Because there are so many May B'days coming up we're each only taking one week instead of two weeks for reviews. So, if all of us post our menus the rest of us can fit them in as we can or choose which to make, whatever. Fun month! 
Blue Cheese Dip with Caramelized Onions
(Cuisine at home, December 2002, Issue 36, p. 25)
Caramelize in 1 T. Olive Oil:
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
Pinch of sugar and salt
Stir in:
1 T. tawny port, optional
Blend:
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 cup reduced calorie mayonnaise
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Add:
Caramelized onions
2 T. chopped fresh parsley, scallions, or chives
Salt and cayenne to taste
Caramelize onion in olive oil with sugar and salt in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching, but do not stir too often—they will brown better if left alone. After about 5 minutes of cooking, cover the pan (the lid keeps moisture inside so the onions won’t burn as readily). Cook until brown and very soft, 20–25 minutes.
Stir in the port, scraping up any brown residue left on the bottom of the pan; cool onions slightly.
Blend cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, and lemon juice in a bowl.
Add cooled onions, herbs, salt, and cayenne to taste; stir to blend. Cover and chill dip for at least 2 hours before serving.
Serve with fried pita triangles, potato chips, or raw vegetables.
Add port to caramelized onions, scraping up browned bits.
Mix in onions. Chill before serving—24 hours is best.
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Grilled Portobello Quesadilla (Cuisine, August 1998, Issue 10, p. 15)
For the Black Bean Salsa —
Bring to a Boil, Cover and Simmer:
3 1/2 cups water
1 cup dried black beans
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Toss Beans with:
3/4 cup yellow onion, diced, rinsed
3/4 cup roasted red pepper, diced
1/2 cup tomato, seeded and diced
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. fresh thyme, chopped
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. white balsamic vinegar
1 T. light olive oil
2 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. roasted habanero, minced
1/2 t. salt
For the Gilled Portobello Quesadilla —
Puree:
2 large red peppers, grilled, peeled, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Add:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
For Garlic Oil, Combine:
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
Assemble with:
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 1/3 cups grated smoked Gouda
1 1/3 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
4 large portobello mushroom caps, brushed with garlic oil, grilled and sliced
4 10-inch vegetable tortilla wraps
8 cups mixed baby greens
1/3 cup salad vinaigrette
Related Recipes: Black Bean Salsa
Bring to a boil: water, beans, garlic, and thyme for the Black Bean Salsa. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 40–45 mins. until soft but not mushy. Drain immediately. Remove garlic and thyme. Rinse; set aside to cool. Roast red peppers for the aioli. Cool, peel, and dice. Roast and mince habanero.
Toss beans gently with other salsa ingredients. Preheat grill for Grilled Portabella Quesadilla. When hot, grill peppers until charred, about 10 minutes. Steam in plastic bag until cool. Peel, seed and roughly dice.
Puree peppers and garlic in blender.
Add mayonnaise and seasonings and blend until very smooth. Transfer aioli to a squeeze bottle.
For garlic oil, combine oil and garlic and set aside. Prepare the spinach, cheese, and tomatoes and set aside. Brush portobellos with garlic oil. Grill mushrooms on both sides until cooked through (about 4 minutes each side). Thinly slice. Brush one side of tortillas with garlic oil.
Assemble quesadillas, see below.
Assemble quesadillas: Place tortilla on grill, oiled side down. Sprinkle with cheese. Add spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Start with the spinach so it wilts. Grill until browned. Toss greens with your favorite vinaigrette and serve quesadilla with Red Pepper Aioli and Black Bean Salsa.
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Peanut Bars (Cuisine at home, December 2002, Issue 36, p. 31) Makes: 24 Bars
Sift; Set Aside:
3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
Melt:
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup (6 oz.) butterscotch morsels
Whisk in:
1 1/2 t. instant coffee
Stir in:
1/4 cup sugar
Sifted dry ingredients
Add:
1 egg, whisked
Sprinkle with:
3/4 cup (3 oz.) salted peanuts (preferably the dry-roasted type), coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 325° with rack in the center of the oven. Turn a 10 x 15" jelly roll pan upside down (see note, below). Cover pan with a piece of foil large enough to fold down on all four sides. Fold the edges just to shape them, remove foil, and invert the pan. Sprinkle drops of water in the pan (to stabilize the foil), then position foil in pan. Use a folded towel to press the foil firmly against the pan. Brush with soft or melted butter, then place pan in freezer. Chilling makes it easier to spread a thin layer of batter.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and ginger; set aside. Melt the butter and butterscotch morsels in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Stir occasionally until smooth.
Whisk in the instant coffee. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Stir in the sugar and sifted dry ingredients. Batter will be grainy.
Add the egg and stir quickly so the egg incorporates, but doesn't cook. Quickly pour the batter into the chilled pan and evenly spread with the back of a spoon, in a very thin layer.
Sprinkle batter with chopped peanuts. Bake for 25 minutes until top is golden and springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool 3 minutes. Cover cake with a large baking sheet. Invert the cake, then remove pan and scroll back foil. Cover with another baking sheet and invert again so it’s right side up. Carefully slide cake onto cutting board, cut into bars. For credit card sized bars, cut warm cake first in half, then cut each half into four narrow strips. Finally, cut lengthwise in thirds. Then transfer them to a rack to cool.
Note: Do not substitute a different size pan or the outcome will be affected. Doughmakers makes a 10 x 15" aluminum jelly roll pan.
After baking, loosen the foil at the edges. Remove by carefully “scrolling” it back lengthwise
Blue Cheese Dip with Caramelized Onions
(Cuisine at home, December 2002, Issue 36, p. 25)
Caramelize in 1 T. Olive Oil:
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
Pinch of sugar and salt
Stir in:
1 T. tawny port, optional
Blend:
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 cup reduced calorie mayonnaise
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Add:
Caramelized onions
2 T. chopped fresh parsley, scallions, or chives
Salt and cayenne to taste
Caramelize onion in olive oil with sugar and salt in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching, but do not stir too often—they will brown better if left alone. After about 5 minutes of cooking, cover the pan (the lid keeps moisture inside so the onions won’t burn as readily). Cook until brown and very soft, 20–25 minutes.
Stir in the port, scraping up any brown residue left on the bottom of the pan; cool onions slightly.
Blend cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, and lemon juice in a bowl.
Add cooled onions, herbs, salt, and cayenne to taste; stir to blend. Cover and chill dip for at least 2 hours before serving.
Serve with fried pita triangles, potato chips, or raw vegetables.
Add port to caramelized onions, scraping up browned bits.
Mix in onions. Chill before serving—24 hours is best.
----------
Grilled Portobello Quesadilla (Cuisine, August 1998, Issue 10, p. 15)
For the Black Bean Salsa —
Bring to a Boil, Cover and Simmer:
3 1/2 cups water
1 cup dried black beans
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Toss Beans with:
3/4 cup yellow onion, diced, rinsed
3/4 cup roasted red pepper, diced
1/2 cup tomato, seeded and diced
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. fresh thyme, chopped
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. white balsamic vinegar
1 T. light olive oil
2 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. roasted habanero, minced
1/2 t. salt
For the Gilled Portobello Quesadilla —
Puree:
2 large red peppers, grilled, peeled, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Add:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
For Garlic Oil, Combine:
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
Assemble with:
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 1/3 cups grated smoked Gouda
1 1/3 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
4 large portobello mushroom caps, brushed with garlic oil, grilled and sliced
4 10-inch vegetable tortilla wraps
8 cups mixed baby greens
1/3 cup salad vinaigrette
Related Recipes: Black Bean Salsa
Bring to a boil: water, beans, garlic, and thyme for the Black Bean Salsa. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 40–45 mins. until soft but not mushy. Drain immediately. Remove garlic and thyme. Rinse; set aside to cool. Roast red peppers for the aioli. Cool, peel, and dice. Roast and mince habanero.
Toss beans gently with other salsa ingredients. Preheat grill for Grilled Portabella Quesadilla. When hot, grill peppers until charred, about 10 minutes. Steam in plastic bag until cool. Peel, seed and roughly dice.
Puree peppers and garlic in blender.
Add mayonnaise and seasonings and blend until very smooth. Transfer aioli to a squeeze bottle.
For garlic oil, combine oil and garlic and set aside. Prepare the spinach, cheese, and tomatoes and set aside. Brush portobellos with garlic oil. Grill mushrooms on both sides until cooked through (about 4 minutes each side). Thinly slice. Brush one side of tortillas with garlic oil.
Assemble quesadillas, see below.
Assemble quesadillas: Place tortilla on grill, oiled side down. Sprinkle with cheese. Add spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Start with the spinach so it wilts. Grill until browned. Toss greens with your favorite vinaigrette and serve quesadilla with Red Pepper Aioli and Black Bean Salsa.
----------
Peanut Bars (Cuisine at home, December 2002, Issue 36, p. 31) Makes: 24 Bars
Sift; Set Aside:
3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
Melt:
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup (6 oz.) butterscotch morsels
Whisk in:
1 1/2 t. instant coffee
Stir in:
1/4 cup sugar
Sifted dry ingredients
Add:
1 egg, whisked
Sprinkle with:
3/4 cup (3 oz.) salted peanuts (preferably the dry-roasted type), coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 325° with rack in the center of the oven. Turn a 10 x 15" jelly roll pan upside down (see note, below). Cover pan with a piece of foil large enough to fold down on all four sides. Fold the edges just to shape them, remove foil, and invert the pan. Sprinkle drops of water in the pan (to stabilize the foil), then position foil in pan. Use a folded towel to press the foil firmly against the pan. Brush with soft or melted butter, then place pan in freezer. Chilling makes it easier to spread a thin layer of batter.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and ginger; set aside. Melt the butter and butterscotch morsels in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Stir occasionally until smooth.
Whisk in the instant coffee. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Stir in the sugar and sifted dry ingredients. Batter will be grainy.
Add the egg and stir quickly so the egg incorporates, but doesn't cook. Quickly pour the batter into the chilled pan and evenly spread with the back of a spoon, in a very thin layer.
Sprinkle batter with chopped peanuts. Bake for 25 minutes until top is golden and springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool 3 minutes. Cover cake with a large baking sheet. Invert the cake, then remove pan and scroll back foil. Cover with another baking sheet and invert again so it’s right side up. Carefully slide cake onto cutting board, cut into bars. For credit card sized bars, cut warm cake first in half, then cut each half into four narrow strips. Finally, cut lengthwise in thirds. Then transfer them to a rack to cool.
Note: Do not substitute a different size pan or the outcome will be affected. Doughmakers makes a 10 x 15" aluminum jelly roll pan.
After baking, loosen the foil at the edges. Remove by carefully “scrolling” it back lengthwise
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com
The ingredients are some of our favorites and I will definitely make!!