Sandy's Luncheon December 5th 2013

Hi everyone, this is Sandy our cook for December
and it was really good.  I forgot to get a picture of
the rolls she made, I think they were put on the table
last.  The recipe will follow.  The food was really
good and we all had a great time.

SANDY’S DINNER ROLLS

2 packages active dry yeast (41/2 tsp.)

Pinch of sugar

2 cups warm water (110-115˚)

2 eggs beaten

½ sugar

½ cup canola or corn oil

2 tsp. table salt

6-7 cups all-purpose flour

Proof the yeast with sugar in water for 5-10 minutes, or until it “blooms” or swells.

Whisk eggs, ½ cup sugar, oil, and salt together in a large bowl.  Add yeast mixture, and whisk to combine.  Stir 3 cups of flour into the egg mixture using a wooden spoon.  Add more flour, ½ cup at a time; you may not need it all.  When dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand.  Knead until dough is smooth but still soft, adding flour a little at a time if dough is too sticky.  Place dough in a bowl coated with non-stick spray.  Cover dough with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until it’s doubled in size, 1-1 ½ hours.

Punch down dough and gather into a ball.  With floured hands, shape pieces of dough into balls.  (A dinner roll should be a bit larger than a golf ball, a cocktail bun about the size of a Ping-Pong ball, and a hamburger bun slightly smaller than a baseball.) 

Arrange rolls about ½ inch apart on greased baking sheets.  Cover rolls with a towel and let rise again until they’re doubled, about 45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350˚.  Bake rolls 25-30 minutes, or until golden, then top as desired.  Cool rolls slightly before serving.

Sandy's December Luncheon 12/05/2013

GERMAN PORK CUTLETS

Slice 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed about 2 pounds.

Salt and black pepper

Sauté 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

Add 1 cup diced yellow onion

8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

Deglaze:

½ cup dry sherry

½ cup low-sodium beef broth

½ cup diced Black Forest ham (2oz.)

½ cup heavy cream

Preheat over to 250 ˚

Slice tenderloin into 12 pieces.

Pound pieces between sheets of plastic wrap into ¼ inch-thick

cutlets, using the flat side of a meat mallet; season with salt and pepper.  Sauté cutlets in three batches, In a sauté pan over medium high heat, using 1- Tbsp. oil per batch, until brown, 2 minutes per side.  Transfer cutlets to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.  Add onion and mushrooms to the same pan, then sauté until onion softens and moisture evaporates from mushrooms, about 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with sherry and reduce until nearly evaporated.  Stir in broth, ham, and cream; simmer until reduced by half, and bout 5 minutes.  Season the sauce with pepper.  Serve sauce over cutlets.  Makes 4 servings.

SANDY’S DILLED KLUSKI NOODLES

Cook 8 oz. dry kluski noodles

Stir in:

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

1 tsp. paprika

Salt to taste

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling with salted water according to package directions; drain and return to the pot.  Stir in butter, dill, and paprika season with salt.

Having fun at our Christmas Luncheon

Sandy's Luncheon 12/05/2013

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CARROT CAKE

This cake is Sandy’s grandmother’s recipe and she

used her grandmother’s cast iron skillet to bake this.

Melt:

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

¾ cup packed brown sugar

7 rings fresh pineapple, ½ inch thick

(I used canned pineapple) and drained well and then used paper towels

to remove the excess liquid.

7 maraschino cherries

Whisk:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. table salt

Beat:

1 12/ cups granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1-cup canola oil

3 cups shredded carrots

1 cup toasted and minced walnuts

Preheat oven to 350˚

Melt butter in a 10 and 1/4 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Stir in ¾ cup brown sugar; simmer 2 minutes.  Place one pineapple ring in the center of the skillet and remaining rings around edges.  Place a cherry in the hole of each ring.  Whisk together flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Beat granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and eggs with a mixer until thick and creamy.  With the mixer running slowly drizzle in oil, beating until combined.  Stir in carrots and walnuts, and then stir in flour mixture until thoroughly combined.  Pour batter into skillet.  Bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.  Let cake cool in the skillet 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a serving platter.

A note from Sandy

So the caramel isn’t overcooked, turn off the stove heat when adding the pineapple rings to the top.  Great hint Sandy, thanks!

CREAM CHEESE WHIPPED CREAM

Beat 4 oz. softened cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy.  With mixer running, slowly beat in 1 ½ cups heavy cream to desired consistency.  Stir in ¼ cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

The cake and the whipped cream mixture serve 16

So glad that Sandy’s grandmother handed down this recipe for the cake and whipped cream, it was so good. 

Salad

Sandy said to just wing in on the salad, but she did use the last of Judy’s homegrown tomatoes for the salad and the dressing she said was a secret.