How precious is that bundt cake? With the peony? We are in love.
And ever the copycat, looking for an excuse to make bundt cake.
Enter zucchini season. Our go-to bundt (full disclosure, we’ve only made them three times) is a fat-free cocoa zucchini number with prune puree.
But we’re lookng for something new and we think we’ve found it:
We’d like to try adding orange zest to the batter or perhaps a lemon glaze to this puppy.
We are all for picnics with lovely, elegant fare. No macaroni salad for us.
With Pimm’s Cups in crystal glasses, vintage biscuit tins and proper silver, we finally got around to those Tommy Bahama-inspired macadamia nut encrusted goat cheese balls drizzled with a sweet soy glaze (Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki).
We also busted out a strawberry salsa (chopped berries, icing sugar, black pepper and fresh basil) to top black pepper Boursin baguette slices.
An ancient (read 1980s) Seventeen magazine recipe called for a surprisingly sophisticated looking breaded stuffed chicken breast with bacon and spinach, served with pasta salad and fresh summer fruit. Still looks great.
But we are also all for cheating with pre-made chicken Cordon Bleu, sliced on the diagonal.
SAVORY PICNIC CHICKEN
from Seventeen Magazine, circa 1986ish
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
2 eggs, divided
1/2 c. seasoned croutons, lightly crushed
1 clove garlic
2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned & split
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp. oil
Fry bacon; drain and crumble. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings. Saute onion in bacon drippings until soft. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, one beaten egg, croutons, garlic salt and crumbled bacon.
Place each chicken breat on a sheet of waxed paper. Cover with another sheet of paper and lightly pound each breast until flat (1/2 inch thick).
With a sharp knife, cut a pocket in thick side of each chicken breast. Divide stuffing into four portions. Stuff each breast with spinach mixture and close with wooden pick.
Lightly beat remaining egg. pour into a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Dip each cutlet into beaten egg, then coat with bread crumbs.
Set coated cutlets asside on a plate.
Heat skillet and oil over medium high heat. Add cutlets, cover, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Turn once, cover and cook for 7 more minutes.
Remove and let cool slightly. Remove toothpicks. Serves two to four.
To make stuffing variation, combine all ingredients. Divide among breasts and stuff. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve chilled.
STUFFING VARIATION:
1/2 lb. fresh spinach, washed & chopped
1/2-1 c. chopped fresh basil
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 lb. ricotta cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
3/4 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
Another end to Stampede merriment.
There were smoked brisket buns at midnight and ginger beef.
In all the commotion, we forgot to roll out midnight mini chicken and waffles.
We also did not get around to blueberry beer floats, domuffins or candy apple muffins.
Next year, we want to be sure to make these flaky, buttery, cheddar biscuits to go with chili, barbecue or whatever.
Our most memorable Stampede fare includes enormous bison short ribs served with roasted garlic and chive mashed potatoes.
It was perfectly paired with a summer salad of golden beets tossed in a maple mustard dressing.
And these would go well with cold beers:
Smoky grilled cheese cut into squares or triangles or fingers or cookie cutter rounds, like a cheese puff?
Amy’s Bread Grilled N.Y. State Cheddar Sandwich
With spicy chipotle pepper puree, thinly sliced red onions, tomatoes & fresh cilantro. Delicious hot; grilling takes 3-4 minutes; It’s worth the wait!
Spiced-Up Grilled Cheese
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilies*
1 tablespoon mild-flavored (light) molasses (mandatory, otherwise this just tastes like tomato paste.
12 3/4-inch-thick slices sourdough bread
18 ounces extra-sharp New York cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Read More
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Up-
Grilled-Cheese-107700#ixzz1O4PhhKOl
“My spies saw Kate, 29, who will marry Prince William next month, tucking into a dish of spaghetti at Riccardos on Londons Fulham Road with her sister and chief bridesmaid Pippa. They told me: Kate was having a great time. She giggled with Pippa all night.” Mirror UK
Pasta on the Riccardos’ menu includes their Spaghettini alla Checca. (Though slim Kate doesn’t appear to eat much at all, and less likely to resort to ordering off a menu when chef could send over a special offering other than linguine with fresh clams, white wine, garlic, parsley, cherry tomatoes and chili.)
Long strands of pasta with sundried tomatoes, garlic and olive oil (£7.95). Although checca is an uncooked tomato sauce, we wonder what roasted tomatoes would taste like mixed in with summer fresh ones.
The trick here is use olive oil infused with garlic. Lots of it.
SPAGHETTINI ALLA CHECCA
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
8 ounces spaghettini or angel hair pasta
4 scallions (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (12-ounce container) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (1-ounce) piece Parmesan, coarsely chopped
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, stirring often, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the next 7 ingredients in a food processor.
Pulse just until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped (do not puree).
Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella in a large bowl. Add some of the reserved pasta water (about 1/4 cup) if the sauce looks dry.
Cover bowl with plate and allow to stand for 2 minutes so cheese melts. Serve immediately.
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Apparently, a former chef from the Old Boot Inn says “her favorite [dishes] are the pate on toasted brioche or the roast figs on parma ham with spicy apple chutney, followed by the tiger prawn and wild mushroom linguine,” he adds. “And for the [dessert], her favorite is sticky toffee pudding.”
We snooped on the Old Boot Inn’s website and photos are splendid. The Duck liver and cognac terrine with toasted brioche £6.95 looks lovely.
But the tiger prawn and wild mushroom linguine looks gorgeous.
Roasted mushrooms with shrimp and what appears to be edamame, parsley, shaved parmesan and a light cream sauce.
we may try this for the sauce
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced, tossed in olive oil and roasted
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet and cooked the onion, garlic, for about five minutes.
Add wine, prawns and mushrooms and simmer for a couple minutes. To finish the sauce, remove it from the heat and stirred in the parmesan. Pour over noodles and toss to coat.
