Love is in the air and innkeeping couple Joe Houde and Carol Seminara of The Cottages at Limestone on Main will show you how to stir up some romance in the kitchen with a special Valentine’s Day dinner that’s easy to prepare, special and delicious. Plus they offer some tips on which menu items are best avoided.
  
This class is scheduled Saturday, Feb. 9, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Town Creek Bed & Breakfast.  Cost for the class is $65/each and space is limited to eight students.

Printable FlyerJust in time for Valentine’s Day. Our grande dame of chocolate, Lecia Duke, will showcase hands-on methods for tempering chocolate to silky smooth perfection, creating creamy truffles and fillings for chocolate candies, and crafting other mouth-watering confections.

6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Chocolat.  $65

Call: 1-877-777-6848 to reserve

Printable Recipe                     

Recipe By     :  Connie Gikas
Serving Size  : 6    

  Amount                                    Ingredient 
  10                                              large  eggs — room temperature
     3/4           cup                        2% low-fat milk — room temperature
  1              slice                           Italian bread — day old, cubed in 1 inch pieces
  1         tablespoon                    Parmesan cheese — freshly grated
                                                    salt and pepper — to taste
                                                    garlic powder — to taste
  2          teaspoons                    olive oil
     1/2           cup                       sweet onion — diced
  1              large                         potato — cubed and heated in microwave for 5 minutes
  1         tablespoon                   unsalted butter
  1                cup                         part-skim ricotta cheese
     1/2      teaspoon                  Italian seasoning
                                                   sea salt and pepper — to taste

In a deep mixing bowl, whip together the eggs and milk until frothy.  Add the day-old cubed Italian bread. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In an oven-proof skillet heat olive oil until very hot. Saute chopped onion in olive oil until just soft. Remove onions from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, saute the cubed potato until browned. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Return onions to the pan with the potatoes, add butter and heat until butter just melts.

Pour in egg mixture and gently fold until eggs are softly cooked.

Drop ricotta cheese by teaspoon on top. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over top.

Bake in 350 degree oven until top is nicely browned and eggs are set.

Serve by inverting on serving dish and cutting in wedges.

Description:
  “by Connie Gikas”
Yield:
  “6 slices”
                                Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 259 Calories; 16g Fat (56.0% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 374mg Cholesterol; 220mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat.

Serving Ideas : May be served warm or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh sliced tomatoes and basil leaves.

NOTES : I prepare extra potatoes and place them on a lined cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven after browning on stove. Be sure to season well with salt, pepper, garlic powder.

Printable Recipe                

                         
Serving Size  :    4    

  Amount                  Ingredient 

  2                              tablespoons  olive oil
  1                              teaspoon  oregano leaves
  1                              yellow onion — peeled
  2                             cloves  garlic — peeled
  4                             tomatoes — peeled, chopped
  1                             tablespoon  tomato paste
     1/2                      cup  white wine
  8                             prawns — cleaned
  4                             ounces  feta cheese
  1                             tablespoon  flat leaf parsley
  1                             lemon

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Heat olive oil in deep skillet.  Add onion, saute’ until just starting to clear. 
• Add crushed chopped garlic. Stir.
• Add tomato paste and while stirring add wine until paste is incorporated.
• Add tomatoes, toss.  Add oregano.  Cook for 10 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt & pepper.
• Add prawns, stir into sauce, cook 2 minutes.
• Add feta.  Bake 10 minutes.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 200 Calories; 13g Fat (62.2% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 25mg Cholesterol; 363mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat.

Serving Ideas : Sprinkle with parsley. Squeeze lemon over dish.

NOTES :
Serves 4

2 Tbs. Olive oil
 

     Printable Recipe

Recipe By:                   Carol Seminara
Serving Size:               16   

Categories :                  6 Flavors Over Texas

  Amount              Ingredient 

  2                           large  poblano pepper — fresh, roasted,peeled, seeded, and cut into tiny slices
  1                           small  onion — finely chopped
  2                           cloves  garlic — minced
  1                           teaspoon  chicken bouillon
  1                           tablespoon  olive oil
     1/4                    cup  heavy cream
                               freshly ground black pepper — to taste
  2                          ounces  queso fresco — cut in tiny pieces
  1                           pie crust, homemade — or 1 package refrigerated pie crust
     1/4                   cup  all-purpose flour
     1/4                   cup  corn meal
  1                          egg — combined with 1 tsp water for egg wash

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
•  In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in the olive
  oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Do not brown.
• Add the minced garlic and chicken bouillon; cook for one minute
  longer. Do not brown the garlic or it will taste bitter.
• Add sliced, roasted poblano peppers and cook, stirring, for a
  couple of minutes or until heated through.
• Slowly pour in the heavy cream and simmer until the peppers and sauce are thick. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
• On a work surface, combine flour and corn meal.  Dust pie crust with flour/corn meal mixture and roll out the pie crust to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Cut rounds of pastry dough with a 3-inch cutter. (One pie crust
  yields 16 pastry rounds.)
• Place 1 teaspoon of pepper/cream mixture in the center of a pastry round. Add one tiny piece of queso fresco. Moisten edge of dough round with water, fold dough over making a pocket and seal edges by pressing with your finger tip.
• Continue until all dough circles are stuffed with the pepper/cream mixture and queso fresco.
• Place the empanadas on parchment lined baking sheet; lightly
  brush each pastry with egg wash.
• Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove baked pastries to a wire rack to cool slightly before
  serving.

Description:
  “Empanadas are stuffed pastries, usually shaped like half moons. Rajas”
                                  

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 103 Calories; 7g Fat (58.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 74mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat.

Printable Recipe                    
          

Recipe By:                Carol Seminara
Serving Size:            10    

  Amount                              Ingredient 
  1                                          large  egg white
     1/4                                   cup  granulated sugar
  1                                          teaspoon  Kosher salt
     1/2                                   teaspoon  chili powder
     1/2                                   teaspoon  ground cumin
     1/4                                   teaspoon  ground allspice
  1 3/4                                  teaspoons  cayenne pepper
  2 1/2                                  cups  pecan halves

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• In a small bowl, combine sugar and spices; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy and no clear liquid
  remains at the bottom of the bowl.
• Once egg white is foamy and soft, whisk in sugar and spice mixture.
• Stir in pecans until well coated; spread mixture in a single layer
  onto an ungreased baking pan.
• Bake pecans at 300°F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, with a metal spatula, turn, stir, and separate the nuts.
• Reduce oven heat to 250°F and bake nuts an additional 10 minutes longer, or until medium brown.
• Remove from oven, turn and stir again, then transfer to a wire
  rack to cool, breaking up any nuts that stick together.
• Yield:
    “2 1/2 cups”
                                

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 203 Calories; 18g Fat (76.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 195mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : These can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

                     
                  Seared Tuna Nicoise Canapes  (France)

Recipe By:              Carol Seminara
Serving Size  :        24   
Categories    :         6 Flavors Over Texas

  Amount                  Ingredient 
     1/2                       pound  tuna — sushi-grade, 1 inch thick
     1/4                       cup  soy sauce
  1                              tablespoon  tapenade — black olive paste
  6                              nicoise olives — pitted and coarsely chopped
  3                              tablespoons  drained capers
     1/4                       cup  mayonnaise — homemade or best quality store-bought
  1                              pound  red potatoes — small, unpeeled
  24                           green beans,thin — or haricot verts
  2                             small  plum tomatoes
                                 olive oil spray

• Cut the tuna against the grain into 1/2-inch thick strips. Cut
  each strip into 1-inch long pieces; you should have 24 pieces of
  tuna. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce and olive paste. Add
  tuna and gently stir to coat. Cover and let marinate in the
  refrigerator for a least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Drain tuna slices and pat dry with a paper towel; set aside.
• Over a medium-high flame, heat a large skillet and spray
  generously with olive oil. Sear each tuna slice, turning once, until well-browned, about 15 seconds per side. Transfer cooked tuna to paper towels to drain. Let cool, the cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• Chop olives with 1 tablespoon of capers to form a chunky paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the mayonnaise.
• Cut potatoes crosswise into 24 slices, each about 1/4-inch thick. Place rounds in a medium saucepan of cold, salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and cook the potatoes until tender, about 7 - 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked potato slices to paper towels to drain.
• Bring the salted water back up to a boil and add the haricot
  verts. Boil over moderately high heat until tender, about 1 minute. Drain the green beans, rinse with cold water to stop their cooking and transfer them to paper towels to drain. Cut 1-inch from both tips of each green bean and reserve for garnish.
• To assemble, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the olive mayonnaise onto a potato slice. Set a piece of tuna on top and garnish each with 1/2 teaspoon of diced tomatoes, a few capers, and 2 haricot verts tips.                                    

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 48 Calories; 2g Fat (45.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 190mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

NOTES : The tuna, olive mayonnaise, haricots verts and boiled potatoes
can all be prepared and refrigerated the day before. The assembled
canapes may be refrigerated for up to 8 hours.

Printable Recipe 

Recipe By:               Carol Seminara
Serving Size  :         12   

Categories    : 6 Flavors Over Texas

  Amount                Ingredient

  2                            bottles  dry red wine — traditionally red Rioja wine,
                                such as Tempranillo or Grenache
  2                            tablespoons  granulated sugar — or more if needed
  2                            large  oranges — thinly sliced into rounds
  2                            large  lemons — thinly sliced into rounds
  2                            medium  peaches — peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
  2                            cups  club soda
  2                            large  juice of oranges
  2                            large  juice of lemons
                                ice — for serving

Combine the red wine, sugar, juices, and sliced fruits in a large
serving pitcher, mixing well. Refrigerate for several hours,
preferably overnight.

Immediately before serving, mix in the club soda.

Pour over ice to serve.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 31 Calories; trace Fat (1.8% calories from fat); trace Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 12mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Sangria is a red wine punch that originated in the Rioja region of
Spain. This simple recipe is delicious as is, but it also makes a
good basis for creating your own unique version. Cognac or rum can be
added for extra zip.

Printable Recipe             
                  

Recipe By     :Carol Seminara
Serving Size  : 12   
  Amount                 Ingredient 
  1                             pound  ground beef round steak — (85/15)
     3/4                     teaspoon  Kosher salt
     1/4                     teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
     1/2                     teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce
     1/2                     teaspoon  dry mustard
     1/2                     teaspoon  garlic powder
     1/2                     teaspoon  pimenton — smoked paprika
  5                            slices  American cheese
  4                            tablespoons  mayonnaise
  12                          biscuits — or small dinner rolls

• Prepare biscuits or rolls in advance as directed on the package.
• In a bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. Hand form walnut-sized balls of the meat mixture.
• Drop into hot skillet and press into patty shape about 1 1/2 to 2
  inches in diameter. Cook about 3 minutes on the first side, turn and cook on second side. Add 1/4 of a slice of American cheese to each patty and allow to melt as second side browns.
• Slice rolls (or biscuts) in half horizontally. Spread with mayonnaise and assemble burgers.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 402 Calories; 26g Fat (57.1% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 1363mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
 

Printable Recipe                     
                    Recipe By     :Carol Seminara
Serving Size  : 12   

  Amount                            Ingredient 

  1                                        dozen  corn tortillas
     1/2                                 pound  Monterey jack cheese — sliced
     1/4                                 pound  cheddar cheese — sliced
  1                                        fresh jalapeno pepper
                                            vegetable oil — for frying, canola or peanut preferred

Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut tortillas and Monterey Jack
  cheese into rounds.
• Cut cheddar cheese into 1 1/2-inch rounds.
• Slice jalapenos into thin rounds.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and
  fry tortilla rounds until crisp.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and
  fry tortilla rounds until crisp.
• Place cooked, drained tortilla rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Top each tortilla round with one slice of Monterey Jack cheese,
  then center a jalapeno slice on the Monterey Jack and cover the
  jalapeno slice with a round of cheddar cheese.
• Bake at 350°F until cheese is melted.
•                         

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 164 Calories; 9g Fat (51.2% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 27mg Cholesterol; 200mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : Note: Small corn tortillas, usually labeled for taquitos, may be
available in your grocery. These measure 4 1/2 inches and work well
without having to be cut.