VPWL

Shrimp salad-stuffed tomatoes

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This classic salad can be served as an entree or an appetizer or a salad.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp, (21-25 per pound; thawed if frozen), tails removed, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely diced
  • 1/4 c minced fresh basil
  • 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 2 Tab mayonnaise
  • 1 Tab white-wine vinegar
  • Pinch of freshly ground pepper
  • 4 large ripe tomatoes, cored

Directions:

  1. Combine shrimp, celery, basil, olives, shallot, mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper in a medium bowl.
  2. Stir to combine.
  3. Carefully hollow out the inside of each tomato using a melon baller or small spoon; reserve the scooped tomato for another use .
  4. Place tomatoes upside down on a paper towel to drain.
  5. Refrigerate filling and tomatoes until ready to serve.
  6. To serve, fill each tomato with a generous 1/2 cup of the shrimp salad.

Serves:  4

Source:  Fitness

Villa Park Women’s League – GOURMET – March 15, 2014

Lemon Surprise Cheesecake

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This looks a lot more complicated than it really is.  You can make the crust – do something else, make the filling, do something else.  Then make the cheesecake part and put it all together.

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 c crushed lemon cream-filled sandwich cookies (Girl Scout cookies – hint, hint)
  • 2 Tab sugar
  • 1/4 c butter, melted

Lemon filling Ingredients: 

  • 2/3 c plus 2 Tab sugar
  • 5 Tab cornstarch
  • 1 c water
  • 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 c lemon juice
  • 2 Tabs butter
  • 1 tsp grated lemon peel

Cheesecake layer Ingredients: :

  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 c lemon juice
  • 3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 c sugar
  • 1 c heavy whipping cream, whipped
  • 2 tsp grated lemon peel

Crust Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°. 
  2. Combine the cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter.
  3. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9-in. springform pan.
  4. Place on a baking sheet.
  5. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until crust just begins to brown.
  6. Cool pan on a wire rack.

Lemon filling Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.
  2. Stir in water until smooth.
  3. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly.
  4. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
  5. Remove from the heat.
  6. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks.
  7. Return all to pan, stirring constantly.
  8. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
  9. Remove from the heat.
  10. Gently stir in the lemon juice, butter and peel.
  11. Cool to room temperature without stirring.

Cheesecake Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice;.
  2. Let stand for 1 minute.
  3. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. 
  4. Remove from the heat. 
  5. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar.
  6. Gradually beat in gelatin mixture until combined.
  7. Fold in the whipped cream and lemon peel.

Assembly Directions:

  1. Spoon three-fourths of cheesecake mixture into crust;.
  2. Build up edges slightly.
  3. Chill for 5 minutes.
  4. Spoon lemon filling over cheesecake layer to within 1/2 in of edges.
  5. Top with remaining cheesecake mixture.
  6. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
  7. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan; remove sides of pan.
  8. Refrigerate leftovers.

Serves: 12

Source: © Taste of Home 2014 Karen Chesnut, Clarksburg, California

Villa Park Women’s League – GOURMET – March 15, 2014

VPWL Pecan Pie

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This is a somewhat sweeter Pecan Pie.

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs slightly beaten
  • 1 c either light or dark Karo
  • 1 c sugar
  • 2 T butter, melted
  • 1t vanilla
  • 1 ½ c. Pecans
  • 1 9” unbaked pie shell

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. In a large bowl, stir the first 5 ingredients until well blended.
  3. Stir in pecans.
  4. Pour into pie shell with foil around the rim to prevent burning.
  5. Bake 50-55 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes.
  6. Test by inserting a knife half way between center and the edge of the crust. Knife should come out clean.

Serves:   8 – 10

Source:  Villa Park Womens League

Gorgonzola Sauce

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I love all things blue cheesey and this is the BEST sauce for any beef.

Ingredients:

  • 4 c heavy cream
  • 3- 4 oz crumbly Gorgonzola(not creamy or “dolce”)
  • 3 tab freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tab minced fresh parsley

Directions:

  1. Bring the cream to a full boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Watch, it will boil over!
  2. Lower heat to an active simmer (just low enough it does not boil over) for 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s thickened, like a white sauce, stirring frequently.
  3. Remove from the heat.
  4. Add the Gorgonzola, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley.
  5. Whisk rapidly until the cheeses melt.
  6. To reheat, warm the sauce over low heat until melted, then whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together.

Serves: Makes 3 cups

Source: Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten

Gourmet March 2014

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VPWL GOURMET 2013-2014
March, 2014

Hors d’oeuvre

Leeks and Green Onions Month
Leek, Ricotta and Walnut Pizza

Chip and Dip Day March 23
Tuna and Caper Dip

Frozen Food Month
Mini Spinach Soufflé Cups

First Course

Something on a Stick Month
National Artichoke Heart Day March 28
Caprese Antipasticks

National Flour Month
Holiday Crescents

Entree

National Sauce Month

Individual Beef Wellingtons with Gorgonzola Sauce
Bell Pepper and Broccoli Month
Roasted Broccoli, Red Pepper and Onion

Dessert

Girl Scout Week
Coconut-Carmel Cheesecake

Wine Suggestions

Hors d’oeuvres:  2012 Mason Sauvignon Blanc (Napa)
Entree:  2009 Lanbersac Puisseguin (Saint Emilion, France)

March

  1. March 14 – Pi Day (as in 3.4159265 etc.)
  2. March 14 – Potato Chip Day
  3. March 16 – National Artichoke Hearts Day
  4. March 17 – Green Beer Day
  5. March 20th – Great American Meatout – Don’t eat meat today.
  6. March 23 – Chip & Dip Day
  7. March 28 – Something on a Stick Day
  8. National Noodle Month
  9. National Peanut Month
  10. National Sauce Month
  11. National Celery Month
  12. National Flour Month
  13. Maple Sugar Month
  14. International Hamburger and Pickle Month
  15. National Pears Helene Day
  16. Broccoli Month
  17. Celery Month
  18. Bell Pepper Month
  19. Berries and Cherries Month
  20. Exotic Winter Fruit Month
  21. Leeks and Green Onions Month
  22. National Frozen Food Month
  23. National Nutrition Month
  24. Caffine Awareness Month
  25.  Girl Scout Week (March 9 – 15 Think Cookies!)
  26. National Poison Prevention Week (3rd week in March)
  27. UK: SPAM Appreciation Week (March 4-10, 2013 –  Google it) We tried! No good recipes.
  28. World Salt Awareness Week (March 11-17, 2013)
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Coconut-Caramel Cheesecake

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Of course, you buy a lot of Girl Scout cookies to freeze so you can have them all year.  However, you can substitute a caramel, chocolate, coconut cookie.

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes Girl Scout Caramel deLites cookies (sometimes called Samoas)
  • 1 ¾ lb block cream cheese (28 oz)
  • ¾ c sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ c whipping cream
  • 5 ½ oz chewy caramel candies, unwrapped
  • 3 Tab whipping cream
  • 4 oz flaked coconut
  • 3 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 3 Tab whipping cream
  • 2 oz flaked coconut, toasted

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 225°.
  2. Heavily butter the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
  3. Crush 5 cookies.
  4. Place whole cookies, bottom down, in the springform pan.
  5. Fill in gaps with crushed cookies.
  6. Set aside.
  7. Blend cream cheese, vanilla and sugar. Beat until smooth.
  8. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between additions.
  9. Add ½ cup whipping cream.
  10. Set aside.
  11. In a double boiler, melt caramels until soft.
  12. Stir in 3 Tablespoon whipping cream to make a smooth mixture.
  13. Stir in 4 ounces of coconut.
  14. Pour cream cheese mixture into springform pan.
  15. Pour caramel coconut mixture, stirring lightly to swirl.
  16. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet.
  17. Bake for 2 hours.
  18. Remove from oven and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
  19. Melt the semisweet chocolate over water, until soft.
  20. Stir in 3 Tablespoon of whipping cream.
  21. Spread over top of cheesecake.
  22. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.
  23. Refrigerate over night.

Serves: 12

Source: Orange County Register, March 17, 1993

Comment: The whipping cream totals about ½ pint.
Be sure to use the block cream cheese, the whipped spreadable will not work  –  trust me, I have tried!

Roasted Broccoli, Red Pepper and Onion 

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If you have to have vegetables, at least these are pretty.

Ingredients:

3 lb broccoli crowns, cut into pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips, 2 inches long
1 red onion, sliced vertically into 1/4-inch slices
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1¼ tsp dried Italian seasoning
½ tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 Tab olive oil
1 Tab lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 425°F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, red pepper, onion and garlic.
  3. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
  4. Drizzle oil over top and mix with a large spoon.
  5. Transfer vegetables shallow baking pan and bake 20 minutes, mixing once, until broccoli is browned in spots and tender.
  6. Return vegetables to bowl; add lemon juice and mix gently.

Serves: 10

Source: relish.com—Recipe by Jean Kressy

Holiday Crescents

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I never thought of stuffing crescent rolls – but they are really good.

Ingredients

  • 2 c sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 1 c crumbled goat cheese
  • 1 c toasted pine nuts
  • 2 cans Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (8 oz each)

Directions:

  1. In medium bowl, stir together sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and pine nuts.
  2. Separate dough into 16 triangles.
  3. Spread 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato mixture down the length of each triangle.
  4. Roll up each, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Place rolls, point side down, on ungreased cookie sheet.
  5. Heat oven to 375°.
  6. Bake 16 to 19 minutes until golden brown.

Serves: Makes 16

Source: Pillsbury.com, Chef Marcel Cocit