This is notice for you to plan the meals around the holiday season and, if you have guests staying over, this will blow their minds.
One word of caution – read it through first. It looks daunting but it isn’t. It is relatively easy. Like I said – read it through and then loudly proclaim ‘ damn I can do this’.
Red Sauce
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 – 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
- pinch each of salt and pepper
Saute the onion and garlic in the oil and add the tomatoes, paste and herbs, salt and pepper, simmering for about 12-15 minutes. Set aside.
Cream Sauce
- 5 tbsp. butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 5 tbsp. flour
- 2 3/4 cups half and half cream
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth
- dash of red pepper sauce
Cook the shallots in butter over a low heat. Add the flour and keep stirring as you add the cream and vermouth.
Mix until thickened. Season with the red pepper sauce and remove from heat. Set aside.
Vegetable Layering
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. zucchini, diced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 green bell peppers, seeds removed, diced
- 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Saute the zucchini, onion, garlic and pepper in the olive oil until softened. Add the parsley and CAREFULLY salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Cheese and Spinach Layer
- 2 pkgs. frozen chopped spinach
- 1 1/2 lbs. ricotta cheese
- 1 beaten egg
- 3 tbsp. Pernod liqueur
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cook the spinach according to directions and drain well. Mix this now with the cheese, egg, Pernod and nutmeg. Set aside.
- 15 cooked and drained lasagna noodles
- 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 lb. small scallops
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, spread most of the red sauce over the bottom of the dish. Lay out 3 lasagna noodles.
Add the vegetable layer, and top with 3 noodles. Spread the cream sauce over the noodles and lay out the shrimp and scallops over the top. Add 3 more noodles. Then the spinach and cheese mixture. Add 3-4 remaining noodles and pour the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the Asiago cheese and bake for 45 minutes.
Serve with a beautiful cold salad and a glass of well chilled wine.
- there will be a few noodles over but that is in case you tear one or two and replacements are needed1-2
Tostadas
Friday night and what to have for supper? Well, you could order in but….nah! This will wake up the taste buds and give you a new lift on the day. Let’s go.
Sauce
- 1 ancho chili
- 1 lb. ripe roma tomatoes, halved
- 1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed and halved
- 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
In a frypan. toast the chili for 2 minutes each side, pressing firmly with a wooden spatula as you cook until fragrant and softened. Place in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 20 minutes. Remove the seeds, stem and drain.
Place the tomatoes, onion, pepper, and garlic on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes until soft. Set aside to cool.
In a blender, puree the cooled baked vegetables, ancho pepper, salt and sugar to make the sauce. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Stuffing
- 4 chorizo sausages, casing removed
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 1/4 cups fresh corn kernals
- 19 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 pkg. Monteray Jack Cheese
- 2-3 limes, quartered
In a frypan, cook the sausage meat for about 6 minutes, breaking up the lumps.
Brush the tortillas. brush both sides with oil and place on two parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes until crisp. Remove from the oven.
Divide the corn, black beans and sausage meat equally among the tortillas, topping with a few spoonfuls of the sauce and a slice of cheese. Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. Serve warm with extra sauce on the side and a couple wedges of lime.
There….now you have already forgotten about the day….the week….pour a cold beer…..yum!
Limoncello Sparkling Wine Cocktails
Use homemade Limoncello (I made ours and it is better than I ever imagined….yummy, yummy. Give it a whirl, it is sooooooo easy.
Now with that in mind and the Limoncello already made up, here you go:
- 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup Limoncello
- 2 tbsp. sugar, plus more for dipping flutes
- Lemon peel strips from a fresh lemon
- 4 tsp. fresh lemon juice plus 1 lemon wedge
- 1 cup chilled sparkling wine.
Place the mint, limoncello, sugar and lemon strips in the blender. Blend until the mint is finely chopped. The lemon will be coarsely chopped. Strain into a small bowl.
Run the lemon wedge around the rims of two champagne flutes. Dip into sugar to coat. Equally pour in the lemon mixture and top with the sparkling wine. Hang a couple of lemon strips off the rim.
Toast the night away. Warning: Be careful, as it CAN hit with avengence if you have too many. Just sayin’.
YUMMMMY.
Kid Treats You Make
Forgive me, but in past years, I would see a recipe in a magazine while waiting in the Dr.’s office but, unlike many of you (you know who you are), I would ask the receptionist if I paid for the paper would she be able to copy it for me. Then into a box it would go for “later”.
This was eons before I even thought of doing this and today I was looking through the box and here it is.
This saves you tons of money and whining when shopping. This is better than candy and 100% more natural for them.
- 4 cups of their favourite berry, pureed, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.
OR
- 4 cups of chopped peaches, cherries, apricots (whatever they like)
- 1/2 cup berry sugar
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Cook in a saucepan over medium heat for about one half hour, until nice and thick.
Strain through a fine sieve onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, tilting so there are no puddles and thicker in some spots.
In an oven of 170 degrees bake until completely hydrated (2 1/2-3 hrs).
Cool for 10 minutes and then cut into 4 x 5 inch rectangles. Roll them up in parchment paper and store at room temperature for up to a month. If they last more than 5 minutes actually, I will be surprised.
They are soooooo good and what could be better. Homemade, no preservatives, and not processed in a plant somewhere.
Now, who said this was only for children……gotta run!
Melba Sauce
This is great even with vanilla ice cream. Serve with fresh raspberries over a cool pannacotta or fresh peaches.
- 1 quart fresh raspberries, pureed
- 1/4 cup red currant jelly
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 2 tbsp. water
- sugar to taste
- Kirsch to taste
Combine berries, and jelly in a saucepan, over low heat. Stir until the jelly has dissolved.
Now dissolve cornstarch in water and add to the mixture, stirring contantly untl smooth and clear.
Stir in the sugar and Kirsch. Yumm……
Fresh Cantaloupe Mousse
Looking for new ways to eat fresh summer fruits such as cantaloupe…..here is a nice refreshing dessert (or you could use it as a first course).
- 2 tbsp. of unflavoured gelatin
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 medium cantaloupe, seeded, pared and pureed
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- 2 cups berry sugar
To soften the gelatin, sprinkle over the cold water. Stir this over a double boiler with bottom pan full of hot water to dissolve.
Cool and add to the cantaloupe (already pureed). Beat the cream until soft peaks form and add 1 cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Beat egg whites until fluffy and add the remaining sugar gradually. Fold this into the cream mixture and put into 8 of your prettiest dessert dishes.
Chill for at least 1 hour before presenting to the table.
Add some diced cantaloupe on top . Yummy!
Veal Parmigiana
Your guests will drool when this comes to the table. When they leave, you may hear them say “when can we come back?”. Tis true.
Serves 4
- 1 1/2 cups dry panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
- 1 cup plus 4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (fresh)
- 1 tbsp each minced fresh parsley and basil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp water
- 1/2 cup flour
- 8 veal scallops
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 8 slices of mozzarella cheese
Put rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Combine panko crumbs, one-half cup cheese, herbs, salt and pepper in a pie plate. Set aside. In a shallow bowl whisk the eggs and water together and set aside.
On a flat plate, spread the flour, coat the scallops in the flour, shaking off the excess and dip in the egg mixture and then the bread crumbs. Pat with your fingers to ensure the crumbs adhere.
Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium high heat and sauté the veal until lightly browned, two-three minutes. Using tongs, turn the meat over and repeat, adding more oil if the pan starts to dry out. Remove the veal and blot with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Oil a shallow baking dish and spread one-half cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom and arrange the scallops over the sauce slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle four tbsp parmesan cheese and cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with the cheese slices and bake until completely heated through, about twenty-five minutes.
If you wish more color on the top, place under the broiler briefly.
This recipe will taste as good if not better than restaurant fare and YOU made it.
Remember to proclaim to self “damn, I did this”.
Cherry Pecan Biscotti
Store bought Biscotti, to me, is doubtful. The commercially made ones can break your teeth they are so hard. Homemade ones, even though they are baked right, don’t seem to be that way. Must be the love that they are made with.
You can combine any dried fruit and nuts for your own tastes, but this is a nice one to start with.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup unsalted pecans, toasted, chopped
- icing sugar for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Firstly, mix together the oil and sugar. Now add the two extracts and the eggs. Beat until well blended.
In another bowl, blend together the dry ingredients. Keep the mixer running on slow and add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Fold in the dried cherries and pecans.
The dough is sticky, so dampen your hands and turn out on a lightly floured work surface. Shape into two logs approximately 2 inches wide and 12 inches long and it should be about 1 1/2 inches high. Lightly sprinkle with icing sugar and place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 35 minutes. They should be a light golden colour.
Remove from the oven and let them sit for about 2-3 minutes to cool down a bit and a sharp knife, slice on the diagonal.
Place the cookies, flat side down and bake for about 7 minutes. Turn them over and bake another 7 minutes. They should be dry. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Sample and enjoy! Store in a glass jar with a lid. It’s okay, this way everyone can look at them and, in a flash, you will have to make more ‘cuz they will be gone. When you notice that, it must be time for a martini. Later.
Chocolate Pear Martini
Last night I tried this one on friends (one had never tried martini’s before) and a gentleman said “is this REALLY a martini”. It is a nice one for Father’s Day as well. Of course it is….read on
Chocolate Pear Martini
- 2 shots pear vodka (Blue Goose is the best)
- 2 shots Godiva White Chocolate liqueur
- 2 shots Baileys
Fill shaker with ice and shake the ingredients a few seconds to get cold. Strain into chilled martini glasses and garnish with a slice of fresh pear. Sooooooo good!