Strawberry-Cucumber Salsa

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

2 peeled and chopped cucumber

2/3 cup chopped red onion/shallot/green onion- optional

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice/lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced or 1 tsp. chili sauce

  Combine all ingredients

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 3 hours.

Serve as a side dish or a salsa with fish, chicken, fish taco’s.

Bourbon Barbecue Sauce – no carb

29 ounces no-sugar-added tomato sauce

6 ounces no-sugar-added tomato paste

2 – 4 ounces bourbon (Makers Mark)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons liquid smoke

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2  - 2 tablespoons hot sauce or chili sauce (this adds the kick to the sauce)

3/4 cup sugar substitute (the site recommended: Splenda) (or the equivalent in Stevia)

1/4 cup brown sugar substitute, optional

2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Reserve, refrigerated.

CHICKEN BREAST STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE and covered in WHITE WINE CREAM SAUCE

6 Chicken Breasts

1 package of frozen spinach

Fresh mushrooms

2 – 6 oz. logs of goat cheese

Garlic powder

1 small can chicken broth

 

Pre-heat over to 350

Thaw and drain frozen spinach

Place spinach in paper towns and ring as much liquid from spinach as possible.

 

Horizontally cut breasts almost in half – creating a Butterfly cut.

Sprinkle inside of breast with garlic powder

Lay slices of goat cheese on breast

Add spinach and a couple of mushroom slices

Close breast a secure closed with two toothpicks

Carefully lay stuffed breasts on baking dish in a ½ “of broth

Bake uncovered, 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

While baking chicken start the white sauce.

 

WHITE WINE CREAM SAUCE 

 

1 c. chopped mushrooms
1 c. chopped onions
1 pt. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. white wine ( I prefer Chardonnay)
1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. salt and dash pepper
6 tbsp. butter

 

In a large Skillet, melt 1 cube of butter

 Then add the chopped mushrooms, onions and ½ the wine. Simmer and slowly add the flour, for thickening, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Reduce the sauce. Add remaining wine and reduce again.

In a small pot or pan, add the heavy cream and increase heat to medium. Stir the ingredients from the sauté in the pan. Flavor with tarragon according to your taste. Cook until sauce thickens. If too thick, add wine to desired thickness. Continue stirring.

Pour over baked chicken and serve.

Gary Perman – GourmetHeadhunter.com

Hot Crab Artichoke Dip

2 – 4  cans artichoke hearts, drained & chopped (14 oz. total)
2-3 crag legs or 1 (6 oz.) pkg. frozen or canned crab meat, drained & flaked
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best)
1-2 bricks of cream cheese

2-4 cloves fresh garlic crushed

1 tsp Tabasco sauce

½ onion chopped

½ cup white wine

1 tsp. fresh parsley

 

Add Fresh bacon crumbs (optional)

 

 

Combine all ingredients and spoon into a lightly greased 1 quart casserole dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes. OR mix ingredients and heat in a fondue pot

Serve hot with crackers, bread, or vegetable

 

You can also freeze for later.

 

A Weekend in Heaven. . .

 

In these troubled economically challenged times, it was a pleasure to get away from the stresses of life and, put down the headhunting phones and retreat to my favorite pastime – food.  Usually that involves some gourmet cooking over the weekend to see what new I can create. But actually, I was blessed this past weekend and was not only able to lay down my apron, but also to surrender my pallet to the trusting hands of a great gourmet chef http://myownsweetthyme.blogspot.com Becky and Debbie assisted Lisa as she created some dynamic, mouth watering foods for Gary, Jeff and myself. We men were completely spoiled Saturday (Valentines) evening.

We started off our evening with an appetizer of Gruyere Puffs with Hazelnuts. Then we moved on to our first course; Cherry tomatoes on the vine stuffed with goat cheese in a Herb Bouquet….absolutely delicious

Then appeared a tantalizing Coconut Creamed Mushroom soup. If I wasn’t in heaven before, this dish sealed my fate. I love a good mushroom soup and now Lisa’s ranks first over mine own recipe.

A cleansing dollop of Passion Fruit sorbet and a sprig of mint to cleanse the pallet in anticipation of the entrée

After what I thought was a dish that couldn’t be outmatched, along can a poached half pear.

Then along came a surprise treat of Kumquats – that small fruit closely resembles that of the orange (Citrus sinensis) but is smaller and is often oval. Pop it in your mouth and bite – the first squirt has a slight bitterness but then the pallet is rushed with the sweet juices as one continues to chew on these tasty little morsels.

 

 

If all this wasn’t enough to make any man weak at the knees, then, the main entrée of baked wild Coho salmon topped with a roasted red pepper sauce, a side of sautéed rosemary potatoes and steamed asparagus with balsamic vinegar.

To top off the evening meal, Lisa served a Dark Chocolate Islands in Crème Anglaise

Add a little variety of music, champagne and great conversations about life, kids, politics, and music made this an evening to remember and cherish.

 

Sunday:

My weekend in heaven didn’t end there; Sunday evening we were treated to our other gourmet Chef friend Joe and his home for a wonderful dinner with his lovely Souse chef wife Jeanine.

We brought a bottle of fine Sake with us which blended well with their salmon flavored hummus dip and crackers.

Joe was preparing a rolled stuffed Pork roast for us, which he had been working on that afternoon. Drizzle a secret reduction sauce over the pork and it was a heavenly experience.

He prepared to boil sweet potatoes and when mashed, added cinnamon, grated nutmeg, brown sugar and butter. The taste was to die for.

Add a little oil to a sauté pan and sautéed sliced fresh mushrooms (Portobello and button)

 

 

 

Shepherd’s Pie

 

Shepherd’s Pie is an English dish, traditionally made with lamb or mutton. Itypically make Shepherd’s Pie with ground beef and italian sausage.  Shepherd’s Pie is essentially a casserole, lined with cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked.

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground  beef
• 1 lb italian sausage
• 1 onion chopped
• 1-2 cups vegetables – chopped carrots, corn, peas
• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

 

 

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

 

4 Add ground beef and sausage and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

 

6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Serves four.

Pizza Pasta

 

We broke our Friday night family ritual of Pizza to try a new recipe, a new favorite for teen age boys:

Pizza Pasta.

 2 tbs. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cans diced Italian tomatoes

1 tbs dried or fresh basil

1 tsp. oregano

Pinch of salt

2 pds dried pasta (Rigatoni or Cavatappi)

3 cups shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 cloves, crushed Garlic

Parmesan cheese

parsley

 

Add ins:

1-2 lbs Italian sausage

1 cup pepperoni

1 cup diced fresh mushrooms

1 can sliced olives

Any other ingredients you usually like on your pizza

 

For the Sauce:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan

Add the onion, garlic, sausage and cook through

Add the tomatoes, salt, basil, oregano

Simmer 10 min.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of water

Drain, rinse with hot water.

 Heat oven to 400

Lightly oil bottom of deep baking dish

Payer a blanket of pasta on the bottom of dish

Add ½ the cheese

Add ½ the sauce and ½ the add-ins.

Put final layer of pasta

Layer remaining sauce, cheese, and add-ins

 

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley

Serve

 

 

The Market on the east coast has taken a beating which is good news for you and me when it comes to Lobster. Prices have dropped dramatically.

And if Lobster is still too spendy for your wallet, try the poor mans lobster- sturgeon – a great substitute.

Sautéed Lobster With Oyster Mushrooms and Ginger

3 tbsp peanut or safflower oil
2 inches ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
6 oz oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup sliced scallions, white and light green parts only
Two 1¼–1½ lb boiled or steamed lobsters, meat removed and cut into  bite-size pieces OR

Two Sturgeon Steaks (poor mans Lobster) cut into but size pieces.
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp soy sauce, more to taste
2 tsp rice wine vinegar, more to taste
1½ tsp sesame oil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and scallions; cook, tossing occasionally, until soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in lobster, stock, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil. Cook until most of liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in cilantro; serve immediately, over rice if you like. Serves 4.

Broiled Lobster With Cajun Butter

Broiled Lobster With Cajun Butter
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp kosher salt
1½ tsp cayenne pepper
1½ tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¾ tsp onion powder
¾ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp mustard powder
4 live lobsters, about 1½ lbs each

Preheat broiler. Arrange oven rack 4 inches from heat source. To make Cajun butter, stir together all ingredients except lobsters in small bowl. Place lobsters in bag in freezer for 15 minutes to slow their metabolism. Place a lobster on its back. Using sharp knife and quick movement, slice lobster in half lengthwise from head to tip of tail. Grab both sides of shell and split open body, cracking through its hard back. Scoop out gray-green innards. Use back of heavy knife to crack open both claws. Repeat with remaining lobsters. (A fishmonger can do this if lobster meat is then cooked within an hour.)

Arrange lobsters in single layer in large roasting pan (or use 4 large gratin dishes). Coat body and claw meat generously with Cajun butter. Broil, basting once halfway through with pan juices, until lobster meat is cooked through and slightly charred, about 12 minutes. Remove lobsters from oven. Spoon pan juices over lobsters and serve. Serves 4.

Blue Cheese Bisque with Roasted Garlic

 

Prep time: 30 minutes   Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

 

2 tbsp. olive oil

30 whole garlic cloves peeled (about 3 heads)

1 cup dry sherry

½ cup brandy

5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

1 quart Chicken stock

2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

2 cups heavy whipping cream

6-10 oz. blue cheese

Pinch of salt

Pinch of ground pepper

1 tbsp. chopped chives

 

Peel, cut and boil potatoes until soft.    Drain

 Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat.

Add the whole garlic cloves

Decrease heat to low and cook cloves

Until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add Sherry and brandy and increase to high

Reduce the liquid by one half.

 

Transfer the sauté to a larger pot

Add the chicken stock and potatoes 

Puree the mixture in a blender, then return the soup to the pot.

Add the Tabasco sauce and cream.

Cook over low heat until soup almost comes to

a boil.

Whisk 4-6 oz. of blue cheese into the soup.

Season to taste.

 Serve, garnishing the soup with the remaining cheese and chives.