Gourmet Jams and Preserves.
Catering
Does your special event require a highly qualified and highly recommended caterer who can provide various levels of service? Elegant and Easy Gourmet will work with you to create the perfect dining experience, whether it be an elegant sit-down supper, a wedding bangquet, or your special event.
Catering
Elegant and Easy Gourmet specializes in providing exceptional service for small private dinners to large corporate events. We offer fully-plated dinners for weddings and other special occasions as well as lovely, more affordable buffets. Our menus are elegant, original and hand-crafted, yet affordable.
From Finger Food Receptions to Evening Buffet Banquets to elegantly served events, Betsy and her staff will assist you in planning and executing your event efficiently and beautifully. Any of the sample menus can be used for your special event.
Recipes
Appetizers
Asparagus in Puff Pastry
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 T dried dill
- 1 lb asparagus, trimmed (about 20 pieces), quickly steamed but still crisp
- 2 C in any combination of grated Gruyere, Fontina, Swiss or Parmesan cheese
- 3 T olive oi, divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll the dough into a roughly 10” x 14” square. Pierce the dough with a fork randomly. Brush dough lightly with 1 Tblsp. olive oil and sprinkle the dill all over. Bake the dough for 10 minutes, until puffy and just lightly browned. Remove the partially-baked dough from the oven.
While the dough is baking, quickly blanch the asparagus for two minutes and remove to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain on paper towels.
Leave oven on. Place a layer of the mixed cheeses all over the bread base and add the asparagus, half going one way and half going the other way. Finish by topping the asparagus with the rest of the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake at 400 degrees another 10-14 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly around asparagus. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Slice into pieces so that each piece has an asparagus spear. Serve at room temperature.
Make ahead of time:
This appetizer can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight plastic container.
Makes about 20 appetizers.
Entrees
Filet Mignons with Portobello Mushroom
and Port Wine Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 (6-8 oz) filet mignon steak per person (buy a full loin at Costco.)
- Port Wine Portobello Sauce
If buying a full loin, calculate 1/2 lb per person. For example, for a dinner party for 8, purchase a 4 lb loin. Bring home the loin and freeze for 2 hours or until firm. Cut steaks equally, but very thick (about 2").
Directions:
Prepare meat by rubbing with a quality Steak Seasoning and wrapping tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two to four hours. Bring steaks to room temperature 1 hour before grilling, but keep covered.
Barbeque fillets to sear on outside and cook until rare in center. Place fillets on warmed platter.
Sides
Yorkshire Pudding
Ingredients:
- 1 C flour
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 C cold milk
Directions:
When you remove the roast from the oven, draw out as much of the dripping as you can with a baster. Put the drippings into a bowl. You can divide the drippings between your Yorkshire pudding and your gravy.
Chef’s note: A 5 lb. roast should give you about ½ c of drippings using this high-heat cooking method. A 10 lb. roast will yield about ¾ cup.
Mix flour, eggs and milk until well-blended. Pour the mixture over either 1 tsp. of drippings put in each cup of a cupcake or mini-muffin pan or over the top of ½ cup roast drippings in an 8” x 10” baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes (for muffin size) or 25 – 30 minutes for the baking dish in a 350 degree oven. Remove from oven and slice into squares. Serve in a bowl or basket with paper towels to absorb any remaining grease.
Salads & Soups
Tomato, Watermelon And
Roasted Corn Summer Salad
Celebrate summer with a delicious tomato, watermelon and roasted corn salad: perfect for a hot summer day.
Ingredients:
- About 2 cups of 3 tomatoes, cut into ½" wedges or triangles
(Use different colors if you can find them) - 2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 2" cubes and drained
- 2 cups roasted corn, purchased frozen from Trader Joe's
Dressing:
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic, raspberry, or citrus vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl or a zip lock bag. Add the tomatoes and watermelon and gently toss until blended. Serve at room temperature.
You can add sliced strawberries, too, if you like.
Makes 8 servings.
Desserts
Lemon Chiffon Cake Laced with Raspberries
Ingredients:
Lemon cake:
- 1 lemon cake mix (oil and water)
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup thawed or fresh raspberries
Glaze:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
To make cake:
Prepare cake mix per package instructions but only add two eggs. Separate the other two eggs and discard yolks or save them for another use. Beat the two egg whites until stiffbut not dry. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
Spray and flour a bundt cake pan. Pour one-third of the batter into the bundt pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove cake from oven and gently place raspberries on top of the batter. Pour remaining batter over the raspberries.
Return to oven and bake according to the package instructions, but test with a toothpick for doneness. Cook's note: If you use frozen berries, it might take up to 15 minutes longer to bake than the directions call for.
Cool cake upright for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely then glaze.
To make glaze:
Mix lemon juice and powdered sugar in saucepan and cook until sugar is dissolved. Mix cornstarch into cold water and add to lemon mixture stirring constantly with a wisk. Cook until thickened, adjusting sugar and lemon to taste and cornstarch and water for consistency.
Pour or spread cooled mixture over cake and chill until served.
Special equipment: Bundt cake pan.
Serves 10-12
Special Occasions
Salmon Wellington in Puff Pastry
Stuffed with Portobello Mushrooms
(Makes 27 mini-Wellington pockets)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1 inch squares. Sprinkle with a seasoning blend, such as for pasta
- 2 medium portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 C olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 C frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1/2 C low fat ricotta cheese
- 3 sheets Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry, thawed
- 27 8" long chive stems (optional)
- egg wash
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put olive oil and garlic in non-stick skillet and bring to medium heat. Add Portobellos, spinach and onions and saute, covered for about five minutes or until mushrooms are just becoming tender. Stir two or three times. Remove mixture from stove and blend in ricotta cheese. Cover to keep warm.
Slightly roll out each sheet of puff pastry to a roughly a 14” x 14” square. Cut each piece into 9 equal pieces. There will be three rows of squares vertically and horizontally which measure about 4 ½” each. You will have 27 pieces total.
Place pastry squares on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Place a piece of salmon on each square. Put about 1 tsp. of mushroom stuffing on each piece of salmon. Pull the dough up around the salmon and tie off each little bundle with a chive stem. Seal with egg wash. If you are not using chive stems, just gather up the little salmon package, lightly twisting the top to seal. Lightly wash each baby Wellington with the egg wash before baking.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before removing to serving platter.
Makes 27 Stuffed Salmon Wellingtons.
Signature Cocktails
The Purist
-
1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
-
1/2 C Trader Joe's Sparkling Pomegranate juice
-
1 T powdered sugar
Put all ingredients in a tall slender glass. Stir briskly. Top with ice and serve.
Betsy's Sweet Champagne
-
1/4 C fresh squeezed lemon juice'1 T powdered sugar
-
1 T powdered sugar
-
1 fresh raspberry or 1/4 sliced fresh strawberry
-
1/4 C lemon vodka
-
1/2 C champagne
Put lemon juice, vodka, and powdered sugar with 1 C of ice in a quality shaker* and shake until well-blended and chilled. Use strainer screen on the shaker and pour into a tall flute. Top with the champagne and raspberry or strawberry.
