Duck to Die For!

The gourmet girls hit another home run on the evening of Tuesday, February 24, 2010 with once again, an amazing meal! We started out with delicious Artichoke and Spinach Swirls by Raquel. Lara's Orange Fennel Salad had some fun new flavors (Ina Garten). Jodi brought delicious Apple Cheddar Muffins (Williams-Sonoma "Baking"); Lynley provided yummy Blue Potatoes au Gratin (Paula Deen), and the Duck Breast with Blackberry Sauce by Andrea was absolutely fabulous! We finished the evening off with not only our two deserts by Bridget (Coconut Macaroons and Raspberry Cheesecake (both from Barefoot Contessa Family Style) but a visit from two special guests - Loic and Todd! We all enjoyed great food and great company at the Clarke's with a darling table and darling children!

The Group
Self-timer in action once again!

Lara & Jodi

The Clarke Children in their jammies, all ready for bed!

The Group Sans Jodi

Just about to eat!

Lara & Loic

Lynley & Todd

Artichoke and Spinach Swirls

1 (17.3 ounce) package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained - (I recommend pressing the spinach between two paper towels to ensure as much of the moisture as possible is removed)
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 block cream cheese at room temperature

Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes or until they're easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the mayonnaise, cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, spinach, cream cheese and artichokes in a small bowl until the ingredients are mixed.
Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. With the short side facing you, spread half of the spinach mixture on the pastry to within 1-inch of the edges. Starting at the short sides, roll up like a jelly roll. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet and spinach mixture. Cut each roll into 20 (1/2-inch) slices. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from the baking sheet and cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 40 pastries.

Orange Fennel Salad

Duck Breast With Blackberry Sauce

4 large boneless duck breast fillets, skin on

Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup port wine
1 cup chicken or duck stock
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cups - blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries ( I used blackberries)

Sauce:
Combine the balsamic vinegar and port wine in a sauce pan and cook until reduced by half. Add the sotck and reduce by half again. Then add brown sugar, rosemary and berries and cook until berries are cooked and beginning to fall apart. If sauce does not thicken, add a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Remove the rosemary sprigs just before serving.

Duck:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the duck breasts on a work surface, skin side up. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in a grid pattern, going through half the thickness of the skin but not through to the meat.
Heat a large ovenproof skillet (such as a cast iron pan) over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the breasts and add the duck breasts, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown; about 6-8 minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and cook for just a few minutes on the second side over medium-high heat. Next, transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the duck breasts are medium-rare, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven and remove the duck from the pan. Cover it with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice the duck breasts and top with the warm sauce.

Apple-Cheddar Muffins

1 large Golden Delicious apple
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted better, melted, plus extra for greasing
3/4 cup finely grated Cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-cup standard muffin pan
Peel, halve, and core the apple, Cut into 1/8 inch dice; set aside.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter until smooth. Stir in the apple and cheese. Add to the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes, then remove.

Blue Potatoes au Gratin

Coconut Macaroons

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whits into the coconut mixture.
Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4 inch diameter ice cream scoop, or two teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Raspberry Cheesecake

We had an awesome meal at Lynley's on the evening of Friday, January 8, 2010. Unfortunately Andrea was not able to make it, so we had Jodi's sister Natalie attend in her place. We were also fortunate enough to have a second guest, our dear friend Melanie. (You may have spotted her on this blog previously). We started off the evening with delicious Samosas by Lara (a recipe from the March 2008 Real Simple magazine) and a warm Crab Dip by Melanie. Natalie favored us with a delicious Arugula Salad and Bridget brought Cranberry-Nut Rolls (from the November 2009 issue of Bon Appetit). Lynley outdid herself with her fabulous main dish of Braised Short Ribs (she literally spent 2 days on these); Jodi provided a delicious Maple Roasted Butternut Squash, and we ended the evening with Raquel's Sour Cream Pound Cake Cupcakes!

All of us!

Crab Dip Appetizer

1/3 C. salsa (I use Rosarita, Mild, Thick and Chunky)

1/2 C. milk

3 pkgs (8 oz. each) cream cheese, cubed

2 pkgs (8 oz. each) imitation crab meat, flaked

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies

1 cup thinly sliced green onion

Use non stick cooking spray to cover the bottom and sides of the slow cooker. Combine salsa and milk, then add to slow cooker. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hrs,stirring every 30 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Samosas

Arugula Salad

Arugula
toasted and sugared pecans
tomatoes
fresh Parmesan
avocado
Dressing:
Zest of one lemon
6 TBS olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
juice of one lemon
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 TBS white wine vinegar
sugar, salt and pepper to taste

Cranberry-Nut Rolls

Jodi's well-organized plate.
Look at all those colors!

Braised Short Ribs

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

1 large butternut squash
1 head garlic, separated, but not peeled
2 TBS good olive oil
1 1/2 TBS pure maple syrup
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 oz thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
16 whole fresh sage leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and seed the butternut squash and then cut it into 3/4 to 1 inch cubes. Place the squash and the whole unpeeled garlic cloves on a sheet pan in one layer. Toss with the olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the squash begins to brown, turning once during baking. Sprinkle the pancetta and the sage leaves evenly over the butternut squash and continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the squash and garlic are tender and caramelized. Season to taste.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 pinch baking soda

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sour cream and eggs.
3 Add flour and a pinch of soda, mix well. Pour into a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. (Raquel obviously used muffin tins).

Raquel's Version of Butter-Cream Frosting
1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
1 bag powdered sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients together. Add milk until you reach desired consistency. Ideal for sugar cookies - replace butter with shortening for stiffer frosting - better for decorating cupcakes.

Here is a little taste of the African theme
we had going on at Lynley's!

December Delight

Wednesday, December 16th was the evening of our December Delight! It was a Christmas miracle we were able to find a night in December all six of us could get together! We dined at Miss Jodi's and as you can see, her table was decorated with a beautiful holiday flair! We started out with Sausage Cups from Andrea - more like a sausage wanton - delish! Then Lynley treated us with a salad. We enjoyed Kneaders bread from Raquel, Mustard-Roasted Potatoes (Barefoot Contessa at Home) by Bridget and our delicious main course, Prime Rib with Fresh Herb Rub by Jodi. We finished off the night with a Mint Chocolate Cake from Lara. As always, everything was just perfect and we enjoyed our night together catching up as friends. Next gourmet night was scheduled for Friday, January 8, 2010 at Lynley's.

Classic Lynley

Sausage Cups

Miss Raquel's power went out unexpectedly, so she was unable to make her rolls. Instead she favored us with a fresh loaf of 12-grain from Kneaders! No one complained!

Prime Rib with Fresh Herb Rub

1 TBS chopped garlic
2 TBS chopped fresh basil
2 TBS chopped fresh oregano
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
2 TBS chopped fresh rosemary
4 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 TBS Lawry's seasoning salt
1 TBS black pepper

Combine garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, and rosemary into a food processor or blender, then add olive oil. Lawry's seasoning salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Rub over the entire Prime Rib, wrap and keep refrigerated overnight. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake for 1/2 hour then turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Roast for 15 minutes per pound.

Mustard-Roasted Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
1 yellow onions
3 TBS good olive oil
2 TBS whole-grain mustard
kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes in halves or quarters, depending on their size, and place them n a sheet pan. Remove the ends of the onions, peel them, and cut them in half. Slice them crosswise in 1/3 inch-thick slices to make half-rounds. toss the onions nad potatoes together on the sheet pan. Add the olive oil, mustard, 2 tsp salt, and the pepper and toss them together (I brushed on). Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are lightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Toss the potatoes from time to time with a metal spatula so they brown evenly. Serve hot sprinkled wiht the chopped parsley and a little extra salt.

Chocolate Mint Layer Cake

One of the cool things about visiting Miss Jodi's at Christmas
are seeing her beautiful nativities from all over the world!

Nativity from Madagascar

Nativity from Peru

Nativity from Taiwan

A Fancy Fall Feast!

The gourmet girls met on Tuesday night, November 10, 2009 for another wonderful feast of delicious food! Bridget was very excited to break out all of her new fancy china for it's inaugural usage after receiving it for her wedding! We started the evening with appetizers by Lynley, Blue Cheese Tartlets, a recipe from a Williams Sonoma cookbook. Next was Jodi's excellent Pistachio and Pear Salad with Cilantro and Feta dressing (a recipe from a friend) and Lara's divine Beer Bread (another recipe from a friend). We might have devoured the entire loaf! By then the hens were finally cooked. (Tip: when buying frozen hens - I purchased mine at Snider's Meats in Holladay - allow two full days for them to thaw in your fridge. Mine were not quite thawed when I put them in the oven and took about an hour and twenty minutes to bake, including turning the oven up to 425 after an hour and turning the hens over once). I think the wait was well worth it however, because the hens were delicious! (Not hard to make, not too expensive - $3.79/hen, and a fun change from chicken or turkey). They were accompanied by Raquel's tasty Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans (a recipe from this month's Martha Stewart Magazine). And as if we were not completely stuffed by now, Andrea broke out her Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce and Whipped cream, a recipe from Thanksgiving Point. It was the perfect meal! The drink was a frozen concentrate Blueberry and Pomegranate juice, mixed with three cans of Sprite. Yummy! As always, we had a wonderful time catching up as friends!

The whole group (we're getting pretty good at the self-timer!) Andrea, Bridget, Jodi, Lynley, Raquel & Lara

Bridget, Jodi, Lynley, Raquel & Lara

Bridget, Jodi & Andrea

Raquel, Lara & Lynley

Blue Cheese Tartlets

The robust flavor of spinach or Swiss chard is more than a match for the tang of blue cheese in these bite-sized tarts. The pine nuts add a mellow richness to balance the assertive flavors of the cheese.
About 3/4 recipe (8 oz) Tart Pastry dough or purchased puff pastry
3 oz spinach or Swiss chard, trimmed
1 egg
2/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded Emmentaler cheese
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 oz Roquefort cheese, crumbled
2 TBS pine nuts
If using tart pastry, prepare the dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to roll it out. If using commercial puff pastry, defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Plunge the spinach into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Immediately drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking. Drain again, pressing against the greens to force out as much water as possible. Set aside.
Break the egg into a bowl. Add the cream, Emmentaler cheese, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Beat with a fork until completely blended. Coarsely chop the spinach and add it to the bowl. Stir well.
On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out as thinly as possible. Sprinkle the Roquefort cheese evenly over the dough. With a fluted pastry cutter about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, cut out 18 dough rounds. Use the rounds to line 18 individual tartlet pans, the cups in tartlet trays, or miniature muffin pans. If using individual pans, arrange them on a large baking sheet. Fill each pastry-lined pan with some of the egg mixture and scatter a few pine nuts on top. Bake until the filling sets and the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Pistachio and Pear Salad with Cilantro and Feta Dressing

Mixed greens
Pistachios
Manchego cheese
Pears
Dressing:
2 2 inch strips - 1/4 inch wide lime zest - I used nearly half of a lime
2 1/2 TBS lime juice
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 hot green chile chopped and seeded
1 1/2 TBS cilantro
2/3 cup olive oil
5 TBS feta crumbled
1/2 tsp salt

Cornish Hens with Cornbread Stuffing

For the stuffing:
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 cups medium-diced celery (3 stalks)
3 TBS chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
For the hens:
6 fresh Cornish hens (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the over to 400 degrees. For the stuffing, melt the butter in a medium saute pan, add the onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, until translucent. Off the heat, add the celery, parsley, cornbread, and chicken stock and mix well. Set aside.
For the hens, rinse them inside and out, removing any pin feathers, and pat the outsides dry. In a roasting pan that's just large enough to hold the hens loosely, first toss in the onions and then place the hens on top, breast side up. Sprinkle the insides of the hens with salt and pepper and loosely fill the cavities with the stuffing. (If there is stuffing left over, bake it in a separate pan until heated through.) Tie the legs of each hen together and tuck the wings under the bodies. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until the skin is browned and the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Serve a whole hen per person.

Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans

This dish is best the day it's made but can be prepared a few hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature until you're ready to serve.

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 cup wild rice
3 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped
2 TBS chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, and cook stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice, and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock, and bring to a biol. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until rice is tender and starting to burst, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl.
2. White rice cooks, preheat over to 400 degrees. Arrange pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool. Coarsely chop pecans.
3. Add toasted pecans, cranberries, raisins and parsley to rice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Beer Bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix together (I recommend doing this by hand for a better texture):
3 cups SELF-RISING flour
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Add in:
1 12 oz bottle beer (I recommend Miller Genuine Draft but you can experiment if you want)
Pour Batter into greased bread loaf pan and put in oven.
Bake 15 minutes and then open oven and baste/pour over with 1/3 cube of butter.
Bake final 15 minutes and remove bread from oven. Baste/pour final 1/3 cube of butter. Let cook in pan slightly before slicing but serve warm!
You can certainly under bake a bit . . and you can lighten up on the butter - use 1/2 cube total.

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce
(Thanksgiving Point)

October 2009 Gourmet

The ladies gathered once again for a fabulous fall fanfare of food and fun, marking Raquel's inaugural hosting of gourmet. The votes have been cast and it is unanimous: Raquel is IN! :) Her Coq au Vin was DIVINE and her house was the perfect fall gathering place. We started the evening with Bruschetta with Sauteed Sweet Peppers and Creamy Gorgonzola (Barefoot Contessa) by Jodi. Andrea's Squaw Bread was a hit! Bridget brought the salad; side dish was Parsnip Whipped Potatoes by Lara, and Lynley dazzled us with Chocolate Fondue for desert!

Raquel baked her chicken in a cast iron Dutch Oven. This was the hot topic of conversation for the evening! Raquel LOVES her pot by Le Creuset. Hers is a beautiful 7 quart in what I like to call "Tiffany Blue", although the color is listed by the manufacturer as "Caribbean". Lara also loves her cast iron pot, which she brought her potatoes in, made by Staub. So of course I ran right out and purchased a new 5 quart Le Creuset in red! These pots are enamled cast iron. They are known for their superb heat retention and distribution and are best to use with stews or meats. The lids fit tight so they retain moisture and the porcelain interior makes them easy to clean (so this is what the sales woman at Williams-Sonoma told me). I think I just might have to use my new pot for the main dish at my house next month!

The self-timer put to use!!

Lynley, Andrea & Bridget

Jodi, Raquel, Lynley, Lara & Bridget

Bruschetta with Sauteed Sweet Peppers and Cream Gorgonzola

Squaw Bread

Bridget's Salad

Dressing
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp celery seed
1 cup sugar
1/2 small yellow onion, cut into small cubes
1/3 triangle of gorgonzola cheese
Salad
mixed baby greens
spinach
strawberries
pears
avocados
green onions
sliced almonds

Coq au Vin

Parsnip Whipped Potatoes

Chocolate Fondue

2 cups heavy cream
1 pound premium semisweet chocolate (recommended: Lindt or Callebaut)
1 TBS pure vanilla extract
Strawberries, bananas, pineapple, brownies, marshmallow, cookies, or any other dipping item of your choice.

Put approximately 4 inches of water in the saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Place the mixing bowl on top and pour in the heavy cream; let heat. Meanwhile, break up or chop chocolate into small pieces. When the cream feels hot to the touch, add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and brandy.

Pour into the fondue pot and light the handy fuel underneath; keep the flame low as not to burn the fondue. Arrange strawberries, bananas, pineapple, brownies, marshmallow, cookies or any of your favorite items on a platter and enjoy.

Fondue in Action!