Well, last night we had a small dinner party with my husband's company. It was a wonderful evening and I am still full! I served individual beef wellingtons with a red wine pan sauce, roasted potatoes with blue cheese, creamed spinach sprinkled with bacon and for dessert turtle cheesecake (sorry for the blurry picture). Check out the gorgeous seafood platters (shrimp/snow crab claws and house smoked salmon) which I purchased from Diamond Seafood in Lake Zurich (check them out under my links). The whole menu is a perfect "do ahead" and don't forget to take advantage of the outdoor refrigerator for your food. Enjoy the recipes!
Carol
Tuesday Night Dinner Party Recipes
Creamed Spinach
About 2 ½ pounds fresh cleaned spinach (stems removed)
¼ cup olive oil
s&p
3 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. diced onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbls. flour
1 cup milk
¼ cup grated parmesan
fresh grated nutmeg
white pepper
Lawry’s seasoning salt
4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (optional)
Heat olive oil in sauté pan, add spinach (season with s&p) and cook, turning frequently until spinach has wilted, remove and place spinach in a colander to drain. Press out as much liquid as you can. Set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan, add onion and sauté until translucent, add garlic and then flour to make a roux. Whisk in milk, add parmesan cheese in slowly whisking after each addition. Season with white pepper and nutmeg. Toss together spinach and sauce, season with Lawry’s seasoning salt and place in oven safe dish, sprinkle bacon over the top. Serves 6.
(Can be refrigerated at this point) and reheat in 350 degree oven until hot.
Beef Wellington with a Red Wine Reduction Sauce
4- 1 ½ inch-thick 6 oz. filets
2 Tbls. olive oil
2 Tbls. finely diced shallots
2 tsp. finely diced garlic
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 pound baby portabellas; finely chopped
2 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 egg mixed with water (egg wash)
2 sheets of puff pastry
Season filets with salt and pepper. Sear in olive oil in hot sauté pan on both sides. Set aside to cool. Reserve pan for sauce.
Sauté shallots and chopped mushrooms in butter and olive oil, add thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Set aside to grain and cool.
On a lightly floured surface roll out puff pastry sheet and cut in half and then cut 1 inch off the end of each rectangle for decoration.
Place 2-3 Tbls. of mushroom mixture in center of puff pastry, top mushrooms with filet, pressing down gently. Using a pastry brush, brush edges with egg wash to seal. Wrap pastry like you would a package trimming off excess on edges and pinching ends together. Seal any gaps and brush entire “package” with egg wash. Decorate with puff pastry scraps and again egg wash them. Chill beef Wellingtons for at least 1 hour before baking. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown. Serve with sauce on side, as you will not want the pastry to get soggy.
Sauce:
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 tsp. shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup beef stock
¼ cup cream
3 Tbls. butter; room temp.
salt and pepper to taste
Using sauté pan that steaks were browned in, add olive oil and sauté shallots and then garlic. Add wine, scraping brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Reduce down to about 2 Tbls., add beef stock and then whisk in cream. Finish by whisking in 1 Tbls. butter at a time and season with salt and pepper.
*½ c up gorgonzola/or goat cheese (optional)
Caesar Salad
For the Croutons:
6 one-inch slices crusty white bread, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. granulated garlic
2-3 tsp. dried oregano
For the Salad:
2 cloves garlic, minced
11/2 cups mayonnaise
11/2 tsps. Dijon mustard
4-5 anchovies or 1 tsp. anchovy paste (optional)
Squeeze of fresh lemon
dash worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste
2 head romaine, washed and dried and torn into 2-inch pieces
grated parmesan (reggiano) to taste
½ pint grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
For the Croutons:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, toss bread cubes with remaining crouton ingredients. On a sheet pan, bake until golden brown, tossing occasionally, about 10-12 minutes.
Toss lettuce, croutons, parmesan, tomatoes & dressing serve in parmesan bowl Serves 6.
Parmesan basket: take about ¼ cup grated parmesan and sprinkle into a hot non stick skillet, once hot and bubbly carefully take a fork and flip, let cook about 20 seconds remove and place over a cup to form the mold.
Turtle Cheesecake
11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
6 Tbls. melted butter
Mix together the above ingredients and press firmly into bottom and about 2 inches going up the side of a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan; bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.
Drizzle about half of the caramel over cooled graham cracker crust, sprinkle with chopped pecans, pour cream cheese filling over that and bake at 325 for about 1 10 minutes or until set, let cool and refrigerate. To finish spread chocolate over and let cool slightly, drizzle remaining caramel and pecan pieces over the top.
Cream Cheese Filling:
3 (8 ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl; add eggs and sour cream.
Caramel: (go ahead and purchase caramel if you think this step may be too difficult)
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup pecans, chopped
Caramel:
Place sugar, water and corn syrup in saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and let boil until syrup is a deep amber color, occasionally brushing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and cream (mixture will bubble). Pour into crust, let caramel firm up before spreading chocolate glaze over it.
Chocolate Glaze:
¾ cup whipping cream
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate
For Chocolate Glaze:
Bring cream to a boil, remove from heat and stir into chopped chocolate. Pour glaze over cheesecake, using a whisk drizzle caramel over chocolate and sprinkle chopped pecans over that.
About 2 ½ pounds fresh cleaned spinach (stems removed)
¼ cup olive oil
s&p
3 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. diced onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbls. flour
1 cup milk
¼ cup grated parmesan
fresh grated nutmeg
white pepper
Lawry’s seasoning salt
4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (optional)
Heat olive oil in sauté pan, add spinach (season with s&p) and cook, turning frequently until spinach has wilted, remove and place spinach in a colander to drain. Press out as much liquid as you can. Set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan, add onion and sauté until translucent, add garlic and then flour to make a roux. Whisk in milk, add parmesan cheese in slowly whisking after each addition. Season with white pepper and nutmeg. Toss together spinach and sauce, season with Lawry’s seasoning salt and place in oven safe dish, sprinkle bacon over the top. Serves 6.
(Can be refrigerated at this point) and reheat in 350 degree oven until hot.
Beef Wellington with a Red Wine Reduction Sauce
4- 1 ½ inch-thick 6 oz. filets
2 Tbls. olive oil
2 Tbls. finely diced shallots
2 tsp. finely diced garlic
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 pound baby portabellas; finely chopped
2 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 egg mixed with water (egg wash)
2 sheets of puff pastry
Season filets with salt and pepper. Sear in olive oil in hot sauté pan on both sides. Set aside to cool. Reserve pan for sauce.
Sauté shallots and chopped mushrooms in butter and olive oil, add thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Set aside to grain and cool.
On a lightly floured surface roll out puff pastry sheet and cut in half and then cut 1 inch off the end of each rectangle for decoration.
Place 2-3 Tbls. of mushroom mixture in center of puff pastry, top mushrooms with filet, pressing down gently. Using a pastry brush, brush edges with egg wash to seal. Wrap pastry like you would a package trimming off excess on edges and pinching ends together. Seal any gaps and brush entire “package” with egg wash. Decorate with puff pastry scraps and again egg wash them. Chill beef Wellingtons for at least 1 hour before baking. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown. Serve with sauce on side, as you will not want the pastry to get soggy.
Sauce:
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 tsp. shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup beef stock
¼ cup cream
3 Tbls. butter; room temp.
salt and pepper to taste
Using sauté pan that steaks were browned in, add olive oil and sauté shallots and then garlic. Add wine, scraping brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Reduce down to about 2 Tbls., add beef stock and then whisk in cream. Finish by whisking in 1 Tbls. butter at a time and season with salt and pepper.
*½ c up gorgonzola/or goat cheese (optional)
Caesar Salad
For the Croutons:
6 one-inch slices crusty white bread, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. granulated garlic
2-3 tsp. dried oregano
For the Salad:
2 cloves garlic, minced
11/2 cups mayonnaise
11/2 tsps. Dijon mustard
4-5 anchovies or 1 tsp. anchovy paste (optional)
Squeeze of fresh lemon
dash worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste
2 head romaine, washed and dried and torn into 2-inch pieces
grated parmesan (reggiano) to taste
½ pint grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
For the Croutons:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, toss bread cubes with remaining crouton ingredients. On a sheet pan, bake until golden brown, tossing occasionally, about 10-12 minutes.
Toss lettuce, croutons, parmesan, tomatoes & dressing serve in parmesan bowl Serves 6.
Parmesan basket: take about ¼ cup grated parmesan and sprinkle into a hot non stick skillet, once hot and bubbly carefully take a fork and flip, let cook about 20 seconds remove and place over a cup to form the mold.
Turtle Cheesecake
11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
6 Tbls. melted butter
Mix together the above ingredients and press firmly into bottom and about 2 inches going up the side of a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan; bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.
Drizzle about half of the caramel over cooled graham cracker crust, sprinkle with chopped pecans, pour cream cheese filling over that and bake at 325 for about 1 10 minutes or until set, let cool and refrigerate. To finish spread chocolate over and let cool slightly, drizzle remaining caramel and pecan pieces over the top.
Cream Cheese Filling:
3 (8 ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl; add eggs and sour cream.
Caramel: (go ahead and purchase caramel if you think this step may be too difficult)
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup pecans, chopped
Caramel:
Place sugar, water and corn syrup in saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and let boil until syrup is a deep amber color, occasionally brushing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and cream (mixture will bubble). Pour into crust, let caramel firm up before spreading chocolate glaze over it.
Chocolate Glaze:
¾ cup whipping cream
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate
For Chocolate Glaze:
Bring cream to a boil, remove from heat and stir into chopped chocolate. Pour glaze over cheesecake, using a whisk drizzle caramel over chocolate and sprinkle chopped pecans over that.
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