For those who love lamb this is a nice, easy way to cook your dinner with the meat and veggies – all in one. Here we go.
- 1 leg of Lamb (5 -6 lbs)
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- sea salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups Chardonnay wine
- 4 cups chicken stock
- sprigs of rosemary
- 1 1/2 lbs baby new potatoes, halved
- 1 cup oil-cured black olives
- 1/2 cup green olives
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Make 8 slits in the lamb and insert garlic in each one. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large roast pan or dutch oven until it begins to simmer. Sear the lamb on both sides until golden – about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
Add the wine and return the pan to heat and simmer for about a minute. Add the stock, remaining garlic, rosemary and bring to a boil. Add the lamb back in and cover with a lid. Braise in the oven for 4 hours.
Now add the potatoes and olives and continue braising until the lamb and potatoes are tender (35-40 minutes).
Transfer the lamb to a platter and with a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes and olives. Strain the pan juices and skim the fat from the top. Return to the pan and simmer for about 6 -7 minutes, until reduced by half. Spoon the sauce over the lamb and serve.
Add a salad and you really have a dinner fit for a king.
Mushroom Quesadillas
I love mushrooms so this is a favourite to use. Give it a try – I think you will be surprised just how delicious they are.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
- 8 oz. portobello mushrooms, chopped
- fresh basil and fresh parsley
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 8 7-inch tortillas
- Grated Parmesan cheese (depends on how much you like cheese)
In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter and add the garlic and all the mushrooms. Cook until the liquid is gone, stirring often. Add seasonings.
Spread the mixture over each half of the tortillas, fold over and press to seal. Place in a hot frypan with a bit of butter and drill for about 2 minutes each side, until the cheese melts.
Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for a moment. Cut into wedges, big enough to hold but not so big they look like dinner. After all, this is only an appetizer.
Oh, I forgot, add some sour cream and a glass of wine. There, I’m done!
Menu for Special Brunch
Whenever and whatever the reason you have 6 – 8 people at the table for breakfast (weekend, birthday, weekend at the lake, more brownie points) this is a great menu.
- Waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream
- Ham and Cheese Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Hashbrowns with mushrooms and cheese
- Sunday eggs and ham
- sausage patties
- fresh fruit tray
- raspberry chocolate torte
This looks like a lot but with a little preparation time (day before or so) it is easy to come together. Everyone will think you are a genius and then you can proclaim (to yourself) damn I DID it. Wahoo!
You can have orange juice and sparkling wine to start and end up with a lovely cup of freshly brewed coffee and a glass of perfectly chilled ice wine. Do we know how to do this or what……yup, we do.
Lime Ginger Prawns
Come on, it’s summer time and the breezes are light, the temperature is perfect for being on the deck with a great appetizer coming your way. I mean, after you make it and then serve it to one and all, they will all want to be asked back.
- 30 prawns, raw
- 2 tsp. each of fresh lime juice and grated ginger
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of 5 spice powder
- skewers that have been soaking for an hour
Shell and devein the shrimp, but leave the tails on. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in the prawns, making sure to coat and refrigerate for one hour, covered.
Thread the prawns on the skewers and fry in pan, making sure the oil is hot first. Do not over cook.
I told you it was easy. All you need now is some sliced pineapple and mango to accompany the shrimp. Oh yeah, I forgot ……don’t forget the wine.
September Dinner Party
Here is a menu you may wish to try. It is not that difficult and the recipes are on site.
Appetizer:
- Crab Cakes with garlic aoli
- Wine: Pinot Grigio
First Course:
- Seafood Bisque
- Second Course: Chicken Salad
Main Course:
- Pork Tenderloin with sauce
- Baby garden beets, corn and julienned carrot sticks, green beens
Dessert:
- Chocolate Brioche with homemade vanilla ice cream
- Shot of Baileys to go with your coffee.
Chocolate Banana Cream Pie
Why not make it a little differently…by adding white chocolate it is a whole new dimension.
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- pinch of salt
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3 slightly beaten large egg yolks
- 4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/4 tsp. chocolate flavouring
- 4 medium ripe, yet still firm, bananas
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. sifted icing sugar
- white chocolate curls for garnish.
Combine crumbs, melted butter and a pinch of ground cinnamon in a deep sided 9 inch pie plate. Save 1/2 cup of the crumbs and set aside. Press this up the sides and bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the milk and cook over medium heat until thickened. Cook and stir constantly for another two minutes. Remove from the heat.
Gradually whisk in one cup of the filling into the egg yolks, whisking as you do this or you could get scrambled eggs. Stir in the white chocolate and 1 tsp. of the chocolate flavouring. Continue stirring until melted and smooth.
Slice two bananas and layer over the base of the chilled pie crust. Spread one half of the filling over the top. Spread a layer of the chocolate crumbs over the top of the filling. Slice the other two bananas and layer over the chocolate crumbs. Cover with the remaining filling. Do this in a pretty fashion. Be sure, you chant the mantra “take 5”, “take 5”. Believe it or not, it will show in the end.
Just prior to serving, whip the cream, adding the sifted icing sugar and chocolate flavouring . Sprinkle some chocolate curls around the plate.
Fabulous…tasting… presentation. Super cool. If you are finishing off a dinner with guests, why not pour a short of white chocolate liqueur? Just sayin’.
Too yummy!
Herbed Cheeses In Golden Bread Cases
Here is a different Hors d’Oeuvres to serve with a glass of wine, when your company arrives. You don’t want to fill up on them or no one will want dinner. If it is a wine and cheese evening or a card night, this is a good one.
- 1 loaf of unsliced white bread
- 3 tbsp. melted butter
- 1/4 cup grated Gouda cheese
Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into 2 inch cubes, scooping out the centers. Brush the rim edges with butter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Spoon the following filling into the cases and top with grated cheese. Just before serving, heat in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese melts.
Filling
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 1/2 tbsp. white flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2/3 cup grated Gouda cheese
- 2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
- 1 tsp. each of fresh: chives, basil and oregano
Make a roux with the flour and butter, cooking until bubbly. Remove from the heat and slowly add the milk, whisking as you pour. Return to the heat and cook until the mixture reaches a boil and becomes t hicker.
Remove from the heat and add the yolk and cheeses. Return to the burner, stirring over a low heat until smooth. Add the herbs at the last.
Now, you are again “the hostess with the mostess”. Have they asked when they can move in yet? They will. Enjoy!
Royalty Coming Dinner
Did that surprise you? I hope not. Our concept here is family, friends and strangers alike are treated like royalty. No one gets better treatment than the other. This way, you take the care and attention needed to show that everyone is important, special and welcome.
Now, here is a little story, true, I swear. As much as I have always respected Martha Stewart and the Savoir Faire shows for their flair of collecting just the right dishes, we were not that into it. So…..the first dinner invitation we had with our former, long ago gone friends, Don and Rose, my husband was sitting at the dinner table and got the strangest look on his face. I asked him what was going on and he told me to turn around.
There, in her china cabinet, was a table setting for 22. All one pattern, all displayed as individual settings. OMG! We share this with them after the dinner and they just roared. Who else but us would count the dishes.
Now, on to the reason for this ditty.
Dinner Menu to try:
- Crab cakes with lemon sauce and fresh crab legs
- Millenium Festive Salad
- Mushroom Risotto (my absolute favourite)
- Steak Au Poivre with a Merlot cream
- Steamed Asparagus
- Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and cream
New Years Eve 2013 – Plan Ahead Menu
Years ago, when we still had our friends, we decided we could put on a great dinner with just us and have a wonderful time. The rule was we had to dress up. The fellas rented Tuxedos, and the two ladies wore long gowns. Sounds silly? Not a chance.
We wanted that “special celebration feeling” and by gum we achieved it. The dinner was hours long and so much fun. I might add, it was so much work as well, I won’t kid you.
Here you need to sit down with a cup of coffee and read it through. It can be so worth it, I promise.
Hors d’Oeuvres
- Mushroom Palmiers, Mini Chicken drumsticks
- Wine: White Zinfandel
First Course
- Steamed Clams in Wine
- Wine: Bris de Mer
Second Course
Festive Millenium Salad, crackers
Third Course
Caviar Parfait * Don made this and liked it. Did I mention that one of the rules we had was you had to at least try the dish. You don’t have to like it, but try it.
Fourth Course
- Beef Wellington with roasted potatoes, buttered carrots, partial stems still attached.
- Wine: Merlot
Fifth Course
- Swans swimming in chocolate sauce, topped with sparklers. (Don made these…it was fabulous!)
- Wine: Sparkling
Sixth Course (yes, we were gasping at this point)
- Coffee/tea
This dinner took 6 hours to go through. We had about 45 minutes before midnight and we played bridge, toasted in the New Year and took our exhausted bodies to bed. Tomorrow was another day.
This dinner is, obviously, for adults only. Get a sitter, feed the kids early and take them to Grandmas House or whatever. Do try it, even if not the same dishes but go the ‘take 5’ attitude and you will surprise yourself. Maybe this was where the “damn I can do this” concept was born.
Coconut Prawns
This is a great Hors d’Oeuvres, serve it anytime.
- 1 lb uncooked prawns, shelled and deveined
- cornflour
- 1 slightly beaten egg white
- 1 cup shredded sweet coconut
- Crisco oil
Toss the prawns in cornflour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the egg white and then the coconut.
When the oil is hot, fry the prawns until they are golden and tender. Serve with the following Papaya Dip.
- 1 fresh papaya
- 2 tbsp. mayo
- 2 tbsp. papaya chutney
Blend the ingredients until smooth. Put in a small bowl and you are ready for a real treat.
YUMMY
Poached Egg Brunch Fare
Alright, you have company for the weekend and you want to make something a little simple but must have ‘punch’ so to speak. Here we go –
Set the table the night before (old habit from running B & B)
- 10 oz. potato (peeled and grated) I love sweet potato – choice is yours
- 6 large eggs
- pinch of salt and pepper
- Crisco oil
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar
- 16 spears asparagus, trimmed, peeled and blanched
In a bowl, place the grated potato, 2 eggs, salt and pepper, mixing to combine.
Heat a frypan using 1/2 inch of oil and make 1/4 cup size potato mounds until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep warm.
In a deep sided frypan, add water 2/3 full and heat until simmering. Add the vinegar and stir to combine. Crack the eggs in a small bowl and just slip the eggs into the water.
Poach for about 4 minutes and with a slotted spoon, remove from the water, snip off any ragged edges of egg white and drain well.
On four plates, put a potato mound in the center, top with 4 asparagus spears, add the egg on top and if you wish drizzle the horseradish sauce (below) or use a hollandaise sauce. Place a few slices of melon or a few berries and you have a breakfast feast.
Horseradish Sauce
2 tbsp. creamy horseradish
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt and pepper
Put all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine and smooth.
Yum Yum Yum – more please!
Creamy Pecan Sauce for Pasta
This sauce has such great flavour, you will want pasta every night for dinner.
- 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- 1 slice Dempster’s multigrain bread
- 2/3 cup of buttermilk
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1/3 cup of grated Asiago cheese
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- pasta for 6 (your choice)
On a parchment lined cookie sheet, toast the pecans in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Set aside.
While cooking the pasta to al dente, start the sauce.
Combine the bread and the buttermilk in a small bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes. In a blender, place the bread mixture, 3/4 of the chopped pecans, thyme, garlic and cheese. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
Drain the pasta, saving about 1/2 cup of the liquid. Add the nut mixture to the pasta, adding only enough of the cooking liquid to make the sauce creamy.
Put in a pretty bowl, sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans and more cheese on top. The oohs and ahhs will be so worth it.
Now, would you like a glass of wine? Red or White? Done…..