Prawns with green olive and caper ailoli

This is a dish you can use at a buffet arranging all the prawns on a plate with a bowl of the aioli on the side or as an appetizer neatly arranging the prawn and aioli on a plate.

Ingredients;

As many prawns as you like (the aioli will be enough for 20 prawns)
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup lemon juice
Sea-salt and freshly ground pepper

For the aioli;

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp chopped green olives

1 tbsp salted capers rinsed and dried

1 clove garlic minced

Sea-salt and freshly ground pepper 

Aioli;

Place mayonnaise, olives, capers, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and combine. Set aside until ready to be served.

Prawns;

Place prawns, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowls. Stir so that all is combined. Allow to set for about 5 to 10 minutes before frying them in olive oil over medium to high heat for 2 minutes on each side or until they turn pink. 

On the picture they are served with julienne strips of parsnip that is fried in vegetable oil for as long as it takes to get a golden color. Perhaps not as long as some of the strips in the picture, they are not supposed to turn dark brown.

Brie-Mushrooms

I found this recipe in one of Ree Drummonds cook-books "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" a cook book that I highly recommend.

The dish can be used as a side-dish or appetizer or as one of many items if you're having a buffet.

Ingredients;

12 (or as many as you like) big white button mushrooms

Oliveoil

1/4 cup chopped parsley

4 garlic cloves minced

5 green onions sliced

A splash of white wine (if you have any..)

One 8 ounce brie cheese cut into bite sized chunks

Preheat oven to 350F

Remove stems from mushrooms and chop. Add oil in a skillet over medium heat, when oil is hot add the mushroom caps and toss them around until they soften. Transfer mushroom caps to a baking dish top side down. 

Throw in the parsley, garlic, green onions and mushroom stalks. Add the wine if you're using it. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes or until the flavors release. Remove from heat. 

Place a chink of Brie inside each mushroom cap then pour the parsley mixture on top. 

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The dish is done when the cheese is all melted. 

Can be served straight out of the oven or at room temperature.

Love Them!!

Broccoli Slaw

This slaw can be used with anything you would use to accompany a regular coleslaw. It works perfectly with any type of grilled dish. A lot of my friends that I serve this to say they didn't really think that raw broccoli would work that well but it certainly does.

Ingredients;

2 broccoli heads
One handful of pine nuts toasted in a nonstick pan without oil (tossing all the time until golden brown and fragrant)
One handful dried cranberries
1/2 red onion finely chopped

Dressing;

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayo

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

Shred the broccoli in a food processor ever so slightly, you don't want the pieces to be to small. Add to a bowl with the pine nuts, cranberries and onion and blend. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and add to the broccoli mix. Blend well and transfer to a serving bowl. The slaw will tolerate a day or two in the refrigerator if not used all at once.

Enjoy!

Goat cheese and chili zucchini-lasagna

This is a lasagna with no pasta so it's a good alternative  if you are into the low carb diet. Instead of pasta you use zucchini and I have to say, it's really good.

Ingredients;

Meatsauce;

Oil
1 onion finely chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1 pound ground chicken (I use Publix GreenWise)
2 tbsp tomato pure
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt/pepper/chili flakes

White Sauce;

2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 pound goat cheese
pepper


2 zucchinis
oil for the dish


Preheat oven to 400F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes then add the ground chicken and cook until its cooked all the way through. Add the tomato pure, chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, chili flakes and cream. Bring to a boil and let cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes.

In a sauce pan bring the cream, goat cheese and pepper to a boil and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes.

Cut the zucchini in thin slices with a mandoline or a knife.

Spray your dish with olive oil then pour half the meat sauce into it and cover with zucchini slices then add the rest of the meat sauce and cover with another layer of zucchini. Add the white sauce and bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until it gets a nice golden color.

Serve with a green salad.

Enjoy your meal!

Bæuf Bourguignon

This might not be  the most obvious dish for a sunny Florida dinner but what can I say, I just felt like it I guess.

Ingredients;

1 celeriac peeled and coarsly chopped
1 onion chopped
2 carrots in small pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 bottle red wine
2 bay leafs
2 twigs of thyme
2 pounds boneless chuck beef in cubes
Salt/pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 pound small onions
1 pound mushroom like champignon
1/2 pound bacon

Cook the celeriac, onion and carrots 5 minutes in the olive oil in a big frying pan. Add garlic, tomato paste and continue cooking 2 minutes. Ad broth, red wine, thyme and bay leaves and bring to a boil.

Add to a slow cooker and set to high (four hours).
Add butter to the frying pan and sear the beef for 3 to 5 minutes and add to the slow cooker.
Cook the mushrooms and bacon in batches and set aside.

Add a little bit of water to the pan and bring to a boil, add to the slow cooker making sure you get all the juices and bits and pieces from the pan. Add salt and pepper.
At the end of the cooking time add the bacon and mushrooms. Taste, add more salt/pepper if needed.

Serve with mashed potatoes!!
Recipe here!

Caramelized Apple Tart with Basil Cinnamon Sorbet

This might sound like a strange combination but I can assure you it tastes heavenly.

Ingredients;

Basil Cinnamon Sorbet;

1 pot of basil

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water

A little bit less than 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice

4 cinnamon sticks

Can be made ahead, keep in freezer.

Bring water, sugar and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Add the orange juice and let simmer a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Remove cinnamon sticks and blend the liquid together with the basil in a blender until smooth and green. Add to an ice-cream maker and run until sorbet consistency. Keep in freezer until 10 minutes before using it.

Apple tarts;

3 sheets puff pastry or one can butter flake crescent roll

8 apples

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar

Roll the puff pastry until it has a thickness of apps. 3mm. Cut rounds using a small plate of desired size as a template. Using a fork make small holes in the pastry. Peel and remove the inner core of the apples then cut in thin slices. Arrange on the puff pastry. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake in oven for 15 minutes at 425F. They should be golden and caramelized. You can bake them halfway ahead of time and finish just before serving.

Arrange on a platter.

Eat and be merry!

Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze and Cranberries

If you still have some leftover turkey here's another side that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Also it's an easy not to time consuming recipe. The Balsamic glaze can be made ahead and since the Brussels sprouts are made in the oven there is not much tending to them.

Ingredients;

2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
1/3 cup Olive oil
Salt/pepper
1 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Dried cranberries


Trim the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Arrange on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and roast at 375F for 25 to 30 minutes, they should be golden brown.

While the Brussels sprouts are in the oven combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce heat and continue boiling until the glaze is thick (take into consideration that it will continue thickening as it cools of)

Drizzle the balsamic reduction generously over the roasted Brussels sprouts, keep the rest of the glaze for later. Sprinkle with dried cranberries. Toss and serve!

Enjoy!