Pink Caesar Salad

Croutons

2 tbsp (30 ml) non hydrogenated margarine
½ tsp (2 mL) each dried parsley and minced garlic
4 slices whole wheat bread

Stir together margarine, parsley and garlic. Toast bread until medium darkness. Spread margarine evenly both sides of all pieces of bread. Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter cut out “heart croutons”. About three per slice of bread. Use croutons to garnish salad.    

Dressing

1/4 cup (50 mL) plain yogurt
2 tbsp (30 mL) each grated Parmesan cheese and Mayonnaise
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped capers and olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) minced garlic
1 tsp (5 mL) each Dijon mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp (1 mL) each finely grated lemon zest and hot sauce
8 drops (approx) red food colouring

Stir together all ingredients until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to garnish salad.

4 cups (1 L) torn romaine lettuce
2 cups (500 ml) baby spinach leaves
½ cup (125 mL) thinly sliced red peppers
¼ cup (50 mL) bacon bits

Toss salad ingredients together and toss with dressing.  Garnish salad with heart shaped croutons.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Beef Wellingtons

Mushroom Duxelle

8 oz button mushroom, cleaned
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt and pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) brandy

Place mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped (almost paste like), scraping down sides of bowl when necessary. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook mushrooms for 10 minutes stirring often.Season with salt and pepper. In last 1 minute of cooking, add brandy and cook stirring until liquid has dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.

¼ tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
2, ½ lb beef tenderloin medallions
2, ¼ lb beef tenderloin medallions
2 sheets pre-rolled puff pasty, thawed (Presidents Choice)
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
Prepared mushroom duxelle
1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) milk

Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle beef tenderloins evenly with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, cut about 3 inches of puff pastry off the shortest side of each piece of puff pastry, set aside. Cut the remaining pastry in half horizontally. Brush 4 squares of pastry in the center with Dijon mustard using a pastry brush. Top each tenderloin with duxelle (dividing a little more on tops of larger steaks) place tenderloins duxelle side down on puff pasty and fold up pastry (it is okay if pastry overlaps). Turn Wellington’s right side up (folded side down) and place on a lightly greased non-stick baking sheet. Brush tops with milk. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut 4 hearts out of remaning pastry. Place 1 heart on each Wellington and brush with milk. Bake in pre-heated oven for 25 minutes or until tops are golden. Let Wellingtons stand for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 2 adult size Wellingtons and 2 little people Wellingtons.      

Frozen Chocolate & Raspberry Spring Rolls

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk and melted butter. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until smooth, about 50 strokes. Cover crepe batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat an 8-inch non-stick fry pan over medium high heat. Pour ¼ cup of batter in the middle of pan, swirling the pan to coat the bottom.  Cook crepe until edges are slightly cooked, about 30 seconds. Using a spatula, turn crepe over and cook for an additional 15-20 seconds. Place cooked crepes on to plate, layering with a piece of wax paper. Repeat with the remaining batter. Place the chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepot, over medium high heat, bring cream to boil about 2-3 minutes. Once boiled remove from heat immediately and pour over chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate has melted completely. Place mixture in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

When ready to assemble, place chocolate/cream mixture and liquor (if desired) in the bowl of an electric mixer. On high speed, beat cream until whipped, about 1 minute. Gently fold in raspberries.Spoon on approximately 2 tbsp. of filling one quarter of the way from the bottom of the crepe. Fold the bottom quarter of the crepe up over filling and fold in both sides of crepe and continue to roll bottom up until the crepe resembles a spring roll. Place spring rolls seam-side down in an airtight container and place in freezer for at least 2 hours. Repeat process with remaining crepes and chocolate raspberry filling. Remove spring rolls from freezer about 30 minutes before serving.

Recipes by:
Charmaine Broughton
Executive Chef
GOURMET ON THE LAKE ~ MUSKOKA
www.gourmetonthelake.com