InFocus Magazine

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Ingredients:
6 cups all-purpose flour, cough plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon finely ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulfured molasses
Royal Icing for decorating

Preparation:

• Sift together flour, prescription baking soda, medicine and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.
• Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
• Put icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Pipe designs on cookies; If adding candies, press into icing while soft. Let icing set completely at room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Store cookies between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

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HOMEMADE EGGNOG

Ingredients:
4 eggs
½ cup fine granulated sugar
1 cup Brandy
¼ cup Cognac
1 cup light cream
1 ½ cups heavy cream
Grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

• Separate eggs, placing egg yolks in a bowl (reserve egg whites). Add sugar and beat until fluffy and thick. Stir in brandy, cognac, vanilla and light cream. Chill.
• Beat egg whites until firm peaks. Beat heavy cream until stiff. Fold beaten egg whites then whipped cream into egg yolk mixture. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.

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SALMON CAKES WITH CURRY DIP

Ingredients:
1 fillet of coho salmon, approximately 1 ½ – 2 lbs.
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions or chives, finely chopped
2 leeks, finely chopped (white and a small portion of the green)
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
½ teaspoon tabasco sauce
¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup mayonnaise
2-3 teaspoons salt (to taste)

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake salmon fillet for 30 minutes, or until done and opaque. Allow to cool, remove bones and skin and break up into small pieces with a fork.
• In sauce pan, sauté in small amount of butter, chopped garlic, green onions or chives, celery, leek, fennel and carrots. Cook until vegetables are soft and translucent. Stir in chopped fresh tarragon and fresh dill.
• In a large bowl, combine minced salmon, cooked vegetable and herb mixture, add eggs, mayonnaise, tobasco sauce and cayenne (to taste) and Panko crumb mixture.
• Form into patties and allow to rest in fridge for 20 minutes.
• On medium high heat, add oil to saucepan. Add salmon patties and cook for approximately 4 minutes per side. Flip the salmon patties over and cook for another 4 minutes or until brown. Serve with Curry Dip (recipe follows).

 

CURRY DIP

½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
Juice from ½ orange
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste

• Mix altogether and spoon dip over salmon cakes or serve

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RED WINE BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Ingredients:
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2” pieces.
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 750-ml dry red wine
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
4 cups low sodium beef stock

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season shortribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pot.
• Add onions, carrots and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste, cook, stirring constantly, until well-combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half—about 25 minutes. Add all the herbs to the pot along with the garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil again, then remove from heat, cover and transfer to oven.
• Cook until short ribs are tender, 2-2 ½ hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

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CHOCOLATE MANDARIN MOUSSE

Ingredients:
1 cup cold whipping cream
6 ounces melted chocolate
½ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 egg whites
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
Orange slices, thinly sliced

Preparation:

• Place first six ingredients (whipping cream through orange peel) in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Beat 2 egg whites, a dash of salt and 2 tablespoons sugar together. Whip into stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour into wine glasses or serving dishes. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until set. Top with orange slices or shaved chocolate.
• Tip: For a more delicate presentation, cut the orange slices almost all of the way through and twist in a figure eight so they stand with the rounded side up.

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HORS D’OEUVRES – IN A HURRY!

At this busy time of year, it’s a good idea to have a few things on hand to serve in a hurry if unexpected guests drop in. Serve the dips with either the breadsticks or your favorite crackers or chips. All can be made ahead and the recipes can be doubled or multiplied to suit your needs.

Sesame Breadsticks
On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 pound of prepared pizza dough into a 6 x 32 inch rectangle. Cut dough into 32 one-inch-wide strips. Gently stretch and twist each strip into an 8-inch breadstick. Arrange on two lightly-oiled baking sheets. Blend 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon water and brush lightly over breadsticks. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sesame seeds. Bake in a 450 degree F. oven until browned, 10-15 minutes. The breadsticks are best the day they’re baked.

Feta-Herb Spread
Drain one 32-ounce container of non-fat plain yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined sieve in the refrigerator overnight. With the side of a chef’s knife, mash 1 clove garlic with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a large bowl, combine garlic, yogurt, 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. This spread will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Makes about 2 ½ cups.

Hot Artichoke Dip
Drain two 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts and chop in a food processor. Add 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest and cayenne pepper to taste. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in two 2-cup gratin or shallow baking dishes. (The dip can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate). Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 400 degree F. oven until top is golden and dip is heated through, approximately 10-20 minutes.