Green Goddess Endive Boats
Serves 6-8 as appetizer
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Zest from one small lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill (plus extra for garnish if desired)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste, add more if desired (optional, but provides a depth of flavor)
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4-6 heads Belgian endive, white or green tipped
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together until smooth with a wire whisk, silicone spatula or large spoon. Refrigerate until needed. Taste and adjust to your preferences. It’s best made a few hours or a day ahead as the flavors have time to meld and develop.
When well chilled, place filling into a piping bag with a star or French tip. Trim the stem end of the endive leaves and carefully peel the leaves off of the base of the head so you have individual leaves. Place on a platter and fill from the piping bag.
Classic Cosmo
Serves 1
1 ½ oz Vodka Citron
1 oz Cranberry juice
½ oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
½ oz Lime Juice
Lime wedge/lemon slice/orange slice for garnish
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake well and strain into a large cocktail glass or martini glass. Garnish and enjoy!!
Spice Roasted Salmon
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 (4 1/2-oz.) skin-on salmon fillets (about 1 in. thick)
Cooking spray
4 lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Combine 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, coriander, and allspice in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over fillets.
Arrange fillets, skin side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake at 400°F for 10 minutes or until done.
Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans, Bacon, Goat Cheese & Cranberries
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup pecan halves
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
4 slices thick cut bacon + 1 Tbs reserved bacon grease
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
¼ cup dried cranberries
PREPARATION
Spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray. Stir sugar, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes. Mix in pecans. Stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 7 minutes. Turn nuts out onto prepared foil. Using a fork, separate nuts and cool completely (coating will harden).
Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium - high heat until crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 1 Tbs of bacon grease for the vinaigrette.
Combine spinach, goat cheese and cooled pecans in a large bowl. Top with dried cranberries.
Whisk remaining 4 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon reserved bacon grease and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Crumble bacon over the salad. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat.
Dark Chocolate Bark with Candied Orange & Almonds
Makes 14-16 pieces
CANDIED ORANGES:
1 organic navel orange
1 ½ cups cold filtered water
1 cup organic sugar
CHOCOLATE BARK:
16 ounces dark chocolate bar ( 66% at least cocoa).
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
coarse sea salt for topping (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
CANDIED ORANGES: (Do this the day before class)
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or wax paper. Lay a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet. Grease the baking sheet with cooking spray or brush on oil. Set aside.
Wash and scrub the orange really well to get off any pesticides and wax. It is best to use organic when possible because we will be eating the entire orange, rind and all. Cut off the very ends, which is mostly the pith and cut the orange in half lengthwise. Slice the orange into 1/4 inch thick half moon slices.
To a medium sized, wide saucepan add the water and the sugar. Turn the heat on high, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once it is dissolved stop stirring, otherwise the sugar will crystallize. Allow the water/sugar to come to a gentle boil. Add the orange slices. Boil the orange slices for 15 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium low and use tongs to carefully flip the orange slices over. Boil for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the rinds have become somewhat translucent. Keep an eye on the oranges while they are boiling to make the sugar doesn’t burn.
Once the oranges are done remove them from the heat and carefully transfer them to the prepared cooling rack. Allow them to cool for at least 8 to 10 hours, flipping half way through. They should become considerably less sticky and wet to the touch, although they will still be a little sticky.
CHOCOLATE BARK:
Once the oranges have dried out you can make the chocolate bark.
Line a medium sized rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Break up the chocolate bars into a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second increments, stirring the chocolate in between each time, until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pour the chocolate onto the baking sheet lined with the parchment paper. Use your spatula to smooth it out into an even, but somewhat thick layer – it may not reach to all of the sides. Randomly place the orange slices (you may have 2 to 3 orange slices leftover, you can eat them as is or dunk them in more dark chocolate). Sprinkle the chopped almonds around the oranges and sprinkle the sea salt onto the chocolate (sea salt is optional).
Place the chocolate bark in the fridge for 20 minutes to set up. Lift the bark out of the baking sheet and on to a cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the bark into whatever sizes or shapes you would like.
**Store the bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, maybe longer, although the oranges tend to dry out the longer they sit – the bark is still good but it is better when the oranges are kind of juicy. If the oranges seem really sticky place parchment paper in between each layer of the bark to prevent them sticking to each other.
