Archive for the 'Appetizers' Category

Empanadas de Rajas con Crema (Mexico)

                    

     Printable Recipe

Recipe By:                   Carol Seminara
Serving Size:               16   

Categories :                  6 Flavors Over Texas

  Amount              Ingredient 

  2                           large  poblano pepper — fresh, roasted,peeled, seeded, and cut into tiny slices
  1                           small  onion — finely chopped
  2                           cloves  garlic — minced
  1                           teaspoon  chicken bouillon
  1                           tablespoon  olive oil
     1/4                    cup  heavy cream
                               freshly ground black pepper — to taste
  2                          ounces  queso fresco — cut in tiny pieces
  1                           pie crust, homemade — or 1 package refrigerated pie crust
     1/4                   cup  all-purpose flour
     1/4                   cup  corn meal
  1                          egg — combined with 1 tsp water for egg wash

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  •  In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in the olive
    oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Do not brown.
  • Add the minced garlic and chicken bouillon; cook for one minute
    longer. Do not brown the garlic or it will taste bitter.
  • Add sliced, roasted poblano peppers and cook, stirring, for a
    couple of minutes or until heated through.
  • Slowly pour in the heavy cream and simmer until the peppers and sauce are thick. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
  • On a work surface, combine flour and corn meal.  Dust pie crust with flour/corn meal mixture and roll out the pie crust to 1/8-inch thickness.
  • Cut rounds of pastry dough with a 3-inch cutter. (One pie crust
    yields 16 pastry rounds.)
  • Place 1 teaspoon of pepper/cream mixture in the center of a pastry round. Add one tiny piece of queso fresco. Moisten edge of dough round with water, fold dough over making a pocket and seal edges by pressing with your finger tip.
  • Continue until all dough circles are stuffed with the pepper/cream mixture and queso fresco.
  • Place the empanadas on parchment lined baking sheet; lightly
    brush each pastry with egg wash.
  • Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Remove baked pastries to a wire rack to cool slightly before
    serving.

Description:
  “Empanadas are stuffed pastries, usually shaped like half moons. Rajas”
                                  

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 103 Calories; 7g Fat (58.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 74mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat.

Southern Spiced Pecans (Confederacy)

Printable Recipe                    
          

Recipe By:                Carol Seminara
Serving Size:            10    

  Amount                              Ingredient 
  1                                          large  egg white
     1/4                                   cup  granulated sugar
  1                                          teaspoon  Kosher salt
     1/2                                   teaspoon  chili powder
     1/2                                   teaspoon  ground cumin
     1/4                                   teaspoon  ground allspice
  1 3/4                                  teaspoons  cayenne pepper
  2 1/2                                  cups  pecan halves

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • In a small bowl, combine sugar and spices; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy and no clear liquid
    remains at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Once egg white is foamy and soft, whisk in sugar and spice mixture.
  • Stir in pecans until well coated; spread mixture in a single layer
    onto an ungreased baking pan.
  • Bake pecans at 300°F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, with a metal spatula, turn, stir, and separate the nuts.
  • Reduce oven heat to 250°F and bake nuts an additional 10 minutes longer, or until medium brown.
  • Remove from oven, turn and stir again, then transfer to a wire
    rack to cool, breaking up any nuts that stick together.
  • Yield:
      “2 1/2 cups”
                                  

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 203 Calories; 18g Fat (76.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 195mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : These can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Seared Tuna Nicoise Canapes (France)

                     
                  Seared Tuna Nicoise Canapes  (France)

Recipe By:              Carol Seminara
Serving Size  :        24   
Categories    :         6 Flavors Over Texas

  Amount                  Ingredient 
     1/2                       pound  tuna — sushi-grade, 1 inch thick
     1/4                       cup  soy sauce
  1                              tablespoon  tapenade — black olive paste
  6                              nicoise olives — pitted and coarsely chopped
  3                              tablespoons  drained capers
     1/4                       cup  mayonnaise — homemade or best quality store-bought
  1                              pound  red potatoes — small, unpeeled
  24                           green beans,thin — or haricot verts
  2                             small  plum tomatoes
                                 olive oil spray

  • Cut the tuna against the grain into 1/2-inch thick strips. Cut
    each strip into 1-inch long pieces; you should have 24 pieces of
    tuna. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce and olive paste. Add
    tuna and gently stir to coat. Cover and let marinate in the
    refrigerator for a least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
  • Drain tuna slices and pat dry with a paper towel; set aside.
  • Over a medium-high flame, heat a large skillet and spray
    generously with olive oil. Sear each tuna slice, turning once, until well-browned, about 15 seconds per side. Transfer cooked tuna to paper towels to drain. Let cool, the cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
  • Chop olives with 1 tablespoon of capers to form a chunky paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the mayonnaise.
  • Cut potatoes crosswise into 24 slices, each about 1/4-inch thick. Place rounds in a medium saucepan of cold, salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and cook the potatoes until tender, about 7 - 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked potato slices to paper towels to drain.
  • Bring the salted water back up to a boil and add the haricot
    verts. Boil over moderately high heat until tender, about 1 minute. Drain the green beans, rinse with cold water to stop their cooking and transfer them to paper towels to drain. Cut 1-inch from both tips of each green bean and reserve for garnish.
  • To assemble, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the olive mayonnaise onto a potato slice. Set a piece of tuna on top and garnish each with 1/2 teaspoon of diced tomatoes, a few capers, and 2 haricot verts tips.                                    

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 48 Calories; 2g Fat (45.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 190mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

NOTES : The tuna, olive mayonnaise, haricots verts and boiled potatoes
can all be prepared and refrigerated the day before. The assembled
canapes may be refrigerated for up to 8 hours.

Miniature Hamburgers American (USA)

Printable Recipe             
                  

Recipe By     :Carol Seminara
Serving Size  : 12   
  Amount                 Ingredient 
  1                             pound  ground beef round steak — (85/15)
     3/4                     teaspoon  Kosher salt
     1/4                     teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
     1/2                     teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce
     1/2                     teaspoon  dry mustard
     1/2                     teaspoon  garlic powder
     1/2                     teaspoon  pimenton — smoked paprika
  5                            slices  American cheese
  4                            tablespoons  mayonnaise
  12                          biscuits — or small dinner rolls

  • Prepare biscuits or rolls in advance as directed on the package.
  • In a bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. Hand form walnut-sized balls of the meat mixture.
  • Drop into hot skillet and press into patty shape about 1 1/2 to 2
    inches in diameter. Cook about 3 minutes on the first side, turn and cook on second side. Add 1/4 of a slice of American cheese to each patty and allow to melt as second side browns.
  • Slice rolls (or biscuts) in half horizontally. Spread with mayonnaise and assemble burgers.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 402 Calories; 26g Fat (57.1% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 1363mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
 

Shypoke Eggs (Republic of Texas)

Printable Recipe                     
                    Recipe By     :Carol Seminara
Serving Size  : 12   

  Amount                            Ingredient 

  1                                        dozen  corn tortillas
     1/2                                 pound  Monterey jack cheese — sliced
     1/4                                 pound  cheddar cheese — sliced
  1                                        fresh jalapeno pepper
                                            vegetable oil — for frying, canola or peanut preferred

Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut tortillas and Monterey Jack
    cheese into rounds.
  • Cut cheddar cheese into 1 1/2-inch rounds.
  • Slice jalapenos into thin rounds.
  • In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and
    fry tortilla rounds until crisp.
  • In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and
    fry tortilla rounds until crisp.
  • Place cooked, drained tortilla rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Top each tortilla round with one slice of Monterey Jack cheese,
    then center a jalapeno slice on the Monterey Jack and cover the
    jalapeno slice with a round of cheddar cheese.
  • Bake at 350°F until cheese is melted.
  •                         

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 164 Calories; 9g Fat (51.2% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 27mg Cholesterol; 200mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : Note: Small corn tortillas, usually labeled for taquitos, may be
available in your grocery. These measure 4 1/2 inches and work well
without having to be cut.

Indian Cuisine

Mango LassiIndian Cuisine class taught by our friend, Swami, was a huge success. For 4 hours we were mesmerised by the tastes, smells and stories about India and Indian cuisine. Swami passed around samples of wonderful spices: turmeric, cardamon, mustard seed, curry leaves (from his plant), cumin and cilantro for us to experience the taste and smells. Then he made a wonderful mango lassi for us to drink. The preparation of coconut chutney began with figuring out how to split open the coconut and was accompanied by fun stories of coconut milk drank straight from the coconut and split by a machete. The resulting chutney was like nothing I had tasted. We cut vegetables and deep-fried them in a flavorful coating for the Pakora and ate them with the coconut chutney.

The Raita was a cool, hot yummy accompaniment to the rest of the meal. Swami prepared basmati rice as an Indian Rice Pilaf with chopping help from the class. And the last dish was a Channa Masala made with chickpeas. We all practice saying Yummo with full tummies and big smiles. Thank you Swami for a wonderful class. We hope you will come back and do it again!

Citrus - Peach Sorbet

Fredericksburg Cooking Academy Citrus Peach Sorbet

Printable recipe - Citrus Peach Sorbet

Recipe By : Jacque’ Rudman
Serving Size : 8

Amount Ingredient — Preparation Method
——- ——————————————–
2 cups peaches
1 orange — juice of
1 lemon — juice of
1/2 cup sugar — or splenda
3 cups crushed ice
1 orange — zested (optional)
1 lemon — zested (optional)
pineapple mint sprigs — optional

  • Combine first 5 ingredients into a food processor & blend till smooth.
  • Pour into individual petite dishes or store in container for later use to freeze.
  • Zest the rinds of orange & lemon to garnish serving dish along with mint sprig.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 85 Calories; trace Fat (1.1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 3mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Courtesy of Fredericksburg Cooking Academy

Fuzzy Navel Shrimp Shooters

Fuzzy Navel Shrimp ShootersFuzzy Navel Shrimp Shooters

Printable recipe: Fuzzy Navel Shrimp Shooters


Fuzzy Navel Shrimp Shooters

Recipe By : Jacque’ Rudman
Serving Size : 8

Amount Ingredient — Preparation Method
16 ounces tomato sauce — Del Monte box
2 cups Bloody Mary Mix — spiced
1/2 cup gingered-peach jam
8 stalks green onions — reserve tops for garnish
2 dozen shrimp — tail-on, large, pre-cooked

  • Combine all ingredients except for shrimp into a mixer to blend.
  • Hook 3 shrimp onto glass rims with tail out
  • Garnish with green onion top to serve

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 41 Calories; trace Fat (8.6% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 27mg Cholesterol; 372mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable.

Courtesy of Fredericksburg Cooking Academy