Smashley Martini

This recipe comes from Mickey Finn's Pub in Toledo... the name appears to come from combining the ingredients.

Serves 2
Please drink responsibly - these can sneak up on you!

4 TBSP Bailey's Irish Cream
2 TBSP Kahlua
3 TBSP Frangelico
3 TBSP Vanilla Stolichnaya Vodka
Splash of Half & Half
4 Maraschino Cherries

2 chilled martini glasses

Put 2 cherries on a cocktail stick and place in the bottom of the chilled martini glasses.  Combine the remaining ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds

PAMA Passion Martini

I LOVE Pomegranates.... this is a refreshing ladies drink..... delicious!

1 1/2 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
3/4 oz. Peach schnapps
Orange juice
Lemon lime soda
Splash of grenadine

Garnish with a lime

Combine the PAMA and peach schnapps into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into glass and top off with the orange juice, lemon lime soda and grenadine.

Potatoes Margaret

5 or 6 medium potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBSP dried onion
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook potatoes until firm but not mushy
Slice.  Preheat oven to 350
Grease a 10 x 6 x 2 baking dish
Place half the potatoes in the baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper
In a medium bowl mix the onions, sour cream and milk and spread  half of thtis over tht potatoes already in the pan - repeat layers.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes

Serves 6

Steak Salad

6 oz filet mignon
3/4 cup vinaigrette
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
3 shakes hot sauce
3 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup cubed swiss cheese
4 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
1 scallion finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp chopped parsley

Char grill filet medium rare or to your liking, slice thin into bite size pieces. Combine vinaigrette, hot sauce and garlic -marinate meat in this mixture at least 30 minutes

Arrange greens in a salad bowl, top with mushrooms and cheese.
Place filet mignon in the middle.
Sprinkle with the crisp bacon, scallion and parsley
Use the reserved marinade to dress the salad

Serves 2 as an entree and 4 as a side

Grand Finale's Grand Trifle

This recipe is from the Grand Finale in Glendale, OH, outside of Cincinnati
http://www.grandfinaleinfo.com/

4    cups pound cake or yellow cake, chunks
1   cup fresh or frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
1/2  cup port wine
1/2 cup sherry
8 large scoops vanilla ice cream
1 cup sweetened raspberry puree
1 1/2 - 2 cups heavy cream, whipped
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
8 marashcino or chocolate covered cherries for garnish

In 8 large brandy snifers or 2 qt glass trifle bowl - layer the first 8 ingredients in the order given

Garnish with cherries,

Chill at least 1 hour to blend flavors

Serves 8

Vegetable Lasagna Pinwheels

12 ounces lasagna noodles
32 ounce can plum tomatoes
2  TBSP Olive Oil
2   Medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp dried red pepper - crushed
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
4 cups marinara sauce
4 TBSP shredde Parmesan cheese

Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the package but do NOT add salt to the water. Drain  and set aside.

Drain and chop tomatoes, reserving liquid

Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onions and garlic until golden brown

Add zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, reserved liquid and spices, simmer covered for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lay 3 noodles side by side, touching each other.
Layer cottage cheese and vegetable sauce on top of noodles
Roll up each noodle separately and place in a casserole dish
Continue until all noodles are used and in the casserole dish.
Cover with marinara sauce
Top with Parmesan cheese
Bake for 25 minutes

Serve immediately

Serves   3 - 4

Lobster Crab Cakes

This is from my favorite restaurant, The Coldwater Cafe, in Tipp City, Ohio.

1/2     lb.jumbo lump crabmeat - picked and flaked
3/4     lb. lobster meat, cooked and chopped
3/4     cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3/4     cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
3/4     cup finely chopped green onions
1        cup finely chopped red onions
2  1/4 cup FRESH breadcrumbs, divided
1/2     cup mayonnaise
9        TBSP peanut oil, divided
3        cups Remoulade Sauce

In a medium bowl, stir together: crabmeat, lobster, peppers, onions, mayo and 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.

Form 18 cakes  - 2 1/2" in diameter and 1/2" thick

Place remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl

Dredge 6 crabcakes at a time in breadcrumbs and transfer to a plate

In a 12-inch heavy skillet, heat 3 TBSP of the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking

Cook crabcakes about 6 minutes until golden brown and heated through .  Clean skillet after each batch Continue frying  6 at at time using 3 TBSP of fresh oil for each batch.

Serve with remoulade sauce.   Serves 9