Good Morning.
My blog experts tell me the Wednesday food stuff is too long so here is a (somewhat) shorter edition.
We begin with VEGETABLE BITES, to be served with iced tea, cold beer, or whatever summer beverage has your name on it.
32 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
8 strips bacon
4 English muffins, each side cut in half for a total of 16
1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar
1/4 cup grated mozzarella
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 small zucchini, peeled and cut into small chunks
1/2 cup white button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp. butter
Freshly ground pepper
Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, drain on paper towel, and set aside. Saute the mushrooms in the butter in a different skillet and set aside. Combine the cheese with the mayonnaise, chopped shallots, and parsley in a bowl. Spread
this mixture on the muffin halves, reserving some for the top. Crumble the bacon on top of the cheese mixture. Arrange the zucchini, mushrooms, and tomato pieces among the muffin halves. Dot with the reserved cheese mixture and sprinkle with
some freshly ground black pepper. Put the halves on a cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven until golden, maybe 15 minutes or a bit more. Watch them carefully.
Leave off the stuff you don't like or add a substitute. Recipes, like people, are supposed to be adaptable.
Moving right along, we have GRILLED LIME CURRY STEAK ON PINEAPPLE.
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. curry powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 pounds sirloin steak
Stir together the lime juice, oil, curry, salt, and pepper. Marinade the steak with this mixture for an hour. Grill the meat to desired doneness on your barby, basting with the marinade. To serve, slice the steak on the diagonal and arrange the pieces
on the following pineapple:
1 3 to 4 pound pineapple, peeled
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Cut the pineapple crosswise into 6 slices and core them. Stir together the sugar, rum, curry, and lime juice in a shallow glass
baking dish and add the pineapple slices in one layer, coating evenly. Marinate them for half an hour, turning occasionally. Grill the pineapple, covered, about 4 minutes, turning once.
Wear something floral and light up the yard with tiki torches, lanterns, or Christmas lights. The neighbors will peek over the fence because lighting your yard makes people do that.
Serve your steak with DEVONSHIRE POTATO PIE.
3 cups mashed potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt and a dash of pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
Place half the mashed potatoes in a buttered 9 inch pie pan. Saute the carrots and onions in the 2 tablespoons of butter until softish. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to this mixture and spoon over the potato layer. Spread the sour cream on top and finish off with the remaining potatoes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Watch carefully. To serve cut into wedges.
This is a great dish for dinner but fine for brunch or even breakfast. Come to think of it, serve the steak for breakfast if you wish. I recall a neighbor kid whose parents were out of town and who decided to host a stag party to celebrate their upcoming graduation. I believe - actually I know - they were up all night and greeted the dawn by grilling hot dogs and burgers in the back yard.
Have the following dessert to top off your evening, or morning, barbecue:
CHERRY CHEESE PARFAITS
1 cup ricotta
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Kahlua
30 shortbread cookies, Girl Scout variety works well if you kept a box in the freezer
1 21 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 square of semi-sweet baking chocolate
Whipped cream
Combine the ricotta, sugar, sour cream and Kahlua in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside. In a food processor or blender, process the cookies until nicely chopped but not pulverized. To assemble the dessert, spoon 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into each of six parfait glasses. Add a few cookie crumbles and top with a little cherry filling. Repeat these layers until the glasses are filled. Garnish with a swirl of whipped cream and grate a little chocolate on top.
Quick, easy, delicious. If you don't have parfait glasses, use wine glasses but not those little sherry things you inherited from some old relative. A true dessert is supposed to leave you feeling slightly uncomfortable and guilty, especially if you stayed up all night and are having the last of the keg at breakfast. I never said a word.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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