Volume 7, Issue 152 - December 28, 2004

Hello Recipe Club,

New Year's Eve Dinner Buffet for Friends

If you hate the crowds, over priced restaurant offerings and noise, you may just want to invite some friends over and have your own party. A buffet style meal will allow you to socialize a bit more and reduce your stress level. Try to select menu offerings that will hold up for a reasonable amount of time on the table. And do not overdo it. Being "The Host with the Most" doesn't mean dirtying every dish in your house!

Buy demi-glace, stocks, aged balsamic vinegars, truffle items, olive oil, seasonings and condiments.

Salmon in Fillo

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

8 4-ounce salmon filets
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
20 sheets Athens Fillo Dough, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preparation:

Season salmon with salt, pepper, shallots, dill and parsley. Prepare medium fillo rolls according to directions for Rolls and Strudels. 

Roll each filet in fillo. Brush outside of rolls with butter and place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with fresh vegetables or salad.

Philip R's Frozen Desserts is offering for the first time 10% discount for product orders this week only. Place your order this week and take delivery from now until January 7th.  Take advantage of this one time only opportunity to serve that specialty dessert for the holidays.

Asparagus with Toasted Pine Nuts and Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds asparagus
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Place spears in a steaming rack over boiling water. Cover and steam 4 to 5 minutes or until spears are crisp-tender. Transfer to a serving platter.

Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, until browned. Set aside.

Combine olive oil and remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan, stir with a wire whisk to blend. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Pour over asparagus. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

Let stand to room temperature before serving.

Mexican Shrimp Council - Less is More, More than Ever. When you've got something this good, why cover it up? Find Out More!

Butternut Squash, Potato, and Tomato Gratin

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, (about 1 1/2 -pounds), peeled, halved, seeded and sliced crosswise 1/16 inch thick
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 medium Idaho potatoes, (about 3/4 pounds), peeled sliced 1/16 inch thick
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/8 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped chives

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Layer half of the butternut squash slices in the baking dish, overlapping them slightly, and season with salt and pepper. 

Cover with half of the potato slices, overlapping them slightly, and season with salt and pepper. Top with half of the tomato slices and season with salt and pepper. Repeat the layering process with the remaining vegetables, seasoning as you go.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, garlic, thyme and nutmeg and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Pour the cream evenly over the vegetables. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley and chives. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the gratin. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake the gratin, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from a recipe by George Mahaffey

Restaurant and chef apparel from Chef Works Inc., supplying both the single chef and the largest hotel chains. Good service and great value.

Winter Harvest Fruit Tart

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons milk, (up to 12)
cooking spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon apricot preserves, melted

Preparation:

Place butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Pour browned butter into a small bowl. Stir in oil and 1 cup flour. Cover and freeze 30 minutes or until firm. Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Break oil mixture into small pieces, and cut into flour mixture using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, over surface. Toss with a fork until moist. 

Press mixture gently into a 6-inch circle on 2 sheets of slightly overlapping plastic wrap, and cover with additional sheets of plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 13-inch circle.

Remove top sheets of plastic wrap. Fit dough, uncovered side down, into an 11-inch tart pan coated with cooking spray. Remove bottom sheets of plastic wrap. Fold edges under, and press against sides of pan. Brush bottom of dough with egg white, and sprinkle with pecans. Set aside. 

Combine raisins and next 9 ingredients (raisins through cranberries) in a large bowl. Add orange juice, and stir well. Spoon fruit mixture into prepared crust. Brush edges of crust with preserves.

Place tart pan on a large baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (do not remove tart from oven), and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool tart on a wire rack.