Sheila's Gourmet Luncheon December 2007

The roast and stuffing just finished cooking in the oven

It was so good and turned out beautifully

Thanks Sheila

YUM

Sheila’s Crown roast of Pork with Fennel-Apple Stuffing & Cider-Bourbon Sauce

Serves ten to fourteen

Read entire recipe’s before starting….handy hint from Sheila

Follow steps 1 though 5

FOR THE SAUCE

1 quart apple cider

2 cups bourbon

2 cups low-salt chicken broth

½ cup sour cream

1 Tbs. cider vinegar; more to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE STUFFING

1 lb Tuscan bread (or similar crusty artisan-style bread), cut into ½ inch cubes (8 to 9 cups)

8 oz bacon (8 to 10 slices) cut crosswise into ½ inch wide strips

2 ½ oz (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter

2 medium-small yellow onions cut into small dice (about 2 cups)

1 medium fennel bulb, cut into medium dice (about 3 cups)

1 tsp kosher salt: more to taste

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper: more to taste

4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch pieces

(About 4 cups)

2 Tbs. bourbon

2 Tbs. apple cider

2 Tbs. chopped fresh marjoram

2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

2 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly chopped or pulsed in a spice grinder

½ tsp. ground allspice

2 to 2 ½ cups low –salt chicken broth

FOR THE ROAST

16-rib crown roast of pork (81/2 to 9 ½ lb.), chine bone removed and bones

frenched; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

HOW TO BUY A CROWN ROAST OF PORK

Butchers can cut a crown roast of pork in more than one way so

DO: Ask the butcher to remove the chine bone

(part of the back bone) in order to bend the roast into the crown.

But do not cut into the meat of the roast. A roast trimmed like this will stay juicy and look pretty, which is important.

Also just ask the butcher to bone the chine bone out and bend the roast and tie for you.

DON’T: Buy a roast with the chine bone still attached. The chine which runs perpendicular to the ribs makes

carving the roast difficult.

1. MAKE THE SAUCE REDUCTION

Put the cider, bourbon and the chicken broth in a 3 to 4 quart saucepan (preferably 8-inches-wide) and bring

to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a very brisk simmer and cook until the

sauce has reduced to 1 ¼ cups, about 1 hour. Set aside until the roast is cooked.

(Remember this step can be made to the point and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead.)

2. MAKE THE STUFFING BASE

Start two days ahead dry out bread over night

Then make stuffing and refrigerate up to 12 hours

Put the bread on a rimmed baking sheet and let it sit out to dry overnight.

Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and until just crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a large mixing bowl. Pour off and discard all but about 1 Tbs. of the bacon fat. Add 3 Tbs. of the butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the onions, fennel, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until just softened and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon.

Melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until nicely browned on a few sides but still firm, 4 to 6 minutes. Mix the bourbon with the apple cider and 3 Tbs. water; carefully add it to the pan, scraping with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits stuck to the pan. Cook until the deglazing liquid has reduced and coats the apples, about 1 minute. Add the apples to the bowl. Add the marjoram, sage, fennel seeds, and allspice and stir to combine. The stuffing base can be prepared to this point and refrigerated up to 12 hours)

3. STUFF AND COOK THE ROAST

Let the roast sit out at room temperature for 1 hour. If the stuffing base was refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature also.

Position a rack in the bottom third of the over and heat the oven to 500 ◦F. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Put the roast on an oiled flat rack set in a roasting pan or heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet. Cover the bones tightly with aluminum foil. Roast the port for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the dried bread into the stuffing base, pour 2 cups of the chicken broth over the mixture and stir to combine. If the bread immediately sucks up the liquid, add the remaining ½ cup broth. The bread should be moist but not soggy season to taste with salt and pepper.

Take the roast out of the oven and reduce the over temperature to 325◦ Remove the foil from the bones and loosely fill the center of the roast with stuffing. Mounding it half way up to the top of the bones (don’t worry if the roast doesn’t hold very much stuffing: just put in as much as you can). Cover the bones and stuffing tightly with aluminum foil. Set a timer for 1 hour and return the roast to the over. Wrap the remaining stuffing in a double layer of aluminum foil and se aside.

When the timer goes off, put the wrapped stuffing seam side up in the over next to the roast. Set the timer for 30 minutes.

When the timer goes off, remove the foil from the roast and open the package of stuffing so the top can crisp up. Set the timer for 15 minutes. When it goes off, start checking for doneness: Insert an instant-read thermometer into the meat between two bones without hitting the bones. The roast is done when the thermometer reads 155F. Check the temperature in two or there places. The total roasting time will be 2 1/ to 3 hours.

Slide a wide spatula under the roast to keep the stuffing in a transfer to a carving board or serving platter. Tent the roast loosely with foil and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, continue to bake the package of stuffing until the top is crisp and then turn off the oven. Leave the stuffing in the oven until ready to serve.

4 FINISH THE SAUCE

Shortly before serving, reheat the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the sour cream and vinegar. Season the sauce to taste with salt pepper, and additional vinegar. Transfer the sauce and additional stuffing to serving bowls.

5 PLATE AND SERVE

Remove the strings from the roast. At the table, carve the roast into chops by cutting between the ribs into the stuffing. Serve the sauce and additional stuffing on the side.

Yes indeed I am one happy foodie, it was so good!

Someone and I won't mention who... forgot to take a picture of the wonderful soup.

I think she was too busy eating it. And this person does not like onions but this soup is wonderful!

THREE-ONION SOUP

Serves 6

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large yellow onions, diced

4 leeks, including 1 inch of the tender greens, carefully rinsed and diced

3 oz pancetta, finely diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups (48 fl oz) chicken stock

1 ¼ cups (10 fl oz) fruity red wine such as Chianti or Zinfandel

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

¾ cup (3 oz) freshly granted Parmesan cheese.

In a soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onions, leeks and pancetta and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions and leeks are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, until the vegetable are very soft, about 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the red wine, balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Place over low heat and reheat to serving temperature. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese equally over each serving and serve immediately.

SHIELA’S SPECIAL SALAD

Green and red butter lettuces with sliced pears, and pomegranate seeds.

I used for the dressing which can be found in the refrigerated section

T. Marzetti Honey Dijon in a jar.

This is the COOK

SHEILA’S SAUTEED SHREDDED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH FRESH HERBS AND CRISP SHALLOTS

Serves 6

You can fry the shallots several hours ahead, but don’t top the sprouts with them until moments before serving, so the shallots stay crunchy.

FOR THE SHALLOTS:

3 to 4 cups vegetable oil for frying, I used olive oil.

5 to 6 oz shallots (5 to 6 medium), Peeled and cut into 1/16- inch- thick rounds

Separated into rings

Kosher salt

FOR THE SPROUTS:

1 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts

2 Tbs. vegetable oil or olive oil

Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small clove garlic, minced

¼ lb. pancetta, cut into ¼ inch dice (about ½ cup)

2/3 cup low-salt chicken broth or water

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 Tbs. chopped mixed fresh herbs (I like tarragon, parsley, and chives)

Fry the shallots:

Arrange a double layer of paper towels on two plates for draining the shallots. Pour about ¾ inch of oil into a 3-quart saucepan and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until the thermometer reads 350◦F. (It’s important to use a deep pan and fairly shallow oil so three’s no danger of the oil boiling over as you fry.) Add about a quarter of the shallots and fry, stirring almost constantly with a slotted metal spoon or a skimmer, until pale brown (the color of a brown grocery bag-any darker and the shallots will be bitter), about 60 seconds. With the slotted spoon, quickly scoop out the shallots and drain on the first plate of paper towels. They’ll crisp up as they cool. Repeat with the remaining shallots in three more batches, transferring each batch to the first plate when done. Allow the oil to return to 350◦F before each batch. If burned bits accumulate in the oil, scoop them out before adding a new batch. Transfer all the friend shallots to the second plate so they can drain on fresh paper. Season generously with salt and set aside. (The fried shallots may be prepared several hours ahead. When they cool, transfer shallots to an airtight container.)

Sheila’s secret way to shred and cook the sprouts:

Trim each sprout and cut in half through the core. Set a half (cut side down) securely on the cutting board and with a sharp knife, cut it into crosswise slices. Start at the core end and slice finely (1/16 to 1/8 inch), because the core is very dense. As you move toward the top of the sprout, make your slices wider (1/4 inch). Transfer the cut sprouts to a bowl, tossing them a few times to encourage the leaf sections to separate.

In a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta in the olive oil, stirring frequently until the pancetta has rendered much of its fat and is nicely browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the pancetta to a plate to use later.

In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the oil over high heat until very hot. Add the sprouts and toss with tongs to coat with oil (don’t worry if the skillet seems full; the sprouts will wilt). Season the sprouts generously with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium high and cook the sprouts tossing frequently, until they wilt and brown slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and toss to distribute. Pour in the broth and continue to cook until the sprouts are just tender and the liquid has evaporated another 3 to 5 minutes. Add the pancetta at this point and then remove from the heat, toss with the butter and half of the herbs. Season the sprouts to taste with salt and pepper. Pile the sprouts into a bowl, sprinkle with the remaining herbs and top with all of the fried shallots: serve immediately.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE LOAF

Bake 65 min. Oven: 350◦F.

2 cups all –purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

2 eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup butter, melted

¾ cup coarsely chopped cranberries

¾ cup chopped pistachios or walnuts, toasted

½ cup chopped dried figs and or dried apricots

1. Preheat oven to 350◦F Grease the bottom and ½ inch up the sided of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in orange peel. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2 In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a fork; stir in milk and melted butter, Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in cranberries, nuts and figs and or apricots.

3 Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.

4 Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. If desired, serve with Orange Butter, Honey butter or butter. Makes 1 loaf (14 servings).

SHEILA’S CRANBERRY UPSIDE- DOWN CAKE

Makes one 9-inch cake and serves 8-10

For the Topping:

¼ cup unsalted butter

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¾ lb cranberries

For the Cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup milk

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

To make the topping, butter a 9-inch cake pan. Put the butter and brown sugar in the prepared pan and place the pan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Scatter the cranberries over the butter-sugar mixture. Set aside.

Preheat over to 350◦F

To make the cake, in a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture in 3 batches, adding it alternately with the milk.

In a bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Using the spatula, fold the whites into the batter.

Spoon the batter over the cranberries in the cake pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert onto a serving plate, let stand for 5 minutes, and then lift off the pan.

To make the whipped cream, in a bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Stir in the vanilla and the confectioner’s sugar. To serve, cut the cake into wedges and serve with the whipped cream.

Carol another young high school friend of mine and has great recipes to share

Carol’s Famous Avocado Recipe

2 avocados chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

Cilantro chopped about ¼ cup

Lemon juice about ¼ of a small lemon

Red pepper flakes

Garlic salt or crushed garlic

Salt and pepper

Carol’s Famous Meatball Recipe

3 LBS HAMBURGER 1 LG ONION CHOPPED

1 LG CAN PET MILK ½ TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER

2 CUPS ROLLED OATS ½ TEASPOON PEPPER

2 EGGS 2 TABLESPOONS CHILI POWDER

2 TEASPOONS SALT

MIX ALL TOGETHER AND FORM BALLS. PUT IN LARGE

ROASTING PAN

SAUCE

3 CUPS CATSUP 3 CUPS BROWN SUGAR

3 TBLE SPOON LIQUID SMOKE ¾ TEASPOON GARLIC SALT

¾ CUP CHOPPED ONION

BRING TO BOIL. POUR OVER MEATBALLS AND BAKE AT 350%

FOR 1 HOUR

After I cook this I put it in a crock pot to keep warm when I am ready to serve it

No they are not spicy and it makes quite a bit for a large crowd leftovers keep great in the refrigerator. I've made them quit a bit for the business office pot lucks. Everyone asks for the recipe they are very good. I make the meatballs about a big as a ice cream scoop. You can use any kind of meat you choose

Enjoy….Carol

Naomi is my young high school friend and she would like to share two of her favorite recipes

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (15 ounce) can pureed pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

For Crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a

9 inch pan. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices.

Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Another favorite of mine is:

Tangy Pepper-Pecan Brie

1/2 cup pecan halves
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 4-inch round (8 ounces) Brie cheese with rind, room temperature
1 loaf (16 ounces) French baguette
Vegetable oil or Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely chop pecans and finely chop jalapeño. Combine jalapeño and preserves; mix well.

Cut Brie in half horizontally using a sharp knife. Place one half of Brie, cut side up, onto center of the Large Round Stone (from Pampered Chef, or you can use a cookie sheet). Spread half of the apricot mixture evenly over bottom half of Brie. Top with half of the pecans and remaining half of Brie, cut side up. Spread remaining apricot mixture over Brie; sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Use a bread knife, cut baguette on a bias into twenty-four 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange baguette slices around Brie; spray with oil using the Pampered Chef Kitchen Spritzer (or use olive oil or butter-flavor cooking spray). Bake 8-10 minutes or until baguette slices are golden brown and Brie begins to soften. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 12 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 230, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 400 mg, Fiber 2 g

Remember to always wear plastic gloves when working with jalapeño peppers. The juice from the peppers can create a burning sensation on the skin. Also, you can increase or decrease the "heat" of this recipe by leaving the seeds in the jalapeño or scraping them out before chopping.

For a simple garnish, slice a jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise. Brush cut surface with apricot jam. Place next to Brie before baking.

Enjoy Naomi

Judy's Gourmet Luncheon Nov 6th 2007

Judy

Thanks Judy for the great luncheon!!!!

Judy loves this one

Marilyn, Alcy, & Clarisse

Time to eat!!!!!

Judy and Sandy

.....Judy's luncheon and her helper Sandy....

Apple Stuffed Chicken Breasts INGREDIENTS Prep time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 45 to 50 minutes 2 cups Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock 4 tbsp. butter, divided 1 large green apple, peeled, cored and chopped 3/4 cup chopped celery 3/4 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup fresh apple cider 6 cups cubed European Style Rustic French or Potato Rosemary Bread, lightly toasted (from our Bakery) 3 tbsp. pure maple syrup, divided 1 tbsp. each: chopped fresh sage, thyme and rosemary, divided 4 R Everyday boneless, skinless chicken breasts Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste DIRECTIONS Boil stock in a medium saucepan until reduced to 1 cup; set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 13-by-9-inch shallow casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Melt 3 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet. Add apple, celery and onion; sauté for 10 minutes to soften. Stir together reduced stock and cider; drizzle over bread cubes. Add cooked produce, 1 tbsp. syrup and 1 tbsp. herbs; toss lightly to mix. Meanwhile, cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until 1/4-inch thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread about 1/2 cup stuffing mixture onto each chicken breast and roll up tightly; secure with kitchen string. Brown chicken on both sides in remaining 1 tbsp. butter; place in prepared dish and surround with stuffing. Top with remaining 1 tbsp. syrup and 1 tbsp. herbs. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer. Makes 4 servings.

Alcy & Sheila