Showing posts with label #SundaySupper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #SundaySupper. Show all posts

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Coronation Chicken Deviled Eggs

These coronation chicken deviled eggs combine the British classic coronation chicken salad with the American classic deviled eggs for a cross-cultural potluck dish that is sure to please on both sides of the Atlantic.

Not familiar with Coronation Chicken? Read my post all about it here.

A number of weeks ago we were invited to a Champagne tasting at a friend’s home. He holds them about once a year, quite casual evenings with good food and good friends. We taste and rate the various Champagnes – the theme this time was rosé - first with appetizers and then we drink the balance of the many bottles with our meal. Of course, my first question is always, “What can I bring?” When the response came back “appetizers,” I knew I wanted to make deviled eggs but not plain Jane ones. Something unusual but still delicious. Where I come from we put eggs in both our chicken salad and tuna salad so adding eggs to coronation chicken seemed like a fine idea. And making it all into something handheld like deviled eggs was ideal for appetizers.

This week my Sunday Supper family are sharing our best recipes for a potluck so those coronation chicken deviled eggs came to mind. Like all deviled eggs, they are the perfect dish to bring along to share with friends and family. Make sure you scroll down to the bottom to see our wonderful link list of all of our best potluck recipes. Many thanks to our host today, T.R. of Gluten-free Crumbley!

Ingredients
For the deviled eggs:
10 eggs
1/2 cup or 70g chopped, cooked chicken
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons curry powder, plus a little to sprinkle for garnish
3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon spicy chutney
1/2 tart apple
Good squeeze lemon juice (to keep the apple from browning)
2 tablespoons pomegranate arils, plus extra for garnish

For garnish:
Curry powder
A little chopped parsley
Extra pomegranate arils

Method
In a pan where they can sit in in one layer, cover the eggs with cool water and bring to the boil over medium heat. Cover the pan, remove it from the stove and set a timer for 10 minutes.

Drain and cover the eggs with more cool water.

When they are cool enough to handle, peel the eggs. Cut them in half and put the yolks in a mixing bowl. Cover the whites with cling film so they don’t dry out, and refrigerate them.

Use a fork to mash the egg yolks until they are a fine crumble.



Add the chicken, salt and curry powder to the egg yolks and mix well.



Add three tablespoons of mayonnaise, two tablespoons of Greek yogurt and one of spicy chutney to the egg mixture. Mix well again.


If the mixture seems dry, add the final tablespoons of mayo and yogurt. Mix again.


This looks about right!

Squeeze some lemon juice into a small bowl. Peel and dice your half apple, pushing the pieces off the cutting board and into the lemon juice as you cut so they don’t turn brown.



Add your apple and pomegranate to the mixture and, you guessed it, mix well.



Lay your egg whites out in a serving dish.

Spoon the egg mixture into the egg whites or put it into a Ziploc bag and cut off the corner so you can squeeze the filling into the whites.



Decorate them with a sprinkling more of curry powder, some pomegranate arils and some chopped parsley.



Enjoy!

How many invitations do you have for potluck get-togethers this summer? I hope you didn't answer too many, because we've got you today covered with 47 recipes perfect for potlucks.

Appetizers
Sides and Salads
The Main
Desserts


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Posted by at 2:30:00 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, May 22, 2016

Grilled Shrimp Corn Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette

This beautiful grilled shrimp corn salad with avocado vinaigrette can be enjoyed as a main course for two or three or as an appetizer for more. 

This week my Sunday Supper group is sharing grilling recipes. Since weather is unpredictable, the powers that be are being flexible and allowing us to use grill pans too. Or share recipes associated with grilling like sauces, rubs and spices. You will find lots of inspiration and deliciousness in the link list below. Many thanks to our host this week, Sue from Palatable Pastime.

Use your grill pan or actual grill to roast the corn on the cob and cook the seasoned shrimp before adding them to a fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and feta. The vinaigrette with avocado adds a subtle creaminess that is bright with flavor. Serve the whole shebang on top of some leafy greens.

Ingredients
For the salad:
2 ears corn
1 lb 13 3/4 oz or 860g cleaned, peeled shrimp (I leave the little tail on though because I like the way they look.)
Sea salt
Black pepper
Cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cucumbers
4.4 oz or 125g grape tomatoes
1 shallot or purple onion
6 1/3 oz or 180g goat’s milk feta, crumbled
Good handful flat leaf parsley

For the avocado vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Few grinds black pepper
Healthy pinch flakey sea salt
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium avocados

To serve: Clean mixed greens or arugula

Method
Season your shrimp with a good sprinkle of fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne. Add in the two tablespoons of olive oil, mix well and set aside.



Heat your grill pan till it’s smoking hot and cook the corn on the cob, turning several times until it’s got charred marks all over. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.



Add shrimp to the hot grill pan and cook for just a few minutes on each side until they are cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.



Halve then quarter your cucumbers lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to remove the seeds from the middle. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces.

My helper is a huge fan of cucumber innards so he’s always poised waiting for this part of the job.


When the corn is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off.



Half your grape tomatoes, chop your purple onion and parsley. Pile them all in a big bowl with the cucumber, corn and crumbled feta. Toss to combine.


Add in the shrimp and toss again.

Add all of the dressing ingredients, except the avocado, to another glass bowl and whisk to combine.

When you are almost ready to serve the salad, scoop the avocado into the dressing bowl and stir well to coat the avocado pieces.



Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to mix it in.



Serve as is or on top of some fresh mixed greens.

Enjoy!



Check out this great link list for grilling inspiration:

Patio Libations
Let’s Get This BBQ Started!
The Main Event
On a Side Note
Saucy Sentiments and Rebellious Rubs
Finishing Touches


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Posted by at 2:30:00 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Long Beans with Coconut

Fresh long beans with coconut milk are rich and spicy, though the coconut milk helps mellow the potency of the red chili peppers.



This week my Sunday Supper group is sharing their favorite regional recipes, the ones that define home for them, whether from their place of origin or an adopted city or state that became home. I must confess that I struggled with this one. I’ve called so many cities home, growing to love each and every one from the little Podunk oilfield town of Balikpapan, Indonesia to Paris, the City of Love. And, of course, that doesn’t even take into account my birthplace New Iberia, Louisiana or Houston, Texas which I list as my hometown on Facebook. How to choose just one recipe?

One of the first things I do when we move to a new place is to wander up and down every aisle of the nearest local grocery store or food market. My goal is not necessarily to make an immediate purchase but to see what they have that we love or to discover new unfamiliar ingredients. Take these long beans, for instance. They are common in Asia, often easier to find than the normal green beans I grew up with. And since the long beans are locally grown, most of the time they are cheaper too. They look a bit alien, all curled up in bunches tied with a bit of string or a rubber band to keep them tidy. The little beans inside are larger than our US green beans and have a tinge of purple around the edges.

While I have made my grandmother’s green beans with baby new potatoes and Clara’s Garlicky Green Beans and Carrots with them, somehow they seem to go better with a more Asian style recipe. This one with spicy coconut originates in either Indonesia or Malaysia. They both claim it, but since I’ve called both places home, I’m not going to name one and get the other riled up.

Ingredients
1 lb or 450g long beans
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1-2 red chili peppers
1 tablespoon canola or other light oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup or 60 ml thick coconut milk (Scoop out the stuff that floats to the top of the can.)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cut the tips off one end of your long beans and then cut them at an angle into more manageable pieces, discarding the tips at the other end as well.



Cut your peeled onion in half and slice it thinly. Slice the garlic and finely chop the peppers.



Bring a large pot of water to the boil and tip in the long beans.

Boil for 2-3 minutes then drain them in a colander. Run cool water over them to stop the cooking process.



In a pan large enough to stir the green beans later, sauté the onions, chili peppers and garlic in the oil until they soften. Add in the ground spices and sauté for a few minutes more.



Pour in the thick coconut milk and stir well to combine.



Add in the blanched long beans and stir again to coat the beans with the now spicy coconut milk.



Sprinkle on salt to taste and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper and stir again.


You can cook the beans longer if you like them softer. We prefer them pretty crunchy so I cook them just a couple of minutes in the coconut milk so it evaporates a bit and clings to them.

This dish can be served warm or cold so it's perfect for bringing along to your next potluck or barbecue as well.

Enjoy!



What meal or dish means home to you? Perhaps you’ll find it in this list of favorite regional recipes from the rest of the Sunday Supper tastemakers. Many thanks to Sue from Palatable Pastime for hosting this great event!

Appetizers
Beverages and Breakfast 
Salads and Sauces

Side Dishes and Soups

 Main Dishes
Desserts



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Sunday, April 17, 2016

Grilled Lamb Skewers with Roasted Carrots

These grilled lamb skewers are made with tender marinated leg of lamb chunks, cooked over high heat in a grill pan, then left to rest on sweet roasted young spring carrots. A sprinkle of feta and mint lend even more flavor and just the right touch of saltiness to this flavorful dish.
 


A number of years ago, when we were living in Kuala Lumpur, I had a friend who would buy the organic new baby carrots, greens still attached, that would turn up on occasion in one of our grocery stores. They weren’t cheap but she said that they were worth the splurge. As much as I like carrots, I didn’t imagine that she could be correct. Who would pay that much – don’t remember the exact amount except that it seemed like a lot – for carrots? Not me. After all, how special could they be?

Last week I decided that a simple spring vegetable minestrone would be the perfect recipe to share on the Sunday Supper Movement website for today’s Welcome Spring event, and since it was for the website and not just this little blog, I did splurge. I bought freshly hulled peas, fine French beans, baby zucchini, baby leeks and tiny corn on the cob along with a large bunch of spring carrots, greens still attached. Such a pot of sweet wonderfulness.



I used just a couple of the carrots in the soup so I started looking for another recipe to show off the rest. My original plan for this post was simply spring lamb but when I came across a recipe on Bon Appétit for lamb skewers with carrots, it seemed like kismet. (Which comes from the Arabic word for fate, by the way.)

Of course, Bon Appétit being Bon Appétit, the dish was complicated with two marinades and then a dressing, so I simplified it down to one marinade for the lamb and a mere sprinkling of feta and mint for the finished dish. Ain’t nobody got time for all that. I can’t imagine how this could be improved upon. It was perfect in every way and the carrots were fabulous. Sweet, tender and with such wonderful flavor. Now I know what my friend was talking about! Next time I make this, I will double the carrots so I suggest you do too. I’ve already been back to the store and bought another bunch.

Ingredients to serve 2-3
For the spring lamb skewers:
1 lb 3oz or 540g leg lamb chunks

For the lamb marinade:
2 large garlic cloves
1 small red chili pepper
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 cup or 60ml dry white wine
1 teaspoon large grain sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil

For the oven roasted spring carrots:
9 1/3 oz or 265g spring carrots
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (a good drizzle to coat)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To serve:
8-10 fresh mint leaves
2 oz or 57g crumbled feta
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces and put them in a Ziploc bag.


Mince your garlic and red chili pepper. Strip the rosemary leaves off of the stems and chop them finely.

Add all the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl up to and including the black pepper, then whisk in the olive oil until well blended.



Pour the marinade into the bag with the lamb. Mix it around until the lamb is well coated, then press all of the air out and seal. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but you can also make this early in the day and leave it marinating till you are ready to cook dinner. Mine marinated about three hours.

To roast the carrots, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Scrub the carrots well and cut the long tops of the greens off. You can leave on a little bit for color, if desired. If some of the carrots are thicker than the others, cut them in half lengthwise.

Pile the carrots on a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then spread them out so they aren't touching each other.



Roast in the preheated oven until lovely and golden and caramelized, turning once in the middle of roasting time of about 20-25 minutes.



Thread your lamb onto wooden skewers cut to fit snugly in your grill pan. Discard the bag with the marinade.


Heat the pan over high heat. You’ll need to turn your extractor fan on or perhaps even open a window because this is going to smoke. But it’s going to be fast and worth it, I promise.

Once your pan is scorching hot, lay four of the lamb skewers in it, quickly searing one side. You don’t want to crowd the grill pan so don’t try to cook them all at once.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on that side, then turn and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

This will leave your small bites of lamb still pink inside. If you want them done more, cook for another minute or two on each side. I encourage you to leave them pink inside though, because they will be more tender.

As you remove the cooked lamb from the grill pan, rest the skewers on the roasted carrots.

Continue until all of your lamb skewers are done and are resting on the carrots. Give the whole pan another few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Crumble the feta and rip the mint leaves onto the lamb and carrots.



Enjoy!



Who is ready to welcome spring with me? My Sunday Supper family sure is. Check out all the lovely spring recipes they are sharing today!

Breakfast:
Appetizers:
Beverages:
Main Dishes:
Side Dishes:
Desserts:




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Sunday, April 10, 2016

Beef Wellington Bites

A traditional Beef Wellington is made with whole tenderloin wrapped in puff pastry along with mushrooms duxelles and foie gras. These beef Wellington bites are the finger food version made with choux pastry puffs.

Let me start by saying that this dish was the result of leftovers of the very best kind. I made duxelles for a different dish and ended up sharing it for a group post celebrating mushrooms. And I had frozen choux pastry from a croquembouche challenge. When a weekend barbecue left me with a couple of grilled filet mignon steaks, it suddenly came to me that I had the makings of beef Wellington of a sort and just needed some foie gras or liver paté. Oh, we dined richly that night! I'd been waiting for the ideal time to share them when Sunday Supper announced a Finger Food for Dinner theme. Perfect!

Make sure you scroll down to see all the wonderful fork-free dishes we are sharing today, from appetizers through desserts. Many thanks to our host Christie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures and her guiding light, Marion from Life Tastes Good.

Ingredients
For the duxelles:
3 oz or 85g shallots
1/3 cup or 75g butter
12 oz or 340g mushrooms
1 cup or 240ml dry white wine
1 cup or 240ml whipping cream
Sea salt
Black pepper
- Instructions here  You may not use the whole recipe. Stir the rest through some pasta. Or eat it with a spoon.

For the choux pastry:
1 cup or 125g plain flour
1 pinch salt
7 tablespoons or 100g butter
1 cup or 240ml water
4 eggs, at room temperature
- The dough makes about 50 small choux buns. They freeze well before baking!

For assembly: Makes 18 Beef Wellington Bites
6 oz or 170g grilled tenderloin steak
6 oz or 170g smooth duck or pork paté, at room temperature

Method
Make your duxelles ahead of time and store the bowl in the refrigerator. Do not leave it out as you work, because its volume will greatly decrease, spoon by spoon, if it's handy. That stuff is GOOD.

Now we'll make the choux pastry. Preheat your oven to 445°F or 230°C and prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper stuck down with a little non-stick spray. If you are feeling particularly anal, as I usually am, you can draw some circles to guide you on the underside of the parchment paper.

Sift together your flour and a pinch of salt and put the bowl right next to the stove in readiness.

In a medium pot, combine the butter and water and bring to the boil.



Pour the flour/salt mixture into the boiling water/butter all at once. Stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball and pulls right away from the sides. This takes just a minute or two.



Now take the pot off of the stove and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with your wooden spoon in between. With each addition, it looks like the egg won’t mix in and the dough starts to fall apart but keep mixing and after a couple of minutes of hard labor, the dough comes together again in one big lump and it’s time to add the next egg.


After the fourth egg has been thoroughly incorporated, put the dough into a piping bag with a large tip, about 1/2 in or 1 cm wide.

Pipe the soft dough on the parchment paper in 1 inch or 2.5cm circles about an equal measure apart from each other.


Poke down any pointy tops with a damp finger.


Bake in your preheated oven for 10 minutes then turn the temperature down to 400°F or 200°C and bake for a further 25 minutes. (OR you can now pop them in the freezer if you want to keep some for later.  You only need 18 for the Beef Wellington Bites. Once frozen, slip them off the parchment and into a Ziploc bag for storage. They are perfect for sweet or savory fillings and can be taken out of the freezer and baked as you need them.)

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Once they are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve, warm your duxelles and your tenderloin steaks. Slice the steaks thinly.



Split the choux buns open horizontally. Add a good spoon of the duxelles to the bottom. Top with sliced steak and finally, add a small slice of paté.



Put the top of the choux bun back on and repeat the process until all the Beef Wellington Bites are assembled.

Enjoy!



Do you enjoy Finger Foods for Dinner? I think they are great for movie nights but in our house we also always do all appetizers for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve as well.

I want everything on this list!

Pinky Appetizers
Manual Mains
Digit Desserts


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Posted by at 1:40:00 AM 0 comments
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