What are some of your best fancy-schmancy, delicious recipes?!

MEGEVE CAKE: MAKES: 10-12 SERVINGS*
MERINGUE:
12 EGG WHITES
2 2/3 C. SUGAR
1/2 t. VANILLA
CHOCOLATE FILLING & TOPPING:
1 1/2 C. WHIPPING CREAM
6 SQUARES (1 OZ. EACH) SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE
6 SQUARES (1 OZ. EACH) BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE
5 EGG WHITES
1 1/2 T. SUGAR
1. Beat egg whites, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks are formed.
2. On one large and one small cookie sheets, butter and dust with flour. Using a 8 or 9 inch cake pan, draw three circles on the buttered/floured cookie sheets.
3. Divide the meringue into thirds and spread, equally, onto each of the circles.
4. In a preheated 250* oven, bake the meringues for one hour....Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in for another hour.
5. Meanwhile, in the top of a double boiler (over simmering water), place in the chocolate and melt.
6. When chocolate has melted, remove top with the chocolate, THROW OUT THE HOT WATER AND FILL WITH ICE AND COLD WATER. Put the top of the double boiler on, over the ice water, and add the whipping cream. With a hand held electric mixer, beat the chocolate mixture until it thickens.(It will turn to a lighter color and be double in volume.) Remove from ice water and set to one side. (This takes a good five to ten minutes.)
7. In a clean, dry bowl with clean beaters, start whipping egg whites, then gradually add sugar. Keep whipping until the whites form soft peaks.
8. Fold the egg whites, carefully, into the chocolate until no whites appear.
9. Place the first meringue layer on a serving plate (I use about a tablespoon of the topping as a glue on the bottom of the first layer, to hold it in place.) Spread on a layer of the chocolate. Repeat with the next two layers, the third cover and then ice the sides.
I make chocolate curls and gently press them in all over the top and sides of the cake.
* This might seem like a very light dessert, but beware, it is very rich so start out cutting thin slices of the cake ( with a serrated knife) and if your company still can handle more, cut them another piece.

Ok so.. I created this the other morning out of my left over sweet potato in an attempt to also make it a full meal containing all the essential amino acids and extra protein.

1 Medium Sweet Potatoe
1/4 Cup Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Cereal (Almond Kind) or you can substitute this for any other grain cereal.
2 Tbsp Almond Butter
1 Slice of cinnamon raisin bread (cut into small squares)

Cook the sweet potato in the oven, or if you have a pressure cooker it will make it that much quicker.
Once the sweet potato has finished cooking, cut it up and add the ingredients immediately while the potato is still hot, especially the bread so that it gets soft. Mush it all together with a fork until everything is mixed in and it looks creamy. Add a bit of soymilk/milk if the mixture is dry. Since I cook my sweet potato in my pressure cooker it always retains a bit of moisture from the water.

Most amazing, filling thing I've had in a while.. sounds weird but trust me it's delicious.

Cilantro-Pesto Salmon on Puff Pastry Salmon Fillets Fresh Cilantro Extra Virgin Olive Oil Puff Pastry, thawed Tomato Preheat oven to 450. Take a sheet of puff pastry and cut it into rectangles just a little bigger than your salmon fillets and lay on a baking sheet. Salt and pepper salmon. Prepare pesto by mixing the cilantro (you can use any herb you like, i use a mix of cilantro and parsley) and oil until it forms a paste. Slice your tomato thinly and season with salt and pepper. On a seperate baking sheet, place your salmon. Top salmon with pesto. Top with a few thin slices of tomato. Bake both for for 15 mins. To plate, place your puff pastry on the plate and top with the salmon. I can’t express how deilcious this dish is. The richness of the salmon and pastry is balanced out with the tomato and pesto.. you have to try it! Now i won’t mislead you, it is SUPER rich but oh so good! It’s fast, easy, and requires only 5 ingredients!

BACON-WRAPPED CORNISH HENS WITH RASPBERRY BALSAMIC GLAZE

2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
16 bacon slices (3/4 lb)
4 (1 1/2- to 1 3/4-lb) Cornish hens

Briskly simmer jam and vinegar in a small saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until glaze is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature (glaze will thicken slightly as it cools).

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Cook bacon in batches in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until some of fat is rendered but bacon is still translucent and pliable, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Cut out and discard backbone from each hen with kitchen shears, then halve each hen lengthwise.
Pat hens dry and season with salt and pepper, then arrange, cut sides down, in a large roasting pan. Brush hens liberally with glaze, reserving remainder, and wrap 2 slices of bacon around each half hen, tucking ends under. Roast in middle of oven, brushing with pan juices and reserved glaze twice (every 10 minutes), until juices run clear when a thigh is pierced, 30 to 35 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

after that, the rest is pretty easy!

Clean the trout, and set aside.

Make a baby-spinach salad (I like to add flowers to it, but it's still a little early here for that). Sliced strawberries or some raspberries or blueberries are good, too, and toasted pecans.

Cook up a cup of wild rice--sauteing it in butter before cooking, with about 1/2 cup of pecans and half an onion (reserve the pecans until halfway through the rice cooking process)

Take about a lb of fresh asparagus (I get mine at a local farm stand), wash, break off the tough ends, and lay out on a cookie sheet drizzled with about a TB of olive or sesame oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or kosher salt.

OK... is the rice done? Is the salad made? Then turn the burner on under a big cast iron skillet and turn your broiler on. COok the trout in a little butter and some olive oil in the skillet--careful! It only takes a couple of minutes a side for each fish in a hot skillet!

Put the asparagus under the broiler. Keep an eye on it and remove when it's to your taste.

Squeeze fresh lemon over the trout. I also suggest cracking open a bottle of your favorite wine.

Yum! Our favorite spring meal.

I get most of my recipes from the following website. Click this link and then scroll down the screen for some great ideas and recipes:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/ch/main_dishes.…

Congrats on the end of tax season!

Hello
I had this same question a while back and found an awesome solution for meals that were free.

If you Easy Recipes its a toolbar that will serve up recipes for the whole family.

Hope this helps

Good Luck

http://www.cxtrack.com/click/s2cf7a7d9b/

Pan fried scallops with a minted pea puree, followed by curried monk fish in a spiced creamy seafood sauce with mussels.

this web site is awesome I've only made cakes from here but their delicious so I'm sure everything else from there is good too here it is

http://allrecipes.com/

These are not particularly difficult, but I think they’re definitely company-ready. If nothing else, the names are fancy-schmancy!

Fillet of Sole Almondine (can substitute tilapia,which tend to be easier to find)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pound sole fillets

Heat oven to 350. Sprinkle almonds over entire surface of 13x9" baking pan; place butter in same pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir to blend. Continue baking for 3-4 minutes or until almonds are lightly toasted. Stir in lemon peel, dill weed, salt and pepper. Dip fillets into butter mixture, making sure both side are coated with butter and almonds. Spoon remaining almonds over top of filets. Continue baking 15-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

I would serve this with noodles and a steamed or stir-fried green vegetable, maybe broccoli with some bits of red pimento in it. To drink I’d serve a sparkling white (champagne) to cut all the butter a bit. For dessert I’d serve tiramisu:

Tiramisu
8 ounces mascarpone cheese (cream cheese may be substituted)
1/2 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua
2 3-oz packages ladyfingers
1 teaspoon cocoa

Beat cheese, sugar, and 1/2 cup whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold into cheese mixture.

Stir together hot water and coffee granules until dissolved. Stir in liqueur.

Split ladyfingers in half and brush cut sides evenly with coffee mixture. Arrange 1/4 of the ladyfingers in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle bowl. Top with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers 3 times. Sprinkle with cocoa. Chill at least 2 hours

www.myrecipes.com

Veal SCALLOPINI ALLA MILANESE



8 oz. linguine (preferably some green, some white)
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 c. chopped fresh basil or parsley
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. freshly grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper or to taste
1/4 c. lowfat milk (2% milk fat)
8 sm. veal cutlets, pounded thin (1 lb.)
6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 tsp. minced garlic (1 med. clove)
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced vertically (1 1/2 c.)
1/3 c. dry white wine or chicken broth
1 lg. lemon, peeled, thinly sliced

Prepare linguine per package directions. While pasta cooks, mix bread crumbs, basil, cheese, lemon peel and pepper together in a large shallow dish. Pour milk into a shallow bowl; dip veal in milk, then roll in crumb mixture, coating well.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add veal; cook until desired doneness, about 3-4 minutes per side, turning once; remove; cover to keep warm. Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to skillet; stir in garlic, then mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Pour wine or chicken broth, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until sauce thickens slightly. Line serving platter with drained pasta; top with veal; pour sauce over veal. Garnish with lemon slices.

Individual beef Wellingtons

Ingredients
4 (6 ounce) thickly cut filet mignons
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (1 ounce) slices goose or duck liver, or pork country-style pate
One-half (17 1/4 ounce) package frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed (thaw overnight in the fridge)
Mushroom Duxelles, recipe follows
1 large egg beaten with 2 teaspoons cream, milk or water (egg wash)

Method
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Season both sides of each filet with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper.

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the filets and sear for 1 minute on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate to cool completely.

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 14-inch square, and cut into 4 (7-inch) squares.

Spread one-quarter of the mushroom duxelles on top of each filet and top each with 1 slice of the pate, pressing to flatten. Place one filet, mushroom side down, in the center of a puff pastry square. Using a pastry brush or your finger, paint the inside edges of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the pastry over the filet as though wrapping a package and press the edges to seal. Place the packages seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the egg wash over the tops and sides of each package and bake until the pastry is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Place the Beef Wellingtons in the center of 4 large plates, and accompany with the sauce and vegetables of choice.

Mushroom Duxelles:

Mushrooms Duxelles (duck-ells) is really nothing but mushrooms cooked down in savories and wine, so-not-intimidating

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
10 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons dry white wine

Method
Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, salt, and white pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to caramelize, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan, until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and let cool before using.