Luncheon with Some Friends

As I finished with my last exam for the week I felt the need to wind down from the hustle and bustle of life. So I decided to have a luncheon with some friends. Since we were getting together in the middle of the afternoon, I couldn’t call it lunch nor was it close enough to be called dinner. At one point I was thinking of calling it Afternoon Tea, but none of the others drank tea. So luncheon was it.

Menu:

• Gnocchi with Butter Garlic Sauce
• Cheese-Garlic Biscuits
• Garden Salad with Garlic-Herb Croutons

Garden Salad

Needing a filler in a lunch that I was making I wanted something fresh. So I turned to the Garden Salad. But I will be deviating from the original recipe for one. Instead I will be making it from the ingredients that are in my refrigerator right now.

Here are the ingredients needed for this recipe:

• 1 head of romaine lettuce, cut or torn into bite sized pieces
• 4 Tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups of Garlic Crouton
• 1/4 medium onion, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes

Step 1: Place lettuce in a large bowl

Step 2: Toss with dressing (optional), Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, and crouton

Step 3: Serve cold

Garlic-Herb Croutons

I wanted to make a Caesar Salad for a luncheon with some friends and I didn’t have any croutons, but I did have a bag full of sliced bread. So I improvised.

Here are the ingredients needed for this recipe:

• 4 Tbsps butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 slices of bread, cubed
• 1 tsp dried herbs (optional: oregano, basil, sage, or a combination of the 3)

Step 1: Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Step 2: In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat

Step 3: Stir in the garlic

Step 4: Cook and stir the garlic for about 1 minute (do not burn it)

Step 5: Add in the cubed bread slices, toss and coat in butter

Step 6: Spread the bread onto a baking sheet evenly

Step 7: Sprinkle on the dried herbs and season with salt and black ground pepper

Step 8: Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and dry (Check frequently so as to prevent the bread from burning)