Recently, the girls from the family and I met up for a Lonely Ladies’ Lunch. We had a wonderful time! Read all about it here.
Here is our menu, complete with the recipes.
Menu:
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon and Sugar Chips
Encrusted Baked Brie with Pepper Jelly
Individual Chicken Pot Pies
Cape Cod Salad
Grandma Betty’s Upside-down Pie
Sparkling Cran-apple Sangria
Coffee Bar
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon and Sugar Chips
The Salsa-
1 C finely chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 C finely chopped peaches (fresh or frozen)
1 medium orange, peeled and finely chopped (1/3 C )
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 T lime juice
2 T sugar
In a mixing bowl stir together all ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.
The Chips-
12 7-or 8-inch flour tortillas
½ C sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
non-stick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together and set aside. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Spread the wedges in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Lightly spray the tortillas with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the tortillas with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven 10 minutes. Cool before serving.
Healthier variation: Substitute sugar for favorite sugar alternative. Be sure to follow substitute guidelines for your specific alternative.
Encrusted Baked Brie with Pepper Jelly
Serves: 8
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 round of brie cheese (optional, Camembert)
1 box puff pastry sheets
1 small jar of green pepper jelly
1 T water
Remove packaging of cheese. Place 2 T pepper jelly on top of cheese. Pinch sheets of puff pastry into large sheet and cover over all the cheese, tucking it in underneath. Reserve a little to make any type of decoration on top of cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. While cheese is baking, in small bowl, mix 1 T water into pepper jelly. Remove cheese from oven and drizzle jelly mixture over top of puff pastry. Bake another 5 minutes. Serve warm as appetizer or as side dish.
Individual Chicken Pot Pies
Servings: 8
⅓ C butter or margarine
⅓ C chopped onion
⅓ C flour
¼ t sage or poultry seasoning
½ t salt
¼ t black pepper
1 ¾ C chicken broth
2 ½ C shredded cooked chicken
2 C frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 package puff pastry sheets
Melt butter in skillet. Saute onions until soft. Stir in remainder of ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Place filling in large coffee cups ¾ full. Place puffed pastry over the top, coming over the edge. Cut a slit in pastry with a knife to allow steam to escape. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 450 degrees, until golden brown. Serve with saucer.
Healthier Version: Use reduced sodium chicken broth; increase amount of vegetables.
Cape Cod Salad
Servings: 4
8 ounces cooked turkey bacon, chopped largely
8 ounces spring mix lettuce
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
For the dressing:
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 T freshly squeezed orange juice
1 t grated orange zest
2 1/2 t dijon mustard
2 T pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
2/3 C good extra virgin olive oil
In a large bowl, toss together the spring mix, apple, walnuts, cranberries, feta cheese
and bacon.
For the dressing, whisk first seven ingredients then slowly whisk into the olive oil.
Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Serve immediately.
Grandma Betty’s Upside Down Apple Pecan Pie
Servings: 8 -10
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Uses two 9” pie crusts (see recipe for homemade pie crust)
1 C chopped pecans
½ C brown sugar
⅓ C melted butter
6 C peeled, thinly sliced apples
1 C sugar
2 T flour
½ t cinnamon
⅛ t nutmeg
Combine pecans, brown sugar, and butter. Spread in bottom of deep 9” pie pan. Cover with bottom crust. Mix together and add: apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover with top crust, seal, and flute. Bake on cookie sheet, as it tends to run over for 40- 50 minutes. Invert immediately onto large plate, carefully removing pan.
Cran-Apple Sangria
Servings: 15
1 64 oz. bottle of cran-apple juice
1 2-liter bottle of ginger ale or Sprite or 7Up
2 sweet apples, chopped
1 pkg. of cranberries
1 lime, sliced. Reserve half of slices to garnish glasses
Optional: Make ahead ice ring with cranberries and lime slices
Mix altogether and refrigerator 30-60 minutes before serving. Looks great in punch bowl or glass pitcher.
Lower calorie version: Use diet soda
Coffee Bar:
Favorite coffee, brewed
whipping cream
chocolate syrup
caramel sauce
shaker of cinnamon
This is what I did:
I found three little juice glasses that fit nicely on a tray.
- Whipped up some delicious whipping cream. I added a little sugar. Then scooped it into one glass. Drizzled chocolate syrup on top.
- Filled glass number two with my favorite Mrs. Richardson’s caramel/butterscotch sauce.
- Filled glass number three with mini chocolate chips.
Presentation: Looks especially nice to serve in glass cups and saucers
