Recipes - Parents' Weekend 2011
I'm glad to say that the food for the weekend with my folks was a success!
To save a lot of typing, I found links to most of the recipes, which I will happily share.
Dad's Dinner
Pork Medallions with Blueberry-Balsamic Ketchup*
Mixed Greens with Blueberries, Feta, and Pine Nuts (Note: It's the last recipe listed)*
Wild Rice with Barley and Mushrooms (see below)
Blueberry-Strawberry Surprise*
Mom's Brunch
Griddled Corncakes with Cinnamon-Honey Yogurt*
Brown Sugar Bacon Twists
Yogurt Panna Cotta with Blueberries
* Recipes shared by my birth mother (a.k.a. Michigan Momma, or MM) via the Bay City Times
Wild Rice with Barley and Mushrooms
from Angie Alexander
1 small onion, chopped
1 stick butter
1 1/4 c. wild rice
2 t. pearl barley
4 c. beef broth
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. pepper
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
Melt 1/4 c. butter in 3 quart pan. Add onion and saute until tender. Add broth and rice. Cook by package directions or until tender. Add barley so that rice and barley are done at the same time.
Let stand-uncovered-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Saute mushrooms in remaining butter and mix with rice. Note that rice is rarely done by the time indicated on the package. Allow enough time to continue to cook rice until moisture is gone.
Amy's alterations: I tried this in a rice cooker and it worked beautifully. I sauteed the onions and mushrooms together, and then poured everything in the rice cooker. Voila! That's all, and it was beautiful. However, a 3 cup capacity cooker is almost too small. I suggest 4 cup or greater to avoid any spill-over.
Other Notes:
The panna cotta calls for gelatin sheets. I did find them at Central Market, and they were really easy to manage. As the recipe indicates, I soaked them in cold water until they were soft. Not sure I wrung out the excess water quite enough as I didn't want to tear or otherwise damage the sheets, but the panna cotta still set up nicely so no worries there. The beauty of the sheets/leaves as opposed to granular is the smoothness. No lumps, no bumps.
I loved the pork medallions, but I wanted the ketchup to be just a tad tangier. Still, it was very tasty and there was enough left over for a whole second batch of medallions. The salad was also very plentiful and I couldn't stop eating it! The dressing was so light and really allowed the salad ingredients to come through without overpowering.
LOVED the Griddled Corncakes, too. They were so light and fluffy due to all the whipped egg whites, and the yogurt in them made them really moist. I bet a fruit garnish on top wouldn't go amiss, either.
If you try, let me know the results, and I hope you enjoy!
To save a lot of typing, I found links to most of the recipes, which I will happily share.
Dad's Dinner
Mom's Brunch
* Recipes shared by my birth mother (a.k.a. Michigan Momma, or MM) via the Bay City Times
Wild Rice with Barley and Mushrooms
from Angie Alexander
1 small onion, chopped
1 stick butter
1 1/4 c. wild rice
2 t. pearl barley
4 c. beef broth
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. pepper
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
Melt 1/4 c. butter in 3 quart pan. Add onion and saute until tender. Add broth and rice. Cook by package directions or until tender. Add barley so that rice and barley are done at the same time.
Let stand-uncovered-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Saute mushrooms in remaining butter and mix with rice. Note that rice is rarely done by the time indicated on the package. Allow enough time to continue to cook rice until moisture is gone.
Amy's alterations: I tried this in a rice cooker and it worked beautifully. I sauteed the onions and mushrooms together, and then poured everything in the rice cooker. Voila! That's all, and it was beautiful. However, a 3 cup capacity cooker is almost too small. I suggest 4 cup or greater to avoid any spill-over.
Other Notes:
The panna cotta calls for gelatin sheets. I did find them at Central Market, and they were really easy to manage. As the recipe indicates, I soaked them in cold water until they were soft. Not sure I wrung out the excess water quite enough as I didn't want to tear or otherwise damage the sheets, but the panna cotta still set up nicely so no worries there. The beauty of the sheets/leaves as opposed to granular is the smoothness. No lumps, no bumps.
I loved the pork medallions, but I wanted the ketchup to be just a tad tangier. Still, it was very tasty and there was enough left over for a whole second batch of medallions. The salad was also very plentiful and I couldn't stop eating it! The dressing was so light and really allowed the salad ingredients to come through without overpowering.
LOVED the Griddled Corncakes, too. They were so light and fluffy due to all the whipped egg whites, and the yogurt in them made them really moist. I bet a fruit garnish on top wouldn't go amiss, either.
If you try, let me know the results, and I hope you enjoy!