Recipes for At the Stroke of Murder
Appetizers
Appetizer Round Option 1: Baked Brie
INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) wheel Brie cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 (17.5 ounce) pack frozen puff pastry, thawed
1⁄2 cup Fruit Preserves/Optional
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
- Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
- Slice the wheel of Brie in half, horizontally, so that the halves are two,
- flatter wheels of Brie.
- Lay the puff pastry in the pie pan (optional preserves can be added
- before adding puff pastry).
- Place half of the Brie (rind-side down) onto the pastry dough.
- Sprinkle almonds evenly over the top.
- Place the other half of the Brie (rind-side up) over the almonds.
- Bundle the pastry dough around the Brie.
- Bake 15 to 20 Min
- Let cool 5 min and serve!
Appetizer Round Option 2: Spinach Dip to Die For (with French Bread)
INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 (4 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled
2 (4 ounce) can artichoke hearts, chopped
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 loaves French bread, sliced for dipping size
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, spinach, feta cheese, artichokes, garlic and Ranch dressing mix. Mix together with clean hands until well blended.
- Serve.
Soup/Salad
Soup/Salad Round Option 1: Fancy French Onion Soup
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon butter
16-1/2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3-1/4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2/3 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles beer
6-2/3 cups beef broth
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1-3/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2/3 bay leaf
10 slices French bread, toasted
5 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
DIRECTIONS
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
- Cook onions in butter until golden brown, 15 minutes.
- Stir in all other ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. 5. Float slices of toasted bread and top with cheese.
- Serve.
Soup/Salad Round Option 2: Salade de Carottes Rapes (Comparable to American Coleslaw)
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
10 carrots, peeled and shredded
DIRECTIONS
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, oil, salt and pepper. 2. Add the shredded carrots, and mix until coated.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving
Entrees
Entree Round Option 1: Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon olive oil (for saute and coating casserole dish)
7-1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons dried parsley
2-1/2 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt to taste
2-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
5 zucchini, sliced
2-1/2 large onion, sliced into rings
5 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2-1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
5 large tomatoes, chopped
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Saute garlic until lightly browned.
- Mix in parsley and eggplant and saute until eggplant is soft, about 10 minutes.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Spread eggplant mixture evenly across bottom of prepared casserole dish.
- Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
- Spread zucchini in an even layer over top.
- Lightly salt and sprinkle with a little more cheese.
- Continue layering in this fashion, with onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes,
- covering each layer with a sprinkling of salt and cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. 11.Serve.
Entree Round Option 2: Chicken Cordon Bleu
INGREDIENTS
10 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
15 slices Swiss cheese
10 slices cooked ham
1-1/4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coat 2 – 7×11 inch baking dishes with cooking spray.
- Pound chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.
- Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt/pepper.
- Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast.
- Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick.
- Place in baking dish, and cover with bread crumbs.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.
- Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. 10.Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. 11.Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately.
Desserts
Dessert Round Option 1: French Silk Pie
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
2 – 1 oz squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 prepared 8 inch pastry shell, baked and cooled
DIRECTIONS
- Cream butter in a mixing bowl.
- Gradually beat in the sugar with an electric mixer until light colored and well blended. 3. Stir in the cooled chocolate, and vanilla extract.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 5 minutes on medium speed after each addition. 5. Spoon the chocolate filling into a baked, cooled pie shell.
- Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.
Dessert Round Option 2: Tarte Au Sucre (Comparable to Brown Sugar Pie)
INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- In a saucepan, combine flour and sugar.
- Stir in milk, butter, salt and vanilla.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. 5. Pour into an unbaked pie shell.
- Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking for 25 minutes.
Bonus
French Lace Cookies (To be divided amongst the award winners)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Prepare cookie sheets by covering with parchment.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the corn syrup, shortening and brown sugar over medium
- heat. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.
- In a small bowl toss together the flour and nuts
- Stir mixture of flour and nuts into the saucepan mixture, and remove from the heat.
- Keep the batter warm by setting over a pan of hot water.
- Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. (Cookies should be 3 in. apart.)
- Bake for about 5 minutes or until the center of the cookie is set.
- Let the cookies cool before removing from the baking sheets.