Gourmet Girls

Just in Time for Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

I know I say this almost every time the Gourmet Girls girls get together, but seriously this was one of the most fabulous meals we have had in the past five years! (Yes, August marked the 5 year anniversary of the Gourmet Girls!) We dinned on Tuesday, November 15 at Miss Raquel's home. Raquel always puts together the most exquisite table decor. She is so talented and so creative., and always has the perfect table for the season. We started the evening off with an appetizer by Jodi, Cheesy Roasted Red Pepper Dip with french baguettes from Our Best Bites (you can find it on their blog or in their cookbook). Next was Bridget's Pear and Blue Cheese Salad, also from Our Best Bites. Andrea arrived with two different types of rolls, No Knead Dinner Rolls by Martha Stewart and Thanksgiving Bread (I'm making it this afternoon from Taste of Home. After we had stuffed ourselves with appetizers, salad and bread, we served up Raquel's Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Preserves (Pioneer Woman), LS's Sweet Potato Gratin (I'm still dreaming about this), a Williams-Somoma Recipe, and Lara's southern flair on stuffing, Cornbread Stuffing (a family recipe). And then to finish the night off, Lynley treated us to a beautiful and delicious cake layered with chocolate cake, cream cheese and chocolate frosting, a Lion House recipe. See those beautifully wrapped packages in front of each place setting? Scroll to the bottom of this post to find out what was inside!

Andrea, Jodi & Bridget

Jodi, Raquel, LS & Andrea

Cheesy Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

No Knead Dinner Rolls

and

Thanksgiving Bread

The first course- salad and bread

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Preserves

Sweet Potato Gratin

Cornbread Stuffing

8 cups cornbread, crumbled - 2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix works great

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup celery, diced

3/4 cup butter

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 eggs, beaten

2-3 cups chicken broth

1 tsp seasoning salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp sage

1 tsp poultry seasoning

Make and bake cornbread mix according to package, then crumble until you have 8 cups (2 boxes in a 9x13 pan will make 8 cups). You can make the cornbread the night before - just keep it covered.

Melt butter in skillet and simmer the onion and celery until soft. Combine all ingredients with celery and onion (only using 1 cups of chicken broth). Put in lightly greased 9x13 dish. Lara pours 2 cups more chicken broth over the dish before baking so dressing will be moist.

Bake for 20-30 minutes at 450 degrees.

Mid meal-shot of LS, Jodi & Lara

Mid-meal shot of Bridget, Raquel & Lynley

(oh . . . and Miss Scarlet)

Chocolate Cake

Slice of chocolate cake

Check out those gorgeous layers!

Sweet Home Alabama

2011-11-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

The gourmet girls met on Tuesday, October 25 for another fabulous evening of food and friends! (I know, it's about time I get this post up!) We met at Lara's for a good 'ol southern meal. Lara grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and wanted to share some of her southern cuisine with us. Boy are we glad she did! We started the evening out with Antipasto Kabobs, a recipe my sister-in-law Whitney shared with me. Our main dish was Shrimp and Grits by Lara; YUM! LS decided to stick with the theme for her side dish and favored us with Fried Green Tomatoes, fresh from her garden! She served an Onion Relish to go with. Lynley provided some delicious orange rolls and Jodi made Black and White Brownies, complete with ghost decorations on top! Unfortunately Raquel and Andrea weren't able to join us. Stay tuned for our next gourmet gathering on Tuesday, November 15!

Antipasto Kabobs

1 9 oz package of Three Cheese Tortellini (I used Buitoni, but Costco has better tortellini) cooked to package directions
Grape or cherry tomatoes (I used grape)
1 can Medium or Large pitted Black Olives (I used extra large)
1 5.75 oz jar Green Olives (I used the pimento stuffed ones)
2 12 oz containers of marinated mozzarella balls (I just bought the large container at Costco. Much more cost effective and great flavor).
30 slices of Salami, cut in half (I just bought the Kroger brand)
1 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (store bought or homemade – I made mine with ¾ cup olive oil, ¼ cup balsamic, 2 TBS brown sugar, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 2 cloves garlic minced, juice of ½ of a lemon)
Skewers (I cut mine down)

Place the cooked tortellini in a bowl or large gallon freeze bag. Pour the salad dressing over the top and marinade in the fridge for a few hours (I did mine overnight). Drain the pasta. Place one of each item onto the skewer using the pointy side. This can be made a few hours in advance. Just cover tightly and place in the refrigerator. (I think it’s actually a better flavor if they marinate together for a few hours).

Lynley, Bridget & Jodi

Lynley helping out in the kitchen

Hostess Lara & Bridget

The table loaded up with food!

Shrimp and Grits

Fried Green Tomatoes

Onion Relish to go with the Fried Green Tomatoes

2 white onions, diced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Rhodes Orange Rolls

(We'll forgive Lynley since she recently had major surgery, plus they're delicious!)

Black and White Brownies

Brownie Layer

1 pound butter, softened

4 cups sugar

1 cup cocoa

2 tsp salt

6 eggs

4 tsp vanilla

3 cups four

Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in remaining ingredients in order listed. Bake in greased jellyroll pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Vanilla Butter Cream Layer

1 cup butter, softened

4-6 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar

1/2 cup cream

2 tsp vanilla

For the vanilla butter cream layer:

Cream the butter thoroughly with an electric mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar alternately with the cream. Add the vanilla and beat until very light and fluffy. Spread evenly over the cooled brownie layer. Chill in the refrigerator at least 10 minutes.

Topping

1 cube + 1 TBS butter

1 TBS vanilla

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter and chocolate chips. Add vanilla. Pour over cold brownies, tipping pan to cover evenly. To cut brownies use a very sharp thin bladed knife.

An Evening in Venice

2011-09-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

And yet another gourmet success! The Gourmet Girls met on Tuesday, September 20 at Laura Steven's (LS) home just two days after her return from Italy. Naturally she had to try out some of her new Italian cuisine on us! Unfortunately Raquel was detained and work and unable to join us. So, we started the night off with soup, salad, and bread. Andrea favored us with Sweet Pea Soup (Emeril Lagasse). I don't even like peas and this soup was delicious! Lara made a Rich & Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing which she served over wedge salads with fresh tomatoes and freshly ground pepper. True to form, Jodi stuck with the theme and made loaves of delicious Italian Bread. Then our main dishes were ready, Mahi Mahi with a red sauce and Gnocchi over figs. Lynley made a fantastic side dish Mashed Potatoes Baked with Three Cheeses (Williams Sonoma) For desert, I dove into a new project and created four different varieties of cake bites! I'm obsessed! Once again we had a fabulous evening with food and friends!

The Cook in the Kitchen!

Andrea, Laura (LS) and Lara (LA)

Bridget, Lynley & Jodi

Sweet Pea Soup

Rich & Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Italian Bread

Mashed Potatoes with Three Cheeses

4 large russet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 1/2 oz Brie cheese, rind removed, cut into 1/2 inch dice

5 1/2 oz fresh white goat cheese, crumbled

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup whole milk, plus more if needed

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9-inch pie dish.

Pour water to a depth of 1 inch into a large pot and bring to a boil. Put the potatoes into a collapsible steamer basket and set the basket over the boiling water. (The water should not touch the bottom of the steamer basket). Cover and steam until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a small knife, about 15 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl.

Empty the pot and wipe dry. Return the potatoes to the still-hot pot. Add two-thirds of the Parmesan cheese and mash well with a potato masher. Add the 1/4 cup milk, a scant 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and mash to blend, adding more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to reach the desired consistency. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses evenly over the potatoes.

Bake the potatoes until heated through and the cheese is just beginning to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Serve at once, sprinkled with the parsley.

Gnocchi with Figs
Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of the fish!

Cake Bites Galore!

I have loved cake bites ever since my friend Karen Veranth introduced me to them at The Sweet Tooth Fairy! So the thought of creating my own was so exciting I could hardly stand it! I finally bought the book I'd had my eye on for the past month - (101 Cake Bites by Wendy Paul) and dove into the process! I made Chocolate Cream, Lemon Cream Pie, Chocolate Peanut-Butter Cup and White Chocolate Macademia. I also dipped some vanilla cookies in chocolate and sprinkled them (something I'd seen on Good Things Utah that week - not that great.) But the cake bites were pretty heavenly! I shared the gourmet left-overs with family, friends, piano students and neighbors and it seems Chocolate Cream Pie took 1st place, with Lemon Cream Pie as a very close 2nd. For all of the cake bites, it is basically a three-step process:
1. Bake the cake
2. Combine the crumbled up cake with frosting and other ingredients until it is a dough-like consistency. Then roll into bites and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
3. Dip the bites in chocolate and decorate the tops

White Chocolate Macadamia

I loved these!

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup half-and-half

Mix together and pour into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool completely. Crumble cake into small even pieces, placing crumbs in a large bowl.

ADD:

1/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

1/3 cup white chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

With the back of a spoon, mix together, form into bites and cool in the fridge 1-2 hours or 20 min in the freezer. Dip into white melting chocolate. Drizzle with melted chocolate and/or chopped macadamia nuts.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I should have taken better notes, but I'm pretty sure I halved this recipe.

8 TBS (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3/4 TBS milk or cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

I thought these were the most difficult to make because the consistency of the dough was so sticky with the peanut butter. It was also my least favorite flavor, but others seemed to love them. You'll notice the chocolate is not very shiny and sort of dull looking. I used Gutitard Chocolate, which I purchased in a 5 lb bag at Gygi. Not sure why these are dull looking; could be I over-heated the chocolate.

1 box dark chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup half-and-half

Mix all together and pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool completely. Crumble cake into small, even pieces, placing crumbs in a large bowl.

ADD:

1 cup Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or 1 cup Peanut Butter Frosting

3 pkgs. (1.5 oz) regular-size peanut butter cups, unwrapped and coarsely chopped (I used the 4.4 oz package they carry at Wal-Mart for $1.00)

With the back of a spoon, mix together cake crumbles with other ingredients until a thick dough consistency forms. Shape into evenly sized cake bites and cool 1-2 hours in the fridge or 20 min in the freezer. Dip into melting chocolate. Drizzle with melted chocolate and/or chopped peanuts (I didn't do).

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I can't remember but I'm pretty sure I did halved this recipe.

8 TBS butter, room temperature

1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth - I used chunky)

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 TBS milk or cream

1 tsp vanilla

Lemon Cream Pie

These were probably the most time-intensive of the four recipes I did, since you have to crush the candy, make the frosting and zest a lemon. These were my personal favorite.

1 box lemon cake mix

2 TBS grated lemon zest

3 eggs

1 tsp lemon extract

3/4 cup half-and-half

Mix together cake mix, lemon zest, eggs, lemon extract, and half-and-half. Batter will be thick. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool completely. Crumble cake into small, even pieces, placing crumbs in a large bowl.

ADD:

1/3 cup crushed hard lemon candy (I used Lemonheads)

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup Lemon Buttercream Frosting

2 TBS grated lemon zest

With the back of a spoon, mix together cake crumbles with other ingredients until a thick dough consistency forms. Shape into evenly sized cake bites and cool 1-2 hours in the refrigerator (I put mine on parchment paper on a cookie sheet) or 20 minutes in the freezer. Dip into white melting chocolate. I sprinkled the tops with yellow sprinkles, which I thought made them sparkle!

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

(This is 1/4 of the recipe listed in the cookbook, which made a little more than enough for one batch of cake bites).

2 TBS butter

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 to 1 TBS milk or cream

1/2 tsp lemon extract

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer before adding the sugar or you will have a large mess to clean up. Add sugar, milk, and lemon extract. Beat frosting, starting on slow and increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy. Add more milk if frosting is too thick.

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 box chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes.

ADD:

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (I think I used a little more than 1/4 cup)

Form into cake bites and cool in the fridge 1-2 hours or 20 min in the freezer. Dip into dark melting chocolate. (I used milk chocolate.) The cookbook pictures little white swirls of frosting on the top, which I tried but was not skilled at. I'd like to give this another shot.

Chocolate Buttercream

This was the first recipe of cake bites I tried, so I made the entire recipe of frosting, however I learned quickly that the frosting recipes in this book make far too much frosting for what you need. I made two batches of cake bites with this one recipe of frosting and have more left in my fridge. You could for sure half this recipe, maybe cut it in 1/4.

8 TBS butter

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

3-4 tsp milk or cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

The chocolate I used to dip these in was Milk Chocolate Flavored Candy (specified for fondue, candymaking, desserts and fountains). It was Chocomaker brand, which I purchased at Harmons in a 2 lb bag for $7.99. I thought it tasted every bit as good as the Guittards but I thought the shiny texture was much prettier and I didn't think they had a waxy flavor, which melting chocolate sometimes does. It was $1.00 more per pound that the Guittards.

FüD Feud 2011

2011-09-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Andrea and I participated in our very first Cooking Competition! It was a complete blast! We had so much fun meeting fellow "foodies", sampling tons of delicious dishes and spending time together for five straight hours! Below is a summary of our day, complete with pictures.

The competition was held at Trolley Square and put on by Lindsey Joy Smith, who owns a company called "Feast Upon Delights" (FüD). I was so impressed with how well-organized and well put together the entire event was. She had tons of fantastic sponsors and lots of great help, including a very impressive line-up of judges. This is a picture of the check-in table as well as a view of the room where the event was held as everyone is setting up.

We arrived shortly after 9:00 and had one hour to set up or "stage" our 1 1/2 x 2 foot space on our table. This was the part we were a little nervous about, but we did just fine.

This is Lindsey welcoming everyone and giving us the run-down on the events of the day. Andrea and I met her and chatted for a bit. She is a super cool person and may find herself an invitation to one of our gourmet nights! When we arrived we each received a "goodie bag" complete with an apron, hot mits, a brownie server, a chef's hat and a copy of her book Feast. It's Sunday night at 10:00 and I've already finished this delightful little book! She has a darling wit and a fun style.

At 10:00 the judges began coming around, tasting all of our dishes. There were three judges for each of the four categories; appetizer, main, side and desert. This is me with my Marinated Cheeses, a recipe from Lara Dixon. Lara brought these to our very first gourmet night and I have loved them ever since. I make them anytime the opportunity for an appetizer arises!

Marinated Cheeses

8 oz cheddar cheese (I used Extra-Sharp Cheddar)

8 oz Cream Cheese (Andrea has convinced me that the store brand is just as good as Philadelphia).

Cut into small squares and alternate in a glass dish.

Mix the following ingredients well, pour over cheeses and marinate overnight.

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

3 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

3 TBS fresh green onions, chopped

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 cloves chopped garlic

2 oz jar pimentos (I can never find a 2 oz jar so I use 1/2 of a 4 oz jar)

For this competition I doubled the recipe, but I ran out so I should have tripled it. A single batch is usually adequate for a party or shower. I marinated the cheeses in a Tupperware dish overnight and then put together my serving dish once I arrived to the event. I'm glad I brought paper towels to clean up the extra oil on the dish! We were asked to plate three plates, one for each of the judges.

Here is a shot of Andrea's lovely plated salads, all ready for the judges!

Grapes and Pasta Salad

Dressing:

1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1 TBS lemon juice

1-2 tsp onion (grated onion)

1 tsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika

1 tsp celery

3/4 cup light vegetable or canola oil

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

12 oz bow tie pasta, cooked & well-drained

1 pound baby salad greens

1 cup seedless red or green grapes, halved

3-4 green onions cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cups toasted pine nuts

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Place 1st eight ingredients in blender and blend at medium speed until all is blended. Place in small container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a large salad bowl, combine the next 5 ingredients and toss well. Sprinkle shredded cheese over all, toss with dressing just before serving.

Andrea brought all of her salad ingredients in a cooler, in separate containers. She made a small salad for each of the judges and once the people's choice voting came around, she mixed together a huge salad in her punch bowl! I make this salad frequently and everyone always loves it! It's a unique mix with the pasta and greens and the dressing is delish!

Each contestant was given two tickets to invite guests to vote for the "People's Choice Awards". My darling sister-in law Whitney and my adorable niece Halle counted as my first guest and my cute piano mom Claudia Nielson was gracious enough to be my 2nd taster!

I thought this was one of the coolest entries there!

I definitely want to learn to make something this fancy!

I thought this display for the Asian Salmon Burgers was cool.

They ended up winning the gold medal for main dish.

This was the awards table. Each Category was awarded a gold, silver and bronze. They also awarded a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place award for "People's Choice" and then tons of raffle drawings, just for entering!

Andrea took home the bronze for the side dish category! She won $50 cash, a $25 gift certificate to California Pizza Kitchen, a cookbook Cooking with Jaxon, a bronze charger and a bottle of Martineli's! Way to go Andrea!

Andrea was so excited about her winnings! She also won a raffle drawing! A gift certificate to Whole Foods and appetizers for two at Biaggis!

Andrea and I after the Awards Ceremony!

I also won a raffle drawing! A chocolate party for eight at The Melting Pot. We both agreed we definitely want to participate again next year and hopefully all of the other gourmet girls will join us!

Taking it Spanish Style in Provo!

2011-08-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

On the evening of Tuesday, August 16, 2011 all seven of the gourmet girls joined together in Andrea's new pad in Provo for a wonderful evening of Spanish-style Tapas and more! Tapas is the name for a wide variety of appetizers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. In many cases, tapas can evolve into an entire meal, which is exactly what happened with us! Since we each have an assigned dish assignment to fill each month, we had tons of delicious food! Lara was our official appetizer and made yummy Citrus Marinated Olives (Food Network). LS made a delicious Grilled Bread and Marinated Tomato Salad (Food and Wine). Bridget baked up some "Quick Wheat Bread " (Keeping Up Cookbook). And for our official "main course" Andrea made FOUR different Tapas: Manchego Quince Skewers (Tyler Florence), Gambas al Ajillo (Recipe courtesy chef Jose Andres), Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates, and Wild Mushroom Fricassee (Rachel Ray). It was a fantastic variety and they were all amazing! Lynley was our "side dish", Jodi was "extra" and made Patatas Bravas with Chorizo - way to be official with the Spanish theme Jodi! And our desert-maker extraordinaire, Raquel spoiled us with a White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake! The only dish we didn't get a picture of was the shrimp. Oh, and Andrea also made Rosemary Lemonade! Wow. A wonderful evening was had by all with amazing food and fantastic friends in Andrea's beautiful new home.

It's a gourmet miracle!

All seven gourmet girls together at last!

Chef Jodi helping out in the kitchen!

Citrus Marinated Olives

These were Lara's appetizer. Great flavor!

Grilled Bread and Marinated Tomato Salad

This was LS's delicious salad. Her best salad creation yet!

Quick Wheat Bread

Keeping Up Cookbook

Bridget was on "rolls/bread" this month.

Though this did not remotely stick with our Spanish theme,

this bread was easy, delicious and great with salad!

4 cups wheat flour

2 cups white flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Mix together dry ingredients.

3 1/2 cups milk

1/2 white vinegar

2 teaspoons baking soda

Whisk together milk, vinegar and baking soda until light and foamy, then add dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into 2 greased bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Slice and serve warm with jam and butter.

Here is a picture of the plated salad with buttered bread on the side. YUM!

Manchego Quince Skewers

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Figs

16 large Medjool dates, pitted
16 roasted almonds (Andrea used Marcona)
Scant 1/4 cup mild goat cheese, crumbled
8 slices of bacon (about 7 ounces), halved crosswise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut a lengthwise slit in the dates. Stuff each one with an almond and about 1/2 teaspoon of the goat cheese. Pinch the dates closed. Wrap each date securely in a piece of bacon and arrange the dates, seam side down, on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Bake the stuffed dates for about 20 minutes, or until the bacon is browned and crisp; turn each date after 10 minutes. Serve the stuffed dates warm or at room temperature.

Drizzle with a balsamic vinegar reduction if desired.

MAKE AHEAD
The stuffed dates can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated for 1 day.

Wild Mushroom Fricassee

Recipe courtesy Rachel Ray

This was one of our many tapas prepared by Andrea.

Fracassee:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (Andrea used less)

1 tablespoon butter (Andrea used less)

4 Portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced

16 fresh shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped

coarse salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup beef stock or broth (Andrea used vegetable broth)

2 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into oil, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until mushrooms are all dark and tender. Add vinegar to the pan and stir to coat. The vinegar will cook away in about 1 minute. Add stock to the pan and scallions. Toss to combine.

Andrea served this over Brie cheese and the combination of the two flavors was delicious!

Lynley was our "side dish" this month.

Patatas Bravas with Chorizo

This was our "extra" dish for the evening.

Way to stick with the Spanish theme Jodi!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

This was AMAZING. I can't wait to make it for my family!

July Gourmet BBQ

2011-08-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

On the evening of July 6, 2011 five of the gourmet girls enjoyed a wonderful BBQ together at Lara's new place. We were scheduled to dine at Andrea's but due to sick children, we improvised. Lara was gracious enough to offer her home at the last minute and I had time to throw together a marinade for some meat I had recently tried. The recipe is out of Our Best Bites, my new favorite cookbook, which I now cook out of several times per week!

We started off the evening with a delicious appetizer by Lara, Asparagus Tart. LS surprised us with two salads, Cherry, Mango & Avocado Green Salad AND Potato and Feta Salad. She also brought some yummy watermelon! Jodi favored us with our "side" of Mango Quinoa Salad, found on the Best Bites blog (but not in the cookbook). Our main was Orange Tai Beef Skewers and we enjoyed dipping Herb-Rosemary Focaccia Loaves in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We finished off the night with a delicious American Flag Tart by Raquel.

The Ladies!

Asparagus Tart

1 piece of Puff Pastry (store bought is fine)

1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 bundle skinny asparagus

1 T olive oil

sea salt

crushed black pepper

Thaw the puff pastry either by placing it in the fridge overnight or by laying it on the counter, on a piece of parchment paper for about an hour. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the ends of the asparagus by 1 inch to get rid of the woody stalk. Once thawed, unfold the flaps and slightly roll out the dough to get rid of the seams. Transfer the puff pastry dough while still on the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Sprinkle half the Swiss and Parmesan on the puff pastry. Line the asparagus on top of the cheese. Scatter the rest of the cheese on top of the asparagus and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry dough as puffed and the asparagus is roasted and cooked through. Sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper before serving.

Cherry, Mango and Avocado Green Salad

8 cups mixed salad greens, divided

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped

1 small, ripe avocado, chopped

1/2 cup pitted, sliced Stemilt cherries

1/4 cup of sliced almonds

Minted Honey Vinaigrette

In a small jar, combine about 1/4 cup red wine vinaigrette, a very finely-chopped clove of garlic, the zest and juice of a lemon, a finely-chopped sprig each of fresh parsley and fresh mint, and a tablespoon of honey. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste and about 1/4 cup sunflower oil. Close the jar, and shake it up.

Mango Quinoa Salad

Potato and Feta Salad

Boil about 10 red potatoes and cool

1/2 cup basil and 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

OR 1/2 cup mint, finely chopped

3/4 cup feta

3/4 cup pitted Kalmata olives

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons course sea salt

1 Tablespoon course black pepper

Juice of 2 lemons

Mash and season to taste.

Orange Thai Beef Skewers

Click on the link about for step-by-step instructions on the Our Best Bites blog, or find on page 121 in your cookbook. I made these a few weeks ago using flank steak, and I thought they were a little tough, so I bought tri-tip this time and they were delicious!

The cookbook suggests serving these with Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice. Although we didn't serve this on the evening of July 6th, I thought I would put in a plug and a picture here. It's delicious! A great summer rice to have with a BBQ. It's nice and creamy, but not too overwhelming of a coconut taste.

Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

Rosemary Focaccia

Another fantastic recipe from Our Best Bites. If you have the cookbook, it's listed as "Herb-Rosemary Focaccia Loaves" and is on page 36. I've also included the link to their blog. Dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper. We just tore pieces off of the loaf "Macaroni Grill Style", but I suppose you could cut it. My loaves actually looked pretty similar to the picture on the Best Bites blog, but I forgot to take a picture until the 2nd loaf was half-eaten, so this was my best effort of a picture at this point! I've made it twice more since this night and it has been a hit every time! Last time I doubled the batch for my family of 7 adults and 2 bread-eating children and there was plenty.

Can't have a summer BBQ without watermelon! Thanks LS!

American Flag Tart

The perfect July desert and it tasted every bit as good as it looks! YUM!

Keeping Up With Grace

2011-06-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 21, 2011, the gourmet girls had the privilege of dining with friend and cookbook author Grace Ivory Rock. Grace kindly offered to host a dinner in her home and prepared all ELEVEN recipes herself - ten of them from either Favorites Cookbook or Keeping Up Cookbook. We enjoyed hearing about the origins of Grace's cookbooks and her love of cooking. Grace really knocked herself out and we all had a delightful evening of food and fun! One of the best parts about our meal was that everything Grace made is relatively simple (no crazy expensive ingredients you'll never use again) and I would hands down make everything she served! All recipes are pictured and listed below. If you are interested in purchasing either cookbook, please visit www.keepingupcookbook.com

Bridget , Andrea, LS, Grace, Lara & Jodi

Raquel joined us later in the evening, and unfortunately Lynley couldn't make it.

Ginger Juleps (left) and Favorite Sparkling Punch (right)

(Both in Keeping Up Cookbook, page 2)

Ginger Juleps

5 springs fresh mint, rinsed

1 cup sugar

2 cups cold water

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Stir ingredients together in a bowl, pushing on mint leaves to release flavor. Let mixture stand for at least 30 minutes. Remove mint. Fill a large pitcher or punch bowl with ice and pour in lemon juice mixture.

Add: 1 1/2 quarts ginger ale. Garnish with thin lemon slices and fresh mint leaves.

(Note: Because of all of the added sugar Grace likes to use sugar-free ginger ale. You may have to search for it a bit. She did find some at The Store, but of course it was a bit spendy.)

Favorite Sparkling Punch

2 (2-liter) bottles Diet Shasta grapefruit soda

2 (12-ounce) can frozen white grape juice, undiluted

juice of 2 limes

1/2 bag of ice

Mix with no water, just lots of ice.

(Personal Note: Anyone who has attended my parties - this is the punch I always make, although the lime juice is a new addition I'll have to try! I usually serve it in a punch bowl and I love to use the pellet ice from Sonic. You can just buy it by the bag. Grace says she sometimes buys the ice at Dan's back by the butcher).

California Roll Salad

(Keeping Up Cookbook, page 98)

1 1/2 cups long grain rice, cooked in rice cooker with 2 3/4 cups water

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

While rice cooks, bring vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil in a saucepan, stirring so sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Transfer hot rice to a large bowl. Stir in warm vinegar mixture. Let cool.

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (white or black)

2 tablespoons finely minced pickled ginger (sushi ginger)

3 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and diced

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 large avocado, diced

2-3 handfuls baby spinach, sliced into strips

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons canola oil.

Add salad ingredients to cooled rice mixture and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Wasabi Dressing:

1 tablespoon hot water

2 teaspoons wasabi (Japanese horseradish) powder

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (or 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger)

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Stir hot water and wasabi together to form a paste. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Flavor is best if dressing is allowed to sit for 15 minutes or so. Drizzle over salad prior to serving. Yum! If you like California rolls, you are going to LOVE this salad! Make it a meal by adding chilled crab or shrimp.

Kristen's Tuscan Bread Salad

(Favorites Cookbook, page 93)

1 loaf dense crusty Italian bread

1 large ball of fresh mozzarella cheese

1 large tomato

1 yellow or red pepper

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine dressing ingredients and blend well; set aside. Cut cheese, tomato and pepper into 1-inch cubes and transfer to salad bowl with chopped basil. Pour dressing over cheese and veggies to marinate while cutting and toasting bread. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and toast in oven until lightly brown. Add bread cubes to salad bowl and mix well to coat all pieces. Serve immediately.

Natalie's Speedy Rolls with Orange Glaze

(Favorites Cookbook, page 45)

2 tablespoons dry yeast

2 cups warm water, divided

1 cup instant powdered milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons slat

1/2 cup butter, softened

6 cups flour

Combine 1 cup of the warm water with the yeast; set aside. In mixing bowl, mix together the other cup of water with the powdered milk, sugar, eggs, salt, butter and 1 cup of the flour. Add the softened yeast and blend. Pour in remaining flour slowly while mixing and knead of 10 to 15 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise until double in size (about an hour). Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll each half into a large circle on a floured surface and cut with a pizza cutter or knife into 12 segments. Roll up "croissant-style" and place on greased cookie sheets. Let rise for 15 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden.

Combine for citrus glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Let the rolls cool for about 5 minutes before drizzling the glaze over the tops.

Chicken Souvlaki Sticks with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

This was the one recipe of the evening NOT from Favorites or Keeping Up.

Grace said she always likes to try one new recipe. This was a keeper!

Andrea's Tomato Pie

(Keeping Up Cookbook, page 108)

1(9-inch) unbaked pie crust (Grace loves Marie Calendars)

4-6 large ripe tomatoes

salt

8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 cup mayonnaise, regular or light (Grace loves Best Foods Light)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bake crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes and lightly salt. Place tomato slices in a colander or on a paper towel to drain. Mix together cheeses, mayonnaise and black pepper. Place repeated layers of tomatoes, green onions and basil in the pre-baked pie crust. Spoon cheese mixture on top of layer tomatoes and bake pie on a baking sheet and 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let pie cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

The Dessert Table!

French Banana Cake

(Favorites Cookbook, page 202)

This cake is amazing! I just made it for my family two weeks ago. And Jodi actually made it for gourmet night in July of 2008. We both did 9-inch rounds and layers it, but the bundt was so pretty! Grace sprinkled sanding sugar on the top to give it a sparkling finish!

2/3 cup water

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 package white cake mix

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups very ripe bananas, mashed

2/3 cup walnuts, optional (Grace omitted)

Mix water, vinegar and soda. Combine with cake mix and eggs. Stir until moistened. Scrape bowl with spatula. Add mashed bananas. Beat with electric mixer 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour into greased and floured 9"x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minute (or until toothpick comes out clean). Frost, when cooled, with Creamy Butter Frosting.

Chicago Chocolate Cinnamon Cake

(Favorite Cookbook, page 204)

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1/4 cup cocoa

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

Mix flour and sugar in a large bowl. Bring 2 cups butter, 1/4 cup cocoa and water to a boil in saucepan. Pour over flour mixture and mix well. Add buttermilk, soda, cinnamon, one teaspoon vanilla, eggs and salt and mix well. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Grace used a bundt pan).

Glaze:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup cocoa

6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Bring 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup cocoa, milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla to a boil in saucepan; remove from heat. Add powdered sugar gradually, mixing until of spreading consistency. Stir in pecans, if desired. Pour over warm cake.

NOTE: If you have the very first edition of Favorites, which was printed before Grace moved to Chicago, this recipe is not in your book. This was added to the 2nd edition and came from the Chicago Jr League Cookbook!

Sherry Cake

(Keeping Up, page 190)

1 package yellow cake mix

1 (5.1 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup cream sherry

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine ingredients in a mixer and blend well. Pour into a well-greased bundt pan and bake at 300 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan. Allow cake to cool completely (flavor is best a few hours later). Dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

Lemon Ice-Cream

(Favorites Cookbook, page 213 )

2 quarts whole milk

1 pint whipping cream

4 cups sugar

Combine ingredients in ice-cream freezer and let churn for about 5 minutes. Open and add:

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 Tablespoon lemon extract

Continue running ice cream freezer until it stops and ice cream is frozen.

As if we did not have enough deserts, Grace broke out the lemon ice-cream! We loved this because it wasn't a sorbet, it was ICE-CREAM!

More Great Finds!

2011-06-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

I have been having so much fun trying so many new recipes this summer! Monday night I made Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas and tonight I tried Shauna Lake's Chinese Chicken Salad, both from Keeping Up Cookbook and both fantastic! I halved the enchilada recipe and baked them in an 8 x 8 square Pyrex dish for just the two of us. Here is the recipe and a picture of the Chinese Chicken Salad from tonight.

5 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce (I just chopped it. I did about 1 and 1/2 heads, but would definitely do at least 2 full heads next time)

1 package oriental-flavored ramen noodles, flavor packet discarded

2 cups diced and cooked chicken (I baked 2 large breasts)

1 (11-ounce) can white shoe-peg corn, drained

1 large tomato, diced

2 green onions, chopped (I used 3)

1/2 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Dressing:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 cup oil

I baked the chicken and chopped everything up early this morning. I stored each ingredient in their individual containers in the fridge all day. When I was ready for dinner I threw everything in together and tossed with the dressing. Five of us cleaned up, so I would double it for a larger crowd.

Our Best Bites

2011-06-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day, my mom gave all of the girls in our family the newly popular cookbook, Our Best Bites. My sister-in-law Whitney has been cooking her way through the entire cookbook and blogging about each recipe. I was so inspired by reading her blog, I decided to try a few recipes. Last Sunday I did the BBQ Pork Ribs and they were absolutely amazing! They are super easy and guaranteed not to disappoint! We barbecued some pineapple to go with.

BBQ Spare Ribs

The next night, I tried the Coconut Chicken. I loved it and thought it had great flavor. My husband, however, did not love it. So it is obviously a matter of personal taste, but is easy, so give it a try and see what you think! I served it with some fresh fruit and Cilantro Lime Rice.

Coconut Chicken

May 2011

2011-06-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

The gourmet girls met once again on Wednesday, May 11 for a wonderful meal and a fun-filled evening. Our appetizer was detained and our rolls were out of town, so we enjoyed a fabulous four-course meal. Andrea started us off with a Rainbow Chopped Salad. Lynley chose something simple and "make-ahead" since her pre-wedding schedule was a little crazy. She shared her favorite recipe for roast in the crock-pot. After many years of adding, taking away and tweaking, this one is her favorite, and we can see why! Jodi favored us with a fun side of Caramelized Green Beans from the new Our Best Bites Cookbook (this recipe can also be found on their blog). And I finished off the evening with Make Ahead Chocolate Souffles. My friends Matt & Summer Beecher (who are also "foodies") had Rob and I over for dinner the previous week and served these. I loved them so much I decided to try them myself. They're so nice because I made them in the morning and stuck them in the freezer. Then after a long teaching day, I pulled them out of the freezer, baked and served! Yes, Lara is in the pictures but we excused her from cooking since her wedding was in just seven days!

Lynley, Jodi, Lara, Andrea, Bridget

Jodi, Lynley & Lara

Bridget & Andrea

Somehow Lynley got Fashion Night and Gourmet Night mixed up

Rainbow Chopped Salad

Lynley's Rockin' Roast Beef

One Large Rump or Chuck Roast

1 package dried onion soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup white wine

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 cup water

2 cups potatoes

2 cups mushrooms

2 cups carrots

Combine the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, one cup wine, beef bouillon cubes, and the cup water in crock-pot until well mixed. Season the roast with salt and pepper, then sear in olive oil in a very hot pan until a dark crust is present. Place the roast in the crock-pot and slow cook the heck out of it. I usually cook it 6-8 hours. One hour before serving cut up potatoes, mushrooms, and carrots and add to crock-pot. Serve hot and enjoy the wine!

Carmelized Green Beans

Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffles

(America's Test Kitchen, TV Show Cook Book, p. 536)

Serves 6-8 Note: yolk whipping time in step 3 depends on type of mixer; a stand mixer will be 3 minutes and hand-held mixer about 8. If using 6-oz ramekins, reduce cooking time to 20-22 minutes (see tip in cookbook for making foil collars p.536)

Ramekin Prep:
2 T unsalted butter softened
2 T granulated sugar

Souffles
8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped coarse
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 T grand mariner (I omitted)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/3 t table salt
6 large egg yolks
8 large egg whites
1/3 cup (2.33 oz) white sugar
1/4 t cream of tartar
2 T powdered sugar

1. For ramekins, grease inside of eight 8-oz ramekins with softened butter, then coat inside of each dish evenly w/ sugar
2) For souffles: melt chocolate and butter together in med bowl set over suacepan filled with 1 inch barely simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth, remove from heat and stir in grand mariner, vanilla and salt; set aside
3) Using electric mixer, whip yolks and sugar at med speed until the mixture triples in volume 3-8 minutes. Fold the yolk mixture into chocolate mixture. Thoroughly clean and dry mixing bowl & beaters
4) Using clean beaters, whip egg whites at med-low speed until frothy 1-2 minutes. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to med-high and whip until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted 1-2 mins. Add powdered sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form 2-4 mins (do not over-whip). Whisk the last few strokes by hand, scraping bowl of any un-whipped whites.
5) Vigorously stir one quarter of whipped whites into chocolate mix. Gently fold remaining whites into chocolate mixture until just incorporated. Carefully spoon mixture into prepared ramekins almost to rim whipping excess from rims with wet paper towel, if making foil collar (see note in cookbook)
6) To store: cover each ramekin tightly w/ plastic wrap then foil and freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 1 month (do not thaw before baking)
7) To bake and serve: adjust an oven rack to lower-mid position & heat oven to 400F. Unwrap ramekins and spread out on baking sheet, bake until fragrant, fully risen, and exterior is set but interior is still ab it loose & creamy about 25 mins (to check interior, use two spoons to pull open top of one and peek). Serve immediately (may dust w/ powdered sugar)

Our dessert guest, Todd

April 2011 Gourmet Night

2011-05-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

Well now that it is the very end of May, I figure it is high time I give out a gourmet shout with an update from the gourmet girls. Our last post was in February! Sheesh! We've been quite busy - some more than others! One marriage down and one to go (for now that is) ! We all enjoyed Lara & Loic's beautiful wedding on May 18 and can't wait for Lynley's & Todd's this Friday, June 3! We skipped March gourmet night due to the extensive travel schedules of a few of the gourmet girls. And the evening of April 12 was a gourmet delight with all seven of us at Jodi's! We started off the evening with Sweet Potato and Beet Chips with Garlic Rosemary Salt by Andrea. She put her deep fryer to work and these things were delish! Lynley provided a simple yet classic salad, and the Butter Dip Breadsticks were by Lara. Jodi was a fabulous hostess as usual and treated us to Gretchen's Super Stuffed Shells. Yum! Bridget's side-dish could pass for a double in the pictures, but was actually Scalloped Tomatoes from Barefoot Contessa "How Easy Is That?" Raquel's "extra" was Resurrection Rolls, just in time for Easter! And we polished off the night with two deserts by LS; "Creme Brule" - we do recommend investing in a torch rather than trying the "broil" option on your oven. (We love you LS!) And her Chocolate Chip Cookies were simply AMAZING! Another gourmet success goes down in the books!

Raquel, Bridget, LS & Lara

Lynley, Jodi & LS

Bridget & Andrea

LS practicing her modeling poses

Jodi & Raquel

Lara & Lynley enjoying their salads!

Lynley is caught again! Classic.

Lynley's Christmas gifts in April! Homemade Salsa!

Sweet Potato and Beet Chips with Garlic Rosemary Salt

Lynley's Caesar Salad

Butter Dip Breadsticks

Lara added Parmesan cheese to the dough and sprinkled some on top. She also added Italian herbs.

Resurrection Rolls

Raquel was "extra" this month and since Easter was just around the corner, she decided to make "Resurrection Rolls". For some reason we didn't snap a picture, but they sure were yummy!

Frozen dough for dinner rolls (Raquel used Rhodes)

Marshmallows - regular size (large not small)

Melted Butter

Sugar and Cinnamon Mixture - about a 4:1 ration recommended

1. Thaw rolls - spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange dough balls, leaving about 2 inches between each ball, and 16 per cookie sheet. Spray some plastic wrap with non-stick spray and cover them as they thaw. This will keep the dough from drying out and getting a hard crust. About 1 1/2 - 2 hours for them to thaw.

2. Add Marshmallow - Before the dough rises, flatten it to a 3 inch diameter circle. Place your marshmallow in the middle and pinch the dough closed around the marshmallow to completely cover it up. Roll the dough ball in the palm of your hand to smooth out the closure and seal it.

3. Roll dough covered marshmallow in butter (or brush it on).

4. Sprinkle on cinnamon & sugar mixture. Or you can roll it on if you like them super flavorful, sweet & yummy.

5. Place them on a greased cookie sheet, cover them again with your non-stick coated plastic wrap and let them rise until they double in size. This takes approximately 30-60 minutes depending on how warm the environment is. and not to worry ... if they don't rise they'll still taste yummy.

6. Don't forget to pre-heat your oven during the last 1- minutes of your rising step. When they are ready to bake, place them in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

7. When they are done baking, remove them from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Gretchen's Super Stuffed Shells

1 pound jumbo shell pasta, or any large shell-shaped pasta

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

1 pound mild sweet Italian sausage

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 28-oz cans Italian-style plum tomatoes, with juice

12 ounces tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 tablespoons sugar

2 pounds fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 pounds grated whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook pasta shells in 8 quarts of water according to package directions. Drain and place in cold water.

In a large saucepan combine the beef, sausage (remove and discard casings), onions, fennel and garlic. Brown meat over medium-high heat. Drain off excess grease. Add tomatoes, breaking them up slightly. Add tomato paste, basil, oregano, dried parsley and 2 tablespoons sugar. Let mixture simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, 1 tablespoon sugar and parsley in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add 1 1/2 pounds mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly. Set filling mixture aside. Preheat oven to 350.

Spread a small amount of sauce over bottom of an 11x14 inch shallow baking dish . Fill the pasta shells generously with the filling mixture, place in pan and layer sauce over, reserving approximately 1 1/2 cups of the sauce to add later.

Bake shells for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with reserved sauce and remaining cheeses. Return to the oven and continue baking approximately 5-10 minutes until cheese topping has melted.

Scalloped Tomatoes

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Fish for Five in February

2011-02-16T22:47:00.000-08:00

The evening of Tuesday, February 8 turned out to be a tricky evening for several of the gourmet girls, so only four of us were able to get together. (I think this was a gourmet record). Fortunately my mom was able to join in on the gourmet goodness! After a series of unfortunate events, Lynley's planned appetizer did not come to fruition, but lucky for all of us she just happened to have shrimp in the freezer and cocktail sauce on hand! (Don't all of you?) Jodi brought a delicious Toasted Seed Salad from Keeping Up Cookbook. Lara doubled up with bread and desert! Her Broccoli Cornbread was awesome! Lynley was nice enough to throw some baked potatoes in the oven at the last minute for a side to go with the Caesar-Roasted Swordfish (from Barefoot Contessa's "How Easy is That?) Monday morning I decided to call around and shop prices on swordfish. I discovered there were no prices to compare! I could only find one place in town that carried swordfish! Aquarius Fish Market is located inside Tony Caputos deli in downtown Salt Lake City. I have to say the fish was well worth the drive! I think the sauce could work well on other fish as well; I'd love to try it on salmon. We polished off the night with Lara's French Silk Pie - delicious and although rich, actually sort of light. Another gourmet success!

The Group - Bridget, Lara, Lynley & Jodi

Bridget & Lara

Lynley & Jodi

Shrimp Cocktail

Toasted Seed Salad

1 head butter lettuce, rinsed and torn

1/2 head romaine lettuce, rinsed and torn

1/2 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn

1/2 cup grated carrot

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 avocado, diced

Dressing

1/4 cup lemon juice

dash of Tabasco sauce

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix dressing ingredients in a blender until combined. Chill until ready to use. Combine salad ingredients in a bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Broccoli Cornbread

Super delicious and seemingly super easy!

1 stick butter, melted

1 (10 oz) package frozen broccoli, cooked and drained

1 (8 oz) small curd cottage cheese

4 eggs

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon salt

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

Grease 9x9 pan. Mix all ingredients except for the cornbread mix. Add mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Caesar-Roasted Swordfish

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I used 1 tsp whole grain mustard)

1 cup good mayonnaise

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 pounds center-cut swordfish steaks, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, cut into 6 portions

1/2 cup chopped scallions, which and green parts (4 scallions)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

3 tablespoons drained capers (I used the whole bottle)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is very clean.) Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

For the Caesar sauce, place the garlic, parsley, anchovy paste, and mustard in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the garlic is minced. Add the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and pulse to make a smooth sauce.

Place the swordfish steaks on the pan and sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper. Set aside one third of the sauce to serve with the cooked fish. Spread the fish on one side with half the remaining sauce, turn the fish, and spread the remaining sauce on the second side. Sprinkle with scallions and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Roast the fish for 10 to 12 minutes, until the center is just barely cooked. Cover the fish with aluminum foil and allow to rest on the pan for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saute pan until very hot, add the capers, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, until they start to pop and are a little crisp. Serve the swordfish hot with the lemon wedges, frizzled capers, and the reserved Caesar sauce.

French Silk Pie

Another super delicious (and according to Lara super easy) dish!

2 sticks of butter, melted and at room temp

3 squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted and at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

Ready made pie crust (chocolate)

Mix the butter and chocolate together. Add vanilla and sugar and beat. Add 2 eggs and beat for 5 minutes. Add 2 more eggs and beat for 5 more minutes. Pour into pie shell and chill until served.

2011 Gourmet Kick-Off!

2011-01-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

All seven of the gourmet girls kicked off the new year on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at Miss Raquel's with a lovely winter theme. We started the evening off with yummy Grilled Bread with Prosciutto by Jodi. This recipe is from the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook: How Easy is That? Bridget brought Apple & Spiced Pecan Salad from Keeping Up Cookbook. Andrea made delicious Braided Egg Bread from Peacocks on My Porch. For those of you who aren't familiar with this cookbook, it is a local cookbook - a wonderful collection of recipes put together by Whitney Pogue and Tara Lewis. Our main dish was Chocolate Spiced Pork Chops (a Paula Deen recipe) by Raquel. We were favored with two side dishes - Creamy Parmesan Polenta (from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?) by Lara and Creamed Cipollini Onions and Mushrooms (Food and Wine) by LS. True to form, Lynley made up her own desert recipe - a sugar cookie crust, almond pudding filling, topped with whipped cream and lots of fresh berries!

Bridget, Laura, Jodi

Raquel, Lynley, Lara

Laura & Andrea

Jodi & Bridget

Grilled Bread with Prosciutto

6 slices of good Tuscan round bread, sliced 3/4 inch think

1 large garlic clove, cut in half

Good olive oil

2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn in pieces

2 ounces fresh smoked mozzarella, grated

3 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Prepare a charcoal grill with medium-hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium high heat.

Grill the bread for 2 minutes, until golden on one side. Place the bread grilled side up on a platter and immediately rub the cut side of the garlic clove over the surface of the bread. For really garlicky fettunta, rub hard. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over each slice of bread.

Place the torn prosciutto over the grilled side of the bread and top with mozzarella. Return to bread to the hot grill, cover the grill, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes - just long enough to melt the cheese and rewarm the toast. (Be sure the vent is open so the fire doesn't go out!) Drizzle with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, salt, and pepper, and serve hot.

Apple & Spiced Pecan Salad

6-8 cups assorted greens (anything but iceberg)

3/4 cups crumbled feta cheese

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 large red-skinned apple, diced (I used a Gala)

Dressing

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 teaspoon salt

Dash Tabasco sauce

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Spiced Pecans

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans

Over medium heat, melt butter in a pan and add sugar, spices and salt. Add pecan pieces and stir until well-coated. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar caramelizes and pecans darken slightly in color. Transfer mixture to a paper bag to cool. Shake bag occasionally to break up pieces.

Assemble salad ingredients and top with cooled pecans. To avoid browning, apples can be added to directly to dressing, or diced just prior to serving. Toss salad with dressing and serve.

Braided Egg Bread

2 cups warm water

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tablespoon yeast

1/2 cup honey

4 eggs

1 Tablespoon salt

1/2 cup oil

8-12 cups white flour

In a small bowl, prepare yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and dash of sugar. In a large mixing bowl, blend 2 cups warm water, honey, oil, eggs, salt and 3 cups flour. Add additional flour and yeast mixture to large bowl. Continue adding flour until the dough leaves the sides of the mixing bowl clean while mixing. Continue to mix for 10 minutes.Cover dough and let rise to double in size - about 45 minutes. Punch down and separate dough into 4 equal portions. Divide each portion into 3 pieces for braiding. Roll each piece into a long log shape. Pinch three pieces together at the top and begin braiding. Place braid into greased bread pan or onto baking sheet and tuck under each end. Beat one egg. Brush top of each loaf with beaten egg. Sprinkle sesame seeds across the top of loaves (optional). Cover each loaf and let rise until double in size - about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

This makes a huge batch, so they recommend cutting the recipe in half.

Chocolate Spiced Pork Chops

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

4 cups chicken stock (can use vegetable or mushroom stock as well)

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground, medium grain

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher salt (the original recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon, but Lara finds it too salty)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1/4 cup creme fraiche (or whipping cream)

2 Tablespoons butter

Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the pan thoroughly while you are stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, cream and butter. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Creamed Cipollini Onions and Mushrooms

Lynley's Made-Up Fruit Torte

Raquel's fun winter decor - including this gorgeous wreath she MADE!

November 2010 Gourmet Night

2010-11-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

All seven of the gourmet girls met at Lara's on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 for another amazing meal! We started off the evening with Crab Cakes (Foodnetwork Magazine July/August 2010) by Bridget and Apricot Brie Bites (Keeping Up Cookbook) by Andrea. Raquel favored us with a beautiful Pomegranate Salad and Lynley baked some delicious Dinner Rolls. Our main dish was Caribbean Pork with Avocado-Pineapple Salsa, which Lara did an fabulous job with! LS provided us with two sides: Carribean Rice and Beans AND Roasted Butternut Squash with Cilantro Cream. To finish off the night, Jodi spoiled us with another one of her amazing deserts: Gingerbread Pudding Cake (Keeping Up Cookbook)! It was a wonderful evening with friends and food!

Raquel & Bridget

Laura & Jodi

Lynley, Andrea & Lara

Crab Cakes

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons nonfat milk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

Dash of hot sauce

1 pound lump crab or crab claw meat, picked over

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive-oil cooking spray

1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and bell pepper and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.

2. Mix 1/2 cup panko, the egg and milk in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay and hot sauce; fold in the crabmeat, panko mixture, scallion-bell pepper mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pink of pepper. Shape into 8 patties and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. Coat the crab cakes with the remaining 1/2 cup panko. heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skill over medium high heat. Mist the crab cakes with cooking spray and cook, sprayed-side down, 3 to 4 minutes. Spray the tops, flip and cook 3 to 4 more minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Apricot Brie Bites

1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets

1/2 cup apricot jam

1 (8-ounce) wheel or wedge of brie

finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Cut thawed puff pastry sheets into 4 length-wise columns, then cut the columns into 2 1/2-inch squares. Place the pastry squares into a greased mini0muffin tin, using fingers to push the dough down into each muffin cup.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 6 to 9 minutes or until the puff pastry is 3/4 done and the pastry is starting to rise and flake into separate layers. Meanwhile, slice brie into 3/4-inch squares.

Using a small spoon, press the semi-baked pastry dough into the pan to form small pastry bowls. Place 1/2 teaspoon (or more) of apricot jam in the bottom of each pastry bowl. Top with a piece of brie, then sprinkle with chopped nuts. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese in melted and the edges of the pastries are golden brown. Transfer hot pastries to a cooling rack and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

(Andrea recommends cooking the puff pastry longer than the recommended 6-9 minutes).

Pomegranate Salad

Stuff You Need

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1 head romaine lettuce

1/2 bag washed baby spinach

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (or seedless red grapes cut in 1/2)

Dressing

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoons dry mustard or t teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon oregano

Dinner Rolls

3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Pinch of sugar

1/3 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 cup tepid buttermilk (90 degrees)

1/4 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 - 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed

Canola oil for greasing

In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water and stir to dissolve. let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt nad 1 cu of the flour. Beat on medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of the flour, and beat for another minute. Beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides.

Switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed, adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough sticks, until a very soft dough forms, about 1 minute. The dough should be softer than typical bread dough, yet smooth and springy.

Transfer the dough to an oiled deep bowl and turn the dough once to coat it. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough in half and roll each half between your palms into a rope 18 inches long. Cut each rope into eighteen 1-inch pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, and place the balls, sides just touching, in the prepared pans. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature until puffy, 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls until light golden brown, 18-23 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pans or transfer to a rack. Serve warm

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cilantro Cream

Carribean Rice and Beans

Caribbean Pork

Avocado-Pineapple Salsa

Lara adds: For sure line your pan with foil because the spice coating makes a sticky mess. I usually broil it for a few minutes on each side to get a nice char and then cover with foil and bake at 450 for 30 minutes or so. Otherwise I find the center is too rare.

Gingerbread Pudding Cake

(unfortunately we didn't get a picture)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in egg, molasses and water. Stir together dry ingredients, then add to molasses mixture and mix well. Transfer batter to a greased 8x8 baking dish.

3/4 cup brown sugar 1/ 1/2 cups hot water

5 TBS butter, melted

Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the batter. Mix together hot water and melted butter, then gently pour over the top of brown sugar (not not stir). Bake at 350 degrees until gingerbread is cracked on top, center is set and pudding underneath has thickened, about 45 to 55 minutes. Scoop into bowls and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

A Fall Frenzy of Food with Friends and Filets

2010-10-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

The evening of Tuesday, October 5, 2010 the gourmet girls met at Andrea's for a another wonderful meal. We started off the evening with Lara's tasty appetizer, Pear and Prosciutto "Carpaccio". Jodi's Maple Dressing Salad not only tasted delicious, but was also beautiful - lots of color! Bridget brought Grandma Zoe's Buttermilk Biscuits from Keeping Up Cookbook. Andrea made our main dish of Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce. (She substituted grape juice for the wine and it was delicious)! She also treated us to some Bacon Smashed Red Potatoes. Lynley brought some spaghetti squash, and for desert, Raquel made a scrumptious Pumpkin Cake. Unfortunately LS couldn't make it until the very end. As always, we enjoyed trying new recipes and catching up with old friends.

Pear and Prosciutto "Carpaccio"

Maple Dressing Salad

1 large bag baby greens

2 cups blueberries

2 cups strawberries

1 purple onion

2 cups of crumbled blue cheese

2-3 sliced apples or pears (Jodi used pears)

2 cups of your choice (Jodi used pecans)

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3 TBS white wine vigegar

2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Grandma Zoe's Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup buttermilk (or more)

Mix all dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening with a fork until small crumbs are formed. Add buttermilk and stir until well combined, adding an additional teaspoon or so of buttermilk if any flour remains in bottom of bowl. Scoop dough onto a generously floured surface.

With floured hands, give dough a few kneads and folds until smooth. Pat dough into a 1 1/2 inch thick circle and cut 8 to 1- biscuits with a round biscuit cutter. Shake off excess flour and place on lightly greased baking sheet, biscuits touching each other. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly brown, 18 to 22 minutes. I brushed a little melted butter on top of each biscuit right when they came out of the oven.

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce

( I promise it looked and tasted much better than this picture makes it look!)

Andrea's Bacon Smashed Red Potatoes

Lynley's Spaghetti Squash

Raquel's Pumpkin Cake

1 yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup)

1 egg

1 cube butter or margarine

Mix cake mix (minus 1 cup) with egg and butter/margarine. Cut in like a pie crust until crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 dish.

For the filling, mix the following ingredients together and pour on top of crust:

1 big can pumpkin

2 whipped eggs

1/2 cup evaporated milk

For the topping, mix the following ingredients and sprinkle over the top:

1 cup reserved cake mix

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 TBS butter or margarine

Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes. Served with whipped cream.

Interestingly enough, Bridget has a very similar recipe! For a variation on the filling:

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 tsp cinammon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

For nut-lovers, you can also add chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumble topping.

Fall Gourmet Goodness

2010-09-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

The gourmet girls met for yet another evening of fine cuisine. Friday, September 17 we convened at Laura Steven's for a wonderful meal. Raquel started us off with her amazing Mini Chicken B'Steeyas appetizer (Martha Stewart). Lara's Green Salad with Vinaigrette was light and flavorful. Jodi favored us with her "labor of love" Cracked Wheat & Molasses Bread from Keeping Up Cookbook. Our main dish was Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples and Applejack Cream. LS also served some mashed sweet potatoes on the side. Lynley brought yummy Twice-Baked Potatoes and for desert there were Spicy Chocolate Truffles (Williams-Sonoma) and Fresh Orange Pound Cakes with an Orange Glaze (an Emeril Lagasse recipe from Foodnetwork). It was another home-run with an array of delicious food and fun with friends!

Our chef hard at work in the kitchen!

Lara, Jodi & Bridget

Lynley, LS and Raquel

Notice the new blog format. Each of the recipes from the evening's meal are in a separate post. We will tag each recipe post and create a directory by category in an effort to make your recipe searching easier. Also notice our new search bar on the sidebar to the right, which is very handy for locating just what you're looking for.

Also, I just posted the recipe for Lara's crepes from last month.

2010-09-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Mini Chicken B'Steeyas

2010-09-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

Green Salad with Vinaigrette

1/2 lb Butter lettuce or mixed salad greens

2 TBS red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp salt

pinch of pepper

6 TBS olive oil

In a small mixing bowl combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well blended. Add the oil steadily while continuing to whisk. Taste and add more salt and pepper as necessary. (You can also adjust the amount of vinegar and oil to your liking). Cover and refrigerate until time to serve. Can be used on green salads, tomato salads, and to dip steamed artichokes in. Experiment with all of your veggies! Serves 6.

Lara tossed the lettuce with the dressing and in a separate bowl tossed fresh tomatoes from her garden with the dressing.

2010-09-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Cracked Wheat & Molasses Bread

Jodi found this recipe in Keeping Up Cookbook.

2010-09-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples and Applejack Cream

2010-09-20T08:00:00.003-07:00

Lynley's Twice-Baked Potatoes

2010-09-20T00:24:00.000-07:00

Spicy Chocolate Truffles

Heavy Cream, 3/4 cup

Unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons at room temperature

Semisweet (plain) chocolate, 12 oz finely chopped

Unsweetened chocolate, 1 oz finely chopped

Pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon

Unsweetened coco powder, 3 tablespoons

Sugar, 2 tablespoons

Ground red chile, 1 teaspoon

Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon

1. Make the truffle filling. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream and butter until the butter melts. Remove from the heat, add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates, and let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Scrape the truffle mixture into a large bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate until firm throughout, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

2. Shape the truffles. On a dinner plate, using a fork, stir together the cocoa powder, sugar, chile, and cinnamon. To form each truffle, scoop up a tablespoon of the cold filling, quickly roll it between your palms into a rough ball, and roll the ball in the cocoa mixture to coat evenly. as the truffles are formed, place them on a lined baking sheet. The truffles may be served right away, or covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. For best results, bring to room temperature before serving.

Warning: These truffles have a real kick! If you don't like spicy, omit the chile powder.

2010-09-20T00:17:00.000-07:00

Fresh Orange Pound Cakes with an Orange Glaze

Gourmet Girls Go On Tour

2010-09-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

Last night, Tuesday, September 7th, five of the gourmet girls had the opportunity to give a small presentation at Andrea's ward Relief Society night. Andrea was generous enough to have matching aprons made for all of us. I think we looked pretty legit! :) We had so much fun explaining the format of our group to the ladies who attended. We shared favorite recipes, favorite gourmet memories, told them about the blog, and of course had food to sample! Andrea made Liege Waffles on the spot! We also displayed a cornucopia of table settings and displayed some of the cookbooks we like to use. We loved getting to know the ladies of the Holladay 27th Ward!

Jodi preparing the Liege Waffles

The Cooking Station

Lynley Preparing Watermelon Bites

Watermelon Bites

These were originally made by Laura Stevens at our August 2010 gourmet night. They are small pieces of watermelon, topped with honey goat cheese, pistachio nuts and a piece of arugula.

Favorite Chocolate "Go-To" Cake

We actually haven't made this for an official gourmet night, but it is a new favorite of all of ours. It is in the new "Keeping Up" Cookbook.

Grown Up Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Lynley originally brought this tasty appetizer to our October 2008 gourmet night.

Marinated Cheeses

Lara brought this to our very first gourmet night!

I make them quite often and everyone loves them!

8 oz cheddar cheese

8 oz cream cheese

Cut into small squares and alternate in glass dish.

Mix ingredients well, pour over cheeses and marinate overnight.

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

3 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

3 TBS green onions, minced

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (2 oz) jar pimentos

Serve with crackers or toasts

Here are some shots of our table settings

Display Table of Cookbooks

the Gourmet Girls like to use

Let's Get Crackin'!

2010-09-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

On the evening of Tuesday, August 31, 2010 all seven of the gourmet girls gathered around Lynley's table for a decadent crab feast! We started off the evening with Lemon Margaritas (w/o the alcohol) and LS's delicious appetizer: watermelon with goat cheese and hazelnuts. Coincidentally Andrea's Arugula, Watermelon and Feta Salad had many of the same ingredients. Raquel treated us to Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits and our side by Jodi was Ina Garten's Corn Confetti. Our main dish of course was King Crab Legs and Lara treated us to some authentic French Crepes for desert(made by a Frenchman himself)! Bridget sent a "to-go" treat of Sticky Vanilla Popcorn. Lynley was prepared with bibs, buckets for the disposal of crab legss, crackers and tiny crab forks.

Our hostess hard at work!

Lemon Margaritas

LS's Fancy Appetizer

Watermelon bites topped with honey goat cheese,

pistachio nuts and a piece of arugula

Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits

Arulula, Watermelon and Feta Salad

King Crab Legs!

Lynley boiled them for 4 minutes. Because they were so long, she turned them around 1/2 way through. She cooked 8 lbs for the seven of us, which allowed each of us two crab legs. So generous! She shopped around a little and found Costco to have the best price.

Confetti Corn

Lara's Delicious Crepes

1/4 cup sugar

3 drops vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

2 TBS melted butter

pinch of salt

Mix everything but the flour first, then slowly add the flour. Mix it until blended. IT should be thick but not too thick. Turn the stove on to about a 7 (you can adjust up or down as necessary as you cook). Spray or butter a crepe pan. Pour into the buttered pan to cover the bottom of the pan thinly while rotating your hand to get coverage. When it's done sprinkle some sugar on it while it's hot. Makes 6 crepes. BON APPETIT!

Sticky Vanilla Popcorn

1 cube butter

1/2 cup sugar

A little less than 1/2 cup Karo syrup

1 tsp vanilla powder

Pop popcorn and set aside. Melt butter in saucepan on stove. Add sugar, Karo syrup, and vanilla powder, stirring continuously. Let boil for one minute. Stir in popcorn and enjoy! I popped 3/4 cup of kernels and it seemed just the right amount to be thoroughly covered, but not too gooey. I dump the popped corn into another bowl after it has popped to remove uncooked kernels.

End of Summer Wrap

2010-08-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to a close and I have a few updates I thought I would share.

I've now made the Chocolate "Go-To" cake from Keeping up FIVE times! Fathers Day, my brother's birthday, for a piano family, for my neighbors and for a family desert night on Sunday! It's hands-down a hit! The first four times I made it with the chocolate frosting and this past Sunday I tried the Buttercream Frosting (primarily because I was out of coco!) But I honestly think I liked it better. My next move is to try a cream cheese frosting. Here is a picture of it for my brother Dustin's birthday. I think it looks nicer in the white dish rather than a metal or Pyrex container, but it tastes good no matter what. I do think it's time to invest in the bulk-sized coco container.

Confession, I bought a can of icing for the writing and border. Here is the frosting I used:

It actually wasn't bad, but I would love to get some of these decorator bottles from Pampered Chef. Dont' they look cool?

For this same birthday/4th of July dinner I made a salad Lara made for a gourmet night some time ago (May 2008). I've been wanting to make it ever since that first tasting and finally pulled it together!

Tortellini Salad with Asparagus and Fresh Basil Vinaigrette
(See recipe on May 26, 2008 post)

Rob and I celebrated our one-year anniversary this past weekend by spending two nights at the Marriott City Center and had a fabulous dinner at "Em's" on Saturday night. I had heard great things about this restaurant and have been wanting to try it for some time. I loved it!

Our Appetizer
Bruschetta topped with whole milk mozzarella, Tomatoes, Basil & Balsamic Reduction

My Entree (from the specials menu)

Fresh Halibut topped with Champagne & Herb Vinaigrette, Farmer's Market Vegetables, and served over Basmati Rice

Rob's Entree (I snuck a bite and it was fabulous!)
Marinated Pork Chop in a Maple, Mustard & Bacon Barbeque sauce with Mashed Potatoes and Seasoned Vegetables

My Desert: Farmer's Market Crepe
Sweet Crepe stuffed with Grand Marnier Cream, Local Grown Peaches, Nectarines and Assorted Berries

Rob's Desert: Chocolate Chunk Brownie with Homemade Ice Cream

The patio

Leaving the restaurant . . .

A Night in India

2010-07-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

It's not often the Gourmet Girls have a "theme night", but theme night it was at Miss Jodi's on Tuesday, July 20, 2010. It was a "A Night in India", complete with bindis for all! First off, Jodi treated us to fresh Mango Lassis (a popular yogurt-based drink of India and Pakistan). We then had our appetizer by Andrea, Indian Relish and Naan (a leavened, oven-baked flatbread, particularly popular in India). Lynley favored us with Cooling Cucumber Raita Indian Salad. Jodi's Chicken Tikka Masala was AMAZING next to a side of Bridget's Basmati Rice Pilaf with Apricots and Lara's Potato and Rosemary Flat Bread. For desert, we had something completely non-Indian, in fact 100% American: Sour Cream Peach Pecan Pie by LS! Absolutely delicious!

I often chat with those of you who follow our blog and the common feedback is, "Everything you make looks so difficult; I could never make any of those dishes, but it is so fun to look." Not true. We all commented on the easiness of all of the dishes in tonight's meal. The peach pie was perhaps the most time-intensive, but honestly if you follow the recipe you will succeed! And you can always feel free to email any of us with questions! Enjoy!

Mango Lassi

Andrea, Bridget & LS

Lara & Jodi

Jodi, Lara & Lynley
Evidently this is some sort of Indian sign.

Bridget & LS

Indian Relish

Cooling Cucumber Raita Indian Salad

1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 red or white onion, cut into crescents
2 cups plain yogurt
2 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika

Toast cumin seeds lightly in a drying pan and mash them slightly with the back of a wooden spoon. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate for 1/2 hours before serving. This raita does not keep well, so plan to eat it fresh. Serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Basmati Rice Pilaf with Apricots

Potato and Rosemary Flat Bread

Sour Cream Peach Pecan Pie

Light Summer Fare

2010-06-23T08:02:00.001-07:00

It happened again. The gourmet girls met for another amazing meal. We met last night, Tuesday, June 22nd at Bridget's (my) house. We started off the evening with yummy Marinated Feta and Olive Skewers by Lynley. The salad was Jodi's contribution - the Basil Green Goddess Dressing was awesome (Barefoot Contessa at Home)! I skewered up Grilled Herb Shrimp with Mango Salsa (Barefoot Contessa Parties!) and Lara's Black-Eyed Pea Salad was the perfect side (Paula Deen - The Lady and Sons Cookbook), especially with all of the fresh herbs from her garden! LS hit a home-run with her Summer Solstice Bread and just when we thought the night couldn't get any better, Andrea treated us to Liege Waffles with whipped cream. It was the pearl sugar that made it! Apparently the only two stores who carry it are Ikea ($3.95 for a 20 oz bag) and The Old Dutch Store in Sugarhouse (20 oz box for $5.95). As always, we had a great meal and a great time. Coincidentally, three of our dishes had fresh chopped basil! Unfortunately Raquel couldn't join us this time. We're all excited to meet at Miss Jodi's next month for some Indian Cuisine!

Marinated Feta and Olive Skewers

2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp orange zest
3 TBS orange juice
1 tsp cracked black pepper
4 oz feta cheese, cut into 24 (1/2 inch) cubes
24 mint leaves
1/4 large English cucumber, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
12 pitted green olives, halved
24 (6 inch) skewers
In a medium bowl combine the fennel seeds, orange zest, orange juice, and pepper. Gently stir in feta and marinate for 1 hour or more. To make the skewers, place a mint leaf about 2/4 inch up the skewer, then add an olive half, then a chunk of cucumber. Gently place a cube of the marinated feta on the end.

Bibb Salad with Basil Green Goddess Dressing

1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tsp chopped garlic (2 cloves)
2 tsp anchovy paste
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
3 heads Bibb lettuce

Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.) Cut each head of lettuce into quarters, remove some of the cores, and arrange on 6 salad plates. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add to the plates. Pour on the dressing and serve.
NOTE: According to Mr Produce Man at Harmons, "Bibb" lettuce and "Butter" lettuce are the same thing.

Summer Solstice Bread

Grilled Herb Shrimp

Mango Salsa

In Barefoot Contessa Parties!, she lists the grilled shrimp and mango salsa together. The link above to the mango salsa is the same recipe, just served with seared tuna.

Black Eyed Pea Salad

3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped green onions, with tops
1 large tomato, diced
1 TBS fresh minced thyme
1 TBS fresh minced rosemary
4 TBS fresh minced parsley
2 TBS fresh minced oregano
Mix olive oil, vinegar, and sugar together and pour over the rest of ingredients. Mix well and chill. Use a slotted spoon to serve.

Mid-meal shot

And another mid-meal shot . .

Liege Waffles

Update: Andrea asked me to add this insider's tip . . .

This recipe suggests using a Belgian waffle iron with an adjustable temperature gague but my Krups Belgian waffle iron has only two settings...on and off so if your iron is like mine then here is a tip we found for cooking the waffles without burning the sugar. Scoop the dough onto your iron, close the top and unplug the iron. The iron will be hot enough to cook the waffle in about about 3 minutes without burning the sugar outside. Also, I have made these with and without the cinnamon and we think they are better WITH the cinnamon added. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche and fresh fruit for a yummy dessert!

Laura, Lara, Jodi, Lynley, Andrea & Bridget

Mid-Month Gourmet Update

2010-06-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

I guess this isn't exactly a "mid-month" gourmet update since June "Gourmet Night" is at my house tomorrow night, but I feel like I have so many gourmet "updates" that I would like to share!

First off, I made Jodi's "Blueberry Bread Pudding" (from April Gourmet Night at Lara's) on Mother's Day and it was awesome! I cooked mine for about an hour and 15 minutes, so it was very set. I dished up a bowl for my sister-in-law and she said, "this needs vanilla ice-cream". And so it did. Warm bread pudding with vanilla ice-cream. YUM!

Granola
A couple of weeks ago I got the bug to make granola. I haven't made it in several years (some of you may have been the recipients of my granola Christmas gifts a few years back) but decided to whip up a batch on a Saturday afternoon. I got the recipe from a former "piano mom", Kaye Dunn. Kaye is a fabulous cook and was actually the first person to introduce me to Barefoot Contessa. Here is the recipe and a picture. I've just about eaten my way through the enormous batch. Next time I'm going to try it with Almond Butter, just to try something different. I love it on top of vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries or strawberries) in the morning. I also like it with my new favorite find "'Almond Milk". Although it does have some brown sugar, it's nice to know you're not eating a ton of preservatives.
8 cups extra thick oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups wheat or oat bran
8 oz almonds, coarsely chopped
8 oz cashews
8 oz unsweetened ribbon coconut
3 oz sunflower seeds
Mix all together in a very large bowl.

In a saucepan, bring to a boil:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
Remove from heat, mix in 2 tsp vanilla. Pour over oats, mix thoroughly. Spread over 3 cookie sheets. Bake at 200 degrees for about 2 hours. Store in air tight container. It really does make quite a lot. I put two cookie sheets on top of one another in my oven and rotated them after an hour, then did the 3rd tray in my neighbor's oven. Someday I have to have double ovens!

"Cafe Rio" Pork

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a dinner at my house where we made "Cafe Rio Pork Salads". I volunteered to be in charge of the pork, even though I'd never made it. Boy did I stumble onto something great! My friend Jody Marsden printed off the recipe for me from a blog she had discovered, www.heidikins.com (which I happen to think is darling). It's super easy and super yummy! Jody made the Tomatillo Dressing; I just did the pork. Here is a picture after 18 hours, just after taking off the lid to the crockpot.

I pretty much followed the recipe exactly as posted on heidikins.com, but I left out the cayenne pepper.

Rob and I are trying a month of "no spending". So, in a desperate moment when I needed a "treat", instead of running out for a shake, I decided to try Lynley's "Lemon Pineapple Sherbet" from last month and it was delicious! The recipe definitely makes a lot, so if you have a small ice-cream maker, you'll have to divide it into two batches.

Salmon, Shrimp & Cheesecake

On Sunday, June 13 my family had a BBQ for my mom's and my birthdays. I brought the main dish and the desert. I did the "Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon with a Maple Glaze" which Andrea made in June of 2008 (see previous post). It's always a hit! I did however, have my first plank catch on fire. I think it's important to soak the planks in water for plenty of time (like longer than 10 minutes)! I also made a marinade which Lara Dixon gave me the recipe for a few years ago. I brought it over to my brother's the day before. They marinated shrimp and halibut in it overnight. Both were delicious!

Marinated Shrimp
2 lbs shrimp, de-shelled
3 cloves crushed garlic
garlic slat to taste (I didn't add this)
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
juice from one lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Marinate overnight. Remove shrimp from marinade and grill until pink.

The cheesecake I made is the Barefoot Contessa Cheesecake I made for gourmet night at Andrea's in March of this year. It was good all over again. My favorite comments of the night were, "You MADE this?" and "This is better than Cheesecake Factory"! What cook doesn't feel happy with comments like that!? I'm telling you; it's a great recipe! Pictured are my mom and I holding our "Birthday Cake".

Roasted Corn and Avocado Salsa
The ladies threw me a fabulous birthday party last week with tons of yummy food (including Bleu Cheese Burgers by LS)! One of the new recipes everyone went crazy over was Lara's "Roasted Corn and Avocado Salsa", so I thought I'd better post the recipe!

2 ears of corn, kernels cut off the ear
2 garlic cloves
6 T red onions
2 t cumin
1 T oil
1 avocado, chopped
juice of one lime
2 T apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Mix corn, garlic, onions, cumin and oil. Broil until toasted for about 5 min. Add and mix the avocado, lime juice, and vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.

You might be able to see a little salsa on one of our plates, but more importantly you can see we're all having a fabulous time!

Well, now that the malware is cleaned off of my computer (thanks to my brilliantly technical husband) I can finally put this post up and get to my marinade for tonight!

Oooh one more thing . . . I made the "Go To Chocolate Cake" from Keeping Up for Father's Day desert with Rob's family and it was amazing! So moist and flavorful. I've been searching for a good chocolate cake recipe and I do believe I have found what I was looking for!

Favorite "Go-to" Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups boiling water
2 eggs
Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix in boiling water, then add eggs and mix well. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Frost cake while slightly warm (this made it awesome) with vanilla or chocolate buttercream frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
Cream butter in a mixer, then beat in 3 cups powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla. Continue adding powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.