ENTERTAINING FOR SUMMER FUN By Sheilah Kaufman

June brings happy endings and new beginnings…Garden Parties, Graduations, Receptions, Bridal Showers, Weddings, and and the beginning of summer entertaining. No matter what the occasion, I like to make everything ahead or freeze it well in advance of my event. No matter what type of soirée you have planned the following should work well for any occasion.

MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH WALNUTS AND CHEESE (from Sheilah's SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE: Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking)

48 small white button mushroom caps
olive oil (for brushing caps)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon sweet butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely minced
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, squeezed dry
3 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
1 ounce Gruyere cheese, grated (if you don't want to use Gruyere, use 4 oz of Feta)
1 to 2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill
salt - optional
crushed red pepper - optional
freshly ground pepper - optional

Preheat oven to 375F.
Remove stems from mushrooms, wipe with a damp paper towel to clean.
Brush tops of mushrooms lightly with oil.
Heat olive oil and butter in a small skillet and sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat. Add spinach and cook 5 more minutes, mixing well. Remove skillet from heat and cool slightly.
Stir in cheeses, nuts, dill, and salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste if using. Set aside.
Place mushroom caps round side down on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake about 10 minutes.
Turn the caps over and bake another 10 minutes. Remove excess liquid. Turn caps over and fill with spinach mixture.
Place baking dish in the upper third of the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the filling is browned and the mushrooms are thoroughly heated through.
Serve immediately. Makes 48.

SMOKED SALMON CHEESECAKE (from Sheilah's SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE: Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking)

No matter what the occasion, it is great to have one of these in the freezer to use at a brunch or just for the out of town company that needs to be fed.

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4 large eggs
1/4 cup Half and Half
1/2 cup minced onions, sautéed
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill, or 1/8 cup dried dill weed
4 ounces grated Swiss cheese
8 ounces smoked Nova salmon

Preheat oven to 300 F.
In a mixer, cream together the cream cheese, eggs, and Half and Half. Add the sautéed onions, dill, cheese and salmon and mix to blend all ingredients together.
Pour mixture into a greased 9" spring form pan. Wrap the outside bottom and sides well with aluminum foil to prevent any leaks or water seeping in.
Place filled spring form pan in a water bath - another pan (that it will fit into) with boiling water coming at least half way up the sides of the spring form pan.
Bake at 300 F for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the oven. Remove from oven when cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze.
This can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold, depending on whether you want to spread it on bagels, breads, crackers, etc. Or, cut it in slices and serve it like a piece of cake. Serves 10 to 12. More as an appetizer.

ELLIOTT ROESEN'S COUSCOUS (from Sheilah's SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE: Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking)

12 ounce box couscous
2 cups Farm Rich or Half and Half
l Tablespoon honey
l Tablespoon margarine
3 ounces dried blueberries
3 ounces dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 to 3 bananas, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 to 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

In a large pot, bring to the boil the Farm Rich, honey, margarine, and couscous, stirring.
Add the dried fruit and stirring, return to the boil and remove pot from the stove.
Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous, and add the vanilla, almond extract, bananas, almonds, cardamom, and brown sugar, mixing well. Let it sit and serve at room temperature. Serves 6.

In case it rains, GILL POWER by Holly Rudin-Braschi Excerpted with permission from Grill Power by Holly Rudin-Braschi (Beyond Words Publishing) www.grillpower.com provides everything you need to know to make delicious, healthy meals on your indoor electric grill, including over 50 menus of fabulous, easy recipes from all around the world.

CARIBBEAN JERK CHICKEN

Healthy and low in fat, this is a favorite from author, cooking teacher Holly Rudin-Braschi.

1/3 finely crushed low-fat or nonfat garlic croutons, made from about 1/2 cup whole croutons (prepare in a food processor or blender)
1 large egg white
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chili sauce (or 3 tablespoons catsup mixed with 1 tablespoon diced green chilies and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
1 1/2 teaspoons pressed fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon jerk paste or dry jerk seasoning, to taste (see below to make your own)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
Garnishes
4 hamburger buns
4 romaine lettuce leaves
2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 dill pickles, thinly sliced

Preheat the grill to the highest temperature. Mix and shape the burgers:
Crush the garlic croutons in a blender or food processor.
In a 2- or 3-quart mixing bowl using a fork or spoon, evenly mix the crushed croutons, egg white, green onions, chili sauce, garlic, ginger, jerk paste, and cranberries.
Using your hands, gently fold the wet mixture into the ground meat or poultry.
When all ingredients are evenly distributed, divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions.
Wet hands and shape burgers, about 4" to 5" in diameter and no thicker than 3/4".
Set aside on a plate covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to grill, up to 24 hours in advance.
Spray each burger lightly on both sides with cooking spray.
Put the burgers on the grill and cook according to the times below until the internal temperature reaches 160º F on an instant-read thermometer.

Grilling Times:
Two-Sided Contact Grill (like a George Foreman: 6 to 7 minutes
All other grills…electric, stovetop, gas, or charcoal: 12 to 14 minutes. Turn the burgers half way through the grilling time.
Grills with covers may be covered half way through the grilling time.
To serve, place a lettuce leaf beside the potatoes and top with a burger, tomato, and onion. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cranberry jerk sauce next to the burger (use as a burger spread and a dip for the potatoes).
Artfully arrange the pickle slices in a fan near the sauce.
Offer buns on a separate platter and serve, allowing diners to assemble their own burgers.

CRANBERRY JERK SAUCE

Makes 1 cup or 16 (1-tablespoon) servings
1/2 cup chili sauce (or 1/3 cup catsup mixed with 2 tablespoons diced green chilies and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
1/2 cup canned cranberry sauce made from whole cranberries
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon jerk paste or dry jerk seasoning, to taste

While the burgers are grilling and the potatoes baking, in a 2-cup bowl mix the chili sauce, cranberry sauce, and jerk seasoning thoroughly with a fork. Set aside until serving time. If not using within an hour, store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

HOLLY'S HOMEMADE DRY JERK SEASONING BLEND

Mix 1 teaspoon each in a small bowl using a fork:
paprika
cinnamon
ground nutmeg
ground allspice
onion powder
garlic powder
ground ginger
finely ground black pepper
cayenne pepper
thyme flakes
light salt

CHOCOLATE CREPES WITH COCONUT

This is from my friend David, publisher of Leite's Culinaria http://www.leitesculinaria.com where there are lots of great recipes.

Crepes:

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
1 3/ 4 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1/ 2 tablespoon softened butter or margarine for cooking

Filling:

4 (3.5 oz each) bars bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/ 4 cups heavy cream

Garnish:

1 cup flaked coconut
store bought caramel sauce
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, and salt.
Whisk in the milk slowly, then add eggs and melted butter and whisk until smooth. (HINT: Don't add butter until you can touch it with your fingers and it is not hot or it will curdle the eggs.)
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place the chocolate in a medium size bowl.
Heat the cream in a small pan over medium heat until boiling.
Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Toast the coconut in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Spread on a plate to cool. Whisk the filling until slightly thickened. Be careful not to over beat or mixture will become stiff. Set aside, it will continue to thicken but use when still slightly warm to spread more easily.
Heat a 8" crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot; a drop of water should skitter across the surface. Dab the softened butter with a paper towel and wipe the pan very lightly. Pour in a scant 1/ 4 cup of batter and quickly tilt and swirl the pan until the batter evenly coats the bottom. This may take a few tries.
Cook until the batter bubbles and looks dry, about 1 to 1 1/ 2 minutes. With the tip of a knife, release the edge of the crepe and flip using your fingers. Cook the other side until golden, about 45 seconds. Remove the crepe to a plate and cover with paper towel.
Repeat, stirring the batter often. To assemble, drizzle a plate with some caramel sauce. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling along the lower third of a crepe and roll it up; alternately spread the filling over the bottom half of a crepe and fold into quarters. Drop a dollop of whipped cream on top and sprinkle with some coconut.

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