Spring Tablescape and Dinner (Part 2)

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Welcome to Part 2 of my Youtube presentation and blog “Spring Tablescape and Dinner”!  Please enjoy a couple of the recipes I used to create this springtime culinary excursion!

And here is the dinner!

Let’s Cook!

Signature Cocktail
Raspberry Martini (refreshing and yum!) Serves 1

  • 1 1/2 oz SKYYE Raspberry Vodka

  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup (homemade 1-1 ratio of sugar and water OR store-bought!)

  • 3 Raspberries 

  • 2 Tbs Cranberry Juice

  • 1/2 C Ice

  • 1 Tbs Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

  • 3 Raspberries for garnish

  1. Gently mash 3 Raspberries into the simple Syrup

  2. Add Vodka, simple syrup mixture, cranberry juice, lime juice and ice in a shaker. Stir until combined.

  3. Strain into glass

  4. Garnish with a skewer of raspberries and a mint leaf

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Pea Soup – Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger via FOOD NETWORK

  • 2 Tsp EVOO

  • 2 Lg Onions sliced ( 3 Cups)

  • 5 Cups low-sodium Chicken Broth

  • 1 1/2 Tsp Dried Tarragon

  • 1 Tsp Salt

  • Fresh Ground Pepper (to taste)

  • 1 10 Ounce Bags of Frozen Peas

  • Creme Fraiche

  • Fresh Mint for garnish

  1. Heat olive oil over moderate Lowe hear in a large pot. Add onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Add broth, tarragon, salt and freshly ground pepper and bring to a boil

  2. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Serve hot. Ladle into bowls.

Note: I garnish with Creme Fraiche and a sprig of mint

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Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Strawberries & Bacon – Serves 6

  • 1 Pound of Fresh Baby Spinach

  • 1 Pint of Organic  Bueberries

  • 1 Pound of Organic Strawberies hulled and cut in half

  • 3-4 Ounces of Slivered almonds

  • 12 Strips of Bacon cooked flat

  • Raspberry vinaigrette to taste (I serve on the side)

Raspberry Vinaigrette

  • 2 Cups Fresh Raspberries

  • 1/2 Cup EVOO

  • 4 TbsRed Wine Vinegar

  • 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

  • 1-2 Tbs Honey (I love the flavor of honey and pepper so I add 2 TBS)

  • 1/4 Tsp Salt

  • 1/4 Tsp Pepper

  • Combine in Food Processor or Bullet and process until well blended.

Food Styling & Presentation

  • Toss spinach, blueberries, strawberries and 1/2 of the almonds in a large bowl

  • Arrange on a large platter making sure fruits are showing on top

  • Lay strips of bacon across the top

  • Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 of the almonds

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Lemon Basil, Asparagus, Green Olive and Spicy Chicken Sausage Pasta
This recipe was inspired by @HalfBakedHarvest I made some changes due to preference & allergies

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  • 1lb Seggiano Fusilloni Organic Pasta. The spirals grab the delicious sauce!

  • 1 Cup Green Olives chopped

  • 1 Pound Spicy Chicken Sausage links

  • 1/4 Cup of EVOO 

  • 2 Tbs EVOO

  • 2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 1 Lemon zest and juice

  • 1 1/2 Bunches of Asparagus chopped

  • 6 Asparagus spears peeled for food styling

  • 2 Cups of Fresh Basil

  • 4 Cloves Minced Garlic

  • 1/4 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper (and additional on the side)

  • 1/4 Cup Dry White Wine

  • 2 Cups of Freshly Shaved Parmesan (save 1/2 cup for garnish)

  • 2 Cups of Fresh Spinach leaves ( 1 cup for mixing in and 1 cup for garnish)

  1. Cook pasta according to directions (add 1 tsp EVOO and 1/2 tsp Kosher salt to water)

  2. Set aside when cooked

  3. Mix EVOO, vinegar, lemon juice and zest, 1 cup basil, green olives, S & P to taste in the bowl of a food processor and process until well blended like a pesto

  4. Set aside

  5. Add 2 Tbs Evoo to saute’ pan

  6. Add sausage links and cook until done, about 10 minutes depending upon size of links

  7. Remove from pan an cut into 1/2 slices and put back into pan

  8. Add asparagus, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and S & P to taste

  9. Cook another 10 mutes until asparagus is tender.

  10. Add wine and simmer 2-3 minutes

  11. Add the cooked pasta and 1 1/2 cups parmesan and combine well

  12. Add the basil, green olive sauce and toss well (YUM!)

  13. Remove from heat and toss with 1 cup spinach leaves

  14. Add additional red crushed pepper flakes to taste. (Serve on the side)

Food Styling

  • Cabbage Leaves around serving platter

  • Mound Pasta in the center

  • Sprinkle with fresh spinach leaves with spinach leaves and asparagus tips  on top

  • Sprinkle with additional Crushed Red Pepper (optional, taste first)

  • Arrange Several Stalks of Asparagus on top of the pasta

  • Garnish with more Shaved Parmigiani Reggiani

    VOILA!

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Roasted Cornish Hens with Stuffing

  • 6 Cornish Hens 1.5 pounds each (try to get them all around the same size)

  • 6 Tbs EVOO

  • 6 Tbs Unsalted Butter

  • 1 Tsp Unsalted Butter

  • S & P to taste 

  • 1 Tsp Poultry Seasoning

  • 10 Sprigs of Thyme

  1. Preheat Oven to 450 Degrees

  2. Remove the insides of the hens, rinse and pat dry

  3. Tie the legs together with twine

  4. Melt the 6 tsps butter in a saucepan and combine with EVOO. Add Poultry seasoning and mix

  5. Spread mixture all over body, legs and in cavity

  6. Sprinkle with S & P 

  7. Place I teaspoon butter in cavity with S+P add a 2 sprigs of thyme to cavity 

  8. Reduce temp to 400 degrees

  9. Place in baking pan and roast for 30 minutes basting. Remove hens from oven and gently  stuff with small spoon. Return to oven for another 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees

  10. Remove from oven and tent with foil for 15 minutes

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Prepare Stuffing Separately
You can use STOVETOP STUFFING! My family’s favorite! I enhance this delicious stuffing by adding sautéed green and red grapes, apples, pears and clementines for a delicious compote

  • 1 Box of Stovetop Stuffing

  • 1 Macintosh Apple chopped

  • 1 Anjou Pear (ripe) chopped

  • 12 Green Seedless Grapes

  • 12 Red Seedless Grapes

  • 2 Clemetines (Cuties) peeled with each pice cut in half

  • 2 TBS Unsalted Butter

  1. Prepare Stovetop stuffing according to directions on box. Set aside

  2. Saute’ fruit in pan

  3. Mix with prepared stuffing

OR make your own….

I stuff the birds 30 minutes mid-way though cooking so  the fruits warm up and add a sweet flavor to the au jus

Food Styling & Presentation

Serve 6 Hens on a pretty platter and Garnish with sprigs of Thyme

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Lemon Coconut Cake  

For this cake I used a classic box cake from Duncan Hines. (Sometimes, you just have to do it to balance time). It was the Duncan Hines Signature Cake Mix, Deliciously Moist Lemon Supreme. And that it was! My cake was 4 layers, so I used two boxes and 4 9” cake pans

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The Cake (***This is a double recipe)

  1. 2 boxes Duncan Hines Moist Lemon Supreme

  2. Prepare according to package directions 

  3. Grease and flour 4 9” round cake pans (if you don’t have 4 pans, you can bake two at a time)

  4. Divide batter evenly into 4 cake pans

  5. Bake according to directions

  6. Let cakes cool then turn each one out onto its own plate lined with parchment paper

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Traditional White Frosting (super-easy!) (***This is a double recipe)

The frosting should be as white as possible to achieve a “cloud-like” effect once coconut is applied

Ingredients

  •  3 Cups (6 Sticks) Butter (as light in color as you can find) softened 

  • 12 Cups Confectioners Sugar

  • 4-6 Tsps Whole Milk

  • 4 Tsp Clear Vanilla

Directions

  1. Mix butter until creamy on med-high speed

  2. Gradually mix in sugar a bit at a time until combined

  3. Add vanilla

  4. Add milk a little at a time to achieve desired consistency ( prefer a thicker consistency)

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Tangy Lemon Filling (Easy!)  (***This is a double recipe!)

  • 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar

  • 1/2 Cup Cornstarch

  • 1/2 Tsp Salt

  • 4 Egg Yolks

  • 1 1/2 Cups Water

  • 4 Tbs Butter softened

  • 2/3 Cup Freshly Sqeezed Lemon Juice

  • 2 Tsp Freshly grated Lemon Zest

  1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small pan

  2. Add Egg yolks and combine

  3. Add Water and stir until combined and smooth

  4. Cook over low heat until a light boil (4-5 minutes) until mixture thickens

  5. Remove from heat

  6. Add Butter and combine

  7. Whisk lemon juice

  8. Add Lemon zest (best part!)

  9. Pour into bowl and cover with plastic wrap right on top of surface

  10. Refrigerate for an hour

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Coconut Topping

8 Cups Shredded Coconut

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Assembly

  1. Place first layer of cake on doily covered cake stand

  2. Spread a thick layer of lemon filing over whole layer

  3. Apply next layers alternating with lemon filling

  4. Apply top cake layer

  5. Gently ice with frosting. 

  6. Sprinkle with coconut on top and on press in all around sides being sure to cover every inch of the 4 layer cake. Serve immediately.

  7. Sprinkle coconut shreds all over top and sides, gently patting the sides so it will stick

Cake Styling & Presentation

Plated on a doily on a cake pedestal wrapped in silk ivy roping and topped with a live hot pink lily from my tablescape floral arrangement. It’s a beautiful thing when your food matches your tablescape and sideboard decor.

*** I have also made this cake with the addition of fresh blueberries on top of each layer of lemon filling