SERVE IT UP SASSY

Instructions:

For Ganache: In small saucepan, heat whipping cream until warm but not boiling. Add the chocolate morsels, stir until smooth and glossy. Add extract. Set this aside to cool and harden slightly. Can refrigerate until ready to use.

For Whipped Cream: In large cold mixing bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add confectioner's sugar gradually, then add cold ganache. Beat until mixed.

Using a plastic sealed bag or a pastry bag with tip 1 M, fill bag with mousse, pipe into chocolate baskets*.

To make handles for baskets: Trace a pattern onto wax paper to fit width of basket.

Melt 1/4 cup dark chocolate candy wafers , by placing the wafers into a zip lock plastic bag, then immerse bag in warm water. Massage bag until wafers are completely melted.

Clip a small opening on one end of bag with scissors. Using pattern trace handle design with chocolate.

Let dry, then pipe over design with back and forth lines to create a fuller handle.

Let dry completely before attaching handle in mousse filled basket.

Presentation:

Pipe Mousse into chocolate baskets* http://www.langschocolates.com/Basket-shells.htm

Garnish with edible flowers/sugar flowers- www.fancyflours.com

Edamame Brushetta

Serve it up Sassy!TM

Instruction: In food processor fitted with steel blade, add edamame, mint and parsley, salt & pepper. Process by pulsing a few times. Slowly add olive oil and process until smooth.

Using a small scoop, position edamame on rice cracker, add bacon bits and cheese. Serve cold.

Edamame is soybeans. You can find these in the freezer section of your grocery store. They come shelled or in pods. I used unshelled for this recipe.

Vases are filled with fresh aspargus and dark green Kale leaves hug the neck of the container. There is water in the base of the vase. Aspargus will grow if you keep water fresh. The kale will last 2-4 days before turning yellow. Pretty & easy Sassyscape!

Asparagus Crostini

1/2 sheet puff pastry

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

12 fresh asparagus stems

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Honey Mustard Drizzle

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Presentation:

Drizzle baked puffs

with honey mustard sauce

Serves: 4

Instruction:

Let puff pastry thaw slightly, cut into preferred rectangular shape, place on parchement lined baking sheet.

Score 1/2 inch border around pastry and with a fork prick the center. The center will not puff if you prick it.

In small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add asparagus pieces to coat.

Place asparagus stems on top of pastry center, then add the parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine ingredients for Lemon Drizzle. Put sauce in a plastic bag and pipe or drizzle sauce on top of crostini. Delicious!... and pretty.

For Sister Schubert's Focaccia Bread recipe and her famous Sister Schubert rolls, please go to her website at www.sisterschubert.com. You may purchase her cookbook at Treasure House in Johnson City or on her website.

White Gazpacho –cold soup

3 medium cucumbers, peeled/chopped

3 cups sour cream

3 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

1 clove garlic, chopped

Presentation/garnish:

¾ cup chopped cherry tomatoes

½ cup chopped green onions

½ cup sliced almonds

Serves: 6-8ounce servings

Now you are

Serving it Up Sassy! TM

Instructions:

Peel and slice cucumbers into large pieces. Place in blender with 1 cup of chicken broth, add garlic, white vinegar, & salt. Blend to puree.

Add 3 cups of sour cream to large mixing bowl, or container with a pouring spout, add remaining cups of chicken broth to sour cream, then add cucumber mixture.

Pour into serving container. Serve cold with garnish.

Sassyscapes

name sassyscapes in process of trademark

Brussel Spout picked with toothpicks and inserted into oasis for a quick and pretty centerpiece. Kale leaf pieces surround the container.

For more spring entertaining & dessert ideas go to Presentation Spring page or click here.

Orange Chocolate Mousse

Ganache:

½ cup heavy whipping cream, heated

1 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels

½ teaspoon orange extract

Whipped Cream

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

½ cup confectioners sugar

¾ cup cold ganache

Ingredients:

2 cups shelled edamame, room temperature

½ cup fresh mint leaves

¼ cup fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup olive oil

Presentation:

20 rice crackers

¼ cup bacon bits

¼ cup finely grated white cheddar

Serves: 20 appetizers

Recipes from Spring Special

Scroll down for Summer Serve it up Sassy show and recipes.

Serve it up Sassy! TM

Summer Style

Tomato, Melon Feta Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Slice of red tomato

Slice of yellow tomato

Slice of watermelon

cubes of feta cheese

Cracked black pepper

Layer red tomato, yellow tomato then top with melon slice. All slices about 1/4" thick.

Top with cubed feta cheese and black cracked pepper, drizzle with vinaigrette

Citrus Vinaigrette

juice of one lemon

juice of one lime

1 tablespoon honey

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Juice the lemon and lime in small bowl, whisk in honey and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad

Pond Side Picnic Recipes

Muffaletta-Sandwich or Wrap

Serves 4-6

For Sandwich:

1 large round Italian loaf of bread or Hawaiian sweet bread round loaf

1 1/2 cups olive relish

10 thin provolone cheese slices

10 slices hard salami

10 thin swiss cheese slices

1/2 pound black forest ham, sliced thin

1/2 pound peppered turkey, sliced thin

Olive Relish

1 cup Spanish olives, drained and chopped

1 cup black olives, drained and chopped

1 cup pickled vegetables, drained and chopped coarsely

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut upper third of round loaf in half. Hollow out top and bottom of loaves to make a pocket. Reserve bread pieces for other recipes

2. Spoon 1/4 cup of olive relish into bottom loaf, then 1/4 cup inside top loaf.

3. In bottom loaf, layer cheese and other ingredients in order listed above.

4. After turkey slice, repeat with provolone cheese, then go backwards with turkey, ham, swiss cheese, and end with hard salami if desired.

5. Place lid of sandwich ontop of round loaf.

6. Wrap entire sandwich in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

7. Slice into wedges to serve.

To make a wrap: Same ingredients, except for cheese and tortialla wrap. I used a cheddar/mozarella cheese stick in the middle of the tortilla wrap for added presentation when sliced in half. Spread relish on wrap, then layer ingredients and roll up. Also refrigerate until ready to serve.

Create your own backyard vacation with this red, white and blue..sassyscape.

A Pond side picnic. Brightly colored boxes, bags and buckets are filled with make ahead picnic fare. Serve up a mouth watering muffaletta, a wedge of brie and a plate full of Gluten free Peanut Butter cookies, then relax and linger all day pond side.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter, natural

1 egg

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, separated

1/2 cup brickle, separated

1/2 cup peanut butter chips, separated

1. In mixing bowl, cream peanut butter and sugar.

2. Add egg, mix until smooth

3. Place two baking sheets together, one inside the other for even baking.

4. Line top baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. With scoop or roll in hand cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Flatten each cookie and add desired chocolates, brickle or chips. Reshape into round

ball.

6. Place each cookie on parchment lined baking sheet.

7. Using back of measuring cup, dip in sugar and flatten each cookie.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

9. After cooling, store in covered container.

Note: Cookies will become dry and hard if over baked.

Smoky Mountain Boil

Shades of blue, white and turquoise with a hint of yellow, set the theme for our Smoky Mountain Boil my own version of the Low Country Boil. It's one pot cooking and served as a centerpiece.

No Fish in this Dish, it's all about market fresh vegetables & chicken sausage, seasoned with ham hock, chicken broth and local favorite..Dr. Enuf. Sweet tater biscuits and Peaches "Got the Blues " Cobbler reflects our Southern roots.

We are serving it up Sassy for Summer..now you can too.

Bubbers Sweet Tater Biscuits...family recipe from BJ Williams

2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes, peeled

1/2 cup shortening, Crisco

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar,light

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and salt

2 cups sifted self rising flour + 1 cup for rolling out

1/3 cup buttermilk

Makes 24- 2 1/2 inch biscuits. or make smaller and flatter biscuits like BJ's family tradition.

These are so delicious!!! Your family will love these.

Instructions:

1. Mash warm sweet potatoes with shortening, add sugars. stir to combine

2. Add cinnamon and salt, then alittle bit of buttermilk and flour.

3. End with buttermilk and rest of flour.

4. On a floured surface, place sticky dough onto flour. Pat with hands the dough to desired thickness.

5. Using a biscuit cutter or rim of glass, cut into biscuits.

6. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake biscuits at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until

done.

7. Serve warm with butter or flavored butters

Smoky Mountain Boil

Ingredients:

4 ears of white or yellow corn on the cob, fresh

1 pound of blue lake green beans, par boiled and wrapped into bundles,tie with chive stems

10 small red new potatoes

4 peeled and cut carrots

1-2 pounds of precooked chicken sausage, I used Fire roasted chicken sausage with Asiago cheese and Peppers

Spice packet:

1 ham hock

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups Dr. Enuf or water

1 teaspoon thyme seasoning or 2 fresh sprigs

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

pinch of salt and black cracked pepper

1. Create spice packet. Wrap hock and seasonings in cheesecloth and set aside.

2. In large stock pot with strainer, bring to a boil, chicken broth and Dr. Enuf or water.

3. Cut sausage into 2 inch links, also cut corn on cob into 2 inch pieces.

4. Add seasoning packet to boiling broth and simmer for one hour.

5. In meantime, prepare green bean bundles. Parboil green beans, cool in ice bath, then gather

5 beans in a bundle and tie with a long strand of chive stems.

6. In inside steaming strainer/container place, potatoes, carrots and green bean bundles. Let steam in

broth for10 minutes.

7. Add corn on the cob and chicken sausage to mixture and steam another 10 minutes.

8. When ready to serve, drain broth from vegetables and pour vegetables on large serving platter.

9. Melt a stick of butter in microwave and pour over boil while hot.

10. Serve with or without eating utensils.

This can be done just like a low country boil, steaming outside on grill or open pit, and poured out on newspaper or paper down the center of a table. I preferred to serve it in a large platter for presentation and protection.

We served sweet tater biscuits with molasses honey butter, blueberry/peach cobbler with ice cream for dessert, and southern sweet iced tea to round out this menu.

Delicious!!!