08.02.25 Delicious Details

Last night’s delicious details:

Starter:

Cheese Board

Assorted Cheeses, crackers & fruits

Salad:

Mesclun Salad with Blue Cheese & Candied Walnuts

Main Course:

Stuffed Cornish Game Hen with Raspberry Sauce (Recipe)

Cornish Game Hens with a dry garlic-pepper rub, stuffed with Long-Grain & Wild Rice, roasted and drizzled with a raspberry reduction sauce

Side:

Vegetable Medley (Recipe)

Red Peppers, Squash, Broccoli & Onions

Dessert:

Pear Champagne Sorbet (Recipe)

Four kinds of fresh pears sautéed in Champagne, blended with heavy cream and a touch of nutmeg

Music:

Amelie Soundtrack

French Café (Compilation CD)

Ratatouille Soundtrack

Main Course

Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Raspberry Sauce

(based on recipe from epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp Pepper
• ½ tsp Garlic Powder
• 4 Cornish Game Hens, skin on
• 1 box Rice a Roni Long-Grain & Wild Rice Mix, cooked
• Skewers
• ½ cup Butter
• ½ cup Honey
• 15 oz frozen, whole, unsweetened Raspberries, thawed
• ½ cup Water
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Lemon Peel, grated

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450.
2. Combine the pepper and garlic powder in a small bowl, divide in half. Pat hens dry inside and out. Season cavities with half of the pepper mixture. Fill cavities with rice, and close using skewers. Tuck wings under, and place hens in a roasting pan.
3. Melt butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk to combine. Brush honey mixture over hens. Reserve remaining honey mixture. Sprinkle hens with remaining pepper mixture.
4. Bake hens until juices run clear when thighs are pierced in thickest part. Bake for 40 minutes, basting the hens every 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine raspberries, water, sugar and lemon peel in a heavy saucepan over med-high heat. Cook until sauce thickens, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Sieve sauce to remove seeds, if desired.
6. Transfer hens to a cutting board. Cut each in half. Transfer hens with stuffing to plates. Spoon sauce over.

Serves 8

Side Dish

Vegetable Medley

(based on recipe from Foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 large Red Bell Pepper, chopped into 1 ½ inch pieces
• 1 Broccoli head, florets snipped into 1 ½ inch pieces
• 1 Yellow Squash, chopped into 1 ½ inch pieces
• 1 Green Squash, chopped into 1 ½ inch pieces
• 1 Yellow Onion, chopped into 1 ½ inch pieces
• Vegetable Oil
• Juice from ½ a lemon.
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Coat the bottom of a skillet with vegetable or other oil.
2. Add all ingredients to the skillet, drizzle with lemon juice and season with salt & pepper to taste.
3. Cook all ingredients on medium heat until veggies are tender but not limp, stirring occasionally, about 5 – 10 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Dessert

Pear-Champagne Sorbet

(based on recipe from Cooking.com)

Ingredients:

• 4 large Pears (preferably different varieties), peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 cups sparkling wine, Champagne, or fruity white wine, such as Riesling, Semillon, or Chenin Blanc (we used a Riesling)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 to 3 tablespoons pear brandy (optional, we didn’t use it)

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the pears, wine, sugar, nutmeg, and lemon juice and simmer until the pears are soft, about 10 -20 minutes depending on pears. Lightly mash fruit if desired.
2. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
3. Stir in the cream.
4. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the mixture is almost completely frozen, blend in the brandy, if desired.
5. Serve with lace cookies and a sprig of mint in crystal bowls
   

Serves 8