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Ladies,
how long has it been since
you've gotten together with your
closest girlfriends? I can hear you
from here... saying "a million years!"
Don't you just miss all those great
"girl-talk" sessions that you used
to have? Remember? You got together, solved your problems,
helped them solve their problems, AND all the problems of the world!
Ok, then. How about setting aside
an evening, find someone to take
the kids, and maybe he'd like to have
a guy's night out, too.
Talk it over with him, see if you can
coordinate your schedules, and choose a same night that'll work for
both of you. Call a few of your closest friends, old friends that
you've not seen for awhile, or possibly those that you just don't see
enough of. Set aside at least four hours to allow enough
time to serve dinner, linger over a few glasses of wine, and to talk the
night away. Make sure you set the mood, because old friends
are truly special!
Entree
Shrimp
Creole
(Makes
6-8 large servings!)
If you prepare and chop your vegetables early in the day, make the
Special Broth ahead of time, and peel and devein the shrimp beforehand,
you can keep everything refrigerated.
Actual cooking time will be extremely minimal, and you won't have to
take much time away from your guests.
Spend that valuable time with them! 3
pounds green peppers, seeded & chopped
1 pound onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup olive oil
Special Broth (recipe follows below)
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 pounds large shrimp, shelled & deveined Saute
the peppers, onions and celery in the
butter and oil in a large pot until tender, for 10 minutes. Stir
in the Special Broth (below) and tomato puree. Bring to
boiling. Lower the heat.
Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Add
the Worcestershire sauce, wine, Tabasco sauce and salt. Simmer for
5 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer for 10-15 minutes longer.
Serve on a bed of white rice (Uncle Ben's Converted Rice works
very well - follow package directions).
Sprinkle top with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Special
Broth 2-1/2
cups water
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves Combine
all ingredients in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil. Lower heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and cloves.
Proceed to add to above recipe, as necessary.
Side
Dish The
really good news about this meal is that you won't have to prepare
anything too difficult or time-consuming to go with this week's
meal. Your entree will provide most of it. Drape a
large napkin in a basket of large, crusty rolls with plenty of butter on
the table, and offer a green, leafy salad.... Salad Spinach
leaves
Watercress
Lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes
Chopped Onion
Sliced fresh mushrooms
Diced Green Pepper
Sliced Cucumbers
Thinly Sliced Celery
Croutons Toss
together some or all of the above listed vegetables (your choice).
Offer croutons at the side of the salad bowl
for your guests, along with a nice variety of salad dressings. Beverage
Suggestion: Black Tower Wine (a
white wine, light and flowery taste, not too sweet)
Dessert Pineapple-Apricot
Upside-Down Cake Since
this meal isn't so high in calories or fat, you'll be able to have
dessert without so much guilt. Tomorrow, you'll be able to put
aside your worries of weight-gain, and focus on the memory of last
night, that only special friends can share.... 1/2
stick butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
6 pineapple rings from a can, drained
1 8-oz. can apricot halves, drained
Chopped Walnuts
1-1/4 cups flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Crisco
3/4 cup milk (you can use skim if you wish, your choice)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 9X9X2-inch baking pan in the
oven while oven is heating. Sprinkle brown sugar over
butter. Arrange pineapple slices and apricot halves in
butter-sugar mixture, however you please.
Fill the centers of the pineapple rings with walnuts.
Sift
flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Add Crisco
and milk. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with electric mixer,
scraping sides of bowl all the while. Add vanilla and egg.
Beat 2 minutes longer. Pour over the fruit in baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until center springs back when
lightly touched with fingertip.
Invert the cake on a serving plate. Leave pan in place for 2
minutes.
Lift off pan, and serve when cooled.
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