And now for something a little different!

Hello Everyone! 

As you know, the founders of GPK have added a little twist to our format.  Along with monthly cookbook choices by that month’s hostess, we’ve added an ingredient challenge.  If you don’t wish to choose a cookbook for the group to cook from, simply choose an ingredient and each member chooses the dist they will bring that features that ingredient.

Andrea was our hostess for July and her ingredient choice was ginger.

As hostess, Andrea prepared the main dish which was a pork loin with ginger, craisins and other delicious seasonings. 

Kris prepared a side dish of lettuce wraps which featured a warm peanut sauce with fresh ginger.

Tracy prepared Jamaican ginger beer – a refreshing summer beverage.

And, poor Shannon, whose basement chose to flood that day brought a yummy strawberry pie. 

Put to the vote the favorite recipes of the evening are copied here!  Try your hand at Kris’ peanut sauce and Tracy’s ginger beer!

Perfect Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter (natural, no sugar added kind)
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup coconut milk (light is fine, if you prefer or substitute water)
1/4 cup water
red chili flake to taste
chili garlic sauce to taste or 1 clove crushed garlic
Optional:
sesame oil
curry paste
rice wine vinegar
fish sauce
grated ginger
shallots sautéed till brown in oil
Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl, adding the water last. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Experiment with this sauce adding a teaspoon at a time of one the optional additions and tasting as you go. Serve hot or cold.

 

Jamaican Ginger Beer – non-alcoholic

Makes about 2 quarts

• Gingerroot, peeled & chopped -- 3/4 to 1 pound
• Water -- 2 quarts
• Sugar -- 2/3 to 3/4 cup
• Lemons or limes, juice only -- 2 to 3

Method

1. Place the chopped ginger, 3 cups of the water and 2/3 cup sugar in a blender and puree well. Let set for at least 30 minutes or overnight to extract all the flavor.
2. Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve and pour into a pitcher. Add enough water to make 2 quarts and stir in the the lemon or lime juice and additional sugar to taste. Chill well before serving.

I served this over ice with a slice each of lemon and lime.

Recipes for September!

Andrea’s Recipe:  Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

1, 3-pound been tenderloin

1/2 small onion

1, 4 oz  can mushrooms

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

1/2 cup diced celery

Hot water

Salt and pepper

4 slices bacon

Have tenderloin split and flattened at the market.

Lightly brown onion and mushrooms in butter.  Add bread crumbs, celery, and hot water to moisten.  Season; spread over half the meat.

Bring second half over; fasten edges together.  Season; place bacon slices over top.

Roast uncovered in moderate oven (350 degrees) 1 hour. 

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Jeanette’s recipe:  Browned Paprika Potatoes

6 medium potatoes

1 tbs. melted bacon drippings or other fat

1/4 cup crushed corn flakes

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

Pare potatoes; brush with melted fat.  Roll potatoes in mixture of crushed corn flakes, paprika and salt.

Bake covered in greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish in hot oven (425 degrees) about 45 minutes. 

Makes 6 servings.

Krissy’s recipe:  Noodles Hungarian

1, 6 ounce package fine noodles

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dash Tobasco sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

Dash pepper

2 well-beaten eggs

3 tbs. grated American cheese

Cook noodles in boiling salted water; drain.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Place in greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.  Bake in pan of hot water in moderate oven (350 degrees) 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with American cheese.  Return to oven 10 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Krissy’s recipe:  Crusty Cheese Loaf

Cut crusts from top and side of unsliced sandwich loaf.  Slice to, but not through, bottom crust.

Spread top and sides of slices with mixture of 1/2 cup butter or margarine and two 5 ounce jars sharp spreading cheese.

Tie loaf together with string.  Place the cheese loaf in baking pan.  Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) 20 minutes.

Tracy’s recipe:  Lemon Squares with Jam Filling

Rich but delicate, these cookies consist of a shortbread crust and lemon topping with a ribbon of jam sandwiched in between.  If you’ve put up preserves, baking a batch of these cookies in midwinter would be a sweet and satisfying reminder of summer.

2 cups plus 3 tbs. flour

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting

1/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks chilled butter, cut into pieces

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 eggs

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tsp. lemon zest

3/4 cup strawberry or raspberry jam

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 11 x 7 inch baking pan.

2. make the crust: in a large bowl, stir together 2 cups of flour, 1/3 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, and the salt.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, or just until firm.

3. meanwhile, make the lemon topping:  in a medium bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, baking powder, and the remaining 3 tbs. flour.  Add the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and mix until well blended.

4.  remove the pan from the oven and spread the jam over the crust.  Spread the lemon topping over the jam and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is set.

5.  let cool in the pan on a rack.  Dust the top lightly with confectioners’ sugar before cutting into squares.

Makes 15 squares.

Surprise Geishas!

Imagine my surprise when 3 Geishas plus Kitchen showed up at my door! Complete wth chopsticks, extended eyeliner AND satin kimonos!

Last night's GPK was a wonderful success!

Recipes for July but actually occuring in August!

Hello GPK! This month we're cooking Chinese foods! Here are your recipes and I'll see you on Saturday night!

Tracy's recipe: Mou Shu Pork

1 ¼ pound pork boneless loin or leg
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp white pepper
6 large dried black mushrooms
2 green onions with tops
2 tbs cold water
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp soy sauce (light or dark)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 egg slightly beaten
¼ tsp salt
Dash of white pepper
2tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 can (8 oz) sliced bamboo shoots, drained and shredded
¼ cup chicken broth

Prepare Mandarin Pancakes (recipe below).

Trim fat from port; shred pork.
Toss pork, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp. salt , 1 tsp soy sauce, the sugar and ½ tsp white pepper in glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Soak mushrooms in warm water until soft, about 30 minutes; drain. Rinse in warm water; drain. Remove and discard stems; cut caps into thin slices.

Cut green onions into 2-inch pieces. Mix water, 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp soy sauce.

Heat wok until 1 or 2 drops of water bubble and skitter when sprinkled in wok. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil; rotate wok to coat side. Mix egg, ¼ tsp salt and dash of white pepper; pour into wok. Rotate wok to coat bottom with egg. Fry egg until firm, turning once, about 10 seconds. Remove egg from wok; cut into thin strips.

Add 2 tbs vegetable oil to wok; rotate to coat side. Add garlic; stir-fry until brown. Add port; stir-fry until no longer pink. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots; stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until thickened, about 10 seconds. Add green onions and egg strips; cook and stir 30 seconds.

Each person takes a pancake and spoons about ¼ cup pork mixture onto the center. Fold two opposite sides over filling, overlapping edges about ½ inch in center. Fold one unfolded edge over folded sides to form a pocket. 8 servings.

Mandarin Pancakes

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
Sesame oil

Mix flour and water with fork until dough holds together. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Shape dough into 8inch roll; cut roll into eight 1-inch slices. Cut each slice into halves. (Cover pieces of dough with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.)

Shape each of 2 pieces of dough into a ball; flatten slightly. Roll each ball into a 4-inch circle on lightly floured surface. (1) brush top of one circle with sesame oil; top with remaining circle. (2) roll each double circle into a 7-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. (Cover circles with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.)

Heat 8 or 9 inch ungreased skillet over medium heat until warm. (3) cook one circle at a time, turning frequently, until pancake will become brittle.) (4) carefully separate into 2 pancakes; fold each pancake into fourths. Repeat each step with remaining circles.

Heat pancakes before serving. Place folded pancakes on heatproof plate or rack in steamer; cover and steam over boiling water 10 minutes. (add boiling water if necessary.) 16 pancakes

Do-ahead Directions:
After folding each pancake into fourths; cover and refrigerate no longer than 48 hours or wrap, label and freeze no longer than 2 months. Prepare Mou Shou pork; cover and refrigerate no longer than 24 hours. Just before serving, place refrigerated or frozen pancakes on heat-proof plate. Place plate on rack in steamer; cover and steam pancakes over boiling water until hot. Steam refrigerated pancakes 10 minutes, frozen pancakes 12 minutes. Cover pork mixture tightly and microwave on high power 2 minutes; stir. Cover and microwave until hot, about 2 minutes longer. Let stand covered 2 minutes.

Andrea’s Recipe: Zucchini and Mushrooms

1 pound zucchini
8 ounces mushrooms
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs cold water
¼ c. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
½ tsp salt
2 tbs dark soy sauce
¼ c. chicken broth

Cut zucchini lengthwise into halves; cut each half diagonally into ¼ inch slices. Cut mushrooms into ½ inch slices. Mix cornstarch and water.

Heat wok until 1 or 2 drops of water bubble and skitter when sprinkled in wok. Add vegetable oil; rotate wok to coat side. Add onion and garlic; stir-fry until garlic is light brown. Add zucchini, mushrooms and salt. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce. Stir in chicken broth; heat to boiling. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until thickened, about 10 seconds. 4 servings

Jeannete’s Recipe: Egg Rolls with Plum Sauce

4 or 5 medium dried black mushrooms
½ pound ground pork
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cornstarch
½ tsp soy sauce
Dash of white pepper
8 cups water
1 head green cabbage (about 2 ½ pounds), finely shredded
2 tbs vegetable oil
¼ cup shredded canned bamboo shoots
½ pound cooked shrimp, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions (with tops)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp five spice powder
1 pound egg roll skins
1 egg beaten
Vegetable oil


Soak mushrooms in warm water until soft, about 30 minutes; drain.
Rinse in warm water; drain.
Remove and discard stems; cut caps into thin strips.
Mix pork, ½ tsp salt, the cornstarch, soy sauce and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate about 20 minutes.

Heat water to boiling in 4-quart Dutch oven; add cabbage. Heat to boiling; cover and cook 1 minute. Drain; rinse with cold water until cabbage is cold. Drain thoroughly; remove excess water by squeezing cabbage.

Heat wok until 1 or 2 drops of water bubble and skitter when sprinkled in wok. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil; rotate to coat sides. Add pork; stir-fry until pork is no longer pink. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots; stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in cabbage, shrimp, green onions, 1 tsp salt and five spice powder; cool.

Place ½ cup pork mixture slightly below center of egg roll skin. (Cover remaining skins with dampened towel to keep them pliable.) Fold corner of egg roll skin closest to filling over filling, tucking the point under. Fold in and overlap the two opposite corners. Brush fourth corner with egg; roll up enclosed filling to seal. Repeat with remaining egg roll skins. (Cover filled egg rolls with dampened towel or plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.)

Heat vegetable oil (2 inches) in wok to 350 degrees. Fry 4 or 5 egg rolls at a time until golden brown, turning 2 or 3 times, 2 – 3 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Serve with hot mustard and a sweet and sour sauce.

Plum Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 tbs dark soy sauce
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs cold water
1 cup plum sauce or plum jam*
*orange marmalade can substitute for plum jam

Heat pineapple (with syrup), sugar, 1 cup water, the vinegar and soy sauce to boiling. Mix cornstarch and 2 tbs water; stir into pineapple mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature; stir in plum sauce. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with appetizers.


Laura’s recipe: Wings with Oyster Sauce

8 chicken wings
2 green onions with tops
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp finely chopped ginger root
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
¼ cup oyster sauce
1 tbs dry white wine
1 tsp dark soy sauce
¾ cup chicken broth
1 tbs corn starch
1 tbs cold water

Cut each chicken wing at joints to make 3 pieces; discard tips. Cut green onions into 2-inch pieces.

Heat wok until 1 or 2 drops of water bubble and skitter when sprinkled in wok. Add vegetable oil; rotate wok to coat sides. Add chicken, ginger root and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in oyster sauce, wine and soy sauce; stir to coat chicken. Stir in chicken broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Mix cornstarch and water; stir into chicken mixture. Cook and stir until thickened, about 10 seconds.

Serve garnished with green onions.

Kris’ recipe: Dessert to be announced ;)

I wnder if the ladies in Austin wear foam bikinis?

Krissy & Laura
Jeanette's bikini top fits just right!
So sassy!
Chocolate Decadence - and it was!

Even Chef Ramsey from Hell's Kitchen would serve this wellington!

Andrea's potatoes deluxe - even "deluxe" without cheese!

Our lovely dining area complete with fresh flowers!

The sausage bread - super good!

Laura proudly models her bikini top and her wellington!

Last night's GPK met at Laura's home in South Saint Paul. Can I just say that Laura has a great home! I loved looking around at all the great decorating ideas I gathered and plan to use at my place!

So, dinner was fabulous! You see the menu posted below and I have a few photos to share. Krissy brought us bikini tops to wear - unfortunately, we're having unseasonably chilly and rainy weather so we opted to wear them outside our sweaters. :) Actually, just the sisters tried theirs on! They get 10 points for bravery without the aid of wine!

Speaking of wine, Laura also served Winehaven's Raspberry wine. Winehaven is a local winery and they also produce a cranberry and a honey flavor. My absolute favorite wine in the world right now, is anything from Winehaven! Thanks Laura! And... she had no idea it was my fave!

Dinner was amazing! I loved everything everyone else brought but wasn't thrilled with my dish - Stewed Tomatoes. They were too sweet for my taste, but the other girls loved them. My favorite was the potato dish and the wellington - oh, and dessert!! SO good!

What say the girls? Please comment below ladies!

Thanks again for a wonderful evening!

PS - thank you to Jeanette's & Laura's mom for sending each of us a copy of the Austin Women's Club Cookbook! What a nice surprise!

Recipe Review - Salted Caramels

I had a few people "taste test" these for me and here are the recipe and results:
Husband: "bleck!" "I'll take the plain ones please, too much salt."
Me: "Holy Crap! Good thing husband doesn't like them... MORE FOR ME!"
Krissy: "Oh My God!" That was all she said. After that her eyes rolled back into her head and she laid on the floor while begging for the recipe. "An A Plan for sure!"
Joe: "Very Good!" "Better than the usual caramel."
Co-Worker: "DELICIOUS!"
Co-Worker: "Beats dry banana bread hands down"
Co-Worker: "This is like a hug from little baby Jesus."

You should try them for yourself...

Salted Caramels

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
5 tbs unsalted butter
2 tsp sea salt - plus some in a small bowl for pressing
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Equipment:
8 inch square baking pan
Candy Thermometer
Wax paper for wrapping (I cut mine into pieces about 4 x 3 inches and cut the caramels into pieces about the size of a small tootsie roll.)

Directions:
1. butter the bottom and sides of the pan and set aside
2. bring the cream, butter and sea salt to a boil in a small sauce pan; remove from heat and set aside
3. boil the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy sauce pan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan; then cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 248 degrees, the firm ball stage (mine reached 252 degrees by accident so I took it off the heat to add the cream mixture - resulted in a firmer caramel)
4. carefully stir in the cream mixture - the mixture will bubble up. Simmer, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. The temperature should not go higher than 250 degrees.
5. pour into prepared pan and cool for 2 hours or more
6. cut into pieces then press one side of the caramel into the sea salt and wrap in wax paper - I used one of these to cut them - scraper

Recipes for May!

This month Laura is our hostess. She's chosen the Austin Women's Club Cookbook! I wasn't able to get the scan of the cookbook cover to work properly over there to the right - but you can see their lovely banner. Here we go!

Laura's recipe: Beef Wellington

4 - lb beef fillet roast
salt and pepper to taste
Pastry
Duxelles
1 egg
1 T. water
Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

Pastry:
4 C. sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 C. shortening
1/2 C. ice water

Duxelles:
1 lb. Mushrooms, finely minced
1/3 C. Minced green onion
1/4 C. butter
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Marjoram
1 tsp. Flour
Pepper to taste
1/4 C. Beef broth
3 T. Minced parsley
3/4 C. Minced, cooked ham

Salt and pepper beef; roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool; trim off fat. Roll pastry to rectangle about 3/4 inch longer than roast and 12 to 14 inches wide. Press Duxelles into pastry, leaving approximately 1 inch uncovered on all edges. After placing beef on pastry, moisten edges and enclose beef, sealing edges together. Trim pastry so that a single layer covers roast. With seam down, place roast in backing pan. For a more elegant dish, cut decorations from pastry trimmings and place on top of roast. Brush pastry with egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until browned. Let stand for 10 - 15 minutes before slicing.

Pastry: combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until fine. Add water and chill. The secret of pastry is to handle as little as possible.

Duxelles: saute mushrooms and onion in butter until onion is transparent. Add salt, marjoram, flour, pepper and broth; cook until mixture thickens. Remove from stove; stir in ham and parsley. Cool.

Italian Sausage Bread - Krissy

1 lb loaf frozen Bridgeford white bread
2 T. Olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage, casting removed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
Oregano
Red pepper flakes
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw bread in an oiled bowl until it doubles in size. Roll out on a floured piece of waxed paper. Roll to a size of 10x17 inches. Using a large skillet, pour in olive oil and saute sausage. Drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine sausage, onions, 1 egg, oregano and red pepper flakes. Spread on the bread and top with cheese. Using the waxed paper to lift the dough, roll up in jelly roll fashion. Baste with second egg and 1/2 tsp water. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Cool for about 15 minutes and slice to 1-inch thickness.


Potatoes Deluxe - Andrea

2 lbs. Frozen hash browns
2 cans cream of celery soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 - 16oz container sour cream

Combine soups and sour cream. Add remaining ingredients; top with chopped parsley and paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.


Stewed Tomatoes - Tracy

1 - 15oz can tomatoes
1/4 tsp salt
6 T. brown sugar
1 C. bread crumbs
1/4 c. melted butter

Heat tomatoes to boiling point; combine with salt and brown sugar. Place bread crumbs in baking dish and pour tomato mixture over them. Pour melted butter onto tomato mixture. Bake covered tightly at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Do not remove cover for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Decadence - Jeanette

Raspberry Sauce:
2 1/2 fresh raspberries
1/2 C. superfine sugar
1/4 C. Framboise or other raspberry-flavored liqueur

Cake:
1 lb semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
10 T. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 extra large eggs at room temperature
1 T. sugar
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 C. heavy cream, whipped

Raspberry Sauce: Place the raspberries, sugar, framboise if using in a blender or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Puree until smooth. If you prefer a seedless sauce, pass the puree through a sieve.

Cake: Position rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Butter and 8 or 9 inch spring form pan or layer cake pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit precisely. Butter the paper and dust with flour; tap out any excess. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl or the top part of a double boiler. Set over a pan of gently simmering water but not touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted and combined completely. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until light, fluffy and tripled in volume, 5 - 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate to lighten it; fold in the remaining egg mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top. Bake for exactly 15 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature. Do not refrigerate or the cake will stick to the pan. Invert the cake onto a flat serving plate and peel off the paper. Cut into small wedges and serve each wedge atop some of the raspberry sauce. Top with whipped cream.

Makes 1 (8 or 9 inch) cake. Serves 12.