Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for the ‘Sides’ Category

I realize it's not always about gourmet chocolates and enticing desserts, so here is a potato dish that can perfectly complement your brunch menu!  Paprika, onion and other seasonings are used to create a savory side dish that is a hearty change from hashbrowns.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of small red-skinned potatoes, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped (remove the seeds too)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Lawry's seasoning
2 teaspoons sweet paprika

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degF. In a large ziploc bag, toss together all of the ingredients and then pour them on a large non-stick baking sheet for cookies or jelly roll pan. Spread them out so they are in a single layer (not piled on top of each other). Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown turning several times to make sure that they cook evenly.

If you love this potato dish, be sure to try this Potato Pizza Casserole recipe!

If you are looking for a hearty meal option, this is it. Perfect for a complete meal gift for your family!

• 1 cup pearl barley
• 4 cups boiling water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 pound chopped mushrooms
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons fat or butter
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten

Stir the barley into the water. Bring to a boil; add the salt, cover and cook over low heat or until soft. Drain.  Brown the mushrooms and onions in the fat or butter.  Add to the barley with the pepper and eggs. Taste for seasoning. Turn into a greased baking dish or casserole. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until browned and set. Serves 6 as a substitute for potatoes.

If you enjoyed the mushrooms in this recipe, you'll really love this recipe for Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms.

So you got a pasta gift basket from a friend and you're not sure how to make use of it without breaking down and making spaghetti. Well here is a wonderful recipe to help you create a truly tasty gourmet meal for your family.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 cups cooked medium noodles, drained
• 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Cream the cheese with the eggs, sugar and salt. Stir in the noodles. Turn into a buttered 9 inch ring mold. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and butter. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until brown. Unmold carefully. Serves 6.

Or, you can opt to make something completely opposite, Pasta Salad!

It's not one of our gourmet desserts but it sure is tasty! These Kasha Varnitchkes are certainly something you'll want to try.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup minced onions
• 1/3 cup chicken fat
• 2 cups cooked kasha
• 3 cups cooked broad noodles, drained
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Brown the onions in the fat. Combine with the kasha, noodles, salt and pepper. If you have any grebenes, add some. Toss until well mixed. Serve hot. Serves 6.

If you'd rather find some recipes on sweets, try these:

• How to Make Homemade Fortune Cookies
• How to Make Cookie Dough Cupcakes
• Easter Nest Cookie Receipe
• Holiday Sugar Cookies

Must like creating gourmet desserts, this recipe creates a scrumptious batch of biscuits. And who doesn't love homemade biscuits?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, or 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2/3 cup milk

The texture of the biscuits should be light and tender. The dough should be minimally stirred and kneaded to ensure a flaky crumb.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cream of tartar, and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour with two knives held together or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the milk all at once and stir quickly and lightly with a fork for 30 seconds, just till the dough forms a ball around it.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 14 times. Pat to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 inch cookie cutter. (An empty 6 ounce tomato paste can also works well.)
4. Place touching each other in the prepared cake pans, about 9 rounds of dough per pan. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

For more breads or rolls, try these recipes:

• Banana Puree Bread
• Bread Dough
• Onion Herb Baked Bread
• Savory Bubbly Cheese Bread