Category Archives: Appetizers

Mixed Fish Platter for Two (2)

Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, fish by

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Charcuterie platter, cheese platter – make way for a fish platter. A great date night dish or for a special occasion or just because… Although everything is served cold it takes a little time prepare so I started in the morning. The platter consists of shrimp marinated in olive oil, lime juice, garlic and cilantro, smoked mackerel with a beetroot horseradish sauce, salmon brushed with a dill dressing and, lastly, scallops topped with guacamole (I cheated and bought the guacamole). I went to the fish counter in my local supermarket so I was able to buy 8 prawns/shrimp, 6 scallops, and a piece of salmon. The smoked mackerel was in the chilled cabinet.

SHRIMP

8 shrimp/prawns – medium sized, raw and de-veined

Juice and pulp of 1 lime

1 large clove of garlic – finely grated

1 tbsp. cilantro – finely chopped

3 tbsp. olive oil

Place all ingredients in a plastic ziploc bag and gently massage. Place in fridge and leave for a couple of hours.

Cook in a frying pan for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, then let cool.

SMOKED MACKEREL

1 store bought smoked mackerel fillet – cut into four pieces

3 medium beetroot – roasted

1 tbsp. horseradish

Cook beetroot wrapped in foil for an hour at 350 degrees F. Let cool and process in food processor with the horseradish ( you will have some leftovers)

SALMON

1 piece of salmon (enough for 2 people to share)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place salmon on a piece of aluminum foil, pour over lemon juice and oil and season.

Make a parcel of the salmon and cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. then let cool.

DILL SAUCE

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. dill finely chopped

Place all ingredients in a jar with a screw top lid and shake until emulsified.

SCALLOPS

6 x large scallops

1 tbsp olive oil

Guacamole

Place oil in frying pan and when sizzling add scallops and brown on both sides. This takes between 10 and 15 minutes and you need to keep an eye on the scallops and turn frequently.

Place on a piece of paper towel and cover also to remove any grease.

TO ASSEMBLE

Shrimp can be placed on the platter as they are.

Smoked mackerel should be cut into 4 slices with a teaspoonful of beetroot horseradish on top.

Salmon should also be cut into four pieces and brushed with the dill dressing.

Scallops should be topped with a good teaspoonful of guacamole.

 

 

 

 

 

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Roasted Beetroot with Pickled Red Onions Sprinkled with Halloumi and Feta Cheese (4 as an appetizer)

Posted in Appetizers, Salad by

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Have you noticed pickled red onions cropping up as a condiment these days? They are so easy to make and add a tangy crunch to a dish. Because I used apple cider vinegar there was no need for any sugar in this recipe. You will have more than enough pickled onions than needed for this dish and they can be used for other purposes. They go well with the other ingredients in this dish – diced beetroot and the diced cheeses (I can tolerate halloumi and feta cheese as they aren’t derived from cow’s milk).

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

PICKLED ONIONS

Boiling water

1 largish red onion – halved and cut into fine slices then separate the pieces

3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

Boil the water while chopping the onion then place onion pieces in a pan, pour over boiling water until pieces are covered, leave to stand for 3 minutes and drain.

Pour the apple cider vinegar into a bowl and add the salt.

Tip onions into this bowl and stir.

Leave to stand for a couple of hours before serving, stirring occasionally.

BEETROOT

3 medium beetroot

Place beetroot in a dish and roast in the oven for about an hour and a half until tender to the touch.

Let cook, then chop into cubes.

CHEESES

1 good ounce each of Halloumi and Feta cheese

Cut cheeses into small cubes

ASSEMBLY

Top beetroot with the cheeses and surround beetroot with pickled onions

 

 

 

 

Tomato-Based Salad (4)

Posted in Appetizers, light lunch, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian by

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This is a no-lettuce salad and is literally a selection of green vegetables mixed with some cold, cooked chicken heaped on a base of slices of a ripe, beefsteak tomato.  If you buy a pre-cooked chicken this dish takes no time at all and if you omit the chicken you have a vegetarian/vegan meal. Very easy to transport either as a lunch or to assemble for a picnic.

1 large, ripe beefsteak tomato

4 oz. frozen peas

4 oz. edamame beans

4 oz. asparagus (take the tips and an equal amount of the asparagus stem)

1 cooked chicken breast

Cut the tomato into 4 slices and place on a serving dish.

Place peas, edamame beans and asparagus in a pan and pour over boiling water. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain veg. and place in a bowl of iced water to prevent further cooking.

Cut cooked chicken breast into small pieces.

Place veg. and chicken in a mixing bowl. Pour apple cider vinaigrette (see below) over and mix well together.

Place a good serving of veg/chicken mixture on each slice of tomato

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp. olive oil

Whisk mustard and apple cider vinegar together until smooth.

Whisk in the olive oil until mixture is emulsified

 

 

 

Asparagus with Hard-Boiled Eggs and Prosciutto (4)

Posted in Appetizers, light lunch, Packed lunches, Picnic by

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Perfect for an appetizer, light lunch or quickly assembled for a picnic this is a bit of a riff on ‘Asparagus Mimosa’, where hard boiled eggs are pushed through a sieve and placed atop spears of asparagus.  I took thin, baby asparagus spears in season, cooked them until just ‘al dente’ and sprinkled chopped, hard-boiled eggs and thin, crispy strips of prosciutto over the asparagus. I served it with an apple cider vinaigrette.

8 oz baby asparagus spears

2 eggs – hard boiled

3 slices of prosciutto – cut into fine strips and fried till crispish

Place asparagus spears in a skillet and cover with boiling water. Bring to boil and simmer for only a couple of minutes (prick with a fork to see if they are just nicely tender) then drain and run cold water over them till they are cool to prevent any more cooking or, if you prefer cover with cold water and add some ice cubes.

When spears are cool put them in a clean, dry T-towel, pat dry and place on a serving dish. Sprinkle over the chopped boiled egg and the crispy prosciutto.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp. olive oil

Mix mustard and vinegar together until smooth. Add oil and whisk until emulsified.

 

Lime Garlic Shrimp

Posted in Appetizers, Hors d'Oeuvres by

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A treat of a dish as wild caught, domestic, raw, peeled and de-veined shrimp are costly.  I avoid eating farmed shrimp regardless of where they are farmed but especially if they are farmed in parts of Asia as the liberal use of medications and chemicals is extremely off-putting. A pound of shrimp will yield some 20 individual shrimp and I served them cold as an hors d’oeuvres on a cocktail stick lightly sprinkled with cayenne pepper.

1 pound of shrimp – as described above

Juice and pulp of 1 lime

Zest of half a lime – finely grated

2 large cloves of garlic – finely grated

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Place shrimp in a bowl

Whisk together juice and pulp of lime, lime zest,grated garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper until emulsified.

Pour over shrimp and stir so all the shrimp are covered in the lime mixture.

Leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat a skillet on the stove top and when hot add the shrimp and liquid and cook until shrimp are firm and pinkish – about 5 – 10 minutes.

Set aside and leave to cool, then drain in a sieve and wipe dry with paper towel.

Sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper.

 

Catharine’s Brunch (per serving)

Posted in Appetizers, Brunch, light lunch, Salad, Salad Dressings, Uncategorized by

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Staying with friends and lingering over a late breakfast is a rare treat. Catharine served us this versatile dish – can be a healthy dish for brunch if you add scrambled eggs, a dinner party appetizer or a light lunch. The dressing is a kind of mayonnaise but so easy to make unlike real mayonnaise where the oil has to be dripped in slowly and there is the possibility of curdling.

I am giving the ingredients per person:

Handful of arugula

2 slices of smoked salmon – cut into small pieces

1/2 an avocado – diced

Compose the ingredients on a plate

Dressing (makes more than needed)

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. coarse mustard

2 pinches sugar

5 fl. oz olive oil

Whisk egg yolk, vinegar, mustard and sugar together then add the oil a little at a time and continue whisking all the while.

Put little blobs of dressing around the plate.

Summer Prosciutto Platter (2)

Posted in Appetizers, Picnic, Salad by

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An absolutely no-cook recipe. Prosciutto and melon are often paired together as an appetizer and I have had them as an entree with some interesting leafy greens. The prosciutto platter is a mixture of sweet and salty foods that all work well together – prosciutto, melon, feta cheese, black olives and nectarine.

For 2 people allow:

2 slices of prosciutto each

handful of black olives – pitted and halved

3 slices of melon – chopped into pieces

2 oz. feta cheese – chopped into pieces

Half a ripe nectarine – sliced

Arrange all on a serving dish and let people help themselves