Pomegranate Salad - Book Club Dinner 2010

Michelle brought this salad to the book club dinner.
Salad Dressing:
1/2 c. veg oil

4 T sugar

4 T vinegar

2 T chopped parsley (I usually use flat leaf)

1 tsp. salt

1/4. tsp pepper 

1/4 tsp hot sauce

For the salad I usually cut up a few oranges, pomegranate seeds, celery, green onions and sugared almonds. I use red leaf and romaine.

Apple Crisp Brie - Book Club Dinner 2010

Karen Peterson made this stunning and delicious appetizer for our annual Book Club dinner this year.

Makes 10 Servings

1 (8 oz) Brie cheese round
1 Granny Smith apple, washed, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 Rome apple, washed, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 (4 oz) package slivered almonds
4 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Place brie in the center of a 9 in decorative quiche, shallow casserole or pie pan.

In large mixing bowl, stir apples and dried cranberries together. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and almonds and gently stir. Drizzle melted butter over all and stir until well coated.

Pour apple mixture over and around brie. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is soft and bubbling in the center.

Serve immediately with crackers.

Honey Butta Like No Otha...

Honey Butter


Deb Richards brought this to the trunk or treat to top all that delicious cornbread. I got lots of comments on how yummy it was. 


1 c honey
1 c butter (salted)
1 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of salt
 
combine thoroughly in food processor or mixer.  Enjoy!

SPICY ENCHILADAS WITH PUMPKIN SAUCE

This dish can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead of time; refrigerate, covered, until ready to bake (add a few minutes to the cooking time).
1/2 leftover thyme-roasted chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (see notes below)
6 scallions, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
1 t. chili powder
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (6 oz)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 t. salt, and 1/4 t. pepper until smooth. Pour 1 cup of sauce in bottom of an 8 in square pan.
3. Layer tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish.
4. Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Let cool 5 min before serving.
NOTES: You can cut way back on the amount of chicken by using black beans and mushrooms as a substitution...delicious! I will also leave out the jalapeno if I do not have one and just up the garlic a little. It is also yummy to use the water you boil the chicken in to thin out your sauce. The recipe calls for a thyme roasted chicken, but I boil a few breasts in a pot with a few dashes of thyme and that works fine as well!

Caramel Apple Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. Vanilla or French Vanilla Instant pudding
1 cup water
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, and coarsely chopped
20 caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, eggs and oil in large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in apples. Pour into pan. Bake 50 min to 60 min until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 20 min and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Microwave caramels and milk on HIGH for 90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until blended. Cool 10 min, until slightly thickened. Drizzle over cake.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

From Napa Valley Grille restaurant in the Mall of America

1 lb pumpkin puree (1 sm. can + a bit more)
1/2 stalk of celery, diced
1 yellow onioin, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T allspice
1 T cinnamon
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
4 T. butter
6 c. vegetable stock (3, 14 oz cans)
salt and pepper to taste
paper thin apple slices, cut into small bits for garnish

Sweat celery, onion, carrots and ginger together until tender with a little vegetable oil. Add cinnamon and allspice and let flavors develop. Add vegetable stock and pumpkin puree. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 30 min. DO NOT BOIL! (Boiling will make your soup turn a brown rust color)Add sugar, cream and butter. Puree in a blender. Add salt and pepper to adjust flavor at the end. If your soup is too thick, add more liquid. Garnish with apple bits.

Carmel Dip

1 stick butter, melted
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. white corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
pinch of salt

In a med. saucepan, combine all ingredients. Over med. heat, bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Let cool and use as a dip for apples. Carmel will thicken as it cools.

Makes 1 quart