BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP WITH JALAPEÑOS BOURBON BARBEQUE SAUCE 12 ea medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup barbeque sauce (any brand) 12 ea thin strips of bacon, cut in half sideways ½ cup bourbon whisky 12 ea sliced pickled jalapeños ½ cup sugar 12 ea wooden toothpicks In a saucepan combine whiskey and sugar. Heat until boiling. Cook for five minutes. Add to barbeque sauce. Mix well and reserve. Place shrimp in mixing bowl. Add just enough sauce to lightly coat shrimp. Lay out 1 piece of bacon and at the bottom place 1 shrimp and 1 jalapeño. Roll to cover shrimp. Skewer with toothpick to keep bacon wrapped tightly around shrimp. To cook, chargrill over medium high heat or bake at 450 degrees until bacon is crisp and shrimp is cooked through. About 5 minutes. STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST WITH PROSCIUTTO HAM 4 (6- to 8-oz) skinless boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 8 thin slices Prosciutto (each about 8x2 inches) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut in julienne strips 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crust-less 1 lb small mushrooms, trimmed and quartered French bread 1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1/3 cup dry white wine 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon salt Butterfly and stuff chicken breasts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If tenders are attached to undersides of breast halves, remove white tendons from tenders with a small sharp knife. Working with 1 at a time, cut slit in breast halves: Lay each breast half, skinned side up, lengthwise on a cutting board. Holding a sharp knife parallel to work surface and beginning on the thick bottom, cut a slit in the breast almost al the way through creating a pocket. Mix breadcrumbs, ham, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and 1 teaspoon thyme in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil; toss to blend.
Cook chicken and make sauce: Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. While butter is heating, dredge breasts in flour, shaking off excess. Sauté chicken, turning over once, until golden brown and transfer to oven-safe dish and place in oven. Cook about 10-12 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven and hold until sauce is complete. Add remaining tablespoon butter to skillet, then sauté mushrooms and shallot, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and deglaze skillet by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until wine is reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, about 6 minutes. Stir in any chicken juices accumulated on plate and season sauce with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with sauce. SHRIMP AND CORN CHOWDER Serves 8 For Stock: 8 medium shrimp with shells ¼ cup chopped carrot ½ cup chopped yellow onion 1 bay leaf ¼ cup chopped celery For Soup: 8 cups frozen yellow corn kernels 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (about 2 1/4 pounds), thawed 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 8 bacon slices, chopped 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 2 cups chopped onions 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 3/4 cup peeled finely diced carrots 2/3 cup finely diced celery Peel shrimp and reserve shells. Heat butter in large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove and chill. Add the shells and sauté until shells begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add 4 cups water, onion, celery, carrot and bay leaf. Cook 15-20 minutes, and then strain liquid through fine sieve, toss out shells and reserve liquid.
Puree 4 cups corn with 1 1/4 cups broth in processor until almost smooth. Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add onions to pot; sauté until light golden, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups corn; sauté 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and cayenne; sauté until vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add stock and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in corn puree and whipping cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Shrimp, bacon, and soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill shrimp and bacon separately. Cool soup slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Bring bacon to room temperature and bring soup to simmer before continuing.) Remove soup from heat. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with shrimp pieces, bacon, and chives and serve. GRILLED TUNA WITH SUN DRIED TOMATO DRESSING For the dressing 1 large garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup packed fresh coriander (cilantro) 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 10 cups loosely packed mesclun (mixed baby greens, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus additional to taste available at specialty produce markets) 1/4 cup finely chopped, drained sun-dried tomatoes 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise soaked in olive oil 1 cup cooked fresh corn (cut from about 2 ears) 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped Two 1-inch-thick tuna steaks (about 1-1/2 pounds) 1/2 cup olive oil olive oil for brushing the tuna 2 tablespoons sour cream Make the dressing: In a blender blend together the garlic, the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, the sundried tomatoes, the plum tomatoes, and 1/4 cup water until the mixture is smooth and with the motor running add the oil in a stream. Add the sour cream, the coriander, the additional lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and blend the dressing until it is combined well. (The dressing may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the dressing return to room temperature.) In a large bowl toss the mesclun with the tomatoes and the corn and divide the mixture among 4 plates. Brush the tuna on both sides with the oil, season it with salt and pepper, and grill it on an oiled rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until is cooked to the desired degree. Let the tuna stand for 3 minutes and cut it against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Divide the
tuna slices among the salads and pour about 1/4 cup of the dressing over each serving. Serve any remaining dressing separately. CHIPOTLE BROWNIES WITH VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM MEXICAN BRANDY BUTTER SAUCE Chipotle Brownie: 2 oz chocolate, unsweetened 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup butter 1 tablespoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo 1 cup flour, all purpose 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs; well beaten Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler. Remove from heat and mix thoroughly with all other ingredients. Pour into a buttered, 8 square pan. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pan and cut into 3 squares. Place brownie in medium bowl and top with vanilla ice cream and warm brandy sauce. Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: 2 c heavy cream 1 2-inch vanilla bean, split lengthwise 2 c whole milk 2 large egg yolks 3/4 c sugar 2 tablespoons vanilla extract Combine cream, milk, sugar in a heavy saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans with tip of a knife into cream mixture, then drop in pods. Heat until mixture almost boils. Reduce heat to low. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until light yellow and smooth, then add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170 (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean metal bowl, then cool, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours. Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
Mexican Brandy Sauce: 1/4 c butter 1/2 c cream 3/4 c brown sugar, firmly packed 2 tbsp brandy and 2 tbsp Kahlúa In a sauce pan, melt butter; add brown sugar and cream. Boil rapidly 8 to 10 minutes; add brandy and Kahlúa. Serve warm. Makes about 1 cup. LETTUCE WRAPS Serves 6-8 Chicken mix: 8 dried shiitake mushrooms 1 tsp fresh minced ginger 1 tsp cornstarch 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp dry sherry 2 green onions, minced 2 tsp water 2 small dried chilies salt and pepper 8 oz can bamboo shoots, minced 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken 8 oz can water chestnuts, minced 5 tbsp vegetable oil Cooking Sauce: 1 tbsp. Hoisin sauce 1 tsp. sesame oil 1 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 tbsp. dry sherry 2 tsp. cornstarch 2 tbsp. oyster sauce Iceberg lettuce cups leaves 2 tbsp. water Cover mushrooms with boiling water, let stand 30 minutes then drain. Cut and discard woody stems. Slice mushrooms and set aside. Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl, and set aside. In medium bowl, combine cornstarch, sherry, water, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly. Stir in 1 tsp. oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate. Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 tbsp. oil, then add chicken and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Add 2 tbsp. oil to pan. Add ginger, garlic, chilies, and onion; stir fry about a minute or so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan. Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Cook until thickened and hot. Spoon into lettuce leaf and roll.
ROASTED RED PEPPER AND ARTICHOKE BRUSCHETTA 1 large red bell pepper 2 tablespoons capers 1 large green bell pepper 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 ounces artichoke hearts diced 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper 4 ounces fresh Asiago cheese, diced 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon diced garlic 4 each fresh basil leaves 4 3/4-inch-thick slices country bread, halved, toasted or grilled. Preheat char broiler to high, char bell pepper over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag 5 minutes. Peel and seed pepper; cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Gently mix remaining ingredients with peppers and marinate for 1-2 hours. Serve by placing roasted red bell pepper mixture on plate and garnish with fresh basil leaf and toasted bread. DILLED SALMON STEAK When you want to try something different and don t know what to grill, think about a salmon fillet, rubbed with dill and served with a cucumber-dill relish. Dill Rub 2 tbsp minced fresh dill 6 tbsp white vinegar 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp ground white pepper 1/4 tsp kosher salt or more to taste Four salmon fillets Pinch of white pepper Cucumber Dill Relish 1 to 2 tsp water 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced Vegetable oil spray 1/3 cup fresh asparagus tips, chopped if larger than 3 tbsp minced onion bite size, optional At least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before you plan to grill the salmon steaks, prepare the rub, combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Coat the fillets with the rub, cover them, and refrigerate.
Prepare the relish, combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Add as much water as necessary to keep the relish moist. Refrigerate covered relish until serving time. Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high. Remove the fillets from the refrigerator and let them sit covered at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Just before you are ready to grill the fillets, coat them heavily with oil. Transfer the fillets to a well-oiled grate. Grill them uncovered over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side. If there is any resistance when you turn them, re-oil the grate. The salmon is done when just barely opaque pink at the center with a touch of translucence remaining. Spoon the relish over the fillets and serve immediately.