Author: Denise

My name is Denise and I love good food, but enjoy preparing it more. I spend a good portion of my free time searching recipes, experimenting in the kitchen and coming up with tasty creations. Some of my other favorite things are my pets, family, friends, traveling (especially to tropical destinations and Paris), the beach, music, movies, and shopping, to name just a few ;)

Killer Shrimp – Don’t Be Scared


Here’s a spicy shrimp recipe served in a bowl and with bread for dipping. You may need a fire extinguisher.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs raw large shrimp (peeled & deveined)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chili sauce
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce 
  • 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno chile, minced

Directions

  1. Preheat over to 350F.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, simmer all ingredients (except shrimp) until well blended.
  3. Place sauce and shrimp in large shallow baking pan and bake approximately 10 minutes or until shrimp are opaque in center.
  4. Serve in bowls with crusty French bread for dipping.

Canapes of Smoked Salmon


I catered a charity art event in Beverly Hills and had to come up with some “crowd-appropriate” hors d’oeuvres. This dish went over incredibly well and there wasn’t one left (out of the 200 prepared). It does take some time (and patience) to put these together, but the presentation is lovely and your guests will be impressed.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg smoked salmon, thinly sliced
  • 1 carton of creme fraiche
  • 1 box cheddar & asiago cheesecrisps (John Wm Macy’s)
  • 1 jar of caviar
  • Fresh chives, sliced to 1 inch in length

Directions

  1. Set your cheesecrisps on a plate or tray.
  2. Cut up salmon into thin strips (see pic) then place on top of crisps.
  3. Put a dollop of the creme fraiche on top of the salmon. I used a decorator bag with a small, round tip. Alternatively, you can use a ziplock bag and cut off the corner so there is just a very small opening.
  4. Add a small amount of the caviar on top of the creme fraiche with a toothpick.
  5. Top off with a sliver of the chives.

Voila… you have an easy (no cooking) and beautiful appetizer.

Crazy For Cranberries


Here’s a simply amazing recipe for cranberry sauce that you can whip up in no time for the holidays!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar (1/2 cup white, 1/2 cup brown)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 4 cups cranberries (1 12 oz pkg)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice

Directions

  1. In a saucepan, bring water, orange juice and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
  2. Add cranberries and return to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.
  4. Add spices and stir well.
  5. Remove from heat and cool completely at room temperature.
  6.  Chill in the refrigerator. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Simply Sorbet


So, do you all know the difference between sorbet and sherbet? Sherbet contains milk or another fat, making it similar to ice cream. With that being said, obviously sorbet is great for people who are lactose-intolerant. And with just a small number of ingredients, it is truly a breeze to make.  My recipe below is for strawberry sorbet, but feel free to use your favorite fruit instead.

Recipe courtesty of Cooking Light

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar (you can use less if you like)
  • 1 quart strawberries, hulled
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)

Directions

  1. Stir water and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over high heat until sugar dissolves.
  2. Boil 5 minutes.
  3. Working in batches, puree strawberries in food processor or blender until smooth.
  4. Add strawberry puree and orange & lemon juices to sugar syrup, stir to blend.
  5.  Cover and freeze in an airtight container(s).

To soften sorbet, place in fridge for 15 minutes.

Taking this to a higher level of dessert awesomeness, you can use your sorbet to make a pie. Here’s how: spread slightly softened sorbet into a cookie-crumb or graham cracker crust, then freeze until firm. Top with a thin layer of whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or add some fresh berries.

What a (side) Dish!


Carrots… some people love ’em and others, well, not so much. This recipe could actually convert those opposed to the orange veggie. And, besides the obvious benefits to eyesight, carrots have many other health pluses, like lowering cholesterol and preventing heart attacks and cancer. So, try out this super-simple recipe that is not only delicious, but adds to your overall good health!

Buttery Steamed/Cooked Carrots

1 lb baby carrots
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar

As I’ve mentioned earlier, I prefer steaming vegetables as opposed to boiling them in order to get as many of the nutrients as possible. But, feel free to cook the carrots however you like.

Once your carrots are cooked, put them in a pan with the butter (melted) and brown sugar. Toss them around so they are coated. Continue to cook them on low heat for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how soft you like them.

Grilled Bourbon and Orange Salmon


I was never a big Salmon fan, up until a few years ago. I have quite a few delectable recipes… we’ll start off with this one (it’s amazing)!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup bourbon (use straight bourbon if you can, or something like Jim Bean)
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 chopped green onions
  • 3 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 (6 oz) salmon filets

Directions

  1. Combine the bourbon, orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, onions, chives, lemon juice and garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag, then add the salmon to the bag.
  2. Seal and marinate for 1 1/2 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
  3. Remove salmon from the bag, reserving the marinade.
  4. Place salmon a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
  5. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting frequently with marinade.
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Getting Corny!


There are tons of different ways to cook corn on the cob… here are my two favorites.

On the Grill
Peel back the husks from the corn & remove the silk. Butter the kernels and sprinkle with salt & pepper and any other seasoning of your choice. Fold the husks back over the corn and grill over low heat for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

 

In the Oven

Remove the husk and silk from the corn. Get a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and add 2 tbsp of melted butter to the middle of the foil. Place corn on the foil, add salt, pepper and garlic and roll the corn so it spreads the spices. Fold in half to keep all of the butter in the foil and for it to cook evenly. Cook for 25 minutes at 425F.

Grilling No-No’s


Everyone loves to grill, so I wanted to share with you a few tips that you may or may not be aware of.

1. NO fork – tongs are the ticket when you BBQ; turning your food with a fork lets the juices escape.

2. Never toss ice-cold meat or seafood on the grill; it reduces your grill’s temp and prevents tasty juices from getting seared in. Meat needs about an hour out of the fridge.

3. Getting sauced too early – talking about the food 😉 don’t slather on the BBQ sauce until the last few minutes of grilling. Most BBQ sauces contain sugar, which will burn if put on too early.

Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake w/Caramel Topping


Love to indulge in the sweets, but feel guilty about the calories? You won’t with this recipe! A healthier, lower-calorie take on cheesecake 🙂

Photo credit: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

  • 15 reduced-fat chocolate or vanilla wafer cookies, crushed (1/2 cup) (or graham crackers)
  • 2 pkgs (8 oz each) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 egg whites
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups vanilla low-fat/light yogurt
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup fat-free caramel topping
  • Pecan halves (if desired)

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 300. Spray springform pan, 9×3 inches, with cooking spray.
  2. Sprinkle cookie crumbs over bottom of pan.
  3. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl w/electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
  4. Add sugar, egg whites and vanilla. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes or until smooth.
  5. Add yogurt and flour. Beat on low until smooth.
  6. Carefully spread batter over cookie crumbs in pan.
  7. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven; cool in over 30 minutes with door closed.
  8. Cover & refrigerate at least 3 hours. Drizzle caramel topping over cheesecake and garnish w/pecan halves.

1 serving: Cal 175, Total Fat 7 g, Chol 25 mg, Sodium 180 mg, Total Carbs 23 g, Protein 5 g