Recipe: A Nice Dinner after a Stressful Week.... Peach Tea Punch, Strawberry Spinach Salad, Honey Glazed Chicken Kebabs, Broccoli Supreme, Lemon Ripple Cheesecake Bars

Hey Y'All!

Sure have missed posting and reading all the yummy recipes shared here lately. I picked the chick icon for this posting 'cause I sure am a tired chick after this week. We had a busy week pricing and arranging all the itmes that were going to be sold and the sale was a success. We will be having another one with fresh new items this Saturday.

The weather cooperated with a sunny day and breezes that made the sale very enjoyable. This is a picture of the yard sale we had on Saturday. That's Mama in the background pricing doilies. Bless her heart, she worked so hard!



I wanted to try out recipes from my new cookbooks; The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking, Under the Magnolias and Best American Recipes 2004-2005 because DH was sure tired of take-out this week! I settled on this menu for pure comfort...I sure am looking forward to relaxing tonight and watching The Soprano's. Is anyone out there also watching Big Love on HBO? I have seen the last 3 episodes and I like it.

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Here is tonight's menu:

Texas Governor's Mansion Summer Peach Tea Punch
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Bleu Cheese and Pecans
Honey Glazed Chicken Kebabs
Wild Rice
Broccoli Supreme
Lemon Ripple Cheesecake Bars

Enjoy! Gina

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TEXAS GOVERNOR'S MANSION SUMMER PEACH TEA PUNCH
Source: The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking by Louis and Billie Van Dyke
yields: 2 gallons


4 cups water
3 family-size tea bags
4 cups fresh mint
1 (12 oz.) can lemonade concentrate, undiluted
2 bottles Knudsen's Peach nectar (no substitutes)
2 liters ginger ale, chilled
2 liters clib soda
1/2 to 1 cup simple syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water slowly boiled for about 4 minutes)

In a saucepan on high heat, boil the water to steep the tea and the mint. Steep for about 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags. Leave the mint in the solution until it cools. Strain into a 2-gallon container.

Add the lemonade, peach nectar, and the simple syrup to taste. Add the ginger ale and the club soda.

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STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD
Source: Under the Magnolias A Tasteful Tour of Athens by Athens Academy
Servings: 6-8

8 cups torn spinach
3 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
1 cup fresh strawberries, thickly sliced
3/4 cup chopped pecans or macadamia nuts
2 Tbsp. strawberry jam
2 Tbsp. balsamaic vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine spinach, fruits and nuts in a large bowl. Reserve a few berries and kiwi for garnish.

Combine jam and vinegar in a blender and process til smooth. With blender running, slowly pour in oil until blended.

Pour dressing over salad anda toss gently. Top with garnish.

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HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN KEBABS
Source: Under the Magnolias A Tasteful Tour of Athens by Athens Academy
Servings: 4

1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 oz. mushrooms
3 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 oz. bacon, sliced

Combine marmalade, soy sauce, honey, ginger, salt, and garlic in a bowl. Mix well. Add chicken, mushrooms, and onions. Stir to coat well.

Cook bacon just until limp. Drain and cut bacon slices in half.

Wrap each chicken piece in a piece of bacon. Thread onto skewers in the following order: chicken, mushroom and onion. Repeat.

Place skewers n a grill over medium coals or heat and cook 15 minutes or until done.

Pour remaining marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced by half and slightly thickened.

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BROCCOLI SUPREME
Source: Under the Magnolias A Tasteful Tour of Athens by Athens Academy
Servings: 6

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli
3 carrots, sliced
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and 8-inch square baking dish.

Cook broccoli and carrots in boiling water or steam until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.

Place artichoke hearts in bottom of prepared baking dish.

Combine soup, mayonnaise, eggs, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and mix well. Stir in broccoli and carrots. Pour mixture over artichoke hearts, sprinkle with cheese and stuffing mix. Drizzle butter over top.

Bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.

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LEMON RIPPLE CHEESECAKE BARS
Source: The Best American Recipes 2004-2005; Molly Stevens, Fran McCullough (Editor)
Makes 16 bars

FOR THE CRUST:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled, plus more for the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp. salt
FOR THE FILLING:
1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
2 large egg yolks
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 1/4 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Adjust the rack to the middle and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch square non-stick baking pan.

In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, zest, and salt. Add butter and pulse til soft, crumbly dough forms. Press dough firmly and evenly over bottom and a scant 1/2-inch up sides.

Bake for 20 minutes til golden and firm.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk the yolks with 3/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking gently until sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, about 4 minutes. Boil over medium-high heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick and glossy. Strain into a heatproof bowl. Stir in zest and let cool.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup of sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour until blended. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Pour the cream cheese batter over crust and smooth surface out. Place the lemon mixture in dollops over surface and using the tip of a knife, swirl it in. Don't cut into the crust.

Bake for about 40 minutes until golden around the edges and just set. Run the tip of the knife around the edges to loosen. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Cut into 16 bars and serve.