St. Louis May Supper Club Review

[Jacque O]

Schedules being what they were, in May we punted an evening get together and opted for a late morning brunch. Our hostess, Gina, had us set for a lovely outside dining experience but, unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. I'm filling in as reporter this month as a result of her horrible travel schedule but you can look forward to seeing her posts on the various BB's again soon, I'm sure.


Our menu included Shrimp Newburg, Garlicky Tomato Tart, an asparagus strudel, Mediterranean Peppers and Potatoes, Baked Country Eggs, Breakfast Baked Apples with Yogurt and Granola, Light Eggs Benedict, fruit salad and Mimosas. As usual, it was way too much food (even though we have always included SO's for the eating part). But most of us are having difficulty scaling back to only making one dish. I guess we'll have to see how that goes over time.

Everything on the menu was quite good (my personal favorites were the tart and the strudel) but we agreed that we'd make an adjustment if any of us made the potato dish again. While we liked the flavoring of it, we would make adjustments in the liquid and the cooking method to create something with more like a hash brown consistency than like soup.

We're contemplating our next event (tentatively set for June 30) and considering a Carribean menu. Too many choices, so little time!!

Jacque O

[Grace]

Jacque, your party sounds like it was so much fun! I LOVE brunch, and brunch foods. Were most of those recipes from CL (esp. the tart and the strudel)? I am always looking for wonderful brunch recipes. Please let me know where you got them from, I'd really appreciate it!

I agree, too many recipes, too little time!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Jacque O]

It was fun and certainly a change of pace from our typical big evening meal get togethers. The tart is in the CL Online receipes under "Garlicky Tomato Tart." The strudel came from an outside source which I'll get it and post for you.

[Jacque O]

Grace- Here you go:

Savory Brunch Strudel
from Low-Fat and Luscious Cooking
by Better Homes and Gardens

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Standing Time: 10 minutes

1 cup fat-free or low-fat ricotta cheese
¼ cup freshly shredded Asiago or Parmesean cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
or 1 teaspoon dried dillweed
1 ounce chopped lower-fat fully cooked ham
1 2-ounce jar diced pimiento, drained
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 slightly beaten egg white
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 ounces asparagus, cut in ½ inch pieces
or ½ of a 10-oz pkg frozen cut asparagus
10 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Butter-flavor nonstick spray coating
¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs

In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, Asiago or Parmesean cheese, dill, ham, pimiento, green onion, egg white, salt, and pepper; set aside.

Cook asparagus covered, in a small amount of boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes* or just till crisp-tender (don’t overcook). Drain. Cool under cold water. Stir into ricotta mixture.

Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick coating; set aside. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a dry kitchen towel (keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out). Spray with nonstick coating. Place another sheet of phyllo atop. Spray with nonstick coating. Sprinkle with one-fourth of the bread crumbs. Repeat with remaining sheets and remaining bread crumbs. Spray last layer with nonstick coating.

Spoon cheese mixture lengthwise onto half of the top layer of phyllo, leaving about a 1-1/2 inch border on all sides. Fold in the short sides over the filling. Starting from a long side, roll up layers jelly-roll style.

Place strudel, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Spry top with nonstick coating. Using a sharp knife,** score into 12 slices, cutting through the top layers only. If desired, sprinkle with additional bread crumbs. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until light brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut along scored lines into slices. Makes 6 servings of two slices each.

Total Fat: 4 g
Calories: 175
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 9 mg
Sodium: 413 mg
Carbohydrate: 24 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 12 g

Exchanges: 1 meat, 1½ starch


*I thought that would be way too long and only cooked it for 2-3 minutes.
**I think sharp kitchen shears work better.

[Grace]

Holy cow this looks awesome!!!! Thank you so much Jacque O!!! I really, really appreciate it! It's going on my next brunch menu.