Monday, July 14, 2008: POKENO!!

Now I am sure that there are plenty people out there who don't know what Pokeno is. Basically, it's a cross between poker and bingo. Most importantly, however, it is a monthly gathering of close friends to share stories, their lives, laughter, tears and a few songs, even. The host for the month makes dinner for everyone - and buys the prizes.

Well - it was my month!!!

The menu consisted of the makings of a salad bar, melon salad with orange lime dressing, and cheesecake on a stick.

The salad bar was inspired by an excellent salad that I used to get at Portillo's in Chicago - a chopped salad with chicken and bacon and blue cheese and an amazing balsamic vinagrette. Another message board person perfected the recipe and it's now one of my favs! I also added croutons, regular cheese, all sorts of options for the Pokeno salad bar.

Chopped Salad

Ingredients

1/3 pound Dole Iceberg Lettuce
3 cup romaine lettuce
1/4 cup Dole Green Onions
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup sweet red pepper(s)
chopped tomatoes
2 1/2 oz gorgonzola cheese
5 oz cooked chicken fillet
2 tsp bacon bits
1/2 cup Eden Organic Kamut ditalini
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 clove garlic clove(s)
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp Durkee Pepper, Black Ground
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions mix together all of the salad ingredients - lettuces, cabbage, peppers, green onions, tomatoes, bacon, gorgonzola, pastaput balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, sugar all in blender. mix. drizzle in EVOO while running until emulsified.

The melon salad is a Pampered Chef Recipe - while I was cleaning out the cookbook pile I have, I found all of my recipes that have come with all the Pampered Chef things I have...this came from the Utility Knife. I liked it better after it had sat for a day in the fridge. The cantaloupe wasn't as ripe as I had hoped - so the dressing helped that.

Melon Salad with Orange-Lime Dressing

1/4 c frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
6 T lime juice
2 t lime zest
1/2 t vanilla
1 cantaloupe
1 honeydew melon
2 c seedless red grapes

Combine the OJ, lime juice, zest and vanilla. Chop up melon and place it and grapes into large bowl. Toss with dressing.

So simple - and really tasty!!

Then for the cheesecake on a stick!! I have been browsing blogs that are food related and I found out that there is a group called the Daring Bakers. Turns out that they all bake the smae thing during the month and then post it on a set day. A few months back they made these. So I tried it out - and decided that I am going to try and join them in August...so be looking for that! But for now...the cheesecake.

The cheesecake was great - the process was a little difficult, but worth it. And George loves cheesecake - so he approved!!

I'm not going to post the whole recipe and process...but here are the pictures!!

First I baked it in a Bain Marie

Then I rolled them, dipped them in chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter - and then sprinkles!