TIME FOR A TEA PARTY!

4/17/13 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Tea poured from a porcelain teapot is best!

I’m a little teapot

Short and stout

Here is my handle

Here is my spout

When I get steamed up hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out!

There’s something about a tea party that puts a smile on my face. It doesn’t have to be fancy and the guest list doesn’t have to be long. But it does have to be a time set apart to relax and enjoy a time set apart from the ordinary hubbub of the day.

I drink a mug of tea every morning to get me going for the day. So one of my favorite things about a tea party is that it gives me a chance to enjoy the porcelain teacups I’ve been collecting for a half century. Sipping an afternoon cup of tea from a beautiful memory-filled cup brings a special joy and relaxation.

In many cultures, afternoon tea is a daily ritual that brings together family or neighbors to catch up on the day’s happenings. In my life, an afternoon tea with invited guests is a special occasion that is only celebrated once a year. Invitations are issued, the house is spotless, the silver polished and fresh flowers brighten the tablecloth.

The tiny bites of delectable food are the true centerpiece but the star is always the tea. Brewed and served the old-fashioned way—in a pot. True tea aficionados use loose tea. I will admit that I do use tea bags. Tea in a bag enables me to have a variety on hand to suit (almost) every taste. I, for-instance, do not like herb teas. Many of my friends do. So my cupboard has both herbal and black teas.

Brewing a pot of tea is simplicity itself. First, you empty the teakettle and fill it with fresh cold water. While it’s heating, you fill the teapot(s) with hot water to warm the ceramic vessel. Then, you pour out the water and add the tea to the empty teapot. If using loose tea, add one spoonful per serving. If using tea bags, use one LESS bag per cup.

Once the water boils, remove the teakettle from the heat and pour over the tea in the pot. Depending on your taste let the tea steep 3-6 minutes. Stir the loose tea gently before pouring through a strainer into the teacups. If using tea bags, remove them before pouring.

The wonderful thing about a tea party menu is the diversity—a mixture of sweet and savory bites of food can range from tender scones to tiny sandwiches or biscuits served with clotted cream. On the sweet side, there is everything from shortbread cookies to lemon-angel food cake. But today we’re going to focus on sandwiches.

Afternoon tea sandwiches are made with thinly sliced bread, crusts removed. Spread the bread lightly with butter (unsalted is nice), herbed butter or cream cheese. Add the desired filling, remove the crusts and cut into squares, rectangles, or diamond shapes. You can also use cookie cutters for special shapes such as hearts or rounds.

To make and store sandwiches ahead of the tea party, put them on a platter and cover with either a damp towel or plastic wrap. Keep them in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, remove them from the frig and decorate the platter with fresh flowers or herbs.

Cucumber and watercress sandwiches are most commonly associated with afternoon teas. It’s funny how a simple cucumber and cream cheese sandwich becomes uncommonly attractive when cut into fancy shape—especially when garnished with an olive!

The following sandwich recipes include a walnut and celery combination; a simple almond and chicken creation; and finally a shrimp salad filling to die for. These amounts are not exact. So if you’re serving a crowd, increase ingredients as needed.

Next column, we’ll check out some scones and sweets to go with our afternoon tea. Enjoy!

ALMOND CHICKEN TEA SANDWICHES

“An Invitation to Tea”

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, chopped

1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds

Salt to taste

1/2 cup mayonnaise

White or wheat bread

Mix chicken, almonds, and Mayonnaise. Butter well each slice of bread. On half the slices, spoon about 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture. Top with remaining slices. Stack three slices tall. Wrap in wax paper and again in a slightly dampened kitchen towel. Let filling set about an hour. Unwrap, cut off crusts and cut into triangles. For a different look, cut sandwiches in 2-inch strips and set on a doily sideways, with the strips of filling showing.

CREAM CHEESE, WALNUT AND CELERY SANDWICHES

“An Invitation to Tea”

1/2 pound cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cups celery heart, very finely chopped

1/2 cup diced walnuts

White or whole-wheat bread

Garnish: Parsley springs

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in celery and walnuts. Spread bottom slice of bread with cream cheese mixture. Lightly spread top slice with mayonnaise. Put bread slices together sandwich style. Trip off crusts of bread and slice sandwiches either into rectangles or triangles. Garnish plates with sprigs of parsley.

SHRIMP SALAD SANDWICHES

”Totally Teatime Cookbook”

 3/4 pound cooked bay shrimp

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3-4 dashes Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 celery stalk, trimmed and finely diced

Thinly sliced egg bread or miniature rolls

Process 1/2 pound of shrimp in a food processor until finely chopped. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, Tabasco and pepper. Pulse into spread. Roughly chop remaining shrimp and add with celery to spread. Stir to combine. Spread on bread; trim crusts. Makes 1 cup.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing

 a variety of recipes that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

SPRINGTIME RECIPES

4/3/2013 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

I love the month of April. It’s time to say, “Goodbye winter and hello spring!” We’re all looking forward to glimpses of sunshine (mingled with rain) and warmer days. Already, days are longer and the grass is green. In fact, Chuck has already mowed our six acre meadow—twice.

The produce departments of our grocery stores are bursting with fresh greenery and bright splashes of color. The tired lettuce of winter has been replaced with a variety of fresh, plump buttery lettuces. Artichokes, asparagus, and avocadoes are at their peak. And the citrus fruits are finally sweet and juicy.

For a dinner salad, I slice oranges, arrange them on a lettuce leaf and sprinkle with coconut and top with a cherry. Tangelos are great in a crisp lettuce salad with a sweet dressing. And it has long been a tradition in our family to steam asparagus, drain and sprinkle it at the table with “Trappey’s Peppers in Vinegar” sauce.

Today, I’m branching out and combining the fruits and avocadoes. Our first recipe is a simple salad that tastes like a million dollars. It calls for lettuce, citrus and avocado. (Costco avocadoes are great. They’re reasonably priced and taste like Calif. sunshine!). The cumin dressing has a little bite so if you prefer, use a good bottled Italian or raspberry vinaigrette.

The following two recipes each call for asparagus. A word to the wise: wash your asparagus well! Here’s how: Clean one side of your sink thoroughly and fill it with cold water. Then, unwrap the bundle of asparagus spears and one-by-one bend them about two-thirds of the way down until they break. Toss the bottom part. Soak the tops in the sink and shake all the sand off. Place them on a clean towel and they’re ready to cook.

The Asparagus and Chicken Noodle Casserole is dressed up comfort food. If you’re tired of tuna noodle casserole give this recipe a try. The asparagus and chicken move it up a notch in the food chain. Yes, the recipe does call for condensed cream of mushroom soup. And yes, you can make your own white sauce and flavor it with mushrooms. I just happen to like the canned stuff. However, I am now buying the low sodium variety!

Finally, the Pan Roasted Asparagus is a great side dish for almost anything. It’s basically a variation on the oven roasted variety but seems to take less time on the stove top. If you like your asparagus cooked beyond the al dente stage, add extra water and time. Enjoy!

AVOCADO CITRUS SALAD

With Tex-Mex Dressing

6 cups Bibb, Butter or Romaine lettuce, torn 

2 Ruby Red grapefruit, peeled and segmented

2 Navel oranges, peeled and segmented

2 avocadoes, sliced into wedges

Tex-Mex Vinaigrette dressing (see recipe below)

Garnishes: pomegranate seeds, fresh cilantro sprigs

Combine first three ingredients in a salad bowl. Toss with Tex-Mex Vinaigrette. Divide lettuce among 6 chilled salad plates. Arrange avocado slices over greens. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately.

TEX-MEX VINAIGRETTE

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

ASPARAGUS AND CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, cut in 2-inch pieces

8 oz dry wide egg noodles

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup finely diced onions

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups cubed cooked chicken (about 4 breasts or 1 whole chicken)

6 ounces shredded Pepper-jack cheese

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Grease an 11 x 14 casserole dish.

Bring a pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Cook the asparagus for 1 minute, remove from water with a slotted spoon into a strainer; rinse in cold water and set aside. Cook the noodles in the same salted water, 1 minute less than the directions. Drain, and pour into a large mixing bowl.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, and sauté the onions over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and flour, and continue cooking, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, mushroom soup, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to simmer and thickens.

Add the cooked sauce to the bowl of noodles. Add the chicken, asparagus and half the cheese, and mix with a spatula to combine. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and top with the rest of the cheese. Mix the breadcrumbs and olive oil until combined and spread evenly over the casserole. Bake for 35 minutes until bubbling and browned. Serves 6

PAN ROASTED ASPARAGUS

1 pound fresh asparagus (washed and trimmed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water

1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

1 lemon, juiced

Garlic Salt and pepper to taste

Shaved Parmesan cheese

In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the olive oil, water, and garlic. Add the asparagus. Cook for about 2 minutes uncovered, or until the water has almost evaporated. Toss the asparagus with tongs, cover the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove the lid and toss the asparagus again. Put the lid back on and repeat until the asparagus are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. The asparagus may brown slightly in spots, which adds to the pan-roasted flavor.

Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Remove the garlic, and taste for seasonings. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing 

a variety of recipes that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.