Pineapple Guacamole
If you’re having a New Year’s Eve party or needing to bring a dish to a party here is a great dip to bring. It’s easy to make and the pineapple dresses up a basic guacamole. It’s best to use fresh pineapple for this dip.
INGREDIENTS
3 Diced Avocados
1 Cup Diced Pineapple
1/2 Cup Diced Onion
1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
2 Minced Jalapeno Peppers
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Chop and dice all of the ingredients that need chopping and dicing. Set aside. In a large size bowl mash the avocados with a potato masher. You will want the avocados to be somewhat chunky. Add the salt, pepper, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, onions and pineapple. Stir until just combined. Serve immediately. Serves 10
Blackberry Crumble
Here is an easy dessert to make during the holidays. Whether you are having a dinner party or just want to serve a special dessert to family or friends this is so easy, but looks like you worked all day on it.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Fresh Blackberries
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a large size bowl place the fresh blackberries. Add the lemon juice and 3/4 cup sugar to the blackberries and gently toss. Let stand for 10 minutes. In a separate large size bowl combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Mix well. Add the softened butter until the flour mixture becomes crumbly. Spoon the blackberries into four large greased ramekins. Spoon the oats mixture over the blackberries and distribute evenly among the four ramekins. Place the four ramekins on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve plain or with 1 scoop of ice cream. I served it with salty caramel gelato and it was a nice compliment to the blackberry crumble. Serves 4
Calamari Pasta
Tonight is the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes which is Christmas Eve Italian Style. Serving seven types of seafood is customary, but serving just a few seafood dishes will make a delicious “meatless” evening.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Penne Pasta
6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
9 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 1/2 Teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
6 Diced Plum Tomatoes
2 Pounds Calamari (Squid)
Juice of One Lemon
1 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Clean and slice the calamari tentacles and tubes into rings. Set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just tender. Drain the pasta. Do not rinse the pasta. In a large size skillet heat the olive oil over a medium high heat. Add the minced garlic, diced tomatoes, salt , pepper and pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the calamari and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the parsley. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until heated through. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 8
Brussels Sprout & Lentil Salad
If you’re looking for an interesting side dish for the holidays here is a gem.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Pounds Trimmed & Halved Brussels Sprouts
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Lentils
5 Sliced Shallots
2 Tablespoons Chopped Italian Parsley
There are numerous varieties of lentils. For this salad it is best to use the small dark green ones because they hold their shape when cooking.
Pour 3 cups of cold water into a small size saucepan and then add the lentils. Turn the heat up to a medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 25 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat and drain. Rinse under cold water and set aside. In a small size bowl combine the vinegar, mustard, kosher salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk to combine and set aside. In a large size pan add 3 cups of cold water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts. Bring the water to a boil and add the Brussels sprouts. Boil the sprouts for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the sprouts from the boiling water and place into a medium size bowl. Set aside. In a large size sauté pan add the butter and remaining olive oil. Turn the heat up to high. Add the shallots and cook for 4 minutes until browned. Stir occasionally. Add the sprouts and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Cook for 6 minutes until golden. Stir in the chopped parsley and lentils and cook 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and place into a serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the mixture and lightly toss. Serves 6
Steamed Mussels With Indian Spices
Are you thinking about what to serve for Christmas Eve dinner? It’s traditional to eat some kind of seafood dish. I grew up eating oyster stew for Christmas Eve dinner and only appreciated it years later. If you are a fan of mussels here is a nice dish to serve your friends and family. Did I mention that it is ridiculously easy to make?
INGREDIENTS
2 Chopped Onions
4 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Ginger
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 Teaspoons Curry Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
30 Ounces Diced Tomatoes With Juice
1 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Cups Frozen Baby Peas
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
3 Pounds Mussels
This is a quick one pot dish so make sure that you have all of your ingredients out. You can buy garam masala at most supermarkets or find the Indian spice mix online. Rinse and debeard the mussels. Set aside. Chop the onions and fresh ginger. In a large heavy pot add the olive oil and heat over a medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for 4 minutes. Add the ginger, curry powder and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juice and the water. Give a good stir. Add the garam masala, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the mussels and the baby peas to the pot. Cover the pot and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large serving bowl. Throw away any of the mussels that didn’t open. Garnish the mussel dish with the chopped cilantro and serve immediately. Serves 4
Lamb With Broiled Pineapple
With so much to do this holiday season I am always looking for easy weeknight meals to make. Here is a super easy and delicious weeknight dinner that is truly a no brainer. All you have to do is plan a bit ahead.
INGREDIENTS
4 Lamb Chops
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/4 Cup Smoked Paprika
5 Fresh Pineapple Rings
In the morning place the lamb chops in a plastic zip lock bag. Add the kosher salt, pepper and smoked paprika to the zip lock bag. Close the bag and give a good shake. Place in the fridge and leave for the evening. When you are ready to make dinner arrange the lamb chops on a foil covered grill pan. Preheat your oven to the broil setting. Arrange the pineapple rings around the chops. Place under the broiler for 4 minutes per side. Remove from the oven and place on a serving platter. Serve warm. Serves 2
Stuffed Baked Salmon
Salmon is such a wonderful fish that it’s nice to cook as often as you can. The addition of soy sauce and fresh ginger work very well with this salmon recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1 Whole 5 Pound Salmon
3/4 Cup Soy Sauce
20 Crushed Saltine Crackers
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Butter
10 Chopped Green Onions
2 Chopped Shallots
1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley
1 Teaspoon Tarragon
3 Lemons
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
4 Large Celery Stalks
4 Large Carrots
1 Sliced Onion
2 Slivered Pieces Fresh Ginger
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Dry White Wine
Preheat your oven to 450º F. Wash and dry the salmon. Generously cover the salmon with the soy sauce inside and out. In a medium size bowl combine the crushed crackers and bread crumbs. Set aside. In a medium size sauté pan melt the butter and sauté the green onions, shallots, garlic, parsley and tarragon for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to the cracker mixture and combine well. Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemons into the cracker mixture. Add the salt and pepper as well. Don’t throw away the squeezed lemon halves. Place the whole celery stalks and carrots on the bottom of the baking pan. Place the onion slices on the bottom as well. Put the salmon on top of the carrots, celery and onion slices. Stuff the salmon with the cracker mixture. Put the ginger slivers inside of the salmon as well as on top and scattered around. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the salmon and place the used lemon halves around the salmon. Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan and place in the oven for 45 minutes. If you need to add more white wine half way through baking then go ahead and add more. You will want the salmon to be golden brown. Serves 4
Lentil Soup
Many of us are super busy this time of year. Here is a soup that freezes extremely well. If you want to make this lentil soup vegetarian just leave out the ham bone.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Dried Lentils
1 Ham Bone
2 Quarts Water
1 Diced Onion
2 Chopped Celery Stalks
2 Chopped Carrots
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Sort and rinse the dried lentils. In a large size soup pot add the water, lentils, ham bone, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, kosher salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 2 1/2 hours making sure to stir occasionally. Turn off the heat and remove the ham bone from the soup. Remove any of the ham from the bone, chop into pieces and add back to the lentil soup. Remove the bay leaf and serve hot along with crusty bread and a nice green salad. Serves 6
Traditional Potato Latkes
I used to eat these as a kid and oh how I loved them! Fried Potato Pancakes, called Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew, are the most popular Hanukkah food. Fried food is traditionally eaten on Hanukkah in commemoration of the oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple of Jerusalem. Latkes are a holiday favorite and today one can find many creative twists to the traditional latkes recipe. They include cauliflower, sweet potato, broccoli, guacamole, cheese and even tuna latkes.
INGREDIENTS
5 Potatoes
2 Onions
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Unbleached Flour
Canola Oil For Frying
Fill a large bowl with cold water so the potatoes won’t turn brown in color. Peel the potatoes and place in the cold water. When you are ready to make the latkas drain the potatoes. Place the potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with the knife blade and pulse until smooth. Drain the mixture well. Pour the potato mixture into a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper and enough flour so that the mixture holds together. Pour 1 inch of the oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over a medium high heat. Carefully drop 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil and flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook. Fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Serve with applesauce. Makes 20 pancakes.
Rum Fudge
Here is a delicious alternative to chocolate fudge!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Brown Sugar
5 Ounces Evaporated Milk
1 Teaspoon Rum
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper. In a large pot combine the butter, brown sugar and evaporated milk. Turn the heat to medium and bring to a full boil. Make sure to stir constantly. Cook for 10 minutes. Continue to stir constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and rum. Add the powdered sugar and with a hand mixer beat on medium for 3 minutes. Pour into the pan and place in the fridge for 3 hours or more. When you are ready to serve remove from the fridge and lift the fudge out of the pan by using the parchment paper sides. Cut into 1 inch squares. Store in an airtight container. Makes 60 pieces.
