Balsamic and Garlic Beef Tenderloin Skewers

These tasty skewers are an easy Middle-Eastern inspired way to grill beef. A simple garlic and balsamic vinegar adds tremendous amounts of flavor to the dish without adding extra fat or salt.

You will need:
1lb of beef, cubed
½ cup aged balsamic vinegar
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
Grilling skewers

• In a bowl combine beef, vinegar, garlic, and pepper
• Place cubed beef on skewers and grill until medium rare

Serve the beef with grilled tomatoes, rice, and flat bread for a simple and satisfying meal.

Crudo Superbo!

For the same party I put together two crudo dishes, scallops and tuna, to offer some lighter fair. I was apprehensive about how my guests would receive raw seafood, but much to my delight the seafood, especially, received rave reviews. On both dishes I worked to build up very subtle and complex flavor profiles where the ingredients worked in unison.

Tuna Crudo

You will need:
1lb sushi grade ahi tuna
½ cup Bombay Sapphire gin
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 bay leaves
Several cloves of allspice
Several sprigs of fresh mint (muddled or torn up)
A pinch of sea salt

• In a non-metallic bowl combine the gin, lime juice, spices, and herbs
• Allow mixture to rest refrigerated overnight
• Cut tuna into thin slices
• Place tuna in marinade for about 5 minutes, when tuna turns a white color remove it from the marinade
• Serve with optional sea salt and cracked pepper and crackers

Scallops Crudo

You will need:
1 lb extra large, sushi grade diver scallops
1 cup brute cava or other dry sparkling wine
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Several sprigs of dill
Several sprigs of fennel (fennel seeds will do if fresh fennel is unavailable)
A pinch of sea salt

• In a non-metallic bowl combine the wine, lemon juice, and herbs
• Allow mixture to rest refrigerated overnight
• Cut the scallops into thin slices
• Place the scallops in the marinade for about 10 minutes
• Serve with optional sea salt and cracked pepper and crackers

IMPORTANT NOTE

Safe handling procedures are always important when preparing and serving food, but are they are especially critical when serving raw seafood. When preparing raw seafood dishes only use fresh seafood that is labeled sushi grade or intended for raw consumption. Consult your fish monger at your local market if you have questions, they should be glad to answer any questions you may have about their selection for the day. Always keep the seafood cool. When serving the seafood place the serving vessel on ice to continue to keep the seafood cool.

Enjoy!

Iberian Chicken Appetizers

I conceived this hot appetizer as a sweet and savory dish to balance the acid and spice of the hot shrimp appetizer I also was serving. I was inspired by traditional Spanish and Moorish flavors such as saffron, citrus, nutmeg, and paprika. This appetizer was the crowd favorite of the evening due to its sweetness and unique Iberian flavor profile. The appetizer itself simply consists of a fried chicken breast with spices on a sesame cracker with orange glaze drizzled over it.

The Chicken

You will need:
2lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
Paprika
Black pepper
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
A pinch of saffron

• Rub chicken breasts with the spices
• Heat the oil in a frying pan
• Fry the chicken until done, being careful not to over cook the chicken

The Sauce

You will need:
The juice of two oranges (About 1 cup)
1 cup of sugar
Several dashes of orange bitters
1 to 2 teaspoons of corn starch

• Combine orange juice, sugar, and bitters in a sauce pan
• Heat mixture until it goes into solution and starts to become syrupy
• Use con starch to thicken the mixture to a consistency of where it is like honey at an edible temperature

Putting it Together

You will need:
About 20-30 sesame crackers or toast points
Mandarin oranges
1 red bell pepper julienne
Sesame seeds

• Cut chicken into bit-sized pieces
• Place chicken on a cracker, top with a section of mandarin orange and red pepper
• Drizzle sauce over the appetizers
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds
• Serve Hot
  

Picante Shrimp With Salsa Verde and Fried Tomato

Looking to spice up a party? This hot seafood appetizer brings plenty of heat while maintaining delicate and complex flavors and a visual flare. The dish consists of a slice of tomato deep-fried in a cornmeal batter topped with a poached shrimp and fresh salsa verde. Balanced contrasts is the key to the success of this appetizer; crisp breading contrasts with the warm tomato, the richness of the shrimp counters the heat of the spice, and the reds, golds, and greens create a dynamic visual.

Salsa Verde

You will need:
4 large green tomatillos
2-3 habanera peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 slices red onion
Fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
A dash of salt
2 teaspoons of sugar

• Finely dice the tomatillos, peppers, onions, and cilantro (CAUTION: The acid in spicy peppers can burn the hands, consider wearing gloves when working with such ingredients)
• Combine in a large non-metallic bowl with the lime juice, vinegar, salt, and sugar
• Refrigerate for 24 hours for optimal flavor

The Tomato Base

You will need:
4 ripe, but firm roma tomatoes
1 cup corn meal
¼ flour
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
Vegetable oil for deep frying

• In a bowl combine corn meal, flour, salt, and pepper
• In a bowl whisk together buttermilk and eggs
• Slice tomatoes into thick slices
• Bring deep fryer to temperature, about 300 degrees Fahrenheit
• Soak tomatoes in milk and eggs, shake in corn meal and flour
• Place tomatoes in oil and cook until tomato floats and turns golden brown (Be careful to keep oil clean as you cook the tomatoes as burn crumbs will stick to the tomatoes as they cook)
• Place tomatoes on paper toweling to drain off excess oil
• Tomatoes can be kept warm in an oven set on low

The Shrimp

You will need:
16-24 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt

• Heat oil and butter in a sauce pan
• Add garlic and spices
• Add shrimp and poach in hot oil until they turn color and are done
• Remove from oil

Putting it Together

• Arrange fried tomatoes on a serving plate
• Place a shrimp on each tomato
• Top with a heaping teaspoon of salsa verde (make sure you press the salsa against the bowl when you spoon it to remove excess juice)