I told you I was getting everything ready for the Spring and Summer season that is just around the corner. You can, indeed, make pizza on the barbecue. In fact, we did this years ago and I think they are better than anything you put in the oven.
- 2 lbs. fresh pizza dough (store bought is good)
- Olive Oil for drizzle and brushing
- 2 tbsp. cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6-7 slices of proscuitto
- 2 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced into eighths
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup toasted pecans
- 3-4 cups baby spinach, washed and stemmed
- Balsamic/fig vinegar
- pinch of salt and pepper
Start the barbecue and heat for about 10 minutes getting the temperature up to 400 degrees. Clean and oil the grill.
Place the dough in a large bowl (oiled so the dough won’t stick) and cover with a damp towel. Let stand for about 1 hour to rise.
Brush the peaches with oil and grill for a few minutes. Set aside.
Sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal and roll out the dough and set on the cornmeal. Drizzle with a little olive oil and place in the center of the barbecue. Close the lid and grill for approximately 5-6 minutes until the bottom is a golden brown.
Using tongs, turn the dough over and arrange the peaches and grill for approximately 8-10 minutes. Arrange half the cheese on the dough, add the proscuitto and pecans on top and then top with the remaining cheese. Close the lid and grill for a further 10 minutes and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove and drizzle with the balsamic/fig vinegar.
Remove from the barbecue and add the baby spinach.
Now gather the family and/or friends, pour a glass of wine and enjoy! As I said yummy.
Crab Creme Brulee
I was reading a magazine article the other day and it suggested “IF THE RECIPE SOUNDS TOO INVOLVED, DON ‘T DO IT”. Boy is that ever wrong. If I think it could be a challenge, I always say to read it through first
If you don’t try to do something you have never done before, how will you learn? Everything new is a bit challenging the first time, but once under the belt, whooppee! you did it. Hence, the mantra “damn I can do this”.
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp. flour
- 1/2 cup Havarti cheese, diced
- cayenne to taste
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 2/3 cup well drained crabmeat
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
Preheat your broiler. In a saucepan heat the cream and milk until it starts to steam. Beat the egg yolks for a good 2 minutes and then beat in the flour.
Pour a little warm milk into the egg mixture to temper it and pour it all back into the saucepan. Cook until it becomes thick and coats the back of a spoon.
Add the cheese, and stir until it is all melted. Add the cayenne, salt and pepper and, again, stir into the mix.
In 4 buttered ramekins, divide the avocado and crabmeat equally and be sure to sprinkle the top of this with fresh lemon juice to prevent browning. Pour the cheese mixture on top and now sprinkle the sugar on top.
Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler for about 4 – 4 1/2 minutes. Watch so it doesn’t burn.
You have just upped the ante big time. Different but yummy. Makes a superb appetizer. This can be served warm or hot. Add a fresh dinner roll and, of course, the chilled glass of wine.
On with the rest of the dinner…….
Scampi With Lime Mayonnaise Dip
Nothing is better than Scampi…summertime…..deck/patio….friends….cold wine……
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2% thick yogurt
- gated zest of 1 lime
- dash tabasco
- 1 lb. scampi, peeled and deveined
To prepare the dip, whisk all ingredients (not the scampi) together in a bowl until blended. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the top into the surface to avoid a crust. Place in the fridge.
Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Place the scampi in a sieve and plunge into the boiling water for about 1 1/2 – 2 minues or until they turn pink.
Immediately plunge into a cold water bath to stop further cooking and pat dry.
Arrange on ice on a platter garnished with spinach leaves. Serve the dip in a cold crock alongside.
Dip and enjoy!
Tourtiere (Don’s Way)
Don says this recipe should only be sold it is sooooo good. So feel lucky today, here it is. Otherwise known as a French Canadian Meat Pie. This recipe was his Mom’s recipe and boy, is it tasty.
Makes 3 pies
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped, better yet – grated
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 lb. each ground pork, ground beef and ground veal
- 3 tsp. cloves
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp. Jamaican allspice
- 1/2 tsp. sage
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup water
- 5 medium potatoes
- 3 boxes of pastry (trying to make it easy for you)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat butter in large pot and saute the onions until translucent. Add the meat and cook until brown thoroughly eliminating any large lumps.
Add the seasonings and the water. Simmer this for twenty minutes. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into small chunks. Put in a sauce pan and cook until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes.
Add the potatoes to the meat mixture and cook another twenty minutes. Cool down.
Make the pastry according to the directions. Fill the pies equally and cover with pastry. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes, then lower the heat to 375 and bake another one-half hour .
Note My husband makes about twelve of these pies on the 11th of November when we do our Christmas baking and because we have children who are not married, we also make smaller pies for them. When they come home from work; they just pop it in the oven to heat through and have a great dinner, just add a salad and veggie. They are so spoiled!
We like ours with a mushroom gravy….the kids…ketchup. Well, there is no accounting for good taste, is there?
Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
Portabello mushrooms are great at any time.
Serves 4
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
- 6 finely chopped button mushrooms
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 3 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 tsp fresh, chopped sage
- 1/2 cup chardonnay wine
Heat one tbsp oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Lightly brown breadcrumbs until they are a light golden brown. Transfer this to a large bowl.
Clean medium Portobello mushrooms, stems finely chopped, gills removed. You can even peel the top layer off and not affect the mushroom in any way.
Now heat one tbsp oil in same skillet and saute the button mushrooms, stirring until cooked; add the mushroom stems, salt and pepper to taste, stirring for about three minutes.
Add the tomatoes, sage and one-half of the wine cooking until the liquid is almost evaporated. Set aside one-half of the bread crumbs and stir the mushroom mixture into the remaining bread crumbs.
Heat the last one tbsp oil in a skillet and cook the caps upside down, covered for five minutes. Turn caps over and add the remaining wine, cook covered just until caps are juicy but tender and fill the caps with the filling.
Heat mushrooms through until hot. Sprinkle remaining toasted bread crumbs on top.
Note: By removing the gills, you are removing the bitter part of the mushroom.
Serve a nice white, crisp and chilled wine and voila! Wonderful.
Welsh Cakes and Stuffed Camenbert Cheese
This could be a wonderful appetizer but also great just for an afternoon luncheon with friends or even a shower for someone special.
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 large egg, beaten with a fork
- 1/3 cup light cream
Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the butter in until it becomes crumbly. Stir in the raisins. Add egg and cream. Stir until dough holds together forming a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about one quarter inch thick. Cut into three inch circles.
Heat your fry pan to a medium low temperature. Cook cakes, a few at a time, until both sides are browned. Just make sure it is not as hot as you would have for making pancakes. Serve cold with the Camembert below.
Stuffed Camenbert
- 4 oz. small camembert round
- 4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tbsp. fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp sliced toasted almonds
- 2 tbsp sliced seedless red grapes
Cut the cheese round in half horizontally. Mash cream cheese and orange juice together. Add almonds and grapes. Mix well.
Place on bottom round of cheese and place other half on top. Place in center of serving plate and surround with Welsh Cakes. Absolutely wonderful to look at and eat but not hard to make. Just make sure each guest has his own spreader knife.
Coquille St. Jacques
Appetizers are generally a teaser prior to the main meal. Whatever you do, make the portions small or no one will be able to finish the meal. Use your imagination when serving this course. Use plates, bowls, shells or glasses; whatever you have to make it impressive. We eat with our eyes first, then with our taste buds. You can just have the appetizer and salad or appetizer and soup, if you really don’t want all three courses.
This only looks intimidating- Serves 6
- 1 lb. scallops
- 1/2 lb. button mushrooms
- 3/4 cup Chardonnay wine
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1/2 small onion
- White pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 cup fish stock
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Lemon juice
- Panko crumbs
- Parmesan cheese
Rinse scallops, removing tough membrane. Slice mushrooms and combine with the next seven ingredients and simmer in a saucepan for four-five minutes.
Strain off stock and keep it warm. Set aside scallops and mushrooms. In the top of a heavy double broiler, melt butter, blend in flour and heat gently until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat and blend in heated stock from scallops. Add the milk and heat one minute longer.
Combine beaten egg yolks and cream. Add a bit of the hot sauce to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Stir egg mixture back into the hot sauce cooking for one minute more. Do not burn.
Taste by adding a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cut scallops into quarters and combine with two-thirds of the sauce. Spoon onto shells and cover with remaining sauce. Top with crumbs and serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Put under broiler until golden brown.
To make this even more elegant, you can cook three-four potatoes until tender, mash until smooth and pipe around the edge of the shell, giving it a raised edge. So, so, so good!
Duck Terrine
We have had a couple of requests for this recipe. Trust me, it takes a long time but you will never taste anything better. (Actually 3 days) Read through first.
Serves 10-12
Terrine:
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 Moulard duck breasts (1 3/4 -2 lbs total)
- 4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tbsp. Port (amber)
- 1 tbsp. brandy
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
Freeze milk in a shallow dish, scraping once or twice with a fork to break up the crystals until completely frozen. This should take about 1 hour. Remove the skin and any fat with your fingers. When needed, use a knife.
Set a medium bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice and water under the grinder to catch the meat, then feed only the meat through a second time, adding spoonfuls of the frozen milk as you go. Chill and cover with plastic wrap, in the fridge.
Using the same method, feed the duck skin with fat through twice then add to the duck meat and leave the bowl in the larger bowl of ice.
Add the remaining terrine ingredients and mix with your hands to combine well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
Glazed Shallots.
- 1 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1/2 lb. small shallots, peeled and trimmed
Bring the ingredients to a boil in a 1 quart saucepan stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the shallots (whole) and cover the surface with wax paper and simmer vigorously until tender (about 45 minutes). Transfer from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon to a bowl and discard the sprig of thyme. Boil the liquid until it is about 1/3 cup. Pour over the shallots and cool.
Line and bake the terrine
Set the rack in oven to the middle and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom and all sides of the terrine pan with proscuitto, overlapping the edges slightly and be sure to leave about 2 inch overhang on the long sides. Rub some of the duck mixture on the proscuitto to ensure the rest with stick to it and pack in two thirds of the remaining duck.
Make a trough down the middle with the back of a spoon. Gently push the drained shallots pointed end down in the trough. Pack the balance of the duck mixture on top and bring the overhang of proscuitto over the top (add more if you have to). Wrap in a double layer of tin foil. Rap the mold sharply on the counter to compact the mixture.
Bake the terrine in a water bath for about 2 hours. Remove the foil and cook on a rack for half an hour.
To weigh the terrine, place in a clean baking pan and place a piece of parchment paper on top. Place a piece of wood or cardboard the exact size of the terrine that has been wrapped in foil on top and add a couple tins of soup. Chill this now for about 4 hours. Continue to cool without the weights for at least 24 hours to allow the flavours to develop.
Serving
Run a knife around the edge of the terrine and let stand in about 1 inch of hot water to loosen the bottom for about 2 minutes. Tip the terrine, making sure you have a hand on the top, to drain excess liquid; reinvert on a cutting and with a paper towel gently wipe the excess liquid off the Proscuitto. Let stand for about 30 minutes then cut into 1/2 inch slices and serve on plates that have been drizzled with the wine syrup.
This will keep well if wrapped in plastic and kept chilled for about 1 week.
Oh yeah, read this through first and loudly proclaim “damn, I can do this!”
Grilled Feta Cheese with Tomatoes
This is so simple and I am sure everyone has tried it before, but if not, here it is. A super easier, but delectable, appetizer to serve when you have company over….or you are trying to make brownie points with your spouse….
Serves 6
- 1 lb. yellow and orange tomatoes
- Butter Lettuce
- 1 lb. block of Feta Cheese
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch of fresh basil
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Slice tomatoes and arrange on six serving plates. Cut feta into six even slices and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet preferrably, if not use a lightly oiled cookie sheet.
Drizzle oil over the cheese slices and broil; until lightly browned. CAREFULLY remove from pan with a spatula and place the warm feta over the tomato slices. Do not make the slices too thin or you will never get it off the paper.
Chiffenade the basil and sprinkle over the salad.
Note: Never store tomatoes in the fridge. They will lose their flavour and colour. Just leave them on the counter and they will retain all the flavour. Just be sure to wash them before using.
Roasted Figs With Cheese
There are times when you are really trying to “impress” a good friend that you find two items that are absolutely perfectly paired.
Tonight, Don paired two items , the Seared Scallops (earlier blog) and the Roasted Figs. It is without a doubt the VERY BEST APPETIZERS we have put together in 23 years.
Do the scallops with the papaya salsa and set aside.
Now you need:
- 12 ripe figs
- 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil (the best you can afford)
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola (in my case, Laughing Cow, seriously)
- 1/3 cup honey
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Using a paring knife, carefully trim any tough portion of the stems from each fig. Rub each fig all over with the olive oil, then slice down through the stem about 3/4 inch. Make a second cut perpendicular to the first cut, so that you have an X-shaped cut in the tip of each fig.
Gently pry the edges apart and stuff each fig with 1 tsp. of the cheese. Place the figs upright on a baking sheet (use parchment paper) and bake until the figs are plump but not burst, about 10 minutes.
Drizzle equal amounts of honey on 4 serving plates and place the figs on top of the honey. Serve immediately, but add the seared scallops with the papaya salsa. You can also use mango as an alternative. We used 2 figs each plate and 3 scallops. YUMMY-YUMMY
Oh, my goodness! This combination rocks. Try it!
Seared Scallops
Serves 4
- 2 small papaya (seeded, peeled and chopped)
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp. Cilantro
- 1 tsp. seeded and minced jalapeno pepper
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. flour
- pinch each of salt and pepper
- 8 good sized scallops
In a medium bowl combine papaya, peppers, onion, juice and cilantro. Set aside.
In a sealable bag, put the flour, salt, pepper and scallops. Shake to coat surface.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the scallops and cook only for a couple of minutes until golden in colour. Do not over cook or they will be like rubber.
To plate, add a generous spoonful of sauce on the plate and place the scallops on top. You now have a new appetizer. There will be many oohs and ahhs over this dish. Now you can just smile and demurely say “you are too kind”.
Summer Appetizers
We are now into summer and that means a lot of bbq’s, family picnics and visits with family, friends and neighbors. Today I will showcase a couple of new ideas to get you started AND excited to show off your new found recipe skills.
Firstly: Fresh Figs with Proscuitto and Blue Cheese
Note-the combination of flavours can’t be beat but your figs must be perfect. Ripe but not too soft. Use both green and purple figs for variety.
- 1/2 cup Blue Cheese
- 6 medium figs, cut into quarters
- 2 tbsp. of exceptional balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of mediterranean salt
- light pinch of pepper
- 1/2 lb. thinly sliced proscuitto, cut into strips.
Place 1/2 tsp. of the cheese on each quarter, gently pressing into the bottom of each fig piece. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Mix the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper together using a whisk and brush each fig.
To assemble, wrap the bottom half of each fig with a strip of proscuitto. Do not refrigerate.
Secondly: Pecan, Brie and Grape Salsa Tarts.
To get the results of this recipe you should have a high quality Brie. This means it should be soft when cut into but never runny. If you make a mistake and buy an under-ripe wheel of Brie, you should be aware that it will not ripen further.
- 1 cup seedless grapes, cut in half
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsps. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. each of fresh rosemary aned minced garlic.
- pinch of pepper
- 48 prepared tart shells (you could make your own pastry)
- 1/2 cup roasted and chopped pecans
- 8 oz. Brie, rind removed
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place grapes and salt in a processer and chop until coarse in texture. Transfer to a strainer and let stand for about 10 minutes. Mix together all the ingredients up to and including pepper. Fold in the grapes.
With a fork, fill the tartlets. This will avoid picking up any of the liquid. Bake until the cheese starts to melt (about 5 minutes). Do not over-bake. Serve immediately.
You have now become the queen of the appetizers for any occasion that crops up.