The White Album- Perfect Music to Listen to for a White Meal

Okay, so the fashionistas all agree that you can’t wear white after Labor Day, but, I’m wondering about eating white after Labor Day.  Think about it.  If you can’t wear white, you’re probably wearing darker colors and if you spill… yikes!  Who knows…maybe tomorow the manner experts are going to outlaw fettuchini alfredo, sugar cookies, and White Russians!!

Just in case, maybe you should try this all-white Labor Day menu.  It’s not exactly the most waistline-friendly, but that’s not my fault.  I was trying to think of what was white and, of course, I thought of heavy cream!  It’s not my fault this meal is so creamy and delicious.  I have to make sure every one gets one last white meal during Labor Day.

You know, just in case.

An All White Labor Day Feast

Okay, by the way, this feast will be completely meatless as benefitting my normal #meatlessmonday tradition.  If you want some meat, I’d go with scallops.  They’re white and juicy…just the kind of thing that would be perfect to get forbidden if the anti-white-food-after-Labor-Day league gets their way.

The menu for today is going to be easy, but totally delicious.  For starters, there will be a platter of roasted root vegetables (turnips, celery root, and parsnips are all white.)  Dinner will be a lovely combination of fettuccini alfredo, cauliflower au gratin, and garlic bread (you can cut the crusts off to be safely white if you want.)  To bring the meal home, dessert is a white chocolate cheesecake.  Oh, and to drink?  White Godiva chocolate martinis will wash it all down.

White Chocolate Martini

This is recipe is an adaptation of one I found at Godiva’s recipe page.  You can use another white chocolate liqueur if you want, but I don’t know why you would want…

You will need:

• 1 ounce Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
• 3/4 ounce Vanilla flavored vodka
• 1/2 ounce White Chocolate creme de cacao

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.  Mix. Serve over ice.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted root vegetables are surprisingly delcious.  The roasting process develops great flavor and a light dusting of pepper, salt, and a hint of garlic powder makes them a tasty snack or starter.

You will need:

• 2 parsnips
• 1 turnip
• 1 celery root
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon each salt, pepper, garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and cut the vegetables into 1 inch long pieces, about 1/2 inch wide by 1/2 inch high.  Put them in a plastic bag with the spices and shake.

Remove from the plastic bag and put the veggies on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Fettuccini Alfredo

The classic creamy pasta dish.  If this weren’t a #meatlessmonday, you can add some grilled chicken (which would be mostly white.)  Also, if this weren’t an all-white meal, you could add some steamed broccoli and make a great meal.  But it’s a white, meatless meal.  So you can’t.

You will need:

• 4 ounces fettuccini per person*
• 8 ounces butter
• 8 ounces AP flour
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

*This recipe will make enough sauce for four people. 

Cook the pasta according to package directions in well-salted water.

Melt the butter in a high sided skillet and then add the flour.  Mix together to form a paste.  Cook the paste for 1-2 minutes until it starts to darken and smell nutty.  Then add the cream and the cheese.  Stir until the cheese starts to melt and the flour is well incorporated.

Beat the egg and add it to the sauce along with the white pepper and cayenne (yes, it’s a red risk, but we’ll chance it.)  Stir until the sauce thickens.

Pour over the noodles.

Cauliflower Gratin

This is a great side.  Easy to make, delicious, and filled with lots of delicious heavy cream and butter.

You will need:

• 1 stick butter
• 2 heads’ cauliflower florets
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the stick of butter.  Then pour all the ingredients except the breadcrumbs into a baking dish.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the cream has thickened.  Top with breadcrumbs.

Garlic Bread

This is a simple side.  You can use whole grain white bread with the crusts removed or chance a little bit of dark crust and use good Italian bread.

You will need:

• 2 pieces bread per person
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon butter per slice
• Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Preheat the broiler about 15 minutes before dinner is served.  Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub the bread with the garlic.  Butter and top with grated cheese.

Broil for 30-60 seconds or until the bread is just getting crisp.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Okay, it’s dessert time and I am punting.  Here’s a great white chocolate cheesecake recipe I found on the Food Network.  Just don’t use the raspberries!

Putting the Menu Together

Night before:

Bake the root vegetables, cheesecake, and mix the gratin.

An hour before:

Start the gratin baking, butter the garlic bread

30 minutes before:

Set the vegetables, make the alfredo

15 minutes before:

Make the garlic bread

Serving time:

Shake some cocktails

After that…enjoy!

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This is the post for those people who held off on Valentine’s Day until the last minute.  I know you’re out there.  It was the same for Christmas and her/his her birthday.  It’s okay.  We’re all busy!

The good news is BlogWellDone.com is here to help! If you can buy four ingredients, a good bottle of wine, and a store bought dessert from a nice place you will have:

The Easiest Valentine’s Day Menu Ever!

Seriously, I threw this menu together in about 5 minutes.  It only uses four ingredients you may have to purchase from the store (plus salt, pepper, cooking oil, and butter if you have it), then you buy a good bottle of wine (suggestions below) and his/her favorite dessert from a bakery or restaurant.  That’s all you need for love to be in the air in less than 30.  I promise.

The Easy Valentine’s Day Menu

Here’s your shopping list:

• 2 8 ounce filets
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream (that’s one smaller container)
• 1 bottle of medium body red wine
• 1 favorite dessert

Easy, right?  I can get all of that from a little shopping center about 15 minutes from my house that has a Whole Foods, a Cheesecake Factory, and a wine shop.  Bang!  Valentine’s Day.

Here’s how to make the meal:

Get the meat out of the refrigerator, sprinkle both sides of the meat with salt and pepper, and let it come to room temperature.

Cut the potatoes into large cubes and boil in salted water.

While the potatoes are boiling, bring a saucepan full of salted water to boil and cook the asparagus for 3 minutes.  Remove the asparagus from the water and IMMEDIATELY put in ice cold water.  This is called shocking the asparagus and will keep it form losing its green color.

When the meat has lost its chill, preheat the oven to 350.  Put a little oil (I prefer olive or grapeseed, but anything will work in a pinch) in the skillet over medium-high flame.  Let the oil heat.

Add the meat, cook 2-3 minutes to make a nice brown crust, and then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Put in the oven for 6-8 minutes for medium.  Remove the meat from the pan and let it cool.  Toss the asparagus in the skillet and them get warm.

Serve the dish by creating a bed of mashed potatoes, put the steak on the potatoes, and then stack the asparagus on top.  Serve with the good wine and dessert at the end.

It’s Valentine’s Day.  Enjoy!

Notes:

• For wine, go with something a bit earthy, but not overpowering.  A very full bodied red will overpower the flavors of the potatoes and asparagus.
• Splurge on dessert.  If your special someone’s favorite dessert can be bought at the grocery store, cool.  If not, make the extra effort to get something nice.  From personal experience, I can tell you that you can serve burnt, messy, salt mush for the meal and all anyone remembers is how great the dessert was.  It’s worth it!

Okay, stop reading!  You have shopping to do!

Thanks to Acme.com for the heart.

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