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This is a Menu to remember, based in my hosted dinners as Legal Vice President & Corporate Lawyer of the Puerto Rico Telephone Co. (Verizon now) or while I was Legislative Assistant to Gov. Carlos Romero Barcelo of Puerto Rico. You will need at least a bar tender for the cocktails served before the seated dinner, & also, to serve the Champagne, wine & Brandy or Liqueur with dessert. Also a cook (to assemble the dishes & prepare them for being served) & a girl or young gentleman for passing the appetizers & serving the sit down dinner & coffee, cheese & brandy, after dessert. BUEN PROVECHO!
ELEGANT HOLIDAY MENU
Goats Cheese with Sesame Seeds in Phyllo
Smoked Scallops with Curry Chive Mayonnaise
Insalata a Sorpresa (Apple, Green Bean and Bell Pepper Salad)
(this salad will serve to refresh the palate instead of a sherbet)
Beef Tenderloin Wellington
Scalloped Potatoes
Basmati Rice with Dill
Fruit Pudding Cake
Ambrosia
Coffee
Assorted Cheeses
Brandy (Curvoisier or Remy Martin VSOP)
BEVERAGES:
Dom Perignon Very Dry (Through the appetizers & salad.
Chateneuf Du Pape Ceramique (with the main dish & accompaniments)
Brandy or Cointreau (for dessert & Cheeses)
GOATS CHEESE WITH SESAME SEEDS IN PHYLLO
Yield: 6 servings
6 small goats cheeses; or 3 medium
85 g sesame seeds; lightly toasted
3 sheets filo pastry
30 g butter; melted
2 heads radicchio lettuce; washed and dried
DRESSING:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic; crushed
2 tablespoons fresh chives; chopped
salt and fresh ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6. If you have 3 medium goats cheeses, cut them in half horizontally. Roll the cheeses in the sesame seeds until completely coated.
Spread out the filo pastry, brush with butter and cut into twelve 15cm squares. Layer one square on top of another.
Place a whole or half goats cheese on the centre of each. Draw up the pastry to form 'Dick Whittington' sacks.
Lightly dot the outside of the pastry with the melted butter and place on a baking sheet in the hot oven for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well. Separate the radicchio into leaves and toss with the dressing. Arrange on 6 plates with the filo parcels.
SMOKED SCALLOPS WITH CURRY CHIVE MAYONNAISE
40 smoked scallops (about 1/2 lb)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1 tsp sherry vinegar
salt and ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients (except scallops) with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a small bowl. Place 10 smoked scallops on each plate. Spoon a portion of the Curry Chive Mayonnaise alongside the scallops and seve.
Serves 4
INSALATA A SORPRESA (APPLE, GREEN BEAN AND BELL PEPPER SALAD)
3/4 cup toasted walnut pieces
4 tablespoon honey
pinch plus 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable or light olive oil
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 red bell pepper, cut into match sticks
4 ounces thin green beans, ends trimmed, or regular green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half lengthwise, parboiled for 3 minutes.
2 apples, unpeeled and cut into match sticks
2 heads Belgian endive, cut into match sticks
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). In a small bowl, mix together the walnuts, 2 tablespoon of the honey and the pinch of salt.
Spread the walnuts on a greased baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and set aside.
In a food processor or blender, combine the vinegar, oil, the remaining honey, the remaining salt and the pepper. Process until the mixture is creamy and well blended.
In a large bowl, toss the bell pepper, green beans, apples and endive with the dressing. Sprinkle each serving with the honey-roasted walnuts.
BEEF TENDERLOIN WELLINGTON
5 lb. whole beef tenderloin, trimmed, peeled
8 oz. liver pate
2 oz. truffle peel, chopped
egg wash to brush
salad oil for pan
Dough:
24 oz. bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
6 oz. butter
6 oz. shortening
3 egg yolks
1/2 oz. olive oil
6 to 8 oz. cold water
Sift flour; fold remaining ingredients into flour as for pie dough. Blend lightly. Cover dough with cloth and let stand 1 hour. Sear tenderloin well, leaving center almost raw. Cool. Spread with liver pate. Sprinkle with chopped truffles.
Roll out dough 3/16-inch thick. Wrap dough around tenderloin, keep seam on bottom and fold ends under. Brush surface with egg wash. Place on oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until dough is done. If cooking too fast, cover with foil. Cut in slices about 3/4-inch thick. Serve with Madeira sauce.
Makes 8 portions.
SCALLOPED POTATOES
Serving Size: 4
4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small onion, minced
3 tablespoons white flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt
Black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
Heat oven to 350 F. Peel and slice potatoes into 1/4" slices. Place potatoes in a bowl, sprinkle with flour, toss to coat evenly, sprinkle with minced onion and toss again.
For an elegant version that takes a little more time, line up potato slices lengthwise, spacing evenly and somewhat close together, into a buttered casserole dish.
When you do it this way you will end up with only one layer of potatoes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with milk and sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and bake for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake for 35 minutes more. Broil for 3 - 4 minutes to brown the top. As you serve the potatoes, try to keep them lined up. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
For the no fuss version, just toss half of the potatoes into the greased baking dish, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add another layer and repeat.
Pour milk over the mixture and sprinkle with paprika. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 35 minutes more. Broil for 3 - 4 minutes to brown the top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
You can alter this by adding cooked, crumbled bacon, chives, scallions, minced bell pepper or cheese for au gratin.
BASMATI RICE WITH DILL
2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or grapeseed oil)
3 whole green cardamom pods
one 2 inch stick of cinnamon
1 large shallot peeled and cut into slivers
1 cup (tightly packed) chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon salt
2 2/3 cups low fat chicken broth
Wash rice in water (soak and swirl it in water and drain it off, repeat 5 to 6 times). Then pour in enough water to cover rice by one inch and let soak for 30 minutes. Then drain off in a sieve.
Preheat oven to 325. Set oven proof saucepan over moderate high heat, add oil. When hot, stir in cardamom and cinnamon.
After a few seconds, add the shallots and let them brown, stir to prevent them from burning.
Lower heat, add rice, add dill and salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir gently so as not to break the rice - if it starts to stick, lower heat.
Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, first with foil then with a lid. Set in middle level of the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Rice is done when all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender with no bite in the middle. Remove from oven and fluff with a fork. To serve remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.
FRUIT PUDDING CAKE
16 Servings
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 applesauce
1 cup liquid egg substitute
1 (12 oz.) can mandarin orange sections, undrained
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 (3 oz.) package sugar free instant vanilla pudding
1 (12 oz.) carton cool whip free
Mix cake mix with the applesauce, egg substitute and oranges, beating just long enough to incorporate the ingredients. Divide batter into 3 or 4 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch pans.
Bake 9 inch pans at 325' F., 8 inch pans at 350' F, for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake tests done. Let cool.
When cake is cool, beat together the pineapple and pudding mix. Fold into the whipped topping. Spread between and on top of layers of cake. Refrigerate until serving time.
AMBROSIA
2 large oranges
3 bananas; ripe
1 pineapple; cut in chunks, optional
seedless grapes; or deseeded, optional
apples; cut in chunks, optional
4 tablespoons icing sugar
100 g desiccated coconut
a little orange juice
to garnish, optional:
crushed mint
cherries
strawberries;
Yield: 4 servings
Peel the oranges carefully and remove all membrane. Peel the bananas and cut them into thin slices. Prepare any other fruits you wish to use.
Combine the icing sugar and coconut and stir until well blended. Arrange alternating layers of fruits in individual serving dishes or in a large serving bowl.
Sprinkle each layer with part of the coconut mixture, reserving some for the top. Pour a little orange juice on the top, add a garnish if desired, and chill well before serving.
Invite the guests to the back terrace or to the Library & serve coffee (demi-tasse), trays of assorted cheese & Cointreau for Ladies & Brandy for the gentlemen.
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