Performance from Christmas Party

December 10 "Progressive" Dinner

Here are some of the recipes for food that was brought to the Enrichment Dinner on December 10 at the lovely home of Marla S. Sorry there aren't any pictures--I think I should make someone the official Enrichment food photographer!

Cheese Ball
prepared by Marie H

2 8-oz packages cream cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
2 T finely chopped onion
1 T Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Warm/soften cream cheese. Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate 45 minutes. (I don't do this--too impatient). Divide into 3 balls. Roll in 3/4 C finely chopped pecans.


Autumn Comfort Mac
originally published in Portland Monthly Magazine, March 2008
prepared by JaneAnne P

Casserole:
1 butternut squash (about 2 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
1 T olive oil
12 oz cavatappi (hollow corkscrew pasta; I used a 16-oz pkg and adjusted the sauce)
4 oz pancetta, diced (I used 8 oz thick-cut uncured bacon)
1 med shallot, minced (a few T)
4 T unsalted butter
4 T all-purpose flour
2 C whole milk
1/2 C heavy cream
2 C Tillamook Italian cheese blend (not the mozzarella one)
1 t ground black pepper
1 1/2 T fresh sage leaves, minced
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Topping:
1 T unsalted butter
1 C homemade bread crumbs
1 T fresh sage leaves, minced
1/2 C more of the same shredded cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a bowl, toss butternut squash with olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes, stirring once mid-way. Remove when squash is tender. Set aside and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

3. Bring several quarts salted water to a boil. Add cavatappi and cook until al dente. Drain well and set aside.

4. Cook pancetta or bacon in a skillet over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is starting to crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove rendered fat. Add shallot and sauté 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat.

5. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, stirring constantly, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add milk and cream slowly, whisking constantly, until smooth. Cook until thickened slightly and floury taste is gone. Stir in cheese until melted. Remove from heat and stir in pepper and sage.

6. Combine pasta, cheese sauce and bacon-shallot mixture in large bowl. Fold in squash and goat cheese. Pour into a buttered (or sprayed with cooking spray) 9x13" pan.

7. In a small saucepan (or the microwave), melt butter, then stir in bread crumbs, sage and cheese. Sprinkle over pasta. Bake 20-25 minutes, until bubbling. Brown for 3 minutes under the broiler. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.


Strata with Italian Sausage, Rainbow Chard, Shallots and Fontina
prepared by JaneAnne P

This dish is freely adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand. In spring, you could make it with salmon, asparagus and havarti. The possibilities are endless!

stale bread--enough 1/2-3/4" slices for two tightly-fitting layers in a 9x13 pan (I used one loaf Pearl Bakery ciabatta)
1 T olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or hot), removed from casings
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems cut into 1/2" lengths, leaves cut into 1" pieces
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced thin
8-12 oz grated cheese (in this case a mixture of Italian fontina and the same Tillamook grated blend used in the Mac above)
15 eggs
1 qt half and half
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke. Add sausage and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until starting to brown and render its fat. Move sausage to side of pan and remove most of the fat, then return to heat and add shallot and chard stems, with just a little salt and pepper. Sauté until shallot is limp but not fully translucent, then add chopped chard leaves. Continue sautéing until vegetables are tender.

2. Put half of bread in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. Top with half the sausage-shallot-chard mixture, then half the cheese, and repeat layers.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, and 1/2 t each salt and pepper. Pour over layers in baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and weight top to keep bread submerged in egg mixture (I use the plastic lid to my Pyrex baking dish, turned upside down, with a few large cans of food on top.). Let sit at least an hour or as long as overnight (refrigerated if longer than an hour) (this works great for holiday breakfasts or brunches, since you can assemble it the night before).

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until puffed and brown and starting to pull away from the edges of the pan, and not at all jiggly in the middle when shaken (a poke into the middle may reveal some uncooked custard, but some residual cooking will happen after the pan is removed from the oven). Let stand 15 minutes, then serve.


Kay's EASY Chicken Parmesan Bites! (for busy moms)
prepared by Kay H

Ladies, this is the short version of a long version classic.

One large bag, breaded chicken tenderloins (Costco)
One bag shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
One container grated Parmesan cheese
oregano
One jar of your favorite pasta sauce, mine would be Barilla marinara, or Prego marinara
hot pepper flakes

(This will save you time on all the breading and home made sauce, that I save for the holidays)

Place a layer of jar sauce on the bottom of a large Pyrex baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with hot pepper flakes, oregano, and Parmesan cheese.

Bake the tenderloins on a sheet pan for 40 minutes, turning once at 20 minutes, until crisp.

Place tenderloins in a tight row on top of sauce.

Cover chicken with another layer of sauce, oregano, Parmesan cheese, hot pepper flakes, and a generous layer of part-skim mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil.

Pita Bread from Christmas Party

Making your own pita bread is a snap IF you have two items: a decent food processor and a baking stone. You can do without the first of these if you don't mind kneading by hand, but if you don't have to hand-knead you can have finished, soft, delicious pita bread in ONE HOUR.

Pita Bread
makes 6-8 6-7" pitas
adapted from Cook's Illustrated, Jan/Feb 1999

1 pkg (2 1/4 t) dry active yeast
1 C warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 T olive oil
2 t sugar
1/4 C plain yogurt
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 C whole wheat flour
2 C bread flour (or higher-protein all-purpose, like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur), plus extra as needed

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl of food processor, and let dissolve for a few minutes.

Add oil, sugar and yogurt and pulse a little to mix. Add salt and flours and process until smooth, about 15 seconds, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.

Keep processing, adding flour, until dough is soft and satiny and pulls completely away from sides of bowl, about 30 seconds (or turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead 12-15 minutes).

Put dough in medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in warm, draft-free spot until dough doubles in size, 30-45 minutes. (At this point, dough can be punched down, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerated up to 2 days.) Before the dough is completely risen, put baking stone on lowest rack in oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees for at least a half-hour.

2. Turn dough onto lightly-floured work surface, and, if it is sticky, sprinkle lightly with flour. Divide dough into 6 or 8 equal portions with a chef's knife or bench scraper. Roll each portion into a ball, then roll with rolling pin into a four-inch circle (the picture below shows two batches that I mixed up in succession).

Let rest for 10-15 minutes, then roll into a 6-7" circle.

3. When oven and stone are fully heated, carefully and quickly place a few dough rounds directly on the baking stone (I do three at a time on my round stone), and bake for 3-6 minutes, until bread is puffed and golden brown on the bottom. Pause between batches to let oven return to 500 degrees (they don't cook as quickly or puff as dramatically at lower temperatures. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, and spray with a little olive oil if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

November Cookie Sunday

Melinda K made these oreo-like cookies for November's Cookie Sunday.

Cookie mix:

1 box cake mix (I used the triple fudge)
1 cube butter (1/2 C)
2 eggs

filling:

1/2 bag powdered sugar (1 lb)
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
1 t vanilla
3/4 C shortening

Mix together cookie ingredients. Roll into small balls and cook at 350 degrees until the dough starts to crack, about 5-7 minutes.

The recipe makes about 2.5 dozen but the frosting is enough for five dozen so don't make the whole amount unless you are doubling the cookie dough.

Also, I don't usually use shorting in my baking but I like theses cookies so much that I think it's worth the fat. You could probably experiment with butter if you would like.

November Book Group dessert

Carolyn C hosted, and served this dessert:

Molten Chocolate Cakes
(4-8 servings depending on size of muffin tin)

4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1 t vanilla or raspberry extract
1 C powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
6 T flour

Spray 4 custard cups or muffin tin or mini- muffin tin with cooking spray. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high 1 minute or until butter is melted. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted, then stir in flavoring and sugar until blended. Whisk in eggs and yolk. Stir in flour. Spoon evenly into cups or tins, not quite to the rims.

Bake in oven preheated to 425 degrees F until sides are firm but centers are soft, approximately 15 minutes for custard cups, 13 minutes for muffin tin, or no more than 7 minutes for mini-muffin tin. Cool 1 minute, then carefully remove with a blunt knife and serve immediately with ice cream.

October Bead Night

JaneAnne P hosted October's bead night, and served the following dessert:

Pear Crisp
adapted from Cook's Illustrated, September/October 2007

3/4 C coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 C flour
1/4 C packed light brown sugar
4 T sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
salt
5 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 t cornstarch
2 t fresh lemon juice
3 lb ripe but firm Bartlett pears

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 425 degrees. Process nuts, flour, brown sugar, 2 T granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/8 t salt in food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Drizzle butter over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly wet sand, pausing halfway through to scrape down sides of workbowl. Set aside.

2. Whisk remaining 2 T sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Peel pears, then quarter and core, and cut each quarter into 8 pieces. Gently toss with sugar mixture and transfer to 8-inch square baking dish.

3. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Bake until fruit is bubbling around edges and topping is deep golden brown, 27-32 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.

The pear crisp was topped with Dulce de Leche Ice Cream, and served with ganache-filled almond macaroons on the side.

October Holiday Prep Activity

October's Enrichment dinner and activity was loads of fun. We had delicious soups, artisan bread (from Pearl Bakery and Grand Central Bakery), and traditional holiday desserts, and got an introduction to our preparedness focus for the coming year from our ward's resident preparedness expert, Pascal S. After dinner we had five different holiday prep activities: Halloween ghosts (made from tissue paper spray-glued to leftover aluminum screen), tealight holders made from baby food jars, Day of the Dead sugar skulls, upcycled gift wrapping, and holiday makeup tips from our ward's resident makeup expert, Kay G-H.

The blank sugar skulls and pastry bags of brightly-colored royal icing:


The sugar skulls I decorated at home later using the leftovers:


The gift-wrapping table (you can see the pattern for the Chinese takeout box--I printed it out and enlarged it with a photocopier, and then we cut boxes out of poster board left over from another project).



The potluck soups and desserts were delicious. Here are a few recipes.

Horst Mager's Original Lentil Soup
prepared by Allison P.

in a large double boiler or a large saucepan add:
3 oz salad oil

Add the following to the oil:

3 oz diced bacon
3/4 C diced onion
3/4 C diced carrots
3/4 C diced celery

Sauté the above mixture until the onion and celery are transparent. Stirring constantly, add

3/4 C flour

When the flour has blended with the above mixture, slowly add 3 1/2 qts. of water, stirring constantly. Then add:

1 C lentils
1 t white thyme
2 t Salt
2 T beef base
2 bay leaves
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of white pepper
3/4 C diced potatoes

Simmer approximately 3 hours.

Tuscan Vegtable Soup
Taken From: "The Food You Crave" by Ellie Krieger
prepared by Jessie M

1 15-oz can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 C)
2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 C)
2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 C)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 C)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 t dried)
2 t chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 t dried)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
32 oz low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 14.5-oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 C chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan, optional

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more. Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

Butternut and Ham Bisque
from Family Fun magazine
prepared by Melissa K

2 T unsalted butter
1 very large sweet onion, chopped
½ t dried rosemary leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 C peeled, diced butternut squash
1 C peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
5 C chicken stock
1 t salt
black pepper to taste
½ C light or heavy cream
1 ½ C diced cooked ham

Melt the butter in a medium soup pot or a large saucepan. Stir in the onion and rosemary. Partially cover the pan and cook the onion over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the squash, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Cook the soup at a low boil for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat.

Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids and a ladleful of broth to a food processor (do this in batches if you processor is small).* Puree the vegetables, then stir them back into the broth. Stir in the pepper, the cream, and the ham, heating for several minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
*I never do it this way. I use my hand-held drink blender right in the pan to purée the entire pot of vegetables and broth.

Buffalo Minestrone
prepared by Melissa K

This soup is typical of some of our Sunday dinners. I’ll use up what I have in the house and make substitutions with things I actually have instead of what is called for in the recipe. Sometimes it turns out good, sometimes not.

2 patties frozen ground buffalo meat
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried oregano
2-3 C fresh baby spinach, chopped
5-6 C beef stock (I used “better than bouillon” and water)
2-3 C peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
1-2 carrots, diced
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 12-oz can V-8
2 cans red beans, drained
1 C small shell pasta
salt and pepper to taste

Microwave the frozen patties on 30% for a bout 3 minutes to thaw. Cook them in a large pot, chopping as they brown. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Stir in the oregano and spinach and cook about a minute. Add the stock, potatoes and carrots, tomatoes and V-8 and simmer about half an hour. Stir in the beans and macaroni. Cook about 15 minutes more to cook the pasta.

Sara's Bread Pudding
prepared by Sara McC

1 1/2 lb loaf white bread (like Wonder Big Loaf), or any other desired bread
1/2 C raisins or craisins (soak for a few minutes)
2 1/2 cubes of unsalted butter, melted
3 C sugar
10 eggs
2 12-oz cans evaporated milk (may use skim)
2 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Tear the bread into 2-inch pieces and place half the bread in the bottom of the pan. Top with raisins or craisins. Top with the remaining bread. Place the melted butter in a large mixing bowl and slowly add the sugar, using an electric mixer to mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the evaporated milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well. Pour the mixture carefully over the top of the bread, being sure to cover all of it. Let sit to absorb for 5 to 10 minutes. Place baking pan in a water bath (I use a broiler pan or a jelly roll pan and fill it with water). Bake for 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes or until bread is light brown and spongy. Cool. Serve with English Custard, below.

English Custard (my friend Anne's recipe from London)

1/3 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/8 t salt
2 C milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 T butter, softened
1 t vanilla

Blend sugar, cornstarch & salt in a 2-qt saucepan. Combine milk and egg yolks. Gradually stir into sugar mixture, then cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Chocolate Pecan Pie (a Kentucky Favorite)
prepared by Natalie C

1 unbaked pie shell (9” deep dish)
3 eggs
2/3 C sugar
½ t salt
1/3 C butter, melted
1 C light corn syrup
1 C pecan halves
1 ½ C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and syrup. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell and bake until set, about 40-50 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Papa Hadyn's Banana Cream Pie à la Harris (hope this makes sense)
prepared by Annette H

Graham cracker crust:
11 whole graham crackers, crushed
5 T butter,melted
1 T sugar

Combine ingredients till crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, then let cool. Melt approximately 3 oz dark chocolate. Paint the bottom of the crust with the melted chocolate. Let cool completely.

Then prepare Cream Filling:

5 T cornstarch
1 C sugar
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 C milk
3/4 C half and half
3 egg yolks
2 T butter
1 t vanilla

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a 3-qt saucepan. Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. Pour small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; blend thoroughly, then pour back into saucepan. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

Slice 2 bananas into pie shell. Pour the filling over the bananas. Chill 3-4 hours.

Chocolate Mousse:

7 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 C, plus 2 T heavy cream, chilled
2 T water
2 T sugar

Put 2 inches water in a medium saucepan and bring pot to bare simmer. Combine the chocolate and 2 T of heavy cream in a stainless-steel bowl big enough to rest on top of the saucepan. Place the bowl over the simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Heat, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat, stir in the 2 T of water and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

In a medium sized bowl using an electric mixer, whip the remaining 1 C heavy cream and sugar together until the cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Layer the chocolate mousse on top of the cream filling in pie pan. (you will probably have leftover mousse, darn, as this is enough mousse for an entire pie).
Chill pie for 3 hours. (You don't have to chill the cream filling for an entire 3 hours before adding the mousse layer. I typically chill it for as long as it takes me to make the mousse and then chill it for 3 hours after I've added both layers.)

Finally, whip up 1 C of heavy cream into stiff peaks to top the pie. I do not add sugar to this, as I feel the pie has enough sugar and it becomes too sweet.

Crinkle Top Cookies
prepared by Janie D

Disclaimer:
These are once-a-year cookies at my house, because they are made with
shortening (which is soooo bad for people!). I have tried substituting
butter for the shortening, and they turn out OK, but not great. If you
do use butter instead of shortening, you'll need to chill the dough
before forming into balls and rolling in sugar. Bake for an extra
minute or so -- 9 - 10 minutes, rather than 8.

3/4 C vegetable shortening
2 C granulated sugar (divided)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C dark molasses
1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground cloves
2 C all-purpose flour
1 C raisins

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, 1 C sugar and egg. Add molasses. Combine salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and flour; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in raisins. Form into walnut-sized balls, roll in remaining sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet, leaving a bit of room for cookies to spread. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to overbake. Better to undercook than
overcook - they should be chewy. Remove to rack after baking.

Janet's Hazelnut/Sweet Cherry Baklava with brandied syrup
prepared by Janet A

Ingredients:

1 lb pkg Filo (phyllo) pastry leaves at room temperature (thawed per package directions and left out of refrigerator for at least 4 hrs)
1 C butter, melted (no substitute)

Filling:
1/2 lb hazelnuts, ground or chopped fine
1/2 lb dried Bing or other sweet cherries
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

Syrup:
1 C honey
1 C sugar
1 C water
2 T dried cherries
1 T brandy flavoring
1 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix filling ingredients in food processor (note that you can chop the hazelnuts first). Unroll pastry leaves and place under a slightly damp clean towel. Butter a 17"x12"x2" baking pan and set next to your work space. Take 6 sheets of Filo and brush every other sheet with butter. Spread 1/4 of the filling to within 1" of the end, lengthwise on this stack. Fold in the ends and roll up. With a very sharp knife, score the roll in 1" intervals. Brush with butter. Repeat until the filling & Filo are rolled & scored (you should have about 4). Drizzle a little butter over each roll and place in oven. Bake at 350 F for 1/2 hr, then reduce to 300 F and bake for another 1/2 hr.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: heat and stir all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, then boil slowly for 20 minutes. Strain syrup and drizzle over the baklava rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool until rolls can be touched, then slice at score marks all the way through. Serve warm or cold. [Note: Janet uses only half the syrup and saves the rest. Refrigerate in a jar and use for pancakes, waffles or another batch of baklava.]

September Cooking Group Recipes

A few of us from the Cooking Group got together to share recipes last week. The food was delish and the company was great--be sure to join us next time!

Broccoli Quiche
prepared by Natalie C

Oil Pastry crust:

1 1/3 C flour
1/2 t salt
1/3 C oil
3 1/2 to 4 T cold water

Mix salt and flour, then stir in oil and enough water to bring together in a stiff dough. Roll out, put in dish and then prick with a fork all over the surface. Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. Pull out of oven and add ingredients for filling.

Filling for Broccoli Tart:

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Sprinkle half of cheese in tart shell

Add:

10 oz blanched broccoli
1/4 C chopped sweet onion

Blend together and pour into pan:

4 eggs
1 C milk
1 T flour
1/2 t salt
Dash of black pepper

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Multi-Grain Focaccia
prepared by Lauren C

Poolish (Pre-ferment):
• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C steel-cut oats, sometimes called Irish or Scotch oats
• 3/4 C water
• Pinch active dry yeast

Whisk the whole wheat flour, steel-cut oats, water and yeast in medium bowl. Cover with plastic and set aside at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight.

Dough:
• 2 1//4 C unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed
• 3/4 C whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C oat flour
• 1/4 C flaxseed meal
• 2 1/4 t active dry yeast
• 2 t salt
• 1 3/4 C warm water
• 1⁄4 C extra-virgin olive oil

Toppings:
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, chopped (about 2 t)
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped (about 2 t)
• 2-3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T coarse salt
• 3 oz Parmesan, shaved into large pieces

Whisk the all-purpose, whole wheat, and oat flour, flaxseed, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the poolish, water, and olive oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour with a wooden spoon to make a sticky loose dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured work surface or prep mat. Coat your hands with flour and press dough into a 12 by 8-inch rectangle (long side towards you). Using a bench scraper, fold the dough as you would a business letter. (The dough is very wet and this may seem odd, but just move quickly with the scraper and fold 1 end of the dough over the other. Make sure you brush any raw flour from the surface of the dough before you fold over the second end). Spray with cooking spray and cover with a kitchen towel. Let stand 30 minutes.

Fold the dough again like a letter, and rest for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Divide the olive oil among 2 pans and swirl to coat the pan. Divide dough in half and transfer a piece to each pan, turn dough over to coat both sides with oil, then press dough evenly into the pans. Scatter the garlic, thyme, and rosemary over the top and press the toppings into the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle with sea salt and scatter the cheese on top. (See Cook's Note.)

Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Slip focaccia from the pans and cool on a rack.

Cooks' Note: The focaccia dough can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated at this point for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature for about 2 hours before baking.

Sausage Fusilli (or Penne)
prepared by Sara McC - (a tweaked Jamie Oliver recipe)
Serves 6-8

2 heaped t fennel seeds
1 - 1 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
a splash of olive oil
1 lb 6 oz good quality coarse Italian or other sausage
1 T dried oregano
6 oz white wine or white grape juice
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 lb 2 oz fusilli or penne
sea salt and ground black pepper
1 T butter
handful of grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Bash up the fennel seeds and red pepper flakes in a pestle and mortar or flavor shaker until coarsely crushed, then put to one side. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. (If sausage in skins, squeeze it out of the sausage skins.) Put meat into the pan, really breaking it up using the back of a spoon. Fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to color and the fat has rendered slightly, then crush it once more so it resembles coarse mince. Add the bashed-up fennel seeds and chili flakes and cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes until the meat becomes crisp, golden brown and slightly caramelized.

Stir in the oregano, then pour in the white wine (or grape juice) and allow it to reduce by half. Add the lemon zest and juice. Turn the heat down to low while you cook your pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water according to the package instructions. When the pasta has cooked al dente, drain it in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water, and toss it in the pan with the sausage. Coat the pasta in all the flavors then add the butter, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water. This will give you a lovely loose, shiny sauce. Taste and check for seasoning, then serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan sprinkled over the top.

Pollo Mole Poblano
prepared by JaneAnne P
serves 4 (smaller than pictured, which serves 8-10)

This recipe can be made with chicken breasts or thighs, depending on preference. I make it with breasts when I don't have a lot of extra time; I make it with thighs when I want them to simmer longer in the sauce. This time I made it with both.

1-2 T olive oil
1-1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken
1 sm onion, chopped
1/3 jar mole sauce
1/2-3/4 C water or chicken broth
1/2 t sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, then brown chicken on both sides. Put browned chicken aside on plate, then heat a little more oil in pan, if needed. Add onion and sauté, reducing heat to medium, scraping up browned bits, until translucent and just starting to brown. Add mole sauce, sugar, salt and pepper, then gradually stir in water or stock until consistency is slightly thinner than desired end result. Put chicken back in pan, flipping to coat with sauce, then simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly. Serve over rice with sour cream on the side.

Note: empty mole jars make perfect tealight hurricanes for outdoor summer dining.

Pineapple Delight Cake aka "Pea Pickin' Cake"
prepared by Tiffany M

1 yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 C oil
1 sm can mandarin oranges with juice

FROSTING:
1 16 oz can crushed pineapple with juice
1 sm (3 3/4 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding
8 oz Cool Whip

Cake: Mix all ingredients together on medium speed. Pour into 3 (9 inch) cake pans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 350 degrees according to time on box.

Frosting: Mix pineapple and dry instant pudding. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread between and on top of cooled cake.

Refrigerate.

Garden Party 2008

Thanks to all who came and helped and brought food and dishes and helped make our garden party a smashing success! Here are recipes of many of the salads that were brought, complete with pictures to jog your memories:

Our Christmas Favorite Antipasto Bowl
prepared by Melissa K
from Cooking Light magazine, Dec 2000

3 C asparagus, cut in 2-inch lengths
3 C mushrooms, quartered
1 C red bell pepper strips
3 oz. mozzarella cheese, in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 C pitted ripe olives
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
1 11-oz jar pickled pepperoncini peppers, drained

Steam asparagus 2 minutes, then plunge into an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Drain. Place in a large bowl with all the remaining indgredients and toss with dressing (below). Chill until ready to serve. Do not prepare more than 4-6 hours in advance or it will get too soggy.

Dressing:
Mix all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to combine, and pour over vegetables.

1/3 C cider vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C parsley. finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 t dried oregano leaves
1 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper

Chinese Noodle Salad
prepared by Jacki H

Spinach Salad
prepared by Tracey S

Oriental Smash
prepared by Juli McG

1 pkg shredded broccoli
1 sm can mandarin oranges
1/4 C pine nuts
1/4 C chopped red onion
handful or black caps, raspberries and/or blueberries
1/4 C chopped or shredded red beets (optional)
1 pkg fresh sea kelp (can be found at New Seasons in the refrigerated section)

Dressing:
rice vinegar
sesame or almond oil

Seasonings:
sea salt
tiny pinch of cumin
big pinch of turmeric

Spicy Sesame Salad
originally from Portland Palate
prepared by Allison P

1 pound thin spaghetti

Dressing:
1/2 C vegetable oil, divided
1/2 C sesame oil
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t ground ginger
3 T creamy peanut butter
1/3 C soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced

1 carrot, shredded
1/2 C green onions (4 to 6), chopped
1 1/2 T sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 pound pea pods
1/3 C broccoli florets

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, place in serving bowl and toss with 1 T vegetable oil.

Dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine oils, vinegar, red pepper flakes, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce, and garlic and blend thoroughly.

Pour dressing over noodles and toss while noodles are still warm. Cool, add carrots, green onions, sesame seeds, pea pods and broccoli and toss. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Greek Cherry Tomato Salad
from Cook's Illustrated July/August 2008
prepared by Melinda K

1 pints ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered
table salt
1/2 t sugar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 t dried oregano
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 T)
1 T red wine vinegar
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
ground black pepper
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 C chopped pitted kalamata olives
4 oz feta cheese, crumbed (about 1 C)
3 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Toss tomatoes, 1/4 t salt, and sugar in medium bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until seeds and excess liquid have been extracted, about a minute, stopping stirring to redistribute tomatoes a few times during the spinning. Return tomatoes to bowl and set aside. Strain exuded liquid through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract liquid.

Bring 1/2 C tomato liquid, garlic, oregano, shallot and vinegar to simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to 3 T, 6-8 minutes. Transfer mixture to small bowl and cool to room temperature, about five minutes. Whisk in oil and pepper to taste until combined, and season with up to 1/8 t table salt. Add this mixture and remaining ingredients to bowl with tomatoes, toss gently and serve.

Chop Chop Garden Salad
prepared by Jenn S

3-4 romaine hearts
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 english cucumber
2 carrots
4-6 slices of crispy bacon

Chop up all ingredients and toss with your favorite dressing (in this case, Lighthouse Ranch).

Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad (O-E Muchim)
prepared by Holly O

1 lb thinly sliced cucumber (seedless works best)
salted for 30 min, rinsed, and patted dry

Then mix slices in a bowl with:
1/2 t each: sugar, sesame oil, salt, rice vinegar, and red pepper powder

1/4 t each: minced garlic clove, sesame seeds

I double the sugar and triple the rice vinegar in my kitchen (tangier version).

Fruit Salad
prepared by Loya Webb

Gremolata-Rice-Red Grape Salad
prepared by Tiffany F

1/4 C olive oil
2 T champagne vinegar
2 T sugar
1/2 C parsley, finely chopped
zest of a large lemon
2-3 cloves finely minced garlic

Whisk together the olive oil, champagne vinegar, and sugar. Add parsley, lemon zest, and garlic and stir well.

To make salad pictured, mix gremolata with cooked rice, halved red grapes, and thinly-sliced red onion.

Greek Pasta Salad
prepared by Kay H

You will need...
red peppers
kalamata olives
good olive oil, and Italian dressing
box and a half of ziti pasta
medium container of Feta cheese
fresh basil
italian seasonings
grape tomatoes, cut in half
6 to 7 T sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
1/2 t crushed garlic

At the bottom of serving bowl, mix together, one bottle of your favorite Italian dressing, 3 to 4 dashes of good olive oil, chopped pitted kalamata olives, chopped red peppers, or roasted peppers, slivered fresh basil, Italian seasonings, grape tomatoes, garlic, and one half container of crumbled feta cheese. Toss carefully, as to NOT break down the feta. Add cooled cooked pasta. I prefer barilla whole grain, but any pasta will do. Toss until coated, and chill. Before serving, take out for one half hour, and toss again. Add more dressing if dry. Garnish with added sprig of basil, and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Toll House)
prepared by Janie D

Quiche
prepared by Michelle T

BLT Pasta
prepared by Rachel W

3 C romaine lettuce
1 lb bacon
4 roma tomatoes
12oz radiatore pasta

Sauce:
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t coarsely-ground black pepper

Boil pasta until al dente, then rinse with cold water. Cook bacon, then drain fat and allow bacon to cool. Cut tomatoes in wedges. Toss lettuce, pasta, tomatoes, and bacon. Mix sauce and pour over mixture. Salad is best served cold and immediately after sauce is on salad. If the salad sits too long it will go soggy.

Fruit Salad (strawberry, blueberry, mango)
prepared by Alena L

Ensalata de Muchos Colores
originally from Sunset Magazine, June 2005
prepared by Janet A

Prep time: About 25 minutes
Makes: 5 cups; 4 or 5 servings (so I double the recipe)

1/4 C extra-virigin olive oil
1/4 C lime juice
cumin
1 1/2 C cooked basmati rice, cooled
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C finely diced carrot
3/4 C raw or canned whole kernel corn
3/4 C finely chopped tomato
1/4 C minced Italian parsley
1/4 C minced cilantro
2 T finely chopped red onion
Salt and pepper to taste or 1 t salt, 1/4 t pepper

In a serving bowl, stir olive oil, lime juice, and cumin to blend. Add rice, beans, carrots, corn, tomato, parsley, cilantro and onion. Stir gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Skye's Brother-in-Law Bob's Watermelon Tomato Salad
prepared by Skye E

Ripe watermelon chunks (about 1/2 watermelon to 1/2 tomato)
Ripe tomato chunks (Bob prefers Roma for this)
Red onion
Feta cheese
Sherry vinegar
Olive oil
Fresh grated ginger
maybe a squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt
A little sugar
Fresh parsley

Mix together olive oil, vinegar, ginger, lemon juice, salt, and sugar (in whatever amounts seem good to you), marinate the tomatoes and onions in that as long as overnight, or skip the marinating if you want. When you're ready to serve mix in the watermelon, feta cheese, and fresh parsley. You don't think it sounds good, but I couldn't stop eating it the first time I had it. You can't tell the watermelon from the tomatoes in there until you bite into them. It's like a little culinary surprise every time.

Lime-Coconut Bars
prepared by Natalie C
(Tweaked from the Lionhouse Entertaining Cookbook Lemon Bar recipe)

Crust

1 1/4 C butter
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C powdered sugar

Beat butter until softened. Add flour and powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Spread evenly in 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (until edges are light golden brown). Remove from oven.

Filling

4 eggs
2 C sugar
6 T lime juice
4 T all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
Zest of one lime
1/2-1 C coconut, according to preference

Mix together eggs, sugar, juice, flour, baking powder, zest and coconut either by hand or on low speed (it is important not to mix a lot of air into the filling). Pour onto crust and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting (can dust with powdered sugar).

Here's another recipe for which there is not an accompanying picture (when it was unmolded I was elsewhere, and then it got eaten!):

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad
prepared by Marla S

1 lg box orange Jello
2 sm cans mandarin oranges
orange juice

Drain cans of mandarin oranges into a glass measuring cup. Add enough orange juice to make 2 C liquid. Microwave to just below boiling, then mix in the Jello. Add more orange juice to make 4 C liquid. Put orange segments into mold, pour liquid over them and refrigerate until set. Serve with mayonnaise as a topping.

June 2008

For June's Enrichment dinner, we had Chicken/Sweet Potato/Corn Chowder, potato rolls, and baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette, almonds and goat cheese. As we were finishing dinner, we played "Two Truths and a Lie" at each table, where women had been seated according to birthday month (May/June overflowed onto an adjoining table).

Chicken/Sweet Potato/Corn Chowder
serves 8-10
originally from Cook's Country magazine

3 C whole milk
1 C Jiffy corn muffin mix
2 T butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
2 qts low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 sweet potatoes (about 1.5 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I always use garnet "yams")
1 C shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
3 C frozen corn kernels (not thawed)
1/2 C chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix milk and muffin mix in large glass measuring cup (if you have to measure the milk anyway, why dirty another bowl?). Heat butter in dutch oven over medium heat until foaming. Sauté onion until softened and starting to brown. Add chicken and continue sautéing until chicken has lost most of its pink parts and the fond is building up on the bottom of the pan. Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano and about 1 t kosher salt (omit if using regular-sodium broth, like the organic chicken broth from Costco we used for the dinner) until onions and chicken are coated and spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and sweet potatoes, bring to a boil and then simmer until potatoes are just forkable, 5-6 minutes.

2. Stir in milk/muffin mix mixture and simmer another 10 minutes, until soup thickens. Remove pan from heat and stir in corn and parsley. Adjust seasonings, then ladle into bowls and topped with grated cheese to serve.

For dessert, we had a deconstructed rhubarb tart. For a smaller crowd, you could make a regular rhubarb tart like this one. For as many people as we were expecting, it worked better to make each component separately: shortbread cookies instead of pâte sucrée (sweet short pastry crust), and a rhubarb compote, simmered on the stovetop, instead of a baked rhubarb filling. The ice cream (or whipped cream, if you prefer) would be the same either way.

Rhubarb Compote

1 1/3 C diced & small pieces of rhubarb
2/3 C diced & small pieces of strawberry
1 T Cornstarch
2 T Water
Sugar
1 t orange zest (optional)
1 T grated fresh ginger root (optional) or 2 T chopped crystallized ginger

In a small pot combine the fruit and enough sugar to diminish the strong taste of the rhubarb (to taste). Cook on medium-high heat bringing to a boil.
Whisk cornstarch and water together in a separate bowl. Add this to fruit. Cook together for one minute, and enjoy.