shoestring onions, sauteed mushrooms, wedge salads, lemonade

For Mother's Day I planned a menu of steaks and (mostly) classic steakhouse sides. I thought it turned out pretty well, if not perfectly. Brother I was right that I made everything a little too salty.

The lemonade recipe I made was too sweet (lemonade recipe, you say? Yes-- I was trying a method that uses the whole lemon, macerating the rinds with the sugar). The "keto" version of creamed spinach didn't work at all. The recipe claimed that the coconut cream would thicken when heated-- it didn't. I already knew how to saute up some nice mushrooms and cook steaks (the key to cooking steaks is being ok with the fire alarm going off).

The two new recipes that I really liked, actually, were the ones I entrusted to brother I for final preparation. That means he did a good job, and also that they were the ones I was most confident would work anyway.

Brother I brought some rolls and sister S brought a mixed berry cobbler that finished off the menu nicely.

Wedge Salads
modified from Cook's Country August/September 2012
to serve 6

6 slices bacon
Panko
1 large shallot, cut in 1/3" rings
1/4 c red wine vinegar
6 oz crumbled blue cheese (recipe says Stilton)
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/4 c sour cream
3 T milk
1 garlic clove, minced
salt, pepper
1 head iceberg lettuce,
       most of core removed but enough left to hold together; and cut into 6 wedges
12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

Crisp bacon, drain.
While bacon fat is hot, toss in a big handful of panko. It will seem to foam. Fry it until it is fragrant, crisp, and bacony.
Combine shallot in vinegar, let sit for at least 20 min.
Remove shallot from vinegar-- reserve both.
whisk 3 oz blue cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, 2 T reserved vinegar, garlic together in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange lettuce wedges on platter. Top with dressing, shallot, tomatoes, bacony panko. Each gets 1/2 oz blue cheese and 1 slice bacon, crumbled.

Shoestring onions
from Cook's Country, Aug/Sep 2011

2 qts vegetable oil
1 1/2 c AP flour
salt and pepper
3/4 t cream of tartar
1 lb onions, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rings
1/2 c apple juice
1/4 c apple cider vinegar.

Rack to middle, oven to 200.
Heat oil over medium high heat to 350.
Combine flour, 1 t salt, cream of tartar, 1/2 t pepper. Toss onions in juice and vinegar to coat in another bowl. Drain onions and transfer to flour mix, tossing to coat.
Fry half of onion rings, stirring occasionally and maintaining oil temp between 325 and 350, until golden brown and crisp-- 3-4 min. Drain on wire rack set in baking sheet in oven. Bring oil back to 350 before frying second batch. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper before serving.

Sauteed mushrooms

4 T butter
1 shallot, sliced thin
32 oz mushrooms-- cremini or white or part shiitake
  cut them as makes sense. Little mushrooms in half. Larger ones in quarters. Shiitakes in 1/2" slices
2 t minced fresh thyme
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 c white wine for cooking

Melt 2 T butter in big skillet over med heat. + shallot, cook until softened (2 min). Add mushrooms, 3/4 t salt, and increase heat to med-high. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their moisture. 8-10 min.

Remove lid, add 2 T butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and tender, 8-10 min. Stir in thyme, garlic, cook ~30 seconds. Add wine to deglaze and scrape up browned bits, until liquid is nearly gone-- ~1 min. Season.

Whole lemon lemonade-- adjusted from when I made it

5 lemons
1 c sugar? -- recipe called for 1 1/4 c, but it was too sweet
1 1/4 qts water
dash of salt

Peel rinds, cut into 1/2" slices. Put in bowl, toss thoroughly with sugar. Stand 1 hr +. Sugar should soak up skin oils.
Bring water to boil, covered. Pour over sugared rinds. Cool 20 min. Remove rinds.
Squeeze flesh into another bowl, strain into sugar mix. Stir well. Chill.