Recipe(tried): A Dinner Party Menu for Nancy....

Hello Nancy!

Thank you for your sweet comments and I am so glad you like all my recipes! One of these days I will sit down and write a cookbook with all my family favorites and then some...in the meantime, enjoy all my recipes here at Recipelink!

Here is the menu and recipes requested to my dinner party the other day. Nancy, I must admit, that this recipe for eye round is foolproof. It will make you look like the Queen of the Kitchen honey! I almost always use this menu to entertain but not twice for the same people!!

For hors d'oeuvres, I like to put out a small dish of Hot Crab Dip or Brie covered with honey, walnuts and raisins served with crackers. Just something to whet their appetite because dinner is HUGE at my house and then there is dessert...so you don't want to fill them up before dinner.

Merlot goes nice with the meal and for those who don't drink, iced tea or iced water. I always have a coffee urn to go along with dessert either at the bart in my kitchen or at the dining room side board.

Decorate the sideboard depending on the holiday season...I use cloth napkins just because...I believe dinner for guests is special and it should show, so I go all out setting a nice table. (Martha rules in my life!!)

The nice thing about this roast is you put it in the oven for 3 hours and forget about it, cleanup is easy too! Another tip, I make the desserts and any casseroles (Spinach Noodle) the night before. Also, I get the appetizers ready so that the day of the event all I do is pop them in the oven before guests come.

Please let me know how everything comes out!

Enjoy and thank you again for making me feel good! Gina

THE MENU:
Roast Eye Round of Roast with Gravy
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Spinach Noodle Pudding (Kugel)
Glazed Carrots or
Julienned Carrots and Zucchini
Rolls and Butter
Merlot
Iced Tea/Coffee

Dessert: Tiramisu or
A Tart For All Seasons

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EYE ROUND ROAST WITH GRAVY

This is the impressive eye round I serve for SPECIAL OCASSIONS!! It is so very tender, full of already made gravy, very tasty and very easy to make. Simply the best!!

1 (3 lb.) eye of the round roast
1 can Campbell's Soup Golden Mushroom
1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Season the roast with garlic salt and sear in a little bit of olive oil in a pot. Get it nice and brown.

Place roast on heavy aluminum foil. Empty mushroom soup over roast, sprinkle the onion soup over this.

Seal the foil securely and bake 350 for 3 hours. When you open the foil, the gravy is done and the meat has the best flavor!!

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SUPREME GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

6 to 8 potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup milk or more if needed

Boil potatoes and the garlic cloves together. When tender, mash with potato masher, add butter and mash some more, add sour cream and enough of milk to your liking for consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

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Spinach Noodle Kugel

For special occasions, this is my favorite of all!!!

1 large onion, chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, divided use
1 pkg. (8 ozs.) noodles (fine or medium)
2 pkg Birds Eye Creamed Spinach, thawed and cooked according to pkg. directions
8 ozs. sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
bread crumbs to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute your onions until golden in 1/2 stick butter.

Cook noodles according to directions on pkg.

Drain noodles and toss with the other 1/2 stick of butter, blend with the spinach, sour cream, sauteed onions and eggs. Salt and pepper to your taste. Blend well. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes. YUMMY!!!

This recipe can easily be doubled.

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JULIENNED CARROTS AND ZUCCHINI

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 carrots, washed and julienned
2 zucchinis, washed, peeled, and julienned

In a saucepan, melt the butter in the water and dissolve the sugar in it. Add the jullienned veggies and heat to medium until tender.

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Gina's Tiramisu
(This always gets rave reviews)

5 eggs, separated*
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
6 Tbsp. cognac
16 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 pkgs. ladyfingers
1 cups strong expresso
cocoa powder to dust

Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks well. Slowly add sugar and beat until very creamy. Add vanilla, cognac, and cheese. Blend well. Fold in beaten egg whites.

Dip ladyfingers in expresso, place on bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Cover with cheese mixture, repeat layer. Dust with powdered cocoa. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or better overnite.

*Cooking Eggs, Egg Whites, or Egg Yolks for Use in Recipes Calling for Raw Eggs (click here)

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A TART FOR ALL SEASONS
A most impressive and delectable dessert for 12...

FOR THE CRUST:
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
FOR THE FILLING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. amaretto liqueur
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
FOR THE APRICOT GLAZE:
1/2 cup apricot preserves (orange marmalade can be substituted)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. amaretto liqueur
FOR TOPPING:
3 to 4 cups fresh or canned fruit:
strawberries
kiwis
bananas
mandarin oranges
pineapple
peaches
sliced almonds (for garnish)

In a processor, combine almonds, butter, sugar and flour. Add yolks and extracts. Blend until dough forms. Press onto bottom and sides of 11-inch tart pan with removable side.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Cool. Set aside.

Mix all filling ingredients until smooth and spread evenly on the cooled tart. Chill til firm (about 30 minutes.)

In a small pan, mix all glaze ingredients over low heat until hot. Cool. Set aside.

Arrange fruits in a circular pattern on filling.

One to two hours before serving, brush fruit with glaze, sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Serve slightly chilled.