Manika's Lamb & Pork Kebab Wontons
with Yoghurt Chutney Slaw
Since this dish was cooked to taste, this is a rough outline of a recipe for these delicious little appetizers. Make sure to try your hand at these! They were the hit of the party!
Kebabs
1 pound fresh ground lamb
1 pound fresh ground pork
seasoning to taste, spices, salt, garlic, ginger, etc.
Wontons
pre-made wonton skins
olive oil
Yoghurt Chutney Slaw
chopped avocado
sliced cabbage
yoghurt
mango chutney
jalapenos
parsley
Heat oven to 350.
Combine meats with seasonings of choice. Handle meat as little as possible and form into loose balls. Place on baking tray and cook until done, about 20 minutes. (Think meatballs here.)
Oil muffin pan and place wonton skin in each opening. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes until lightly brown.
For Yoghurt Slaw
Combine yoghurt, chutney, parsley, cabbage, jalapenos, avocado, and seasoning.
To Serve
Place kebab meatballs in wonton cups. Serve warm. Top with yoghurt slaw just before serving.
Mango Lime Quinoa
This dish is super light, fresh, and just plain delicious!
Quinoa
1 cup dry quinoa
2 mangoes peeled and chopped
finely chopped Serrano chili with seeds
2 tomatoes seeded and chopped
juice of 2 limes
1 can black beans rinsed until water runs clear
salt
Topping
small red onion chopped
fresh chopped cilantro
Cook quinoa. Stir in remaining ingredients. Top with onion and cilantro.
Can be served warm or cold.
Lasagna Soup
An interesting take on an Italian classic!
Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 pounds Italian sausage
2 large onions, diced 1 large bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced oregano basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
small can tomato paste
large can (28 oz) diced, stewed or crushed tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 box lasagna noodles
Cheese
8 oz ricotta
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
black pepper
1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese (this can be mixed in, or reserved on the side a soup topping)
In big pan add oil and heat. Add onions and pepper. Saute slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Chop sausage into chunks, and add to pan. Cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, basil and red pepper, and tomato paste. Stir. Add can of tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir. Simmer 30 minutes. Add pasta. Break it into small pieces before cooking. Cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine your cheeses and pepper in a separate bowl. To serve, place some of the cheese mixture into a bowl, then add hot soup! Voila!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
An awesomely simple, tasty side dish!
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling later
1/4 cup honey 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.
Remove potatoes from oven and transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with more olive oil.
Christa's Cheese Cake Cupcakes
This one is another of my mom's recipes. It's super easy, super delicious and super quick to make. Plus, if you leave off the graham cracker crust, it's also gluten free!
Cheesecake
16oz cream cheese (2 8oz packages)
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
cupcake papers
Topping
1 can or jar cherry pie filling
Graham Cracker Crust: the fancy way (Traditional graham cracker crust)
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 1 full sleeve)
5 tbsp butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
---------------or------------------
Graham Cracker Crust: the lazy way
1 box of Nilla Wafers
Put cupcake papers in cupcake pan.
For graham cracker crust the lazy way: Drop 1 Nilla wafer in each cupcake paper. Easy!
For graham cracker crust the fancy way:
Crush up graham crackers. You can do this while the sleeve is still closed with a rolling pin or take them out of the sleeve and use a food processor to grind them. Make sure they are finely ground. Melt butter and combine into a bowl with graham cracker crumbs and add sugar and cinnamon.
Place a tbsp of mixture into each cupcake paper. Pat down into paper. Bake for about 3 minutes at 350.
Cheesecake
Blend cream cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla into a large bowl. Pour mixture into the cupcakes papers with the previously made graham cracker crust so that they are about 3/4 full.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Cool! Top with a tbsp of cherry topping! Make sure to refrigerate! Wooo!
Yield 18 cupcakes.
- Christa
Booze Pairings!
Rachel returns so we broke out the big alcohol guns!
Selectus, Bogeda Los Aljibes. $50
For Racheal's brief, one night return, I sprung for something a little pricey. I have had my eye on it for a while, and tonight was the night to take the plunge. It was totally worth it! The Selectus is an exceptionally modern, powerful and spectacular wine. It has a brilliant, deep cherry color. With a highly complex nose containing hints of minerals and Indian ink, the Selectus has toasted reminiscences which give way to an aroma of mature dark colored fruits like blackcurrant, raspberry, and prune. It's a flavorsome, smooth wine which is appetizing and highly attractive. A wine that is fleshy, oily and perfectly balanced, it is full-flavored, yet surprisingly mellow, is exciting to the palate, and transmits sensations to all five senses.
Domaine Carneros by Taittinger $25
This cuvée has aromas of freesias, baked pear, melon and citrus peel enhanced with notes of toast and vanilla. The wine has a solid structure, it is round and flavorful with a long creamy finish. So yeah, its just really good...and Rachel loves bubbles :)
-Phoebe
Sarah, Laura & Jamie strike a pose; Rachel & Manika get close; Roommates re-united!
Popsicles!; Our plates for the evening
Cheers!
Christa, Rachel & Phoebe
About Rachel
Rachel is the "professional drinker" of the group. She currently resides in California and graduated from Boston University's Culinary Arts program in the Fall of 2010. Rachel's true love is booze, which is why she is drank her way through the Elizabeth Bishop and Master Sommelier programs. She has traveled the world drinking wine but her favorite spot is among her ladies! You can check what Rachel's up to and what's new in the world of wine with some great videos, reviews and more at TastingRoom.com!
