Recipes for Dinner Project Roasted Red Pepper Soup 2 red bell peppers 1 c.

shredded carrots 1 stick butter 1 onion, chopped 6 cloves garlic, minced 21 oz. chicken broth c flour 1 tbsp. sugar 1 pt. Half and Half 6 oz. tomato sauce Salt and pepper to taste. Clean peppers, cut in half and take out seeds. Lay face down on a cookie sheet and place in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until skin starts to char. Take the peppers out the oven and cool. Peel skin from peppers and dice. Put butter in pan on medium-high heat. Saut onions and garlic. Add peppers, carrots, and flour and stir until well blended. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, sugar, half and half, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, and once it starts boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour, then serve.

Caesar Salad 1 garlic clove, smashed with a pinch of salt and a little olive oil 4 anchovy fillets 2 egg yolks 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 3 to 4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp. water c. vegetable oil c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and black pepper to taste 2 heads Romaine lettuce 1 c. croutons To make the dressing, put the garlic, anchovies, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and water in a blender and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. With the blender running, pour the oil in a steady stream to emulsify. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate if not using right away. To make croutons, cut bread into cubes, and coat lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread pieces on a baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Braised Chicken Quarters with Button Mushrooms 1 tbsp. olive oil 6 chicken quarters 1 tbsp. Paul Prudhommes Poultry Magic tsp. salt tsp. black pepper 2 tbsp. butter 16 oz. white button mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 c. sliced yellow onion 1 tbsp. minced garlic 2 tbsp. all-pourpose flour 2 c. chicken stock 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves 4 c. steamed white rice 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves Heat a cast-iron pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Season chicken thighs with Poultry Magic, salt, and pepper. Place chicken, skin-side down in the pan and sear until golden brown. Turn the chicken over and sear the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the butter and mushrooms. Saut the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until brown and most of the liquid have evaporated. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Add onions and garlic and saut for a couple minutes. Sprinkle flour into pan and cook, stirring often to make a light brown roux. Add the tomato paste, stock, and rosemary to the pan, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Return mushrooms and chicken, skin side down, and cook the chicken for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook until very tender, about 30 minutes. Serve chicken over rice and garnish with parsley.

Oven-Roasted Asparagus 1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. salt tsp. ground black pepper 1 tbsp. lemon juice Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Place into the oven and cook until just tender, 12-15 minutes depending on thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

Classic Cheesecake Crust: 6 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 c. graham cracker crumbs 2 tbsp. sugar Pinch fine salt Filling: 32 oz. cream cheese, at room temp. 2 c. sugar 1 c. sour cream 6 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. For the crust, melt the butter. Brush a 9 inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the pan, taking care to get the crust evenly into the edges. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with foil and put in a roasting pan. For the filling, beat the cream cheese on medium speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth. Add 1 c. sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Slowly beat in c. sour cream, then eggs, 1 tbsp. vanilla and both citrus zests; take care not to over whip. Pour into cooled crust. Bring a medium saucepan or kettle of water to a boil. Gently place the roasting pan in the oven. Pour in enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake cheesecake for 1 hour and 10 minutes the outside will be set, but the center will still be loose. Meanwhile, stir together the remaining sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread over the top of the cooked cheesecake and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Turn the oven off, cook the cheesecake in the residual heat in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a rack. Run a knife around the edges and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Bring cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform ring. Dip a knife in warm water, wipe dry before slicing each piece.

Dulce de Leche 1 qt. whole milk 1 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract tsp. baking soda Combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook until mixture is a caramel color, about between 1-2 hours. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.