Food & Friends


"He who receives his friends and gives no personal attention to the meal which is being prepared for them, is not worthy of having friends."
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)
Nothing goes together quite like food and friends and to that end, I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes.

Spinach, Feta and Bacon Salad

Tarragon Dressing:
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tarragon or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (1 tsp dried) 
1 teaspoon sugar

Salad :
6 cups torn fresh spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, room temp.
6 slices bacon, crisp cooked, crumbled
Cherry Tomatoes halved
1/2 cup pecans

In blender, combine all dressing ingredients; blend well. Refrigerate to allow flavors to come together.
Arrange spinach on 6 individual salad plates; sprinkle with feta cheese, pecans, tomatoes and bacon. Serve with dressing.
Serves 6. 
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Cucumber Dill Sour Cream Salad

4 large cucumbers
1 tablespoon salt
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried dill 
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers, and slice as thin as you can. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and toss in a colander. Let stand and drain at room temp for 1 hour. Rinse, and squeeze dry in several tea towels.
Combine remaining ingredients. Stir in cukes. Chill well. This salad is a light and tasty addition when served with red meats. My favorite with this great salad? Lamb chops. 

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Herb Roasted Lamb Chops

What you Need
  • 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, lightly crushed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, lightly crushed
  • 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 6 1 1/4-inch-thick lamb loin chops

Mix first 4 ingredients and 1 tablespoon olive oil in large bowl. Add lamb; turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add lamb; cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast lamb chops to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to platter, cover, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite Cabernet and enjoy a great dinner!
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Polenta Scallops Anyone?? 

What You'll Need
16-24 Scallops (depending on how many friends are coming for dinner)
2 eggs beaten
1 cup of Polenta 
1 stick butter
1 cup white wine (Pinot Grigio is my favorite for this)
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Fettachini
Garlic Powder
2/3 cup finely chopped spinach
 

  Bring water for fettucini to a boil.Dip scallops in beaten eggs then lightly coat in Polenta. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the white wine, spinach, tomatoes and a dash of garlic powder. As soon as it comes to a bubble, add the scallops AND, at the same time, drop the fettucini into ITS pot.bit; Cook scallops turning once for only about 10 minutes total. You don't want overcooked scallops!Plate fettucini in a pasta bowls add a few scallops to each bowl and drizzle with the wine/butter sauce from the skillet and sprinkle with feta cheese. Serve with garlic toast and you've got a GREAT dinner!
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Game Day Grub!

Philly Cheesey Pizza Dip

Ingredients:











  • 1 Spread cream cheese onto bottom of microwaveable 9-inch pie plate.





















  • 2 Cover with pizza sauce; top with remaining ingredients.





















  • 3 Microwave on high 2 minutes or until heated through.





















  • 4 Serve with crackers.





















  • 5 This can also be served with assorted cut-up fresh vegetable dippers in addition to the crackers.















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    So Good They Should Be Illegal Ribs







  • 3 lbs pork back ribs



















  • 1 (8 ounce) jar honey



















  • 1 teaspoon paprika



















  • 1 teaspoon chili powder



















  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder



















  • 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning



















  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder



















  • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt



















  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar



















  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper



















  • 1 medium onion, grated or finely chopped



















  • 12 ounces barbecue sauce



















  • 1/4 cup white sugar
     



















  • 1 Place all ingredients together in large roasting pan (i use bottom of turkey roaster).



















  • 2 Cut ribs apart for easier serving.



















  • 3 Mix together making sure to coat all ribs with this semi-dry paste.



















  • 4 Spread ribs out evenly on bottom of pan.



















  • 5 cover lightly with foil.



















  • 6 Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 1 hour.



















  • 7 Turning or stirring occasionally.













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    Chili Crusted Steak Fajitas



    Ingredients
    1/2 pound lean flank steak
    1 medium red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
    1 medium green bell pepper, quartered and seeded     
    1 medium yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded
    4 plum tomatoes cut in half                                                
    2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
    2 Tbs. lime juice, divided
    3/4 Tsp. salt
    3 cloves garlic, minced and divided
    1 1/2 Tsp. chili powder
    1 medium red onion cut into slices
    Cooking spray
    8 6 1/2 inch flour tortillas
    4 Tbs. sour cream, fat free


    Trim fat from steak and set aside. Combine bell pepper pieces tomato halves 1 tbs lime juice 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1/4 Tsp. salt and half of minced garlic in a large bowl. Toss gently and set aside. Combine remaining lime juice and Worcestershire 1/4 Tsp. salt remaining minced garlic and flank steak in a large zip top plastic bag; seal bag and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes. Remove steak from bag reserving marinade. Rub chili powder evenly over steak and set aside. Remove bell pepper pieces and tomato halves from bowl reserving marinade. Set tomatoes aside. Prepare grill. Place steak pepper pieces tomato halves and onion slices on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill tomato halves 3 minutes on each side. Grill steak five minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Grill bell pepper pieces and onions six minutes on each side or until tender basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Remove steak and vegetables from grill. Let steak stand five minutes; cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Cut bell pepper pieces into 1/4 inch slices and cut onion slices in half. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 Tsp. salt over vegetables. Heat flour tortillas according to package directions. Place two tortillas on each of four plates. Divide steak bell pepper and onion evenly among tortillas. Top each fajita with 1/2 tomato and 1/12 Tsp. fat free sour cream. Serve warm.
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     Q: What do you get if you divide the circumference of a bowl of ice cream by its diameter?
    A: Pi a'la mode.

    Life is Short...Eat Dessert First
    Any recipe that starts with a whole bottle of Pinot Noir can't be all bad, can it?

    Pinot Peach Noir

         Here what you'll need.
                      2 nice ripe peaches
                      1 bottle Pinot Noir
                      1 cup water
                      1 1/2 cups sugar
                      Peach Ice Cream

    
    Put full bottle Pinot Noir, water and sugar in a large pot over medium to low heat. Slice peaches into 8 slices per peach and add to the pot. Allow mixture to cook low and slow for 2 hours before you remove the peach slices. Place peaches in a sealed container and into the fridge. They should now be blood red. Continue to reduce Pinot Noir mixture for another hour...allow to cool and put into the fridge over night. The next day...pour wine back ito a sauce pan and reduce over low heat until it gets thick and you have about a cup left. Put a couple scoops of peach ice cream in a bowl with 4 slices of those happy peaches and spoon the warm Pinot Noir syrup over the the top.

    What a GREAT way to cap off a nice meal. I like to serve this dessert after a dinner of chicken, pork or fish. ake Pinot Peach Noir for dessert at your next get together and you'll be a  
           ROCK STAR!!!
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    This is a nice light and quick meal that's tasty and leaves room for dessert. Great when you're having friends over dinner.
    What You Need.

    Tilapia Fillets
    Grated Parmesan Cheese
    1/4 cup Garlic Powder
    1/4 cup Lemon Pepper
    1/2 cup Flour
    2 Eggs

    Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together garlic powder, lemon pepper  and grated parmesan cheese and place in a shallow dish. Wisk the eggs and put into a seperate shallow bowl or dish. Place flour in its own shallow dish. One at a time, coat filets, first in flour, then in the egg wash and finally in the parmesan mixture making sure each filet is well breaded. Arrange on a baking dish so as not to overlap. I like using a stone and if you have one, place it in the oven while it pre heats. Bake at 450 degrees for only 10 minutes.

    I enjoy this dish served with wild rice and grilled or braised mixed veggies and maybe a light salad. Plate it up and garnish with lemon wedges. You're good to go and your guests will be impressed!
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    Stir Fry Ginger Beef Recipe

    Ingredients
    Marinade
    • 2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar        
    • 5 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsp honey
    • 1 Tbsp peeled, grated fresh ginger
    • 1 teaspoon chile pepper flakes
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

    Beef and stir-fry

    • 1 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb top sirloin steak
    • 1 Tbsp corn starch
    • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (preferably peanut)    
    • 1 Tbsp sesame oil (optional)
    • 3-4 green onions, cut on a diagonal, 1/2-inch apart, including the greens
    • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    • 2-3 hot chiles, preferably red serranos, seeded, sliced
    • 1-inch nob of ginger, peeled, cut lengthwise into matchstick shapes
    • 1/2 cup loosely packed, chopped cilantro 

    1 Chill the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes before you slice it, this will make it easier to cut in thin slices. Slice the steak first crosswise in 1/2-inch thick slices. The cut each slice lengthwise into strips.

    2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients; the soy sauce, vinegar, grated ginger, honey, red chile flakes, and cumin. Mix the beef in with the marinade to coat and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and up to 4 hours, in the fridge.
    3 In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry.
    4 Heat the oil in a wok, or a large sauté pan, over high heat until it is nearly smoking. As the oil is heating up, pat the beef dry and separate it into small batches no larger than what can fit into the palm of your hand. Working in batches, sauté beef until just brown outside but rare inside, no more than 1 minute. Transfer beef to a bowl.
    5 When all of the beef is cooked, put the chiles and garlic into the pan and stir-fry 30-45 seconds. Add the julienned ginger and cook for 30-45 seconds more. Add the beef back to the pan. Add the cornstarch slurry. Add the scallions and mix everything together. Cook for 1 minute.
    Turn the heat off and mix in the cilantro. Serve at once with steamed white rice.
    Serves 4-6.
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    What a GREAT Topping for Meats

    Burgundy Mushroom Sauce

    1/4 cup butter
    8 ounces mushrooms, drained -- reserve liquid
    1 clove garlic, minced
    4 cups water, including liquid from mushrooms  
    4 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet
    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    4 tablespoons corn starch
    1/3 cup cold water
    1/3 cup burgundy (You can also use Shiraz)



    1. In a large sauce pan, melt butter and add mushrooms and garlic. Saute until tender.
    2. Add the water, spice and Worcestershire sauce. Blend together and bring to a boil.
    3. Blend the cold water and corn starch together and add to the boiling mixture.
    4. Remove from heat and add burgundy wine.
    5. Serve on filet, hamburger steaks. etc. Good with cocktail meatballs.
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    Cioppino...Seafood Fun at its BEST

    CIOPPINO  Serves 14

    Ingredients
     ¾ cup olive oil                                                
    2 onions, chopped
    1 bell pepper, chopped
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
    1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
    1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
    1 TBSP tomato paste
    1 cup chicken broth
    1 ½ cups white wine
    2  8oz bottles clam juice
    2 bay leaves
    1 tsp dried thyme
    1 tsp dried oregano
    2 tsp dried basil
    ½ tsp fennel
    pinch cayenne
    pinch paprika    
                                  
    clams, shrimp, mussels, crab claws, cod, cubed...It all up to you!
    In a large pot, heal olive oil and sauté onion, garlic and bell pepper until tender.  Add parsley, salt to taste, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, fennel, cayenne and paprika.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth,  wine, clam juice. Stir well and simmer for 1 – 2 hours.
    ( this makes a lot, it freezes well at this stage)

    About 10 minutes before serving, maintain simmer and add clams and mussels.  After 5 minutes, add the shrimp, crab and place cod on top, so it will not break up.  Simmer 5 minutes and serve at once.

    Any seafood desired can be used, just be sure not to over cook the more delicate types.

    Ingredients

    1/2 pound lean flank steak
    1 medium red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
    1 medium green bell pepper, quartered and seeded
    1 medium yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded
    4 plum tomatoes cut in half
    2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
    2 Tbs. lime juice, divided      
    3/4 Tsp. salt
    3 cloves garlic, minced and divided
    1 1/2 Tsp. chili powder
    1 medium red onion cut into slices
    Cooking spray
    8 6 1/2 inch flour tortillas
    4 Tbs. sour cream, fat free

    Trim fat from steak and set aside. Combine bell pepper pieces tomato halves 1 tbs lime juice 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1/4 Tsp. salt and half of minced garlic in a large bowl. Toss gently and set aside. Combine remaining lime juice and Worcestershire 1/4 Tsp. salt remaining minced garlic and flank steak in a large zip top plastic bag; seal bag and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes. Remove steak from bag reserving marinade. Rub chili powder evenly over steak and set aside. Remove bell pepper pieces and tomato halves from bowl reserving marinade. Set tomatoes aside. Prepare grill. Place steak pepper pieces tomato halves and onion slices on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill tomato halves 3 minutes on each side. Grill steak five minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Grill bell pepper pieces and onions six minutes on each side or until tender basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Remove steak and vegetables from grill. Let steak stand five minutes; cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Cut bell pepper pieces into 1/4 inch slices and cut onion slices in half. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 Tsp. salt over vegetables. Heat flour tortillas according to package directions. Place two tortillas on each of four plates. Divide steak bell pepper and onion evenly among tortillas. Top each fajita with 1/2 tomato and 1/12 Tsp. fat free sour cream. Serve warm.

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