I met a new friend last week through my husband Brian, her name is Stannette , she is a lovely cheerful redhead that radiates warmth and joy. Stannette was hosting a girls night in and since cooking is my thing; I offered to provide some of the fair. It was a nice evening, full of good conversation spent with new friends.
My contribution to the menu were:
Potato and Pea Samosas served with Coriander, Coconut Chutney
Ground Beef and pine nut Samosas serve with Cucumber, Mint Yoghurt Sauce
Smoked Salmon Crostini with Wasabi Cream cheese
Goat Cheese, Green tomato Chutney Crostini
Asparagus, Pea Sip soup with Mint and Basil
Grilled Garlic Shrimp with Romesco Sauce
Green Papaya, Mango and Avocado Lettuce wraps with Lemongrass. Ginger Dressing
Here are some of the recipes……
Asparagus, Pea Sip Soup with Mint and Basil
This soup is a very delicate elegant soup. I serve it warm in small glasses garnished with blanched asparagus spears and a Crostini. If you want to serve it as a course soup the recipe will serve six people. You can omit cream for a lighter or vegan version.
Ingredients: Serves: 6-12
3 lb. Fresh asparagus 5 cups shelled green peas
½ large yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs. butter Fresh mint and basil, 3 sprigs of each
1 cup heavy cream Salt and black pepper to taste
12 toasted baguette slices Mint, basil oil (optional)
6 cups green vegetable stock (recipe follows), you may substitute with your favorite vegetable stock
Instructions:
Trim hard bottom part of asparagus spears and wash. Choose 12 tender slim spears and set aside. Chop rest of asparagus. Place a large pot on medium heat, add butter, onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add asparagus, salt and pepper, sauté for about 7 minutes, add peas and cook for an additional five minutes. Add stock and cook until asparagus is tender set aside to cool down. Fill a medium size pot with water add two teaspoons of salt. Set aside a bowl with ice water. When water starts boiling, add reserved asparagus spears and blanch for two minutes. Strain asparagus and submerge in ice water. Remove spears from water, pat dry and set aside. Process the soup in a blender with mint and basil until creamy. Add cream and adjust seasoning. Serve soup in small glasses like a cocktail drizzled with mint, basil oil and garnished with blanched spears and toast .
Green Vegetable Stock
I call this stock green because I use mostly green vegetables and has a nice green color to it. It is fragrant and subtle which is very appropriate for our Asparagus, Pea Soup.
Ingredients:
1 of each; zucchini, yellow onion, parsnip, mint sprig and basil sprig
2 carrots 3 cloves of garlic
3 stalks of celery 12 unshelled pea pods
Ends of asparagus spears 10 cups water
Instructions:
Fill a big soup pot with water place on high heat. Wash all ingredients, peel garlic and onion. Cut all vegetables to four pieces. Add to pot with herbs. When water starts boiling reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Use broth when ready. You can freeze leftover and use in other applications.
Grilled Garlic Shrimp with Romesco sauce
If you don’t feel like firing up the grill; you can use a grill pan sprayed with a little bit of canola oil.
Ingredients: Serves 6-8 people
3 lb. shelled shrimp with tails on
Marinade:
1 head of garlic, peeled Juice of 1 lemon 3 tbs. canola oil 1 tsp. kosher salt 2 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. Aleppo pepper ½ tsp. black pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper
Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add to shrimp and marinate for ½ to 1 hour. Grill on medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side and serve.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve over any type of salad like Caesar, Asian or Mexican. You can make them into tacos or serve on top of pasta or rice.
Romesco Sauce
Romesco is a sauce originating in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) that is typically made from almonds, pine nuts, and/or hazelnuts, roasted garlic, olive oil and Nyoras which a smaller, sweet, dried variety of red bell pepper. Other common ingredients include roasted tomatoes, red wine vinegar and onion. Leaves of fennel or mint may be added particularly if served with fish, seafood and escargot. It can also be served with a wide variety of other foods including fish and vegetables.My favorite way to serve it is with Paella for added richness and tang.
Ingredients: Makes about 3 cups
1 Red bell pepper 2 Roma tomatoes
5 garlic cloves 2 dried Ancho Chilies
1 dried chili Cascabel (optional) ½ cup blanched almonds
½ cup pumpkin seeds ¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup + 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil 2 slices of white dense bread
½ tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. black pepper
Instructions:
Roast red pepper, tomatoes, garlic and dried chilies on an open flame or in the oven until charred. Place peppers, tomatoes and garlic in a plastic bag; peel when cool. Set aside. Soak dried chilies in water until soft, strain. In the meantime toast almonds in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until golden brown, set aside. Toast pumpkin seeds in the same skillet until seeds start popping. Set aside. Place almonds, pumpkin seeds, bread and dried chilies in a food processor until it resembles coarse sand. Add tomatoes, red pepper, vinegar, salt and pepper. Process the mixture until well incorporated. Add olive oil in a stream while the motor is running until smooth. Adjust seasoning and serve.
Note: You can use almonds only or substitute pumpkin seeds with pine nuts or hazelnuts. I sometimes add a twist to it by incorporating three or four chipotle chilies preserved in adobo sauce.
Green Papaya, Mango and Avocado Salad Wraps with Lemongrass and Ginger
Ingredients: Serves 4-6 people
Salad:
1 small green papaya (about 3 pounds) * 1 ripe mango
1 ripe avocado Butter lettuce
2 tbs. black sesame seeds ¼ cup shelled, toasted pistachios
Dressing:
1 lemon grass 1” fresh ginger peeled
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbs. honey Juice of 1 lime
½ cup canola oil 1 tsp. Asian chili garlic sauce
Instructions:
Peel green papaya and cut lengthwise then remove seeds. Shred in a food processor using the shredding blade or the coarse side of a cheese shredder. Separate lettuce leaf, wash and dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with a towel. Coarsely chop pistachios and set aside. Wash lemongrass stalk and trim both ends removing hardest part. Cut lengthwise, chop and place in a blender. Chop ginger and add the rest of ingredients except oil, blend until smooth. While motor is running add oil in a stream until well incorporated and creamy.
Assembly:
Toss salad with ½ the amount of dressing and 1 tbs. of sesame seeds, taste and add more if needed.
Set lettuce leaves on a platter; divide dressed papaya over lettuce leaves. Place mango on its edge and cut across the seeds from both sides. Peel and slice lengthwise. Slice avocado around, twist to separate both pieces, remove pit, peel and slice lengthwise. Place 1 slice of either fruit on top of papaya, sprinkle wraps with remainder of sesame seeds and pistachios. Serve rest of dressing on the side for added tang, if desire.
* You can find shredded green papaya in some Asian stores in the refrigerated produce section.
