FAVORITE MENUS
From time to time, we'll post some of our favorite menus with links to recipes on our homepage.
From time to time, we'll post some of our favorite menus with links to recipes on our homepage.
ST. PAT'S MENU: Mustard-Glazed Corned Beef with Cabbage / Green on Green Salad w/ Celery Seed Dressing / Roasted Potatoes / Cream Puffs
CLARA'S CLAN APPETIZER MENU FARE
BBQ Meatballs
Faye's Salmon Pate'
Fern's Veggie Dip
Kansas Caviar, aka Lorraine's Black Olive Dip
Pickled Beets
Sunflower Seed Cookies
TASTE OF SUMMER: Fresh Green Beans with bacon & onions, Smoked Pork Ribs with Gates BBQ Sauce, Susan's Veggie Salad, Potato Salad
Garden Breakfast: Zucchini-nested Egg with sliced tomatoes & basil.
Holiday Brunch Menu: Dried Beef & Scrambled Egg Casserole, Roasted Potatoes, a Kiwi Christmas Tree fruit platter, Angel Biscuits and Glazed Pumpkin-Pecan Cake Doughnuts. We started the party with Bloody Mary cocktails made from Robert's Award-winning Bloody Mary Mix.
Perfect for a picnic: jars of Quinoa & Veggie Salad, Muffuletta Sandwich, Tomato Pesto Hummus with pita chips, fresh fruit and Spice Island Ginger Cookies.
1950s White House Tea-inspired Menu
Easter 2015
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Roasted Cornish Hens
Sweet Potato Biscuits w/ Butter & Crabapple Jelly
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Cream Puffs filled with Creamy, Dreamy Lemon Pudding
Just for Halloween . . .
Ghoulish Repast (Beer Dip w/ pretzels / Salsa & chips)
& Spooky Cocktails
Devil's Brew (Barry's Chili)
Cream of Cauldron Soup (Baked Potato Soup)
Goblin Corn Muffins
Creepy Crackers
Shrieking Relishes
Graveyard Cake (Carrot Cake w/ Spice Island Cookie tombstones)
Haunted "Corn-on-the-Cob"
A couple of German-inspired fall menus:
Rouladen w/ Spatzle
Pork Schnitzel with Dill Sauce & German Potato Dumplings
Both were served with Red Cabbage & German Apple Cake
Another Meatless Meal — Lentil Tacos with Zucchini & Corn / Watermelon for dessert
Not missing the Meat — Petite Chick Peas Steaks (Falafal) w/ Kale Salad & Cucumber Sauce (Tzatziki)
Going Light . . . Asian-inspired Menu:
Dessert: Spice Island Ginger Cookies with slices kiwis & blood oranges
Get a head start on menu planning with our Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce that can be used to make:
OR
Shrimp & Linguine w/ Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce
Click here for our "GOULISH" Apps Menu
Fall Menu:
Coleslaw
Nothing Fishy About This Menu!
Garden Menu
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| Garden Fritters served with lime-chili mayo and wedges of lime on the side (shown above). The fritters were our main dish, accompanied by corn-on-the-cob and sliced tomatoes for a veggie-themed meal |
Nutritious & Delicious -- Salmon-based Menu
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| Panko-Crusted Salmon Medley of Steamed Veggies |
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| Ham & Benas Corn Muffins Carrot & Celery Sticks |
Serve it with mini corn muffins, spicy tomato juice (Bloody Mary mix without added vodka or gin) and fruit for brunch. For lunch or supper — serve with a salad in the summer or soup in the winter.
Casual Lunch or Supper
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| BLT: Bacon & Tomato Pie with lettuce salad on the side. |
Nutritious Fall Menu
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| Butternut squash with leeks and a fresh spinach salad with tomatoes are great and nutritious (those dark green, oranges and reds are packed with vitamins) accompaniment to a grilled steak. |
One Entrée, Two Menus:
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| Pork Tenders and Barry's Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon. |
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| Pork Tenders w/ pan sauce, Okra Fries & Sliced Tomatoes. |
Low-Carb Meal
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| We served "Scrumptious" Spaghetti Squash with Everyday Tilapia & sliced tomatoes. |
Simple Lunch or Supper
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| Simple Supper or Lunch: Egg Salad on Wheat Bread / Fresh veggies (radishes from our garden) with Comeback Sauce Dip |
Meatless Meal
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| Lettuce Salad, Quinoa Patties w/ Comeback Sauce. |
Quick & Healthy Meal for Two (or more)
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| Dinner for Two—"Magic" Chicken, Calico Quinoa & Steamed Asparagus are all ready in less than 30 minutes |
Springtime Menu
We've actually done a couple of variations of this meal . . .
We've actually done a couple of variations of this meal . . .
Spring Greens or Spinach & Strawberry Salad
with Dijon-Crusted or Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders (sliced diagonally) & Strawberry Vinaigrette
Fudge Squares w/ Whipped Cream & Chocolate Sauce
or Homemade Angel Food Cake w/ Tropical Toppings: Fresh Pineapple Chunks, Sliced Strawberries,
Coconut Whipped Cream, Toasted Coconut, & Chocolate Sauce
Added Bonus: Thai Iced Coffee
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| 1st Course - Asparagus Soup & Spicy Saltines |
French-inspired Menu
Spinach & Tomato Salad w/ Celery Seed Dressing
Crusty French-style Bread
Springtime Brunch or Lunch
Comforting Winter-time Menu
Green Salad
Special Occasion Menu -- Marla's Christmas Eve Menu
Great for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day or any other special occasion . . .
Steamed Asparagus
Dinner Rolls
Pecan Pie with Whipped Cream
Memories of Childhood Menu
Baked Potatoes
Green Salad topped with Avocado Slices & Salsa
or
Colette's Meatloaf
Cheesy Orzo Pasta
Carrots & Peas
or
Colette's Meatloaf
Cheesy Orzo Pasta
Carrots & Peas
Meatloaf was a standard in the 1950s and, for us, it is one of today's comfort foods. To create a complete comfort food menu that can even be made ahead — clean and wrap the potatoes in foil earlier in the day; make the meatloaf ahead and refrigerate; bake for the evening meal. During the 10 minutes that the meatloaf in resting, make the salad.
Everyday Healthy Menu
Sautéed & Steamed Salmon over Veggie Quinoa
Pork Menu -- An All-time Favorite
Barry's Peppered Pork Tenderloin (or Loin) is one of our all-time fav entrées. It's been featured in our cooking classes, was his entry in the Abilene Men's Cooking Competition and has been the focus of many dinner parties. We often change the accompaniments so we've offered variations below. . .
Romaine w/ Blue Cheese Dressing or Fruited Greens w/ Celery Seed Dressing
Homemade French Bread
Steamed & Sautéed Fresh Green Beans or Broccoli
Plum Crumble w/ Ice Cream or Chocolate Cake w/ Nutty Frosting
1950s White House Inspired Menu, Spring 2011
Although the Eisenhowers never acquired the reputation for being gourmets, their White House chef, Francois Rysavy, brought his European expertise to the table as he worked with the Head Butler planning elaborate and formal State Dinners.
We recently prepared a 1950s Eisenhower era themed menu. It was inspired by original State Menus on file in the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, KS; dishes are based on the recipes in Rysavy’s cookbook, White House Chef.
Appetizers
Salad Course
Entrée
Roast Tenderloin of Beef w/ Sautéed Mushrooms and Whiskey Sauce
OR
Poulet à la Viennoise w/ White Wine Sauce
String Beans Almondine
Croissants w/ Butter Curls
Ike’s Favorite Dessert Sampler
Apple Pie Stacks
About the 1950s Menu . . .
Although the Eisenhowers never acquired the reputation for being gourmets, their White House chef, Francois Rysavy, brought his European expertise to the table as he worked with the Head Butler planning elaborate and formal State Dinners.
We recently planned and prepared a 1950s Eisenhower era themed menu. It was inspired by original State Menus on file at the Eisenhower Library, Abilene, KS. Many of the recipes came directly from Rysavy’s cookbook, White House Chef.
Some of Ike’s Favorites on the Menu . . .
· Rysavy attests that a green salad with Green Goddess dressing was the President’s favorite salad and so it was a common addition to formal and informal menus. However, following the typical French style, it was generally served after the entrée course on formal occasions.
· Red meats were a favorite at the Eisenhower White House according to his Czechoslovakian chef. Roasted beef appears in several forms on menus.
· Although “Presidential Prune Whip,” didn’t appear on formal menus, it is considered to be Ike’s favorite all-time dessert. Coming in second was Apple Pie.
Easter Dinner in Texas, 2011
Honey-baked Ham w/ Raisin Sauce
Steamed Asparagus
Menu Planning Principles & Considerations
Besides being nutritious, food should look good and taste good. This doesn’t just happen—it takes planning. Be sure to plan for a variety in …
ü FLAVOR. Select flavors that compliment one another and remember to balance sharp flavors with bland ones. Avoid repeating too many of the same flavors in any one meal or in the meal pattern for the day.
ü COLOR. Food that is colorful adds to eye appeal as well as taste appeal. A variety of colors also helps insure added nutrition (i.e. orange carrots and sweet potatoes, bright green veggies, red apples – offer needed vitamins, minerals and fiber to a meal).
ü TEXTURE. Plan for a mixture of textures. A tossed salad adds a crunchy texture to any meal. Chinese noodles, or crushed cereal adds texture to a casserole, and crisp bacon is a great accompaniment to a soft egg.
ü TEMPERATURE. A variety of temperatures makes a meal more interesting. Serve a chilled salad with a hot main dish. If the foods in the main dish are all hot, serve a cold dessert. Be sure that hot foods are served piping hot and cold foods are very cold.
ü SIZE & SHAPE. Vary the size and shape of the food. Varying shapes by cutting into slices, strips, or cubes, adds interest to the meal.
Other Considerations include:
· Plan daily menus (breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks) to complement each other.
· Monitor the frequency with which food items appear on the menu.
· Make decisions about menu items with family or guest preferences in mind.
· Factors such as heritage, religious preferences, age and family customs should also be reflected in menu plans.
· Plan menus to coincide with the seasonal availability of food.
· Utilize different kinds of preparation techniques including: steamed, baked, pan or stir fried, and occasionally deep-fried.
· Use menus that reflect combinations of food items that fit your budget.
