Fruit

Fruit Salad

1. Measure total fruit at approximately 1 light cup per serving.
2. Dice a large variety of seasonal fruits.
3. Stir in prepared ginger syrup. Garnish with choice of honey-lime yogurt and chopped pecans.

Ginger Syrup

• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• Sliced, fresh ginger root

Bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce mixture to 1/4 over low heat. Peel and slice a small ginger root. Add to syrup. Turn off heat and let cool. May be refrigerated for 1 week.

Honey-Lime Yogurt

• Vanilla yogurt
• To taste, grated lime rind
• To taste, honey

Combine ingredients together.  Best when made at least one day ahead of time.

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Grapefruit Ambrosia

Serves 6

• 3 Large grapefruit
• ½ c honey
• 1 pint strawberries
• ¼ c flaked or shredded coconut

1. Segment the grapefruit into a large bowl, catching as much juice as possible.
2. Mix the honey in with the grapefruit segments while they are at room temperature. 
3. Slice the strawberries lengthwise and add to the grapefruit mixture.  Garnish with the coconut.

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Carolina Cinnamon Poached Pears With Honey/Lemon Mascarpone Cheese

Serves 4

Poaches Pears

• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¼ cup Cinnamon syrup
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
• cinnamon to taste
• 2 D’anjou pears, firm but not fully ripe

Combine white wine, cinnamon syrup, water, light brown sugar and cinnamon in a large, high-sided sauté pan and bring to a boil.  Then lower flame and simmer 10 minutes.
Quarter and core pears and add them to the liquid.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook pears, covered, until they are tender but not mushy, 20-45 minutes depending on ripeness.

Honey-Lemon Mascarpone Cheese

• zest of ½ lemon
• honey to taste
• 4 heaping tbsp marscapone cheese
• mint sprigs
• dried fruit bits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)

Add zest of ½ lemon and honey to taste to mascarpone cheese.  Stir until blended.

To Serve

Put 1 tbsp of cheese in middle of plate, place 2 pear quarters on plate with points touching but not covering cheese, sprinkle with dried fruit as a garnish, spoon 1 tbsp of poaching liquid on plate and garnish with mint sprig placed in the cheese.  Serve warm.

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Entrée

“Wake Up to Elegance” as seen on the cover of Marquee Magazine,
February/March 2005 issue.

Ruffled Crepes

Serves 6

Crepes

• 1 ¼ cup flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Blend or mix all crepe ingredients.  Let rest approximately 15 minutes.  Make 5 inch crepes.

Using a 5” coated pan heated to medium-high spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour approximately ¼ cup of crepe mixture into pan and tilt quickly to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Cook back over heat approximately 30-35 seconds on each side.  Remove from pan and let cool separated on a cooling rack. The crepes can be used immediately or made one day ahead. If making ahead, cool completely, stack, cover and refrigerate.

Egg Mixture

• 7 eggs
• 1 ½ cup milk
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp flour

Filing

• 1 lb. crumbled, cooked bacon
• approximately 2 CUPS shredded cheddar cheese

Blend together all egg mixture.  Generously grease muffin tin with nonstick spray.

Using a standard 12-count muffin pan, gently press one crepe into each muffin tin, lightly ruffling the edges and being careful not to tear crepes.  Place the bacon-cheese mixture in bottom of crepe.  Pour egg mixture carefully into crepe, filling close to the top of muffin tin.

Bake at 385º for 15-20 minutes on lower part of oven.  Egg mixture should be firm and slightly puffed, and the crepes lightly browned around the edges.  Carefully loosen crepe cups from tin, so as to not break the edges.  Place two on each plate and garnish with red pepper sauce and chives.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• 1 16-0z jar roasted sweet peppers
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1tsp lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable stock (more for thinner sauce)
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In blender, combine peppers, onion powder, oil, lemon juice, stock, cumin, salt and pepper, and process until smooth and creamy.  Serve over or under crepes.  For easy garnishing put sauce into kitchen squeeze bottle.  Holds up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

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Eggs Florentine

8 servings

• 1, 10 oz. Package frozen, chopped spinach
• 1 cup (4 oz) cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup (4 oz) swiss cheese, shredded
• 1 lb. Soy sausage
• 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 light cup of green onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 12 eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• paprika

Cook spinach according to package; drain well.  Lay in clean towel and squeeze dry.  Spray Pam in a 13x9x2 baking dish and sprinkle the cheddar evenly over the bottom.  Spread the spinach over the cheese.  Brown the soy sausage in ¼ cup oil.  Drain on a paper towel and then spread on top of spinach.  Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter until tender; spread over sausage.
Combine eggs and cream.  Beat with a wire whisk until completely blended.  Pour over vegetables.  Top with swiss cheese and sprinkle with paprika.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Take out and let stand or microwave one minute to take chill off.   Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Set time at 30 minutes.  Turn so Florentine cooks evenly.  Keep careful eye to make sure Florentine does not get too brown on top and bottom. If perfect consistency, except loose center – if possible, reduce heat of oven and place in microwave 1-2 minutes.  Allow at least 5 minutes standing time on a hot plate.  Preferably no more than 10 minutes before serving. Leave uncovered allowing steam to release. Cut into 8 pieces.  Top with tomato-basil vinaigrette.

Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

• 2 cups quartered grape tomatoes
• ½ cup chiffonade basil
• 2 small shallots, chopped
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Emulsify oil and vinegar.  Add remaining ingredients and mix.

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Pastry

Lemon Tea Bread

Yield: 4 small loaves (3 in. x 4 in.)

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ cups AP flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped

Cream the butter and add the sugar and grated lemon rind.  Add the eggs.  Sift together the flour and baking powder and add alternately with the milk.  Add the chopped walnuts.  Bake in greased loaf pans at 375° for 35 minutes.

While the bread is baking combine ¼ cup of sugar with the juice and grated rind of 1 large lemon for the glaze.

As soon as the bread is removed from the oven let it cool enough to release from the pan. Remove loaves and set on wire cooling rack over a sheet pan to catch drips. Spoon glaze over the loaves and let cool. The bread cuts easier when it has cooled.

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Raisin Muffins

1 dozen muffins

• 1/4 pound butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups raisins (rolled in flour)
• Grated rind of 1 lemon

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar in a standing mixer using a paddle attachment.  Combine eggs, vanilla and sour cream.  Add this to the butter/sugar mixture. Use a low speed just to combine.  Add raisins and lemon zest to the flour mixture and combine.  Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture.  Spray two 12 count muffin tins very well.  Using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin tins ¾ full and top with turbinado (raw) sugar.
Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool in pan a few minutes before removing from the pan.

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Afternoon Refreshments

Eggplant and Goat Cheese Crostini

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small medium eggplant, peeled and cut in a small dice
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 ½ tsp. cumin
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• ½ tsp. thyme
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add eggplant, tomato, peppers, vinegar, garlic and cumin; bring to a boil.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened (approx. 20-25 minutes).  Uncover and cook, stirring until liquid evaporates (approx. 2 minutes). Stir in parsley, thyme and cayenne. Let cool. Spread toasted baguette with goat cheese and then dollop 1 Tbsp. eggplant spread on top.

Can be refrigerated up to one week.

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