Bibb Lettuce Salad with Pecans, Blue Cheese, and Pears

This was the salad at our Healthy Hearts Gourmet Club this month. Serves 6 to 8.

1 cup pecan halves
1 Tbs light corn syrup
1 Tbs honey
4 small heads Bibb lettuce*, washed, dried, torn into bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 oz blue cheese, crumbled (I use more)
2 ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced


Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350º.

Spread pecans on a sheet pan and bake until heated, about 5 minutes. Stir together the corn syrup and honey in a small bowl. Pour the syrup over the nuts and toss to coat evenly. Bake until the nuts have absorbed mist of the syrup and are glazed, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Separate the pecans that are sticking together and cool completely.

Toss the lettuce with about 6 to 8 Tbs vinaigrette dressing (recipe follows). Season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving plates. Sprinkle equal amounts of the cheese, pears, and pecans over the top.

*Can use 2 large heads of Boston lettuce.

Walnut and Late Harvest Riesling Vinaigrette

1 Tbs mayonnaise
2 Tbs Laurent de Clos Walnut Mustard, or Dijon mustard, which is what I used
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup Cuisine Perel Late Harvest Riesling Vinegar, or Trader Joe's Orange Muscat        Champagne Vinegar (I used Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic in a blender and process until smooth. (I used a stick blender). Add vinegar and process to combine. Wit the blender running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream until the dressing thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The dressing can be made three days ahead, covered and refrigerated.



 

Cabbage Roll Casserole

I saw this recipe on-line and adjusted it to use the ingredients I already had. A tasty "down home" dish.

1/2 lb ground beef 

1/2 lb Italian sausage

3 cloves of garlic

1 large onion, chopped

3/4 cup of rice (not cooked)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can tomato soup

1/3 cup of cider vinegar

3 Tbs brown sugar

1 Tbs Worchester sauce

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Dash of Tabasco, optional

8 cups of chopped cabbage

Sauté onions and garlic, cook beef and sausage (remove casings if using link sausage) until brown mix in rice set aside

Mix together, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worchester sauce, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce.

Layer 1/2 chopped cabbage on bottom of pan, layer 1/2 meat mixture, drizzle with sauce. Repeat end with cabbage cover and bake 350º for 2 hours.

Corn with Bacon and Green Onions

Plain corn gets boring quick. Dress it up with bacon, green onions and cheddar cheese. Oh my word, it’s yummy. When I made this tonight, I discovered my heavy cream was gone. So I just added a splash of skimmed milk. It was good this way also.

    6 slices Bacon

    2 bunches Green Onions

    10 ounces, weight Bag Frozen Corn (3 Cups Fresh Corn)

    ½ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

    ½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream (or Half-and-Half)

    Salt And Pepper, to taste

Chop bacon into bite sized pieces and fry until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, but leave drippings.

Cook diced green onions in bacon drippings until soft; add corn and cheese to pan. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add cream and bacon to pan, stir and cook for about 5 more minutes until hot and bubbly.

Prize Winning Lemon Pie

This is almost the same as my Three Layer Lemon Pie, only richer, and this one has a meringue topping.

Buttery Crunch Pie Crust

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400º.

In a medium bowl, mix together pecans, sugar, and flour. Stir in melted butter or margarine.

Press evenly into a 9” pie pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 13 minutes, until golden brown. Allow crust to cool before filling.

First Layer:

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons flour

Dash salt

1-1/2 cups hot water

3 slightly beaten egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup lemon juice

In saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt.  Gradually blend in water.  Bring to boiling over high heat stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir 8 minutes more.  Remove from heat, stir small amount hot mixture into egg yolks; return to hot mixture.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cook and stir 4 minutes longer.  Remove from heat.  Add lemon peel and butter.  Gradually stir in 1/3 cup lemon juice.  Cool 10 minutes.  Pour into pastry shell.  Cool and refrigerate.

Second Layer:

4 ounces Cool Whip

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 small package lemon pie instant pudding

1 cup milk

Add powdered sugar to cream cheese, mix well; add lemon juice.  Place instant pudding mix and milk in small bowl and beat for 1 minute.  Fold into cream cheese mixture.  Add Cool Whip; pour over chilled lemon filling in pie shell.  Return to refrigerator.

Third Layer:

1 package (8oz) cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 ounces Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Blend in sour cream and vanilla.  Fold in whipped topping blending thoroughly. Spoon on to other layers.  Chill.

Meringue: 

Beat 3 egg whites and ½ teaspoon cream of tartar until foamy.  Slowly add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar.  Beat until soft peaks form.  Pile on top of pie and bake at 425º for 5-6 minutes.

Chill at least 2 hours.  Keep refrigerated.

Mazing Artichoke Dip

Cheese crisps are a great “cracker” for scooping it up, and it’s also great with carrot sticks, celery, strips of raw bell peppers, or any number of other goodies.

Another great thing about this dip is that it can be made very quickly by microwaving the ingredients sort-of-separately, mixing, then broiling in the oven. If you have more time and want fewer steps in preparation though, you could just mix everything together  and then throw it in the oven at 350º for 30-45 minutes or until it’s heated through.

8 oz. Cream Cheese, warmed in the microwave for 2 minutes on 50% heat to soften it – (Even if you’re making your dip in the oven, pre-microwaving the cream cheese will help you mix it with the other ingredients, so I recommend not skipping this step.)

A dollop of sour cream – maybe 1/4 – 1/3 cup
A dollop of mayonnaise – about 1/4 cup

About a cup of chopped spinach (either fresh, cooked, or frozen, thawed)

2 cans or jars of non-marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Garlic salt

Chili powder – be generous! The cream cheese and sour cream will act to “cool” the dip, so you can sprinkle away with the chili powder

A handful of shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients in a baking dish, and sprinkle on a bit more mozzarella, and then broil until the cheese is browned.

Baked Cheese Crisps

They’re so delicious, easy to “customize,” and quick to make. They’re great to snack on when you’re in the mood to “munch” but carrot sticks just aren’t cutting it – these are full of protein and fat and (depending on your cheese) zero to few carbs. Use them wherever you might otherwise use a cracker. I really like to serve them with a nice green tossed salad. They work really well with my Amazing Artichoke Dip.

So, start with your cheese. You can use cheddar, Parmesan, Monterey jack, whatever you’d like.

If you’re planning on mixing in seasonings or spices, grate your cheese. Or get pre-shredded cheese. Either is fine.

Preheat your oven to 350º and put some parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

It must be parchment. Foil won’t work,  nor will cooking spray or any other method… parchment and parchment only.

Now, if you’re using shredded cheese and seasonings, go ahead and toss it all together in a bowl. Cheddar/Jack and Ranch dressing mix is amazing. “Mexican blend” is great with some chili powder and garlic. Parmesan and basil is always nice. Do what feels good to you. Just don’t add salt. Remember, cheese is already PLENTY salty on its own. You do NOT need additional salt.

For shredded cheese, put little lumps of it all over the parchment-lined cookie sheet, spaced out because they WILL “grow” and spread more than you think they will. And when I say “little” lumps, I mean little… about a tablespoon of cheese each.

Now put it on a rack centered in the middle of your oven, and bake for 10-15 minutes. If the edges are starting to brown, you could try taking it out. If you’re not sure, leave it in for another minute or two. 

If you don’t let it bake enough, it’ll just be stretchy melted cheese, not “crisps.”

When you remove them from the oven, you’ll need to let them cool. After a few minutes, they’ll be crisp.