Pomegranate Splash

This is simple and delicious!


Yield: 1 pitcher


Ingredients:
 2 cups sparkling wine or champagne
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup vodka
1/4 cup grenadine
1/4 cup lemon lime soda
Maraschino cherries, for garnish


Directions:
Do you really need help with this one?  Mix all ingredients except the cherries in a large pitcher.  Pour over ice or chill before serving.  Garnish with cherries.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Infused Rum

  

This was a delicious combo.  The rum turned a beautiful amber shade within a day as the vanilla bean and cinnamon melded with the liquor.

Yield:
One bottle of infused rum

Ingredients:

3 cups rum
2 vanilla beans

4-5 cinnamon sticks

3 tsp white sugar

Instructions:
Choose a decorative glass bottle and make sure it is clean.  Slice the beans lengthwise and combine with rum.  Add cinnamon sticks one by one, then pour in sugar.  Shake well and store in a cool, dark place for 1–5 weeks.  I let mine infuse for about 2 weeks and it was really delicious and fragrant.

After a day or so, you will notice the rum changing color.  Some of the cinnamon sticks may unroll (see below).  If you do not like the way that looks, when the rum is finished you can strain it, then add new cinnamon sticks and an unsliced vanilla bean to the bottle of strained infusion.

Drink on the rocks, or mix into cocktails.  I also mixed this into a hot toddy when I had a cold and it was pretty good.  Enjoy!

Filet Mignon over Rosemary Potato with Bordelaise Sauce

Bordelaise sauce is very time consuming to make, if you make the demi-glace from scratch. You can also purchase demi-glace online, or at the more upscale grocery stores. If you do have time to make the demi-glace (it will take more than one day, but is well worth it!), you can find the classic French recipe online.

Recipe Yield:
12 appetizer portions or 2 full entree portions

Bordelaise:
1 cup red wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 shallots, finely diced
1 bay leaf
6 tbsp. demi-glace
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, diced
1 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Filet:
2 filet mignons
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Rosemary Potato Slices:
1 large russet potato, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Begin by making the sauce. Combine wine, thyme, shallots, and bay leaf. Reduce wine over medium heat until almost completely evaporated. Discard the thyme and bay leaf and stir in the demi-glace. Cover, remove from heat, and set aside.

While wine is reducing, slice potatoes to desired thickness (I did thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick). Season potato slices with the rosemary and salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Add minced garlic and cook until just turning brown, then add potato slices. Cook until slightly brown and crisp on both sides.

Next, heat grill to high. Drizzle filets with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Grill steaks, flipping once, 3-4 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Remove steaks from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.

While steak is resting, return sauce to medium heat. Whisk in butter. Remove pan from heat, then stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Place one slice of potato on each plate. Slice steak into thin slices and layer over potato, then spoon 1 teaspoon of the sauce over each slice. Enjoy!

Tips: This recipe requires a bit of work, but it is delicious and perfect for a special occasion. This would also be good served on a crostini, or as I mentioned above, as a full appetizer.

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Bites

I usually make this as a dip and serve it on crostini, but the fillo shells were a nice change of pace.  Perfectly bite sized!

Yield: 30 cheesy bites

Recipe:
2 (6 ounce) jars artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10 oz package frozen spinach, drained and chopped
1 cup mixed Italian cheese
1 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, room temperature
Salt & pepper to taste

2 packages Athens mini fillo shells (15 per package)

Directions:
Drain and chop spinach and place in bowl.  Chop artichoke hearts and mince garlic, add to bowl.  Mash cream cheese into mixture and stir, then add mozzarella and italian cheeses.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fill shells just to the top with mixture.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until melted and slightly brown on top.

Tips:
This is a very versatile recipe - you can use just the artichokes or just the spinach, and add more or less garlic and cheese, depending on your taste (and calorie requirements!).  Enjoy!

Chorizo and Bean Mini Breakfast Burritos

 

One day I woke up early (yes, it happened once... just once!) and decided to make breakfast burritos for my co-workers. Of course, making this many tiny burritos took a really long time, so even though I got up early, I was irresponsibly late to work. No one seemed to mind since I had warm food in hand.

Recipe Yield: 
10 mini burritos

Ingredients:
10 regular size flour tortillas
1 can refried beans (I used the Zesty Salsa flavor)
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs, scrambled
12 ounces (1 package) chorizo
2 tbsp butter, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Begin by cooking chorizo in a skillet at medium heat.  While chorizo is cooking, melt butter in another skillet and scramble eggs with a bit of salt and pepper.  When chorizo is finished, remove to paper plates to drain grease.

Once eggs are finished cooking, mix in the cheese (you can use less if you would like to make this healthier).  The cheese will melt a bit into the eggs and make the burritos stick together better.

Finally, assemble burritos.  To make tortillas pliable, heat in microwave for just about 10-20 seconds.  Place each tortilla flat and spread beans onto tortilla with a butter knife.  Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the egg mixture, then about 2 teaspoons of the chorizo.  Fold the burrito securely.  Cook in a bit of melted butter on each side, until just browned.  Serve warm with a bit of salsa.

Here is my favorite recipe for salsa verde: Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic Salsa

Enjoy!

Raspberry White Chocolate Won Ton Cups

This is an elegant dessert that is not too filling or rich. The fresh raspberries give it a little bite, and the combination of white chocolate and whipped topping make it light and creamy.

Ingredients:
12 wonton wrappers
8 oz white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
1/2 cup Cool Whip
1/8 cup white sugar

Directions:
Brush wonton wrappers with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Press sugar side up into ungreased miniature muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Next, drop white chocolate chips into the bottoms of the cups. Return to oven for another 5 minutes or so, until the chocolate is melted. Cool completely.

Place 1/2 cup raspberries in a small bowl and mash slightly. Stir in whipped topping. Spoon into wonton cups. Top with remaining raspberries.

Pork Gyoza

This is one of my favorite appetizer recipes – I can never make enough of these, they disappear instantly! 

A note on ground pork - all ground pork is not the same! In particular, there is a brand called Smithfield which I would avoid at all costs. It has a really, really bad flavor. Try to get the ground pork from your grocery store's meat counter if they have it, otherwise, any brand but Smithfield should work.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 lb ground pork
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
4 scallions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp Thai Garlic Chili sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
30 won ton wrappers
1 to 2 cups peanut or vegetable oil

1 egg yolk, beaten (for assembling)

Dipping Sauce:

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon red rice vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
2 teaspoons chopped green onion

Directions:

Brown pork in a skillet.  While meat is browning, chop vegetables.  Add to pan.  Next, add beaten egg, Thai Chili Sauce and ginger.  Continue cooking until vegetables are soft.  Taste and season, then allow to cool.

To assemble, place 1 tablespoon filling in middle of each won ton wrapper, about 1/2 inch from edge and shape horizontally.  Fold left and right corners of wedge over filling, overlapping slightly.  There are usually directions on how to do this on the back of the won ton package.

Dab top corner with egg yolk, then tightly roll wedge away from you, making sure ends stay tucked inside. Place roll, seam side down, on wax paper. Continue until all wrappers are used.

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Fry rolls in small batches until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

For dipping sauce, simply chop onion and ginger, then mix into oil and vinegar.  Serve room temp or cold with finished gyoza.

Tips:  You can add additional Thai Chili Sauce to make this more spicy, substitute baby shrimp for the pork, or omit meat/seafood altogether for a vegetarian version.  Enjoy!

Creamsicle Mimosas

What could make orange juice better than adding champagne?  Adding champagne, vodka and whipped cream, that's what!

Yield: 4 mimosas

Ingredients:
3/4 cup orange juice
3 ounces marshmallow vodka
3/4 bottle of champagne

Whipped cream

Sprinkles (for garnish)

Directions:
Combine orange juice and vodka into a martini shaker and shake well.  Pour about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each glass, then top with champagne. Add a squirt of whipped cream and garnish with sprinkles (if desired).

Tips:  If you can't find the marshmallow vodka, vanilla vodka would work just fine!