Saturday, June 27, 2009

July 1st @ 3:00pm Cooking Club

Italian Tomato Cream Sauce with Fresh Basil Pasta
Salad of Choice

Presented by Rachel Vaughn

For the Sauce:
28 oz can crushed tomatoes (or equiv. of fresh tomatoes)
One bunch fresh Basil
One medium Onion
4-6 cloves of Garlic
One box Penne pasta (rachel recommends barilla brand for al dente)
One small carton of heavy whipping cream
One block of parmesan cheese (not pre grated)
Optional: italian sausage, pre cooked
Olive Oil- rachel to provide
Sea Salt- rachel to provide
Sugar - rachel to provide


For the Salad:
Mixed Greens
Vegtables you like in salads

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

June 26th, cooking club

Pesto Salmon or Chicken

Tossed Greens

And Italian Loaf


This is a light summer meal that you can grill, broil, or pan fry. Learn how to make real pesto, delicious homemade salad dressing, and fragrant, mouthwatering bread. You can substitute any kind of fish, or even chicken if you are not into seafood.


Ingredients:


Enough Fish or chicken for your family about 4 oz per adult, 2 oz per child


This recipe for pesto makes enough for 4… bring more ingredients if you have more in your family.

2 cloves garlic, crushed 

2 cups, packed, coarsely chopped basil leaves (you can use spinach but not highly recommended)

Coarse salt 

1/4 tablespoon pine nuts (although optional, these make pesto authentic!)

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1/2 to 1/3 cup olive oil

For the Salad

Enough salad greens for your family

1 cup nuts: pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts

1/8 cup sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup fresh fruit: strawberries, grapes, apples, oranges

Avocado (optional)

1 small red onion

Feta cheese (optional)

For the Salad Dressing( I don’t use measurements for this one)

Olive oil

Strawberry or Raspberry jam

Apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar, or white 

Salt

Pepper


For 1 medium loaf of bread:


2 ½ Tbsp. butter

1 tbsp sugar or honey

2/3 cup parmesan cheese

¾ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp rosemary

3 cups flour ( you can use any combination of flour you like) I will use 1/3 white 1/3 oat and 1/3 wheat

1 ½ tsp instant yeast


Tools


I will need a couple of people to bring food processors and kitchen aids unless we want to knead the bread by hand…boring! 

We will need small knives to cut fruit

Whisk

Basting brush if you have one (not necessary)

Salad bowl

Dish for raw meat

Dish for pesto

Container with a tight lid for salad dressing

Pan or stone to bake bread on

Mixing bowl for bread

Plastic wrap or towel for bread 

We will be caramelizing nuts so we need a couple sheet pans for that and a couple of saucepans

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Cooking Club Change

The parking lot is having some work down on wednesday, so Cooking Club is being relocated to friday afternoon.  Everything is going to be the same, except it will take place on friday.  Don't forget to RSVP on sunday (tomorrow).  
ps. mentioning it to me (rebecca brown) in passing on sunday does not count! i will forget.
rebecca

Monday, June 8, 2009

June 17th, Cooking Club InstructionsChicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie


Barb Erskine ….Call or email me if you have any questions before hand…941-4611 or  erskinedr@mstar2.net


Before you come…Boil your chicken till tender in at least 4 cups of water….we’ll salt when we prepare the pie.  You can use chicken breasts or cook up an entire chicken and then debone it.  Cut meat into about one inch size pieces.  .  IF you’ve never cooked a whole chicken, please feel free to call for instructions.  If you cook the chicken a day ahead and refrigerate, the fat will rise to the top of the broth and you can skim it all off easily.  May not be necessary if you are just using skinless breast meat.   


BRING To the class

* 2-3 cups cooked chicken…a layer on the bottom of your baking pan.

*About 4 cups of the broth in a 6-8 quart pot…so it won’t slosh in the car and  then you’ll cook the gravy in it at church.  

* 3 cups of flour….for pastry and to thicken gravy

*Shortening….My mom taught me crusts with shortening and I have not made the transition to oil ….so if you make yours with oil please feel free to bring the oil.  IF you do not have any shortening and wish to use mine, bring 30 cents.  I’ll try to experiment with oil before the class day if I have time to give you my opinion.           For 9X9 pan…..61/2 Tablespoons of Shortening

                        For 9X13 pan….8 Tablespoons of Shortening

*Potatoes…about 4-6 medium…unless you like lots.   You can peel at home and even precook just slightly for quicker baking time later.  Raw vegetables take 1 ½ hours for the pie to bake.  Cooked vegetables take between 40 minutes to an hour.  I will bring a microwave bowl if someone cares to precook potatoes or carrots in the kitchen.  

*Small raw onion and stalk of celery IF your family likes them.  Don’t need precooking. 

*2- 3 different veggies your family likes….can of corn, green beans, peas or carrots maybe.  If you are making a smaller pie….maybe you can share a cans of things with another sister.  If you choose to use frozen, bring about the equivalent of 3 cans ….or mixed vegetables are great.


Utensils you’ll need:

*9X9 or 9X13 size pan depending on your family size.  If you think you’ll need it between those sizes, you’ll need the bigger pan and you’ll just not make it as deep.

* Cookie sheet to go under your completed creation to catch any gravy slops on the way home and as it bakes and bubbles in the oven.  This beats cleaning the oven later. And maybe an old dish towel to lay over your creation for the ride home.  

*Pan that your broth is in

*Sharp knife to cut potatoes/vegetables

*Cutting board

*Vegetable Peeler …unless you peel with a knife

Don't Forget to RSVP, you can rsvp by commenting or by emailing rsvp to whwrss@gmail.com