Category: Entertaining

SPICY BUTTER SHRIMP

4/19/2021

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Spicy Butter Shrimp
(Serves 1-2)

Ingredients:

12 Medium/Large local fresh shrimp {these are South Florida shrimp}
1 tsp Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce
2 tbsp room temperature pure Irish Butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Himalayan Pink Salt to taste

Instructions:

On a cold skillet add butter, garlic and bomba sauce, turn heat on to medium-low and stir ingredients evenly incorporating them until butter starts turning golden brown.
Add shrimp and stir making sure every shrimp is coated with butter mixture, cook until shrimp are cooked thoroughly, about 5-6 minutes.

Chef’s Note: Double/Adjust the ingredients for larger servings.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve over white rice with sliced avocado and a sprinkle of lime.
Toss into pasta with extra virgin olive oil and top with Pecorino Romano cheese.
Add to top of avocado toast with a sprinkle of lemon.

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ITALIAN LOLLIPOPS

4/3/2021

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Caprese Salad, reinvented......an innovative take on one of the great classics!! Great for a cocktail party or for an impressive appetizer for your next dining gathering!!

Italian Lollipops
(makes 12 lollipops)

Ingredients:

12 cherry tomatoes
1-2 tbsp sun-dried tomato tapenade
12 mini fresh mozzarella
½ tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp chopped parsley
12 kabob skewers

Instructions:

Cut 1/4 of the top of the tomatoes, remove the seeds.
Fill tomatoes with a little tapenade, top with mini mozzarella. Prick with skewer.
In a small bowl, mix the lemon zest, olive oil and parsley. Coat themozzarella skewer and arrange in a glass or skewer dispenser.

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BAKED CHICKEN WINGS

3/31/2021

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Baked Chicken Wings (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

24 chicken wings (about 4 pounds)
½ cup hot sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
¾ tsp onion salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp jalapeño powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
4 tbsp olive oil
Blue cheese dressing – store bought is fine (I prefer ranch)
Fresh Parsley

Instructions:

In a large pot, fill ¾ with water. Place chicken wings, seasoning, ¼ cup of hot sauce and boil for 30 – 35 minutes.
When cooked thoroughly, drain and place wings in a baking pan. Mix olive oil with the remainder of the hot sauce and drizzle evenly over wings.
Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Bake 15 minutes, turn over and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Place wings on serving platter. Place dressing in dipping dish, serve with celery and/or carrot sticks. Sprinkle fresh parsley for garnish.

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CHILEAN SEA BASS CEVICHE

7/10/2020

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Chilean Sea Bass Ceviche
(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1lb Chilean Sea Bass Fillet
6oz Diced Tomatoes
4oz Diced Red Onions
2-3oz Chopped Cilantro
2oz Finely Diced Green Peppers
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1qt Lime Juice
1 Diced Hass avocado
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

Cut Sea Bass into small pieces and combine with the lime juice (diluted with 1 cup of water) to marinate for 2 hrs.
In a non-reactive metal bowl mix all the solid ingredients except the avocado. Add oil, salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Drain the fish leaving 15% of the juice.
Fold the fish and remaining juice in with the rest of the ingredients with a rubber spatula gently and carefully not to brake the fish in pieces.
Chill for another half hour, dice avocado and gently mix in with the other ingredients.

Serve with tortilla or plantain chips.

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4TH OF JULY RED, WHITE & BLUE CUPCAKES

7/3/2020

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Here is an easy and show stoping recipe for a fireworks worthy 4th of July cupcake dessert.

4th of July Red, White & Blue Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

For the Blue Vanilla Cupcakes:

1½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg , room temperature
2 large egg yolks , room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons blue food coloring (liquid)
12 medium sized strawberries

For the White Frosting:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 pound (3 2/3 cups) confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk (optional)

Instructions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, vanilla and food coloring; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.
Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter until smooth.
Gradually add confectioners' sugar; beat until smooth. If too thick to spread, beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.
Wash and cut of the tops of strawberries. Frost cupcake and top with strawberry.

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SUMMER MELON SALAD w FETA CHEESE

6/29/2020

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Summer Melon Salad w Feta Cheese (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1/2 small seedless watermelon
1/2 medium cantaloupe
Feta cheese
1/4 med size onion
4tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3tbs White wine vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

Clean and cut melons into 1/2” cubes
Thinly slice onion
In a large bowl combine, melons, onions, crumbled feta, EVOO and vinegar. Mix together and start tasting depending on the juiciness of your melons you will need to adjust to taste. Now you are ready to add salt and pepper, also taste.

NOTE: Remember that feta is naturally salty, so go easy on the salt!

Serve with your favorite grilled protein!

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HOW TO: GOLDEN ROASTED CHICKEN

2/21/2020

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Roasting Methods:
We are going to concentrate on two methods for roasting a whole chicken: Traditional and High Heat.

Before roasting. season whole thawed out chicken to your preffered liking.

1 Traditional method:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). •Roast whole (thawed) chicken for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

2 High heat method (this creates a crispy, darker skin):
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and cook whole (thawed) chicken for 10-15 minutes. •Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and roast for 20 minutes per pound. (Do not add the extra 15 minutes to the cooking time as with the traditional method.)

Both methods require basting every 20 minutes of baking.

Let chicken rest, cut into desired pieces and serve with your favorite sides.

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Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

2/3/2018

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This recipe is as easy as it will ever get. Perfect for a last minute dish that will deliver many satisfied smiles to all of your guests.

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce (serves 6-8)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds good-quality kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce

Soak 8 to 10 wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes.
Preheat a grill to medium and brush with the oil. Thread the sausage onto the skewers, leaving space between each piece. Grill until slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Mix the ketchup, mustard and hot sauce in a bowl. Serve with the sausage for dipping.

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CELERY ROOT AND POTATO GRATIN

11/24/2014

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Celery Root & Potato Gratin (serves 12)

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cup reduced fat (2%) milk
2 cups half-and-half
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pounds celery root, peeled and thinly sliced
1 3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup gluten-free regular bread crumbs
1 cup grated Swiss cheese, such as Emmentaler or Jarlsberg
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13-x9-inch casserole dish and set aside.
Whisk together milk, half-and-half, garlic, flour, salt and pepper in a large pot over medium heat. Gently stir in celery root and potatoes and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring frequently and gently, until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
Transfer contents of pot to prepared dish and spread out evenly. Scatter breadcrumbs and cheese over the top and bake until tender, bubbly and golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
Set aside to let rest for 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

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GLÜHWEIN

12/12/2013

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Glühwein {German Mulled Wine} is a warm winter German version of sangria; it should taste like Christmas spices - The basics are red wine, spices, sweetening and fruit, heated together to diffuse the flavors and served warm to bring relief to hands that cup it and bodies that drink it.
Glühwein (serves 8)

Ingredients:

1 bottle of red wine. Use an inexpensive full bodied fruity wine. You definitely do not want to use an expensive bottle and try to avoid one with oak aging. I think a Cabernet, red Zinfandel or Syrah/Shiraz would be ideal.
2 - Cinnamon sticks ~ Cinnamon is very traditional. Break the sticks into pieces 1 - 2 inches each
16 Whole Cloves ~ again a traditional ingredient
1 Orange
2 Tablespoons runny honey
1 heaped teaspoon mixed ground Christmas cake spices - or equivalent amount of any of ground allspice, nutmeg, coriander mixed together
Water - wineglass full
6-8 oz Brandy

Instructions:

Put water in large pan and place over medium heat.
Add cinnamon honey and spices.
While honey is dissolving cut the orange into quarter lengthways, then cut them in half so you have eight pieces. Push two of the cloves into the skin of each piece and add to the pan.
Pour in all the wine.
Bring the heat up. It should not boil so as when bubbles start rising turn the heat off.
As soon as it is cool enough to taste, test it for sweetness. If it is not sweet enough add sugar to taste and stir to dissolve.
Let the pan stand for an hour or longer so the flavors develop.
Warm gently before serving and spoon out into a heatproof glass, leaving the oranges and cinnamon behind. Optionally garnish with slice of lemon or fresh stick of cinnamon. Top off with splash of brandy.

Notes:
The wine has not been heated enough to evaporate all the alcohol, so be aware it is still an alcoholic drink.

The idea of pushing the cloves into the orange is so they are not loose in the drink. If you do not do this stage you should consider straining the drink so that people don’t get the surprise of a whole clove in their throats.

Variations:
As mentioned, there are many variations to the basic recipe of warmed wine with spices
Some people like to add brandy to give the Glühwein more body, but of course that adds dramatically to the alcohol. Another way of adding body is to pour in a glass or two of Port.

CHEERS!!

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<<Previous

SPICY BUTTER SHRIMP

ITALIAN LOLLIPOPS

BAKED CHICKEN WINGS

CHILEAN SEA BASS CEVICHE

4TH OF JULY RED, WHITE & BLUE CUPCAKES

SUMMER MELON SALAD w FETA CHEESE

HOW TO: GOLDEN ROASTED CHICKEN

Grilled Sausage with Spicy Sauce

CELERY ROOT AND POTATO GRATIN

GLÜHWEIN

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