Last Friday I wrote about planning one thing every week to look forward to, and this week I had a doozy! 🙂 I kept catching myself grinning at work, while puttering away at my chores or out on my walk, simply because today I get to head down south to spend a whole weekend with one of my very besties – Trish!! Her hubby is such a luv, totally cool with us having an utterly girlie weekend of movies, reading, eating whatever suits our fancy, and of course, talking our heads off. 🙂 I can’t wait!! 🙂
My contribution to our feasting is, of course, dessert! 🙂 Inspired by finding my missing old-fashioned jelly molds (yay!), I experimented with another gelatin creation.
Since the latte version was such a hit last week, I had to try it again, this time layered with creamy blackberry. Mmm. It was great using my coppery molds for the first time, and I think the results are so fun – like something out of Dr. Seuss or Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. 🙂 I thought I got all the gelatin dissolved, but when the finished product shlooped out of the pan (yes, it did make that sound :-)), I realized I did not. It looks like I added toasted coconut to the bottom of the mold. 🙂 We’ll just pretend I meant it to look like that. 🙂
Fake toasted coconut or not, I love the flavors of this dessert. Made with half water and half fat-free evaporated milk, the texture is smooth and creamy, the flavors rich but not too sweet. Yum! 🙂
Last night I thought I was having company, but work intervened at the last moment and they weren’t able to come. Sadness. 🙁 On the bright side, I have a beautifully set table and heaps of fab leftovers so I won’t have to cook for days. HUZZAH! 🙂
I started with Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts. Ever since seeing them on Kevin’s blog the other day, I simply had to try them. So I popped in the next dvd in the Churchill’s Bodyguard series and set to work. 🙂
Ooeee – how I love the caramelized sprouts drenched in the zingy dressing and sprinkled with beautifully browned nuts. Delish. 🙂
I also made one of my favorite salads – green bean with feta and basil. Mums found the recipe years ago and every time I see bundles of fresh green beans I want to make it. The beans are lightly steamed until they’re bright green, immediately dunked in ice water until cool, then drained, dried and mixed with feta cheese, basil and a dijon vinaigrette. Mmm – such perky flavors!
I served both dishes with fresh kalamata olive bread from the bakery, warmed in the oven and dipped in fruity olive oil. Delectable! 🙂
Now I must go pack: flannel pjs and woolly socks, too-tall-stack-of-books-to-read, ipod with old time radio mysteries for the drive down, yup! I’m ready to go! 🙂
Happy Weekend, dear ones! 🙂
Mum’s Green Bean Salad with Feta and Basil
Ingredients:
3 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 4-oz package Feta cheese, crumbled or grated
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut in ribbons
Directions:
- Place beans in steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 4 minutes or until crisp tender. Plunge in ice water. Drain.
- Whisk together Dijon mustard and next four ingredients in large bowl.
- Add beans, feta and basil. Toss gently to coat.
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts
(From Closet Cooking)
Ingredients:
2 pounds brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup pine nuts slices (toasted)
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated, optional)
Directions:
- Toss the brussels sprouts in the oil along with the salt and pepper.
- Arrange the brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast in a preheated 400F oven until they start to caramelize, flipping them once in between, about 30 minutes.
- Toss the brussels sprouts in the balsamic vinaigrette along with the pine nuts and garnish with the parmigiano reggiano.
Latte Gelatin – posted here🙂
Blackberry Gelatin
Ingredients:
1 box blackberry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1 can evaporated milk
Directions:
- Pour Jell-O mix in bowl, add boiling water and stir until granules are dissolved. Let sit until lukewarm.
- Add evaporated milk and stir until incorporated.
- Pour into mold and chill for 2 hours.