Poor Man's "Shrimp" Cocktail
Chef Kevin Roberts transforms humble cauliflower into a dead ringer for shrimp cocktail with a brief poach in cleverly seasoned water and a dunk in cocktail sauce. "It's something my mom used to make for us," he explains. "As kids, we went to the lake a lot, and she would throw this down as a snack. It's also a great party option for vegetarians and people with shellfish allergies."
8 servings

1 cup dry crab boil seasoning (such as Zatarain's or Old Bay)
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 yellow onions, quartered
6 garlic cloves
3 lemons, halved crosswise
2 1-pound heads of cauliflower, cored, trimmed into 2" florets
Cocktail sauce

Combine crab boil, salt, onions, garlic, and 6 quarts water in a large pot.
Squeeze juice from lemons into pot and add lemon halves. Set pot over high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes to let flavors meld.
Using a slotted spoon, remove onions, garlic, and lemons from broth; discard. Return liquid to a rolling boil.
Add cauliflower; turn off heat, cover pot tightly, and let stand until cauliflower is crisp-tender, 5�10 minutes. Drain; spread out cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Cauliflower can be made one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Arrange room-temperature or chilled cauliflower on a platter with cocktail sauce for dipping.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

3 1/2 to 4 lb chicken, or chicken pieces (I used a whole chicken)
salt and pepper
paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
40 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1/2 cup white wine (I didn't have any, but would definitely use it)
1/2 lemon (I didn't have one)
pinch rosemary and marjoram
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. In Dutch oven, brown on both sides in hot oil. Remove to a plate and pour off the fat.

Deglaze the pot with wine and throw the garlic in the pot. Put the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken and place it on top of the garlic. Pour chicken broth over, and put pot in preheated 375 degree oven.

Bake about 1 1/2 hours, basting occasionally. Let chicken rest and spoon juices over the chicken and mashed potatoes.

***Instead of using mashed potatoes, I peeled and quartered potatoes and carrots and put them around the chicken, and the garlic was scattered throughout. That is definitely the way to go. The potatoes were flavoured with the garlic, as well as the chicken.

Hubby told me to make sure I put this in the binder before I forgot!

Yes, deeebert, I will make it again. I have vegetarian friends who should enjoy it. I did too, especially when considering the difference in cost between shrimp & cauliflower! :)

Alexa

Lamb Tagine with Couscous

Dried apricots and orange juice, along with cumin, coriander, ginger, and thyme, give this the distinct flavor and aroma of Moroccan cuisine.

Ingredients
� 1 onion, thinly sliced
� 1 tsp ground cumin
� 1 tsp ground coriander
� 1 tsp ground ginger
� 1 tsp dried thyme
� 2 tbsp vegetable oil
� 2 lb (900g) boneless lamb, such as shoulder, cut into 1in (2.5cm) cubes
� 2 tbsp all purpose flour
� 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
� 2 cups chicken stock
� Salt and freshly ground black pepper
� 4 oz (120g) dried apricots
� Mint leaves, to garnish
� 1 cup plus 2 tbsp quick-cooking couscous
� Salt
� Large flameproof casserole

Directions
1. Put the onion, cumin, coriander, ginger, thyme, and 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, non-metallic bowl. Add the lamb and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325�F (160�C). Put the flour in a small bowl and slowly whisk in the orange juice until smooth, then set aside.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a large, flameproof casserole over a high heat. Add the spiced lamb and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until browned.

4. Stir the orange juice mixture into the casserole with the stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

5. Remove the casserole from the oven. Stir in the apricots. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes more, or until the lamb is tender.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous. Mix the couscous with salt to taste in a large heatproof bowl and add boiling water to cover by 1in (2.5cm). Cover with a folded kitchen towel and let stand for 10 minutes, or until the couscous is tender. Fluff with a fork and keep warm. When the lamb is tender, taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with mint leaves and serve with the hot couscous.

OMG....This is one of the absolute best dishes I have ever made! It was phenomenal! I would not hesitate to try it with other mushrooms and maybe leeks, but the ramps and morels put it over the top!

Braised Chicken Thighs with Morels and Ramps in a White Wine Cream Sauce
By Ramona Padovano Source: Marxfoods.com

Serves 4-6

8 chicken thighs with bone and skin
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
8-10 morel mushrooms
bunch ramps, about a dozen, trimmed at each end and rough chopped
1 1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup half and half or light cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour for dredging

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat a large dutch oven over high heat. Generously salt and pepper chicken thighs on both sides. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Add olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to heated dutch oven. When the oil begins to shimmer, add chicken to the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan. Allow chicken to brown for 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter.

Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon butter to the dutch oven. Add morels and ramps. Sautee for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sautee for an additional minute. Transfer vegetables to the chicken platter.

Increase heat to high and deglaze with white wine. Reduce to a strong simmer and allow wine to reduce by a third. Add chicke stock, thyme and marjoram. Return chicken and vegetables to braising vessel.

Place dutch oven in lower third of the oven. Braise for 90 minutes.

Remove chicken from the dutch oven, skim fat as needed with a large spoon, and add cream. Serve chicken with sauce over top.

Linda

I saw a recipe for breaded chicken cutlets using a balsamic and honey glaze. It really caught my eye and tastebuds, so I tried it tonite.

We loved it, definitely a keeper. I didn't have any wine, so I subbed chicken stock. I also burned the garlic so I had to scramble and cool and clean the skillet and chop more garlic and carry on.

CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND HONEY GLAZE (Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen Blog)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
4 thin sliced chicken cutlets
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten and thinned with a little water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup white wine
Parsley for garnish

Mix the balsamic vinegar with the honey in a small bowl. Set aside.

Dip the chicken cutlets into the egg wash and then into the seasoned breadcrumb mixture to coat. Heat the oil in a large skillet.

Fry the chicken cutlets in two batches until they are browned on each side and cooked through. Remove to a platter.

Wipe out the skillet and add the butter. Cook the garlic in the butter for about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and boil the mixture until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Stir in the reserved vinegar mixture and boil the mixture until it is syrupy.

Spoon the glaze over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

Jicama Salad Recipe
From Simply Recipes blog

1 large jicama (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, then julienned or cubed
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 a large cucumber, seeded, chopped
1 navel orange, peel cut away, sliced crosswise, then each round quartered
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup lime juice
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of paprika
Salt

Optional:
1/2 avocado chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil

Toss together the jicama, bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, orange, and cilantro in a large serving bowl. Pour lime juice over all. Sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne and paprika. Season generously with salt.
Let sit a half an hour before serving.
Serves 4.

Linda

Can't wait to try the jicama recipe - so refreshing.

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream
2-3 servings

1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 2" slices
flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2 Tbsp butter, divided
2 tsp canola or olive oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced--white and green parts separated
1/3 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to low, about 170 degrees, to keep meat warm.
Lightly pound medallions to 1" thick. Melt 1 tbsp butter and 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat.
Dredge pork in seasoned flour. Add slices all at once to pan and brown 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and hold in the oven while finishing the sauce. The pork will finish cooking in the oven if it's a little underdone.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter to pan. Add white parts of onion; saute 1 minute. Add vermouth, simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tbsp. Add cream, simmer 2-3 minutes until thickened. If sauce ends up too thick, add a little water or milk.
Stir in Dijon and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with green onions.

Jeremy's artichoke and potato au gratin
Servings: 12 to 16
Adapted from Jeremy's on the Hill in Julian, Calif.

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups grated Gruyere cheese
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch), divided
Salt, pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups drained marinated artichoke hearts
1 quart heavy cream, divided

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15-by-11-inch baking dish with butter.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the Parmesan and Gruyere cheeses.
3. Line the bottom of the baking dish with one-half of the sliced potatoes, overlapping the slices and forming rows to make a single layer.
4. Season the potatoes with three-fourths teaspoon salt and one-half teaspoon pepper, or to taste. Sprinkle over the garlic.
5. Add the artichoke hearts, arranging them in a single layer over the potatoes. Scatter one-third of the grated cheese mixture over the artichokes, then drizzle over one-half of the heavy cream.
6. Arrange the remaining potatoes in a single, overlapping layer over the cheese. Season with one-half teaspoon salt and one-fourth teaspoon pepper. Drizzle over the remaining cream, then sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
7. Butter the underside of a piece of foil to keep the cheese from sticking, then cover the baking dish. Bake the gratin until the potatoes are softened and almost completely cooked, 45 minutes to an hour (a knife should easily pierce the potatoes). Uncover the gratin and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a rack before serving.

Note: I made a half-recipe & used russet potatoes & peeled them. I think Yukon Gold would make the dish even creamier. I just tasted them & think they are just as good the second day if not better.

Kathleen, I've made David's cream tenderloin recipe as well and it IS wonderful!

I'm going to increase the rhubarb to 4 1/2 cups and reduce the brown sugar to 1/2 up for the topping next time.

Rhubarb Cake

1/2 cup margarine or butter softened
1 1/2 cup sugar or honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
4 cups rhubarb, cut in 1" chunks
1 tbsp flour

Topping
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Cream sugar and butter together, add egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Toss rhubarb with 1 tbsp of flour, add to mixture, Spoon into greased 9 x 13 pan. Smooth surface. Prepare topping, sprinkle over batter.

Bake for 45 minutes until cake is done; until it has risen and is brown at the edges. Cool in pan.