When I was looking for something ‘different’ in our recipe box, I came across this one. Haven’t used it in a while, but it is a great addition to the party table. Even if you are just having a few friends over for New Year…this is good!
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 8 oz. cottage cheese
- 1 tbsp. chopped pimento
- 1 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped chives
- pinch of salt
- pinch of white pepper
- 1 tsp. lime juice
- 1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Butter lettuce leaves for garnish
Cut off the tops of the peppers, remove the seeds and pith. Wash and pat dry.
In a blender, cream the cottage cheese. Remove and add all the ingredients. Set aside.
Soak the gelatin in cold water to dissolve over a pan of simmering water. When dissolved, add to the cheese mixture, blending to thoroughly combine.
Fill each pepper and chill in the fridge for at least two hours. When ready to put on the table, slice each pepper in 4 thick slices and place on a lettuce leaf.
Who woulda thunk it? haha such fun to entertain.
yum….truly….yum.
Enchilada Sauce
Chef Paul gave us this recipe way back in 2012 and I am just now getting to it. I added the chocolate myself for the extra richness.
- 2 dried ancho chillies
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins
- pinch of oregano
- pinch of cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 oz. darkest chocolate
Soak the ancho peppers in hot water for 15 minutes.
Remove the stems and seeds, then chop.
Saute the chopped peppers and onion in the vegetable oil until tender.
Add the tomato, raisins, cumin, oregano, chocolate and chicken broth and simmer for 15 minutes longer.
Transfer all to a blender and puree until smooth.
This is the ultimate sauce for true Mexican dishes.
Mussels With Smoked Tomato Broth
When we were in Belgium, Don absolutely loved the Mussels or Moule as they were called. This is a recipe very similar to what he enjoyed.
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced fennel
- 1 tsp. fresh garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp. smoked paprika (Hungarian is the best)
- 2 cups canned roma tomatoes
Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the onion and fennel and saute until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook a further 30 seconds. Add the paprika and stir to mix well. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.
Mussels
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 shallots, sliced thin
- 1 large garlic clove, finely sliced
- 2 lbs. Mussels (Salt Spring, if you can buy them)
- 1/2 cup Chardonnay
Add the olive oil to a heated medium size pan. Add the garlic, shallots and saute for a minute. Add the mussels and continue to saute for another minute. Now add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the tomato broth you just made and quickly bring to a boil. Let simmer until the mussels have opened up. Any that do not open, discard. Serve with warmed focaccia bread and, of course, a glass of wine.
When you and your guests waddle away from the table, you will only hear praise to the chef. Yup! You did it again.
Shrimp With Cilantro And Lime
My husband is such a great cook that, when we are in a restaurant and order a shrimp dish, we are at times disappointed. Some Chefs cook them too long and then they become like rubber.
Take a moment, think about the timing, then try this dish, and you can enjoy perfectly cooked shrimp.
- 1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails left on.
- 1 tsp. rum
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup mild curry powder
- 3 tbsp. peanut oil or a really good olive oil
- sprigs of cilantro
- 2 limes, cut in wedges.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and then sprinkle them with the rum, toss and let stand for about 20 minutes. then pat dry again.
Sprinkle the shrimp evenly with the salt and sugar. Dust each shrimp wtih the curry powder to form a light coating and shake off any excess.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of oil and heat for about 25 seconds. Add enough shrimp to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Cook until shrimp are brown and crisp, about 1- 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a warm plate and repeat with remaining shrimp.
Arrange the shrimp on a large plate or individual plates and sprinkle a bit of cilantro over the shrimp and add a couple of lime wedges.
This makes a terrific appetizer to any meal. Enjoy, ‘cuz it really is yummy!
* Note: use more curry if you are a real fan.
Corn Cakes with Roasted Tomatoes
We always try to find and try new foods and combinations of foods to serve our guests. This is a new appetizer and, because fresh corn on the cob is used, is a terrific one.
- 1 large zucchini, grated coarsely
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 cups fresh corn kernals (3 cobs)
- 1/3 cup cornmeal, finely ground
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 3 slices of crisp bacon per person
In a sieve, place the zucchini over a bowl and mix in a pinch of salt. Let it drain for about 30 minutes. With a wooden spoon, press down to extract all the excess water. Throw water away.
Melt 1 tbsp. of butter in pan and add the corn and cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to caramelize, Set aside to cool down.
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the dry ingredients, and then stir in the eggs, buttermilk, cooled corn and zucchini, Let rest for about 5-6minutes.
Preheat broiler, place tomatoes on a parchment lined cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Broil only until they start to split.
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tbsp. butter and drop 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan, cooking for about 3 minutes each side until golden. Add more butter, if needed, for each batch,
To serve, divide the warm cakes on each plate, and top with a sprinkle of the cheese. Place a cluster of the tomatoes beside the cakes and serve each plate with 3 slices of crisp bacon.
Serve this with a glass of Prosecco. Yummy!
Caviar Parfait For The Real Foodie
This is for the real foodie who wants to up the grade when company is coming. Don made this for our extravagant New Years Eve celebration a few years back. Give it a try. What have you got to lose?
- 2 cups whipping cream
- pinch of salt and white pepper
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 8 oz. assorted caviar (salmon and Osetra)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
- 1/2 cup finely chopped egg whites (3 eggs hard boiled to give you enough of the whites and yolks)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped egg yolk
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
In a saucepan, combine 1 3/4 cup cream. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the cream to a simmer and whisk in the egg yolks and contnue cooking for a further 2 minutes.
Whisk in the cornstarch and remaning cream together until smooth and no lumps. Now whisk this into the hot cream and cook for three minutes.
Remove from the heat and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and refrigerate until chilled.
To assemble, place some of the caviar on the bottom of 4 fluted glasses. Place a tbsp. of shallots, egg whites, egg yolk and parsley over the caviar.
Spoon generous dollop of custard over the parsley. Repeat the layering of the caviar with the traditional garnishes. Spoon remaining custard into the glasses and sprinkle with a tsp. of caviar on top.
Serve immediately with a beautifully chilled white wine.
Did your guests give you an award for this one?
Duck And Mushroom Crostini
Another great way to serve duck so that it will be eaten…..and enjoyed.
When entertaining, it is always fun to ‘up the ante” every once in a while, and this is one way to do it.
- 1 whole duck (cook the day before)
- salt and pepper
- 1 loaf Italian baguette
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 4 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season duck with salt and pepper and roast for 1 hour. Now, turn down the temperature to 300 degrees and continue roasting for a further 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let cool.
When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the duck. Separate the meat and reserve.
Lightly drizzle some oil over the sliced bread and grill to a golden brown. Saute in frypan remaining oil and butter, add the garlic and cook for about a minute without burning.
Add the mushrooms and toss to mix. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until they soften and get some colour.
Toss with parsley, season and serve on bread slices and top with the duck meat.
YUMMY!
Oysters Barbecued with Garlic Butter, Lemon and Parsley
What an twist – garlic and parsley – your very own breath freshener included. HA!
- 1 cup butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large lemon
- 12 medium fresh oysters
- 7 flat leaf parsley sprigs, coarsely chopped
Preheat barbecue grill.
Melt butter in a saucepan and add the garlic. Squeeze lemon into the pot and drop in the lemon rind. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Place oysters on the grill (flat shell up) for around 10 minutes until they begin to open up. Poke off the top shell and spoon on the butter sauce. Garnish with more parsley and serve immediately.
Now, as this is for a celebration with adult friends and/or family, serve with the Mohito Punch (recipe below).
Mohito Punch
- 2 bottles x 750 ml sparkling pink lemonade
- 6 lemons (3 juiced, 3 sliced)
- 1 cup sugar
- 12 fresh mint sprigs
- 1/2 cup white rum
- 8 cups ice
Mix all these ingredients in a large pitcher and served totally chilled.
Who says we don’t know how to partaaay!
Mini Filet Sandwiches with Horseradish Cream
This will make a perfect appetizer to a barbecue and is easy to make. The ingredients are simple.
- 1 lb. beef tenderloin -( tied into a small roast)
- 1 tsp. coarse salt
- 2 tsp. your favourite steak spice
- 1 fresh baguette
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup watercress leaves or baby spinach leaves, stems removed)**
Rub the meat with your steak spice and let stand for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a heavy skillet, place the meat and brown on all sides for a minute each. Put in the oven for 20 minutes until it is a medium -medium rare. Remove from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes.
Cut the baguette in half and butter the bottom half. Layer the watercress on the bottom half. Layer thin slices of the beef on top. On the top half,of the baguette, spread the horseradish cream and put the two halves together.
Secure the baguette with toothpicks all along the length in 2 inch spaces and cut between the picks. Perfect little appetizers, all secured with toothpicks. The only things needed are napkins, glasses of a beautiful red wine and you are off to the races – so to speak.
Yummy!
** I suggest the watercress because if it quite peppery. If you really don’t like it, go with the baby spinach leaves, making sure all the stems are removed.
Mussels With Tomatoes
Right off the bat I will inform you, these things do not enter my mouth. I can’t be drunk enough or dead enough! True. That being said, this recipe, I am told, is the best. Ordinarily Mussels are really good when just steamed but over-the-top when teamed with tomatoes.
- 2 lbs. fresh mussels
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 small zucchini
- Crisco Oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3/4 cup of V8 juice, NOT clamato juice
- 1 tsp. sugar
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup finely shredded fresh basil
Scrub these little babies and remove the beards. Discard any that are open.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes and onions, finely chop the zucchini. Lightly oil a wide saucepan. Set over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. For one minute, stir often. Now add the tomatoes, zucchini, sugar, salt and pepper. Boil gently until tomatoes start to soften and the sauce is thickening.
Once the sauce is thick, add the mussels and cover. Cook these for about 6 minutes. If there are any that did not open, discard. Scoop into bowls, ladle some sauce over and add some warm crusty bread to sop up all the juices. Sprinkle some shredded basil over top.
Order lots of wine and go for it. Enjoy! See, I can be good every once in a while and share something I don’t happen to care for.
Mushroom Quesadillas
I love mushrooms so this is a favourite to use. Give it a try – I think you will be surprised just how delicious they are.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
- 8 oz. portobello mushrooms, chopped
- fresh basil and fresh parsley
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 8 7-inch tortillas
- Grated Parmesan cheese (depends on how much you like cheese)
In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter and add the garlic and all the mushrooms. Cook until the liquid is gone, stirring often. Add seasonings.
Spread the mixture over each half of the tortillas, fold over and press to seal. Place in a hot frypan with a bit of butter and drill for about 2 minutes each side, until the cheese melts.
Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for a moment. Cut into wedges, big enough to hold but not so big they look like dinner. After all, this is only an appetizer.
Oh, I forgot, add some sour cream and a glass of wine. There, I’m done!
Lime Ginger Prawns
Come on, it’s summer time and the breezes are light, the temperature is perfect for being on the deck with a great appetizer coming your way. I mean, after you make it and then serve it to one and all, they will all want to be asked back.
- 30 prawns, raw
- 2 tsp. each of fresh lime juice and grated ginger
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of 5 spice powder
- skewers that have been soaking for an hour
Shell and devein the shrimp, but leave the tails on. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in the prawns, making sure to coat and refrigerate for one hour, covered.
Thread the prawns on the skewers and fry in pan, making sure the oil is hot first. Do not over cook.
I told you it was easy. All you need now is some sliced pineapple and mango to accompany the shrimp. Oh yeah, I forgot ……don’t forget the wine.