Recipe(tried): Easter 2001 Menu at Gina's (10)

Hi,

I was going to post my Easter menu later on in the week as I got all my chores done for the upcoming dinner this Sunday. There is always so much to do when guests are expected.

Last week I begun sprucing up the patio and pool area as Spring arrived in Florida. I planned the menu and decided instead of ham this year to do beef. All of the following recipes are my tried and trues and my very favorites to tantalize my guest's palates. I have included a delicious variety of vegetable dishes to celebrate Spring and the bounty of all the fresh vegetables available.

The dessert buffet was also planned around using fresh ingredients abundant now such as strawberries.

Happy Holidays to All. Gina

Mixed Greens Salad with Mandarin Oranges, Feta and Pecan Boulders

Roast Eye of Round with Golden Mushroom Gravy
Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Fresh Garden Chives
Baby Carrots with Dijon and Brown Sugar
Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple & Spices
Baked Broccoli and Spinach Gratin
Creekside Style Corn Pudding
Sister Shubert's Yeast Rolls and Butter

Fresh Strawberry Tart
Chocolate Fudge & Brickle Bits Ice Cream Pie
Coconut Poundcake with Lemon Rum Glaze

Passion Fruit Sangria
Assorted Cold Beers, Soda
Coffee

The Recipes:

Eye Round of Roast with Golden Mushroom Gravy
serves 8-10

1 6 lb. eye of the round roast
2 cans Campbell's Soup Golden Mushroom
1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, mashed
salt and pepper

Rub roast with oil, make a mash with the garlic and salt and pepper, rub all over and insert in roast by making slits and inserting the garlic in. When all browned, 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!!

Mixed Greens Salad with Pecan Boulders, Mandarins and Feta Cheese
serves 8

1 large bag pre-washed and mixed greens/Romaine mix
1 cup Pecan Boulders (recipe below)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 small cans mandarin sections, drained, save juice
2 red bell peppers, sliced in strips
2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 large cucumber, sliced

In a large bowl, toss together the greens, feta cheese, mandarins and other raw veggies. Drizzle in favorite dressing (I use any Citrus Splash Dressing). Place mixture in a large glass salad bowl. Decorate top with Pecan Boulders.

Pecan Boulders

1/2 pound shelled pecans, about 2 cups
1 egg white
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix pecans, egg whitesugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Place on greased cookie pan and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool, then break into pieces if necessary.

Baby Carrots with Brown Sugar and Mustard
Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase, pg. 81
Makes 6 servings

1 lb. baby carrots or fresh carrot chunks
3 Tbsp. butter
2 1/2 Tbsp. light brownsugar
1 Tbsp. grainy Dijon mustard
My Addition:
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Steam carrots till crisp tender, 8 minutes. Melt the butter in a skillet, stir in the sugar and spices and mustard to make a smooth sauce. Add the cooked carrots and toss to coat. Cook one minute more and serve at once.

Creekside Cabin Corn Pudding (North Carolina)
serves 8

6 Tbsp. butter
4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp.nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 can corn kernels, drained
1 can creamed corn
2 Tbsp. flour
4 scallions, chopped
paprika for sprinkling over top

Oven at 350F. Butter a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish generously with butter. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, cream, and seasonings with a whisk. Stir in all the corns and flour, blending well. Stir in the scallions. Pour the mixture into the buttered baking dish and dot with the two Tbsp. of butter and sprinkle paprika over. Bake for 45 minutes or until pudding is set.

Broccoli and Spinach Gratin
Serves 6-8

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 med. onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, drained and thawed
2 cups fresh raw broccoli, chopped coarse
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
8 oz. grated cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet and saute onion and garlic, when wilted and golden, add spinach and broccoli and blend well. Cool and set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan and when melted add the flour to form a roux. Add to the veg mixture along with the cheeses, eggs and salt and pepper. Mix well and pour into a casserole dish. Bake 45 mts.

**To dress up this dish, remove dish from oven after 30 mts. and arrange sliced tomatoes on top, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake another 15 mts. YUM!!

Candied Spiced Holiday Sweet Potatoes Casserole
Serves 10

6 large sweet potatoes (4 lbs.)
1 package of Wiley's Sweet Potato & Spice*
small can of pineapple chunks, drained, save juice
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup cream sherry
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. ground coriander

Peel and slice raw potatoes. Layer potatoes and pineapple chunks in a well buttered casserole dish. Combine the butter, sugar, lemon juice, pineapple juice, sherry, corriander and cinnamon stick. Add vanilla and stir well. Bring to a boil. Pour over potatoes, and sprinkle on the chopped pecans. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

* Wiley's can be found in the produce dept. of your local grocer.

FUDGE & BRICKLE BITS ICE CREAM TORTE

2 cups oreo cookies, crushed
1/2 gallon softened Breyer's chocolate ice cream
1/2 gallon softened Breyer's vanilla ice cream
8 oz. chocolate covered toffee crushed
Bittersweet Fudge Sauce

Sprinkle half of the cookie crumbs evenly over the bottom of 9-inch round springform pan.

Spread softened chocolate ice cream in even layer over crumbs. Freeze until firm.

Drizzle evenly with half the fudge sauce. Sprinkle with toffee bits. Freeze until firm.

Spread softened vanilla ice cream in even layer over fudge sauce/brickle. Sprinkle with remaining crushed oreo cookies. Freeze until firm.

Drizzle remaining bittersweet fudge sauce over top. Sprinkle brickle over that. Cover with foil and freeze until ready to serve.

Remove sides of pan and transfer to serving plate. Pipe whipped cream rosettes around top and bottom of cake.

Bittersweet Chocolate Fudge

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine in a medium size saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter melts. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly until sugar melts and sauce is smooth.

Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to one month. Reheat over hot water.

Coconut Pound Cake with Lemon Rum Glaze
Serves 12

3 1/2 cups flour
3 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 eggs
2 1/4 sticks (1 1/8 cups) butter, softened
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
1 tsp. coconut extract
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

Preheat oven to 325. Spray pam into bottom and sides of bundt pan. Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and cream cheese til very fluffy. Add sugar and continue beating. Scrape down sides occasionally. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each one. Add extracts and beat well. Blend in lemon juice and fold in coconut flakes. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, coll 10 minutes in pan and then invert.

Glaze:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/4 cup rum
rind of 1 lemon grated

Boil all ingredients for glaze for about 4 minutes and glaze cake after poking holes thru top.

Icing: Combine 2 cups powdered sugar plus 3 Tbsp. milk, blend well and drizzle over cake.

Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes all over top and sides.

Strawberry Bavarian Trifle
Serves 12

1 quart strawberries, sliced
2 pkgs. (4 oz. each) French Vanilla Pudding
3 cups milk
1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip
36 ladyfingers, the crispy type not soft
2 Tbsp. amaretto
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. water

In a skillet combine the sugar, water and almonds and cook over med-high heat til sugar caramelizes the almonds. Cool and set aside.

Mix pudding with milk till creamy and thick. Fold in Cool Whip. Line bottom and sides of trifle bowl with lady fingers, brush amaretto. Spoon half of the bavarian cream over the ladyfingers, then sliced berries, then bavarain cream and top off with remaining berries. Chill covered overnight. When ready to serve, sprinkle the sugared almonds over the berries.

PASSION FRUIT SANGRIA
Serves 10 to 12

2 cups passion-fruit pur e
2 bottles dry white wine
3/4 cup Simple Syrup (recipe below)
1/2 cup triple sec
3/4 cup brandy
3 lemons, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 oranges halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into eighths
Ice

Combine all ingredients in a large container. Stir to combine. Add ice before serving.

Simple Syrup:
Mix 1 cup sugar with 1 cup of water and 1 stick of cinnamon. Bring to the boil and let cool. Set aside until ready to mix the sangria ingredients.