Weekend in Des Moines

We spent a relaxing weekend in DesMoines with good friends Matt and Lori just to catch up and make future plans. They are great travel buddies and we are talking about doing another domestic adventure next year late spring, early summer.

Of course, I couldn't show up empty handed so I made a couple of batons to take with us. Light and airy, I think I am getting the hang of this crusty French loafery(?)

I also made some Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls late Friday and froze them to take with us for Sunday morning.  Here is the problem with taking fresh french loaves on a road trip early Saturday morning....I got up several times in the wee small hours to manage the dough and I was really beat the next day, all day. It is well worth losing a bit of shut eye but....


Lori made some quick meals that were really tasty but this dressing on the romaine really caught my attention. She used Demaris Phillips recipe from the show Southern at Heart. I liked the spicy end notes and the unusual combination of capers in the mix.

 Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 1 ounce drained capers (about 1 tablespoon)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you like it
• Small pinch ground cloves
• 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
• Freshly ground black pepper
  For the dressing: Mince the capers and the garlic; add the salt and use the back of your knife to grind into a paste. Add the paste to a medium mixing bowl along with the mustard, mayonnaise, sesame oil, cayenne and cloves. Whisk to combine. Stir in lemon juice, and add pepper to taste.

The Perfect Summer Salad

That my friend is a bold statement but I stand by this delicious mix of flavors and it surprises me every time we have this salad how really good it is.

The basics

The secret here is the dressing that I have made for years from my old Joslyn/ Blackstone cookbook.

Crab Louis Dressing

(loosely adapted from Bernard Schimmel's original)

1 c Mayo (we use light)
1/4 c chili sauce
1/4 c ketchup
2 t Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 c sour cream
juice and zest 1/2 lemon
a few dashes of hot sauce (I used 1 tbls)
salt and pepper

Mix all and set aside to prep the salad.

I had boiled eggs and shrimps (21-32 per pound) and iced them down. Perfectly ripe avocados (I am not sure how my lovely bride manages to have a perfect avocado in the fridge, it seems, at all times) and your favorite croutons with fresh Romaine and Iceberg mix. I think the greens really need to be really crisp and fresh.

The assembly:

On the bed of fresh greens, distribute the shrimps, sliced eggs then sliced avocado fanned out.
I add the dressing and top with croutons and whatever you like then that final sprinkle of salt and cracked pepper.

Brenda likes tomatoes and extra stuff on her salads. I am a purist and like only the basics. Hers looks better though....

 So yummy and fresh but the deal is between the dressing, eggs and shrimp its like they were made to be together. Creamy avocado and that final sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper. We never seem to tire of this salad.

Girls Night Out

My wife's crew meets quarterly after hours to discuss issues and solve current problems. Usually this happens at a local eatery but financial times being what they are, my wife volunteered my services to cook a meal and entertain the group at our home.

Not too long ago, I caught an episode of Ina Garten making a Warm Mushroom Salad with arugula, mushrooms and prosciutto. I have a glut of prosciutto in the freezer and this would be great time to use it up. along side the salad I had to have a few obligatory snacks as well so I went to my Pintrest food board. I am a pretty discriminating pinner so I had a few really good looking recipes to choose from. I used the White Cheese Pizza dip and Chicken Roulades to round out the meal along side our famous crostini ala Giada.

So now the menu was beginning to materialize into something we could be proud to serve, all I needed was dessert. A while back, Mackenzie bought some Balsamic Glaze at Trader Joe's and the last time I was there I picked up a bottle too. Hmmm fresh peach season, a sweet yet savory glaze and a bit of vanilla ice cream sounded about right. Menu...done.

Execution:

I roasted a bunch of grape tomatoes after halving them and about 5 Plum tomatoes that I julienned after roasting. I also popped 8 slices of the Prosciutto in the oven to crisp it up. (This was not a part of Ina's recipe but the flavor is amazing and the texture is great.)

White Pizza Dip

1 1/2 pkg soft cream cheese
8 oz Provalone chopped (reserve 1/4 c)
8 oz Mozzarella freshly shredded (reserve 1/4 c)
1 cup Parmesean
5 garlic cloves chopped fine
1 t fresh thyme, chopped
1 t fresh basil, chopped
1 t fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 t salt
1 t pepper
Roasted grape tomatoes
 


Combine the cheeses, add the herbs and tomatoes, mix well  and place in a well greased 1 quart casserole. (I used a gratin pan) Smooth out and cover with reserved cheese. Bake at 350 till browned and bubbly. Serve with chips of crackers.

The Crositini is on the blog. The usual Prosciutto and sage combo.

The roulades were easy. Pound out Chicken Breast, line with Basil, roasted red pepper and Prosciutto then roll up. I placed them in the freezer for 20 minutes to make them easier to slice. Slice them in 1 inch rounds and skewer them. Place on a very hot griddle/ grill pan for about 5 minutes per side till cooked through.
 

I sauteed the 2 pounds of Cemini mushrooms in 2T butter till just tender. I poured in about 1/3 c Red Wine Vinegar and took the pan off the heat. I added this mix to a prepared platter of mixed green heavy on the Arugula and topped with the crisped Prosciutto and julienned roasted Plum Tomatoes. I sprinkled a good quality Olive Oil over all the greens and tossed with a bit of salt and pepper. I added the shaved Parmesan to top it all off.

The peaches were easy. I halved and pitted them and rubbed the cut side with honey. I placed them on the hot grill pan for about 5 minutes. I placed 2 halves on each plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzled with Balsamic glaze and topped with roasted almonds.  Made a nice presentation but the peaches could have been better.

I wish I had pictures but I was so busy getting the food ready and prepared I just didn't get a shot in. The photos are from the various websites that featured the dish.