Starters:
Pears, glazed walnuts and goat cheese drizzled with blueberry vinegar
Spanish cheeses (Manchego and Mahon (yum!)
Hummus
Mini Baguette, toasted with olive oil
Assorted olives
Main Course:
Paella
Lemony Avocado Salad
(moved starters to center of table for continued snacking)
Dessert:
Gelato - would recommend something else, but that worked
Monday, January 11, 2010
Buttercream Dream Icing
Ingredients:
1 stick salted butter - room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter - room temperature
1 cup shortening
1 tablespoon Clear Vanilla extract
2 pounds confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar, 10x)
4-6 tablespoons very cold milk
Directions
Cream the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the clear vanilla extract and combine well. Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, begin adding the very cold milk... one tablespoon at a time, combining very well after each addition (mixer on medium-high to high speed) until you reach the desired consistency.
1 stick salted butter - room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter - room temperature
1 cup shortening
1 tablespoon Clear Vanilla extract
2 pounds confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar, 10x)
4-6 tablespoons very cold milk
Directions
Cream the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the clear vanilla extract and combine well. Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, begin adding the very cold milk... one tablespoon at a time, combining very well after each addition (mixer on medium-high to high speed) until you reach the desired consistency.
Pear Salad
Ingredients:
2 pears
2 TBSP lemon olive oil
1 TBSP blueberry vinegar
Slice one pear into thin slices. Sprinkle generously with goat cheese. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over pear, goat cheese mixture.
2 pears
2 TBSP lemon olive oil
1 TBSP blueberry vinegar
Slice one pear into thin slices. Sprinkle generously with goat cheese. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over pear, goat cheese mixture.
Lemon Avocado
2 whole avocado, sliced
1 TBSP lemon olive oil
1/4 lemon
salt and pepper
Slice avocado and spread on plate. Squeeze lemon over avocado. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
1 TBSP lemon olive oil
1/4 lemon
salt and pepper
Slice avocado and spread on plate. Squeeze lemon over avocado. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Cashew Salmon with Apricot Couscous
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
3 scallions, sliced, greens and whites separated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 pound salmon fillet, preferably wild Pacific, skinned and cut into 4 portions
1/4 cup chopped toasted cashews (see Tip)
1. Preheat grill to medium-high or position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
2. Combine yogurt, scallion greens, lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add apricots, ginger, scallion whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
4. Meanwhile, rub salmon with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. If broiling, coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. If grilling, oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill or broil the salmon until browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with the couscous, topped with the yogurt sauce and cashews.
Makes 4 servings.
Tips:
* To toast chopped cashews, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
* To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
3 scallions, sliced, greens and whites separated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 pound salmon fillet, preferably wild Pacific, skinned and cut into 4 portions
1/4 cup chopped toasted cashews (see Tip)
1. Preheat grill to medium-high or position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
2. Combine yogurt, scallion greens, lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add apricots, ginger, scallion whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
4. Meanwhile, rub salmon with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. If broiling, coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. If grilling, oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill or broil the salmon until browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with the couscous, topped with the yogurt sauce and cashews.
Makes 4 servings.
Tips:
* To toast chopped cashews, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
* To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
Peppermint Bark
Peppermint Bark
12 oz chocolate chips
1 pound white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup peppermint candy, crushed
Preheat oven to 250. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler
or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don’t let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. You can use your microwave for this if you’re brave! Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract. Let cool a little bit so it doesn’t melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top. Pour this over chocolate layer, and, working quickly, spread to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy.
Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges. Cut into 2” wide strips. Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.
Tips from Rita's Kitchen for Perfect Bark:
1. Don't make the layers too thin as this can cause the layers to separate.
2. Take the bottom layer out of the frig a few minutes prior to spreading the top layer. Sometimes if the bottom is too cold, the top will set but may not bond completely with the bottom.
3. If there's condensation on the bottom when you remove it from the frig, sometimes this prevents the top from sticking to it, as well.
4. I use white chocolate chips that contain cocoa butter, which are good quality chips. Read the label as the kind of white chocolate you use may affect the bonding. I also use a good quality (Kroger brand) semisweet chocolate chips - again, read labels - the label should say they are real chocolate, not "chocolate flavored". I have used the white and chocolate flavored "barks" that are sold in blocks with success when I make a one layer bark. For multiple layer barks, I like to use real chocolate.
5. Let the bark sit out a few minutes before you try to cut or break it apart.
12 oz chocolate chips
1 pound white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup peppermint candy, crushed
Preheat oven to 250. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler
or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don’t let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. You can use your microwave for this if you’re brave! Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract. Let cool a little bit so it doesn’t melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top. Pour this over chocolate layer, and, working quickly, spread to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy.
Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges. Cut into 2” wide strips. Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.
Tips from Rita's Kitchen for Perfect Bark:
1. Don't make the layers too thin as this can cause the layers to separate.
2. Take the bottom layer out of the frig a few minutes prior to spreading the top layer. Sometimes if the bottom is too cold, the top will set but may not bond completely with the bottom.
3. If there's condensation on the bottom when you remove it from the frig, sometimes this prevents the top from sticking to it, as well.
4. I use white chocolate chips that contain cocoa butter, which are good quality chips. Read the label as the kind of white chocolate you use may affect the bonding. I also use a good quality (Kroger brand) semisweet chocolate chips - again, read labels - the label should say they are real chocolate, not "chocolate flavored". I have used the white and chocolate flavored "barks" that are sold in blocks with success when I make a one layer bark. For multiple layer barks, I like to use real chocolate.
5. Let the bark sit out a few minutes before you try to cut or break it apart.
Butterscotch Sauce
* 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
* 2/3 cup light corn syrup
* 1/4 cup butter
* 2/3 cup evaporated milk
* 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan combine sugar, syrup, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Allow to boil, without stirring, for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine evaporated milk, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir into the slightly cooled sauce.
Pour into jars, cover, and refrigerate. Place jar in a pan of warm water to reheat.
Makes 2 cups of butterscotch sauce.
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