Avocado Beet and Apple Salad
I served this delicious salad on top of the chili I made yesterday…. It is an amazing combination of avocado, beet and apple. It is amazing on top of the flavorful chili or just as a first course or salad…
- 1 avocado, cut into 1 inch dice
- 1 medium beet, roasted and cut into 1 inch dice
- 1 medium apple, cut into 1 inch dice
- 1 serrano pepper, deseeded, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 medium lime
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl. Mix well and serve as a salad or on top of chili.
Coconut Cranberry Dumplings
This is completely thinking out of the box… sweet dumplings drizzled with chocolate ganache. They are absolutely delicious and a great thing to make with your kids.
- 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
- ½ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 pack wonton skins
Mix the ingredients in a medium bowl until incorporated.
Take one wonton skin, wet the edges with a finger. Place one to two teaspoons of filling in the middle. Fold the wonton skin in half and seal the top while pleating at the same time. Repeat the process using up the remaining filling.
- ¼ cup coconut oil
Heat a frying pan with 1 teaspoon oil. Add enough dumplings making sure not to over crowd. Brown the dumplings on both sides on a medium heat. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook the dumplings on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Take the lid off and cook any excess moisture. Transfer the dumplings to a platter and cook the remaining dumplings. Serve with chocolate sauce.
Prosecco Gelee with Orange and Whipped Cream
Everyone loves jello- especially when it is adult jello! I made this to take to a friend’s house. I used Prosecco for the jello and spiked it with a vanilla bean. I wanted to top it with blood oranges but couldn’t find any.. so used regular ones. Blood oranges are everywhere right now .. so it is a great time to make this delicious, light, dessert!
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, slit in half
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 packets unflavored gelatin powder
- 12 ounces Prosecco
Add the water, sugar and vanilla bean to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to loosen the vanilla specks and melt the sugar. Take off the heat and keep aside.
Sprinkle the gelatin powder onto the cold water to soften for 1 to 2 minutes. Fold into the warm syrup and stir well to dissolve the gelatin. Add the Prosecco into the warm mixture and mix well. Pour the gelee mixture evenly to 4 dessert bowls or champagne flutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Cranberry and Orange Trifle
So, Valentine’s Day is on Saturday. I though I would do a few desserts this week. I am not a huge Valentine’s Day celebrator.. but any I will take any excuse to make a great meal and an amazing dessert. So here is my favorite- a trifle.. well, why not??
Orange Curd (Recipe from Food and Wine)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
In a small heavy saucepan, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Whisk in the sugar, then whisk in the citrus juices and zests. Add the butter and whisk constantly over moderately low heat until the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes; do not let it boil. Immediately strain the curd into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and cut 6 small steam vents in the plastic. Refrigerate the curd overnight.
Cranberry Filling
- 12 ounces bag of fresh cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Transfer cranberries, orange juice and sugar to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or till the cranberries have burst open. Turn the heat off and add the extract. Mix well and refrigerate. Take a quarter cup of the cranberries out for garnish.
- 1 packaged or homemade pound cake, cut in slices
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Whip the cream, mascarpone cheese and sugar with an electric beater till the stiff peaks are formed while being careful not to over whip.
Assemble the trifle by starting with lining the bottom of the bowl with one part of the cake slices (divide the cake slices into three parts). Divide the cranberry filling into three parts and spread one part over the cake. Divide the orange curd into three parts and spread one part over the cranberry filling. Repeat twice more and top with the whipped cream. Garnish with the cranberries. Chill in the fridge, preferably overnight.
Spicy Pear Compote
Winter entertaining can be fun- especially if one makes a delicious, cozy stew with lots of crusty bread and red wine! I love serving a big plate of cheese before hand and like to make a fresh compote to complement the cheeses. I made this one with pears which are in season. I added some smoked paprika and chipotle pepper to make them a bit spicy….. delicious!!!
- 2 Bosc pears, diced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
- ½ cup cilantro
Transfer the pears, apple cider, vinegar, honey, salt, paprika and chipotle powder to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 15 minutes or till most of the liquid has evaporated. Let cool and add cilantro. Check for seasonings and serve with cheese and crackers.
Black Rice with Onion and Garlic
I love black rice.. it is also known as forbidden rice. It is nutty and the color is beautiful plus it is super healthy. Try it…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup black rice, rinsed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a medium saucepan with the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the black rice and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on low partially covered for 20 minutes. Turn heat lower and cover and cook for another 20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Fish Stew with Coconut Milk
This is a great stew to make through the week since it doesn’t take very long. It is also good to incorporate fish into your diet and this is a great way to eat delicious fish in a delicious stew! I served it with some forbidden rice- recipe coming tomorrow…
- 1 to 1½ pounds filets of firm white fish, cut into large fillets
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt
- Pepper
Marinate fish with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep aside for about half an hour.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 4 green onion, chopped
- 1 large red pepper, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 14 ounce can coconut milk
- Salt
Add the oil to a large saucepan. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the green onion and red pepper and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and smoked paprika. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the cilantro and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the fish fillets and simmer until cooked through, making sure not to overcook the fish. Adjust seasoning and serve with rice.