APPETIZER
ASPARAGUS SPEARS WITH PROSCIUTTO
Ingredients:
2 bunches of asparagus
12 ounces of thinly slice prosciutto
Preheat oven to 350°. Wash asparagus and cut off ends so that spears are uniform in length. Let dry thoroughly. Cut prosciutto slices into thirds. Once asparagus is completely dry, wrap a strip of prosciutto around 1 spear of asparagus, barber-pole style. Leave tip of asparagus showing.
Place asparagus on cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to serving platter. Delicious hot from oven or cooled to room temperature. Great finger food!
*Recipe adapted from Colorado Classique, copyright 2009, The Junior League of Denver, Inc., Denver, Colorado
ENTREE
POT ROAST
Ingredients:
2-4 pound chuck roast, bone-in is fine
Salt, pepper to taste.
1 medium onion, cut into 1/8’s
3-4 medium sized potatoes, scrubbed and quartered (skin can be left on)
3-5 medium sized carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch lengths
Water
Flour
Using heavy pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil and sear all sides of chuck roast that has been rubbed with salt and pepper. Add onion and enough water to cover bottom of pot. Roast can be slow cooked in oven at 350°. Bake 4 hours using the same pot. Monitor water level, adding more water as necessary.
Roast can also be cooked on the stove top at moderate to low moderate temperature. Keep water at low boil. Monitor water level, adding more water as necessary. Cooking time on stove top is also 4 hours.
After 3 hours of cooking, add the potatoes and more water, so there is enough liquid to make gravy. Add carrots to pot for about the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Meat is ready when it is very tender, easily cut and can be separated with a fork. Move meat, potatoes and carrots to serving plate. Place in warm oven while gravy is made. Using liquids in bottom of pot, place on stovetop at medium to medium high heat. Slowly add, while stirring constantly, flour/water mixture ( 2 heaping tablespoons of flour whisked into ½ cup water). Stir constantly as liquid thickens for 2-3 minutes. If gravy appears too thin, add same amount of flour/water mixture, again stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve meat, potatoes and carrots on serving plate. Serve gravy in gravy boat.
DESSERT
GINGERBREAD CAKE
There were around 11 gingerbread/cake recipes included in this book so I chose to make and adapt that. Here's the final recipe. Delicious!
Available online:
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL23362861M/How_we_cook_in_Los_Angeles
Published 1894 by Commercial printing house in Los Angeles, Cal .
Ingredients:
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| Picture Perfect! |
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature, beaten
2/3 cup unsulphured molasses
2/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2/3 cup raisins (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter the bottom and sides of an eight-inch spring-form pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper and butter that also. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Add the spices.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the molasses. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until smooth.
Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and invert to remove the pan bottom. Turn right side up and cool completely.
Serve with warm lemon sauce (below)
Lemon Sauce:
This is a good sauce for the cake. Just drizzle on each plate at serving time. Serve warm.
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¾ cup water
Graded zest of 1 lemon and juice (1/4 c juice)
½ teaspoon of lemon extract
Pinch of salt
In a small saucepan, mix together sugar and cornstarch. Add water slowly and stir until smooth. Set pan to medium and bring just to a boil. Stir in lemon juice, zest and extract, salt. Pour over cake pieces.
Makes 1 1/3cups.
