FeaturesMay 10, 2006
Celebrating love with food
Weddings are one of my favorite events to attend. Each one is so different yet so special in its own way. This weekend we will attend the wedding of our special friends, Hayley Bridges and Derek Hood. It seems like only a short time ago Hayley was a baby, then toddling around everyone's feet as sweet as a little doll. ...
Weddings are one of my favorite events to attend. Each one is so different yet so special in its own way.
This weekend we will attend the wedding of our special friends, Hayley Bridges and Derek Hood. It seems like only a short time ago Hayley was a baby, then toddling around everyone's feet as sweet as a little doll. We have so enjoyed watching her grow into adulthood working through her education and career path, but most importantly, walking with her in her Christian faith journey. Hayley has grown into a wonderful Christian woman and example to those she spends time with. It has also been a joy as she has found her true love and partner for life. We have enjoyed getting acquainted with Derek, and we know he is special, as Hayley has chosen him for her lifetime companion.
Through all of this, several friends went together and gave a bridal shower for the happy couple, and brunch was served as the meal. I have included the menu and recipes for you to tuck away and maybe you can pull it out and use it sometime when you need a special menu for a special event.
The entrZe served was chicken crepes. It was a miracle they turned out so well, as I used four recipes and put them all together to come up with a version that we liked. So I will try to attempt to write out what we did for the chicken crepe recipe. Ray Haring made the crepes and froze them for us to assemble the evening before. That was a big help having them done ahead of time.
Chicken Crepes
Crepes:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients for crepes and mix with electric mixer until well blended. Heat a nonstick skillet and pour enough batter in pan to make a thin pancake. Pour off any excess batter. Brown on one side. Invert to remove crepe and let crepe rest on paper towel.
Filling:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) carton fresh sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
Black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, from cooking the chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 cups cooked, small diced chicken
2 cups fresh grated Swiss cheese, divided
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For the filling, sautZ the onion, celery and mushrooms in the melted margarine. Add the flour and cook until light brown. Add chicken broth, stirring to thicken slightly. Add remaining ingredients, using only 1 cup of the Swiss cheese. Heat through.
Fill each crepe with a small amount of filling, about 2 tablespoons, so when you roll the crepe it will stay closed. Place seam side down in a sprayed 9-by-13-inch pan. Spoon remaining filling over the tops of the crepes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. When plated, sprinkle a small amount of the remaining Swiss cheese over the top of each crepe. Fresh chopped parsley may also be sprinkled over the top as garnish.
For the salad we used a mix of spring blend greens and baby spinach, slices of ripe unpeeled pears, a dollop of goat cheese and oven-roasted pecans. We used a purchased honey-pear vinaigrette for the dressing. It was not only pretty on the plate, but tasted delicious, too.
When I made this dessert for the shower, I doubled the recipe, as is, but added more whipping cream for volume, and poured it onto the doubled crust in a 9-by-13-inch pan. I also added a small amount of fresh lemon and orange zest to brighten up those flavors.
Frozen Raspberry Dessert
Crust:
1 cup crushed vanilla wafers, about 30
1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds or macadamia nuts
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
Filling:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries with syrup, thawed
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
2 drops red food coloring
Sweetened whipped cream, if desired
Chocolate hearts, if desired
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press firmly in bottom of ungreased 8-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and orange juice with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add raspberries, beat on low speed until well blended. Fold in whipped cream and red food coloring. Pour over crust. Freeze at least 2 hours or until firm.
Just before serving, let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate hearts. Store dessert in freezer.
To make chocolate hearts, melt Wilton milk chocolate candy melts slowly in the microwave. Pour into a zip-top plastic bag and snip just a very small piece from the corner of the bag. Pipe chocolate onto parchment or waxed paper into heart shapes. Allow to cool before removing from paper.
Wilton Candy Melts can be found in the craft section or cake decorating section of stores.
In addition, we served a fresh fruit salad with poppy seed dressing that was light and refreshing.
I hope you have enjoyed this little journey with Hayley and Derek and their bridal shower brunch menu. We wish them both much health and a lifetime of happiness.
I am out of room, so until next time, have a wonderful week and happy cooking.
Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.
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