That 70's Cooking - A Romantic Dinner

There is nothing better than ending the work week with a Friday night dinner for two.

Today's Menu

Stuffed Mushrooms

Spaghetti Carbonara Madalena

Onion-Cheese Loaf

Pots de Crème

Stuffed Mushrooms

Yield: 10 Appetisers

Ingredients:

• 10 fresh medium-small mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup soft breadcrumbs (see Recipe Basics)
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoon water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Select well shaped mushrooms with closed caps.
• Wash quickly under running water and dry on paper towel.
• Pulls stems from mushrooms, and finely chop.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat.
• Add chopped mushroom stems and onion.
• Sauté until tender and translucent.
• Stir in worcestershire sauce, soft breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper.
• Salt insides of mushroom caps and fill with sautéed mixture, mounding over the top.
• Put water in a shallow dish and arrange stuffed mushrooms in dish.
• Bake about 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Carbonara Madalena

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 4 thick slices bacon
• 2 fresh italian sausages
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 quart water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 lb uncooked spaghetti
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup half and half
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Freshly ground nutmeg to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely minced parsley

Directions:

• Slice bacon strips into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Sauté in a large skillet until crisp, set aside on a plate.
• Slice italian sausage
• Sauté in bacon fat about 10 minutes over medium low heat until cooked through.
• Add garlic and sauté briefly.
• Return bacon to skillet.
• While preparing bacon and sausage, combine water, salt, and oil in a large sauce pan.
• Bring to a full boil, gradually add spaghetti, maintaining a boil, easing it into the water as it softens.
• Cook uncovered about 12 minutes until tender, drain spaghetti in a colander, return to saucepan over low heat.
• Toss hot bacon and sausage, including drippings into spaghetti.
• Push spaghetti to sides of pan, break egg in center, quickly scramble egg and stir into spaghetti.
• Toss in grated cheese.
• Pour in 1/4 cup of half and half, as cream is absorbed, add in remaining 1/4 cup.
• Add black pepper and nutmeg.
• Garnish with chopped parsley.

Onion-Cheese Loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup buttermilk biscuit mix
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Line a 7" x 3" (or 9" x 5") loaf pan lengthwise with wax paper, set aside.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
• Sauté onion until translucent and tender but not browned.
• Beat egg yolk in a medium bowl, blend in milk, add buttermilk biscuit mix.
• Stir to moisten, and beat about 50 strokes.
• Stir in half the onion, and half the cheese.
• Pour batter into loaf pan, drizzle remaining onion over batter, sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over top.
• Bake 20 - 25 minutes until edges separate from pan.

Pots de Crème 

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoon dark rum
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Dash salt

Directions:

• Combine egg, chocolate chips, and rum in a blender, Cover and blend for 15 seconds.
• Combine milk, whipping cream, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
• Pour over chocolate mixture in blender, and blend for 3 minutes, scrape sides, and blend for 30 seconds more.
• Pour into 6 oz dessert dishes.
• Refrigerate overnight until firm.