Christmas Eve Appetizers

For some reason, the holidays are a time for me to go back to my tried and true recipes. I never like to experiment with my Thanksgiving sides, or my Christmas apps. Once I find something that works, I stick with it. I think it's because of all the emotions and family rituals that are tied up into the holidays. For me, Christmas Eve means crab stuffed mushrooms and marinated shrimp. The mushroom recipe is from a Dom DeLuise cookbook, with a crabmeat stuffing and topped with melted cheese. The shrimp recipe is from LeRuth's Restaurant in Gretna, LA. It's more like a salad, with carrots, celery, onions all marinating in oil and vinegar, which you can make the day before.  Merry Christmas!!

Marinade for Boiled Shrimp

2 lbs large or jumbo shrimp, deveined, but unpeeled
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
4 Bay leaves
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 lemons, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
Tabasco sauce to taste  (I used 5 or 6 shakes)

Boil shrimp with shell on for only 2-3 minutes, until just turned pink. Drain, and put in ice water to stop cooking.

Marinade:

Whisk oil, vinegar and Tabasco in bowl. Pour over shrimp. Add rest of ingredients and mix. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving in a glass bowl.


Dom DeLuise Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

2 lb large mushrooms (about 40)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, minced
1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs ( I used Vigo)
2 cups crab meat (I used 3 cans)
fresh ground black pepper (I also used some crushed red pepper)
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Wash mushrooms gently with damp paper towel. Remove and mince stems
Heat oil in skillet and saute garlic, onion, 1 cup bread crumbs, and minced stems.
Remove from heat, then add crab meat, black pepper and crushed red pepper, mixing well.
I needed to add a bit more olive oil because the stuffing was too dry.

Stuff each cap with mixture. It's OK if it's over stuffed, don't be stingy. Place on cookie sheet. Top each with more bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Pile on the shredded cheese, then continue baking 15 more minutes. Santa says, "These are better than milk and cookies!"

Beef and Gorganzola Toasts with Herb Garlic Cream

Sorry I have not been making updates to my blog lately. I've been too busy cooking! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Last weekend the house was filled with food, fun, and friends. Jamie and his son, Henry, were here, as well as my son, Brett. We cooked everything from gingersnap French toast for breakfast to pizzas for dinner. I've been wanting to make a beef tenderloin ever since I saw my latest Cuisine at Home magazine. When I mentioned it to the boys, it reminded Henry of something he ate this summer at his uncle's house. It was a beef tenderloin appetizer served with an herb-garlic spread, spinach, and gorganzola cheese. At first, I was skeptical. Who wants to eat beef on toast?  I eventually gave in and decided to give it a chance. We went to the store, bought our "fresh ingredients", and proceeded to the kitchen. Henry was in charge of picking the herbs from my front yard "garden", and Brett was in charge of making the spread. With Slap Chop in hand, the boys make quick work of the chopping duties. By the time the filets had rested and the bread was toasted, we were ready for our assembly line. After eating my first one, I had to eat my words as well. It was delicious. As usual, I've made some adjustments to the recipe, which you'll see below. This is a great appetizer that can be made ahead.  Instead of a whole tenderloin, we used filets. To mix it up, we made half with spinach and half with arugula.

Adopted from Cooking Light

1 beef tenderloin, 1 1/4 lbs (we used two huge filets)
Cooking spray
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
30 French bread toasts, 1/4 inches thick (we used Cuban bread)
30 baby spinach leaves (we made half with arugula)
5 Tbsp gorganzola cheese

Herb Garlic Cream - Mix all together
2/3 cup fat free sour cream
2 Tbsp low fat mayonaise
2 Tbsp chopped chives
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 clove minced garlic

Preheat oven to 475. Spray cooking sheet with cooking spray. Salt and pepper tenderloin. Bake at 475 for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 425. Continue cooking until meat thermometer reads 145 for medium rare, approximately 20 minutes. (If using filets, time will be shorter). Remove from oven, cover, and let rest 10 minutes. Cut very thin slices across the grain.

To assemble: Toast, herb-garlic cream, spinach or arugula leaf, beef, gorganzola cheese

Arugula with roasted beets, walnuts and goat cheese

My favorite green to use in salads is arugula. I know it has a strong taste for some people, but I love it. I can't get enough of it's peppery flavor. I also have discovered the unique taste of roasted fresh beets. There is no comparison to the canned version. The true flavor of this root vegetable really comes out when you eat it fresh.  The only thing fresh beets have in common with the canned version is they both will stain your fingers! Today I decided to make a salad with both these ingredients. I made a simple balsamic vinaigrette to dress the salad and added dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and crumbled goat cheese. If using 100% arugula scares you, you can substitute spinach, baby mixed greens, or a combination of whatever you like.  If you don't like cranberries, substitute blueberries or cherries. That's the beauty of a salad; take out what you don't like and add what you like to make it your own creation.

4 fresh beets
olive oil
salt and pepper

1 bag arugula (or any combination of your favorite salad green)
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
3 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roast beets:
Preheat oven to 450. Clean beets with brush, cut tops and bottoms off beets, then cut in half.
Place beets on sheet of foil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap beets up in foil to form a pouch, and place on cookie sheet. Roast in oven for 35 - 45 minutes, until beets are soft when pierced with a fork. Open foil pouch and let beets cool. Peel off skin, then slice beets. Can make a day ahead or let cool completely.

Dressing:
Thinly slice shallots. Add vinegar, honey and mix in bowl. Slowly add oil while whisking. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Salad:
Whisk vinaigrette, then pour over greens and toss. Divide greens onto 4 plates. Garnish with cooled roasted beets, cooled toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese.

Chilean Sea Bass

I love a controversy. My friend, Bonnie, said Chilean Sea Bass is really some cheap, ugly fish that was given a fancy name just so it could be sold for a higher price. Well, it turns out, she's right. Chilean sea bass is really called the Patagonian toothfish, and it really is ugly. The Chileans were the first to market the toothfish commercially in the United States, earning it the name Chilean sea bass, although it is really not a bass and it is not always caught in Chilean waters. I don't care what they call it. I call it dinner. It's delicious. It's a white, buttery fish that reminds me of the taste, but not the texture, of lobster. About a year ago, my boyfriend, Jamie, and I made it for my friends, the Bryants. They said it was better than any dinner they were ever served in a restaurant. Well, fast forward to 2010. The Bryants called and said they'd like to have some sea bass again. Jamie and I never follow a recipe, and I didn't bother to write down what we did, but I can't disappoint the Bryants. So I decided to do a test run and use Brett as my testor. He said, "This is good, really good." Good enough for me. Now I have the famous recipe written down for all time. I have no clue if it's anything like what Jamie made the first time, but I know this version is still delicious. The wine I chose to serve with the fish was a Leidersburg 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Sur Lie Vintner's Reserve, from South Africa,. I used it to deglaze the pan before it went in the oven, and there was still some left for a glass, or two, for me.

1 lb Chilean sea bass, seasoned with salt and pepper
olive oil1 shallot, sliced thin
1 fennel bulb, shaved thin, reserve fennel fronds
Salt, pepper to taste
1 lemon, juice and zest, plus one extra lemon cut into chunks
1/4 cup dry white wine
fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed and minced, reserve some whole sprigs
flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat oil in skillet (cast iron, or something that can go into the oven)
Add sliced shallots and saute until soft.
Add shaved fennel, salt and pepper to taste.
When fennel becomes soft, add sea bass to pan, adding oil if needed and cook on medium heat about 5 minutes. Fish should have a nice, brown sear on it before flipping. Cook other side about 5 minutes, until nice, brown color is achieved.
Deglaze pan with wine, and add zest and juice of one lemon, plus chopped herbs. Add whole thyme sprigs, fennel fronds, and whole lemon, cut into chunks. Increase heat to med-high and cook until starting to boil.

If you want to make this with an Italian flair, add rosemary, oregano, 2 chopped plum tomatoes and serve with roasted potatoes.
If you want to make this with an Asian flair, add Thai basil, ginger and cilantro and serve with Jasmine rice.

Transfer pan to 350 degree oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Fish should flake easily when done.
Remove fennel fronds before serving with either the roasted potatoes or Jasmine rice.

Moroccan-spiced Spaghetti Squash

This weekend, I attended the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. It was a whirlwind tour of culture through cuisine. It inspired me to try my hand at cooking foods from other countries, instead of just making my usual Italian fare. Today when I went to the market, they had several varieties of squash to choose from. There were acorn, butternut, buttercup, and spaghetti squash. I usually cook spaghetti squash as the name suggests, with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Today, I decided to learn what spices constitute Moroccan flavors. Moroccan cooking uses lots of the same spices I love and already had in my spice rack: cumin, allspice, cayenne, ginger, and coriander. I applied my usual method of making a recipe by finding a few I liked and combining ingredients to make it my own version. Not only is this side dish loaded with flavor, but it's also a good source of fiber and vitamin C. I added the chick peas and almonds for some protein, substance, and crunch.

1 spaghetti squash, 3 to 4 lbs
Pierce skin with knife in several places. Bake squash whole in 375 degree oven for one hour until soft.
Let cool before slicing in half. Scoop out and remove seeds. Scrape pulp of squash into bowl with fork to make strands.

In skillet on medium heat, add:
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter (I used 1 Tbsp and it was fine for me)
Saute onion and garlic in oil and butter until soft. Season with salt and pepper

1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne

Mix onion/garlic with squash, then add spices and stir well.

Add:
1/2 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup almonds, sliced and toasted
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, or flat-leaf parsely
zest of orange, just before serving

Mussels

I don't know what it is about mussels, but it's one of the 5 foods I am obsessed with. Ever since my friend, Bonnie, and I had Cozze en Bianco at our local Italian restaurant chain, we've been on a hunt for the best mussels in Palm Harbor.  Some are too big, some have disgustingly sweet red sauce from a jar, and we've even had some (gasp!) that were not fresh. She has a knack for picking out which are fresh and which are frozen. We finally agreed the best mussels in town are the ones we make.  The following recipe is a combination of many variations on the dish. You'll see that I've developed most of my recipes that way. I just take what I like from one recipe and something from another and make it my own. I made this dish tonight and my 13 year old said, "Awesome, Mom!" That's the best compliment I could ever hope for. As for wine, I chose a Sauvignon Blanc.  Babich Black Label from New Zealand has a 2008 that was fruity, but had a strong body that went well with the mussels. I used it in the recipe and also served it with the mussels.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup shaved fennel bulb
1 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup Sambuca (or other licorice flavored liquor)
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice and zest of one lemon
3 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
chopped basil, parsely, oregano

Saute onion, fennel and garlic in oil until soft. Add red pepper flakes, Sambuca, butter, lemon juice and zest, and wine, bring to boil. After mussels are cleaned, add them to the pot, cover, and reduce heat to medium. When mussels start to open, add fresh chopped herbs, and stir pot so broth and mussels mix well.
Serve in large bowl with plenty of bread to soak up the broth.

My son likes red sauce, so I throw in a can of diced tomatoes along with the wine, then serve it all on top of a plate of spaghetti.

My first blog

Hey everyone! I am new to this blogging thing, so bear with me. I wanted to start a blog so I can share my adventures in cooking with everyone. I don't know if I'll be entertaining, enlightening, or funny, but I hope to share my cooking experiences with you. Let me tell you about myself. I am 100% Italian, although my ex-husband will say I am 10% Hungarian or some other Slavic nationality (no offense), but I am definitely true to my Italian heritage when it comes to cooking, eating and entertaining. I panic whenever I have friends over because I think.....I don't have enough food! I proceed to make another list and head out to the grocery store and buy three more bottles of wine and 5 more pounds of chicken...."just in case". It always turns out fabulous and everyone goes home fat and happy. My intent for this blog is to share my recipies and adventures in cooking with you. Tonight I grilled New York strips, grilled portobellos, red peppers and asparagus for me and my 13 year old son. I cook for my friends, my family, my son or even just myself. I do it not only because it relaxes me and is therapeutic, but...yes, I'll admit it......I love to eat!! I will share my recipes I make up myself and the ones I make with my friend Bonnie and her family. Whenever I show up to their house, it's an instant party..even if it's a Tuesday. More to come. Tomorrow I'll be teaching Bonnie and family how to embrace Asian cuisine. Trying to teach an old dog new tricks? Maybe.