Good Morning.
I am often kept awake at night wondering what on earth I will write about for the next blog, including the Wednesday food thing. Last night I came up with a collection of desserts that would be enjoyed by children under the age of ten but probably nobody else - confections with marshmallows, Cool Whip, and cinnamon cereal, for instance. I was actually asleep when I was engaging in all of this foolishness, but it was better than my second dream that had me back in college where I was required to go on a scavenger hunt with a team of two other classmates. I got lost getting to the starting point and my teammates were furious because we came in dead last. In any case, today I have a menu of adult dishes, and we begin with a Banana Cream Daiquiri that uses Cool Whip. Have some beer on hand for those who don't like fluffy drinks.
1 6 ounce can frozen lemonade, slightly thawed
3 large ripe bananas, cut into one inch pieces
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups ice cubes
1 cup Cool Whip
1/2 cup light rum
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed. Serves four. Mix up another batch.
And in honor of my previous blog, we have Baked Artichoke Squares for an hors d'oeuvre. Boy, did I get some stories about Sunday dinner.
2 6 ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 garlic clove, minced
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
4 eggs
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup Panko
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. oregano
A titch of Tabasco sauce
Shredded Parmesan
Drain the artichoke hearts but save the oil from one of the jars. Process the hearts in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped. Saute the garlic and chopped shallots in the reserved oil in a skillet until tender. Combine the garlic/onion mixture, eggs, cheddar, parsley, bread crumbs, seasonings, and just a bit of Tabasco in a blender and process until well combined. Fold in the artichokes. Spoon into a buttered oblong baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for half an hour. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan, and let cool slightly before cutting into squares.
I eat a lot of chicken and this one is a dandy.
Champagne Chicken
8 meaty chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1 large white onion, sliced
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 cups champagne
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup champagne
Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown them on both sides in the olive oil in a skillet. Place the carrots and onion slices in the bottom of an oblong glass baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter. Place the chicken thighs on top and pour the two cups of champagne over them. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Place the vegetables with their liquid in a saucepan and reduce by half over medium low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Add the heavy cream and half a cup of champagne and cook until the sauce is thickened, stirring constantly. Spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken.
Serves eight people one each or four people two. One may be enough.
Serve your chicken with a summer Port and Starboard Salad.
1 dozen baby red potatoes
1 9 ounce package frozen whole green beans
1 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. fresh chopped dill
Paprika
Make a vinaigrette of olive oil, vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper. In lightly salted boiling water, cook the potatoes in their skins until just tender, maybe eight minutes. Drain well, cool on the counter, do not peel, and slice. Cook the beans until al dente and drain. Place the potatoes and beans in a salad bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Chill for at least two hours in the fridge. To serve, sprinkle with chopped dill and paprika.
So port is left and starboard right on a ship, but port is signaled by a red light and starboard by green. So the left is really politically right and the right is environmentally conscious. That doesn't sound any screwier than the mess we have right now.
Back to port with Baked Tomatoes. Grow them yourself or get them at a farm stand.
4 big garden fresh tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh chopped basil
3 tbsp. finely chopped green onions
1 cup Panko
Unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
Paprika
Peel and slice the tomatoes. Place in an oblong baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and as much chopped basil as you like. Top with green onions and sprinkle fairly generously with Panko. Dot with pieces of butter and sprinkle with grated cheese and paprika. Bake at 375 degrees for twenty minutes.
I could eat tomatoes at every meal every day of the week as long as they're fresh from the garden. This is a good time of year for me even though I don't like the heat. I don't like the frigid cold either and you can't get good tomatoes then.
And for dessert we have Cappuccino Cheesecakes.
4 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
2 8 oz. containers of soft cream cheese
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
3 egg whites
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. dry instant coffee
1 tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Cocoa
Heat your oven to 300 degrees. Spray twelve medium muffin cups with cooking spray. Sprinkle one teaspoon of chocolate crumbs on the bottom of each cup. Beat the cream cheeses in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the two-thirds cup of sugar, milk, flour, vanilla, and egg whites until smooth. Reserve one and a half cups of the batter. Beat two tablespoons of sugar and instant coffee into the remaining batter. Carefully spoon about three tablespoons of the coffee batter into each muffin cup, then spoon two tablespoons of the reserved batter on top. Combine one tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle over each cup. Bake for about eighteen minute or until the cheesecakes are set. Remove from oven, let cool for half an hour, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Run a small metal spatula around the edge of each muffin cup to loosen and place on a dessert plate. Sprinkle with cocoa.
These little items look as if they took days to make. If you have any leftover, have one for breakfast, then have a tossed salad for dinner. At my age I'm entitled to get confused.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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