A Post-Wedding Feast for Becca & Caleb

My good friends Becca & Caleb got married last Saturday and to help them celebrate, Dad and I cooked the "post-wedding-gift-opening" lunch for them (and their families). Since Dad offered to cook, they let him choose the menu . . . after a few consultations with me and with his stash of Bon Appetit magazines, we ended up deciding on a couple of recipes he found in the August issue [of Bon Appetit] and a couple of my favorite summer dishes.

Although everything turned out to be absolutely WONDERFUL, there were a few times I began to wonder if people were going to have to stop at McDonald's on the way home . . . especially when I realized the couscous recipe called for raisins.

Grilled Lemon Chicken and Moroccan Couscous Salad
Couscous
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. ground tumeric
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 10-oz. box plain couscous
1/2 cup raisins
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (1.5 cups)
1-2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (2 cups)
1/2 cup baby carrots
1 cup thinly sliced green beans (or trimmed sugar snap peas)
2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Chicken
2 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
6 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup plus 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds (optional)
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Couscous instructions:
Bring chicken broth, 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin to boil in heavy large saucepan. Stir in couscous and remove from heat. Scatter raisins over, cover, and let stand until couscous softens, about 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork, breaking up any lumps. Transfer couscous to large bowl. Add cucumber, red bell pepper, carrot, green beans, and lemon peel. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice in small bowl. Add to couscous; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chicken instructions:
Place 2 1/2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken and seal bag, releasing any excess air; turn several times to coat. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes (or chill 1 to 3 hours and bring to room temperature before continuing).

Prepare barbecue grill (high heat). Brush grill rack with oil. Transfer chicken from bag to barbecue with some marinade still clinging and grill until slightly charred and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter and let rest 10 minutes. Stir 3/4 cup chopped cilantro into couscous. Sprinkle almonds over, if desired. Drizzle chicken with oil, sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup chopped cilantro over, and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with couscous.
- Adapted from Bon Appetit (we tripled this recipe)

Note: I did not get a picture of the finished version of this recipe (although the couscous portion is the yellow stuff you can barely see in the metal bowl above). Between the bright yellow couscous, the colorful vegetables, and the lemon slices and cilantro, it should be an appealing dish to look at when it's all put together. About the raisins . . . they were actually not bad and gave the dish a nice bit of sweetness. However, if you hate raisins, it wouldn't have much of a negative impact on the final dish to omit them.

Grilled Eggplant with Caponata Salsa
1 12-ounce container grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion
5 large green olives, pitted, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano plus sprigs for garnish
1 tablespoon drained capers, rinsed
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
1 large eggplant (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), trimmed

Mix tomatoes, celery, onion, olives, chopped oregano, capers, garlic, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl. Whisk red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in small bowl; pour over tomato mixture and toss to coat. Season caponata to taste with salt and pepper. Caponata can be prepared 2 hours ahead (let stand at room temperature).

Prepare barbecue grill(medium-high heat). Peel eggplant lengthwise to create alternating 2-inch-wide intervals of peeled and unpeeled skin. Cut eggplant crosswise into 6 slices, each about 1 inch thick. Brush eggplant slices with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant slices until slightly charred and very tender when pierced with knife, about 8 minutes per side.

Place 1 grilled eggplant slice on each of 6 plates. Spoon caponata over, garnish with oregano sprigs, and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Bon Appetit

Again, no picture of the final version (the chicken and eggplant were still grilling when I took the pictures). The "salsa" topping is in the glass bowl at the top right of the photo. Don't skip the step of seasoning with salt and pepper! Even the people who didn't think they liked eggplant enjoyed this dish!

Sangria
2 oranges , sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
2 lemons , sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
3 peaches , pitted and cut into 8 wedges
1 pint strawberries , hulled and halved (optional)
3 bottles white wine (dry to semidry), such as Pinot Grigio
1 liter sparkling water
Ice

Place all fruit in a large pitcher or bowl, add wine and allow to sit at room temperature 4 to 24 hours. When ready to serve, add sparkling water and ice. Serve in a bowl with a ladle (make sure there's fruit in every serving)
- O, The Oprah Magazine

If you end up with leftover peaches in the pitcher - they are very delicious after "marinating" in the sangria (and twice as delicious with homemade ice cream)!

We rounded out the menu with:
Caprese Salad (using big tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes like I usually do)
Watermelon & Feta Salad (with cantaloupe)
Baguettes with Fresh Herb Butter (Basil/Dill/Chive)
Fresh Fruit
Strawberry Panzanella
Wedding Cake (leftover!)
Homemade Ice Cream (thank you to someone in Caleb's family!)

Although cooking in someone else's kitchen can be challenging, we really had fun making all these dishes . . . and using Becca's new Pampered Chef stuff! I wish someone would show up at my house and cook a meal like this! =)

Meg's Sweet Dreams Party

Friends, family and food . . . all three were present at the Sweet Dreams party I hosted for Megan on Friday night. But there is more to this story. Here goes: My mom has great friends, really, really great friends. Amongst this group of friends, they have a special wedding tradition. On the eve of the wedding of a daughter (of one of said friends), they hold a little gathering. Usually there is lingerie involved, and laughter. And always good food.

A tradition this good is worth repeating, so I decided to host one of these little gatherings for Megan, who is related to my husband. I thought it would be a good for her to be surrounded by her friends and family the night before her wedding, in hopes of getting her to slow down and relax. Because here's the thing - she is an amazing gal, but she's such an overachiever . . . you have to make her take a break! In the course of a week, she turned 20, had knee surgery, graduated from college (yes, that's right, at age 20), got married, and moved to Michigan, where she will begin law school in January.

Unfortunately, I was having one of those Murphy's Law-type days, where nearly everything goes wrong. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end (and everyone was full from the rehearsal dinner anyway!).

Here's what I ended up serving: toasted pecans, honey glazed almonds, maple candied walnuts, vanilla popcorn, pretzel "sparklers," sugar cookies, and brownies. And coffee and hot chocolate (Barefoot Contessa, yum!). And little bottles of vanilla vodka, Starbucks liqueur, and Kahlua, for the over-21-and-not-driving crowd.

What a great way to wish Megan "Sweet Dreams" on her last night as a single gal!

Friday Night Football

Tailgating is a big part of fall. Across the U.S., on Saturdays and Sundays you'll find parking lots full of fans eating, drinking, and cheering on their favorite college or NFL team. In Palmyra, the tailgate starts one day early - on Friday. They tailgate for high school football games (all the great food and fun, sans alcohol). When I first learned about the Palmyra tailgate tradition, I have to admit I thought it was weird. I remember asking "You watch the game from farm trucks parked along one side of the field and cook pork loin for anyone who cares to stop by?" I think the answer I got was something along the lines of "Oh yeah, you've got to come to a game, it's great."

Fast forward a couple of years . . . if there's a home football game, that is where I'll be on Friday night. Sitting in the bed of a dumptruck normally used for . . . farming . . . cheering for the Panthers. I now think the Friday night tailgating tradition is one worth hanging on to. It is a great opportunity to catch up with family, friends and neighbors, and to show pride in the school and the community. If you stand back and observe, the tailgates also demonstrate the rich agricultural heritage of the area, evident from the farm trucks and straw bales used for seating to the beef and pork cooked on the grills.

Of course, you need more than beef and pork, and I can't show up empty handed. Last night I took candy corn mix that we called "Theta mix" at Mizzou and rocky road chocolate bars. (the pictures are from home, I didn't serve them at the game this way! I'll try to add some pictures from the actual tailgate, they're on a film camera)

Rocky Road Chocolate Bars

Cookie base:
1 bag Betty Crocker double chocolate chunk cookie mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. water
1 egg

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/3 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions: 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil, then spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cookie base ingredients, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, butter, flour, vanilla, and egg on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Stir in pecans, if using.
4. Press cookie base evenly into pan, then spread cream cheese mixture over top. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over cream cheese mixture.
5. Bake 27-28 minutes, or until filling is set. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over top. Bake 3 more minutes.
6. For frosting: In a saucepan (2-quart works best), melt butter over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until well blended. Stir in pecans, if using. Immediately pour over marshmallows, spreading gently to cover. Cool bars 30 minutes.
7. Refrigerate bars at least two hours before cutting and serving. Save leftovers (if there are any!) covered in the refrigerator.

These bars got rave reviews at the tailgate. They are very sweet, so I recommend serving small pieces. Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker Fall Baking. Go Panthers!

Amanda's Baby Shower

Last Sunday, Amanda, Dawn and I hosted a baby shower for our friend Amanda H. She is due in September and doesn't know whether she's having a boy or girl. Since blue and pink were out, we decided on a green and orange theme for the shower. Some of our inspiration came from InStyle magazine. The baby shower menu consisted of:

Veggie tray with dips
Mini grilled-cheese sandwiches
Hamburger bites (meatballs with pineapple and orange bell pepper)
Melon (honeydew and cantalope) wrapped in prosciutto
Make your own ice cream sandwiches with shortbread cookies and lime and orange sherbet
Orange Dream drink (virgin for Amanda H., add orange and vanilla vodka for the rest of us!)

For the mini grilled cheese sandwiches, we used cocktail bread (found in the deli, cracker, or bread section of the store) and cut slices of Swiss, Cheddar, and Muenster cheese to fit in the mini-slices of bread. We buttered the outside slices of bread and baked them on a baking stone at 350 degrees until the bread was golden and the cheese had melted.

Amanda D. made the melon and prosciutto by simply wrapping thin slices of prosciutto around pre-cut melon.

Dawn made the burger bites; I'll try to get the recipe and post it here.

The orange dream drink is equal parts orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream, with a handfull of ice and one shot each of orange vodka and vanilla vodka. Mix in blender until all ice is crushed; serve immediately.

This was the first baby shower we have hosted, and we all agree - the orange and green theme and menu made it easy and fun!

Birthday Pie

There's nothing like apple pie to celebrate 25 years. Why apple pie? The pie is a significant representation of the past year of my life. I learned to make pie while I was home for Christmas. Before then, I thought pie crust was too hard to make. However, with a quick lesson from my dad and the help of a pastry blender, I figured out why people say "easy as pie." The apple pie pictured above is a variation of the first pie I made - which my mom said was "the best apple pie I've ever had," which is quite a compliment, considering how many awesome pies my grandma has made throughout the years. Since then, I have discovered how much I enjoy baking pies, and pastries in general.

Over Memorial Day weekend, I made shortcakes to go with the abundant fresh strawberries. I've been working on the perfection of a scone recipe (they've all turned out just fine, but I have yet to replicate the exact flavor and texture of my favorite orange cranberry scones at the Upper Crust in Columbia, Mo.).

My 25th birthday was somewhat a celebration of the cooking accomplishments throughout the past year. My mom got me "Apple Pie Perfect," a cookbook dedicated entirely to apple pies by Ken Haedrich (I also have his cookbook, "Pie" which is awesome, I'll include a recipe I made today from it). My mother-in-law got me a new pie dish. Neither one of them knew ahead of time I was making an apple pie for my birthday dinner!

Menu for a birthday dinner

Appetizers: bruschetta and Pear-Brie Turnovers
Wine: Stoneleigh 2004 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)
Salad
Asparagus
Corn-on-the-cob
Pork Loin
Apple Pie

Recipes:

Pear-Brie Turnovers (adapted from Ken Haedrich's "Pie")
1 recipe cream cheese pastry, divided and refrigerated
Filling:
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. raspberry preserves (I used seedless)
1 large pear, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Approx. 1/3 lb. Brie (I used baby Brie)
Glaze:
Milk or light cream
Granulated sugar

1. Make pastry dough; divide into 4 balls of equal size. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate (at least one hour). Lightly grease (or use silpat) one large baking sheet.
2. Mix flour and sugar together in a small bowl. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one ball of dough into an 8" circle on a sheet of wax paper or a pastry mat (I love my Pampered Chef pastry mat). Spread 1 tsp. raspberry preserves in center of dough (leave at least 1" border); lightly sprinkle with flour-sugar mixture. Arrange a single layer, overlapping, of pear slices on half of the dough, within the 1" border. Sprinkle with a little more flour-sugar mixture. Cover pear slices with slices of Brie. Moisten the edge of the pastry (with a pastry brush or fingers), then fold the empty half of the pastry over the filling. Pinch edges together, forming a rope-like edge. Place on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate while you make the remaining three turnovers, adding each to the sheet in the fridge as it is finished. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Remove sheet from refrigerator and brush each pastry with milk (or cream, or half-and-half, whatever you have on hand). Poke surface 2-3 times with fork to vent. (Optional - sprinkle with granulated sugar after brushing with milk). Place sheet on center rack in oven and bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees an bake an additional 25 minutes, or until golden brown. It may help to rotate your sheet a couple of times during baking.
4. Transfer turnovers to a wire rack to cool.

To serve as an appetizer, let cool 30 minutes and slice into strips.
To serve as a dessert, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve 15-30 minutes after removal from the oven.

Bruschetta (from my mom)
1. Toast thin slices of baguette or French bread in oven.
2. Brush with olive oil.
3. Top with Salami, provolone cheese, one slice of tomato and one sprig of lettuce.
4. Serve immediately.

Apple Pie (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)
Single pie crust (I'll post my pie crust recipe later)
5 cups thinly-sliced, peeled Granny Smith apples (2 lbs.)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
Crunch topping (to follow)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine apples, sugar, 2 tbsp. flour, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate; spoon crunch topping over top. Cover pie edges with aluminum foil; bake pie for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Bake another 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown, topping is golden, and fruit is tender. Cool on a wire rack. Serve or cover and chill within 2 hours. Serves 8.
Crunch topping:
In a medium bowl, stir together 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup flour, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly.

The topping really makes the pie - and it's much easier than doing a double crust!

I will post the pie crust, pork loin, and asparagus recipes later!

The wine is purchased from St. Petersburg Mercantile, a great shop in downtown Hannibal, Missouri. I've heard the the nice people who own St. Petersburg Mercantile found it while visiting one of their children on a study abroad program in New Zealand. It has a lot of character for a Sauvignon Blanc - everyone who tries it loves it!

Looking forward to another year of cooking adventures
I learned to make pie, biscuits, etc. during the past year, so what culinary challenges lie ahead during the next year?

Here are a few of my goals for the next year:
to perfect my orange cranberry scone recipe
to learn to make bread (challah in particular)
to make more entrees, or at least more non-pastry recipes

Maybe by the time I celebrate 26, I'll be baking more bread and making more meals (and less pies and scones!).
My mom and my mother-in-law both felt guilty because I cooked my own birthday dinner, but I thought it was fun! My parents are probably the reason I enjoy cooking so much, so it was nice to share my progress with them, even it took my birthday to get them all together to sample my recipes!