May 2019 Class

May 2019 Class

I love to grill. It is one of my favorite ways of cooking. The smokey flavor and char is perfect for tender cuts of meat and vegetables. It comes together quickly, leaving you with few dishes to do and always produces delicious results.

So what are we grilling today?

Grilled Shrimp & Beef Kebobs with Avocado Tazatziki Sauce:

Top sirloin and beautiful gulf shrimp are tossed in a wonderful spice mixture of coriander, cumin, garlic, and other spices to create this flavorful summer showcase. The avocado tzatziki sauce is to die for! To be honest, I thought I had come up with avocado tzatziki sauce on my own, and it would be my culinary contribution to the world and launch my career on Food Network as the next Julia Child. You can imagine my disappoint when I found that that Trader Joe’s had beat me to it. Anyways, this is a fantastic sauce to go with our grilled beef and shrimp, but it’s can be used as an excellent appetizer served with pita chips or crudités. It’s even super on sandwiches!

Couscous with apricots, raisins, and pine nuts:

Did you know that couscous isn’t a grain? It’s a pasta! It is just the perfect canvas that you can almost add anything to it. In this recipe, we are cooking it by leaving it out in a baking dish and then covering it with boiling water and plastic wrap. This seals in the steam, which cooks the couscous into little soft puffs of goodness. Apricots, golden raisins, and toasted pine nuts add color, crunch, and sweetness, providing a nice contrast to the spiciness of the meat and the tanginess of the sauce. You can add different dried fruits and nuts, or make a couscous salad and add one of my favorite cheeses: feta cheese. Another great idea is to add leftover cooked veggies and meat to the couscous. Couscous is so versatile that it can be an elegant side or elevated to a hearty main dish.

Strawberry Semifredo:

Semifredo in Italian means “half frozen” or “half soft." This is the sublimely delicious dessert is the perfect ode to summer. Once prepared, you pop in your freezer to freeze; then, it’s ready to serve, waiting for you to slice it and top it with some shaved chocolate. It’s elegant and whimsical at the same time. I jokingly think the clouds in heaven must taste like this. Here’s to hoping all your outdoor entertaining is a slice of heaven!

Happy grilling!

April 2019 Class

April 2019 Class

Spring has sprung!! My garden looks fantastic but that has nothing to do with me! Thanks to all the rain we got this year in San Diego, my grass is bright green! The flowers perfume the air and the birds are busy sitting on nests. This is a perfect menu for entertaining for Easter, some of the dishes work for Passover, or just for a lovely spring supper. Easter is my sentimental favorite holiday since I met my husband at my mom’s table for Easter dinner. I love to bore my children being all nostalgic on how Aunt Becky and my Mom set it all up. I love setting a pretty table decorated with flowers from the garden and a few bunnies, but the star is always the food.

So what are we cooking?

Salmon Pâté with Crostini:
I just got back from a visit to New York with my son and the first thing on our agenda was to get a proper New York bagel with a smear! His was with plain cream cheese mine was lox and cream cheese. This salmon pâté is inspired by that decadent combination of smoked salmon and cream cheese. A little bit more elegant version of that flavor profile. We just slightly puréed the smoked salmon with cream cheese so there are nice pieces though out the cheese. Then, we add the flavor goodies; shallots, dill, lemon juice, capers, everything you put on top a gorgeous bagel. But today we’re going to serve it with crostini, but you could certainly serve it with a bagel, chips, or crackers.

Herb Crusted Lamb with Mint Salsa Verde:
We’re going to marinate a boneless leg of lamb with garlic and fresh herbs which is going to adds tons of flavor and really complement the mild taste of the lamb. Lamb has really gotten a bad rap as being a very gamy tasting meat. It’s not. The meat is very mild tasting, and after being perfectly roasted we will serve it with a mint salsa verde. Many different cuisine have their version of a salsa verde, or green sauce. The combination of crushed garlic, herbs, and oil can transfer a dish from being good to great. In France it’s called pistou, in Italy it’s pesto, and in Argentina its a cimichurri sauce. Today we are are adding mint along with a little lemon, which compliments the lamb so beautifully.

Yukon Gold Potato Gratin:
Is there anything better than potatoes with roasted meat? I love Yukon Gold potatoes! They are so versatile because they bake and smash equally well. The exterior peel is so thin that all you have to do is wash them. You don’t even need to peel them which is an added bonus because it saves you time and you get all those great vitamins! The interior is a golden yellow color with a creamy, sweet texture that pairs so beautifully with the herb infused milk. Then topped with Parmesano Reggiano and breadcrumbs which are then cooked until golden brown. The perfect compliment of roasted meat.

Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Icing:
I think most southern families have their version of a carrot cake. It’s a classic. This is my take on my Mom’s recipe. The carrot cake batter is not light and fluffy, its more dense like a muffin batter. So I’ve added yogurt and I love the traditional addition of crushed pineapple to add flavor and help keep it moist. The cake is studded with roasted pecans and then covered in a decadent cream cheese icing. Just a slice of heaven. A perfect way to end a delicious spring meal.

Happy Cooking!!