Fun Recipes

Baja Crab Salad in a Tortilla Cornucopia

(Catersource Magazine Cover Photo Winner!)

Baja Crab Salad:

1 C  Cajun Mayonnaise (recipe to follow)

2 #  Lump Crab

¼ C  Cilantro, chopped

¼ C  Celery, minced

Zest of 1 lime

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Lightly Mix all ingredients together.

 

Cajun Mayonnaise:

3  Egg Yolks

3 C  Salad Oil

2 T  Chipotle Pepper Puree

3  Poblano Peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and pureed

¼ t  Cumin

¼ t  Coriander

Zest of Juice of 1 lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add lime zest and juice to the egg yolks; slowly add the oil while whisking. Use water to adjust the consistency (if necessary). Add the remaining ingredients and finish with salt and pepper.

 

Tortilla Cornucopia:

Cut cheddar jalapeno and spinach tortillas into triangles. Spray #6 plain tip metal piping tip with cooking spray. Wrap tortilla triangle around the tip, spray outside of tortilla with cooking spray, and then secure with another tip over the tortilla. Bake at 325 until crispy. 

Assemble the final product: Fill the tortilla cornucopias with crab salad. Garnish with chives or cilantro micro greens.

Sweet Potato & Zucchini Latkes With Cajun Shrimp Salad

Latkes:

1 Large Sweet Potato - peeled & grated
¾ C Grated Zucchini
½ Medium Size Onion
2 Eggs
1 ½ T Flour
½ t Baking Powder
2t Salt
½ t Pepper

In a blender add your eggs and blend while adding the onions and then the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth then pour into a bowl and stir in the grated zucchini. In a non-stick skillet with a little salad oil, fry one tablespoon of batter on medium heat for each lakte for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from heat and place latkes on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Top with cajun shrimp salad (recipe below) and Fresh Cilantro. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Cajun Shrimp Salad:

1 pound Cooked & Peeled Shrimp
1 minced Shallot
2T minced Celery
½ C Mayonnaise
½ Chipotle Pepper
2T chopped Fresh Cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all together and chill.

Caesar Salad Dressing

2 egg yolks
1-2 t Minced Garlic
5-7 anchovy filets
2 T Worcheshire Sauce
3 T Red Wine Vinegar
Juice of one lemon
1 T Dijon Mustard
1 t Black Pepper
2/3 C Parmesan Cheese
1 ½ C Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Place all ingredients in a blender except the oil and puree until smooth. While mixing, slowly add the oil through the top of blender opening. Season with to taste with salt and pepper. Make any adjustments to your own liking.

Corn and Crab Chowder

¼ lb. Bacon
1 Diced Red Pepper
½ Diced Onion
1 Diced Carrot
1 T Minced Garlic
2 Chopped Red Potatoes
6 Cups Fish Stock
1 ½ Cups Cream
1/4 lb. Fresh Crab Meat
1 ½ C Corn
3 Shakes of Red Pepper flakes
1 Bay Leaf
Skim milk
Cornstarch

Dice raw bacon and place in soup pot. Cook over mediuem heat until crisp. Add red pepper and onion and saute about 3 minutes. Add garlic and potatoes and Sauté for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over veggies. Stir and let cook for a few minutes. Add in fish stock and cream. Cook for a few minutes and then use a hand mixer to puree the soup just a little in order to thicken. Add crab and heat over medium for about 10 minutes. Add corn, red pepper flakes, and Bay leaf. Salt and pepper to taste. (If soup is too thick, you can thin it by adding a little skim milk. If soup is too thin, you can thicken it by adding a little bit of cornstarch mixed with water. Add only a little at a time and bring the soup back to a boil each time to see how far it is thickening.)

Italian Sausage and Cheese filled Mushrooms

As Seen in the Junior League of Omaha's
"Toast to Omaha Cookbook"
(Serves 10-12)

1 lb. Ground Italian Sausage, cooked, drained, & crumbled

1 lb. cream cheese, softened

2 T Garlic Powder

2 T Onion Powder

1 C Parmesan Cheese

1/2 C Breadcrumbs

2 T Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Salt and Pepper to Taste

20-30 Large Mushroom Caps  

In a medium bowl combine sausage, cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, parmesan, breadcrumbs, and basil. Taste mixture and season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pull the stems out of the mushrooms and fill the caps with 2-3 Tablespoons of the mixture. Place on a baking sheet (mixture side up) and bake for 20 minutes.  Serve Warm.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

¼ Cup oil

1 Tbl. minced garlic

2 chopped portobellos

3.2 oz. chopped shitakes

10 oz. chopped button mushrooms

1 lg. onion diced

2 pcs. celery diced

1 lg. carrot diced

½ Cup flour

1 teaspoon thyme (fresh preferred)

4 cups Chicken stock (3 ¾ Cups hot water with ¼ Cup chicken consommé)

1 Bay Leaf

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Add oil and garlic to high heat in large soup pot.  Wait for smoke and then add all veggies and mushrooms.  Let reduce.  Sprinkle with flour.  Stir and heat a few minutes. Add thyme, Chicken stock and Bay leaf.  Add cream and bring to boil. Once soup comes to a boil, check the consistency.  You can only truly tell how thick it is after it has been brought to a boil.  If it needs to be thicker, add cornstarch/water mixture (more cornstarch than water).  Pour a little of the cornstarch mixture at a time and then let the soup boil again to check true thickness.  Add fresh cracked pepper. Remove bay leaf.  Add salt if needed (consommé will usually have enough salt so you should not have to add much salt).  Serve and Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in a Bowl:  An Award Winner!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with

Turkey, Sage, & Bacon Croquettes finished with

Cranberry Crème Fraishe

Butternut Squash Soup

2 Medium Butternut Squash

1 Small Yellow Onion - Small Diced

2 T Minced Garlic

1 Large Carrot - Medium Diced

2 Ribs of Celery - Medium Diced

2T Canola Oil

1 C White Wine

2-3 qts Chicken Broth

2 C Heavy Whipping Cream

Salt & White Pepper To Taste

Method:

Cut both Squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut side down on a cookie sheet with a little water so that water rests about 1/8 of an inch up the side of the squash. Roast in the oven at 400 for about 45-60 minutes or until the squash is soft to the touch. Let cool.  Scoup out and save the squash flesh filling.  In a large sauce pot with Canola oil, sweat the onion, celery, carrot and garlic until onion is almost clear. Add white wine and simmer to reduce liquid by 1/2.  Add the squash, chicken broth, and cream and simmer on very low for 20 minutes. Season with salt & pepper and puree mixture in a blender or food processor.  Depending on the size of the squash, use any left over broth to adjust the soup to your desired consistency.

Turkey, Sage, & Bacon Croquettes

Filling Ingredients

2 lb Cooked Turkey either minced or shredded

¼ C Real Bacon Bits

4-6 leaves minced sage

1 C Mayonnaise

¼ C Parmesan Cheese

½ t Onion Powder

½ t Garlic Power

Breading Ingredients

2-3 eggs with 1/4 C Water for Egg wash

Flour

Bread Crumbs (Preferrably Panko)

Mix the filling ingredients with a mixer's paddle attachment or mix by hand. The filling should be moist, but should hold together when squeezed in your hand. Use a 1 oz. scoop to scoop balls of mixture and place on a cookie sheet.  Place cookie sheet in refrigerator to set. Once the mix is cooled, roll in the flour first, then egg wash, and then bread crumbs. Fry at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Cranberry Crème Fraishe

2 C Sour Cream

2/3 C Cannned Cranberry Sauce

2 T Honey

Salt & Pepper to taste

In a bowl mix all ingredients until smooth and well incorporated.  

Assemble all the components (Soup, Croquettes, and Crème Fraishe) by placing 2-3 croquettes in the middle of a bowl of soup and finishishing with a dollop of Cranberry Crème Fraishe.  If desired, garnish with a couple of fried sage leaves.  Eat and Enjoy!

Reuben Puffs - Caraway Swiss Cheese Puffs filled with Reuben Salad

*As Seen in the Omaha Magazine's March 2011 edition!)

Caraway Swiss Cheese Puffs

Ingredients:

2 C Milk

2 C Flour

1 T Caraway Seeds

1 t Salt

1/4 t Black Pepper

1/2 C Grated Swiss Cheese

7-8 Whole Eggs

4 T Butter

Method:

In a medium sauce pot bring to a simmer the milk, caraway, salt, pepper, & butter.  Add flour and stir to incorporate well.  Continue to simmer for a couple of minutes.  Take this mixture and place in a mixer with a paddle attachment and turn on low speed for 1/2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time and make sure that each one is well incorporated before adding the next one.  Add Swiss Cheese and mix well.  Place mixture in a piping bag without a tip and pipe the dough to a small golf ball size onto baking sheets covered with parchment paper.  Push down the little peaks in the dough that form on the tops from piping.  Bake at 325 degrees in a convection oven for 15-22 minutes.  Let them cool and then cut them in half horizontal.  Finish by filling them with Reuben Salad (recipe below).

Reuben Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Quality Sliced Corn Beef

1/4 C Sauerkraut

1/2 C Grated Swiss Cheese

Thousand Island Dressing

Method: 

Dice the corn beef and mix in sauerkraut and Swiss Cheese.  Add just enough 1000 island dressing to moisten the salad.  Put Reuben Salad inside Caraway Swiss Cheese Puffs and serve.

St. Patrick's Day Green "Shamrock" Baked Mushrooms

Ingredients:

8 oz. Cream Cheese

8 oz. Boursin Cheese

1/2 C Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese

1/4 C Breadcrumbs

1 t Garlic Powder

2 Roasted Poblano Peppers - Peeled, seeded with skin removed

1 C Frozen Chopped Spinach - drained of all moisture

1 bunch of Green Onions chopped (green part only)

3 T Chopped Parsley

Salt and Pepper

20-30 Button Mushroom Caps (medium to large)

Method: 

In a mixer, add all cheeses, breadcrumbs, and garlic powder.  Once mixed add peppers, spinach, green onions and parsley.  Mix well.  Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.  Fill mushroom caps with the mixture and back at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the filling is golden brown on top.