MENUS

FAVORITE MENUS
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
Beer Cheese 
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 CasseroleRoasted 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 SaladMuffuletta SandwichTomato 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
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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:

Main Dish: Asian-inspired Salad & Dressing
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:
Rocking Chicken Reggie
OR
Shrimp & Linguine w/ Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce

Click here for our  "GOULISH" Apps Menu



Fall Menu:
Coleslaw

One-pot complete MEAL -- ready in 30 min. or less!
Sausage-Pasta Pot

Nothing Fishy About This Menu!
Our menu: Scallops w/ Herbed Brown Butter on Creamy Corn Polenta served with Grape DeLight Salad.

Garden Menu
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
Dr. Suess themed Menu . . . check out the menu & the poems that go with it!


Nutritious & Delicious -- Salmon-based Menu
Panko-Crusted Salmon
Medley of Steamed Veggies
Carefree Winter Menu 
Ham & Benas
Corn Muffins
Carrot & Celery Sticks
Quick, easy and delicious entrée -- Mexican Corn Pie.
Serve it with mini corn muffinsspicy 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
BLT: Bacon & Tomato Pie with lettuce salad  on the side.
Nutritious Fall Menu
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:
Pork Tenders and  Barry's  Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon.
Pork Tenders w/ pan sauce, Okra Fries & Sliced Tomatoes.

Low-Carb Meal
We served "Scrumptious" Spaghetti Squash with Everyday Tilapia & sliced tomatoes.
Simple Lunch or Supper
Simple Supper or Lunch: Egg Salad on Wheat Bread / Fresh veggies (radishes from our garden) 
with Comeback Sauce Dip
Meatless Meal
Lettuce Salad, Quinoa Patties w/ Comeback Sauce.
Quick & Healthy Meal for Two (or more)
Dinner for Two—"Magic" ChickenCalico Quinoa & Steamed Asparagus are all ready in less than 30 minutes
Springtime Menu
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,
Added Bonus: Thai Iced Coffee
1st Course - Asparagus Soup & Spicy Saltines

French-inspired Menu
Spinach & Tomato Salad w/ Celery Seed Dressing 
Crusty French-style Bread

Springtime Brunch or Lunch 
Twice-Baked Cheddar-Green Onion Individual Soufflé
Spinach and Strawberry Salad w/ Strawberry Vinagrette
Quickbread such as: Irish Bread or Saucy Oat Muffins 
and So-Easy Apple Butter 
French Press Coffee
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
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
Green Salad w/ Green Goddess Dressing

Entrée
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.