pecan-crusted salmon

serves 8

Seafood is a recurring theme at our supper club dinners. We’ve had many different types of fish, cooked many different ways, but this pecan-crusted salmon was a standout. Steamed sugar snap peas and couscous pilaf are nice accompaniments.

4 tbsp Dijon mustard

4 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp honey

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 cup unsalted pecans, finely chopped

8 salmon fillets

Fresh chives, snipped

Lemon wedges

 

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

In a small bowl, mix mustard, butter and honey.

In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs and pecans.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place on baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Brush each fillet with mustard-honey mixture. Sprinkle the top of each fillet with bread crumb/pecan mixture.

Bake about 20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with fresh chives. Serve with lemon wedges.

Either Chablis or Champagne would be excellent with the salmon.

 

that ’60s shrimp dip

Every so often, I take the Wayback Machine to find a recipe for the supper club. This shrimp dip is one of the first recipes I learned to make as a fledgling bride and frankly, back in the day, I could have made a meal out of it. It’s inexpensive to make and quite addictive. I used to serve it with Ritz crackers but you can be much more creative and offer your guests crudités and French bread. They will want to know the secret ingredient, but just wink and say “Only my hairdresser knows for sure” or some other suave tidbit from the Mad Men era.

1 package cream cheese (1 cup), softened to room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1 package Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix

1 can (about 200 g) small shrimp, drained and rinsed

 

In a large bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sour cream and dry salad dressing mix until fluffy. Gently stir in shrimp. Chill well. Makes about 2 cups.

 

ravioli soup

serves 8 as an appetizer

The supper club rarely sups on soup, but when we sip it’s super. This soup is one of the easiest ways to impress guests and extend the menu without a lot of chopping and swearing. Diane and Rich have brought a few different soups to our dinners, and this is one of their best.

10 cups chicken broth

1 package refrigerated small cheese ravioli

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

Dash nutmeg

Salt and pepper

4 cups fresh baby spinach

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

 

In a large pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add ravioli, garlic and onion powders, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Boil 7 to 10 minutes or until ravioli is tender.

Add fresh spinach in last 3 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls, topped with Parmesan cheese.

This is lovely with a glass of Pinot Noir.

 

thai chicken with pineapple

serves 8

Start with shrimp satay and peanut sauce and finish with homemade vanilla-bean ice cream. I have to admit it’s a little disconcerting to be in the kitchen stir-frying while everyone else is having a good time in the living room, but this dish is quick to make and delicious to boot. A garnish of julienned carrots and cucumbers cool the curry’s heat, the flavour of which will change depending on which curry paste you choose.

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp Thai green or yellow curry paste

1 stalk fresh lemongrass, crushed with side of knife (optional)

2 tbsp canola oil, divided

1 large red onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups fresh pineapple, cubed

4 chicken breast fillets, sliced into strips

Hot cooked jasmine rice

1 cucumber, julienned

1 carrot, julienned

Cilantro, chopped

 

In a small bowl, mix coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, curry paste and lemongrass.

Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in wok over medium high heat. Stir-fry onion until translucent. Add garlic and stir-fry 1 minute. Add pineapple. Stir-fry 2 minutes or until pineapple begins to brown in spots. Remove from wok.

Add remaining 1 tbsp canola oil to work. Stir-fry chicken 3 minutes or until cooked through. Return onion, garlic and pineapple to wok. Remove lemongrass from sauce.

Add sauce to wok. Heat through. Serve over rice, garnished with julienned cucumber, carrot and cilantro.

A Gewürztraminer is always a good match with spicy Thai food.