Annie's Cooking Club

Makes 12 cups

30 minutes + marinating time

For the Salad:

            3 avocados, peeled and cut into thick slices

            2 T. lemon juice

            3 roma tomatoes, cut into slices

            ½ small red onion

            4 oz. of feta cheese, crumbled

            12 oz. of mixed spring greens

For the vinaigrette dressing:

            ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

            ¼ cup white wine vinegar

            salt/pepper to taste

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients, set aside

Toss avocados in lemon juice.  In a shallow baking dish, layer avocados on bottom, then tomatoes, then onions, then feta. 

Pour vinaigrette over the layers, cover and chill 2-3 hours.

Serve the marinated layers over the greens, serve immediately. 

Makes 8 Wellingtons

Saute in 1 T. olive oil; Chill:

2                    pork tenderloins, trimmed and cut into 8 medallions

salt and pepper to season

Saute in 1 T. olive oil:

1                    T. garlic, minced

½          t. red pepper flakes

6                      oz. Spinach

Prepare; Assemble with:

1                    box frozen puff pastry, thawed (17 oz.)

4                    oz. Prosciutto, thinly sliced, divided into enough portions per    Wellington

      Seared medallions

      ²/₃                  cup goat cheese, divided (about 3 oz. Per Wellington)

                 Spinach, divided into enough portions per Wellington

Brush with:

2                     eggs beaten with 2 T. water

Directions:

Slice tenderloin into 5-6 oz. Pieces, for a total of 8 medallions.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sear  medallions in 1 T. oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat on both sides, 10 minutes total.  Transfer to a plate and chill until completely cool, at least 30 minutes.

Saute garlic and pepper flakes in 1 T. oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until fragrant.  Add spinach and season with salt.  Drain spinach in a sieve, pressing until dry, then divide in to 8 equal portions. 

Thaw  puff pastry sheet according to box directions.  Roll out each sheet then cut into four 4” squares, per sheet. 

Preheat oven to 425°

Assemble Wellingtons by first laying a slice of prosciutto on each square, then topping with a pork medallion.  Top pork with goat cheese and spinach, then another slice of ham. 

Fold one corner of the pastry square up to the top of the layering.  Fold the opposite corner up to the center, use egg wash to ‘glue’ together.  Fold the two remaining sides up similar to wrapping a gift and secure with egg wash.  If tears in the pastry occur, stretch the pastry to cover the holes.  Transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet coated with a non-stick spray.  Place the folds on the bottom.  Brush entire Wellington with egg wash.

Bake until golden brown, 30 minutes.  Rest 5 minutes before serving. 

For the Sauce:

2 cups heavy cream sauce

1 roasted red bell pepper (the jarred kind is OK)

salt to taste

For the Pizza:

            Loaf of french bread cut into slices, about ¼ inch thick

            1 cup shredded white cheese (your choice)

            2 cups cooked chicken, diced

            4 jalapenos rings (canned works fine)

Preheat 550°

Reduce cream by half in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, 10 minutes.

Puree peppers in a blender until smooth.  Add cream and salt to taste.  Continue to blend until thoroughly mixed. 

On each slice of bread, spread on sauce, top with cheese, chicken, and japalenos slices.  Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. 

Makes 16

Time: 30 minutes

1 cup balsamic vinegar

4 nectarines, halved, pitted

8 slices prosciutto

16 fresh basil leafs

½ lb. Fresh mozzarella, sliced

Coat grill with nonstick spray, then preheat to high

Boil vinegar in a saucepan over high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 12 minutes.  (Be careful not to over-reduce, the syrup can scorch).

Grill nectarine halves, cut side down for 5 minutes.  Cut each in half again.

Slice prosciutto into 16 strips, each about 2” wide and 6-8” long.

To assemble, secure a basil leaf and ½ oz. mozzarella on a nectarine quarter with prosciutto as shown.  Repeat with remaining ingredients. 

Before serving, drizzle wraps with balsamic syrup. 

Makes 8 cakes

Time: 1 hour

3 cups cooked jasmine or Botonia rice, cooled to room temperature.

1 T sugar

1 T rice vinegar

1 t. cornstarch

1 t. salt

2 t. sesame seeds

2-4 T vegetable oil

Combine rice, sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, and salt.  Scoop and press rice into a ¼-cup measuring cup coated with nonstick spray.  Tap cake out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Grently press ¼ t. sesame seeds on the tops of each cake.

Heat 2 T. oil in a large skillet over medium-high.  Add rice cakes, seed side down, and sauté 5 minutes on each side, or until rice is golden.  Add additional oil is needed to prevent burning. 

Time: 30 minutes

For the Chicken

            2 boneless chicken breasts

            ground pepper

2 t. olive oil

2 oz. of mozzarella sticks (I use string cheese!)

6 slices prosciutto (3 per breast)

Sage Sauce

            ¼ cup dry white wine

            1/3 cup chicken broth

            2 T. butter

            1 t. sage, minced

Preheat oven to 400°

Season chicken with pepper, stuff chicken with cheese.* Wrap each breast in 3 overlapping slices of prosciutto. 

Saute chicken in oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook till brown on each side, only.  (6-8 minutes total). 

Move chicken to baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven, about 5 minutes. 

While chicken cooks, deglaze skillet used to sautéed the chicken with the wine.  Simmer until wine nearly evaporates.  Add broth and lemon juice; simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. 

Once reduced, turn off heat, add butter.  Once the butter melts and is fuller whisked into the sauce, take off burner and add sage. 

Preheat 400°

Remove all silver skin and excess fat off the tenderloin using a filet knife.

Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper, all sides

Heat about 3T. of vegatable oil in an over-proof skillet in medium heat

Once heat is hot, add tenderloins.  Sear loins on all sides (note: once you lay the tenderloin in the hot oil, do not move until the loin no longer sticks to the skillet, then flip).

Once all sides are seared, put in over.

Bake about 20 minutes, and test tempurature.  Remove only if inside temps have reached 170°. 

3-4 cooked Chicken breasts, cubed

1 can of cream of chicken soup

8 oz. Sour Cream. 

1 roll of Ritz crackers

½ stick of butter, melted

mix soup, sour cream and chicken.  Pour in a 13” x 9” pan.  Crumble crackers and sprinkle over chicken mixture.  Drizzle butter over crackers.  Back 350 ° till brown.

FOR THE CRUMBS—

Combine; Pulse and Saute:

4                    T. unsalted butter, softened

¼         cup prepared horseradish

4                    slices bread (a heavy bread like sourdough or French works best)

salt and pepper

2                    T. parsley

FOR THE GREEN BEANS—

Simmer in ½ cup water; Add:

1          lb. Fresh green beans, trimmed

2          T. unsalted butter

1                      T. Dijon mustard

Directions:

Combine butter and horseradish for the crumbs in a small bowl, then spread over bread slices.  Tear bread into pieces and pulse with salt and pepper to taste in a food processor until course.  Saute crumbs in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes, stirring often.  Off heat, add parsley, then spread crumbs on a baking sheet to cool; set aside.

Simmer beans in ½ cup boiling salted water in a large sauté pan, covered 5 minutes.  Remove lid and simmer until water is nearly evaporated; add butter and mustard, and toss to melt butter.  Transfer beans to a serving platter and sprinkle with crumb mixture. 

Ingredients:

1 Roasted red bell pepper (preferably dried), cut into small strips
1 cup heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
1 clove minced garlic
Prosciutto Ham
3 tbs. olive oil
Salt/Pepper to taste
Parsley

Directions:

Boil pasta, with butter, until tender
In sauce pan, add oil, peppers, garlic and ham. Sauté until ham is almost crispy. Add cream. Bring to boil, boil for one minute, reduce heat to low and let thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta, do not rinse. Pour cream sauce over pasta and add meat you chose: good with salmon or chicken. Sprinkle parsley on edges of plate and add parmesan on top right before serving.