Recipe(tried): 50th Birthday Dinner Menu and Recipes

Hi Everyone,

This menu is for my future father in-law's 50th birthday dinner, on October 30. He is a huge fan of clams casino so I threw that on the list. I decided to go Italian with the theme. The sauce is my own recipe and the manicotti is from Lydia's Italian Kitchen on PBS. You will love this manicotti, feel free to substitute you're favorite sauce recipe. The cake is a combination of White Texas Sheet Cake, but I substituted a chocolate ganache frosting for the white frosting. I haven't tried this combo yet, but I think it will taste good! We're going to have lots of Chardonnay and Cabernet on hand. I have mentioned it in other posts, and I will say it again, you must try Rosemount Estates wines, they are inexpensive and taste great. Especially the Shiraz and Shiraz Cabernet, that is my favorite. Wish me luck and have a great weekend!

Lots of fresh bread with Italian Butter

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Using a spice or coffee grinder, grind together red and black peppers, dried herbs, garlic powder, minced garlic, and salt.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of herb mixture onto a small plate. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top, and serve. Store remaining mixture in an air-tight container.

Clams Casino

Makes 4 to 6 servings

24 large clams
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried bread crumbs
4 slices bacon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a small skillet, cook bacon until crisp over medium heat. Crumble, and set aside.

Wash clams. Place on a baking sheet. Heat in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 1 to 2 minutes, or until clams open. Discard any that do not open. Remove meat from shells. Chop, and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons oil and butter to a small skillet, and place pan over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic; saute until tender. Remove from heat, and cool.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, bacon, oregano, cheese, sauteed vegetables, and chopped clams. Mix well. Fill clam shells with mixture, and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Serve.

Caesar Salad

6 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup mayonnaise
5 anchovy fillets, minced
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups day-old bread, cubed
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

Mince 3 cloves of garlic, and combine in a small bowl with mayonnaise, anchovies, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the remaining 3 cloves of garlic into quarters, and add to hot oil. Cook and stir until brown, and then remove garlic from pan. Add bread cubes to the hot oil. Cook, turning frequently, until lightly browned. Remove bread cubes from oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Place lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with dressing, remaining Parmesan cheese, and seasoned bread cubes.

Pasta Salad

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 cups colored rotini pasta
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced black olives

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cold water, and drain.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and garlic until well blended. Mix in basil. Add pasta, tomatoes, bell peppers, and olives; fold gently until mixed. Chill several hours. Stir gently before serving.

Tomato Sauce

This is my own sauce recipe, it is sweeter, so if you don't like sweet feel free to use your own for the manicotti. You can add a pound of browned ground beef or your own meatballs if you like, also.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 large cans tomato puree (Contadina)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf
Pinch cinnamon
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and left whole
Handful Parmigiano Reggiano, more to taste
Pinch of baking soda
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Make your two hard boiled eggs and set aside.

Pour two Tablespoons of olive oil into hot dutch oven. Saute onions and garlic until onions are clear. Add tomato puree (I use Contadina puree, don't use store brand, it never tastes right.), brown sugar, oregano, basil, bay leaf and cinnamon. Bring to a bubbly boil for about a minute, just to heat it up good, and then turn heat to low. Then throw in the peeled, hard boiled eggs and Parmigiano Reggiano and stir. Cook for about 20-30 minutes. Taste sauce, if it is acidic throw in a pinch of baking soda, it will fizz a little. Now add salt and pepper. I always add salt last because in the beginning the ingredients haven't had a chance to meld yet and you can't get a good idea of how much to add. Now cook sauce down to your desired thickness. I like it thick so I cook it for about 45 minutes to an hour longer. Add a little more salt if you like and even some more baking soda. Don't forget to take the bay leaf out!

Note: I have also used Red Pack brand whole stewed tomatoes in puree. I just blend them up in the food processor first. They taste great.

Manicotti
Baked Ricotta-Filled Crepes with Tomato Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients:
For Crespelle:
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano
Rind of one lemon, grated
Salt to taste
Unsalted butter or vegetable oil spray to fry the crepes

In a blender, process the eggs, salt, flour, Parmigiano-Reggiano, milk and lemon rind until smooth. Add more milk if you like, this way your batter is thinner and swirls around the pan easier.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick omelet pan, line with butter or spray, and add 2 1/2 tablespoons of batter, swirling the pan to coat. Cook the crepe until the top is dry, about I minute, then flip it and cook about 30 seconds over medium heat. The crepes should be golden but not brown. Transfer cooked crepes to a plate and continue until finished.

For Filling:
2 cups of ricotta cheese (set overnight in a sieve to dry)
1 cup of cubed (1/4 inches) mozzarella fior di latte
2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
White pepper to taste
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
3 cups of tomato sauce

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with salt, ricotta, mozzarella, half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and nutmeg, blending well.

On a clean, dry work surface, arrange the crespelle. Spoon 3 full tablespoons of the filling along one end and roll loosely.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a 16x8 baking pan with I cup of tomato sauce. Arrange the crespelle over the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake for 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil, then uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes until golden.

White Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup butter or margarine and water to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and baking soda until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 10 x 15 x 1 inch baking pan.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 to 22 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and tests done. Cool for 20 minutes.

Ganache Frosting

1/2 cup Heavy cream
1/4 cup Sour cream
9 ounces Semisweet chocolate; finely chopped

Bring the cream to simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Pour the mixture over the chocolate in a glass bowl, and stir until smooth. Pour over cake and sprinklw walnuts on top. Place in fridge to chill.