Recipes

SLEEPOVER SPRINGTINI

The newest addition to the martini repertoire, and this season’s answer to the cosmopolitan!
1 ½ oz. SKYY Berry Vodka
½ oz. Campari
1 oz. POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a piece of fresh lime and a couple of fresh raspberries. For extra sparkle, float a bit of champagne or sparkling wine on the top.

ROBIN’s BAKED APPLE PANCAKE

The perfect way to inspire a sleepover, just promise this easy and decadent breakfast. Perfect paired with crisp bacon and strong coffee (and a handsome companion!).
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
2 tsp. sugar
pinch of salt
1 large apple, sliced
1 tbsp. Butter
brown sugar, cinnamon, and sour cream for garnish
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mix together eggs, flour, milk, 1 tsp. sugar and salt and set aside to rest. Fry apple slices in butter in a round cake pan until slightly wilted. Sprinkle remaining 1 tsp. sugar over the top of the apples and continue to stir until caramelized. Pour batter over apples and bake 10 minutes until the batter rises and starts to brown. Watch carefully for burning. Spread brown sugar and cinnamon to taste over top and return to oven to melt sugar. Serve with sour cream.

Dinner Party Delights

Good food and good friends always make for a festive evening, try out some of these for your next party, or bring one to a pot luck to impress the gang.

NIBBLES

These are as easy as it gets, just assembly, no cooking, and still a 10 on the wow factor.
Herbed Cheese Walnuts
1 pkg. Boursin cheese
2 tsp. milk or half&half
12 oz. bag whole walnut halves
Mix the Boursin and milk just to make it spreadable and not so crumbly. Put a generous dollop on one walnut half and top with a second walnut half. How easy is THAT?

PROSCUITTO AND FIGS

1 pt. fresh figs, quartered
1 3 oz. pkg. Proscuitto
Cut proscuitto slices in half lengthwise. Wrap fig quarter in proscuitto. Pop in mouth. If you aren’t a fan of figs, or can’t get them fresh, substitute melon slices, apple slices, pieces of mango, whatever your heart desires. Peaches are great. Raspberries are not.

PARMESAN CROSTINI WITH ARTICHOKE SPREAD

1 pkg. parmesan toasts
2 small jars artichoke pesto (I like Bella Cucina brand)
1 8 oz. log goat cheese
3 oz. pine nuts, toasted
3 oz. pomegranate seeds
If you can’t find the parmesan toasts, slice a thin baguette into rounds, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan and toast at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let cool before topping.
Smear each toast with about a heaping teaspoon of goat cheese. Top cheese with an equal amount of the artichoke pesto. Sprinkle half with pine nuts and half with pomegranate seeds for a fun platter.

Appetizers

Okay, these require actual cooking. But they aren’t difficult, and are totally worth it.

BAKED SALAMI

This one sounds weird, but tastes delicious, so try before you pass judgment….
1 whole 2 lb. salami (I recommend Vienna. Actually I wouldn’t even make it without Vienna, but I am a Vienna purist. Best Kosher would be a second choice. DO NOT BUY HARD SALAMI OR SOME FANCY ITALIAN SALAMI. This is 1970’s kitschy cocktail fare at its best, and will not translate to gourmet.
1 jar Heinz Chili Sauce
1 small jar grape jelly
1 tbsp. powdered mustard (I like Colemans)
2 pkg. cocktail rye bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casing from salami, and lightly score all the way around. Place it on a sheep pan. In a small saucepan, heat chili sauce, half the jar of grape jelly, and half of the mustard until the jelly melts. Taste. It should be sweet and sour with a slight heat from the mustard. Need more heat? Add the rest of the mustard. Need more sweet? Add the rest of the jelly. When you like it, let it cool, and then pour over salami. Bake this disgusting looking thing for about 30-40 minutes. The glaze should be a mahogany color and the salami should be heated through. Take out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thickly and place on slices of cocktail rye bread.

STUFFED EDAM

1 large round Edam cheese ball
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
½ tsp. mustard powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. milk
Hollow out the Edam leaving about a ½ inch thick shell. DO NOT REMOVE THE RED WAX! The wax helps hold it together, and looks pretty. Crumble the cheese into a food processor. Add other ingredients, and process until smooth. Stuff back into Edam, and serve with crackers.

ENDIVE SPEARS WITH ISRAELI COUS COUS

3 heads endive, separated into leaves
1 pkg. Israeli cous cous, prepared according to directions on package, and cooled
2 carrots diced small
2 ribs celery diced small
½ head fennel diced small
2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. celery leaves, chopped
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.
Make a salad out of 2 cups of the cooked cous cous, and all the vegetables. Dress with the vinegar and oil and season to taste. Put a generous tablespoon of the cous cous mixture into the endive spears. Garnish with a parley or celery leaf, pine nuts, or diced red pepper.

First courses

HEARTS SALAD

1 pkg. hearts of romaine lettuce
1 pkg. hearts of celery, or the center of two heads of celery, with the leaves
1 can chopped hearts of palm
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Chop the celery and tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces, and mix with the drained hearts of palm and artichokes. Mix the rest of the ingredients into a quick and easy salad dressing, and toss all together. You can garnish with parmesan curls if you like.

BOSTON LETTUCE SALAD

4 heads Boston or Butter lettuce, washed and drained
1 English cucumber chopped
½ pound red grapes
½ cup toasted pecans
6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp. sherry vinegar
8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix the dressing, and toss the lettuce and cucumbers in it. Arrange on 6 plates. Divide out the grapes, pecans and goat cheese on top of the dressed greens.

Side dishes

ROASTED CAULIFOWER WITH CUMIN AND SAFFRON

1 small head cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ tsp. cumin seeds
1 pinch saffron threads
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
In a small saucepan heat olive oil with saffron thread until the oil has taken on a golden glow. Brush the head of cauliflower with the saffron oil, and sprinkle with cumin seeds, salt and pepper. Roast in oven approx. 25 minutes, or until tender.

CREAMED SPINACH

3 lb. baby spinach, washed, drained, and wilted in boiling salted water
1 ¼ cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 small onion, chopped fine
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
Coarsely chop wilted spinach. Heat milk and cream over moderate heat, stirring, until warm. Sauté onion in butter in 3 quart saucepan until softened. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add milk mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer until thickened. Stir in nutmeg, spinach, and salt and pepper to taste, and continue to stir until heated through.

Main dish

LEG OF LAMB WITH HERBED YOGURT

1 7-8 pound leg of lamb
marinade:
½ small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ cup fresh mint, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp. olive oil
zest and juice of 2 lemons
Mix marinade ingredients in large ziploc bag, and marinate lamb in refrigerator at least 12 hours, 24 hours is fine. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove lamb from marinade and pat dry. Brown lamb on all sides in olive oil on the stove top, then transfer to roasting dish. Roast in middle of oven until a meat thermometer reads 140 degrees, approx. 45-60 minutes. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with Herbed Yogurt for dipping.
As a good appetizer alternative, make lamb chops instead and arrange around a bowl of the yogurt.

HERBED YOGURT

12 oz. plain Greek yogurt (will not work with regular yogurt)
2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1 small shallot, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste.
Combine all ingredients in bowl and taste. Add a little of the juice of the lemon if it needs tartness.

Okay, I know that there are some recipes missing that were mentioned in the book. Which can be as irritating as buying a movie soundtrack and discovering that the one song you loved isn’t on it. But as this isn’t officially a cooking site, I put in the ones that seemed to be the best bets. If there was something in particular that you were looking for and don’t see it here, drop me a note and I will send you whatever you need.

HAPPY COOKING!