For years I have sworn by these three recipies. They are easy to make on short notice, bursting with flavor and wildly impressive to serve. Your guests will think you slaved in the kitchen for days. Even though Memorial Day weekend is the kick off for summer grilling I personally stay true to these recipes because they are pretty much one-bowl-wonders, being self-contained recipes with minimal kitchen fuss. Over the years I’ve adapted these recipes to my own way of preparing and heightened them to reflect certain flavor profiles but for the sake of wanting you to get it right the first time you make it I’ve reprinted the recipes unaltered with exact ingredients and measurements. I’ve started this recipe collection with the Sangria recipe, that way you can sip along the way while preparing the rest of the menu. (insider tip: do not drink the Sangria through a straw, or you will find yourself flat on the floor by the time your guests arrive, I do know this for a fact.) Enjoy and have a great holiday weekend!
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| (photo credit: google images) |
Sandra Lee’s Sassy Sangria
8 servings
Ingredients
3 cups chianti or other fruity red wine
1 cup Brandy
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 orange, sliced
1 lime, sliced, optional
1 lemon, sliced, optional
1 grapefruit slice sections into quarters
1 apple, cored and diced
Handful fresh raspberries
Handful of grapes red or green
1 pear, cored and diced
1 nectarine pitted and diced
2 cups sprite or ginger ale, chilled
Preparation
In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients except club soda. Cover tightly and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight to let flavors meld. Right before serving add club soda sprite or ginger ale.
• If you are making sangria for a crowd, make sangria –without the ice but with the fruit–the night before in a large stock pot, and chill overnight, gives the flavors time to blend together and leaves you free to enjoy your party.
• If by any chance you end up with leftovers, this sangria, will keep for about 3-4 weeks in the fridge..minus the fruit, which will only last a day or so. If you want to make a batch to keep on hand, add all the alcohol and then when you want to serve it just add the fruit and soda
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| (Photo credit: Colin Cowie) |
Colin Cowie’s Spicy Shrimp Salsa
Ingredients
•1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
•2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
•1/4 cup diced red onion
•1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•1/2 serrano chile, seeded and minced
•1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
•Juice of 1 lime
•1/4 cup olive oil
•Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
1. Cut each shrimp into 4 pieces and place them in a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, chile, and parsley and mix to combine. Add the lime juice and oil and toss to mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Chill until serving time and serve with tortilla chips.
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| (Photo credit: Tyler Florence) |
Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Paella
4-6 servings
Ingredients
• Spice Mix for chicken, recipe follows
• 1 (3-pound) frying chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Spanish onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• 4 cups short grain Spanish rice
• 6 cups water, warm
• Generous pinch saffron threads
• 1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 2 lobster tails
• 1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
• Lemon wedges, for serving
• Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet
Preparation
Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.
In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it’s perfect.
Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.
Spice Mix for chicken:
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered
Click here to read previous South Florida Food and Wine Pairings
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