I took this week off from work. Didn’t go anywhere, just hung around the house, puttered, tried new recipes, sat in the big soft brown chair and read. It was perfect.
I managed to rouse myself to invite some friends over for dinner. I love midweek dinner parties because it’s such a luxury to be able to leave work and go to someone’s house to find dinner all ready and waiting. All that remains is for everyone to sit down, eat, and laugh.
The weather has been nuts this past week so I had a heck of a time choosing a menu. It went from cold and foggy to searingly hot back to cold and foggy again. Tuesday was one of the hot Indian Summer days so I decided on a menu that would all be served room temperature or cold, and not too heavy.
The cornerstone of this menu was Grilled Bread with Mushrooms and Fennel. Yep, that’s where I started, that’s what I was looking forward to eating the most. I used the same sauce recipe as for the Spinach Pasta with Mushroom Fennel Sauce (blogged about in the Pasta Cooking Class) because I love mushrooms this time of year. Next I decided on a shredded Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Pomegranate Seeds and Golden Beets. The market was loaded with Romano Beans, my all time favorite green bean. Those are the kind my mother always used for her Green Beans Stewed in Tomato Sauce so I have a sentimental attachment to them, but I love them very simply boiled, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Next my menu took a turn, inspired by a recipe in the Townhall cookbook I made Chicken in Lemon Sauce with Feta and Olives. I wanted to end our menu with cookies, simple little cookies. Not like me, I typically go for something more “desserty”. But I wanted something that wouldn’t overwhelm. I had a recipe for Gluten Free Roasted Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Cookies that I wanted to try that I got out of the newly released Hungry for A Change book. And since I was using semolina flour for my pasta class I was reminded of the semolina cookies that I used to bake when Laura and I had Bombar’s. I was too lazy to try and find the original recipe so I made something up. The Roasted Pumpkin cookies were good, they were barely sweet with only 1/2 C of maple syrup in them, and I love the idea of making them with roasted squash instead of boiled squash. They tasted better the next day. I can’t give out the recipe since it isn’t mine. The Semolina cookies where exactly what I wanted, I wanted a really plain cookie with that coarse semolina texture with hints of orange. One of my guests brought some wonderful truffles and we spent the evening sipping red wine and gin and tonics and laughing. The best way to spend a Tuesday evening, and it saved us from having to watch those pesky debates.
Grilled Bread with Mushroom Fennel Sauce
Make the Mushroom Fennel Sauce recipe included in the Pasta cooking class, except make it with only 1/4 C cream. Once the sauce has cooked add 1/4 C chopped flat leaf parsley.
Slice a loaf of rustic whole grain bread into thick slices and brush with olive oil. Grill the bread on both sides on a stove top grill (or an outdoor grill). When the bread is still hot rub with a peeled garlic clove (this really gives the bread a nice garlicky flavor). Spoon the mushrooms onto a slice of grilled bread and serve.
Serves 8
Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Golden Beets and Pomegranate Seeds
12 Brussels sprouts, washed, stems cut off, and sliced thin
2 golden beets, wrapped in foil and roasted until tender, peeled and cut thin
1 head Swiss Chard, washed, stemmed, and chopped
1/4 C pomegranate seeds
1/4 C toasted walnuts, chopped
Dressing:
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 shallot, peeled
1 thin slice ginger peeled
1 t Dijon mustard
3 T blackberry (or other fruit) vinegar
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Place all the vegetables in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add enough dressing to coat the vegetables. Cover and let the salad sit in the fridge for about an hour before serving. This will help soften the Brussels sprouts. When ready to serve garnish with toasted walnuts.
Serves 8
Chicken in Lemon Sauce with Feta and Olives
4 chicken breasts, cut into three strips each for a total of 12 pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C olive oil
zest and juice of one large lemon
1 C white wine
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
red pepper flakes to taste
2 oz crumbled feta
1/3 C pitted olives
1 T fresh thyme leaves
Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper. Place a large skillet on a high heat, when hot add the olive oil and brown the chicken strips on both sides. Once browned add the lemon juice and zest, white wine, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Simmer about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Arrange the chicken and the sauce on a serving platter and garnish with the feta, olives, and thyme leaves.
Serves 6
Semolina Cookies
1 cube butter, room temperature
1/2 C sugar
1 t vanilla extract
zest and juice of one orange
1/2 t salt
1/2 C semolina flour
1 C flour
sugar to roll the cookies in
Heat the oven to 350. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice until blended and smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until the flours are combined. Scoop the dough into walnut sized rounds and roll in sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and flatten the cookies with your hand. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden around the edges. These are pretty delicate cookies, they crumble easy so don’t try and move them off the cookie sheet until they are completely cooled.
Makes about 18 cookies (depending on what size you think a walnut is!)
