"Layer Up in the Cold" @ Janet's

Drink- Spiked “Layer”ed Hot Mocha Bicerin: Danielle

Ingredients:

·         1 cup  cup  whipping cream

·         1 1/2  cup  chopped semisweet chocolate

·         5  tablespoons  sugar, divided, plus more to taste

·         2 cup s hot brewed espresso

·         3 shots Kahlua

·         teaspoon  unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place cream in a bowl and chill until very cold, about 15 minutes. Fill 4 heatproof glasses (6 to 8 oz. each) with boiling water.
2. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring 1 cup water and 3 shots kahlua to a boil. Reduce heat to low and whisk in chopped chocolate until smoothly blended. Add 1 tbsp. sugar. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture thickens slightly and coats spoon in a thin layer, 3 to 5 minutes. Cover and keep hot.
3. Whip cream with 1 tbsp. sugar until thick, but before peaks form (cream should still be pourable). Mix remaining 1/2 tbsp. sugar with hot espresso.
4. Drain water from glasses. Pour one-quarter of hot chocolate into a glass. Hold a spoon, concave side down, at about a 45° angle so tip of spoon touches inside of glass, slightly above chocolate. Very slowly, pour one-quarter of espresso over back of spoon. Repeat for each glass. Spoon thick cream onto espresso, dividing evenly between glasses. Sift a bit of cocoa over cream if you like. Serve immediately.

 

Salad 1- “Layer”ed Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing: Brennan

Ingredients

·         2 large heads of garlic

·         2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 cup mayonnaise

·         1/2 cup buttermilk

·         1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

·         2 large heads of romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces (about 16 cups)

·         1 large fresh fennel bulb, halved, cored, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

·         1 15- to 15 1/2-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained

·         1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives

·         1 12-ounce container grape tomatoes, halved

·         2 medium zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (about 2 cups)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut off top 1/2 inch from garlic heads. Place garlic heads on foil, cut sides up. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Enclose garlic in foil. Roast until soft, about 1 hour. Unwrap; cool. Squeeze garlic from skins into blender. Add mayonnaise and buttermilk; puree. Add basil; blend until chopped. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place lettuce in bottom of large glass bowl. Top with fennel slices, then garbanzo beans, olives, and tomatoes. Spread zucchini over salad, covering. Spread dressing over zucchini. Cover; chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
3. Just before serving, toss salad.

 

Salad 2-Dried Fig Salad “Layer”ed with Flavors: Meredith

Ingredients

·         8 large handfuls salad greens—such as red leaf, spinach, arugula, frisée, or premixed mesclun

·         8 generous tablespoons chopped port soaked figs

·         6 tablespoons chopped candied walnuts

·         Tart Apple Dressing

·         8 tablespoons crumbled Valdeon (Spanish blue cheese), or your favorite blue cheese

Port Soaked Figs:

·         8 generous tablespoons chopped figs

·         2 1/3 cups Ruby Port

·         ½ cup packed golden brown sugar

Pour port and brown sugar in a small pot. Once port mixture is simmering add the dried figs and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let sit for 1 hour. Remove the figs from excess liquid.

Apple Dressing:

·         3 tbsp vegetable oil

·         3 3tbsp tbsp(45 mL) apple juiceapple juice

·         3 3tbsp tbsp(45 mL) cider vinegar

·         1 1tbsp tbsp(15 mL) minced shallotshallots

·         2 2tsp tsp(10 mL) granulated sugar

·         1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) dried thyme

·         1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) salt1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) pepper

·         1/2 1/2tart appletart apples, peeled and finely chopped

In small bowl, whisk together oil, apple juice, vinegar, shallot, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper; stir in apple. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Preparation

Place the salad greens, figs, walnuts, and dressing in a bowl and toss. Divide among plates and crumble the blue cheese on top of each salad.

Appetizer 1- Spinach Pastry Diamond “Layer”s: Megan

Ingredients

·         1 package (17.3 oz.) Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets)

·         2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

·         ½ cup finely chopped onion

·         1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

·         1 can (10 ¾ oz.)  Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup

·         4 eggs

·         1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese

·         ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         1 tablespoon water

Preparation

1. Thaw pastry sheets at room temperature 30 min. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and cook until tender. Add spinach.
3. Mix soup, 3 eggs, cheese and nutmeg. Stir in spinach mixture.
4. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll into 13"x9" rectangle. Place pastry in 13"x9" baking dish. Spread spinach mixture on pastry.
5. Roll remaining pastry sheet to 13"x9" rectangle. Place on spinach mixture. Tuck in edges.
6. Mix remaining egg and water. Brush pasty with egg mixture.
7. Bake for 40 min. or until pastry is puffed and browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut in a diamond pattern to make 35 pieces.

Appetizer 2- Brie en Croute “Layer”ed with Dried Cherries, Pecans and Rosemary: Kelly

Ingredients

·         1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)

·         1 egg

·         1 tablespoon water

·         1/3 cup dried cherries, softened* (To soften cherries, mix the cherries and 1/2 cup hot water in a small bowl. Let stand for 1 minute. Drain and pat the cherries dry. )

·         1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

·         1/4 cup honey

·         1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed

·         1 (13.2 ounces) Brie cheese  round

·         1 package (26 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Entertaining Quartet Distinctive Crackers or 1 French Baguette sliced

 Preparation

1.       Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it's easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.   

2.       Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square.

3.       Stir the cherries, pecans, honey and rosemary in a small bowl. Spread the cherry mixture into the center of the pastry square.

4.       Top with the cheese round.

5.       Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg mixture.

6.       Fold two opposite sides of the pastry over the cheese. Trim the remaining two sides of the pastry square to 2-inches from the edge of the cheese. Fold the sides up onto the cheese and press the edges to seal.

7.       Place the pastry-wrapped cheese seam-side down onto a baking sheet.  Brush the pastry with the egg mixture

8.        Decorate the top with pastry scraps or additional rosemary, if desired. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture.

9.       Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with the crusty French Bread or Table Crackers.

Side 1- Layered Pasta Bake: Jill

Ingredients

·         14 oz can diced tomatoes

·         1/2 cup tomato puree

·         1 tsp dried thyme

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         10 sun-dried tomatoes, crushed (I used oil packed sun-dried tomatoes)

·         8 oz crumbled feta

·         3 cups dried pasta (penne or fusilli or rigatoni)

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         3 medium zucchini, sliced

·         1/2 cup cheddar, grated

·         freshly chopped basil to garnish

Preparation

1.      In a medium saucepan, simmer the tomatoes, tomato puree, and water with the thyme, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. When the sauce has reduced and thickened a little (about 8-10 min), add the feta. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Drain, and mix thoroughly with the tomato sauce.

2.      Saute the onion and zucchini for about 5 min.

3.      Spread half of the pasta mixture in a 13x9 baking dish and layer the zucchini mixture on top. Cover with the rest of the pasta mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350 F for 20 min. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

Side 2- “Layer”ed Roasted Vegetable and Boursin CheeseTerrine with Sun Dried Tomato Sauce: Jamie

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound) globe eggplant, stem and bottom end trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound zucchini, stems and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, stems and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 10 ounces Boursin Cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large red bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted, with cores, seeds and skins removed
• 2 large yellow bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted, with cores, seeds and skins removed
• 16 ounces fresh spinach, washed and stems removed, blanched and squeezed dry
• Sun-dried Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
• Toasted croutons, as an accompaniment

Preparation

1.      Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2.      Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with olive oil. Lay the eggplant, zucchini, and squash slices in a flat layer, slightly overlapping. Brush with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and just golden around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining vegetable slices.

3.      In a large bowl, combine the boursin cheese with the basil, parsley, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and mix well.

4.      In a 6-cup terrine (12 by 3 by 3-inches), arrange the eggplant slices across the bottom and over the sides, overlapping the slices to completely cover the terrine. Top with slices of red pepper, zucchini, squash, spinach, and yellow pepper. Crumble a layer of the Boursin Cheese  mixture on top of the yellow pepper, and repeat layering with the remaining vegetable slices. Wrap the overhanging eggplant over the bottom of the terrine. Wrap the terrine loosely in plastic wrap. Top with an equal sized terrine, or a piece of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil. Place a brick on top of the terrine and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

5.      Remove from the refrigerator. Remove the weight and unwrap. Slice with a very sharp knife and serve 1 large or 2 thin slices per person with the Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and toasted croutons.

Sun-dried tomato sauce:

·         1 cup tightly packed sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), reconstituted in hot water and drained

·         1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

·         1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

·         1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper and black pepper, and puree on high speed. With the motor running, gradually add the oil through the feed tube and process until well combined.

Pour into a container until ready to serve.

Yield: about 2 cups

 

Entrée- Chicken Cordon Bleu “Layer”ed Italian Style: Janet

Ingredients

·         2 cups basil – rinsed and dried (like lettuce)

·         4 Tbsp. pine nuts – toasted until medium brown

·         1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

·         2 cloves fresh garlic – raw

·         Extra virgin olive oil to bring together (about 1/3-1/2 cup)

·         1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

·         1/2 tsp lemon zest – grated on a microplane

·         Salt to taste

·         Dash of black pepper

Preparation

1.       Next you can start with the chicken roulade.  The key with any roulade is to get the meat into a ‘roll-able’ shape.  The way I do this is to take the chicken breast and place it between two separate pieces of saran wrap and pond it with a meat mallet or rolling pin (what I use).  Make sure you pound it out very evenly, to around 1/4 inch thickness.  You want to make sure that the chicken breast is pounded very thin, but not ripped or torn at all.

2.       Preheat the oven to 400 F.  You can now add the fillings to the chicken.  Remove the top saran wrap from the pounded chicken, but leave the bottom half below.  Start with the pesto – smear a thin layer of pesto onto the chicken over only 1/2 of the breast.  Make sure you use a decent amount of pesto (at least I do, because I really like the flavor of the basil).  Next, add the prosciutto, one layer at a time, try to use around 2 thin slices of prosciutto topped evenly over the pesto.  Next, add the Gruyere cheese on the top of the prosciutto.  It should all pile up on the lower half of the chicken breast.

3.       You then want to roll the breast up into formation.  Start at the bottom of the breast where the fillings are.  Pick up the saran wrap and fold the bottom part of the chicken breast up to wrap up the fillings.  Pull back the saran wrap and roll the rest of the chicken up in full, leaving the saran wrap around the rolled breast.  You then want to wrap the breasts up tight inside the wrap and twist the ends up to seal the chicken up tightly.  Place the wrapped chicken in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the dish.

4.       You should now set up the breading station.  Add the flour to a plate or bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Whisk the eggs with a splash of water and set them next to the flour.  You then want to add the thyme to the bread crumbs and place in a pan with the butter over medium heat and gently melt the butter into the bread crumbs.  Letting the bread crumbs cook a bit will help them brown in the oven.  Once you cook the crumbs a bit, move them to another plate.

5.       Take the chicken out of the fridge and dredge in the flour, then move to the egg and lightly coat with egg mixture.  You then want to coat the chicken with the bread crumb mixture and place in an oven proof dish.  Bake the chicken in the heated oven for around 25-30 minutes, then remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Dessert 1a.- “Layer”ed Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle: Denise

Ingredients

• 2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix  (They recommend Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Mix)
• 1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Preparation

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

 

Or Dessert 1b.- Mother Load “Layer”ed Cookie Bars: Denise

(You can substitute all cookie dough with store bought cookie dough)

Ingredients/Preparation

·         Layer 1: Sugar Cookie

1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been lined foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

·         Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in chips. Layer 1/2 the recipe over sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.

·         Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

1 Cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1.  Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined.  Press over chocolate cookie dough.

·         Layer 4:  Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips
1.  Make sure oven is preheated to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bolw; mix to combine.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips.  Spoon 1/2 of the dough evenly over peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through.  Edges will be brown.  I covered pan with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
2.  Let cookies cool completely.  Lift out of pan with edges of foil.  I cut off 1/2 inch edges and just used softer centers, but do as you wish.  Edges are crispier.  Drizzle top with 1/2 Cup melted chocolate chips if desired.
*Note:  You can layer dough and refrigerate until ready to bake.  8 large bars (if you cut off edges), 12 bars (if you keep edges)

Dessert 2- “Layer”ed Frozen Hot Chocolate: Marcie

Ingredients

• 3 ounces best-quality chocolate (or a variety of your favorites)
• 2 teaspoons store bought hot chocolate mix (recommended: Serendipity Frozen Hot Chocolate Mix)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups ice
• Whipped cream, for garnish
• Chocolate shavings, for garnish

Preparation

1.      Chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a small heavy saucepan or in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until blended.

2.      Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender, place the remaining 1 cup of milk, the chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cram and chocolate shavings.