Sandy's Luncheon 12 November 2009

Thanks Sandy for all your work
in preparing the great luncheon
for us. It was so good. You worked
too hard.

Sheila thanks for taking pictures
for this blog, much appreciated.

It was a fun day for all

Our Fun Day at Sandy's

FOOD YUM

SANDY’S POLENTA CHICKEN LEAF TARTLETS

For the tartlets:

1 pound instant polenta (about 2 ½ cups)

1 cup cream

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

For the topping:

2 cups shredded store-bough roasted chicken

½ cup store bought pesto

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup dried cranberries.

For the tartlets:

Make the polenta according to package instructions. Just before the polenta is finished thickening, add the cream, salt and pepper. Pour the polenta onto a greased, rimmed baking sheet. Set aside to cool and firm up, about 30 minutes.

For the topping

In a medium bowl combine the chicken, pesto, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To assemble: Using a 2 inch diameter scalloped cookie cutter, cut the polenta into tartlet shapes, about 24, and place them on a serving platter. Top each polenta tartlet with a spoonful of chicken. Top the chicken with a few dried cranberries.

SANDY’S SPINACH –PESTO- and WALNUTS (from her orchard) LASAGNA

Ingredients

A little olive oil for the pan

2 pounds fresh spinach, washed (or 2...10 ounce packages fresh baby spinach leaves,

or 2…10 ounce packages frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted) Sandy gives a lot of

options on this recipe.

2 pounds nonfat ricotta cheese or nonfat cottage cheese

1 cup Walnut Pesto

4 large cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup minced walnuts, lightly toasted

1 24-ounce jar low-sugar tomato sauce

or 2 ¾ cups of your favorite sauce.

16 uncooked lasagna noodles-green ones.

½ pound low-fat mozzarella cheese, grated.

Instructions by Sandy:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking pan. If

Using fresh spinach, chop it fine. If using frozen, chopped spinach, and make

sure it thoroughly defrosted and squeeze out all the excess water. Place the ricotta

or cottage cheese in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, pesto, garlic, salt, pepper, half the parmesan, and the walnuts. Mix well.

Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of uncooked noodles

over the sauce. Spoon about 1/3 of the ricotta or cottage filling in dabs over the noodles

(you can spread it a little, but not too much) and sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella. repeat one more time, and then finish up with a final layer of noodles. You will have

Some parmesan left over.

If you are using fresh noodles, bake uncovered. If you are using dried noodles, cover the pan tightly with foil (if applicable) during the last 15 minutes, during which time you can sprinkle on the reserved parmesan. (In case of the uncovered pan, if the top of the lasagna becomes as brown as you like it before the full baking time is up, cover loosely with foil and continue baking, so it won’t get too dark.) Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This serves 8

Now for her great WALNUT PESTO

3 packed cups fresh basil leaves

3 large cloves garlic

1/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions from Sandy:

Place the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor or blender and mix well.

Add the walnuts and continue to blend until the nuts are finely ground.

Keep machine running as you drizzle in the olive oil. When you have a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This makes one cup.

Green Salad picked from her garden with her special dressing


More fall colors in the yard

Sandy's Fun Day

Clarisse all relaxed

Pretty Yard

I wonder what kind of plant this is?

Sheila, yes she is having fun!

Just Us

Joycie watching the girls

Judy showing Linday her plants



Linda & Pat



Alcy enjoying the time

Sandy's Luncheon

Sandy checking her tasty dish



Judy helping Sandy



Nancy and Judy checking plants


Marilyn having fun

Bread & Crackers

SANDY’S FRENCH BREAD

Shape dough into a traditional shaped loaf. .This recipe makes 1 large loaf.

9 ½ ounces (1 cup+ 3 Tbsp.) water, 90-100◦F

3 ½ cups bread flour

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

-Or-

1 ½ teaspoons bread machine…fast rise yeast

1 egg white, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon water

Poppy or sesame seeds for garnish

Bread …select setting to use: Dough

Add lukewarm water to pan.

Add bread flour, sugar and salt to pan.

Tap pan to settle dry ingredients, then level ingredients,

pushing some of the mixture into corners. Place butter

into corners of pan.

Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add yeast.

Lock pan into bread maker.

Program for dough: Program timer if being used. Start

bread maker. When done remove pan from bread maker.

Place dough onto floured surface. Let rest 15 minutes.

Roll dough into a 15x12 rectangle. Roll up tightly from

long side, seal and taper ends. Place seam side down on

greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let

rise in warm, draft-free place for 45 to 55 minutes or until nearly

double in size. With a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 ½ inch deep diagonal

cuts on top of loaf. Combine egg white with water and brush

mixture on top of loaf. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if

desired or leave plain.

Bake in preheated 375◦F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool slightly before slicing.

SANDY’S BASIL SLICE AND BAKES

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

¼ cup prepared pesto

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1 cup chopped walnuts, chopped almonds

or whole pine nuts.

Kosher salt option, it is pretty salty using this.

1. Sift together flour, peppers and salt. Stir in cheese.

2. Combine butter and cream cheese, using a mixer

Beat until well combined. Add pesto and mix well.

3. Add flour mixture, basil leaves and nuts. Mix well.

4. Divide dough in half and roll into longs 1 ½ inches in

diameter and roll each log into kosher salt. (option)

Wrap in waxed paper and chill until firm.

5. Preheat oven to 350 ◦F.

6. Slice dough ¼ inch thick. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until edges are golden. Transfer to

wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container in the

refrigerator up to a week, or freeze up to a month. Makes 6 dozen.

Sandy’s hand hint chill dough in the freezer. This takes about 30 minutes

instead of 3 hours in the fridge.

Sandy's Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT GELATO BY SANDY…WHAT NO WALNUTS?

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup sugar, plus ¼ cup

4 egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (Sandy recommends Nutella)

½ cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed, for garnish.

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and ½ cup sugar over medium heat.

Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour ½ cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacture’s instruction to freeze. To serve scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with hazelnuts.

AMARETTO COOKIES, AND SHE WOULDN'T
GIVE US HER SECRET RECIPE