The Doo-Wop Diner - Tanya and Carrie - February 2012

Our first Gourmet Club gathering was hosted by Tanya and Carrie on February 23rd.  The theme for the evening was "The Doo-Wop Diner".

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They did such a great job with everything.  The tables were set and decorated in perfect diner style.

We each had a charger at our place made out of an old record.  So creative!

They even had diner style condiment bottles, napkin holders and dessert teasers.  It was all so cute!

The Menu: (see complete recipes at end of post)

Friends: Corinne, Alyssa, Alisha, Tori, and Brenda

The appetizers were:  Martha Stewart's Creamy Mac and Cheese

Breaded Portabello Mushroom Spears with Garlic Aioli

Our drinks were served in these fun glasses Tanya found at the Dollar Store!  We could pick Cherry or Vanilla (or both) flavoring to go in our Caffeine Free Coke.

The Summer Berry and Spinach Salad was the perfect lighter touch to the meal.

Friends: Brittany, Gourmet Girl, Emily, Holly and Mandy

Onto the mail course:  Turkey Bagel Burgers, Broccoli Slaw and Baked French Fries.  I loved how they substituted Bagel Thins for the Bagels so you actually taste the burger instead of just bread.  They were delish!

On to dessert.  There were individual Cherry Pies and Banana Split Ice Cream Cake.  A perfect way to end the evening.

For our take home gift Tanya and Carrie made these cute containers and filled them with candy.  

And we also each got a reusable Doo-Wop Diner bag!

Top Row (L to R) - Tori, Holly, Gourmet Girl, Carrie, Tanya, Alisha

Bottom Row (L to R) - Corinne, Alyssa, Brenda, Emily, Brittany and Mandy

Thank you Tanya and Carrie for all your hard work and for a great first night of Gourmet Club.  We can't wait to do it again!

Broccoli Slaw

(From Smittenkitchen.com)
Makes about six cups of slaw

2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Buttermilk Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)

Trim broccoli and cut it into large chunks. From here, you can either feed it through your food processor’s slicing blade, use a mandoline to cut it into thin slices, or simply had chop it into smaller pieces. I used the stem and the flowerets, but if you have a broccoli stem aversion you can just use the tops.

Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller one, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli (if you’ve skipped the stems, you might not want it all; I otherwise found this to be the perfect amount) and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

BAKED FRENCH FRIES

Ingredients

• 1 large baking potato
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Cut potato into wedges. Mix olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chili             powder and onion powder together. Coat potatoes with oil/spice  mixture and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven.

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics
Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
*NOTE: The Gruyere cheese is super spendy so we used a combo of good extra sharp cheddar and a little bit of some Tillamook sharp white cheddar for our cheeses.  We also just used Panko toasted in some butter for our crunchy topping.


1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.
5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

BANANA SPLIT ICE CREAM CAKE

Ingredients

• 20 whole Oreo Cookies
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• 4 whole Bananas
• 1 pint Strawberry Ice Cream
• 1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream
• 1 jar (about 16 Oz. Jar) Hot Fudge Sauce
• 1 container (16 Oz. Container) Frozen Sliced Sweetened Strawberries, Thawed And Drained
• Fresh Whipped Cream, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

Take out the strawberry ice cream to thaw. Place the Oreos in a gallon Ziploc bag and crush well with a rolling pin or small frying pan. Pour the melted butter into the Ziploc bag and mix it up. Press this crumb mixture into the bottom of a springform pan.
Slice the bananas into 1/2″ rounds and arrange in a single layer on top of the crust. (Use as many banana slices as needed to fill the layer.) Place the pan into the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Scoop the softened strawberry ice cream in small scoops on top of the frozen banana layer, smoothing it together with a spoon dipped in warm water. Return to the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the ice cream is firm again.
Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer to thaw. Warm the hot fudge sauce slightly, just until it is easily spreadable. Pour the fudge over the strawberry ice cream layer, smoothing the top, and place back into the freezer for 15 minutes or so, until the fudge has firmed up again.
Scoop the softened vanilla ice cream in small scoops on top of the fudge layer, again smoothing it together with the back of a spoon dipped in warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the freezer for at least another 4-6 hours until very firm. (At this point the cake could be frozen, well wrapped, for a week or longer!)
Pour the drained sliced sweetened strawberries into a bowl and crush with a pastry blender or a fork until the berries are all mashed up. Store in the fridge until almost ready to serve the cake.
Spread the crushed berries over the top of the cake, to within one-half inch of the edge. Serve with fresh whipped cream and crushed pineapple for those who want it!


Spinach and Fruit Summer Salad
(from makeit-loveit.com)10 oz bag of fresh spinach
1-2 chicken breasts, grilled and thinly sliced
1 pint of strawberries, sliced
1 pint of blueberries
4-5 kiwis, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 oz crumbled goat cheese** (or crumble some yourself)
**substitute for another cheese if desired (we used blue cheese)


Dressing:
2/3 cup oil (I used canola……use what you like)
4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
6 Tbsp Strawberry Jam (or any berry variety)
1 1/2 Tbsp poppyseeds
1/4 tsp salt

Turkey Bagel Burgers (from thepioneerwoman.com/cooking)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 8 whole Everything Bagels
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese (chevre) Or Cream Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Pesto (Basil Or Sun-dried Tomato)
• 2 pounds Ground Turkey
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
• Plenty Of Black Pepper
• 8 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 dashes Hot Sauce (more To Taste)
• 1 whole Egg Yolk (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Sliced
• 3 whole Avocados, Sliced
• 16 whole Large Basil Leaves

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and grill the cut side of the bagels until golden brown and slightly crisp. Set aside.
Stir together the goat cheese (or cream cheese) and the pesto until smooth. Add more pesto if you'd like!
Combine turkey, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and egg yolk (if using) in a large bowl. Stir or knead together with your hands, then form into patties.

Heat canola oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties on both sides until totally done, with no sign of pink in the middle, at least 4-5 minutes per side.

To serve, spread a good amount of the pesto spread on each bagel half. Place the burgers on the bottom half, then top with tomato slices and basil leaves. Lay avocado slices on the top half, using the spread to make them stay put. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the avocados, then place the top half on the bottom half, smush it together...and dig in!

MINI CHERRY PIES

Ingredients

·       1 1/2 cups tart pitted cherries, drained and patted dry (from 2 15-oz. cans)

·       1/2 cup sugar

·       1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. quick-cooking tapioca

·       Pinch of salt

·       1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       1 14.1-oz package refrigerated "just unroll" pie crusts (with 2 crusts)

·       2 tablespoons milk, optional

·       2 teaspoons sugar, optional

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix cherries, sugar, tapioca, salt and vanilla; let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Lightly mist 6 cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, alternating to keep space between them. Unroll 1 pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to about an 11-inch round. Use a 5-inch round cutter to cut out 6 rounds. Transfer rounds to muffin tin. Gently fit dough into muffin cups, leaving some overhang. Chill for 15 minutes. Repeat rolling with second pie crust, cutting out 6 3-inch rounds. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F; line a baking sheet with foil. Stir filling; spoon about 2 Tbsp. into each dough-lined cup. Remove rounds from fridge and cut a small star out of center of each. Place one round on top of each pie. Fold edges of round over the overhanging dough; crimp to seal. Repeat with remaining dough rounds. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Place tin on baking sheet.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until filling bubbles and crusts are golden brown (check frequently and cover with foil if crusts brown too quickly). Remove muffin tin to a rack to cool.

Portobello Mushroom Wedges with Garlic Aioli

Ingredients:
Portobello Mushrooms washed and cut into 3/4 inch wedges
Panko Japanese Style bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
flour
Lawry's seasoning salt

Dredge wedges in flour then dip in egg and then roll till covered in Panko. Fry in 1/2 inch oil till lightly browned, turn and cook until other side is browned and drain on paper towels. Dip in aioli, eat, and die a happy woman.

Aioli Sauce:
mayonnaise
fresh garlic chopped fine

Add as much garlic as you like and mix with mayo. It's good to do this in advance (several hours, even a day) and let the flavors combine.