May 2016 Recipes

May Recipes (a work in progress)

Victorian Tea

Lana Andrews

From Taste of Home, July 2000

4 individual tea bags

4 cups boiling water

1 can (11 ½ oz.) frozen cranberry-raspberry juice, thawed

4 cups cold water

Ice cubes and fresh mint for garnish

Place tea bags in teapot and add boiling water.  Steep for 5 minutes – then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Combine thawed juice and cold water.  Stir well. Stir in iced tea.  Serve over ice cubes and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Sparkling Sangria
Phyllis Cutrell

1 bottle white sweet wine, chilled (like Riesling)
1 cup orange juice
Sliced orange
Sliced lemon
Sliced fresh strawberries (I used about a pint)
1 bottle champagne chilled

Place sliced fruits in pitcher and mix with orange juice. Pour wine over fruit and juice and chill several hours. Prior to serving add a bottle of champagne.

Honey Chicken Salad
Phyllis Cutrell

4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 celery ribs, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1-1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine chicken, celery, dried cranberries and pecans. Whisk together mayonnaise and honey, salt and pepper. Add to chicken mixture and stir gently.

Asparagus Roll-Ups

Lana Andrews

16 fresh asparagus spears

16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

2 tablespoons fresh chives (okay to use dried, but fresh is preferred)

¼ cup butter, melted

3 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp-tender. Drain.

Flatten bread with a rolling pin.  Combine cream cheese, bacon and chives. Spread 1 tablespoon on each slice of bread. Top with asparagus spear.  Roll up tightly – seam side down on baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Cut each roll-up in half.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned.

Chicken-Broccoli Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon

Lana Andrews

*Believe it or not, this is considered a light dish – 340 calories.

6 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

3 cups broccoli florets

3 to 4 bacon slices – crumbled

12 ounces boneless cooked chicken breasts – cut into ½ inch pieces.  (I cooked the chicken in oven)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1¼ cups low-fat milk

1 cup unsalted chicken broth

¼ cup, plus 1 teaspoon flour

5 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1¼ cups)

Cook pasta according to directions. Add broccoli to pan for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.  Cook bacon in skillet for about 4 to 5 minutes until browned.  Remove bacon from pan and cook garlic in drippings.  Whisk together milk, stock and flour; add to drippings and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes until thickened, Stir in chicken and pasta and half of the cheese. Transfer to an ovenproof serving dish. Top with remaining cheese and crumbled bacon.  Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.

Strawberry Fields Salad
Phyllis Cutrell

4 nectarines, sliced (I had to use peaches as nectarines unavailable)
1 package mixed salad greens
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 green tomato, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 package (3.5 ounces) pecans, toasted
3/4 cup lemon poppy seed dressing (see below)

Toss nectarines with 1/4 cup lemon poppy seed dressing. Layer greens, nectarines, strawberries, and next 4 ingredients in a large glass bowl. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 8 hours. Toss salad with remaining dressing right before serving.

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt

Process all ingredients in a blender or shake well until smooth. May store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Patriotic Trifle
Phyllis Cutrell

1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 pre-made angel food cake, sliced into 1 inch slices
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream
2 pints blueberries
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced

Heat 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract.

Brush both sides of cake slices with syrup. Tear or cut cake into small pieces.
Beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Add the cream and beat on medium high until consistency of whipped cream.

Arrange half the cake cubes in the bottom o a trifle dish. Sprinkle with a layer of blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle more blueberries and top with remaining cream mixture. Finish with remaining strawberries and blueberries arranging them in a decorative pattern. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.