Cooking with Friends ~ Kevin

When Kevin first moved into his condo, I took one look at his kitchen and declared that I must help him cook a meal there. He owns the bottom level of a gorgeous Queen Anne style home and he's got a big kitchen/dining area that has a lot of character. Last night, I lived up to my promise and we cooked a nice meal together in his kitchen. I've cooked with friends before and it's something I want to do more of because there is something special about preparing a meal with someone and sharing it with them.

On last night's menu was the following:

Mesclun Mix with Grape Tomatoes, a Dijon Vinaigrette and Fried Goat Cheese

Carrot, Leek and Orange Stir-fry

French Silk Tartlets with Fresh Raspberries

Kevin is a vegetarian so we didn't cook anything with meat, which was fine for me because I love creating vegetarian meals. Kevin doesn't cook as often as I do, but when he does he whips up very unique creations. He's famous for his wonderful carrot cake which is so beautiful and so delicious that everyone can't help but be impressed by it. He also makes a great carrot-ginger soup and I'm dying to try his special lasagna and his new recipe for vegetarian chili. He's also a top-notch host and has entertained many guests in his lovely home.

Here are the recipes for the different items on the menu. 

Mesclun Mix with Grape Tomatoes, a Dijon Vinaigrette and Fried Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

Bag of Mesclun Mix

1 cup of grape tomatoes (or a small container)

2 teaspoons of dijon mustard

2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of light olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg beaten with a bit of water (egg wash)

1/4 cup of breadcrumbs

1 small log of herbed goat cheese cut into chunks

Coat the chunks of goat cheese in the egg wash then in the bread crumbs. Cook in a skillet with a bit of oil until both sides of the breaded goat cheese are nice and brown. Set aside.

In a small container, mix the dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Shake shake shake. Taste the mixture and add more of any of the ingredients if you want to adjust the flavor.

In a big bowl, toss the mesclun mix, grape tomatoes and dressing. Serve on a plate topped with some pieces of fried goat cheese.

Carrot, Leek and Orange Stir-fry

Ingredients:

Sunflower oil

2-1/4 cup of grated carrots

1 leek halved and sliced

2 oranges sectioned

1/2 cup of dry roasted peanuts

Sauce:

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a large skillet or a wok, heat up a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil (or another really light oil). When the oil starts to sizzle add carrots, leeks and oranges and stir and fry until cooked. Mix the the brown sugar, ketchup and soy sauce in a bowl. Stir in the sauce. Serve hot in a bowl topped with the roasted peanuts.

Note: If we were to make this again, we may try mandarin oranges instead of regular oranges.

French Silk Tartlets with Fresh Raspberries

The recipe for this can be found on the Shape Magazine website. I altered it a bit. I made 6 tarts instead of 4. I used 8 graham cracker sheets instead of 6. I used a whole container of silken tofu (16 oz instead of 10 oz). Also I put the raspberries on top only, not in the center. You'll have a lot of leftover pudding which is delicious by itself. This is a super-healthy dessert. The tofu replaces any kind of dairy product, the crust has egg white instead of butter and the filling is sweetened by apple juice and honey instead of regular sugar. I highly recommend you try this.

Mesclun Mix With Grape Tomatoes, A Dijon Vinaigrette and Fried Goat Cheese