Brushetta

Serves 4-6 makes about one and half cups

2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon of iodized sea salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one and half fresh lemons
4-5 seeded and chopped large Plum tomatoes

Combine all ingredients and serve at room temperature.
Serve over crusty bread, pita chips. On top of rice and meat
dishes

Onion Chutney

 Makes 1- 1 ½ cups

 1 large yellow onion chopped aprox 1 – 1 ½ c

2 Tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil

1 ½ Tablespoons tuong chile sauce

 2 teaspoons cumin

 In a bowl combine oil, cumin, chile sauce and blend till a paste. Add in onions blend and let rest for half hour.

Perfect accompanyment for grilled spiced meats. Serve over rice or as a spicy topping for pappadams and nan bread.

Sunshine Salsa

 

Makes 1 1/2 cups of salsa

 

4-5 seeded plum tomatoes chopped 

1 Tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

1 small seeded minced fresh jalapeno

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoon chopped red onion 

Juice of 1 orange

 Juice of 2 limes

 1 teaspoon el yucateco Chipotle sauce

 1 teaspoon honey

 Blend all ingredients and let rest 15 minutes.

 Serve with your favorite chips! Great for tacos and burritos

Ardoise

 to make juniper vodka for Ardoise

6 cups Stoli vodka or Absolute (you may use any vodka you like)

3/4 cup fresh picked juniper berries (mostly  purple & few green berries)

In a sauce pan steep juniper berries in vodka on low heat for 12-15 minutes. Crush a good amount of juniper berries with potato masher while in pot. Cool vodka mixture and pour into vodka bottle with half of juniper berries.  Strain vodka and discard remaining berries. Store in freezer or cool dark place indefinitly. 

   Ardoises for two

  juice of 5 fresh squeezed limes

2 Tablespoons of agave nectar* or substitute a simple syrup

1 cup of crushed ice

4 shots of juniper vodka

2 fresh sage leaves

2 champagne glasses (the old fashioned ones not the flutes)

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In a  metal shaker add ice, vodka, lime juice, agave syrup and shake vigorosly

pour into glasses, top each with fresh sage leaf

A surprisingly tasty, refreshing drink.  Reminiscent of a  real margarita but made with vodka and a a bit more personality!

I must give credit to Craigie On Main Restaurant in Cambridge for my first Ardoise encounter.  I did not get their recipe.This is my interpretation of their lovely cocktail!

Juniper vodka is a aromatic, can be used in many sauce recipes that call for dry white wine or dry vermouth. Additions of  a small amount of juniper vodka in sauces like  beurre blanc or a simple butter sauces for fish such as halibut or sole are truly worth trying! 

 

*Available at Gypsy Kitchen

Collard Green Slaw

serves 6-8

 

1  1/2 -2 lbs of fresh collard greens washed & chopped very thin( remove center stock)

2-3  plum tomatoes seeded and chopped fine

2  Tablespoons small red onion cut into very thin pieces

1-2 Tablespoons small yellow onion cut into very thin pieces

Dressing

   combine the following in a bowl

2  large cloves fresh garlic minced (about 1 teaspoon)

 1 teaspoon of iodized sea-salt

2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar

1/3  cup of extra virgin olive oil

 

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In a large platter combine greens, tomato and onions. Coat with dressing. Toss before serving

 Set aside for 1 hour. Serve with barbecue meats.

 

Can be made a day in advance. Store in refrigerator

Escargot -French Snails

  serves 2-3 people

 

 1 can French snails  rinsed & drained (12-18 snails) *

1 stick unsalted butter

 2  1/2  Tablespoons of fresh minced garlic

 2 Tablespoons of  chopped flat leaf parsley or (1 tablespoon each of chopped flat leaf &  fresh  chervil)

 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil*

 ¼ teaspoon of iodized sea-salt

 1 Tablespoon of dry vermouth or  dry white wine* 

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 Melt butter place in bowl

Add olive oil, garlic, salt, wine to butter.  

Add snails and parsley to bowl, coat snails, cover and refrigerate

Let snails marinade  6 hours  or overnight  for best results.

when ready to cook, microwave for 1 minute on med heat till butter liquifys prior to placing in snail dishes.

 

  Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Place snails in snail dishes. Cover in remaining butter mixture and cook 10-12 minutes till butter is bubbly. 

Serve with a crusty baguette or toast points and a glass of great red wine.

* Available at Gypsy Kitchen

Shrimp Pad Thai

serves 2-4

Have all items prepared and chopped before starting

 8 oz of rice stick noodles (half package)

3 Tablespoons of peanut oil

1/4 cup water

4 cloves fresh minced garlic

2-3 eggs

4 Tablespoons of  real lemon juice

3 Tablesppons of fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar

4 Tablespoons of corsly chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts

1/4 lb of raw shrimp with tails on 

1/4 cup of fresh bean sprouts

3/4 teaspoon of chile garlic sauce without seeds (preferrably Siracha)

3 whole scallions white & green parts cut into half inch slices

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro sprigs

 1 lime sliced into  wedges

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soak noodles in warm water 15-20 minutes till somewhat soft

scramble eggs and set aside

 Heat large skillet, add in oil and sautee garlic till golden

drain noodles and add to pan toss with garlic

slowly add lemon juice, fish sauce, vinegar, chile sauce, half of peanuts and sugar

toss noodles and add in shrimp and water

noodles will become soft within 4-6 minutes, add more water if needed 

 when shrimps start to turn pink, add in eggs, scallion and bean sprouts and toss.

place on platter

Cover with remaing peanuts. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges

Zucchini shitake sauté

Serves 4-6

2 large zucchini peeled and sliced julienne  about 1  1/2 -2 cups 

1 large yellow onion sliced julienne about 1 ½ cups

2 cups of chopped fresh shitake mushrooms sliced julienne

 3 large garlic cloves pureed

½ stick of unsalted butter

 ½ teaspoon chicken stock concentrated liquid chicken Bovril or 1 teaspoon of  Herb Ox chicken stock powder.

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (preferably Portuguese, Spanish or Lebanese)

Salt to taste

 

 Sautee garlic & zucchini in oil and butter. Add in onion, mushrooms, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, continue to sauté until all veggies are tender. Season with salt. Serve as a side  with grilled tuna steaks or teriyaki meat dishes.

Red Kidney Bean Soup

 

Serves 4-6

2   15.5 oz cans of dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained

1 large yellow onion chopped( aprox 1 & 1/2 cups)

1-2 large garlic cloves pureed

Half stick of unsalted butter

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

2-3 dashes of hot sauce( Parrot or Franks)

2 inches diced salt pork cut into cubes

3 bay leafs

2 teaspoons of sugar or honey

2 Herb- Ox chicken boullion cubes

1 ½ cups of milk

2 Tablespoons of deluxe cream sherry (preferrably Savory & James)

1 cup of cream or half and half

3 scallions white & green parts chopped for garnish 

2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrow root powder blended with ¼ c of warm water

 

 

In a soup pan sautee salt pork on low to med heat till crispy. discard salt pork pieces. Add butter to fat drippings and sautee onion and garlic till translucent. Add in beans. On medium heat add in milk, cream, bay leafs, boullion cube, hot sauce, sugar, bring to a simmer. Add in sherry.

Add in cornstarch, stir until soup thickens. Correct seasoning (add salt).  Serve and top each bowl with chopped parsley, scallions and fresh ground pepper. great with a hunk of crusty buttered bread.

CAPE VERDIAN RICE AND BEANS

 

 

serves 6-8 as a side 

4 cups of cooked long grain white rice ( preferrably uncle bens converted)

1/2 cup each of hulled  frozen edamame or lima beans

1/4 cup each of cooked pigeon peas and black beans

1/2 cup fresh minced chopped kale or collard greens

1/2 cup of chopped red onion

  2-3 cloves fresh minced garlic

1 teaspoon of Bijol seasoning (turns rice yellow) may substitute  2 packets of Goya Sazon with achiote packets if Bijol is not available.

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil ( preferably Spanish or Portuguese oil )

 sea salt to taste

1/2  cup of chicken stock

 Sautee garlic and kale in olive oil til tender. Add in  beans, chicken stock,  bijol or sazon and mix in rice.  Add in onion, simmer  on low 7-10  minutes and add salt to taste.