PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 1 bag of mixed baby greens
• ½ bunch of romaine lettuce
• ¼ head of iceberg lettuce
• ¼ pound bean sprouts
• 2 ripe Bosc pears or any other pear available, such as Anjou, Bartlett, or Comice
• 4-5 ounces crumbled blue cheese - I used Stilton
• Briana’s blush wine Vinaigrette dressing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake, shaking the pan occasionally, until the nuts are toasted and fragrant, about 7 to 10 minutes. Let the nuts cool, and then coarsely chop.
Trim the stems of the lettuce. Wash and dry the leaves. Tear into pieces and add all the lettuces and the sprouts to the bowl. Quarter and core the unpeeled pears and thinly slice; add to the salad. Scatter the cheese and nuts over the salad, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Just before serving, drizzle the vinaigrette dressing over the salad to your taste. Toss the salad gently to evenly dress all the greens. Divide among 8 plates and serve immediately.

Jen’s Apple Cake with Carmel Topping

3 cups all purpose flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
½ - t. nutmeg
1# Golden Delicious Apples, peeled cored and cut in 1/3 “ cubes (I used 3 -1/2 apples)
2 cups brown sugar
1-1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 t. vanilla
¾ cups pecans, coarsely chopped


1 stick butter
¼ cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray bundt pan with with nonstick spray. Mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Transfer 3 T. to Bundt pan and tilt to coat. Set pan aside.
Place apples and 2 T. flour mixture in another medium bowl. Toss to coat.
Combine 1 cup brown sugar, vegetable oil, 1 cup sugar, eggs and 3 t. vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until mixture is thick, about 4 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining flour mixture. Fold apples and pecans into batter. Transfer to bundt pan. Bake until tester comes out clean, approximately 1 hour. Transfer cake pan to rack, let stand while making carmel sauce.

Melt butter in a small pot, whisk in remaining 1 cup of brown sugar and milk. Cook until blended and comes to a boil., about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 t. vanilla. .

Spoom ¼ cup hot carmel over warm cake in pan. Let stand until toppin is absorbed. Cool for a while and turn cake out of pan. Pour about ½ of remaining carmel over top of cake. Save the balance of the carmel to sauce your plates before serving.

Enjoy!

(Sometimes I add raisins, sometimes I serve with Butter pecan ice cream)

Next, I just fixed a pork dish tonight that was yummy!!! And the best part, Thursday is my crazy day so I either crock pot it or do something I can put together at 4:00 and be ready for the different shifts that everyone eats. Anyway, here it is…by the way, the recipe called for Brandy and I didn’t have any (I know, I didn’t have some spirit on hand) anyway I improvised with Cognac and it was awesome, you could probably use port too.

Also, I bought the big Pork Loin Roast and cut it in half, used half tonight and the other is in freezer.

Pork Loin with Brandy and Dried Cherries

½ c dried cherries

½ c brandy

2 lbs. Boneless pork loin roast

1 t. dried mustard

1 t. pepper

1 t. salt

1 c. finely chopped onion (I actually didn’t have any, so I used shallots instead, always improvising)

3 garlic cloves, minced ( I used about 6)

1 c. chicken broth

1 T. red currant jelly ( I used black cherry)

1 t. fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

Combine Cherries and brandy and let sit 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325

Sprinkle pork with salt, pepper and mustard

Heat dutch oven and sear pork on all sides, remove from pan.

Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, add cherry mixture, broth, jelly, thyme and bay leaf, bring to a boil.

Add Pork ( I actually use my stones at this point), cover and bake in oven for 2 hours or until tender. (it was falling apart)

Bring broth mixture to a boil until reduced and thickened, slice pork and serve sauce over. Yuuummy!!

Enjoy,

Christine

Keith and I ate at Grace last Sat. night in downtown Ft. Worth. It’s a steakhouse but kind of swanky and I didn’t have steak. I loved the atmosphere and the food was really yummy!! They had some unusual sides you don’t find at other steak houses – asparagus/shrooms with poached egg on top….Anyway, if you’re heading to FT. worth try it out, another place to go is Eddie V’s in Ft. Worth. If you’ve eaten at the one in Austin you know how awesome it is!

Recipe Club at Jen's -
Does it get any better then this?

Tortilla Soup
The Mansion on Turtle Creek

3 T corn oil
4 corn tortillas coarsely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 T chopped fresh epazote (or 1 T chopped fresh cilantro)
1 cup fresh onion puree
2 cups fresh tomato puree
1 T cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
4 T canned tomato puree
2 quarts chicken stock
salt to taste
cayenne to taste
1 cooked chicken breast, cut into strips
1 avocado peeled, seeded and cubed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips and fried crisp

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
Saute tortillas with garlic and epazote over medium heat until tortillas are soft.
Add onion and fresh tomoato puree and bring to a boil.
Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, canned tomato puree and chicken stock.
Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently for 30 minutes. Skim fat from surface if necessary.
Strain and pour into warm soup bols. Garnish.

Garden Vegetable Chowder
Bon Appetit

2 T unsalted butter
1 (16 oz.) package frozen corn kernels
2 small red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and diced
1 yukon gold or russet baking potato, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper diced.
2 tsp dried thyme
4 bay leaves
6 cups canned low salt chicken broth

Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add vegetables, thyme and bay leaves. Saute until vegetables are light brown, about 10 minutes.
Add broth and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium low.
Simmer soup until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove bay leaves from soup.
Puree 2 1/2 cups including vegetables in blender until smooth.
**Let it cool a bit first before putting it in the blender**
Return puree to remaining soup.
(This makes it thicker w/out having to add cream)
Season with s/p.

Texas Corn Chowder
La Cima

2 onions, diced
3 red bell peppers, diced
3 green bell peppers, diced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 stalk celery
3 cups whole cut corn
1/2 gallon chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 cup diced potatoes
corn starch
1 1/2 quarts heavy cream
salt and pepper
chicken base
1/2 lb lump crab meat
cornbread crumbles

Saute onions, peppers, and celery in butter. Add chicken stock, corn, bay leaf, thyme and basil. Stir in potatoes. Cook for 15 minutes. Thicken as needed with slurry cornstarch. Add heavy cream, s/p, and chicken base to taste. Stir in crab meat. Garnish with cornbread crumbles.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 cans (less fat) crescent rolls
2 cups sugar
3 (8 oz. lite) bricks of cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp cinnamon

Cream 1 1/2 cups of sugar with the cream cheese and vanilla.
Spray 13x9 pan with non-stick cooking spray and spread
one can of crescent rolls on the bottom of the pan.
Pinch edges together to make a solid layer.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on the top of the crescent rolls.
Melt stick of butter, add 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon.
Spread otehr can of rolls over teh top of the cream cheese mixture.
Pour melted sugar mixture evenly over second layer of rolls.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until golden on top.
*You can reduce the topping to 1/3 cup sugar and butter to make it "lighter".

Wildest Rice Soup

1 Package wild rice mix
1/4 lb. bacon
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 onion, diced
3 1/2 cups half and half
2 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
2 cans reduced fat potato soup
8 oz. light Velveeta cubed

Cook rice, but omit seasoning packet
Cook bacon adn drain, reserving drippings
Saute mushrooms and onions in drippings
Add remaining ingredients and cooked bacon
Cook until cheese melts over med/low heat

Roasted Beet Salad

1 large or two small beets
1 orange, peeled & sectioned
Feta cheese
Red onion, sliced thin
Baby spinach
Dressing (Below) or Catalina dressing

Brush beets with olive oil, salt and pepper, covered with foil and bake at 375 for one hour or until done. Let cool, then peel and dice beets. Combine all other ingredients and toss with dressing right before serving.

Dressing:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup Wesson oil
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper

Mix all ingredients well and chill.
Store in refrigerator.

Vinaigrette for Mixed Greens

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
2 T Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mixed greens with red onion

In a jar with a tight fitting lid combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.
Shake well. Combine greens and onions in salad bowl and drizzle with dressing,
toss to coat.

1 can (12 oz.) beer
(Miller lite = Mild and Shiner Bock = Bolder)
3 cups self rising flower
3 T sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Let beer come to room temperature.
Combine flour, beer and sugar in bowl.
Stir until well blended, but it will be lumpy.
Spray 9x5 bread pan and spread batter.
Bake at 350 for 40-45.
Remove from oven.
Pour melted butter over bread and bake for 10 more minutes.

Blue Cheese Bacon Dip
7 bacon slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup half and half
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 T chopped fresh chives
3 T chopped walnuts, toasted
Grape clusters
Assorted Crackers or flatbread

Cook chopped bacon in a skillet over mediium- high heat 10 minutes or until crisp. Drain bacon and set aside. Add minced garlic to skillet and saute 1 minute.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth.
Add 1/2 and 1/2, beating until combined. Stir in bacon, garlic, blue cheese and chives.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle evenly with chopped walnuts and serve with grapes and crackers.

Pesto Tortellini Soup
Serves: 4
1 cup chopped green onions (2 bunches)
3 (14.5 ounce) cans vegetable broth (chicken may be substituted)
1 (9-ounce) package fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
1 (9-ounce) package portabellas, rinsed and chopped
1/3 cup prepared pesto
Freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

In a 5 quart saucepan, combine the broth and onions. Bring the mixture to a boil and add remaining ingredients, excluding Parmesan. Boil long enough that pasta is tender (check pasta package directions). Divide among bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan.

Lynne got this delicious recipe from her mother-in-law, Pat Borkowski.

Thanks ladies for letting me join you for Recipe Club! Debbie
Appetizer Brie Soup with Homemade Croutons
Serves: 6

Cream of Brie Soup


2 cups (4 ounces) fresh shiitake mushrooms
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 (1.1-pound) wheel Brie cheese, rind removed (see note), cut in chunks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)

Homemade Croutons
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 baguette, crust removed and cut in 1-inch cubes

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove excess dirt. Remove the tough part of the mushroom stem and slice. Set mushrooms aside. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, bring the stock to a boil. (This is an important step.) Stir in the Brie and continue to stir until the Brie is melted. Strain mixture into a bowl and discard the solids. In the same pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic, mushrooms, carrots and shallots. Sauté until shallots are translucent and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved stock mixture, half-and-half, pepper and sherry. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Make the croutons by heating butter and oil together in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant. Add the bread cubes and cook over medium heat, tossing to coat. Place croutons on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 5 to 10 minutes until lightly golden and crispy. (If made ahead, store in an airtight container.) The outside should be crisp and golden. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with homemade croutons.

Variation: Fresh baby spinach (approximately 1 cup chopped) may be added to this for a nutritious twist on a decadent soup. For a heartier soup you may add cooked rice.

Special Note: To get the rind off the brie, scrape it with a knife or edge of a spoon. Instead of a chowder consistency, the soup is a thin consistency. If you would like a thicker consistency, make a slurry of cornstarch and cold chicken broth or stock. (Christine’s suggestion-she did it for the crab corn soup!) Don't skip the homemade croutons; they add wonderful flavor!

I’ve been meaning to pass this along to you. Keith and I ate at a great new place down in Dallas off of Lovers, not too far from the old Riviera. It was fantastic and we can’t wait to go back. It’s called Neighborhood Services and it’s truly suppose to be a Neighborhood bistro type atmosphere and food. The food is not outrageously expensive and there are small plates and big to share. We shared about 4 things because everything sounded good – the short ribs were out of this world!! They don’t take reservations so plan accordingly and it’s packed, it pays to date an important wine/spirit distributor guy, we were shown to our table pretty quickly, amongst a few stares from those at the bar. But go check it out and enjoy!!

Soup or Salad
Jen's House
January 28th
7:00 PM

Chipotle Shrimp Appetizer
Christmas Brunch at Paula's House 12/08


1 lb. Shrimp, steamed, peeled, deveined with tail removed & chopped in
Small pieces
½ cup lime juice
½ medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup Chipotle Chili Ketchup
2 T. Olive Oil
1 cup Jicama, peeled and diced
1 small avocado, cubed and salted
Salt and pepper to taste
Tortilla chips

Toss teamed shrimp in ½ cup lime juice; drain excess. Rinse onion under cold running water once chopped, shake off excess water. Add shrimp, cilantro, and ketchup, Olive oil, jicama and avocado. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with tortilla chips and fresh lime wedge.

Can’t find the chipotle ketchup any more. So I buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It comes in a 7oz can. I chop up little pepper and sauce and add to the ketchup.

Christmas Brunch at Paula's House 12/08

Chicken Divan

4 whole deboned chicken breasts (8 pieces)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. curry powder
11/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 10oz. pkg. frozen broccoli
4 T. melted butter
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Pre-cook the chicken, pre-cook the broccoli. Spread broccoli in casserole dish. Combine soup, lemon juice, curry powder and mayonnaise. Add chicken to mixture and then spread over broccoli. Sprinkle cheese over chicken mixture. Add bread crumbs to melted butter and then sprinkle over cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or till bubbly. Serve over rice.

For my family I cut the recipe in half. I also use fresh broccoli and partially cook before assembly draining well. I have to admit I don’t measure the cheese and bread crumbs. I just make sure there is a nice layer of each.