Cooking Club: Spring Has Sprung!

Our first ever cooking club night will be held on Wednesday, May 14th at 7:00 PM at my house (Miranda). Rachel made the wonderful suggestion of a "Yay for Spring" theme so we're going to go with that. I will be making the main dish, and you can each indicate next to your name what you will be bringing followed by the recipe. After the dinner we can include pictures of our delicious food!

Miranda: Orecchiette Carbonara with Leeks
Rachel: Israeli Couscous Salad
April: Tomato Bruschetta
Christy: Sour Cream Cheesecake
Diana: Sweet and Sour Spinach Salad
Sarah: Spring Punch

Tomato Bruschetta
8 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 pkg Fresh Basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 or 3 slices of Mozzarella cheese, cubed
about 2 TBSP Focaccia with Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dipping Oil by Italian Rose
Mix all together. Marinate in refrigerator.

Slice baguette. Toast in oven at 400 degrees.

Top bread with tomato mixture. Serve.

Orecchiette Carbonara With Leeks
Recipe From: Bon Appetit Magazine
4 Applewood-smoked bacon slices, diced
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/3 inch pieces
10 oz. orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or small shells
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel and drain. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. fat from skillet if necessary. Add leeks and saute over medium heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan in medium bowl to blend; gradually whisk in 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to leeks in skillet and stir to heat. Remove skillet from heat. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes (Return skillet to very low heat if egg mixture is runny; do not overcook or eggs will curdle.) Add some of the remaining 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid to pasta if needed to moisten. Stir in bacon and parsley. Serve pasta, passing additional cheese separately.

Sweet and Sour Spinach Salad
1 1/2 lbs fresh Spinach
1 can of Mandarin oranges
1/4-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 T brown sugar
1/4 C cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. each dry mustard, celery seed and paprika
1/2 C oil

Mix together, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery seed and paprika. Gradually whisk in oil. Pour half of dressing over spinach mixed with onions and oranges, tossing to coat thoroughly. Add more dressing if needed.

Israeli Couscous Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine by Martha Stewart
1 cup dried Israeli couscous (aka Pearl or Middle Eastern Couscous)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 half a cucumber, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and chopped
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup pistachios
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper

Boil the couscous for 4 minutes. Add green beans and continue boiling for 2 minutes until crisp green and the couscous is tender. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Put in salad bowl along with remaining ingredients. Toss and adjust seasoning to taste.

Sour Cream Cheesecake
crust:
1 1/2 c fine graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp butter or margarine
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Filling:
24oz cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
3 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1 pint sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Raspberry Sauce (I used strawberries instead)
1 c frozen or fresh raspberries
1/3 c sugar

Thoroughly mix crust ingredients. Press firmly into a 9-10 inch spring form pan, lining bottom and sides. Set aside. Beat cream cheese well. Add sugar slowly. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Pour into crust, filling within 1/2 inch of top to allow for topping. Bake 60 minutes at 300 degrees. Whip sour cream, then add sugar gradually. Add vanilla. Pour over cake and return to oven. Bake 10 minutes. Cool. Mash raspberries and mix in sugar until dissolved. Ladle a spoonful of sauce over each slice before serving.