If you’re thinking about something for a light lunch or even an afternoon snack, how about something easy enough that can be made ahead & taken over to mom’s house this weekend.  If you have about one hour to spare one afternoon, try making my recipe of the month. It’s sure to be a pleaser…

Quiche with Bacon * Asparagus * Goat Cheese and Watercress Citrus Salad

Makes 1 nine inch quiche

Serves 6-8

4 oz- Minced Bacon

2 oz     Green Onion – White Only- Thin slice

8 oz     Washed & sliced Asparagus (top 2/3’s only)

2 oz     Oven Dried Tomatoes

Butter or oil as needed

12 oz  Heavy Cream

3 ea      Whole Eggs

3 ½ oz     Crumbled Goat cheese

1 Tbls  Mixed Fresh herbs, like basil, parsley, thyme.

1 – 9’’ Store bought savory pie shell, pre baked

Sauté bacon in medium pan until crisp.

Drain bacon & sauté green onions & asparagus over medium heat for 3 minutes.

Drain on paper towel with bacon

In separate bowl whisk together cream, eggs, salt & pepper.

Scatter the bacon, asparagus, green onion mixture over the pre baked crust.

Scatter the minced oven dried tomatoes, goat cheese & herbs.

Add custard mixture gradually, stirring it gently with the back of a fork to ensure filling has even coverage.

Set quiche pan on cookie sheet and bake in preheated 350 degree oven until knife blade inserted into center comes out clean.

This should take 40 -45 minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature

Watercress Citrus Salad

4 oz washed and dried hydroponic watercress

1 ea      Orange – peeled, segmented and squeeze remaining flesh.

1 ea      Grapefruit- peeled- segmented and squeezes remaining flesh

Reserve fruit Segments for later use

4 oz     Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tea   Dijon Mustard

 1 Tbl    Honey

Salt Pepper to Taste

In bowl whisk together fruit juice, Olive oil, mustard, honey, salt & pepper

Lightly toss Watercress in dressing & top with reserved fruit segments

Serve along side your hot or room tempature quiche

 Every item can be made up to 2 days in advance & reheated before serving.

Midori Melon Smoothie

 3 Cups Orange Juice

1/3 Cup Midori Melon Liquor

2 Cups Minced Ripe Honeydew Melon

 In blender combine above chilled ingredients & blend well

 Add 3 Cups Chilled Champagne

Serve in your favorite glasses

Enjoy,

And please remember when dining at the IW Club, reservation are always appreciated & highly recommended.

 Chris P. Olson

Executive Chef IW Club

Roasted Root Vegetable Gratins

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil

2 ea medium Spanish onions

2 tbl minced garlic

1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup goat cheese

1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tbl kosher salt

4 whole eggs

2 cups heavy cream

1 pound russet potatoes,

1 pound garnet yams

1 pound butternut squash

.5 stick butter, melted

2 cups panko bread crumbs

2 teaspoons Spanish paprika

1 bunch finely chopped parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Sauté sliced onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Remove from heat. Slice washed, scrubbed, seeded and thinly sliced vegetable. Thin with a mandoline and place into cream egg mixture. Add cooled garlic and onions to egg mixture. Toss well. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and pepper, 3 cheeses and mix well. Add salt and taste mixture. The mixture should be just slightly salty. Add a little more if desired. In a bowl, combine butter, panko bread crumbs, chopped parsley and paprika. Stir well. Place potatoes mixture into a casserole dish, and top with panko crumb mixture. Wrap with foil and bake in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until fork tender. Remove foil and cook for 10 minutes uncovered or until crust is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving

This will go great with just about any holiday entrée.

Have a safe New Years.

Chef O

Chris P. Olson

Executive Chef

Indian Wells Golf Resort

With the tempatures outside dropping, this festive soup & chicken dish may just hit the spot & turn a few heads along the way.

 Roasted Butternut Squash Soup * Goat Cheese-Cranberry Dumplings

 Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Tomato Jam

Spinach Gala Apple Salad

 3 Tbl Olive Oil

1 Ea Butternut Squash

1 Tbl Butter

2 Tea Cinnamon

1 Tbl Brown Sugar

½ Tea Ground Ginger

1 Tea Lemon Pepper

½ Tea Allspice
2 small onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 Ea Small Diced Carrot

1 Ea Small Dice Celery Rib
3 cups Chicken Stock
2 cups apple cider or juice
Kosher salt

Cracked White Pepper

2 Cups Heavy Cream

Wash and cut squash in ½, remove seeds. Season with small butter, salt, pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, lemon pepper, allspice & roast in pre-heated 325 degree oven until tender and skin can be peeled off with ease. This may take 30-45 minutes

Once cool enough to handle, peel & rough chop.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes.

Add the squash, Stock, and cider and season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

Using a blender, puree the soup until smooth, stir in heavy cream & adjust seasoning.

Soup can be make 2 days on advance & reheated. 

Goat Cheese-Cranberry Dumplings

4 oz Goat Cheese

1 Pkg Won Ton Skins or Egg Roll Wrappers

2 Tbl. Chifonade Basil

1 oz Chopped Reconstituted Dried Cranberries

1 oz Panko Bread Crumbs

Pastry Brush

Water for Pastry Brush

 In bowl combine cheese, basil, cranberries, bread crumbs, salt & pepper.  Lay won ton skins out on clean work surface.

Place small amount of filling in center of won.

Brush edges on won ton with water &

 Fold over corners & press to seal.

Fold corners over again, to resemble a look of a won -ton

Freeze dumplings until ready to serve.

 Once frozen- you can deep fry in small amount of oil at 350 degrees or poach your dumpling in slightly salted boiling water until soft. 2-3 Minutes.

 Ladel soup into pre-heated soup cups or soup plates

Place dumplings on top of hot soup, garnish with toasted squash seeds, and little minced chives

Applewood Bacon Wrapped Chicken * Tomato Jam

Warm Spinach Salad

4- 5-6 oz Chicken Breast- No Skin

Cracked Black Pepper

Salt

2 Tbl. Chopped Parsley

2 Tea. Chopped Rosemary

4 Strips Bacon

2 Ea. Oven Roasted Red Pepper, divided into 4 even pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrease

Trim chicken breast of any excess fat, season with salt pepper, parsley & rosemary.

Place 2 breast together with roasted red pepper in between. Wrap bacon around chicken breast; overlap the bacon when going around chicken.

Heat sauté pan, when pan starts to smoke place bacon wrapped chicken in hot pan, once bacon has a light brown color, flip & sear other side. And place in 325 degree oven

Place in oven & cook for about 20- 30 minutes, or until juices run clear. (Meat probe reads 160 degrease)

Tossed Spoon Spinach with Frisse & Gala Apples

Winter Cider Dressing

4 oz    Spinach- Washed & Dried

1 oz    Frisse Lettuce- Washed & Dried

1 Ea    Slice Gala Apple- ½ Moon

½ Cup Toasted Walnuts

Cider Dressing

2 Cup apple cider – Reduced to 4 oz
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
½ tablespoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cracked black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider, vinegar, shallots and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly until it emulsifies.  Add the, salt, and pepper, and adjust the seasoning, to taste.  Reserve dressing until ready to toss greens.

                             Tomato Red Pepper- Jam

 12 oz               Can Dice Tomatoes- Drained & Save Juice

1 Ea.                Medium Dice Red Pepper

2 Table.          Olive Oil

¼ of a Medium Spanish Onion- Small Dice

1 Table.        Peeled * minced chopped Ginger Root

1 Tbl.         Chopped Garlic

2 Table.       Sugar

2 Tbl.         Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbl.       Rough Chopped Cilantro

 In medium size pre-heated pan, add olive oil

Add ginger & garlic and sweat for 1-2 minutes

Add onions & continue to cook till soft

Add tomatoes- red peppers & stir to mix well

Cook over medium heat until most of juices have evaporated

Add, reserved tomato juice, vinegar, sugar and cook to incorporate.

Reduce until jam has taken on a marmalade / jelly look to it.

Adjust seasoning and stir in cilantro….Set aside

Jam can be made 2 or 3 days in advance, and brought to room temperature before service

 Time to Assemble

 Toss salad in dressing & arrange on plate

Slice bacon wrapped chicken & fan chicken over greens

Place 3 small spoons of tomato pepper jam on plate.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley

Have a safe holiday.

 Enjoy!!!!

 Chris P. Olson

Executive Chef, Indian Wells Golf Resort

Visit http://au.sys-con.com/node/1141364 for complete article and list of hotels.

Indian Wells, California Resorts to make list:  Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas, and Spa, Miramonte Resort & Spa and Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa

LOS ANGELES, CA — (Marketwire) — 10/13/09 — Sixty-six Southern California hotels and 32 restaurants have earned the 2010 AAA Four Diamond Award, the Automobile Club of Southern California announced today. Six locations appear for the first time on the 2010 list, including the SLS Hotel and the Montage in Beverly Hills; two in Rancho Mirage; one in Pismo Beach and one in San Diego County.

The coveted rating plaque featuring a design of four raised simulated diamonds and the AAA Four Diamond Award logo are presented to hotel and restaurant general managers and executive chefs to recognize the award-winning properties, which rank among the top 3.4 percent of more than 2,600 Southern California hotels, motels, and restaurants inspected by the Auto Club, the nation’s largest AAA affiliate.

“North America’s AAA Diamond Rating System is a long-time trusted method of rating lodgings and dining establishments, especially during what has been a difficult economic year for the hospitality industry and also for travelers,” said the Auto Club’s Approved Accommodations Supervisor Patricia Marenco. “Southern California’s hotels and restaurants that earn the AAA Four Diamond award maintain a very high standard of service in their hotels and restaurants in order to continue pleasing their guests.”

AAA’s Diamond rating program is the only hotel and restaurant review system in the nation that uses specially trained full-time field representatives. As part of AAA’s national network, the Auto Club’s own staff reviews establishments in Southern California without prior notification using objective and detailed rating procedures.

Lodging inspections include at least one unannounced inspection each year. Inspectors review and rate exterior, grounds and public areas, room décor, ambiance and amenities, guest room, bathrooms, housekeeping and maintenance, management and staff and guest services. Once the inspection process is complete, properties that meet all requirements receive a rating of one to five Diamonds.

AAA approves and rates more than 31,000 lodgings and 27,000 restaurants each year throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. A wide range of property listings are included in regional TourBook® guides, with a yearly distribution of nearly 20 million, and on AAA.com, where many travel planning and information services — including the well-known TripTik® Travel Planner, TourBook® listings and Diamond Ratings — are now available to non-members as well. The AAA Four Diamond rating is exclusive in that less than 4% of all AAA approved properties achieve this rating.

The 2010 AAA Five Diamond Award lodging and restaurant recipients will be announced in November.

For those of you who love the smell & taste of grilled & smoked meats, this dish is a must try. If you like your steaks big, fat & juicy, then grilled Portobello mushrooms will be very satisfying. Portobellos are flavorful and firm, it’s the mushroom that eats like a steak. They’re also perfect as a vegetarian entrée. So gather the following ingredients, and if you can’t find them, then by golly, just improvise. It’s a breeze to throw together. You know the saying “fresh is best”. All the herbs in this recipe are grown in the garden at “The IW Club”. You can find them at your local grocery.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad Herb Goat Cheese / Smoked Tomatoes / Roasted Peppers Herb Garden Salad.

STEP I Fairway Garden Vinaigrette & Seasonal Greens 5 oz Washed Mesclun Greens ½ Cup Fresh Herbs, no stems (Lemon Basil, Sweet Basil, Cilantro, Chives & Italian Parsley) Or Substitute 8 oz of Herbed Micro Greens Prepare greens & refrigerate

STEP II Herb Vinaigrette *5 oz Aged Sherry Vinegar 12 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Tbl Cool Water 1 ea Small Shallot, finely minced 1 Tea. Finely Chopped Garlic 1Tbl Rough cut Fresh Herbs. I like to use Basil, Oregano & parsley ½ Tbl. Dijon Mustard 1 ea. Juice of the lemon & the zest of half of it. Kosher Salt & Cracked Black Pepper Combine ingredients in bowl and mix well. Adjust seasoning to your own liking. Cover and set aside. This recipe will make a little extra dressing than you will actually use. But no worries, it won’t go bad in the refrigerator if covered properly. * Sherry Vinegar is available in a good wine & spirit store, or substitute your favorite brand of vinegar. Balsamic works great.

STEP III 4 ea. Portobello Mushrooms 2 ea. Heirloom Tomatoes or Large Hand Selected Tomatoes 1 Tbl Fresh chopped Rosemary, Basil & Thyme ½ cup Olive Oil ½ Tbl. Chopped Garlic Kosher Salt & Crack Black Pepper Remove stems from mushrooms, wash & drain mushrooms. Wash & slice or wedge tomatoes so you have pieces that will fit on the Portobello. Evenly coat the mushrooms & tomatoes with the remaining ingredients in shallow pan and allow marinating for at least 2 hours. Cover and set aside. Then move on to the peppers.

STEP IV For Roasted Peppers. Wash 2 red or yellow bell peppers. Toss in bowl with 1/2 Tbl of olive oil, a pinch or 2 of kosher salt & cracked black pepper. Roast over open flame until the skin is charred, black & has taken on a blistered look. This could take 5-8 minutes depending on your flame and size of pepper. Once pepper is roasted place in covered bowl or plastic bag & close end for about 5-10 minutes Peel, seed pepper, discarding the charred skin, stem & seeds. Season pepper with 2 Tbl of vinaigrette listed below. This can be done the day prior.

STEP V 1-4 oz. Package of Goat Cheese- At least open the package, I find it’s easier to handle when you’re outside grilling and building the salads. Now we are ready to grill. Go ahead and preheat your grill. Whether it’s a gas or charcoal grill, make sure it’s hot. I always like to soak some flavored wood chips and add those to my fire right before I’m going to grill my mushrooms. Now let’s grill the portobellos, about 3 minutes on each side over medium heat. At the same time you can grill the tomatoes if you choose. To get a nice char on the tomatoes place them on the hot side of the grill. They cook quickly, so watch them carefully. Now that your portobellos and tomatoes are grilled, place a nice piece of roasted marinated bell pepper and then one of the tomatoes on top of each portobello and then top that with your lump goat cheese. I like to go heavy on the Goat. Turn off the grill or move them to the side of the grill with the least amount of heat and put the lid down. Let them rest for 2 minutes or until the cheese softens. So let’s plate it up. This dish shows great on a large white dinner plate. Place one portobello in the center of each of the 4 plates. Toss your washed greens in enough dressing to lightly coat them & place them directly on top of the warm portobello. Sprinkle with your fresh picked herbs. If you like you can drizzle some extra vinaigrette around the edge of the mushroom or a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a few drops of Balsamic Syrup if you have it around. Dust it with some cracked black pepper. It’s time to eat. Hope you enjoy the mushroom that eats like a steak.

Good Eating!!!! Chris P. Olson Executive Chef IW Club

This tasty summer dish is excellent with fresh grilled Alaskan salmon, now in season. Grill the salmon, place over the polenta, and spoon corn relish over the salmon

Serves 10

Fire roasted Corn Relish

1 cup               onion, minced

1 cup               red bell pepper, minced

1 cup               tomatillo, diced small

2 cups             yellow corn, whole kernel, chopped

¼ cup              roasted red bell pepper, minced

2 T                   Cajun spice mix

1 cup               cider vinegar

¼ cup              fresh cilantro, chopped

                        salt and pepper to taste

                        white sugar to taste

In a sauté pan, cook the onion, peppers, and tomatillos on low heat until translucent. Grill the corn, cut kernels off the cobb and “rough chop.” Add the corn to the sauté pan with the seasonings and cool. Add the fresh cilantro. Set aside.

Ancho Polenta

2 ½ cups         heavy whipping cream

2 ½ cups         milk

2 cups             polenta

3 T                   ancho chili powder

½ tsp               white truffle oil

Bring cream, milk, and ancho chili powder to a boil. Add all polenta at once and whisk to prevent clotting. Reduce heat and constantly whisk for several minutes to soften the polenta. Add the white truffle oil, and salt and pepper to desired taste.

Remember to bring Heavily Salted Water to a rapid boil when cooking those lovely green beans this spring. The water should taste like the ocean and the reason you boil rapidly is to retain color in your bean.

Add small portions of beans at a time to the water, do not dump so much in that it takes the boil away, remove small batch at a time and shock (not by giving bad news) but by drowning in ice water, this stops the cooking procedure.

After you have shocked all the beans, Drain all water off the beans and sauté in whole, unsalted butter, just enough to remove the chill from the bean, keeping al dente, do not overcook, about three minutes at high heat is enough.
Do not worry about the butter turning brown, we call this brown butter and the flavor is magnificent. Lightly salt and pepper, serve immediately.