{The Invite}
This months theme was Citrus Splash.
Judith and Kristy did a great job! Every single thing they made was wonderful and the colors and decoration went perfect with the theme! Aren't their matching aprons so cute!
We were sad that Holly had to go on vacation and couldn't be there and Amber last minute thought she might be having her baby and didn't want to risk a car delivery!
Our hostesses decided in their place to invite a past "gourmet gal", Stacie, and a friend/Kaysville Gourmet Gal, Janica, to join the party in their places.
I wish that it wouldn't have been so dark already, but you get the just of it. I loved the 2 round tables, the banner, and the cool green vines for centerpieces. Judith told us that the vines were supposed to have big bright yellow blossoms on them, but they were still prefect!
The dried fruit slices were a darling and super simple idea to add major color burst to the table. The daisies poking out of lemon and lime halves were really creative.
We all kept raving about the napkin rings! They were so cute, apparently Judith's Mother-in la and Pier1 are to thank.
White dishes are so clean and crisp! Love, love everything about the place setting and menu!
For name tags they used a simple skewer and with bright mounted paper and ribbon. Nothing fancy, but it was just right.
Now for the yummy part(s): We started off with a delicious Orange Julius, always a favorite!
For appetizers they did different breads:
Grapefruit Yogurt Cake,
Lemon Glazed Pecan Rolls
MY FAVORITE! The glaze was TDF!
and
Cranberry Orange Bread
with
Orange Cascade Ice
The Soup Course:
Coconut Lime Chicken Soup
[A must try!]
Main Course:
Citrus Glazed Chicken & Lemon Basil Spaghetti
Both were delicious. The sauce on the chicken was the perfect flavor combination!
Dessert:
Lemon-Ricotta Bundles with Blueberry Sauce
Need I say more!
It was actually Janica's birthday so we whipped out a candle and sang a little Happy Birthday to her. It was fun to have her there to share and enjoy with us. Hopefully it helped her have a great birthday!
The take home table with out gift and menus
Group photo. Shelly and Lindsay had to leave early so they missed our photo, but they were there to enjoy the goods!
Janica, Sunny, Kristy, Heather, Kim, Julie, Judith
Michelle, and Annika
Sunny, Kristy, Heather, Annika, Stacie, Michelle, Kim, Julie, Judith
The night was wonderfully delicious! Thanks Kristy and Judith for a great evening!
Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp. grated grapefruit zest (one large pink grapefruit)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
Cranberry-Orange Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
(I like to buy lots of cranberries around the holidays and freeze them for later use. I definitely chop them while frozen; they squirt and are messy if thawed before chopping.)
1/2 chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts)
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom only of loaf pan, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 or 9x5x3 inches. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Stir in grated orange peel, orange juice and egg just until moistened; stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread in pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 8-inch loaf 1 1/4 hours, 9-inch loaf 55 to 65 minutes; cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.
Yields: 1 loaf (24 slices); 105 calories per slice.
Orange Julius
Ingredients:
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8-9 ice cubes
1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.
2. Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice cubes one at a time.
Coconut Lime Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
2- to 2-1/2-lb. deli-roasted chicken
15-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups water
1/4 cup lime juice (2 medium limes)
3 medium carrots, thinly-sliced diagonally (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Thai seasoning blend
1/4 tsp. salt
Thai seasoning blend (optional)
Fresh cilantro (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)
Directions:
Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken. Shred chicken. In large saucepan combine shredded chicken with coconut milk, water, lime juice, sliced carrots, soy sauce, the 2 teaspoons Thai seasoning and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 8 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender.
To serve, sprinkle bowls of soup with additional Thai seasoning and cilantro. Pass lime wedges.
Makes 4 servings.
Citrus Glazed Chicken
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
In a shallow bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Pound the chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; dip into citrus mixture. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken in oil for about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken. In the same skillet, cook garlic, onions and ginger in butter for 1 minute. Add flour and salt; cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan; sprinkle with parsley. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, turning occasionally.
Lemon Basil Spaghetti
Ingredients:
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.
Lemon-Ricotta Bundles with Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients:
Lemon-Ricotta Filling:
1 container (5 oz) part-skim ricotta
3 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Crêpes:
2 large eggs
1 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
stick butter, melted
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blueberry Sauce:
3 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
Green fruit roll-up or ribbon
Directions:
Filling: Mix ingredients in medium bowl until blended. Scrape into a sieve set over a bowl, cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until excess liquid drains from ricotta.
Meanwhile, make crêpe batter: Combine ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Cover; let rest in refrigerator about 1 hour. You'll need sixteen 7-in. squares of wax paper.
Crêpes: Lightly coat a 6-in. nonstick skillet (measure pan across bottom) with nonstick spray. Place skillet over medium-low heat until pan is hot. Add 2 Tbsp batter, tilt skillet and gently swirl until batter covers bottom. Cook 1 minute, or until underside of crêpe is lightly browned. Loosen edges with a spatula and flip crêpe over. Cook other side 30 seconds. Slide crêpe onto a square of wax paper. Repeat with remaining batter, lightly spraying skillet each time and stacking cooked crêpes between wax paper (the recipe makes 16 crêpes; you'll need only 12).
Blueberry Sauce: Bring 2 cups of the blueberries and remaining sauce ingredients except lemon zest to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 3 minutes, or until berries soften and release their juices. Transfer mixture to a blender and purée; scrape through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. Stir in lemon zest and reserve.
To assemble: Discard drained liquid from filling. Unroll fruit leather and cut twelve 8-in.-long, 1/4-in.-wide strips. Place a rounded Tbsp ricotta filling in center of a crêpe. Gather up edges to form a small bundle and tie with a strip of fruit leather (see photo). Make 11 more bundles.
To serve: Place 2 bundles on each plate. Spoon 1/4 cup sauce around bundles and sprinkle with some of the remaining blueberries. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.
Total time includes draining ricotta
Plan ahead: You can make filling, crêpes and sauce up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Bring crêpes and sauce to room temperature before assembling.
Lemon Glazed Pecan Rolls
Rolls:
½ c. warm water
2 pkgs. dry yeast
2 T. sugar
1 (3.5-oz.) pkg. vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
6 cups flour
Filling:
1 cup, softened
1/2 cup sugar
zest from one lemon
1 cup chopped pecans
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4-5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In large bowl,
take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add margarine/butter, eggs and
salt. Mix well. Next add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Place
in a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise, until doubled. Punch down and let rise again. Then
roll out on floured board to 34x21 inches. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface.
Sprinkle sugar and lemon zest over top of dough. Add pecans. Roll up very tightly. With knife,
put a notch every 2 inches. Cut with thread, dental floss, or knife. Place on lightly greased cookie
sheet 2 inches apart. Take hand and lightly press down on each. Cover and let rise until double
again. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Take out when they start to turn golden. Do not
overbake. Frost warm rolls with lemon glaze. Combine all ingredients and mix
until smooth.
Makes about 20 very large rolls.
We hope you enjoy!
