– September 2010 –
————————————————————————
– August 2010 –
————————————————————————
– July 2010 –
This delicious sauce is a great accompaniment to grilled beef and chicken.
————————————————————————
– June 2010 –
Watermelon, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad
Serves Four
Ingredients:
————————————————————————
Fio’s Marinated Vegetables
Makes twenty servings +/-
Ingredients:
(other vegetables may be substituted….added into the “mix” based on how long each vegetable takes to cook)
10 carrots – peeled and cut into even sized sticks
1 head of cauliflower – cut into small even sized florettes
2 medium onions – peeled and cut into lengthwise ½” wedges
1 whole stalk of celery — cut into even sized sticks
6 bell peppers (assorted colors) – seeded and cut into ½” wedges
1 lb of button mushrooms — washed
½ gallon water
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
¼ cup soy sauce (I like to use the “Lite” = low-sodium)
4 large sprigs (more like small twigs) of fresh rosemary
6 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1) In a large pot (large enough to hold three gallons of liquid), place the water, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt (start with 1.5 tablespoons), pepper (start with one tablespoon), the bay leaves and the rosemary.
2) Over high heat bring pot to a simmer, then add the cauliflower, cover for three minutes (while maintaining high heat).
3) Add the carrots, stir, and cover for three minutes (while maintaining high heat).
4) Add the celery and onions, stir, and cover for three minutes (while maintaining high heat).
5) Add the bell peppers, stir, and cover for three minutes (while maintaining high heat).
6) Add the mushrooms, stir, turn off heat and cover for three minutes.
7) Remove cover, and let cool to room temperature. Taste both the vegetable and the liquid. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste, before placing in containers and refrigerating. Best if allowed to marinate for at least two days before enjoying (I like allowing it to marinate for one week. The week of marinating forces the flavors infuse into the vegetables.).
————————————————————————
Chilled Beets with Goat Cheese
Serves Four
Ingredients:
2 medium to large beets ½ teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar (A) 6 oz. fresh goat cheese 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar (B) 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped herbs Seasalt and fresh ground black pepper Grape tomatoes for garnish
Trim any stalks and wash the beets. Dry with paper towel. Rub the beets with the olive oil, wrap each one in aluminum foil and bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven until soft (about 45 – 60 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, remove aluminum foil and peel the skin off the beets. Slice the beets (cross cut) into ¼” thick slices and lay out slices on cutting board, keeping them relatively organized, as the slices will be reassembled. Brush all the slices with balsamic vinegar (A). Season the slices lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the goat cheese evenly, placing a thin layer on top of each of the beet slices. Reassemble the beet slices, stacking them in order. Press down firmly on top of each slice, to firm up the dish. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. For serving, cut four equal wedges from each reassembled beet and place two wedges on each plate. Drizzle Balsamic vinegar (B) on each wedge and around each plate. Sprinkle each plate with a generous amount of fresh chopped herbs, garnish with grape tomatoes and serve. Serves four.
As an exciting variation, drizzle a generous serving of white truffle olive oil on each wedge during plating.
————————————————————————
– March 2010 –
Lisa’s Hummus
Yield two cups
Ingredients:
————————————————————————
– February 2010 –
Carole’s Wild Berry Sauce
Yield three + cups
Ingredients:
Bring all ingredients to a boil, except one pint of fresh raspberries and the Framboise, stirring regularly. Once it boils, remove from heat and stir in the reserved raspberries and the Framboise. Serve warm over ice cream, or serve chilled. Great over Pound cake, chocolate cake, fresh fruit, crepes, etc.
————————————————————————
- January 2010 –
Chocolate Cake
One of our favorite old Swiss recipes!!
Serves Eight - Twelve
Ingredients:
In a double boiler melt part one chocolate, butter and water. Stir until well blended. Remove this mixture from double boiler and place in mixer bowl with all of the part two ingredients. Mix in mixer medium speed until well blended. Pour this mixture into a greased 12” cake pan lined with parchment paper. Place in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. In double boiler melt the part three chocolate. Once melted, add the powdered sugar, water and cream. Stir until smooth. When cake is removed from oven, spread this chocolate mixture evenly on top of the cake. Let cool, remove from cake pan, and serve at room temperature with whipped cream.
————————————————————————
- Happy New Year 2010 –
Here’s a very interesting Holiday Fruitcake recipe that a friend gave us, click on the angel to enlarge:
————————————————————————
- December 2009 –
Tomato Bisque
Serves Eight
Ingredients:
Sauté onions in olive oil, but do not brown, then add diced leeks, carrots and celery and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vegetables should still be translucent. Add tomatoes and tomato juice. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Add bay leaves, chopped garlic cloves, salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Boil gently for 45 minutes. Process in blender at low speed until pureed. Add chopped basil, heavy cream and sherry. Taste. Adjust seasonings if desired . Serve and enjoy.
————————————————————————
- November 2009 –
Wild Mushroom and Corn Soup
Serves Eight
————————————————————————
- October 2009 –
Green Madagascar Peppercorn Sauce
One of the most popular sauces we’ve featured throughout the last 29 years.
Ingredients:
————————————————————————
- September 2009 –
Ingredients:
5 to 8 Garlic Cloves to taste
1 tbs. Butter
4 tbs. Sherry (1 ½ for garlic, 2 ½ for egg yolks)
4 tbs. White wine
2 tbs. Mayonnaise
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. Soy sauce
2 tbs. Heavy cream
Salt and Pepper
Roast the garlic in a pan with butter until dark brown. Deglaze the pan with soy sauce and 1 ½ tbs. of the Sherry. In a food processor, process the garlic and pan juices with the mayo until very fine and smooth. In a double boiler, whip egg yolks with the white wine and remaining sherry until fluffy and thick. The egg yolks should cook but not appear to be scrambled. Add the garlic puree to the eggyolk mixture, along with all of the remaining ingredients together. Season to taste.
This simple, yet rich sauce is an excellent accompaniment to meats, seafood and vegetables.
————————————————————————
- August 2009 –
Walnut-Raisin Bread Pudding
Serves Six
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat free half & half
3 oz. molasses
3 oz. eggwhites (one egg = approximately 1 oz.)
¼ cup of walnut pieces
¼ cup of raisins (more if you love raisins)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
1 cup of fresh pineapple cut into small chunks
¼ cup of pineapple juice
3 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut milk
In a saucepan warm the milk, half & half, and the molasses. In a separate bowl, blend the eggwhites, walnut pieces, raisins, cinnamon, and vanilla; mix well.
Cut the bread into large dices, and add to the egg mixture; blend well.
Add the warm cream mixture to the eggs mixture, and blend well. Pour into two shallow baking pans, that have been sprayed with nonfat pan spray.
Cook for 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 390 degrees. Turn off oven, and let continue to bake in oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut into squares and serve warm with the pineapple relish.
For the pineapple relish; mix all three remaining ingredients in a bowl and let the flavors meld together for 15 minutes.
————————————————————————
- July 2009 –
Greek Olive Sauce
This simple yet rich sauce is an “olive lovers” delight, and goes extremely well with roast or grilled lamb, beef, tuna and vegetables.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Greek Olives (pitted) feel free to experiment with your favorite type of olives (or assortment)
½ Cup Sour Cream
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
½ Tsp. Chopped Garlic (optional)
Salt and pepper
To prepare the sauce, process all of the ingredients in a food processor, then season the sauce with fresh ground pepper. Then taste it, and add salt only if necessary (olives are salty from the brine).
————————————————————————
- June 2009 –
Summer’s Chipotle Dressing
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Chipotle puree to taste
Salt to taste
Fresh chopped herbs (optional)
In a bowl, mix the two vinegars, mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Add the olive oil slowly while mixing the dressing. Add the chipotle puree and salt to taste. This is a great dressing for virtually any salad, but especially delicious on avocado, tomato, and cucumber.
————————————————————————
- May 2009 –
Lisa’s Granola Bars
Yield 15 - 20 squares
Ingredients:
2 cups Old fashioned oats
1¾ cup all purpose flour (whole wheat flour use only 11/4 cups)
1 cup butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, whatever your favorite is)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Large pinch of salt
Large pinch of baking soda
1 cup of strawberry or raspberry puree or jam
Combine all ingredients (except berry puree/jam), in a large mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 2 cups of this mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of greased 13” X 9” baking pan. Spread berry puree/jam evenly over base mixture. Sprinkle with reserved mixture. Bake in pre-heated oven 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool, and cut into squares.
————————————————————————
- April 2009 –
Fio’s Chocolate Soufflé
Yield 4 individual soufflés
Ingredients:
6 Eggs (separated)
2 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tsp. Flour
3 Tbs. Creme de Cocoa Liquor
2 oz. Melted Chocolate (semi-sweet of excellent quality)
Powdered Sugar
For the soufflé dishes:
Melted unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Pre-heat oven to 375°. Brush the inside and rim of 4 round, ceramic soufflé dishes with melted unsalted butter, and coat generously with granulated sugar. Place the egg yolks, sugar, creme de cocoa, flour, and chocolate into a metal bowl. Combine and warm over a double boiler on low heat until slightly thickened (pancake batter consistency), and remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold into the batter mixture. Fill the soufflé dishes to the top of each dish, but be careful not to overfill. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, adjusting the temperature to avoid overbrowning. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately with chocolate sauce.
————————————————————————
- March 2009 –
Gorgonzola Sauce
Great with Beef Tenderloin!
Yield 1 1/2 cups of sauce
Ingredients:
½ cup of mayonnaise
½ cup of sour cream
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. good quality Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Place all ingredients in food processor, and blend until smooth. Season to taste. When serving, keep the sauce on stovetop so the sauce is room temperature or warmer (do not heat over flame, or attempt to bring to a simmer).
————————————————————————
– February 2009 –
Mango Mousse with Raspberry Sauce
Serves Four
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh mango puree
¼ cup orange juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup plain non fat yogurt
2 oz. eggwhites (2 large eggs)
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tbs. honey
½ tsp. lemon juice
1 cup of fresh mango chunks
fresh mint for garnish
Place orange juice and gelatin in a saucepan and whisk over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved and the mixture is warm. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the mango puree. Place mixture in a bowl, add yogurt and mix well. In a mixing bowl, whip the eggwhites until they form soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula fold the whipped egg whites into the mango mixture and blend well. Ladle into four parfait glasses (or any individual elegant serving dish), chill for three hours. In a blender, place raspberries, honey and lemon juice. Blend well, and pour through a course strainer (to remove the seeds). To serve, spoon 2 tablespoons of raspberry sauce on the mousse, top with mango chunks and a sprig of fresh mint.
————————————————————————
– January 2009 –
Poached Pear with Macerated Strawberries
Serves Four
2 large ripe pears (Bartlett, D’Anjou, Red pear, or your favorite)
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups water
¼ cup honey
1 pint fresh strawberries
Peel the pears, cut in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller, or spoon, scoop out the center part of each pear half (where the seeds are). Place the pears in a large sauce pan with the water, lemon juice, honey and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and cook until medium-soft (depending on ripeness of the pear this may take 5 to 10 minutes). Remove from heat, place the pears and the liquid in a bowl. Chill until cool.
Remove the stem from the strawberries and cut into quarters. Place strawberries into a bowl with the vinegar, the honey, the mint and the orange juice. Mix the strawberries well and let macerate for at least 30 minutes. To serve, remove the pear halves, place each pear half on a plate, top with a generous serving of macerated strawberries and serve.
————————————————————————
– December 2008 –
Pumpkin Polenta
Serves Eight
Ingredients:
11 oz. Cornmeal (ground for polenta)
1 qt. Vegetable stock
4 oz. unsweetened Pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
2 oz. Shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped onion (optional)
nutmeg
salt
pepper
In selecting the cornmeal, you can use fine or course ground, depending on your preference, I like yellow/course grind.
Sauté the onion in olive oil for three to four minutes until lightly colored, add the vegetable stock and bring to the boiling point, and then pour in the cornmeal while whisking. Continue whisking over a low heat until thick (two to three minutes). Remove the whisk and continue stirring with a metal or wooden spoon for an additional three to five minutes for fine ground cornmeal (longer for coarser grind). Add the pumpkin puree and the pumpkin seeds and stir over a medium heat for another two minutes. Add the parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg. Mix well and serve. This dish is to be served warm as an accompaniment to all types of meat.
————————————————————————
– November 2008 –
Gingered Broccoli
Serves Four
Ingredients:
2 head of broccoli (about 4 cups once cut into crowns)
pinch of baking soda
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp. chopped fresh shallot
½ tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
3 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
¼ cup sherry
3 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup water
salt and pepper to taste
Process all ingredients, except the broccoli and baking soda, in a blender and let them infuse for at least three hours. Cut broccoli into crowns. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add a pinch of baking soda and the broccoli crowns. Allow to cook for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Once well drained place broccoli into a shallow dish, top side down. Pour ginger marinade over the broccoli and let marinate for at least two hours before serving. This dish may be served chilled or warm, as an appetizer or an accompaniment to both seafood or meat.
————————————————————————
– October 2008 –
Shiitake Mushroom Chicken in Corn-Lemongrass Broth
Serves Four
Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (6 oz. each)
8 Shiitake mushrooms - medium size – stem removed
Salt
Pepper
Black sesame seeds
1 tsp. Olive oil
1 ½ cup chicken stock
2 stalks Lemongrass (chopped)
½ cup White Wine
1 tbs. Soy sauce
1 ear of fresh corn, shucked, shaved, kernels only
¼ cup chopped Green onions
In a saucepan place the chicken stock, soy sauce and lemon grass. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and keep warm. Place the chicken breast in between a sheet of plastic wrap, then using a meat hammer, pound the chicken until thin and even (the chicken should more than double in surface area). Cut each chicken breast into four even sized pieces (resulting in a total of 8 pieces). Place the shiitake mushrooms bottom side up on a baking sheet. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Wrap one piece of chicken over each shiitake mushroom. Brush each chicken/shiitake piece with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and sesame seeds. Place the chicken in a pre-heated oven 425 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Place the corn kernels in a small saute pan and heat over low heat until warm. Make sure to warm four soup bowls. Place two of the chicken/shiitake pieces in each bowl. Ladle some of the lemongrass broth in the bowl, along with the warm corn kernels and green onion. Serve immediately.
————————————————————————
– September 2008 –
Grilled Boston Bluefish Fourchette
Serves Four
Ingredients:
4 pieces 6 oz. Boston Bluefish
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tbs. honey
1 small onion, chopped
½ tbsp. brandy
2 green bell peppers, diced
½ tbsp. lemon juice (for marinade)
3 medium tomatoes, diced
½ tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
½ cup red wine
salt and pepper
½ cup tomato juice
1 ½ tbsp. pitted Greek olives chopped
1 ½ tbsp. capers, chopped
2 tbsp. lemon juice (for sauce)
salt and pepper
Blend the mayonnaise, honey, brandy, lemon juice and rosemary in a mixing bowl. Brush this mixture on the bluefish, generously on both sides, and then refrigerate the fish for a minimum of three hours.
Over medium heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil for about 30 seconds, add the onion and sauté for an additional three minutes. Add the bell peppers and sauté for an additional two minutes. Add the tomatoes, red wine and tomato juice and simmer for five minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the olives, capers, lemon juice and season to taste.
Season the marinated bluefish with salt and pepper, and place it on a very hot grill for 2 minutes on each side. Then place grilled bluefish on a greased baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven (10 – 15 minutes at 375 degrees based on how thick the fish is). Cover the bottom of the plate with the sauce and place the bluefish in the center. Garnish the plate with lemon and herb. Serve immediately and enjoy.
————————————————————————
– August 2008 –
Honey-Mustard Sole
Serves Four
Ingredients:
24 oz. fresh skinless, boneless sole (four 6 oz. pieces)
1 tbs. Soy Sauce
1 tbs. Pure Maple Syrup.
1 tbs. Honey
2 tbs. Dijon Mustard
Seasalt and fresh ground black pepper
In a bowl, mix the soy sauce and the maple syrup. Add the sole and marinate for one hour. Remove the sole from the marinade, place sole on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, mix the honey and mustard. Brush the top of the sole with honey-mustard glaze. Bake in pre-heated oven 450 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes (based on thickness of the sole pieces, and desired doneness of fish; rare, medium, etc.). Serve with Pommery mustard sauce.
Pommery Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Fat-Free Mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Horseradish
2 tbs. Pommery Mustard (course ground)
1/3 Cup Fat-Free yogurt
1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Sherry
Seasalt and fresh ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.