Good Morning.
No steak, lobster, or rack of lamb here. Instead we have relatively inexpensive ingredients, depending on the quality of the booze, that come together for a scrumptious meal. One of the greatest dinner parties I ever attended was at the home of a friend in Vermont who served a great meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and a salad to guests at her kitchen table. She provided a jug of pretty basic red wine, told the dog to go take a nap, and sat down looking fresh as a daisy. It was fabulous.
For the entree we suggest CANNELLONI with lots of steps but worth it. Most of them can be done ahead of time.
For the crepes:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
3 large eggs
2/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup water
Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate for an hour or even overnight. To prepare, heat a 6 inch skillet or crepe pan until hot but not smoking hot. Place a little butter in the pan and swirl to coat. Add about 4 tablespoons of batter and swirl to coat the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until the edges start to look golden. Use a spatula to
flip and cook another 30 seconds to a minute to set. Remove and make another. If not filling immediately, place the crepes between layers of waxed people and put in the fridge. This recipe will give 6 people 2 crepes each.
The filling:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup fresh spinach, washed, dried, chopped, cooked, and drained
1 cup grated Mozzarella
1 tsp. nutmeg, absolutely essential
Dash of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Add the cooked spinach, cheese, and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
The sauce:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
4 cups canned tomatoes, chopped
1 large can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. oregano
1 cup dry red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, saute the chopped onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, the herbs, and the wine. Simmer very slowly for an hour at least. Discard the bay leaf. This can also be done ahead of time and warmed up
prior to assembling the crepes.
To make the dish, place a nice amount of filling on each crepe and roll up. Place the crepes in an oblong baking pan sprayed with cooking spray, pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with a lot of shredded Mozzarella and shredded Parmesan. Bake, covered, for half an hour in a 350 degree oven, uncovering for the last 5 minutes. Serves 6.
Nothing more is needed except some sort of bread or rolls, a bottle of red wine, and a MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD WITH ALMONDS.
Take a salad bowl and throw in a bed of mixed greens. Top with mandarin oranges you drained from the can. Just
before serving add some sliced, not slivered almonds, you toasted for a minute in a skillet, and toss with the following dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup sugar
Juice of one half lemon
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
Mix well in a bowl or pitcher and use just enough to dress but not drown the salad. Serve on separate plates and if
you're eating in the kitchen as we did during that memorable dinner, they should be only a few steps away in the fridge.
For dessert we recommend PEARS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE.
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp. brandy 6 cups water
6 ripe whole pears, peeled
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup Half and Half
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Dissolve the sugar in the wine, brandy, and water in a large saucepan. Add the pears and simmer until tender but not mushy.
Drain the pears, and cut in half through the stem end. Scrape out the cores. In a double boiler, combine the chocolate with the Half and Half until melted. To serve place 2 pear halves on each plate, drizzle with warm chocolate sauce, and top with a big dollop of whipped cream. Scatter a few berries of your choice around the plate if desired.
To save some wear and tear on your fine self, do the pears ahead of time, refrigerate, and make the sauce ahead of time and
refrigerate. Warm up the sauce and serve on cold pears instead of warm. Just as good, maybe better.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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