Orange Glazed Cornish Hens

I always have a small can of frozen orange juice concentrate in my freezer. It comes in handy to add to marinades and sauces. We are leaving for Florida this weekend and I am trying to empty as much as I can from the refrigerator and freezer. I think it added a nice mahogany sheen to the cornish hens I fixed for dinner. Never admit that you burned something. There is always a way to put a positive spin on anything that you cook. Mahogany sheen works for me. And they tasted really good.

I will return to appetizer recipes next week after we get settled. I will miss Lake Lure this winter especially because the house is now almost done, but there is much to do in Florida. Stay tuned.

ORANGE GLAZED CORNISH HENS

2 Cornish Game Hens
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 Tbls olive oil
Lemon slices
Rosemary sprigs
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and dry cornish hens. Stuff with lemon slices and rosemary sprigs and salt and pepper. Tuck wings to the back and tie legs together. Place hens in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Rub them with olive oil and pour the orange juice concentrate over them. Bake for about an hour basting occasionally.


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Easy Appetizers - Part 1

I recently hosted a meet the candidates function at my house and sent out a request for appetizer recipes on this blog. I received some really good recipes and wanted to share some of them with you. This recipe for Mushroom Croustades has now become one of my favorites. The recipe came from my friend Lyla in Michigan. I wrote about her here. What I love about the mushroom croustades is that you can do everything ahead of time and just assemble and bake at the last minute. The shells are made from bread which is cut into rounds and fitted into 2" muffin cups and baked until browned. They are then frozen until you are ready to use them. The mushroom filling can also be done ahead of time. What's not to like about that? (I think I am channeling Ina. ) And they taste great and do not fall apart when you bite into them. There is nothing worse then standing around at a cocktail party balancing a drink and trying to eat crumbly food. Food needs to be easy to handle and be eaten in one or two bites. This is a definite winner. Thank you Lyla.

MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

Croustades:
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
24 slices white bread (I used Pepperidge Farm Sandwich Bread)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the inside of 24 (2 inch) muffin cups generously with the butter. Using a 2 1/2 inch plain round cutter, cut out a circle from each bread slice. Using fingertips, press a circle of bread gently but firmly into each muffin cup so that it fits snugy. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until bread is golden brown. Remove from oven and place each bread basket on a cooling rack. When cool place in zip lock bag and freeze. Without defrosting them, fill them with the mushroom mixture and bake following the directions to follow.

Mushroom Filling:
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/3 cup finely snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablepoon butter, cut into tiny pieces (I skipped this)
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley leaves

In a large frying pan, melt the 4 tablespoons butter. Add shallots and cook three minutes stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, increase heat to moderately high and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently until some water cooks out of mushrooms and is evaporated.

Remove skillet from heat. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and stir in. Put skillet over moderate heat, gradually stir in cream and then cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and simmers for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt, cayenne, parsley, chives, and lemon juice. Allow to cool before filling croustades.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place frozen croustades on baking sheets. Fill each with a heaping tablespoon of the mushroom filling. Mound the filling slightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and dot with butter. Bake approximately 10 minutes or until heated and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with minced parsley leaves. Makes 24 Mushroom Croustades.

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A Dinner Party From the Past

The above picture appeared in our newspaper back in 1975. It is so funny to look at this again. I was so skinny and David had lots of hair! That is the kitchen in the first house that we bought. It was this sunny kitchen that sold me on the beautiful old house. Our friends Jim and Janice were the first people that we met in Greensboro. They lived next door to us in our first apartment and Janice and I took cooking classes together. They later moved away from Greensboro, raised a family and we lost touch. Recently we have reconnected and Jim and Janice just moved to Black Mountain, just over the ridge from us. We decided that it would be fun to get together and cook again. Janice and I recreated the menu from 1975. The recipes all came from our cooking instructor Irena ( Kirshman ) Chalmer's cookbooks published by Potpourri Press.

Here we all are, a little older but still having lots of fun, the girls taking their positions behind the counter and the guys pouring wine and setting the table. Since Jim was pouring in the old picture he is doing the honors again.


The first course for our dinner party is Coquilles Saint-Jacques Nantaise or Scallops with shallots, butter and breadcrumbs. I have to warn you, this is rich with lots of butter even though I cut back some, but it was delicious. Click on the name for the recipe.





The entree was Tournedos Henry IV with Artichoke Bottoms and Sauce Bearnaise. There is more butter in this, but the bearnaise sauce is worth it. It took the two of us to make the bearnaise. The filets are flattened, cooked in clarified butter and then flamed in brandy. They are topped with the artichoke bottom holding the bearnaise sauce. This dish was sublime.

We served simple roasted potatoes and asparagus with this. We roasted the halved potatoes drizzled with olive oil and rosemary skin side down for about 20 minutes. We then added the asparagus tossed in oil to the pan and continued roasting until done.

After all that decadence we decided that we wanted something light and easy for dessert. We made a Raspberry Whip. This is nothing more than whipped egg whites to which you add a little sugar, raspberry preserves and framboise or raspberry liqueur. What is so great about this dessert is that you can adapt it to many flavors; perhaps orange marmalade with Grand Marnier.

We had such a good time doing this meal. It is not often that we eat like this anymore but it was well worth it to bring back some of these classic recipes. Cooking together with friends is one of the joys of life.

Chocolate Orange Mousse

One of my favorite desserts over the years has been this chocolate orange mousse. I still have the original parfait glasses in which I served the individual servings years ago. I think the glasses look good even after a few moves and being jostled about in bubble wrap. There is a bit of Grand Marnier in the mix along with orange juice and orange rind. My husband recently celebrated a birthday and since we are celebrating all of our birthdays (mine, my husband's, and my son's) later in the month, a cake seemed excessive. He loves chocolate so this was the perfect alternative. Because the eggs used in the mousse are not cooked (like in homemade mayonaise), be sure to use fresh, organic, or cage free eggs in the preparation.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE MOUSSE

2 whole eggs
3 whole egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier
6 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate
2 ounces cold water
Zest of 1 Orange
Juice of 1 Orange
1 packet of unflavored Gelatin
1 cup whipping cream, lightly whipped

Whipped Cream for Topping

Beat together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until the mixture is very thick. Add the Grand Marnier.

Melt the chocolate with the water over very low heat. Grate the orange zest and add to the chocolate.

Squeeze the orange juice into a small saucepan and sprinkle the top with the unflavored gelatin. Heat gently on the stove until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the gelatin mixture to the eggs and sugar.

Fold the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar. Then fold the whipped cream into it until it is incorporated.

Pour into six individual pots or glasses and chill for at least 4 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and orange zest.

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Gruyere Cheese Souffle

The Barefoot Blogger recipe for this Thursday is Ina Garten's Blue Cheese Souffle. It was chosen by Summer of Sexy Apartment. You may want to visit her blog. She was just at an Ina book signing and I am happy to report that the Barefoot Contessa is aware of our little group. Yea! I made one change to the recipe. I am not a fan of blue cheese, so I just substituted an equal amount of gruyere cheese and the souffle was perfect. I served it in my favorite charlotte mold.

I remember the first time I made a souffle. My husband and I were spending the summer in Allentown, Pennsylvania because of his job. We had a second floor apartment in an old building with an antiquated kitchen. I had just taken cooking classes back home in Greensboro and was anxious to put all of my new found knowledge to the test. I cooked many things that summer in my less than stellar kitchen, but it is the souffle that stands out in my memory. I had no Kitchen Aid stand mixer to whip my egg whites and no beautiful souffle dish in which to display my triumphant billowy custard, but it was a beauty nonetheless. We sat at our 1950's era chrome table in our vinyl chairs and dined on the most elegant dish I had ever prepared. The jug wine wasn't bad either.

BLUE ( OR GRUYERE ) CHEESE SOUFFLE

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup scalded milk
Kosher sat and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch nutmeg
4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 ounces good Roquefort cheese, chopped ( Or Gruyere )
5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 40 degrees F.

Butter the insides of an 8-cup souffle dish (7 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 1/4 inches deep ) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.

Off the heat, while still hot whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Roquefort or Gruyere and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.

Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the souffle rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

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Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

It occured to me the other day that I have not included many pasta recipes on my blog. Pasta is always what I choose when I need something quickly or don't want to deal with multiple dishes. Sometimes it is as simple as spaghetti with meat sauce, but most of the time I like more complicated dishes. This Giada De Laurentiis recipe is one of my favorites. It is full of flavor from the hot sausage and sun-dried tomatoes and it uses frozen artichokes which makes it easy. It also has a generous addition of fresh basil and with the coming colder weather I am trying to use as much of it as possible before the herb garden goes into it's winter mode.

We will be returning to Florida in a few weeks. It has been a wonderful Summer on Lake Lure and we have much to do to close up the house. Next week we are hosting a Meet the Candidates get together from 5:00 to 7:00. If any of you have an interesting appetizer that you think I should include please email me at pennyklett@gmail.com. If you have posted it on your blog you can just supply me with the link. I love being a part of the blogging community.

Giada's recipe is very adaptable. You can make it with whole wheat pasta and substitute any sausage that you prefer.

PENNE WITH SAUSAGE, ARTICHOKES, AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 Tablespoons of oil, reserved
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
2 (8 ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 3/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt
12 ounces Penne
1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped frsh flat-leaf parsley
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a large, heavy frying pan over a medium-high flame. Add the sausage and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta. Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the basil, and parsley to the artickoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese alongside.



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Chocolate and Raspberry Clafoutis

The dessert that I chose for my Autumn menu is a simple French clafoutis. It includes chocolate and raspberries because I love the combination of the two flavors. Clafoutis are tradionally made with cherries in the South of France. The batter is similar to a pancake batter which is sprinkled with the fruit and then baked. This recipe was inspired by La Tartine Gourmande. Bea' s wonderful blog humbles me in so many ways. She is a French expat living in Boston with her husband and baby Lulu. She is a food writer, with features in the Boston Globe, and a food stylist. Just looking at her photographs makes me want to throw away my camera and start over with new equipment and an advanced degree in photography. She writes beautifully too. She is working on a cookbook this year and I look forward to it's publication. All of the food shots will be her own dreamy creations.

This recipe makes only enough for four individual small ( 7 oz.) custard cups. It is not overly sweet, nor is it overly filling. After a rich meal, it is the perfect foil leaving you with just a bit of decadence. One of the changes I would make the next time I make it would be to cook the custards in a water bath to ensure that the bottoms do not overcook. It is best served warm.

CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY CLAFOUTIS

1 half pint container of raspberries
2 eggs
3 Tbls. sugar
2 1/2 Tbls cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 Tbls. butter
1/2 cup whole milk
3 Tbls heavy cream

Butter for greasing four 7 oz. ramekins. 1/2 Tbls sugar mixed with 1/2 Tbls cocoa powder to sprinkle in buttered ramekins. Shake it around and dump out excess.

Beat eggs and sugar until light. Add the vanilla and cornstarch and mix until combined.

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. Let cool slightly.

Heat milk and heavy cream together in small saucepan just until warmed. Let sit for a few minutes.

Add the milk mixture to the eggs and sugar. Then add the melted chocolate. Pour mixture into prepared ramekins. Distribute most of raspberries into the clafoutis. Place ramekins in a pan with sides and add enough boiling water to come half way up the sides.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until custard is set.

Remove ramekins from pan and sprinkle each with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries. Serve warm.




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