Archive for » September 11th, 2009«

11
Sep
Seafood Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

(Serves 8–12)

* 500g medium shrimp , peeled and deveined

* 500g  small scallops

* 3 cleaned squid (about 8 ounces each), sliced into rings, tentacles halved if large

* 500g shell-shaped, penne or other type pasta , cooked according to package directions

* 1 cup frozen peas , thawed

* 1 cup pitted black olives , halved

* 1 medium red bell pepper , diced

* 1/2 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)

* 1/2 cup prepared vinegar-and-oil salad dressing

* Salt and pepper

* Basil leaves for garnish

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until just opaque. With a slotted spoon, remove shrimp to a colander and rinse with cold water. Repeat with scallops, cooking 2 to 3 minutes, until just opaque. Repeat with squid, cooking about 30 seconds, until just opaque. Let seafood drain well.

In a large bowl, combine seafood, pasta, peas, olives, and bell pepper. In a small bowl, whisk pesto and salad dressing together. Pour over pasta and toss to combine. Add additional pesto and salad dressing if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with basil leaves. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Category: Appetisers, Salads  Tags: , , , ,  Leave a Comment
11
Sep
Coconut Custard Pie

Ingredients:

(Makes 8–10 servings)

Crust:

* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , chilled and cut into 1.5cm pieces

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon sugar

* 3 tablespoons nonfat milk (very cold)

Filling:

* 3 cups milk

* 4 eggs

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* 1 cup shredded coconut

* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

To make crust: In a food processor, combine flour, butter, salt and sugar; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse, just until mixture forms a ball. Remove dough from machine and flatten it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out dough on a floured surface into 25cm circle; carefully lift into a 23cm pie pan. Trim edges to extend about an inch over sides of pan. Fold overhang under and crimp edges decoratively, using your fingers. Line dough with foil and add pie weights or about 1 to 1 1/2 cups dried beans or rice. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully take off weights and foil; return pan to oven and bake until golden, about 9 more minutes. Remove and let cool on a rack.

To make filling: Scald milk in a small saucepan. In a medium bowl, beat eggs lightly; add sugar and salt, and slowly stir in hot scalded milk. Mix in vanilla and coconut. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Increase oven temperature to 425° and bake on lower rack about 30 minutes, until custard is firm. Refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.

Category: Desserts  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
11
Sep
Grilled Redfish with Red Rice and Lemon Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

(Serves 6)

Sauce:

* 1 cup dry white wine

* 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

* 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

* 1 teaspoon minced shallot

* 1 clove garlic , minced

* 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves , chopped

* 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) cold, unsalted butter , cut into tablespoons

* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

* 1 teaspoon salt

* Pinch freshly ground pepper

Rice:

* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

* 1/2 medium onion , chopped

* 1 stalk celery , diced

* 3 small cloves garlic , minced

* 1 cup long grain rice

* 4 green onions , thinly sliced

* 2 medium tomatoes , diced

* 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

* 1 can chicken broth

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 3 small dried bay leaves

Fish:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil , plus more for greasing

* 6 red snapper or flounder or sea bass fillets, skin removed

* 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

* 2 lemons , cut into 6 wedges each

* Flat-leaf parsley sprigs, for garnish

Method:

To make sauce: In a small saucepan, combine wine, lemon juice, vinegar, shallot, garlic and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-high and continue to boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add butter, 4 tablespoons at a time, whisking until just melted. Butter should emulsify and thicken sauce slightly. (If the first batch melts too quickly and thins out sauce, turn heat to low, then continue.) Whisk in lemon zest, salt and pepper and set sauce aside.

To make rice: Meanwhile, in a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice, green onions, tomatoes and parsley. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/4 cup water, chicken broth, salt and bay leaves, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let stand.

To make fish: Preheat grill or grill pan; grease with olive oil. Brush snapper fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Grill fillets over medium-high heat until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Grill lemon wedges on medium-high heat until marked on both sides, about 30 seconds per side.

Reheat sauce over low heat. Do not allow it to simmer or the sauce will separate. Remove bay leaves from rice, then spoon rice onto plates. Top with snapper fillets and sauce. Garnish with grilled lemon wedges and parsley sprigs.

Category: Creolean, Mains  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
11
Sep
Tequila-Lime Chicken Brochettes

Ingredients:

(Makes 32 brochettes.)

* 1 ripe mango , cut into chunks

* 1 ripe banana , cut into chunks

* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

* 4 cloves garlic

* 1 tablespoon salt

* 2 teaspoons chili or ancho chili powder

* 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

* 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

* 1/2 cup tequila (white or dark)

* 2kg skinless boneless chicken breasts

* 2 limes , halved

* 2 tablespoons pink peppercorns , crushed

* 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds , coarsely chopped

* Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Method:

In a blender or food processor with knife blade attached, puree mango, banana, brown sugar, garlic, salt, chili powder and white pepper until smooth. Add lime juice and tequila and process until blended.

Cut chicken breasts crosswise on a slight diagonal into 2 cm-wide strips. Divide between 2 plastic refrigerator bags; add 1 cup marinade to each bag and seal. Turn bags to coat chicken evenly. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. While chicken marinates, cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

In a small saucepan, bring reserved marinade to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.

Drain chicken in a colander. Thread onto presoaked bamboo skewers. Spray a grill pan with nonstick spray and heat until hot. Grill chicken skewers in batches, about 2 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Or broil skewers 4 minutes, turning once halfway through. Arrange on platters. Hit chicken with a squeeze of lime. Drizzle with cooked marinade; sprinkle with peppercorns and pumpkin seeds. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Note: These brochettes can be cooked a day in advance and refrigerated; bring to room temperature, then garnish and serve. The longer the chicken marinates, the better it tastes. Soak bamboo skewers at least one hour before grilling.

Category: Appetisers, Creolean, Mains, Mexican  Tags: , , , ,  Leave a Comment
11
Sep
Individual Lemon-and-Lime Meringue Pies

Ingredients:

(Makes 6 servings)

Crust:

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 2 sticks butter , chilled and cut into 1cm pieces

* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

* 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar

* 2 to 6 tablespoons cold skim milk

Filling:

* 3 lemons

* 3 limes

* 1 3/4 cups sugar

* 1/3 cup cornstarch

* 1/4 teaspoon salt , plus a pinch

* 3 eggs , separated and 1 egg white

* 2 tablespoons butter

* Large pinch cream of tartar

Method:

To make the crust: combine flour, butter, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine on pulse, add milk, one tablespoon at a time, just until mixture forms a ball. Remove from machine and shape into two discs; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Roll out each disc of dough on a floured surface to a 30cm rectangle. From each rectangle, cut three 12.5cm circles. Carefully place each circle into a ramekin or individual pie pan. (There should be about a 2.5cm overhang.) Fold overhang under and decoratively crimp edges with fingers; place ramekins in refrigerator as you go. Chill crusts at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Position rack in lower third. Using tines of a fork, poke several holes in bottoms of pie shells. Line each pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or rice. Place on a baking sheet and bake 13 minutes. Remove weights and foil and continue baking until golden, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

To make the filling: zest 1 lemon (2 teaspoons) and 1 lime (about 1 teaspoon). Squeeze all lemons and limes (3/4 cup juice); set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and boils, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks for 1 minute; add 1/2 cup hot cornstarch mixture and stir until blended. Slowly pour egg yolk mixture back into saucepan with remaining cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly over low heat to prevent curdling. Continue stirring and cook about 4 minutes, until very thick. Remove from heat; add butter and stir until melted. Slowly pour in lemon-lime juice and zests; stir to combine. Pour into cooled pie shells.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Using an electric mixer or beater, beat 4 egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt, then raise speed to high. Beat until soft peaks form when mixer is lifted. Sprinkle in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, making sure sugar is completely incorporated before adding more. Beat until egg whites are stiff, glossy, and peaked when beaters are lifted.

Spread meringue over fillings to edges of pie shells. Make decorative swirls with the back of a spoon. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook about 10 minutes, until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Category: Desserts  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
11
Sep
Poached Cod with Olive and Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

Vinaigrette:

* 1 tablespoon minced shallots

* 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives , sliced in half

* 1/4 cup lime juice (about 3-4 limes)

* 3 tablespoons olive oil

* salt and pepper , to taste

Fish:

* 2 cups dry white wine

* 1 tablespoon fennel seeds

* 3 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)

* 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

* 2 bay leaves

* 4  cod fillets

* Pinch salt

Method:

To make vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, combine shallots, olives and lime juice; mix well. Slowly stir in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Set aside.

To make fish: In a large, deep skillet, combine 1 cup water, wine, fennel seeds, lime and lemon juice and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add fish and sprinkle with salt. Poach just until opaque, about 7 minutes. Remove fish with a slotted spatula and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Note: The vinaigrette can be made up to two days in advance and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before serving. For a nonalcoholic recipe, substitute vegetable broth for the wine.

Category: Italian, Mains, Middle Eastern  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
11
Sep
Tomato Gazpacho

Ingredients:

( Serves 8 )

* 1 small white onion , cut into chunks

* 1 large clove garlic , peeled

* 1 large red bell pepper , cored, seeded and cut into chunks

* 1,5kg  mixed tomatoes , halved and seeded, and 1 Green Zebra or other green tomato , cut into 8 wedges, for garnish

* 2 to 3 cups tomato juice

* 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar

* 2 teaspoons  salt , plus more to taste

* 1 teaspoon black pepper , plus more to taste

* Pinch cayenne pepper , plus more to taste

* 1/4 cup olive oil , for drizzling

Method:

In a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with knife blade, mince onion and garlic until almost pureed. Transfer to a large bowl. Place bell pepper in bowl of food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add tomatoes in batches and continue to pulse until almost pureed.

Transfer tomato-pepper mixture to bowl containing onion and garlic mixture. Stir in 2 cups tomato juice. Mixture should have the consistency of thick soup; to make thinner, add 1 more cup juice. Stir in vinegar, salt, pepper and cayenne. Refrigerate until chilled. Adjust seasoning to taste before serving.

To serve, pour into individual glasses. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish each glass with a tomato wedge.

Category: Appetisers, Mexican, Vegetarian  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment