cheesecake mixture among the cups.

Either put the baking dish in the oven and add boiling water reaching halfway up the custard cups or do it on the counter and move pan to oven, which ever is easier for you. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake until the tops of the cheesecakes appear solid but jiggle slightly when shaken, 30-40 minutes. The perfect consistency is a little soft, but not liquid. The cheesecake pots will firm up as they cool. Transfer the pots from the baking pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover each pot with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight before serving. The cheesecake pots can be prepared up to 2 days before serving.

Top each cheesecake pot with a dollop of whipped cream and a few chocolate curls and shortbread spoons.

Shortbread Spoons
From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-flour
1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. stir in the vanilla. add the flour and salt and stir together until the mixture forms a soft dough. Pat the dough, into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to one week.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out 1/4-inch thick and cut into 4-inch spoons (see footnote). Place the shortbread spoons on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until cold and very firm, 45 to 60 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300°. Remove the shortbread spoons from the refrigerator and immediately place in the oven. Bake until the edges of the cookies are a pale, golden brown but the centers are still very pale, 25-30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool slightly. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to the wire racks and let cool to room temp. Store the cookies, tightly covered at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Spoons: if you can’t find a spoon shaped cookie cutter, then use a small, sharp paring knife to cut these spoons freehand from the rolled-out dough. Use a small spoon (I like the size of infant feeding spoons) on the dough to use as a template. Chill the cutout cookies until very firm and cold they will hold their shape better as they cook.


Sweetened Whipped Cream
From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor
Makes 2 cups

1 cup heavy cream
2-3 tsp granulated or confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place a mixing bowl and mixer beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl and beat, using an electric mixer set at medium–low speed, until the cream starts to thicken. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until the cream nearly doubles in volume and forms soft peaks.


Not-So-Angelic Angel-Pie
From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor
Serves 8

For the pie shell:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (if desired)
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
6 large egg whites, at room temp
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the filling:

2 cups heavy cream, chilled
2/3-cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, or fresh raspberries

Line a large baking sheet (not an air-cushioned one) with parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with cornstarch. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

To make the pie shell: In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, nuts, and chocolate until completely combined. Set aside.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer set at low speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Add the salt, increase the speed to medium-high, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Continue beating, adding the sugar to the egg whites 1 Tablespoon at a time until stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.

Fold a large dollop of the egg whites into the crumb mixture to lighten it. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the crumb mixture just until combined, being careful not to deflate them. Do not over mix.

Spoon the entire mixture onto the baking sheet and, using a metal spatula, quickly spread into an 8 – 10 inch round. Bake until pie is puffy and golden with a crisp outer shell, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the filling: combine the chilled cream, 1/3 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, and the vanilla in a bowl. Using and electric mixer set at medium speed, beat until the cream holds firm peaks.

When ready to serve, carefully peel the pie shell from the parchment and place on a serving plate. Fill the serving plate. Fill the center of the shell with the whipped cream. Mix the strawberries with the remaining 1/3-cup confectioners’ sugar and pile on top of the cream. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.