Mikl's Magic Waldorf Salad

The next part of the First Course of Masters Banquet is a salad that blends the sweet of a Waldorf salad with the sightly bitterness of baby spinach. You get a deep beautiful green leafy bed with Red Apples and just a touch of toasted nuts.

 

Like most of this dinner, it is made beforehand and all you have to do the day of the get together is assemble and serve! In fact, the Waldorf tastes best if allowed to refrigerate a couple of days.

Again remember many courses means smaller portions!

Mikl's Magic mayonnaise

1 can sweetened condensed milk Non-fat
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil (canola oil works fine also olive oil)
2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 egg yolks: slave uses pasteurized eggs since this is not cooked.

Salad Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped, slightly toasted walnuts
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ½ cup of dried cranberries
• 3 sweet apples, cored and chopped Like Gala
• Mikl's Magic Mayonnaise (Use no more than half of above recipe)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 packages of pre-washed baby spinach

Directions:

In small mixer bowl, combine all ingredients for the mayonnaise. Whisk until mixture thickens. (cover and refrigerate to blend flavors.)
Store leftovers in a clean sealed jar.

Do your cutting for the salad:

The celery

The apples

In a non stick skillet on medium high heat toast the walnuts. No need to any oil. Stir occasionally. This step will make your dish stand out above any store bought salad! This only takes about 5 minutes and you can tell when its done because of the wonderful aroma that comes up! Just don't burn your nuts ;-)

In a large bowl, mix the apples, celery, walnuts, and cranberries. Then add about a half of the recipe for Mikl's Magic mayonnaise. This is best chilled overnight. 

 

On day of banquet: Open and rinse the spinach, then pat it dry.

Put this out in handfuls on your cutting board. With a pizza cutter, run it back and forth to quickly cut the green leaves into thin strips not as small as Easter grass. Remember spinach is notorious for sticking to your teeth! Place a small handful on each salad plate.

Spoon about ½ Cup of the Magic Waldorf salad on top of each “nest” to serve. 

 

The natural bitterness of the baby spinach will balance out the sweetness of the apple-mayonnaise mixture.

Tomorrow slave will post a running description of the main course. It will include pictures and a time like of when you have to cook what so that everything will be ready to serve from a 200 degree oven and how to plate.

It is going to be an exciting dinning event and You will have done a banquet without knowing how to cook!

Slave always fumbles a bit when trying to describe how great it feels to be allowed to serve my Master Indy.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Butternut Squash Soup With Chicken Sausage

Butternut Squash Soup With Chicken Sausage

This is part of the First Course of the Masters Banquet. It is a traditional Autumn soup that warms the heart with gourmet flavors of the harvest.

Again, much of the preparation is done the day before and then warmed in a crock pot to wait for your guests. They use to describe a full banquet as “everything from soup to nuts”. Here we fore go the nuts. You will notice that through these presentations slave shows each selection on a different pattern of fine china. This is to show you how the patterns effect the look of a food as well as effecting the taste, because we taste first with our eyes.

Next week maybe we can talk about what to look for in china.

Ingredients

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces cooked chicken-apple sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (1 medium squash)
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup fresh basil leaves
Directions:

First do your cutting! 

When you get to the squash, cut the two tips off. Then cut the neck from the bowl. Starting with the neck – this is where must of the squash is going to come from. Cut down the sides to remove the peel.

Then cut this into disks like shapes and cube each of them.

When you get to the bowl, cut the peel off of the out side the same way and make a cut down the center of the bulb. With a large serving spoon, scoop out the seeds and throw away. Then slice and cut into small pieces.

Notice slave has placed a wet paper towel over the squash just to help it keep its color.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cut up sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined bowl using a slotted spoon. When cooled place in a zipper bag and save in the refrigerator.

Don't worry about the brown stuff left in the bottom of the bowl.

Add the onion, celery, and carrots, along with ½ cup of chicken broth. Stir as this heats. You will notice that all of the brown stuff that was stuck to the bottom of the pan is now incorporated into the vegetables which are starting to soften and the onions are turning more transparent. Now you want to add the cubed squash, the rest of the chicken stock and about 2 cups water. Sprinkle in the ¾ teaspoon of salt, cover and allow it to come to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer (a slight boil with tiny bubbles) for at least 15 minutes more. Then remove from heat and let cool.

Ladle soup into a blender in batches and let each batch puree. This makes a nice smooth liquid soup.

Pour each batch into a large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the day of the dinner.

Then mix the sausage pieces into the soup and put it in a crock pot on high for about ½hour to an hour. This will just heat it through until ready to serve.

Before serving:

The garnish of warm basil leaves are not only for color but also for a touch of flavor. They are very thin and heat quickly so watch closely this goes very fast!

Heat the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When oil is warm, add the basil leaves. You want dark green, crisp leaves, so only allow them to stay on the heat for less than a minute. This is all it takes but makes a world of difference. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

When serving, ladle between ½ to 1 cup – not much more into a bowl.

Doesn’t sound like much? This is to show you. Slave uses a ladle that holds about ½ a cup. So here is 2 ladles full!

Top with a few leaves of fried basil for that elegant touch.

Always serving my Master Indy

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Glazed Kielbasa Bites

Appetizers for Masters Banquet

Today and each day another recipe will be presented for the Master's Banquet!

Monday = appetizers, 

Tuesday = soup, 

Wednesday = salads,

Thursday = preparing the main course with time line

Friday = desert. 

Then after each is posted, a shortened bare boned copy of each will be set for you to copy and print and have handy to study.

The key to fixing a large fancy meal is to do as much before hand as possible. These fancy appetizers are no different. Your oven will be set at 425 degrees of the Dinner. Everything is designed to cook at that temperature, then oven is lowered to 200 to hold it all warm until it is called to be served.

Another key is to remember that you are serving appetizers, a soup, a salad, an entree with two side dishes, and a dessert. Each portion does not have to be as large as it would be if you only had a main dish and two sides. slave knows that prices vary but here in the midwest, the food was purchased for right at $100. This is to serve 6 people. Do the math, that is really not bad per person.

Ready?

Ingredients:

13oz package of smoked kielbasa, sliced into 1 inch pieces

14oz can of pineapple slices (in juice)

3 Tbs low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbs sweet chili sauce

1 Tbs honey

1 Tbs of the reserved pineapple juice

½ tsp ground ginger

2 packages of 6oz each cheddar cheese, cut into cubes

Directions:

Drain the pineapple slices into a dish to save back the juice. Cut each ring into 3rds.

Cut the kielbasa into 1 inch pieces (cut on an angle)

With a toothpick secure a piece of pineapple on each piece of kielbasa and place into a dish. When all of the kielbasa is used up, cover the dish with plastic wrap for up to 2 days before the day of the dinner.

Once the oven has reached 425 for the meal, make the glaze:

 

In a medium bowl mix the soy sauce, chili sauce, honey, pineapple juice, and ground ginger. You can also add some smoked red pepper flakes if you have them.

 

Uncover the dish with the pineapple-sausage pieces, with a pastry brush, coat each top and sides with the glaze. Bake in oven until it starts to brown the edges – this is about 15 to 20 minutes.

As that heats, cut the cheddar into cubes and stick a toothpick in each. Set out a nice fancy tray.

Remove the warm appetizers and place them in the middle of the tray. Surround these with the cheese cubes.

This presents not only a pleasant balance of colors, but more importantly a balance of temperatures and flavors. (slave always tries to balance any cheese served with a fruit). You will also notice there is much more cheese cubes than there are meat pieces. So you will be serving both but suggesting without words, a balance in cheese to meat. Be sure to set this out for your guests as they gather in the living room. Supply them with cocktail sized napkins. This is just for them to nibble on a teaser of the great tastes to come.

Beautiful, elegant, and tempting. This helps set the “stage” for a great time!

Always serving my Master Indy

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Sharlotka (Шарлотка с Яблоками)

Don't “save back” your best dishes nor your best recipes! The one you cook for everyday has earned your foremost effort! They deserve to a greater extent than some guests! Yet certain people appear more interested in impressing others than in showing your Master how much He means.

The best recipes do not have to be the hardest or most expensive either. They just have to please Him.

This desert is a traditional Russian treat handed down for centuries. It would not have lasted if it was not good! It has only a few ingredients. The result is amazing indeed.

Only slight variations can result in a quick small cake for the two of you, a larger one for full family or an elegant show-off piece for company! Serve as a snack, a coffee cake, or full dessert.

A great thing about Sharlotka: it is very low fat – no oil or butter. Plus it's mostly apples so it's fairly healthy, not too sweet but balanced. An easy recipe to remember:

6 apples – 6 eggs

1 cup sugar – 1 cup flour (remember 1 cup flour is 128g)

1tsp vanilla – 1tsp baking powder

For a decadent taste add ¼ cup mayonnaise or sour cream if you wish, just don't call it healthy anymore!

For just the two of you: use 4 apples and 4 eggs. Bake in a 9 inch cake pan for 40 to 45 minutes.

For the family: Use 6 apples and 6 eggs. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan for 30-35 minutes.

For elegant show-off piece: Use 6 apples and 6 eggs, but cut the apples into thin slices and bake in a 9 inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper for 55 to 60 minutes. Serve on a cake stand.

Garnish with powdered sugar and or cinnamon! Maybe serve warm with a side of rich vanilla ice cream, or lot fat whipped topping. You might even try warmed up caramel sundae topping! Get the picture?

*Is your ice cream too hard to scoop? Warm a knife under hot water and make 1 inch deep cuts in a grid formation. Warm a spoon and scoop away! To get the best taste from your ice cream, let portions sit out for 5 – 7 minutes before serving. (the tongues taste buds have trouble working with hard frozen foods)

Ingredients*

• 6 apples
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder The authentic Russian version doesn’t use baking powder because it didn't exist in Russia until very recently. Instead they used ½ tsp of baking soda mixed with ½ tsp of vinegar, or ¾ tsp baking soda and ¼ tsp vinegar.

* see variations

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Ovens often take 10 to 15 minutes to reach the right temperature.

Spray a non-stick baking pan with cooking spray. Choose the pan and times for the cake you wish. If using spring form: line the bottom with parchment paper. An easy way to do this is take the bottom out and lay the paper on top. Then replace the sides and snap shut. Trim off any parts of the paper that sticks out. Now spray the insides with a cooking spray.

Peel and core the apples and cut, either in small or medium pieces or thin slices. 

 

For this slave always removes the stickers before washing and then twists the stem off.

 

There are some that get upset with me, but I find they don't roll when you stand them on the big end!

 

What is the best way to peel an apple? – quickly! Note that slave has draped a damp paper towel over the bowl that will hold the cut apple pieces. It slows down the process that will make the slices turn brown if left out in the air.

Once peeled and set on its “head”, slice it down the center. By using a melon-baller held at an angle you can scrape down and cut out the seeds and core in one stroke.

With the flat cut side down, slice into thin slices.

Fill the cake pan trying to keep the slices on their sides for a more elegant look.

When using more than one egg, break each into a small bowl first, before adding to the mix.

In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on high for about 2 to 3 minutes, until light yellow, thickened and about triple its size. Beat until it is thick and ribbons form on the surface of the beaten eggs. Then Beat in the vanilla.

Remove the bowl from mixer. In a medium bowl stir together the flour with the baking powder until mixed well. Remember to weight the flour – 129g is close enough.

Stir this into the beaten mixture with a fork or wooden spoon, JUST until combined. Be careful with this step. DO NOT over mix at this point. The batter will be very thick.

Pour over apples in pan, using a spatula to spread and press it down into the pile. It should cover all of the exposed fruit, or at least be level with it. Pick up the pan and let it drop from about 2 or 3 inches down to the counter a few times to settle contents.

See above variations for baking times. A toothpick inserted in center should come out clean without any batter.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning over onto serving plate or stand.

Note that slave has placed three pieces of wax paper down and held in place with a small piece of tape. The cake will go on top of this to decorate. Slave dusted the top well with powdered sugar than sprinkled it with cinnamon. Do this while the cake is still warm.

Then lift the tape, fold up the sides of each piece and gently slide it out from under the cake. This minimizes the mess.

Slave placed this directly on its carrier. Sir Mike and His husband Sir Andy will probably be staying in town for the Midwest Leather Weekend, Mr. Midwest Leather Contest and the Midwest Puppy Contest at the Bad Dog Bar and Grill. So slave is taking this down for them to enjoy!

Serve a slice of this wonderful creation any way you like!

“You vil enjoy dis, DAH! or get sent to gulag!”

slave will always enjoy serving my Master Indy!

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Finding my Boys

Master, I hope You will understand slave when he says he learned something this morning. 

With all that You give me, You do NOT give me happiness. Your gift is that You coax happiness out of me, where it hides all too often.

I looked to find my happiness and found him, like a small child hiding from me.

“What's wrong little guy?” I ask and wiped away a tear from his big eyes.

“He's not there, he sniffed. “I looked early this morning and he was not there!”

I pulled him to me in a hug. “No, He is not there this morning. “But that does not mean that he is gone. “You are not alone, I am here. “Besides there is another little boy around here somewhere. “His name is Trust. “Lets go look for him and we all can play as I bake a cake!”

That looked like my words had stopped his fear and together we found “Trust”. These guys are wonderful together. I need them both so much.

“Now I have to get to peeling some apples, you guys want to lick the beater?” 

socialslave