Baked Stuffed Clams

serves 4-6

• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 pound of chopped clams (2 cups)
• 2 Tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine
• 1/2 teaspoons of sweet paprika
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped jalapeno-drained pickled jalapeno or cherry peppers can be substituted
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 cup of ground dried chorizo
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of granulated garlic powder
• 2–5 dashes of Gypsy Juice or Parrot hot sauce
• 1 medium onion minced
• 2 Tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup of plain bread crumbs, preferably homemade
• 1 lemon
• 6–8 small ramekins, scallop or large sea clam shells lightly greased
•  Preheat oven to 400° F.

1. Heat 10 inch or larger saute pan and melt butter
2. Saute onion and chorizo and jalapeno together for 4-5 minutes on medium heat and set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl combine bread crumbs, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, hot sauce, wine and clams and mix thoroughly. Add contents of saute pan to the bowl and mix. Add desired amount of clam stuffing to scallop shells or ramekins and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15–18 minutes. Serve with Gypsy Juice hot sauce and fresh lemon.

Chopped Watercress Salad

Serves 4-6

This salad is colorful as well as crunchy

2-3 bunches of watercress washed and spun dry
1 small red onion chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese- preferably Valdeon or Jasper Hill Bailey Hazen blue
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1 head of Belgium endive sliced julienne
1 small red pepper seeded, remove rib and cut into small pieces

You will need a large salad bowl

Prepare watercress by cutting off lower thick stems, keep small leaves and chop into bite size pieces and place in bowl
add endive, red pepper and onion
top with nuts and cheese, set aside

Rice vinaigrette

whisk the following ingredients in a small bowl set aside

3 tablespoons of Marukan seasoned rice vinegar
pinch of sea salt
pinch white pepper
2 tablespoons of a fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of walnut or hazelnut oil

To maintain the delicate nature of watercress it is essential not to dress salad until serving time

Lemon Thyme Risotto

Serves 4-6

Flavor flavor flavor. One could just eat this and be happy! Perfect side for Mediterranean dishes

I love thyme and lemon and use them often.

1 lb of arborio rice

¾ cup of dry vermouth

3-4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1 ½ cups onion minced

1 ½ tablespoons garlic minced (reserve ¼ teaspoon)

Juice  and zest of 2 lemons

2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves off stem

2-3 bay leafs

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ stick unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 ½ tablespoons grated aged Piave or aged Parmesan cheese

Takes aprox 45 minutes to hour

In 12 inch saute pan heat olive oil and butter and cook rice till translucent

Sauté onions and garlic

Add in small amounts of vermouth & chicken stock and continue simmering.

Add bay leafs , thyme. pepper, salt

Continue adding small amounts of vermouth & chicken stock each time rice needs fluid. Stir in remainder of garlic, lemon juice, and cover on low for 2-3 minutes till lemon juice is absorbed

Remove bay leafs

Top with parsley, cheese, zest and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve!

Crème of Parsnip Soup

Serves 4-6

Parsnips are one of my favorite vegetables. Their appearance is similar to a white carrot with a lot of flavor. This creamy soup is the perfect start to any meal.

1 lb of parsnips peeled & cut
1 cup of onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1  large potato peeled and cut
¼ teaspoon of white pepper
½ teaspoon of  sea-salt

1/2 stick of unsalted butter
4 cups chicken stock or 2 herb ox chicken cubes to 4 cups water or substitute vegetable broth

2 bay leafs

1 cup of heavy cream

Suggested Garnishes (optional)

drizzle of white truffle oil in each serving

garlic croutons

fresh snipped chives

fresh grated nutmeg

directions

2 quart covered soup pot

Sauté onion, garlic in butter till translucent
Add parsnips, bay leaf, pepper, potato, salt, chicken stock

Cook on medium- low heat covered until till parsnips are fork tender (25-30 minutes)
Remove bay leafs

Puree soup with a hand held immersion blender
Add cream and return to low heat for 8-10 minutes

Serve piping hot in bowls and  garnish with your choice of truffle oil, chives , croutons or nutmeg

Grilled Artichoke Hearts

Serves 6-8

If you love artichokes here is a side you will want to feature often and  a bit  exotic

Beautiful plated with grilled chicken breasts, shrimp, lamb or beef kabobs

 

 

2 14 oz cans of whole artichoke hearts drained and squeezed dry

place hearts  on skewers in 2 inch deep  rectangle tray

 

Marinade

In a bowl whisk the following:

4-5 garlic  cloves thru a press

1 tablespoon of prepared Dijon mustard

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1  medium finely minced shallot

1/2 tsp of sea salt

¼ tsp of fresh ground pepper

 

Garnish ( optional)

1 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley

extra lemon wedges

drizzle of your best olive oil

 

 

cover skewers in marinade and coat evenly

Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight. Turn skewers occasionally

 

Grilll 4-7 minutes. You may serve on skewers or artichokes may also be remove and plated.

Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Serve with additional lemon wedges

Lemon Garlic Hummus

Makes about  4 cups

2 cans 15.5 oz chick peas rinsed and drained (discard any dark discolored ones)

2 teaspoons  sea-salt
¼- 1/2 cup of water (I use distilled)

4  large cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of tahini paste
Juice of 2 large lemons
½ cup -¾ cup of  extra virgin olive oil

In a large food processor add tahini, garlic, salt and half of lemon juice, half of olive oil  and blend till paste

Add in half of chick peas,water  and puree

Add  remaining lemon juice,chick peas,oil and puree till creamy. Add a small amount of water and puree if  you desire a thinner hummus.

Serve with toasted pita chips or warm pita bread

Last in refrigerator  in covered container  for one week

Fried Lobby Rangoon – Lobster Rangoon

Makes 22-24 wonton’s

I just adore crab rangoon and many of us foodies love lobster so why not lobby rangoon! These are crispy and delicious and really take no time at all. Guaranteed to disappear once  served!

5 oz of cooked lobster meat drained dried & chopped (shrimp or crab can be substituted)

¼ teaspoon of white pepper
¼ teaspoon of sea salt
6 oz of whipped or soft cream cheese
½ teaspoon of cornstarch
1 tablespoon of grated carrot
1/8^th teaspoon ground Grenadian nutmeg
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon of fresh snipped chives or green part of 1 scallion chopped fine

Package of yellow square wonton wrappers (available at Asian markets)
2 cups of sunflower or safflower oil

In a bowl blend cream cheese, carrots, salt, pepper, garlic powder cornstarch, and nutmeg
Incorporate chives and lobster till blended and set aside

Assembling wonton

Crab Cakes with Chipotle Dipping Sauce

  

 

These crab cakes are very tasty. They have alot of ingredients but they are worth it!

 

Chipotle dipping sauce

 

3/4 cup Kraft or Hellmann’s mayonnaise or  you may substitute sour cream

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1 finely minced garlic clove or teaspoon of garlic powder

1½ teaspoons El Yucateco Chipotle sauce

2 teaspoons of sugar or agave syrup

1 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Whisk together in medium bowl and set aside

 

For the Crab Cakes

½ cup Kraft or Hellmann’s mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons flat leaf parsley chopped fine

2 Tablespoon Roland hot Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

few dashes of parrot hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

12 Ritz crackers crumbled

3 scallions finely chopped, white & green parts

1 teaspoon mirin cooking wine

1 egg

2 Tablespoons corn starch

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon agave syrup or sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup of panko bread crumbs*

1 lb of fresh crab meat- squeezed out moisture and flake

½ cup sunflower oil for frying

1 large saute pan

　

Mix all ingredients except panko bread crumbs and sunflower oil

 Form desired size cakes

Coat cakes in panko crumbs and set on tray

Heat saute pan medium to high heat

Add oil

Fry in 5-7 minutes each till slightly golden and plate

Keep warm in oven  on baking sheet at 325°. Serve with Chipotle dipping sauce

TIP: You can substitute  same amount of any of the following fishes in place of crab meat: haddock, cod, hake, tilapia or skai fish

　

Japanese Avocado & Crab Salad

 

Serves two

This is that yummy avocado salad many sushi restaurants serve. Now you can make it at home any time! 

2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced in cubes

1/4 cup of mayonnaise preferable Kewpie soy from Japan

1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds

5-6 crab sticks thawed, squeeze out moisture and shred or substitute 1/3 cup of fresh crab meat

Juice of half a lemon

1/2 teaspoon of Sriracha chili sauce

1 tablespoon of flying fish eggs or capellini roe (available frozen in Asian markets)

Dash of sea salt

2 large martini glasses

2 tablespoons micro-greens or baby pea pod shoots placed at the bottom of each glass

　

　

Dressing

  

 

In a medium size bowl mix mayonnaise,lemon juice,chili sauce, sesame seeds and sea salt and mix well

Add avocado, crab and fish eggs and mix

Spoon mixture into martini glasses, serve chilled

Salads may be topped with sesame seeds, chopped scallion or additional fish eggs before serving

　

　

　

　

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Gypsamole- Guacamole with Gypsy Juice

Anyone who loves guacamole can not get enough of this dip.  This recipe is dedicated to Rosalie Cryan of Quincy, MA who was our first customer of Gypsy Juice when it became available in the bottle.

serves 4-6

4-5 ripe Hass avocados peeled and remove seed (reserve 1 seed in case of left overs)

4-5 tablesoons of Gypsy Juice hot sauce

Add avocados to medium sized bowl

Mash avocados with a fork and add Gypsy Juice till well blended

 

If you desire guacamole hotter? Add more Gypsy Juice

Serve with nacho chips, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, a topping on burgers  or a spread for turkey and sandwich roll-ups.

 TIP:This dip will keep overnight if you place one avocado seed inside the bowl and cover the top of guacamole with Saran wrap.  Covering top of gucamole means tha the plastic wrap is in direct contact with dip and not just covering the top of the bowl. This step allows for limited oxydation of the precious guacamole so that it will maintain its fresh green color.