Tag Archives: easy entertaining

THE AVOCADO MOUSSE THAT STOLE THE SHOW

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian-friendly by

MERRY CHRISTMAS!   FELIZ NATAL!  JOYEUX NOËL!

This year we had a pre-Christmas celebration with one of my stepsons, because he had to fly back to California on the 23rd. The evening before his departure we made a special dinner that featured the whole menu of a recent show from the one and only Marcela Valladolid, entitled “My Favorite Holiday Dishes“.  The main dish was Pork with Prunes and Pineapple Glaze (on the blog soon), and I expected it to be the star of our meal, but truth is that the first course,  a simple, unassuming avocado mousse put up a great fight and according to some, took the Christmas Eve spotlight…  😉

Avocado Cilantro Mousse
AVOCADO AND CILANTRO MOUSSE
(slightly adapted from Marcela Valladolid)

1 to 1 + 1/2 bunches fresh cilantro, washed and dried, leaves picked off and reserved (about 2 cups loosely packed)
1  avocado (I used two small ones)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from about 1 lime
1 Serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and roughly chopped
1 cup cold water, divided
2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
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Spray 3 (1 cup) or 6 (1/2 cup) ramekins with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Place the cilantro, cream cheese, avocado, salt, lime juice, and chile in a food processor and puree until smooth.
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Pour 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it sit for a few minutes. Place the remaining 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling water over the softened gelatin and whisk until the gelatin has dissolved.
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Add the gelatin to the mixture in the food processor, pulsing until pureed and thoroughly blended.
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Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. To unmold, fill a large container with very hot water. Dip the ramekins in the water for 1 minute. Run a small, sharp knife tip around the edge of each mousse. Invert onto a platter. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
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ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments:  I made my own tortilla strips to serve alongside the mousse, and I must say the work involved is minimal, but the pay-off huge.  They were so much better than store-bought versions, both in texture and flavor.  I just cut some yellow corn tortillas into strips, placed them on a baking sheet, sprayed with olive oil, and coated very lightly with salt and more liberally with Southwest Spice mix from Penzey’s.  Baked at 375F until  they start to crisp up and get brown.

The mousse… WOW!  We started enjoying it quite politely, a little bit spread on a cracker, a little more on a tortilla strip, but by the end of the dinner we were slicing it and adding the cold slice on top of the pork tenderloin and moaning about it…  We decided it will go well with pretty much anything, from grilled salmon to lamb burgers, and in case of emergency, licked from the tip of a finger when no one is looking.   It is THAT good.  Please, make it for your next dinner party, and stop by to thank me later… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Sourdough Popovers

TWO YEARS AGO: Merry Christmas!

THREE YEARS AGO:  Sourdough Focaccia, with a twist

FOUR YEARS AGO: Merry Christmas!

INDONESIAN DELIGHT

Posted in Poultry, Weekend Dinners by

I’ve never been to Indonesia, but like many Asian places,  it fascinates me.   Way too long ago, David Rosengarten had a show on satays, in which he highlighted the variety of cooking styles in Indonesia, a reflex of the huge number of populated islands forming the country: more than 6,000!   It is hard to imagine! I would be thrilled enough to visit just one:  Java… 😉

The Barefoot Contessa was the inspiration for last Sunday’s dinner: Indonesian Ginger Chicken. I’m fond of poultry marinated in soy, so her recipe  got my full attention (even if I did roll my eyes  when I read her endorsement of it: “Lauren Bacall gets cranky if we are sold out….” )

INDONESIAN GINGER CHICKEN
(adapted from Ina Garten)

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated ginger
1 chicken, quartered
Parsnips, peeled and cut in large pieces

Heat the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan, until the honey melts and the sauce is smooth. Let it cool, and pour over the chicken arranged on a baking dish, skin side down.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and marinate overnight in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 350F.  Place the dish in the oven, still covered, and cook for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil, turn the chicken skin side up, add the pieces of parsnips around the chicken, making sure to coat them with some of the sauce forming at the bottom of the dish. Increase the oven temperature to 375F and continue baking for at least 30 minutes, until parsnips are tender, and the chicken is fully cooked.  The sauce should be very dark brown.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I modified the recipe  to increase the cooking time, add some parsnips and reduce the garlic.   I’m in the minority, I know,  but I dislike the over-use of  garlic.   And here’s another shocker, the parsnips were as good as the chicken itself.  We couldn’t stop eating them!  Lastly, the side portions of lemony asparagus brightened the whole meal,  to round out a delicious Sunday dinner.

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PUFF PASTRY for the PARTY

Posted in Appetizers by

Like many other cookaholics, we love dinner parties with friends and colleagues. It’s fun designing the menu, fun to shop for the ingredients, and fun to plan the preparation/presentation strategy for the meal.  Over the years we’ve learned some “tricks” that make life easier:  advance preparation; practicing the exotic dishes beforehand, so as to avoid using guests as guinea pigs; balancing the  labor-intensive and easy dishes.   This appetizer – that I found at Stephen Cooks! –  falls into the “trouble-free” category, to the point that, as Stephen put it  “it’s so simple that it feels like cheating“.

The secret is the use of commercial puff pastry, a life-saver in the kitchens of those who enjoy entertaining.   By all means, make your own if you prefer – but,  in this recipe the pastry is only a “crostini”, so the frozen product works well and saves time and effort.

QUICK SUNDRIED TOMATO CROSTINI
(adapted from Stephen Cooks!)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough
4 Tbs shredded Parmeggiano Reggiano cheese
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
8 black oil-cured olives, minced
2 Tbs minced parsley (or other fresh herb of your preference)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water
salt to taste
4 medium sundried tomatoes, chopped

Allow the pastry sheet to thaw at room temperature, until flexible enough to unfold. Cut in 12 rectangles. Place the cut pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, Silpat, or use a non-stick baking sheet.

Mix the cheese, tomato paste, garlic, olives and herbs. Season to taste. Beat the egg yolk with the water and brush the egg wash on the pastry rectangles.

Spread the cheese mixture on each and then top with a few pieces of the sundried tomato. Bake in a 400F oven for 12 minutes or until the pasty is golden brown. Allow to cool five minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: When I prepared the cheese mixture  it seemed a little too heavy on the tomato.   But, it wasn’t a problem, and I slightly increased the black olives;   otherwise I kept the recipe as Stephen posted it .    This spread will also work on “real” crostini, of course, but the puff pastry makes the recipe special.

Here they are, ready to go into the oven.  I cut the pastry using a ravioli cutter like this one.