Lynda | Grin and Bake It!

Written on May 27, 2009 by Lynda

THE CRAZY BUNCO THIS MONTH WAS HOSTED BY GLO. IN KEEPING WITH OUR YEARLY THEME OF MOVIES SHE CHOSE “THE WIZARD OF OZ.” BECAUSE SHE WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT HER DOROTHY COSTUME WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO ALSO DRESS UP AS DOROTHY’S TO SURPRISE HER. WE DONNED OUR WIGS AND RUBY SLIPPERS THAT WE PURCHASED ON LINE FROM SPENCER’S, GOT A DOROTHY PATTERN AND CREATED THESE LOVELY COSTUMES THAT IN NO WAY COMPLIMENTED OUR FIGURES.

GLO SERVED RUBY SIPPERS FOR THE SIGNATURE COCKTAIL ALONG WITH A BAKED SHRIMP HORSD’OEUVRE THAT WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. HER DINNER TABLE REFLECTED THE WIZARD OF OZ THEME WITH SMALL FIGURES OF THE MOVIE’S CHARACHTERS PLACED AT EACH PLACESETTING ALONG WITH BASKETS FILLED WITH RED SLIPPER SOAPS, DOROTHY NOTE PADS, AND TOPPED WITH PERSONALIZED LOLLIPOPS.

“IF I ONLY HAD A HEART” GIFT BAGS CONTAINED VARIOUS HEART ITEMS WITH A GRAND PRIZE OF A $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO HOME GOODS BECAUSE THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. A PANDORA CHARM OF A LION, THAT I COVETED, WAS AWARDED FOR SECOND PLACE.

THE RUBY SIPPER RECIPE APPEARED ON MONDAY. THE FOLLOWING SHRIMP HORS’DOEURVE RECIPE AND SALAD RECIPE ARE REALLY WORTH TRYING!

SHRIMP WITH TOASTED BREADCRUMBS

1 CUP FRENCH BREAD CRUMBS

1/3 CUP FINELY CHOPPED PARSLEY

1 LARGE CLOVE GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED

SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER

1/4 CUP OLIVE OIL

1 1/2 POUNDS FRESH OR FRESH FROZEN (THAWED) LARGE SHRIMP, PEELED AND DEVAINED

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 450 DEGREES. SPRAY BAKING PAN WITH PAM.

2. COMBINE BREADCRUMBS, PARSLEY, GARLIC AND SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE. ADD 3 TABLESPOONS OF OIL TO MOISTEN CRUMBS.

3. ARRANGE SHRIMP IN A SINGLE LAYER. SPOON A LITTLE OF THE MIXTURE ON EACH SHRIMP. DRIZZLE WITH A LITTLE OIL.

4. BAKE 10 TO 15 MINUTES UNTIL SHRIMP TURNS PINK AND TOP IS LIGHTLY BROWN.

MAGIC PAN MANDARIN SALAD

1/2 CUP SLICED ALMONDS

3 TABLESPOONS SUGAR

1/2 HEAD ICEBERG LETTUCE

1/2 HEAD ROMAINE LETTUCE

1 CUP RED LEAF LETTUCE

1 CUP CELERY, SLICED

2 WHOLE GREEN ONIONS, SLICED

1 CAN MANDARIN ORANGES

1 AVACADO, SLICED

1. HEAT ALMONDS AND SUGAR OVER MEDIUM HEAT, STIRRING CONSTANTLY UNTIL SUGAR IS DISSOLVED.

DRESSING

1/2 TEASPOON SALT AND DASH OF PEPPER

1/4 CUP VEGETABLE OIL

1 TABLESPOON PARSLEY, CHOPPED

2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR

3 TABLESPOONS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

DASH OF TABASCO

1. WHISK THE ABOVE INGREDIENTS.

2. PLACE SALAD INGREDIENTS IN LARGE SALAD BOWL AND POUR IN ENOUGH DRESSING TO COAT. TOSS AND ADD ADDITIONAL SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE. SERVES 8 TO 10.

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Written on May 14, 2009 by Lynda

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I remember during our first years of marriage Ken and I would drive to New Orleans, and visit his cousin, Karen. We would go down to the docks and purchase shrimp at twenty-five cents a pound. We’d break off the heads, clean the shrimp, cram it into empty milk cartons and freeze it for the eleven hour car ride home to St. Louis. Now we travel a few miles to Costco and we’re excited to pay $9.99 a pound.

This is one of my favorite shrimp recipes that also works for chicken and fish. Serve it with the salad below. This salad can be made with romaine or spinach and topped with Parmesan, Feta or Gorgonzola and caramelized pecans or walnuts.

GRILLED ASAIN SHRIMP

1/2 CUP ORANGE JUICE (2 ORANGES)

1/4 CUP CILANTRO, CHOPPED

1 TABLESPOON ASIAN RED CHILI PASTE

1/4 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

3 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

3 GREEN ONIONS, CHOPPED

1 CHIPOTLE CHILI CANNED IN ADOBO SAUCE (RALPHS GROCERY-ASIAN SECTION) (SEEDED AND CHOPPED)

1/2 TEASPOON SALT

2 POUNDS SHRIMP, FRESH OR FRESH FROZEN, TAIL ON REMOVE VEIN

1. WHISK O.J., CILANTRO, CHILI PASTE, OLIVE OIL, GARLIC, GREEN ONIONS, CHIPOTLE PEPPER AND SALT.

2. POUR MIXTURE OVER SHRIMP AND CHILL FOR 2 TO 3 HOURS.

3. REMOVE FROM MARINADE AND GRILL OVER MEDIUM HEAT FOR 4 TO 5 MINUTES UNTIL SHRIMP TURN PINK.

4. SERVE WITH RICE AND A SALAD.

EUROPEAN SALAD WITH BALSAMIC DRESSING

1 BAG EUROPEAN SALAD

1 ROMA TOMATO, SEEDED AND CHOPPED

2 1/4-INCH SLICES RED ONION, SEPARATED INTO RINGS

3 TABLESPOONS BALSAMIC VINEGAR

2 TABLESPOONS FRESH LEMON JUICE

1 TABLESPOON WHOLE GRAIN DIJON MUSTARD

3 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

1/2 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1. WHISK VINEGAR, LEMON JUICE, MUSTARD AND GARLIC. GRADUALLY WHISK IN OLIVE OIL.

2. SEASON TO TASTE WITH SALT AND PEPPER.

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Written on April 29, 2009 by Lynda

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A few weeks ago, Kate posted her Whopper ice cream pie with a waffle cone crust. I have my own Whopper recipe that I made for dessert at Gourmet group. Hope you like it!

1 10-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies

1/3 cup walnuts

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter (8 Tbl.)

16 ounces milk chocolate (broken apart)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup malted milk powder (Ovaltine)

2 pounds (4 8-oounce packages) cream cheese (softened)

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups Whoppers (malted milk balls) ground

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot fudge

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Butter 10-inch round springform pan and wrap bottom with heavy duty aluminun foil to avoid leaks.

3. CRUST: Pulse cookies and walnuts in processor until fine. Add sugar and melted butter. Pulse a few times until mixture is blended. Press into bottom and partially up the sides of the springform pan. Chill

CHEESECAKE:

1. Place milk chocolate in top of a double boiler and melt, stirring often.

2. Bring cream to boil over medium heat in saucepan. Turn off heat and add malted milk powder. Whisk and let steep for for 10 minutes. Strain.

3. Place cream cheese in large bowl and beat until fluffy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg.

5. Beat in sour cream and vanilla.

6. Add strained cream and melted chocolate. Blend throughly

7. Process 1 1/2 cups malted milk balls in processor until fine and add to batter.

8. Pour batter into spring-form pan and place in a shallow roasting pan. Pour boiling water halfway up the the spring-form pan and place into oven. Bake for 1 hour and 50 minutes until top is set, (It will move slightly). Remove pan from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Remove foil and cool completely. Remove from springform pan and place on plate. Cover with waxed paper and wrap with foil. Place in refrigerator. Can be stored up to 4 days or frozen.

9. To serve, heat hot fudge until it spreads easily. Spread over top of cheesecake and decorate with Whoppers. Variations: I have made this cheesecake with shortbread cookies and pecans add topped with chocolate curls or whipped cream and garnished with strawberries or raspberries.

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Written on April 29, 2009 by Lynda

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As you know, my entire family loves American Idol. When Simon tells a contestant, “You need to make that song your own,” I can identify. Almost every recipe I’ve tried I find myself making it my own. Before this blog I rarely measured ingredients. If I thought I could eliminate a step or exchange ingredients it was never a problem. If the oregano in my herb garden looked better than the thyme, I’d just use the oregano. But now that my daughter is making me accountable for accurate recipes, things have changed. I now spend a lot of time measuring, tasting and documenting every step.

This recipe originally came from an Emeril cookbook. I’ve changed it up so much that Emeril would probably never recognize it but I’d feel guilty if I didn’t give him some credit. He inspired me to cook spicy food with a kick just like Donna Summer inspired Allison Iraheta to sing the Disco song “Hot Stuff.” Both Allison and I were out of our comfort zones but we made it our own.

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Written on April 27, 2009 by Lynda

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Kathi hosted the gourmet group this month. As you see, her table was simple but elegant. She started with a runner purchased from Kohl’s after Christmas for a few dollars. Even though it was gold with gold beads woven into the fabric every two inches, a runner you would usually use at Christmas, by blending it with the light green oval placemats and spring flowers it gave her table a touch of pizzaz.

For all of you who think you can’t arrange flowers take a lesson from Kathi. Use your favorite large crystal bowl, fill it with water (I use 7-Up to extend the life of the flowers) and gather a bunch of identical spring flowers either from your yard or the nearest grocery and place them in the crystal bowl.

We always have a little favor for each of the girls and Kathi put together this darling napkin and spreader gift displaying our initial. She told us she found a few at Marshalls, a few at TJ Max and still needing a P and two L’s she asked her son, Mike to check at Homegoods in Palm Springs and lucky for us he found two L’s and a P!

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Written on April 23, 2009 by Lynda

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My girlfriends and I have come up with a new assignment for my mom that we’re calling, “Desperately Seeking Dinners!”.

Do your girlfriends make dinner every night for their families? Or do they claim to? Mine don’t, which is part of what I love about them – they’re real. No one pretends to be Super Mom and someone always has a bottle of wine chilling when one of us needs to escape the chaos.

A lot of our moms had dinner on the table every night when we were growing up (and none of the prepared food came out of a box). What’s different about our generation of moms is that we’ve busied our kids with extracurricular activities and teachers have burdened them (or should I say us)with homework and projects. We’ve over-scheduled life, and in turn are sleep deprived. We’re working in and out of the home, and frankly have way too many choices to contend with.

When I was little we always made Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies and we knew right where to find the chocolate chips on the grocery store shelf. Today, good luck with that. They’re surrounded by a plethora of options – butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, toffee bits, mini chips, cinnamon, chips, peanut butter chips, mint chips, and even white and milk chocolate striped chips. No wonder we’re all stressed out. Psychologists have done research that shows that all of these choices can be bad for our psyche. Self determination and choice are essential to our well-being and with too many choices, the simplest decision can become a challenge.

So this is what we’ve recruited my mom to do. Each week she has to share a recipe that meets the following criteria: ease of preparation, flavorful, healthy, and has crowd appeal. Bonus points will be awarded if a reasonably priced wine recommendation is included. Her first installment is for a delicious chicken recipe of her own creation. She’s also included a “must have” gadget to simplify life even more.

Lemon Parmesan Chicken Breasts by, Lynda

2 HALF CHICKEN BREASTS, SKINNED AND BONED

ZEST OF ONE SMALL LEMON (1 TEASPOON)

JUICE OF ONE SMALL LEMON (3 TABLESPOONS)

1/4 CUP SOUR CREAM

1/3 CUP ITALIAN BREAD CRUMBS

1/3 CUP PARMESAN CHEESE, GRATED

1 TABLESPOON EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Place chicken breasts in a shallow bowl and drizzle lemon juice over breasts. Let stand 10 – 15 minutes.

Combine zest, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Dip chicken in sour cream then in breadcrumb mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add olive oil to large skillet and heat over mediium high heat. Add chicken and brown until chicken is done, approximately 8 minutes on each side.

Serve with steamed broccoli and cole slaw.

My new favorite gadget is the Palm Zester by Chef’n available at Sur la Table. This mess free tool is so easy to use! It fits into the palm of your hand and stores the zest as you work. At $8.00 I couldn’t resist!

Now get Cooking! ~ Lynda

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Written on March 25, 2009 by Lynda

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For 20+ years eight friends have met once a month to enjoy each other’s culinary concoctions. Over the years we’ve formed precious friendships. We’ve laughed and cried together; raised children together and have watched our children grow into amazing adults. While sharing our recipes, we’ve shared our lives. These women have enriched my life abundantly and I hope when you read about our monthly luncheons, and occasional dinners when we include our husbands, you will be inspired to form your own group.

Each year we divide into two different teams. This year my team is Nancy, Kathi and Linda P. The other team is Lin, Glo, Julia and Peggy. Every month one team is responsible for “making it happen.” The hostess provides an hors d’oeurve and an entree. The second person brings soup or salad. The third person brings a dessert and the fourth person brings the wine. The following month the other team takes their turn.

This month Lin hosted with an Easter theme. Tiny African violet pots held the flags that displayed placecards. Darling salt and pepper bunnies complimented the bunny candle holder and Lin’s flower arrangement of white roses, hydrangeas and blue delphiniums.

Lin served a lovely leek and goat cheese tart for the hors d’oeuvre and a main course of osso buco. When we begged for the recipe she held up the jar she purchased from Williams Sonoma. We couldn’t believe how easy this delicious dish came together. Browned veal shanks were placed in a crock pot and the contents of two jars were added; six hours later, we ate the best osso buco I’ve tasted.

Check out the following recipes for the Goat Cheese and Leek Tart, the Spring Salad with Apples, White Cheddar and Caramelized Walnuts and the White Chocolate, Lemon and Strawberry Parfait.

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/BIGGEST LOSER PARTY RESULTS

Written on February 26, 2009 by Lynda

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The Paparazzi were out in full force at the annual Academy Awards/Biggest Loser Mystery Dinner. Guests were bombarded with photo flashes and celebrity reporters asking, “Who are you wearing?” and “Who do you think will win the Biggest Loser Award? ”

The Walk of Fame, down our driveway, was studded with stars displaying the names of the guests attending this major event. While lingering at their ”Stars” photos were snapped to remember the fun evening.

Andrea, Brian and Juli handed out flutes of champagne before the guests were whisked away to the dreaded weigh-in.

The horsd’eourves were inspired by Academy Award Nominees. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was Sausage Stuffed Button Mushrooms. Tropic Thunder was a Cheese Ball made with pineapple and peppers. Momma Mia was Roma Tomato Bruschetta.

Before finding their places at the tables and filling out their mystery dinner menu everyone mixed and mingled while checking off their picks for the Academy Award winners.

With my brilliant help in the kitchen, Andrea, Brian, Juli and Katie, it was like a mini version of Top Chef. We scrambled to get the food out warm, on time, and to the correct person. They really did an amazing job. Meanwhile in the dining room the guests were popping open their “Crackers.”

At almost every party I have I put together a “Cracker” that holds a lottery ticket, a penny to scratch off the ticket, a little gift – maybe lipstick or nail polish for the women and maybe a pen or miniature deck of cards for the men, and a question or joke or riddle each person can share at the table. At this party I chose trivia from past Academy Awards. It’s always a great way to start conversation while the food is being served.

Before the party I put a key to the menu on the web site. About half of the guests read the key, but unfortunately for the other half they did not, and some received their dessert first; or in the case of Linda, she received two courses without a knife or fork. It was hilarious to watch and also a reminder to be sure and check out Grin and Bake It!

Glo, who answered 13 out of 24 categories walked off with the Ken, my version of the Oscar, named after my husband Ken. It’s a Ken doll, spray painted gold, and usually glued to a hockey puck. This year because it was in honor of Jeanette, who died the week after the Golden Globe/Biggest Loser Party, the stand was a revolving stand that holds 4 pictures. Glo, who by the way, came as a Martini with her husband who came as James Bond, accepted the Ken in Jeanette’s memory. In the past Jeanette had won several “Kens.” Actually she was the Merryl Streep of our group–winning the most Kens.

The announcement that Ken won the Biggest Loser Contest came at the end of the evening. He lost 14 pounds and beat Andrea by 1/2 percent. When we viewed his before picture it was evident he didn’t cheat – thank goodness he didn’t have to weigh in after the three course meal!

Check out the recipes. Everything was made ahead of time and ready to pop into the oven right before the guests arrived. I even put the grilled lamb chops in a large crock pot. When they reached 100 degrees with a temperature fork, I cut them into individual chops and packed them in the pot with the bone facing up. I poured the sauce over the chops, covered the pot with the lid and let the meat soak up the flavor on low for 2 hours.

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Baking my way through the trials and triumphs of life!

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/BIGGEST LOSER PARTY RESULTS