Roasted Rosemary Baby New Potatoes

This is another side that I prepared to go with my pork chops. It's a rendition of the ones I make at home, only I used duck fat as opposed to olive oil in the recipe. I had mentioned seeing goose fat at the market to Lee and Laura and they informed me that the fat makes the best roasted potatoes. They were very good, crispy and creamy.

 Roasted Rosemary Baby New Potatoes

250 grams baby new potatoes

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 Tbsp. dry rosemary

1 Tbsp. duck fat

salt and pepper

Toss all of the ingredients on a small roasting pan and place in a 400 degree oven. Bake for 40 minutes.

Cherry-Limeade Sangria

This is the perfect drink for a hot summer evening or day, which ever you prefer. I served this with ribs and pulled pork and it went over well. The original recipe comes from www.recipegirl.com and I thought it needed some added sweetness, so that is where the simple syrup comes in. I would probably add some more cherry juice too, maybe another 1/2 cup or more. Give it a taste and do what tastes best for you. This will make about 20 servings and can be easily cut in half.

Cherry-Limeade Sangria

2 750ml bottles Sauvignon Blanc, chilled
4 cups prepared limeade, chilled
2 cups bottled cherry juice, chilled
1 1/2 cups vodka
1/2 cup simple syrup
3 medium limes, thinly sliced
3 handfuls of fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1 1-liter bottle club soda, chilled

In a large beverage dispenser or punch bowl, combine all ingredients except club soda several hours or overnight. Add club soda just before serving. Scoop fruit into wine glasses, add ice and sangria. 

Lemon Brownies

I cannot remember where I got this recipe, but I made them last night and they are really good. I'm a fan of lemon cakes and such, and this recipe is very easy so it will get a lot of use. Serve them up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a simple dessert that will please everyone.

Lemon Brownies

Batter:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
34 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp lemon zest

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
Zest and juice 2 large lemons.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat flour, sugar salt and butter until combined.
In separate bowl, whisk eggs, lemon juice and zest until combined. Pour into flour mixture and beat at medium until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Pour into baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes, until starting to turn golden around edges and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before adding glaze.
To make glaze whisk together powdered sugar, juice and zest. Spread half over the cooled brownies and allow to set. Then spread with remaining glaze. Cut into squares and serve.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta

This recipe was prepared by Alicia's boyfriend Jim and was one of my favorite dishes. I am not a fan of goat cheese, bit it seemed to work well on this dish and it makes an awesome presenting on a platter. Jim used a wonderful sour dough baguette from Trader Joe's, but a French one will do. The goat cheese he used also came from Trader Joe's and was, I believe, a garlic herb concoction. Use what you like, but if you do go with a plain goat cheese,l rub the bread with garlic after toasting. Since I don't have exact proportions I will write the recipe as I saw Jim prepare it.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta

Take 1 baguette and slice about 1/2 an inch or less, brush one side with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Place under broiler and watch closely so you don't burn the bread. When golden brown remove from oven and spread with goat cheese. Top each piece with sliced tomato and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil. Place on a platter and serve.

Ricotta & Honey Bruschetta

If you want an easy party appetizer or a good pre-dinner treat, this is the recipe. I prepared this recently at my friend Alicia's Oscar party and it was a hit. I came across this recipe at food52.com and was glad I did. There are some slight changes to the original recipe, but I feel that is what makes cooking so fun, being able to adapt a recipe and make it your own.

Ricotta & Honey Bruschetta

1 loaf French baguette
extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, cut in half
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
Sea salt
Honey
2 lemons
fresh chopped basil

Cut bread into 1/2 inch slices, brush one side with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Place under broiler, watching carefully, remove when golden brown. Rub bread slices with cut garlic. Smear with ricotta and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with honey and using a microplane, grate lemon zest over the top. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Avocado and Cilantro Hummus

Recently, we were in Phoenix staying with our friend Alicia and as usual we had a day of cooking. This cooking day coincided with a Oscar party, so we worked on dishes that were party friendly. I came across this recipe on cleananddelicious.com and was pleased with the results. I actually added extra cilantro to mine and then sprinkled some on top for presentation. Use as little or much as you like. I used olive oil in my recipe but you can use tahini if you prefer. Add more water or oil if you want a smoother dip.

Avocado and Cilantro Hummus

1 15oz can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large avocado
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro, plus extra for topping
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine everything but oil in the bowl of food processor and with machine running, drizzle olive oil into bowl, until well blended. Serve in a bowl topped with fresh chopped cilantro.

Providence New American Restaurant

This past Saturday, Dan and I had tickets to a recital at the Folly down town. We originally had reservations at 12 Baltimore in the Phillips Hotel but wanted to try something different, but it had to be close. That's when we remembered our friend Larry talking up the restaurant in the President Hotel. We went on line and looked up the menu and liked the offerings, so we called and made a reservation at Providence.
You enter the restaurant through The Drum Room, a very nice lounge off the lobby of the hotel. The restaurant is very nice, with beautifully restored barn wood for the walls, good lighting and overall nice decor.
We were promptly greeted by Kevin, our server, who explained some items on the menu and recommend some different wines. Dan went with an $8 glass of Pinot Noir and I splurged on a $12 Cab, knowing that I could only have one glass, lest I fall asleep during the recital.
Dan started with the Blue Note salad ($5.90), gem lettuce, blueberries, apple sticks and a blue cheese, blueberry vinaigrette. I chose the Providence salad ($6.50), bibb lettuce, arugula, pine nuts, golden beets, radishes and Tank 7 vinaigrette. Both salads were very good and plated nicely, as were our other dishes.
Dan's entree was Applewood Smoked Meatloaf ($15.50) with sour cream mashed potatoes and wild mushroom gravy. The meatloaf was so good and very different, consisting of ground pork, lamb and beef. The mashed potatoes had chunks of carrots and the mushrooms in the gravy were some of the best I've tasted. The dish also came with a small side of haricots vert.
My entree was the Bully Porter Braised Short Ribs ($20.00) with roasted vegetables and herb dumplings. This was a  very good choice! The meat was so tender, no need for a knife and the dumplings were awesome.
The restaurant is located 1329 Baltimore in The President Hotel 1329 Baltimore KCMO 64105 815-303-1686 www.providence-kc.com.
This restaurant has joined my list of new favorite places to dine in Kansas City including Julian www.juliankc.com, JJ's www.jjs-restaurant.com, and The Jacobson www.thejacobson.com.