Ingredients:
4 c. broccoli florets
1/2 c. garbanzo beans
1/2 c. pitted kalamata olives
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. olive oil
Directions:
Steam broccoli florets for 2 minutes and rinse with cold water. Slice bell pepper into thin strips and then cut the strips into thirds. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, add olive oil and toss lightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients:
Sauce
2 c chicken stock
¼ c. soy sauce
2 T. dark rum
4 t. sugar
Shrimp
2 pounds large shrimp, uncooked
1 ½ c flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
Water
12 oz. shredded coconut
Oil for frying
Directions:
For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. While sauce is cooling, prepare shrimp. Peel shells from shrimp, leaving tail shell on. With a sharp knife, make a shallow incision lengthwise along the center back. Rinse under cold water, drain and lay flat on paper towels. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add water and stir until smooth. Batter will be thick. Place coconut in a shallow pan. Holding each shrimp by the tail, dip in batter, then lightly in coconut. With tongs, place in hot oil and cook a few at a time until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Keep warm in oven until ready to serve. Serves 8.
Ingredients:
1 lb. angel hair pasta
6 large lemons
½ cup butter
Mint leaf
Salt
1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups light cream
¼ c. Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Directions:
Using a vegetable peeler, remove thin strips of peel from the lemons and cut into fine julienne strips. Juice the lemons and reserve the juice. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the lemon peel and mint leaf. Add lemon juice and simmer on medium for 3-5 minutes. Add dry pasta and ¼ c. water. Stir with wooden spoon until pasta has almost absorbed all of the liquid and has softened. If necessary, add more lemon juice or water until the pasta is tender. Add parsley, a dash of salt and the grated cheese. Add cream, reduce heat and cook for approximately 5-6 minutes until the liquid has reduced and is thickened. Serve garnished with a sprig of mint. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
½ lb. sea scallops
2 lobster tails
½ lb. jumbo shrimp
1 T. olive oil
1-16 oz. jar marinara sauce
½ c. vodka
1 c. heavy cream
½ t. cayenne
1 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1lb. package of fresh tortellini
Directions:
Cut lobster tails into 1-inch pieces. Peel and devein shrimp. Saute scallops, lobster and shrimp in skillet over medium heat with olive oil until opaque. Remove from heat and set aside. In sauce pan over medium heat, bring marinara sauce to boil and gradually stir in vodka and cayenne. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream and heat through. Add seafood to sauce. Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and add to seafood mixture. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 c. cooked spaghetti or other left-over pasta
3 eggs
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano cheese
1/4 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and sliced
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 t. sausage drippings or 1 T. olive oil
Directions:
Cut cold, cooked spaghetti into small pieces. Beat eggs, stir in spaghetti, cheese, sausage, cheeses. Heat olive oil in an 8-inch non-stick skillet. Pour in spaghetti mixture. Fry five minutes or until brown and crisp. Slide out of pan into plate; turn back into pan and fry other side for five minutes. Cut into 4 wedges.
Ingredients:
Gnocchi (See previous recipe)
2 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 10-oz pkg. pearl onions, fresh or frozen
1 t. sugar
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. peeled fava beans or frozen baby lima beans
2 t. cornstarch
1/4 c. sweet Marsala wine
1 t. minced fresh marjoram
Directions:
Saute pancetta in heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Reduce heat to low, add onions, sprinkle with sugar and sauté
until brown and tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer onions to bowl. Add broth, beans and cornstarch to skillet. Simmer until beans are tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beans to onions in bowl. Cook liquid until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add 1/4 c. Marsala and marjoram; return onions and beans to liquid. Serve over gnocchi.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. potatoes, cooked and put through ricer
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 oz. parmigiano, grated
1/2 c. potato flour (pure di patate scelte granulare)
4 egg yolks
Salt white pepper
Directions:
Put potatoes in center of counter. Pour flour on top (potato flour keeps gnocchi from being tough). Make well. Add egg yolks, salt and pepper. Wearing disposable gloves, mush together incorporating flour to make dough. Sprinkle 2-3 times with additional potato flour. Knead until smooth. Form into a ball. Using a bench scraper or knife, portion out a section and roll into a long 1/2 inch roll. Cut gnocchi into little “pillows” about 1/2 inch square using the bench scraper or knife. Toss with semolina flour or potato flour so they don’t stick together. Spread on cookie sheet and freeze . Store in Ziploc bags until ready for use. To prepare for serving: Boil in salted water for 3-5 minutes until they float.
Another great dessert using rum which can be made from stale, leftover bread or baguettes!
Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread, dried out and torn into chunks
1 qt. milk
2 c. sugar
2 T. vanilla
3 eggs
1 c. diced apples
½ c. raisins
½ c. pecans, chopped
3 T. melted butter
Rum Sauce
½ c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
3 T. dark rum
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350oF. Soak bread in milk for 30 minutes. Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla, raisins, nuts and apples and combine with bread chunks. Spread melted butter on bottom on 13” x 9” baking dish. Add bread mixture and bake at 350oF for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly and hot. For sauce, cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Stir in rum and egg. Transfer to sauce pan and heat over low heat for 5 minutes or until warm. Serve over pudding.
4 T. rum
4 fl. Oz. strong black coffee
2 T. brandy
16-20 sponge fingers
1 lb. mascarpone
2 eggs, separated
5 T. powdered sugar
3-4 oz. dark, bittersweet chocolate, pulverized in blender
Mix 2 T. of the rum with the coffee and brandy. Dip sponge fingers in this mixture and arrange in goblets. Pour over them any remaining coffee mixture, but not so much that the sponge fingers become soggy. Beat together the mascarpone, egg yolks and sugar. Add remaining rum. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into the mascarpone mixture. Spoon over the sponge fingers; sprinkle with chocolate and refrigerate overnight.
Ingredients:
Salad
4 hearts of romaine, torn (about 8 cups)
½ lb. cooked shrimp
½ lb. cooked sea scallops
½ lb. cooked lobster
½ lb. lump crab meat
Dressing
½ c. mayonnaise
¼ c. milk
2 T. golden raisins
1 T. sugar
1 t. curry powder
1 lemon juice
1 t. red wine vinegar
1 t. cocktail sauce
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, raisins, sugar, curry powder, lemon juice, vinegar, and cocktail sauce and blend well. Chill. Peel or shell seafood and steam. Cut lobster into bite-sized pieces. When ready to serve, toss dressing with romaine and seafood.
Hint: Giant scallop shells are ideal serving bowls for this salad!
