Mrs. Bentley’s Cooking Class
May 26, 2014Quince de Mayo! OLE!
Grilling Corn Tortillas
I conducted my first cooking class at the home of a dear friend. She asked that I put together a class for her networking group. Since the class was scheduled for the 15th of May, I called it Quince de Mayo! and came up with a Mexican menu. Here’s what we made:
Corn Tortilla Chips, Grilled with a Touch of Sea Salt for a No Fat, Crisp and Tasty Dipping Chip. We laid fresh, uncooked corn tortilla chips on a hot grill and sprinkled them with coarse sea salt. The heat of the grill causes the sea salt to stick to the tortilla. Using tongs, we peeked at the undersides and when they had nice grill marks, we flipped them. After just a few minutes, they were nicely charred and we tossed them into a bowl. We kept grilling them until we had a nice big pile. We cracked them by hand into approximate quarters.
Skinny Guacamole is Lightened Up by adding Roasted 韩剧tv网 to Fresh Avocado – So Fresh and Yummy! 韩剧tv网 look like green tomatoes. They come with a lose papery skin that feels like tissue paper. They are very acidic and have a flavor similar to a lime, but a little more intense. I discovered that if they are added to guacamole, the guacamole never turns that horrible grayish brown color. Yeah! Also, they are fat free and very low in calorie, so they thin down the calories in quacamole. Yeah again! Two problems solved! Everyone loved this new twist on an old favorite! It was so good, we had to make a second batch.
Roasted Tomato Salsa, Earthy and Surprisingly Light. We grilled whole tomatoes for about 10 minutes, until they had nice char marks and the skin was beginning to peel off. At the same time, we had pablano peppers on the grill. The grill was set to high. We grilled the pablano peppers until they were completely black on all sides. Then, using tongs, we popped them into a zip bag and sealed it up so the pepper would steam. After about 10 minutes in the bag, the blackened skin on the peppers slips right off. We slipped them out of their skins over the sink because it can get a little messy. Then, we cut the tops off the peppers and removed the seeds under running water. The tomatoes and the peppers went into the food processor along with a few grilled 韩剧tv网 we had left over from the guacamole.
Chicken Seasoned with Mrs. Bentley’s Secret Mole Spice Blend and Baked for an Aromatic Savory Treat! I taught the participants how easy it is to make this delicious chicken, and it can me made for a crowd just as easily. We had 30 chicken thighs in the oven while we made the other items on the menus. Normally, a tray of chicken for a family dinner would cook in about an hour. For 30 thighs on 4 trays, it took an hour and a half to cook.
I modified my basic Green Rice recipe by adding onions, peppers, garlic and cumin to give this dish a Mexican flair.
My friend had asked that I make everything “healthy”, so instead of making a Mexican flan, I made Panna Cotta, the Italian gelatin based dessert. This is another basic recipe that can be changed up in so many ways. It is essentially, milk or cream and gelatin. You can add any flavoring you like. You can sweeten it with sugar or Splenda. I’ve made chocolate, key lime, raspberry and vanilla before. Look at the basic recipe and then use your imagination.
Everyone really enjoyed the Skinny 韩剧tv网 we made! We made them with fresh lime juice, orange juice, tequila and the secret ingredient – Diet Mountain Dew! I’m not kidding, we used Diet Mountain Dew and they were incredible.
Participants Watching Intently As Salsa Is Being Made
Enjoying Skinny 韩剧tv网!
Our Hostess Squeezing More Limes Than She Has Ever Squeezed!
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Posted by Carol Bentley
Mrs. Bentley’s Last Saturday Supper Club
February 2, 2014
Cheers! to Tracey and Chip
2014 ushers in my new project – Mrs. Bentley’s Last Saturday Supper Club. I am hosting a dinner party once a month at my home. I decided to hold the dinner party on the last Saturday of every month, thus The Last Saturday Supper Club. For now, I can only manage dinner for 8, so in addition to David and I, there is room for 6 dinner guests. I am publishing the menu for each month at the beginning of the month. The first 6 people that can get through to me have the seats.
Carl and Tracey
The first dinner was held on the last Saturday of January, just a week ago. I think it was a big hit! I chose a menu that was light and fresh. I was thinking that after all the rich and plentiful holiday food, people would appreciate lighter fare. I named the menu “Refresh”. While the menu was packed with vegetables and seafood, I tried to make the dishes luscious and satisfying.
I served:
Steamed Mussels with White Wine and Garlic
Steamed mussels with white wine and garlic. I had tested the recipe earlier in the week and it was delicious. Too bad I didn’t prepare it the same way for the dinner party. I guess I was feeling a bit anxious and I failed to double check my recipe notes. I used too much wine, too much garlic and I forgot to add the celery all together.
Toasty Home Made French Bread
Thank God I decided to make my own fresh French bread to go with the mussels. The bread turned out great. Oooh but, I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach when I took the first taste of the broth. It was nothing like what I had tested earlier in the week. Then, one of my guests, a restauranteur and fabulous cook himself, whispered to me, “not to worry, the mussels are delicious, and don’t say a word about the broth. No one will be the wiser”. What an angel! I calmed right down and got on with the rest of the dinner, which was fabulous.
Wilted Greens with Chorizo, Chilies, Cashews and Pecorino Romano Cheese
For the salad course, I served warm, wilted collard greens. I know what you’re thinking -collard greens??? Really?? I thought you said this was going to be fine dining??? Ha! They were so delicious, guests wanted to lick their plates. It’s all in the toppings. First, I made the toppings by sauteing spicy chorizo sausage and red chili peppers together. Then, I added raw cashews and toasted them in the chorizo and chili oil. I set that mixture aside and added a lemon and olive oil dressing I had made to the pan. I Added the collards and tossed until they were nicely wilted but not overly done. I served them, topped with the chorizo and cashews and with a healthy sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese. Oh my goodness this combo is both unexpected and delicious. Some of the guests said it was their favorite dish.
Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing
I mentioned a lemon and olive oil dressing I used for the greens. This dressing is a new discovery to me and I am crazy about it. I took a whole lemon and cut it into 8ths. I removed the seeds. Threw the rest into a blender and whizzed it up, skins, pulp and all. I got it as smooth as I could, it was still pretty chunky. I slowly added two cups of olive oil and kept blitzing until it was very smooth. I added salt and whizzed some more. It was a beautiful pale and creamy yellow color. It was tart and a little sweet, balanced by the bitter of the rind and so creamy from the emulsified olive oil. This dressing is great on a cold green salad, or drizzled on a piece of fish, or used on steamed vegetables. Try it – it is so simple and so yummy! I made extra and sent each of my guest home with a bottle.
Chilean Sea Bass with Fennel, Peppers and Citrus Slices
I think the entree was the star of the show. I served Chilean Sea Bass on a bed of roasted fennel, red bell peppers, thinly sliced Meyer Lemons and Blood Oranges and fresh dill sprigs. I sprinkled some freshly ground coriander seeds over top of everything. Oh my! The visuals on this dish are stunning. The aromas of citrus, fennel, dill and coriander are swoon worthy. The recipe is perfect for entertaining because it is slow roasted in the oven first. Then, when you are ready to serve, it is put under the broiler for about 5 minutes and, voila!, everything is warm, with a nice bit of char, and ready to serve.
Chilean Sea Bass with Roasted Fennel and Citrus. Served with Orange Scented Black Rice.
Since the sea bass and the fennel are both pale colored, I thought a side of black rice would balance the plate nicely. Black rice, also known as, the Emperor’s Forbidden Rice, has a nice chew, sort of like brown rice and the color is actually a very dark purple. For the cooking liquid, I used half orange juice and half chicken stock. I topped each serving with a bit of orange zest. The flavor and the color was a perfect pairing for the Sea Bass. Jonathan said this rice was his favorite dish.
So, ok, everything was nice and light, healthy, good for you food. Time to break out the chocolate! I made a tart. A chocolate tart. So rich and chocolaty. The chocolate flavor was surprisingly intense, but so smooth and silky. And just to “gild the lily”, I topped each piece with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a drizzle of my homemade caramel sauce. Well, it wasn’t exactly a dollop of whipped cream, Jonathan made gorgeous quenelles of whipped cream. A quenelle is an elegant way to give a dollop a more formal and uniform shape. They are oblong and sort of football shaped. Well, he went to town and made each dessert plate look like it was from the finest dining establishment anywhere.
David and Rozana wishing they had room for more chocolate tart
I was a little surprised that my guests made very few comments about the tart. I was wondering if maybe they didn’t care for it. After discussing it the next day with my husband, David, we decided that they were just too stunned to comment. Ha ha! I really think so. Stunned!
Mr. Bentley with that Martini Grin
I started the party off with a choice of cocktails, Martinis (my personal fav), Limoncello Spritzers (in keeping with the light menu), Cosmos (in honor of my friend Tracey) or Wine. I did not serve any appetizers. I don’t believe in appetizers at a dinner party. One of my secret ingredients to any dinner is a pinch of “hunger”. Keep the guests waiting just a bit more than they expect. Bring them to the table ravenous! Not actually ravenous, but really hungry. I know it sounds mean, but it works every time. Try it.
Angel’s first time at Mrs. Bentley’s house. I think she’ll be back!
With dinner, I served a Barone Fini Pinot Grigio Valdadige that went well with the greens and the seafood. David had the wine merchant help with this selection. It was yummy. With the chocolate tart, I served Sandeman Ruby Port. I had read that chocolate and port made an amazing pairing. I thought I might faint when I tried it. I’m no expert on the art of beverage and food pairings, but I would like to learn more about it. I would say, this pairing of chocolate and port went a long way toward giving me a good understanding. After dinner, David served up some 18 year old Dewars to a few hearty souls. There were no takers on the cigars. Maybe next time.
Rozana and Angel enjoying Chip’s joke
I like to have seat assignments for a dinner party. I like to mix up the guests, separate spouses, boy girl, boy girl, but not with their mates. For this party, I took care to seat big talkers next to great listeners. Carl and Rozan are “love birds”, and I thought Rozana might be nervous away from Carl, so I made sure they sat across from each other so they could gaze and one another all evening. Everyone had a grand time, so I guess the arrangement was a success. Odd, but there wasn’t a single photo of Jonathan. You’ll have to use your imagination…..
Thanks to everyone for making the first Last Saturday Supper a huge success. I can’t wait for the February party. Menu to be posted soon!
Flaky and Silky Chilean Sea Bass with Fennel and Citrus Slices
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Posted by Carol Bentley
Pork 韩剧tv网 with Onion Jam and Apple Cider Molasses
June 23, 2013
Pork 韩剧tv网 with Onion Jam and Apple Cider Molasses
Visually stunning, aromatic, lean and healthy, this menu will become your new “go-to” menu when company is coming for dinner. Two homemade condiments make this dish a wowee, wowee entree. They are Apple Cider Molasses and Onion Jam.
Apple cider molasses is made by boiling down a gallon of apple cider until it is thick and syrupy. It has a surprisingly bright sweet tart flavor,which is fantastic with pork. Very simple to make, it lasts for months in the fridge. Next time I make it, I think I will preserve it in small canning jars to make it last even longer.
暴风影音+在线视频 Onion Jam
The onion jam is also simple to make, but a bit of a pain in the eye to peel all those onions. I like to make a big batch so I have it on hand for recipes like this. But you can try a small batch for the first time, to see if you really like it.
I peeled eight large sweet onions and chopped them using my food processor. I did a rough chop. The onions are then, slow cooked in a big saute pan with a little butter, some salt and a splash of vinegar. After about an hour and a half the onions will be reduced to a thick, jam-like consistency. Thanks to the vinegar, the jam lasts a long time in the fridge. You can use this jam in so many ways; with cream cheese on crackers or crostini, baked with chicken, pork or beef, on pizza or pasta, used in marinades, etc.
Grilled Pork 韩剧tv网 With 暴风影音+在线视频 Onions
For this pork recipe, I made a marinade with olive oil, the cider molasses, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Fresno chili peppers (red jalapenos), salt and pepper, and herbs. After marinading, I grilled the pork 韩剧tv网s. I reserved the marinade for a finishing sauce. I added some onion jam to the marinade and cooked it down until it was thick. I like to add a small pat of butter at the end for glossiness. The end result is a savory sauce with a hint of sweet, balanced with the tartness from the cider molasses, a little bit of heat for excitement and made rich by the 暴风影音+在线视频 onions. You can see from the picture how beautiful the sauce looks on the sliced 韩剧tv网. For a detailed recipe click here.
Beet and Fennel Salad with Walnuts and Orange 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月
And just to take this menu over the top, I served this gorgeous fennel, orange and beet salad. The flavors in this salad compliment the pork beautifully. The salad has roasted beets, fresh sliced raw fennel, orange segments and toasted walnuts. The dressing is made with orange juice, rice vinegar, and a splash of canola oil. The trick to keeping this salad looking its best, is to dress the fennel separately from the beets. Then, ever so gently, mix the two. Otherwise the red beet juice turns the whole salad red. It is much prettier when you can see the contrast of the white fennel, the orange segments and the red beets. Finish it by zesting a bit of orange peel on top. For a detailed recipe click here.
Creamy Polenta With Sage Butter
To round out this fabulous company menu, I prepared creamy polenta with sage butter. I prepared the polenta according to the package directions. Then, I added fresh chopped sage leaves that had been sauteed in butter. Of course, I added the butter as well!
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Posted by Carol Bentley
Summer Menu With Ribs and Crisp Fennel, Orange and Beet Salad
June 30, 2012If it’s summer, it has to be ribs for dinner.
Moist and Sticky Barbequed Ribs with Summery Salad
I did baby back ribs and paired them with a luscious summery salad of crisp shaved fennel, juicy orange segments, roasted yellow beets and red onion on a bed of baby arugula. I made the dressing with fresh orange juice and orange zest, fresh lemon juice, chopped shallots, grated ginger and extra virgin olive oil. I topped the whole thing off with a few crumbles of feta cheese. I used fat free feta, but you can use your favorite.
I just read through the new issue of bon appetit, the July 2012 issue. On the cover is a picture of amazing looking ribs. So, I was inspired to try their “ultimate do-ahead ribs”. This is a great recipe for company because you can do the bulk of the cooking several days before the ribs are finished on the grill.
Crisp Shaved Fennel with Roasted Beets and Orange Segments on a bed of Arugula with a sweet tart Ginger Dressing.
First, I rubbed the slab of baby back ribs with a mixture of salt, pepper, brown sugar and ancho chili powder. You could use any kind of chili powder. Then,I wrapped the full slab in heavy duty tin foil. I placed the packet on a cookie sheet and baked them in a 350 degree oven for two hours. I drained off the liquid the ribs generated into a glass bowl and refrigerated for later. I wrapped the ribs back up in the same foil and put them in the refrigerator.
At this point, you can leave the juices and ribs in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, add the reserved rib juices to store bought barbeque sauce or your own homemade sauce. Put the cold ribs onto a hot grill and slather them with the sauce/juice mixture. Turn the ribs over every minute or so and slather on more sauce each time. Do this for about seven minute or until the ribs are heated through, nicely glazed with some nice char marks. Delicious!!
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Posted by Carol Bentley
Cedar Planked Salmon
July 10, 2011
Salmon with Brown Sugar, Coffee and Cumin on Cedar Plank
I call this salmon dish, “Cowboy Salmon” because it is an adaptation of a fabulous meal I saw prepared on Bobbie Flay’s grilling show. He had a guest chef on the program, who is known as “The Epicurean Cowboy”. He made this spice rubbed, cedar planked salmon as an ingredient for his fish tacos. The spice rub is made from brown sugar, crushed coffee beans and cumin. I was so intrigued by the idea, I just had to try it.
I made it a few weeks ago for a party I hosted for my tennis girlies. It was our end of season bash and I opted for two different kinds of fish tacos, homemade chips and salsa, and 韩剧tv网. The party was a huge success. The gals are still talking about it. However, I was so busy getting everything set up and served that I never had time to get photos of the party or the party food. I knew I wanted to make this salmon again, so I could photograph it and publish the recipe.
The Epicurean Cowboy serves his salmon with a spicy coleslaw on warm corn tortillas, which is how I served it at my party. But for my re-do I morphed the concept into something suitable for one of my Sunday dinners with my mother-in-law. Tacos seem a little too casual for Sunday dinner, so I deconstructed the recipe for my own purposes. I served the salmon, grilled and flaked. I served a spicy coleslaw on the side.
Grilled Polenta with Green Chiles and Cilantro
And instead of corn tortillas, I decided to make a grilled polenta. Polenta is typically an Italian dish, but I mixed things up and made it with a Mexican twist. I added roasted green chiles, green onions, crumbled Mexican cheese and a splash of lime juice. I grilled the polenta and garnished it with a little fresh cilantro. Wow, it was really amazing! I liked the pairing with the salmon even better than the original corn tortillas.
MENU:
- Cedar Planked Salmon With Spicy Rub
- Grilled Polenta With Roasted Green Chiles and Queso Fresco
- Baja Coleslaw With Lime And Cilantro
- Mango Cheesecake With Lemon Basil Syrup
Cedar Planked Salmon and Grilled Polenta
For the salmon, I used a cedar plank I had left over from my party. The plank needs to be soaked in water for at least an hour before it can be put on the grill. The idea is for the plank to smoke and add smoky flavor to the fish. If the plank is too dry, it will catch fire. I set the plank in my utility sink on my patio and turned the water on. It’s a big sink, and I wanted to fill it, so I left the water running, while I went back inside to work on another dish. Well, I got busy and lost track of the running water. When I thought of it, I ran out to see how bad it was. As suspected, the water was pouring over the top of the sink onto the patio floor. It was a nice little flood but no real harm done. The patio floors are really clean and shiny now. Terrific! Maybe I’ll do things the same way, the next time I’m soaking planks.
Cedar Planked Salmon with Spicy Brown Sugar Glaze
The salmon is dusted with a heavy dose of the spice rub, about a cup per pound of fish. I threw a handful of the rub onto the damp cedar plank, then set the filet on top of that. I added another generous handful of the spice rub to the top of the fish. I grilled it in the center of the grill on high.
The aroma from the smoking cedar is unbelievable. The sugar in the spice rub, caramelizes and creates a beautiful glaze on both sides of the fish.
For the polenta, I used and instant polenta, which is sometimes labeled, “pre-cooked”. It looks like fine corn meal. The regular polenta requires about 45 minutes of cooking and stirring. The instant kind cooks in about 5 minutes. I used chicken stock instead of water for more flavor. I added a small can of roasted green chiles, Ortega brand. You can roast your own peppers if you want, but the canned or jarred ones are just as good. I don’t take many short cuts when I cook, but I don’t mind using the jarred roasted peppers at all.
I added chopped green onions and diced Mexican cheese, queso fresco. It is a fresh, mild white cheese. I wished I had bought the melting kind, but instead I bought the crumbling kind. It turned out great anyway. The cheese cubes remained whole and they picked up nice grill marks for even more flavor when I grilled the polenta. After cooking the polenta thoroughly, I poured it into a buttered 9 by 12 pan. I covered it with plastic wrap and refrigerated it for about an hour.
Polenta with Roasted Green Chiles Ready for the Grill
I cut the chilled polenta into squares, drizzled it with a little olive oil and gave it a liberal sprinkle of coarse sea salt. I grilled it on a hot grill and it took longer than I had expected to get good grill marks. I checked it after 5 minutes and there were no grill marks. I was a little surprised, but I let it cook on and I got great grill marks after about 10 minutes per side.
Baja Cole Slaw with Lime, Cilantro and Green Chiles
I love, love, love to mix up coleslaw to suit my tastes. I use the bagged coleslaw mix and add my own dressings and add-ins. Sometimes I give it an Asian twist with a little sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce, or I might give it a Thai flair with fish sauce, chile peppers, sugar and rice vinegar. For this menu, I used my “South of the Border” flavor mix. I made the dressing out of lime juice and mayonnaise. I added diced jalapeno peppers, red onions and chopped fresh cilantro. It was so fresh and tasty. An excellent complement to the rich flavored fish and starchy polenta. It balanced the whole plate.
Mango Cheesecake with Lemon Basil Syrup
Some of you may think everything I serve turns out the way I want it to. Trust me, that is not true. Case in point, is the dessert I served with this menu. I saw Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network, make an unusual cheesecake. She made mango cheesecake with a lemon, basil syrup. It looked gorgeous on the television. I really wanted to try to make it, and I thought it would go perfectly with this menu. Well, my syrup turned out a weird shade of green that didn’t look appetizing at all. The cheesecake was too wet and sort of fluffy. I think cheesecake should be dense and flavorful. This didn’t have much flavor and I just couldn’t get past the green sauce. I’m not going to put the recipe on my site, but if you think it sounds good to you, Google it and you can easily find the recipe.
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Posted by Carol Bentley
Retro Revival
June 26, 2011
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Sometimes all things trendy seem a little too far inside the box for me. Does all good food have to be the latest fad from the outer reaches of the world?
Once in a while I like to go back to a good old standard, a classic. That’s what I did here. I went retro with bacon wrapped scallops. They were so easy and so good, I may try that other old retro, bacon wrapped Filet Mignon for next week!
To prevent the scallops from becoming over done, I pre-cooked the bacon in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then I wrapped the scallops and secured them with double skewers and popped them on the grill. They took about 10 minutes total on the grill. I rolled them over to the bacon side to make sure the bacon was nice and crispy. They came out perfectly! The scallop was so tender and juicy, not overdone at all. And the bacon was crispy and delicious. The bacon added such a gorgeous flavor to the scallops. I’m not sure why anyone would ever prepare scallops without it.
Bacon Wrapped Scallops With Summer Squash and Pine Nuts
The bacon and scallops are fairly rich and I wanted a vegetable that was light and fresh. I paired the scallops with a summery zucchini dish, “mixed summer squashes with toasted pine nuts”. Super simple to make, it was surprisingly tasty. I loved the way it looked on the platter with the scallops.
Ensalada Caprese
I went with one of my old standbys for a side salad. I prepared ensalada caprese, family style. It’s the classic Italian combination of fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. I chop it all up, passing dish style. Then, drizzle with a little olive oil, splash a little rice wine vinegar and toss it with a generous amount of coarse sea salt. Yummm! Everyone always loves this salad.
The Menu:
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Summer Squashes with Toasted Pine Nuts
- Ensalada Caprese – Family Style
- Chocolate Mousse Pie (I bought 2 slices, which were eaten long before I could snap a picture. So, no picture, no recipe.)
Bacon Wrapped Scallops
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Posted by Carol Bentley
Caribbean Christmas Eve
December 26, 2010
Caribbean Fish and Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk
Christmas Eve was a little different this year. I ditched the bouillabaisse and went tropical! Caribbean Christmas Eve seemed like a good idea. I made an amazing seafood and corn chowder with coconut milk.
I used one part crab stock (made from the shells of a Dungeness crab), one part heavy cream and one part coconut milk. Wow, what a fantastic, creamy, lush flavor. I stole a great idea from Ina Garten. I saw her make a lobster and corn chowder. She cut the corn kernels off the cob and set them aside. Then she put the bare corn cobs in the stock with the cream and simmered them for 30 minutes before she removed them. This added a little starch and thickness to the broth, but mainly it added super delicious flavor!
Steamed Dungeness Crab with Mango Avocado and Lime Dressed Salad
I followed the chowder up with a steamed Dungeness crab and a tasty little salad that I dressed with mango, avocado and lime. I garnished it with some fresh cilantro. What a great refreshing salad to counter the richness of the chowder and the crab.
I made the dressing ahead of time out of cubed mango and avocado. I added lime zest and the juice of 2 limes. I added sea salt and a little vegetable oil. When it was time to serve I simply opened a nice bag of mixed butter lettuces (you can use whatever you like) and topped it with the dressing/relish and garnished it with fresh cilantro. Super easy, super delicious!
For dessert, I served Key Lime pie, a no-brainer for my Caribbean themed menu. I confess, I bought a frozen key lime pie. I am crazy for Edward’s Key Lime Pie from Publix. It was perfect.
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Posted by Carol Bentley
Fabulous 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月 Menu
December 1, 2010Oh my God, I love 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月! For the menu, I think what most people really want is the traditional fare; Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Pumpkin Pie. I imagine the favorite sides are whatever sides your family traditionally serves, i.e., green been casserole, creamed onions, cranberry sauce, etc. So, I decided to stick with the traditional dishes this year.
WHAT?? Are you kidding me?? Well, sort of. I decided to kick everything up with superb ingredients, painstaking techniques and artful presentation. My menu:
- Roast Turkey, brined and stuffed with aromatics
- Sage Stuffing with Homemade Pumpernickel and Sour-Dough Croutons
- Mashed Potatoes
- Gravy made from 48 hour turkey neck stock
- Mixed Roast Squashes on a bed of greens
- Sweet Potato Gnocchi sauteed in Brown Butter and Sage
- Crisp Browned Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Cranberry Relish with a splash of Chambord
- Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream and Cinnamon Sugared Pecan Crumble
- Mince Apple Pie with the same topping as above
Brined Turkey Stuffed with Aromatics
I wasn’t having a big crowd, so I had to take care not to prepare too much food. I tend to err on the side of cooking for at least a full regiment, so this was no easy task for me. For the turkey, I bought a small (ten pound) fresh, free range turkey from a great Italian specialty grocer, Doris’. They always have the best meats, seafood and produce.
I used the classic brining recipe from the new cookbook, “The Essential New York Times Cook Book”, by Amanda Hesser. (This is a must-have book.) It was brined in water, sugar, salt, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, chili flakes, fennel seeds, star anise and fresh thyme. It was brined for 48 hours and then, to make sure the skin was nice and crispy, I tried a new technique I heard about. I pulled the bird from the brine and rinsed it thoroughly. I patted it dry as much as I could. It sat UNCOVERED on a platter in the fridge for another 24 hours. This helps the skin to completely dry out and cook up nice and crispy. It worked great! I will use this little trick from now on.
I stuffed the bird with apples, onion, celery, fresh sage and fresh thyme. This stuffing is for an aromatic and flavor boost, you don’t actually eat any of the stuffing. I rubbed the whole thing with olive oil and dried sage and baked it at 325 for about 2 1/2 hours. All the meat, even the white meat, was tender and juicy. The brining sees to that. The skin was golden brown and crispy.
Stuffing Baked with Turkey Wings on top keeps it Moist
The stuffing was the best I’ve ever had. I made my own croutons from a loaf of pumpernickel and another loaf of sour-dough white bread. I made the croutons big, about one inch squares. I wanted to cook the stuffing outside the bird and sometimes stuffing can get a little dry when you cook it this way. I heard another amazing little trick to ensure moist and tasty stuffing. The trick is to place two turkey wings on top of the stuffing and then bake it. While it baked, the juices from the wings dripped down into the stuffing. It came out moist, aromatic and delicious. Even better than the kind you make inside the bird. An extra bonus – the wings were also delicious!
Roasted Mix of Squashes on Bed of Greens with Dried Cranberry Scatter
My best side dish was the platter of mixed squash, roasted and decorated with dried 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月. Look at them!! You have to make them just to look at them. I bought one acorn squash and one small sugar pumpkin. I cut them in half and seeded them. I put them in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, just long enough to soften them slightly. Then I took them out, sliced them thin, drizzled butter and salt on them and returned them to a high heat oven, 425 degrees for another 30 minutes or until just turning brown on the edges. I arranged the slices on a bed of greens that I had lightly dressed with a shallot 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月 and I scattered a few dried 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月 around just for good looks! This recipe is from the 2010 issue of Food And Wine magazine. My version looks way better than theirs. Ha!
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage and Brown Butter
My second favorite side dish was the Sweet Potato Gnocchi sauteed in brown butter and sage. Can you stand it? I’m not really a big fan of sweet potatoes and I’m certainly not a fan of sweet, sweet potatoes. I wanted to make a savory sweet potato dish. I saw Giada, the Italian chef on the Food Network make a sweetened sweet potato gnocchi, so I stole her idea and cut out everything sweet. I added some savory spices like; cumin, Chinese Five Spice powder, onion powder and black pepper. They were pretty straightforward to make, gorgeous to look at and really tasty. A definite keeper.
For my green veggie, I decided on Brussels sprouts. I used the fresh ones. I washed trimmed and cut each one in half. I put them in a saute pan with a tablespoon of bacon fat and a cup of my turkey neck stock. I simmered them, covered for about ten minutes. Then I uncovered them and let the liquid cook off completely (about 15 minutes more). After the liquid cooks off, they get browned on the edges from the bacon fat. I promise you, even Brussels sprout haters will love this recipe.
Cranberry Relish with a Splash of Chambord - Raspberry Liqueur
I also made cranberry relish with orange, granny smith apple, walnuts and chambord, a raspberry liqueur. The chambord dressed up the standard relish and everyone loved it. With all the rich foods on a 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月 Day menu, a sweet tart cranberry relish cuts through the richness and balances everything perfectly.
2 Comments | Menus | Tagged: bourbon, casserole recipes, cranberry relish, dessert recipes, dinner menu, easy recipes, festive food, fresh pumpkin, holiday recipes, Menu, party recipes, Recipes, salad recipes, side dish recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes, Turkey | 男人桶女人30分钟完整
Posted by Carol Bentley
Pork, Polenta and Plums
October 3, 2010
Panzanella - Tuscan Bread Salad
I was inspired by a fabulous recipe for a Panzanella, which is a Tuscan salad made with fresh tomatoes, toasted bread cubes and any number of herbs and vegetables all drizzled with good olive oil and vinegar. I had to have this salad!
I had planned on a pork 韩剧tv网 roulade (stuffed and rolled), but I decided this salad would be too busy looking, next to a fussy, twirly, stuffed pork roll.
Succulent Slow Roasted Pork
So, Boston Butt pork roast was the obvious substitution. Yummy, so succulent, so delicious!
I slow roasted it on a bed of rough cut onion, carrots and celery (the holy trinity of the kitchen). I poured a bottle of Spanish
To go with the pork roast, I decided on polenta. I haven’t had it in ages and it’s been calling to me. While sorting through my recipe stacks, I came across a recipe for pumpkin sage grits, which sounded amazing to me. I morphed that headline into pumpkin polenta with sage and chives.
Creamy Polenta with Sage and Chives
The polenta was creamy, cheesy comfort food heaven! I served it in a rustic wooden bowl with a big wooden serving spoon. It looked like a magazine shoot. Too bad I didn’t get a very good shot of it myself, but you must trust me, it was gorgeous.
I topped it all off with a plum cobbler and vanilla ice cream. I love this cobbler recipe. The plum mixture has a bit of fresh ginger in it, which provides a nice surprise in your mouth. Most cobblers use a biscuit type dough for a crust. This recipe uses a cross between a pie crust and a biscuit. To flour, sugar and baking soda, you add chilled butter and chilled CREAM CHEESE and the dough is moistened with BUTTER MILK. Can you stand it? Doesn’t that sound fabulous? And to just take the whole thing over the top, course ground turbinado sugar is sprinkled on the crust before baking. Check out the recipe. Really easy, really amazing.
Warm Plum Cobbler Waiting for a Dollop of Vanilla Ice Cream
5 Comments | Menus | Tagged: Boston Butt Roast, company food, dessert recipes, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, festive food, holiday recipes, Menu, pork recipes, pork roast, Pork Shoulder Roast, salad recipes, side dish recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 男人桶女人30分钟完整
Posted by Carol Bentley
Pork Rib Roast
August 22, 2010
Roasted Yellow Beet Salad with Walnut Oil 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月
I don’t usually begin my posts with a discussion of the salad, but this salad was so surprising I must begin here. For quite some time I have been looking for a delicious way to serve beets. I guess I really don’t like beets, I just like the idea of liking beets. They have such fabulous color, whether red or yellow. I buy them, I store them, I look at them, I store them and then I look at them some more. I really don’t like beets.
So here I was again, having purchased beets, this time the yellow ones. They had been in my fridge for two weeks (so I could stare at them for a goodly number of times). I found this recipe for the beet salad at Melissa’s produce site. I tweaked it a bit to suit myself. I used champagne vinegar instead of balsamic and I added fresh tarragon. It was so delicious, I couldn’t believe I was eating beets. Even Mum, who we all know hates her vegetables, ate up every last bit. The salad has roasted yellow beets, toasted pine nuts, shallots and feta cheese. It is dressed in a shallot and walnut oil 乖女好紧h侯府荡女陆明月 with fresh tarragon. Wowee, it was really good! You must try this recipe. It has a lot of ingredients, but that’s what must be done to beets to make them taste good.
Pork Rib Roast with Garlic and Rosemary
With the amazing beet salad, I served an impressive pork rib roast. I thought I would try to make it exactly the way I made the lamb rib racks for my birthday. I did the pork the same way, but added ten more minutes to the cooking time and they came out perfectly. They were medium rare, and as tender and juicy as could be. The rosemary and garlic added their usual intoxicating aromas to the gorgeous meal.
Plated Pork Roast with Parsley Potatoes
With all the complexity of the salad and the show-stopping rib roast, I decided I better keep the side dish simple. So, I served very simple, yet elegant parsley new potatoes. I quartered and boiled the potatoes until tender. I drained them and added butter, fresh parsley and salt. They were delicious.
Tipsy Plums and Raspberries
Fresh plums are in season and I am drawn to their beauty. I found a great recipe in the August 2010 issue of Food and Wine magazine for “Tipsy Plums & Raspberries. The plums are sliced thin and soaked in Japanese Plum Wine with a dash of ground ginger. After soaking for an hour or so and just before serving, fresh raspberries are added. The raspberries fall apart if they soak for too long. The recipe didn’t call for any sugar, but I sugared the raspberries before adding them. The compote is served with a sprig of mint and ginger snap cookies on the side. Really simple, really delicious.
1 Comment | Menus | Tagged: beet, beet recipes, beet salad, beets, company food, dessert recipes, dinner menu, easy recipes, pork recipes, pork roast, salad recipes, side dish recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 男人桶女人30分钟完整
Posted by Carol Bentley
Mrs. Bentley's Best 