Appetizer

Labneh
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Labneh

This is my new favorite thing. I had never had it before but was inspired after my friend Vivi told me it was one or HER favorite things. Oh my! SO. GOOD. Labneh is a soft Middle Eastern cheese made from strained yogurt. It’s surprisingly easy to make, and it’s really versatile. Serve it as a dip with good-quality olive oil and za’atar. This recipe is from loveandlemons. I served with homemade pita but it would be great with crackers, veggies, on pizza….

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
  • heaping 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and salt.
  • Scoop the mixture onto a layer of cheesecloth (or 2 layers, depending on the thickness of your yogurt). Bring the edges of the cheesecloth together, tie it around a wooden spoon, and place the spoon across the top of a medium bowl so that the labneh hangs in the center but does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Chill overnight.
  • Remove the labneh from the cheese cloth. Transfer to bowl and serve as a spread with desired toppings and veggies, pita, or crackers for dipping. It can also be dolloped, like soft goat cheese, onto salads, pizza, or flatbread.

toppings & serving options

  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Z’atar spice mix (I found at Trader Joe’s)
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Brazilian Cheese Bread
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Brazilian Cheese Bread

These are quick to make and addicting!!!! From the blog Simply Recipes. This is very similar to a popover in consistency. They are best served warm from the oven. I served them alongside Beef Bourguignon
on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup (packed, about 66 grams) grated cheese, your preference (see recipe note)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Instructions

  1. Pour into mini-muffin tin: Pour batter into prepared mini-muffin tin, not quite to the top; leave about 1/8 inch from the top.
  2. Bake: Bake at 400°F in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and nicely browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.
  3. Pour into mini-muffin tin: Pour batter into prepared mini-muffin tin, not quite to the top; leave about 1/8 inch from the top.
  4. Bake: Bake at 400°F in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and nicely browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes

Eat while warm!

Note that Brazilian cheese bread is very chewy, a lot like Japanese mochi.

Bonus Recipe

1 kg tapioca flour [polvilho azedo]
1 kg potato, cooked in water and mashed
250 ml milk at room temperature
250 ml vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 queso fresco or panela grated [1 pound]
6 free range eggs

Put the tapioca flour in a bowl. Add the potato still hot using a potato masher. Add salt. Mix very well using your hands. Add milk and continue working the dough with your hands. Add vegetable oil. Continue working. Add the grated cheese, and at last the eggs. Add 1 teaspoon of anise seeds for a special touch. The dough needs to get very silky and be moldable. If it is breaking, add one more egg. Make little round breads, and bake at 450oF for 20 minutes. The dough can be frozen.

Chilled Berry Soup
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Chilled Berry Soup

This is just so refreshing on a hot summer day. Great as a first course with grilled meat. I have made this over the years and it never turns out quite the same, but it is always good.. I used a mix of frozen strawberries, blackberries, Blueberries and raspberries for this version but fresh is great if you have ripe fruit. Adapted from an Old James McNair cookbook. I love his cookbooks.

Ingredients

6 cups stemmed ripe berries such as strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries (one kind or assortment), or frozen mixed berries
1 cup orange juice or apple juice
½ cup sugar, or to taste
2 cups Asti Spumante, Champagne, or other sparkling wine

Directions

  • Working in batches, if necessary, combine the berries and juices in a food processor or blender and puree until fairly smooth.
  • Transfer to a glass ceramic bowl and stir in the sugar and sparkling wine. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or as long as overnight.
  • Ladle into chilled bowls



Serves 6 as a soup course or dessert.

Scallops in Jade Sauce
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Scallops in Jade Sauce

I used to love to go to this little shop called “Lexington Gardens” in Connecticut. I spent afternoons there with my mom and dad on visits home. They had a wonderful little cooking and cookbook section.  I found one of my favorite cookbooks there one afternoon back in the early ’90s – Pacific Flavors by Hugh Carpenter. This lovely dish is from that book. I modified slightly over the years. This is also wonderful tossed with fresh pasta and seafood.

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Ingredients

11/2 pounds large sea scallops
4 Tbsp butter cut into small pieces
salt to taste
pepper

Sauce

1 12-oz bunch of spinach
1 Bunch chives
2 Tbsp finely minced ginger
6 Basil leaves (optional)
1/4 cup Chicken stock
1/4 Cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
1 Tsp cornstarch

Preparation

Rinse scallops and pat dry. Rub with ginger and chill until ready to use.

Make sauce. Chop spinach, chives, basil and ginger. Mince greens to a fine consistency and add stock. Process 30 seconds more and add the cream, salt and chili sauce. Process for about 15 seconds until pureed. Chill until ready to cook.

Preheat oven to the broil setting. Season with a little salt, pepper and dot each scallop with butter. Place the scallops on a baking rack. Broil, without turning until they turn white and are just firm to the touch. Cut one in half if you are unsure.

While the scallops are broiling combine the cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water. bring sauce to a low boil and stir in a little at a time to help thicken the sauce.

Glaze the dinner plates with the sauce and position the scallops in the center. serve at once.

Mahogany Chicken Wings
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Mahogany Chicken Wings

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I grew up in Connecticut and came back for visits to my parents several times a year. One of my favorite places to go was a wonderful Garden shop called Lexington Gardens. 20 some odd years ago on one of those visits I bought this a cookbook that i still love and use today. Pacific Flavors by Hugh Carpenter. I have made these wings many times over the years and have adjusted things here and there. The original recipe called for plum sauce and I can no longer find it in the store so I doubled the Hoisin sauce. I double the recipe and figure on about 3-4 wings per person. I served as a main meal with pasta salad.

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Ingredients

4 pounds of chicken wings

Marinade:
3/4 cup plum sauce
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup Mirin
1/4 cup honey

Directions

Cut the tips off the wings

Combine the marinade ingredients. Place wings in a large pan and pour marinade over the wings to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 12 – 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375. Place a wire rack in a large roasting pan and coat with cooking spray.

Drain the marinade from the chicken and reserve. Put the marinade in a small pan, bring to a boil and simmer. Arrange the wings on the rack and roast for 30 minutes. I have done this without a rack and it works fine but the wings don’t get as crispy (but still tasty). After 30 minutes baste with the marinade, turn them and baste again.

Roast for another 30 minutes until tender and golden.

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Chilled Carrot Soup
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Chilled Carrot Soup

This makes a nice first course on a hot summer evening. I served this with roasted corn on the cobb, Kale salad and grilled Tuna Burgers. I used the large carrots that they sell for juicing. I did not peel them. You could make this slightly sweet by using the orange juice (in my recipe) or spicy by adding some Sriracha sauce. I think this would also be wonderful with some caramelized onions. This was adapted from Runner’s World recipe. I used the Vitamix to get this super creamy.

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INGREDIENTS

8 large carrots, cut into chunks
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
salt
1 cup vegetable broth
1 can light coconut milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. honey
Juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons. curry powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the  carrots,  orange bell pepper,  1 Tbsp. olive oil.
Roast  for 30 minutes. Let cool, then in a Food Processor or blender, blend with 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 can light coconut milk, orange juice, ginger, 1 Tbsp. honey, lime juice,
curry powder, and a couple pinches salt until smooth. Chill for at least 2 hours

Makes 4 servings.

Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Avocado Rolls
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Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Avocado Rolls

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I was inspired by a recipe posted a couple of years ago on a blog I love, LemonsandBasil.com.
I love roasted sweet potato and these make wonderful appetizers as well as a side dish. I am going to try a version with goat cheese, because everything is good with cheese. These are super easy. I used a grill pan for the zucchini but you could use them directly on the gill or in a grill pan on the stove top. NOTE: I think next time I will also make the sweet potato “fries”a little shorter.

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Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 1 large sweet potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, divided
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • smoked paprika
  • course sea salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Slice zucchini into long thin strips, then lay out on fresh paper towels and coat with layer of salt, then let them sit for about 15 minutes. This helps to sweat the water out. After the 15 minutes, apply pressure with a paper towel to remove some of that moisture.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, peel sweet potatoes and chop into small stubby fries, approx 1-1.5 inches long.
  3. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, lay sweet potatoes flat, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the salt, pepper and smoked paprika  and bake 15-20 minutes.
  4. Once the zucchini has “sweat” for approximately 15 minutes, brush lightly with a little olive oil.
  5. Grill zucchini slices on an indoor grill pan {stove top} or outdoor grill until soft (approx 3-4 minutes each side). Sprinkle with salt and pepper {you may want to blot the cooked zucchini with a dry paper towel to remove any extra moisture}.
  6. Add sweet potato wedges and avocado slices to zucchini pieces and roll up.