Thursday, March 10, 2011
If you get the chance.....
I attended a conference at the Kalahari resort in Wisconsin Dells this week. I will say this...if you get the chance to go there and eat the food....go. No, don't just go...RUN!!!!!
The chefs there know food, they know flavors and they know how to use them. The first night was appetizers of all kinds, lamb, nori vegetables in tempura batter, watermelon slices with a slice of cucumber on it and then topped with a butterflied shrimp. There was a cheese fondue with veggies and pretzel bread, antipasti, teryaki steak sushi, scallops in a sweet chili sauce, loaded mashed potatoes in a martini glass, stuffed mushrooms, cheeses, wines, chocolates.....it was wonderful. Our table was not the most adventurous bunch of people when it came to trying things, but I was. I tried it all.
The conference food was wonderful and then came the last night banquet. The opener was a crab cake and crab claw arranged on a tower of romaine lettuce with 3 different salad dressings decorating the plate. I could have eaten about 3 of them and been totally happy. The next course was a beef fillet, with a portabello mushroom base, lobster cannelloni with a lobster sherry cream sauce and a tomato half stuffed with asparagus. I am not ashamed to say that I ate it all.
Dessert was 3 or 4 types of chocolate layered in a tower. It was beautiful and tasted wonderful, but I loved the Tirimisu that they served us the day before in a coffee cup made of chocolate and topped with whipped cream in the shape of steam rising from the cup.
All in all, it was one of the great eating experiences of my life. I probably gained back the 11 pounds that I had lost (although I did take the stairs instead of the elevator and walked every chance that I had). I would love to go and learn from those who created that wonderful food. I wonder if they hold classes?
Have a great one!
The chefs there know food, they know flavors and they know how to use them. The first night was appetizers of all kinds, lamb, nori vegetables in tempura batter, watermelon slices with a slice of cucumber on it and then topped with a butterflied shrimp. There was a cheese fondue with veggies and pretzel bread, antipasti, teryaki steak sushi, scallops in a sweet chili sauce, loaded mashed potatoes in a martini glass, stuffed mushrooms, cheeses, wines, chocolates.....it was wonderful. Our table was not the most adventurous bunch of people when it came to trying things, but I was. I tried it all.
The conference food was wonderful and then came the last night banquet. The opener was a crab cake and crab claw arranged on a tower of romaine lettuce with 3 different salad dressings decorating the plate. I could have eaten about 3 of them and been totally happy. The next course was a beef fillet, with a portabello mushroom base, lobster cannelloni with a lobster sherry cream sauce and a tomato half stuffed with asparagus. I am not ashamed to say that I ate it all.
Dessert was 3 or 4 types of chocolate layered in a tower. It was beautiful and tasted wonderful, but I loved the Tirimisu that they served us the day before in a coffee cup made of chocolate and topped with whipped cream in the shape of steam rising from the cup.
All in all, it was one of the great eating experiences of my life. I probably gained back the 11 pounds that I had lost (although I did take the stairs instead of the elevator and walked every chance that I had). I would love to go and learn from those who created that wonderful food. I wonder if they hold classes?
Have a great one!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
4 cloves of garlic minced
1-10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1-14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1-10 oz. container prepared Alfredo Sauce
1-cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz cream cheese (I have used the whole block in it before too)
Crush the garlic with a knife blade (most times I use the stuff in a jar, it's easier). Mix everything together and pour into a 8X8 pan or casserole dish. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes. Serve warm, so that the cheese will be gooey.
1-10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1-14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1-10 oz. container prepared Alfredo Sauce
1-cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz cream cheese (I have used the whole block in it before too)
Crush the garlic with a knife blade (most times I use the stuff in a jar, it's easier). Mix everything together and pour into a 8X8 pan or casserole dish. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes. Serve warm, so that the cheese will be gooey.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
so it's been forever, sorry, here's a new recipe
Chicken Wrap Bites
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (partially frozen for better slicing) cut into 1" cubes
1-2 packages of bacon (start with just one package and then adjust) sliced into thirds
brown sugar
chili powder
wrap each chicken cube with a bacon slice and secure with a toothpick. Place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar and then chili powder. Bake them at 400 or broil them (whichever you prefer) until bacon is cooked and crisped. Serve warm. (I baked them and then put them in a crock pot and they worked fine).
Enjoy!
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (partially frozen for better slicing) cut into 1" cubes
1-2 packages of bacon (start with just one package and then adjust) sliced into thirds
brown sugar
chili powder
wrap each chicken cube with a bacon slice and secure with a toothpick. Place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar and then chili powder. Bake them at 400 or broil them (whichever you prefer) until bacon is cooked and crisped. Serve warm. (I baked them and then put them in a crock pot and they worked fine).
Enjoy!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
I forgot an ingredient...
I forgot to put the chicken into the recipe below. I'm also going to try it with ground beef and see how that turns out. Working on a Mexican Lasagna recipe right now. Hopefully that will appear here soon.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Mystery Taco casserole
Ok. So I don't exactly know what to call this recipe....it's got lots of stuff in it that sound strange but the whole family really liked it...even Jake and he is picky.
Ingredients:
1/2 -3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 small onion chopped. (Saute' these until onions are clear in a little water and then drain.)
In bowl: 1 small can cream of mushroom soup (can use low fat)
green pepper/onion mixture
1 cup salsa (your choice on "heat")
2 cups shredded chicken (or 1 can chunk chicken)
1 can whole kernal corn drained
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
After mixed add 1 package of taco shells broken up (the recipe called for small corn tortillas, but our store did not have any). I used the 12 portion hard taco shells and it worked fine, crumbled up into smaller pieces.
When wet mixture is done, put one layer of it in a greased casserole and sprinkle with 1/2 of an 8 oz bag of your favorite cheese. I used colby/jack but I'm sure it would be great with any cheese (pepper jack, cheddar, etc)
Repeat layers. Bake or microwave until cheese is bubbly. I think the oven temp is supposed to be 350, but I used the microwave for 12
minutes and it was great.
Serve warm.
Ingredients:
1/2 -3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 small onion chopped. (Saute' these until onions are clear in a little water and then drain.)
In bowl: 1 small can cream of mushroom soup (can use low fat)
green pepper/onion mixture
1 cup salsa (your choice on "heat")
2 cups shredded chicken (or 1 can chunk chicken)
1 can whole kernal corn drained
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
After mixed add 1 package of taco shells broken up (the recipe called for small corn tortillas, but our store did not have any). I used the 12 portion hard taco shells and it worked fine, crumbled up into smaller pieces.
When wet mixture is done, put one layer of it in a greased casserole and sprinkle with 1/2 of an 8 oz bag of your favorite cheese. I used colby/jack but I'm sure it would be great with any cheese (pepper jack, cheddar, etc)
Repeat layers. Bake or microwave until cheese is bubbly. I think the oven temp is supposed to be 350, but I used the microwave for 12
minutes and it was great.
Serve warm.
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