Elegant Taco Salad

This elegantly-arranged taco salad contains about 20 grams of carbohydrate–mostly from the three mini-tortillas, which were cut into halves. There are some finely diced tomatoes in the seasoned taco meat, which represent a negligible number of calories. Other components are shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
©M-J de Mesterton

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Elegant Taco Salad

This elegantly-arranged taco salad contains about 20 grams of carbohydrate–mostly from the three mini-tortillas, which were cut into halves. There are some finely diced tomatoes in the seasoned taco meat, which represent a negligible number of calories. Other components are shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
©M-J de Mesterton

Courtesy of M-J de Mesterton

Elegant Gourmet: Elegant Gourmet Cucumber Salad

Elegant Gourmet: Elegant Gourmet Cucumber Salad: “A simple salad with cucumbers as its main ingredient, with celery and feta cheese chunks, dressed in a plain vinaigrette with pimientos, is …”

Cornish-Style Pasties

M-J’s Cornish-Style Pasty

 

Cornish Pasty Made by M-J de Mesterton

I’ve been making Cornish pasties since the age of 20. My mother wrote a book about the pasty and its history which was published in 1990, but my method and ingredients differ from hers. The following is  my pasty (pronounced “pass-tee”) recipe: I will not formally transcribe my recipe and method for making pasties, because  I never use measurements. I can tell you, however, that they are made with a short crust containing both butter and lard, water, a teaspoon of malt vinegar, and unbleached, plain white flour. Since salted butter is used in the dough, add just a dash of salt to it.  I add sea-salt and hand-milled pepper to the filling, which consists of  four raw, uncooked ingredients, all diced very finely: tri-tip steak, which is always well-marbled and never tough; ordinary, high-starch brown-skinned potatoes, turnips, butter bits, and white or Spanish onions. The finely-diced beef and vegetables are tossed together in a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper before being laid upon the dough, dotted with butter and enclosed. The edges are crimped, either on top or on the side of the pasty, and a couple of well-placed slits are made in the top to allow steam to escape. The final product is brushed with a beaten egg mixed with a teaspoon of cream. The pasties are then baked in a very hot oven for close to one hour. Once the pasties have cooled for about twenty minutes, serve with an oil-and-vinegar-dressed lettuce salad. Offer Cornish cream, Spanish or Mexican Crema, or sour cream as an optional condiment. The pasties depicted here, which I made,  are the optimum size for a meal; the dough for them was shaped into a ball about half the size of a woman’s closed hand, then was rolled out and cut around a 7″ luncheon plate.  Making giant pasties just isn’t elegant, nor is it traditionally Cornish. I also make miniature pasties for parties, by using a tin can or the bottom, inner ridge of the same luncheon plate as a cutting guide. These mini-pasties are easily eaten by hand with a cocktail napkin to catch any pastry-flakes. For a basic short-crust guide, please see my Elegant Apple Pie recipe.~~Recipe and Pasty Photos Copyright M-J de Mesterton

Elegant Croque Monsieur

Swiss cheese and Black Forest ham are pan-grilled inside of two buttered pain brioché slices. This dish is a frequent component of an elegant luncheon, accompanied by cream of celery soup, artichoke soup, or carrot Vichyssoise.

>Elegant Croque Monsieur

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Swiss cheese and Black Forest ham are pan-grilled inside of two buttered pain brioché slices. This dish is a frequent component of an elegant luncheon, accompanied by cream of celery soup, artichoke soup, or carrot Vichyssoise.

Courtesy of M-J de Mesterton

Croques Monsieurs

Using a shallow grill pan, a heavy plate and a lid, croques monsieurs are easily made on the cooker or stove-top. Sandwiches are flipped when the cheese on the bottom is soft. Continue cooking, with the lid on top. I do not bother to replace the heavy plate after the croques monsieurs are turned.

Thinly-sliced ham, together with Swiss cheese, home-made bread and a few spoonfuls of butter are transformed into the French luncheon classic, croques monsieurs. Served with a salad or soup, they are part of an elegant luncheon.

Serve croques monsieurs with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard on the side.
©M-J de Mesterton 2011

Croques Monsieurs

Using a shallow grill pan, a heavy plate and a lid, croques monsieurs are easily made on the cooker or stove-top. Sandwiches are flipped when the cheese on the bottom is soft. Continue cooking, with the lid on top. I do not bother to replace the heavy plate after the croques monsieurs are turned.

Thinly-sliced ham, together with Swiss cheese, home-made bread and a few spoonfuls of butter are transformed into the French luncheon classic, croques monsieurs. Served with a salad or soup, they are part of an elegant luncheon.

Serve croques monsieurs with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard on the side.
©M-J de Mesterton 2011