FRUITY SPINACH SALAD WITH RASPBERRY POPPYSEED DRESSING WITH GRILLED SEAFOOD AND WARM CAMBOZOLA CHEESE

               FRUITY SPINACH SALAD WITH  RASPBERRY POPPYSEED DRESSING
                                                                  WITH
                GRILLED SEAFOOD AND WARM CAMBOZOLA CHEESE

In the early eighties, fruit flavored vinegars were just beginning to show themselves to the Foody
World. They were hard to find and quite expensive to buy. I was in the process of opening my retail
catering shop when I realized I could make my own vinegars to sell . It was early summer and I began to stock pile fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and any other fresh fruit I could get my hands on ! A month before I opened my doors to the public, I had huge plastic tubs of mashed fruits and white vinegar fermenting in the back of the building. When the time came, I boiled them and strained them into sterilized bottles. They were stunning ! All the different jewel colored bottles, lined up and labelled with my own silver and burgundy labels! There must have been two hundred of them. They were definitely a focal point of my grand opening ! I was very excited about this product ! Apparently, I was the only one ! Although customers  found them very enticing and trendy, very few actually bought them. That is, with the exception of the raspberry vinegar which was the key ingredient in our popular Raspberry Poppyseed Dressing we served over our Fruity Spinach Salad. Customers couldn't get enough of that. The rest of my beautiful, jewelled bottles became dust collectors, faded versions of their glorious selves and I ended up dumping them out ! The world was not quite ready for them !
Eventually, years later. I came to realize if I just used fresh raspberries and white vinegar for my dressing, it was every bit as good if not better than the original . Go figure ! So today I bring you my original Fruity Spinach Salad with a couple of added attractions, hot grilled seafood and warm , runny Cambozola Cheese. Cambozola Cheese is a combination of a creamy Camembert and Gorgonzola so has a definite Bleu cheese flavor. If this disrupts the tones a bit for you try substituting a mild Brie. Either way, this decadent salad is a summer evening must have, especially with raspberry season upon us !!

                FRUITY SPINACH SALAD WITH RASPBERRY POPPYSEED DRESSING
                                                                WITH
                            GRILLED SEAFOOD AND WARM CAMBOZOLA CHEESE

DRESSING  : 1 cup fresh raspberries
                        4 Tbsp vinegar
                        1 Tbsp minced purple onion
                        4 Tbsp maple syrup
                        1 Tbsp poppy seeds
                        1/2 cup olive oil
                        4 oz Cambozola Cheese heated in microwave until slightly melted and runny.
                        Scallops, fresh salmon and jumbo prawns, tossed in olive oil and grilled or sauteed.
                        (about 2-3 pieces of each per serving)

METHOD;      Mix all ingredients except oil in blender or food processor for one minute.
                        Slowly add oil and blend until thick and creamy.
                        Arrange spinach on plates. top with fresh kiwi, mandarin oranges and fresh
                        raspberries. Arrange grilled or sauteed seafood
                        on top of salad while still hot. Drizzle with dressing and spoon softened cheese
                        on top. Top with fresh cracked pepper.

           

BLACKBERRY CARROT PICNIC CAKE

BLACKBERRY CARROT PICNIC CAKE

When I was seventeen and well into my passion for cooking and baking, my mom gave me a recipe from a Foody friend of hers. It was Carrot Cake ! What ???? This was 1969 and I had never heard of such a thing ! But I was absolutely intrigued ! I went right to work on this mystical concoction. Grated carrots (3 cups yet !) crushed pineapple , lots of oil and cinnamon and all baked up in an angel food tin. Of course, now there are bundt pans designed just for these style of cakes. To add to the allure, it was topped with a decadent icing made with cream cheese ! That was it for me !I couldn’t stop making it ! I remember my “bestie” and I whipping it up late at night and not even having the patience to let it cool ! We smeared this wonderful frosting all over the still hot cake and dug in , melted cake and icing all over us ! But what I really loved was offering people a slice of Carrot Cake and watching their reaction . No thanks. I really don’t like carrots, was the usual response. But the reaction I remember by far was that of my brand new, best ever boyfriend who really loved his food ! No. I can’t eat that, thanks anyway. Well, I forced him to try just one bite and he never left !! He is still here ! And loves carrot cake almost as much as he loves me !

For ages after that it still remained unknown until it exploded onto the food scene about ten years later. There are many versions of it today but one that really stuck with me I found in the August 1988 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine. It was called Blueberry Carrot Picnic Cake and the very thought of it conjures up a summer picnic with a blue checkered tablecloth, cold chicken and this ! Just as I suspected, it was wonderful ! I was going to make one for a special friend’s birthday when I thought of blackberries. It was late August and blackberries were everywhere , my yard , my mom’s yard, down the lane, down by the beach . Everywhere ! Big sweet, juicy, free blackberries, just waiting to be part of my Carrot Cake ! The result was amazing ! Well that was then and this cake still holds its own ! All the commercial Carrot Cakes out there can’t begin to compete with the one you bake yourself at home !

So, today, just to trend things up a little, I poured a beautiful, purple mirror glaze over the frosted cake . It is a spectacular presentation and really fun to try. The glaze goes together easily and must be poured over a frozen cake. But even without the glaze, this Blackberry Carrot Picnic Cake continues to remain in a class of its own !

                                  BLACKBERRY CARROT PICNIC CAKE

2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 3 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients together. Set aside.

I cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 4 eggs, 1 cup corn oil, 3 cups grated carrots, 2 cups blackberries

Whisk together sugars, eggs and oil. Stir in carrots. Stir in dry ingredients and mix well.

Fold in blackberries. Spoon batter into well greased bundt pan or angel food tin. 

Bake in oven preheated to 375 degrees for 1 hour. Cool completely.

                                      

                                 CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

12 oz softened cream cheese, 4 oz softened butter, 2 tsp vanilla, 3 cups (approx) icing sugar

Beat altogether until thick and fluffy and very spreadable. You may need a bit more or a bit less icing sugar. Frost cooled cake and freeze overnight or a few hours if you are doing the mirror glaze.

                                                 MIRROR GLAZE

2 packages gelatin, 1 cup luke warm water, 1 ½ cups sugar, ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk

11 oz white chocolate chips,melted,  gel food coloring (purple)

Soak gelatin in ¼ cup of the water. Mix the rest of the water and the sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and stir until sugar dissolves. Do not let mixture boil. Over medium low heat, stir in melted chocolate and gelatin. Stir until smooth and completely mixed. Remove from heat. Stir in coloring. Cool to 90 degrees or luke warm. 

Pour over frozen cake.

THE ULTIMATE GRILLED CHEESE

THE ULTIMATE GRILLED CHEESE

Many years ago, when I owned my little beachside bistro,
we became quite popular for our unique lunch menu.
It was a simple, seasonal , little place and we did just that , kept things very simple.
The wine list was good but not extensive and nor was the menu.
We had lovely fresh salads like Sun Dried Tomato Caesar and  Fruity Spinach Salad
with warm Brie and roasted pecans. We featured Langostino (baby lobster)
and papaya on a crusty sourdough roll. We roasted our own turkey breast and
served  a turkey sandwich with fresh cranberries and cream cheese.
But our most popular item by far was the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich !
It was a special mixture of Goat Cheese, Mozzarella, cream cheese and purple onion.
This was scooped onto hearty Ancient Grain Bread, topped with spinach and Jalapeno 
Jelly and grilled to perfection. So well received ! And today the only change
I  made is swapping the cream cheese for a rich Brie ! 

I only had this little place a couple of years, as the original owners had gone away
and were now coming back . But I have the sweetest memories of  this experience as
I worked side by side with my two boys. The oldest, with much restaurant experience,
managed it and my youngest, just out of high school, assisted me.
He ended up as a chef himself  ! We all look fondly back on this  very special time . 
It certainly  was a simpler time !

                            THE ULTIMATE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

½ cup soft Goat Cheese ,
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese ,
¼ cup minced purple onion , 
3 Tbsp mayonnaise, 
fresh spinach,
slices of Brie Cheese,
Jalapeno Jelly (see previous blog) 

softened butter.
4 slices hearty bread of choice (sourdough or Twelve Grain are good)

Mix together Goat Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, onion and mayonnaise.

Spread mixture thickly on bottom slices of bread.

Top with spinach and slices of Brie.

Spread jelly on top slices of bread and sandwich together with bottoms.

Butter both sides of the sandwiches and grill in a heavy skillet ,
medium heat until golden brown.

Turn and grill the other side. 

The Brie should be slightly melted and oozing out ! Amazing !

Little tip ! Prepare sandwiches but do not grill. Wrap and chill. Grill when ready to serve.

Cut into triangles or small squares and serve as an appie !
(it may be easier to cut them before grilling but do not over grill as it will be messy). 

  

SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD WITH JALAPENO JELLY

     SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD WITH JALAPENO JELLY

                                 

Few breads have stayed with me over these many , foody years as my Shredded Wheat Bread. What a discovery that was !! In the early years of my catering, although I was making all kinds of breads , all the time, this one I knew was a winner as soon as I found it ! It was soft and spongy and sweet with an oh, so familiar flavor ! The funny thing is, I remember this bread being so much darker in color when I used to make it. Maybe molasses, a key ingredient, has changed in some way. This time I used Fancy Molasses but next time I will try Black Strap Molasses. Of course, Old Fashioned Shredded Wheat Biscuits are the main ingredients. Boiling water is poured over the biscuits to soften them. When you add the yeast, always be sure this mixture has cooled to room temperature. Extreme, sudden heat kills active yeast. As well as butter and fine cheeses, especially Brie, my Jalapeno Jelly is a wonderful accompaniment ! I always used a pectin such as Certo to make it but one day I discovered you don’t need it if you like a soft, runny jelly instead of a firm one. And it uses much less sugar !

Many catering buffets and restaurant menus of mine, featured this lovely, comforting bread and I can’t begin to tell you how it showcases a Turkey Sandwich with fresh cranberry sauce !

I recall featuring this bread at a small catering function and decided to take the dough with me and bake it there so the beautiful aroma would be all through the house. I took my young helper with me and I remember it was quite a long drive. She was sitting in the back of the car and happened to notice my dough was not rising. I kept asking her every five minutes if it was now . Nope. Just a lump of dough. And this is why I do not miss being a caterer ! When something goes wrong at the last moment, you can’t always fix it ! It hit me like a ton of bricks ! I forgot the  yeast ! By the time we got there I was a hot mess ! But here is what I did. I rolled the dough into a long tube and smothered it with melted butter and baked it . I presented it as my shredded Wheat Quick Bread. No, it did not rise one little bit but I sliced in in thin rounds and topped each one with cream cheese and jalapeno Jelly and served it as an appie ! And everyone loved it  and yes, the house did smell amazing ! So hope you try it and please remember the yeast !

                                                     

                                           SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD

3 Shredded Wheat Biscuits, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup Black Strap Molasses, 2tsp  salt, 3 Tbsp butter

2 cups boiling water

Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl . Add boiling water. Sir well and let cool to look warm.

Meanwhile, dissolve 2 Tbsp dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar in ½ cup warm water. When first mixture is cooled, stir in yeast. Now mix in enough flour (4-6 cups) to make a soft dough. (optional: at this point you can add 1 ½ cups fresh chopped cranberries or Craisins). Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes. Rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours. Take dough amd form into 2 loaves. It should not be sticky. Place in greased loaf pan or form into French style loaf and place on greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise again until doubled..Brush with melted butter mixed with a bit of molasses.

Bake in oven preheated t0 375 degrees 25-30 minutes. Brush again with butter mixture. Cool before slicing.

                                               JALAPENO JELLY

3 large Bell Peppers, any color, 1 small hot pepper, 1 cup sugar, 1 ½ cups vinegar (white or apple cider

Mince or process peppers. Place in sauce pan with sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil  and turn heat down. Simmer until reduced and thickened, about 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

DIJON CHICKEN STRUDEL WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES

                          DIJON CHICKEN STRUDEL WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES

My love affair with Filo Pastry began in the early eighties when I would read about this magical dough in Bon Appetit Magazine. But it was available nowhere. I tried making my own but it was a tough
failure ! Then one day I was grocery shopping in the long gone Woodwards Department store (one of the first major department store to offer upscale groceries ) and there it was in the frozen foods !! I was very excited and began my endless journey of baking with Filo ! And like I mentioned in my blog, I even went so far as to market my well perfected Spinach , Cheese and Seafood Pies. And funny thing ! It was the Woodwards chain of stores that purchased them from me ! I have since created many Filo delights , appetizers, desserts and of course, Chicken Strudel, one of my first and finest Filo Dishes. Filo can be tricky if it gets dry. It will shred like burnt paper. . So, keep it well covered when not using. It also must be completely thawed before
using or once again, it will shred. And always roll up  remaining sheets in plastic wrap. The finest Filo you can buy, of course, is fresh Filo. This is usually only available at ethnic markets but how nice it is to work with ! You take one sheet at a time, brush it generously with olive oil or butter and then a thin layer of dry bread crumbs. A lot of recipes don't call for crumbs but I find it makes the product crispier . You can make individual pies with this same recipe, using three half sheets. And another lovely thing about Filo recipes is they can be completely prepped and frozen before baking ! This recipe was originally made without the sun dried tomatoes but I wanted to dress it up a bit for this blog . The strudel makes quite a presentation and mashed potatoes topped with the sauce are a fabulousaccompaniment ! And. as it is yummy cold too. What a great picnic dish ! So go get that Filo and get creative !

                       DIJON CHICKEN STRUDEL WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES

1/3 cup butter
6 boneless chicken breasts, cut in chunks
1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
dry bread crumbs

6 sheets Filo

Melt butter in large skillet. Add chicken and saute until no longerpink inside. 

Add mustard and cream and sun dried tomatoes, stirring well. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer ten minutes. Cool completely. Prepare Filo Pastry. Take one sheet of Filo and brush with olive oil.
Sprinkle with crumbs. Top with another sheet of Filo, olive oil and crumbs. Repeat using all six sheets.

Place chicken along long side of Filo. Tuck in ends and roll up like a jelly roll. Place on greased cookie sheet . Brush top of strudel with olive oil.

Bake  at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Strudel should be a deep golden color. Before rinsing skillet, add some additional cream and Dijon Mustard (about 1/2 cup cream and 4 Tbsp mustard) and whisk to make sauce. Bring to a simmer and reduce a bit. Extra chopped sun dried tomatoes can be added at this point if desired. Cut into generous slices and serve with a splash of sauce.