Columbus Inn (Wilmington, DE)

http://www.columbusinn.com/

My husband an I went to Columbus Inn for City Restaurant Week.  The price-fixed options were pretty plentiful and it was one of the only restaurants participating that had a vegetarian option.  The outside of the restaurant is a bit rustic, with a stone exterior and and a patio overlooking Route 52.  As you enter the front door, you are greeted by a hostess stand and a staircase.  To the left, in a separate room, is the bar area and the outdoor seating.  To the right (looking into the windowed wine cooler) is the dining room.  The Atmosphere is upscale, yet comfortable; dark, but inviting.  The employees were quite friendly and our server was excellent – suggesting drinks to pair with our meals and acting in a genuine manner.

I ordered the Mixed Greens Salad and Goat Cheese Gnocchi as the first part of my three-course meal.  Before our food arrived, we were offered a bread basket with warm rolls.  The rolls were good, nothing special, but felt and tasted almost fresh-baked.  I like it when restaurnats do that!  The salad greens were crips and fresh, with a few cherry tomatoes in the mix, and a savory dressing (unfortunately, I cannot remember what it was).  The gnocchi was a larger portion than I expected – enough for two servings if I wanted to save room for my third-course dessert!  The gnocchi is served with cherry tomatoes and covered in a fresh basil pomodoro sauce and goat cheese “parm”.  Excellent!  I loved the soft gnocchi paired with the roasted cherry tomatoes.  Everything was creamy and the sauce coated it nicely – not too much, not too little.  I am a definite fan! 

After I had the remainder of the gnocchi boxed up, it was time for a big decision: dessert.  They let you choose from any of the options on their regular dessert menu.  I opted for the homemade vanilla gelato with peanut butter and chocolate chunks.  The gelato was rich and the peanut butter and chocoalte chunks provided a nice crunch against the soft the otherwise soft and creamy texture.  They gave me two scoops, which I was unable to finish, but ate most of it again.

The food at Columbus Inn is delicious and I definitely recommend it for vegetarians AND omnivores J

Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo

Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, Servings: 8)

Ingredients

·         1 Tbsp. olive oil

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

·         5 stalks celery, chopped

·         2 cups vegetable broth

·         4 (15 oz.) cans black-eyed peas with liquid

·         2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles

·         2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions

1.      Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion, pepper, and celery until tender.

2.      Pour in the vegetable broth, and mix in black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes and green chiles, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Add water if soup is too thick.

I made some changes to this recipe based on what I had on hand and what I could get at the grocery store.  I used one 16-oz. bag of dried black-eyed peas because two of the grocery stores that I go to didn’t have canned.  I soaked them overnight in seven cups of water and then rinsed them.  I had to cook the dish about 30 minutes longer and add about 2 cups of water, but it worked out!  I also removed the rice that is in the original recipe because we didn’t have any in the pantry.  Instead, I served this with cornbread – which was an excellent move!

I found that the veggies and peas stay pretty crisp during the cooking process and that texture was a nice difference to the soft tomatoes.  I added a couple dashes of hot sauce, but I should have added more!  I didn’t initially because of my husband’s sensitivity to spicy food.  I don’t know if I will make this again, because, overall, it is pretty bland, even with hot sauce and two cans of tomatoes with green chiles.  Maybe tomatoes with jalapenos would work better.  It is a good mix of carbs and healthy protein, though, and is full of veggies! This one may stay in the recipe box, but get moved to the back.

Coconut Curry Tofu

Coconut Curry Tofu (from AllRecipes, Total Time: 40 minutes, Servings: 6)

Ingredients

·         2 bunches green onions

·         1 (14 oz.) can light coconut milk

·         ¼ cup soy sauce, divided

·         ½ tsp. brown sugar

·         1 ½ tsp. curry powder

·         1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

·         2 tsp. chile paste

·         1 pound firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

·         4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

·         1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

·         4 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped

·         ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

·         4 cups chopped bok choy

·         salt to taste

Directions

1.       Remove white parts of green onions, and finely chop. Chop greens into 2-inch pieces.

2.       In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, mix coconut milk, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, ginger, and chile paste. Bring to a boil.

3.       Stir tofu, tomatoes, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and finely chopped green onions into the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in basil and bok choy. Season with salt and remaining soy sauce. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but crisp. Garnish with remaining green onion.

Our bi-weekly CSA package included bok choy, so I went looking for a recipe that incorporates the ingredient.  I saw this and was excited because it looks really good!  While I was making it, the smell was fantastic – I wanted to slurp up the sauce before adding the veggies and tofu.  Unfortunately, the taste did not follow suit.  I found it kind of bland, as did my husband.  It seemed almost like all of the spices/flavors cancelled each other out.  It certainly wasn’t a bad taste – it was just a little sweet with a little heat over veggies and tofu.  I will say, though, that the sauce did permeate the tofu, which is nice.  I hate it when tofu cannot sponge up a sauce.

I think that maybe a little more curry powder or chile paste would give it the taste that it needs.  I served over a bed of brown rice, which was great for sopping up additional sauce.  The bok choy was easy to cut and cook.  The bell peppers were the only thing that added crunch to the dish.  If I made this again, I’d probably skip the mushroom and tomatoes and add more bell peppers and green onions.  However, I do not think that I will try this again, unless there is more bok choy in my next CSA bag!

Pretzel Bark

Pretzel Bark (slightly adapted from Kraft Recipes, Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, Servings: 10+)

Ingredients

·         1 cup chopped pretzels

·         3 pkg. (4 oz. each) Semi-Sweet Chocolate, broken into pieces

Directions

1.      Place chocolate pieces into a microwave-safe bowl.  Put in microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.  Repeat until chocolate is melted.

2.      Stir pretzels into chocolate; spread onto waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

3.      Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.  Break into pieces

I loved this chocolate bark!  The recipe is so easy and quick.  I served it as part of a Progressive Dinner in my neighborhood and it went fast. In fact, there were a couple of people politely arguing over the last piece.  Even though this is made with semi-sweet chocolate, it tasted a bit more like dark chocolate. The original recipe calls for pecans in addition to the pretzels, but I opted not to use them because my husband is not a huge fan of nuts and I wasn’t sure if any neighbors had nut allergies.  This is a definite keeper in my dessert box!

Pepper Jelly Cornmeal Cups

Pepper Jelly Cornmeal Cups (from Better Homes & Gardens, Total Time: 1 hour +, Total Servings: 96 cookies)

Ingredients

·         1 cup butter, softened

·         1 cup packed brown sugar

·         ½ tsp. baking powder

·         2 egg yolks

·         1 tsp. vanilla

·         2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         ¼ cup red and/or green jalapeno jelly

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.      In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until combined. Beat in cornmeal. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

3.      Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly press the tip of your thumb into the center of each ball of dough. Fill each center with about 1/8 teaspoon of the jalapeno jelly.

4.      Bake in the preheated oven about 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

This was another dessert that I made for the Progressive Dinner in my neighborhood.  I think that this is one of the first “rolled” cookie recipes that I have found where I didn’t need to refrigerate the batter!  Excellent!

I have a homemade strawberry jalapeno jelly that people have loved, so I thought that this would be a great way to share it with my neighbors.  My husband loves these cookies, but I think that are a little on the dry side.  Even with the jelly, which adds a touch of moisture, they were still dry – almost like a normal cornbread muffin.  I think that additional butter or using whole eggs might counteract the dryness.  Other than that complaint, I was happy with the outcome – small cookies that satisfy a savory dessert hunger.

Chickpea & Feta Dip

Chickpea & Feta Dip (from Kraft Recipes, Total Time: 15 minutes, Servings: 24 servings of 2 Tbsp. each)

Ingredients

·         2 cans (15 oz. each) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed

·         2/3 cup  crumbled Feta Cheese, divided

·         1/3 cup drained roasted red pepper strips, divided

·         1 clove  garlic

·         3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

·         1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

·         Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

1.      Place chickpeas, ½ cup cheese, ¼ cup peppers and next 4 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth.

2.       Spoon into serving bowl. Top with remaining cheese and peppers.

I made this as an appetizer for a Progressive Dinner in my neighborhood.  I served with various crudités (celery, carrots, pepper strips, etc.) for a healthy option during our Dinner; I also used fat-free feta to help cut back on some fat and calories.  I find the consistency to be more of a spread than a dip, and it was a little dry and clumpy, not creamy like hummus.  It tasted overwhelmingly like chickpeas, I would have liked a little more of a feta or red pepper taste.  I do not plan to make this dish again, but feel free to try your hand at it!

No Oven Peanut Butter Squares

No Oven Peanut Butter Squares (from Kraft Recipes, Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, Servings: 48 squares)

Ingredients

·         ½ cup butter or margarine

·         2 cups powdered sugar

·         1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

·         1 cup creamy Peanut Butter

·         3 pkg. (4 oz. each) Semi-Sweet Chocolate, broken into pieces

Directions

1.      Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan.

2.      Place chocolate pieces into a microwave-safe bowl.  Put in microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.  Repeat until chocolate is melted.

3.      Melt butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 45 sec. Add next 3 ingredients; mix well. Spread into prepared pan; cover with chocolate.

4.      Cut partially through dessert to mark 48 squares. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan; cut into squares.

Another dessert that I made for the Progressive Dinner in the neighborhood.  When I first tried it, I thought it was OK – maybe a little too dry with the graham crackers.  But after eating it a little bit more, I like it.  I think that I will add more peanut butter next time, to help with the dry texture.  I like the chocolate coating, but definitely do NOT skip the first part of step 4.  I did and the chocolate cracked into all types of weird angles.  Not pretty!  Next time, in addition to using more PB, I will make a thicker batch by using a 9x9 or 8x8 pan.  These went over really well with the neighbors – they were gone in less than 30 minutes, even with the large selection of desserts!