Category Archives: Buffet

Cranberry Blaahg

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raw materials

raw materials

I’ve never been the type of person to suffer from any holiday blues, but this does not mean that I don’t appreciate that others do.
So of course, my answer to holiday depression is….(wait for it) food!
Cranberries, ruby red on the plate with their combination of sweet, tart, and bitter flavors can be transformed in so many ways.
I love the various consistencies ranging from gelatinous (hello, my daughter’s favorite canned variety which keeps it’s shape for life, with the ridges still visible even after removed from the can) to the smooth and silky yet still textural conserve version, which is my favorite.
I’ve been making this raspberry version of cranberry sauce for years – because I love raspberries and California raspberries, while not local, are pretty good in November combined and cooked with cranberries.  I’d be telling a lie if I didn’t say that I am hesitant to even share how simple this recipe is, because I’m pretty sure people think it’s a big deal to make. (Shhh).  Get over your holiday blues with my Cranberry Blaahg and recipe for fast, fresh, simple + delicious conserves.

Cranberry Raspberry Conserves 

  •  2 pints of fresh raspberries
  • 16 oz fresh cranberries (rinsed, picked, stems removed)
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 TBS Chambord black raspberry liquor (optionally delish)

One of the beautiful things about this recipe is that there are only 5 ingredients + water.

 Combine everything together except the Chambord, in a large pot.  Be sure the pot is ample enough, as this mixture will bubble and foam up. Notice my smaller sized pot which bubbled over into a very sticky mess…don’t do this!
Cook on a medium high heat until everything starts to bubble and foam.
Bubbling cranberries and raspberries

Bubbling cranberries and raspberries

Reduce your heat to medium and stir.
When you start to hear the cranberries pop and everything starts to break down and looks saucy, you are done.  Add the Chambord now, if you choose to use it.
cooked and reduced berries, sugar and water

cooked and reduced berries, sugar and water

Because cranberries are naturally high in pectin, the conserves will be naturally jelled upon cooling.  Additionally, you will be happy to know that cranberries are an antioxidant and a super food.
Cool and refrigerate, conserves will keep for up to a week (if it lasts that long).  Excellent on cold meat sandwiches (turkey, pork, roast beef, chicken or ham – you choose) and as a condiment with cheeses.
Cranberry Raspberry Conserves

Cranberry Raspberry Conserves

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Maple Glazed Acorn Squash

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This simple vegetable dish is Autumn on a plate with its striking colors of deep green skin and golden orange flesh. The sugars in the squash caramelize beautifully creating a full, rich flavor in the mouth, and the maple syrup creates a candy like coating. For the non-squash lovers, this is like a combination of sweet potato and carrot, delicious directly out of the oven but equally as divine cold the next day!

This simple vegetable dish is Autumn on a plate with its striking colors of deep green skin and golden orange flesh. The sugars in the squash caramelize beautifully creating a full, rich flavor in the mouth, and the maple syrup creates a candy like coating. For the non-squash lovers, this is like a combination of sweet potato and carrot, delicious directly out of the oven but equally as divine cold the next day!

  • 1 acorn squash, washed, cut in eighths, seeds removed
  • 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt & fresh black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup

 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°f
  2. Place squash on a foil lined sheet pan with sides and drizzle with olive oil.  Using your hands, toss squash with oil until well coated on all sides.
  3. Sprinkle with liberal amounts of salt and freshly ground pepper.
  4. Roast in for 20 minutes skin side down, or until tender and starting to brown.
  5. Pour maple syrup over squash slices, brushing to coat well and continue to roast for another 5 – 10 minutes, until everything is glazed and bronze.
  6. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Raspberry Custard Cake

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A cross between custard, pudding and cake, this is a spin on the traditional French dessert from Normandy named "Clafoutis". Typically made with cherries, I have substituted raspberries and added buttermilk for a tangy flavor. Bake this while you are eating dinner to serve warm or bake the night before to serve cold, equally as delicious!

A cross between custard, pudding and cake, this is a spin on the traditional French dessert from Normandy named “Clafoutis”. Typically made with cherries, I have substituted raspberries and added buttermilk for a tangy flavor. Bake this while you are eating dinner to serve warm or bake the night before to serve cold, equally as delicious!

  • ¼ Cup whole milk
  • ¼ Cup heavy cream
  • ¼ Cup buttermilk
  • 3 Large eggs
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • 1 Tsp vanila extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ Cup all purpous flour
  • 9 oz Fresh raspberries
  • Powdered sugar for garnish

 

    1. Pre-heat oven to 350°f.  Butter an 8” diameter glass pie dish with 2” high sides. Dust w/ sugar, shaking out excess.
    2. Combine milk, cream, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and flour in a            blender.  Blend for 1 minute, scraping down the sides and blending for another 15 seconds.
    3. Pour half of batter into the pie dish and scatter raspberries on top.  Cover with additional batter.   Bake cake until puffy and evenly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on a rack.
    4. Carefully unmold cake from its pan and invert onto a plate.  Cover with a serving platter and flip the cake so that it is right side up.  Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar and serve.

 

Serves 8

 

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Spinach with Garlic, Raisins and Pine Nuts

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Traditionally Sicilian, this dish is earthy with greens and a perfect balance of sweet and savory, I love it warm or at room temperature as part of an Italian style buffet

Traditionally Sicilian, this dish is earthy with greens and a perfect balance of sweet and savory, I love it warm or at room temperature as part of an Italian style buffet

 

  • 2- 10 oz packages fresh spinach or 4 bunches fresh leaf spinach
  • 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup raisins, plumped in hot water for 10 minutes
  • ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
  • Salt & fresh pepper to taste

 

    1. Wash spinach thoroughly in several changes of water, drain well
    2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Add garlic and saute for several minutes, until slightly golden.  Do not brown garlic as it will be bitter!
    3. Add spinach, raisins, salt & pepper and saute until spinach is wilted.  Add pine nuts, toss and taste for seasoning adding additional salt and pepper if necessary.
    4. Serve immediately or may be served at room temperature.

 

Serves 4

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Artichoke Bruschetta

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Baguette slices lightly toasted with garlic and topped with pan seared artichoke hearts, olive oil and mint reminds me of a small dish I once had at a wine bar in Rome. This is the perfect last minute snack when friends drop by for a glass of wine.

Baguette slices lightly toasted with garlic and topped with pan seared artichoke hearts, olive oil and mint reminds me of a small dish I once had at a wine bar in Rome. This is the perfect last minute snack when friends drop by for a glass of wine.

  • 1 small baguette, sliced thinly into about ¾’’ slices
  • 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled, 1 chopped finely, 1 left whole
  • 1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained well
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbs fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese, grated on a rasp or microplane grater

 

  1. Spread drained artichokes on a clean kitchen towel and blot with paper towels to dry as thoroughly as possible.
  2. Heat a stainless steel sauté pan on medium heat with 2 tbs of olive oil until oil is hot and shimmering, but not smoking.
  3. Carefully place the artichokes in the hot pan and season with salt + pepper.  Allow artichokes to brown before turning, cooking until they are colored, brown + crisp looking. Add chopped garlic clove , stirring constantly so that garlic does not burn, but softens.  Allow artichoke mixture to cool.  When cool enough to touch, roughly chop the artichoke hearts on a cutting board and transfer to a bowl .
  4. Add half of cheese to chopped artichokes reserving balance for garnish and taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary and sprinkle with mint, reserving a small bit for garnish, stirring to combine.
  5. Place bread slices on a sheet pan lined with foil. Using a silicone brush, lightly brush bread with 1 tbs of olive oil. Toast bread slices until lightly browned and toasted or alternately, grill bread slices until golden brown with grill marks on the grill.
  6. Allow bread to cool until you can lift a slice without burning your fingers and then rub each slice of toasted bread with the peeled whole  garlic clove.
  7. Top each toast with a teaspoon of artichoke mixture, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with cheese and more mint.
  8. Serve immediately.  The artichoke mixture can be prepared earlier in the day and reserved covered on the counter top, assembling the toasts when ready to serve.

 

Makes approx 18 toasts

 

 

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Grilled Greek Island Style Chicken Breasts

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Grilled boneless chicken breasts served warm with a cool, Greek style chopped salad on top is the perfect summer dish for a breezy, al fresco dinner

Grilled boneless chicken breasts served warm with a cool, Greek style chopped salad on top is the perfect summer dish for a breezy, al fresco dinner

  •  4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded 3/4” thin

For the marinade

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 tblespoons chopped mint
  • Salt & pepper

For the garnish

  • 1 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
  • 2 red ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • ¼ cup cucumber, peeled, seeded & chopped finely
  • 2 tablespoons sweet vidalia type onion, chopped finely
  • 3 tablespoons small capers in brine, drained
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup greek feta cheese, crumbled
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoons each, flat leaf parsley and mint chopped for garnish

 

 

  1.  Marinate chicken breasts for one hour in marinade.
  2. Prepare garnish by combining all ingredients and set aside at room temperature until ready to serve.  Garnish may be made up to 6 hours ahead, but do not add feta cheese until ready to serve.
  3. Preheat grill to high heat.  Grill chicken for 2-3 minutes per side, remove chicken from the grill and place on serving platter, spooning garnish directly over chicken.
  4. Serve immediately, or at room temperature as part of a buffet.
Serves 4
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Grilled Asparagus

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Grilling asparagus imparts a charred, sweet, smokey flavor and is equally as delicious served hot, warm, at room temperature or, as part of a buffet or even chilled in a salad, total versatility!

Grilling asparagus imparts a charred, sweet, smokey flavor and is equally as delicious served hot, warm, at room temperature or, as part of a buffet or even chilled in a salad, total versatility!

  • 1 pound green asparagus
  • 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt & fresh black pepper to taste
  • Lemon zest.
  1. Wash and trim asparagus, drying thoroughly.
  2. Preheat grill to high heat.
  3. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and coat thoroughly.
  4. Sprinkle asparagus with liberal amounts of salt and freshly ground pepper.
  5. Grill until nicely charred, rolling constantly over grates.
  6. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with lemon zest.
  7. Serve immediately or at room temperature as part of a buffet.
Serves 4
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Green Pea Soup with Mint

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Bright emerald green and bursting with clean, fresh mint flavor, this soup is so simple and like a breath of new spring air. Serve it warm on a chilly night or icy cold as a warm weather lunch.

Bright emerald green and bursting with clean, fresh mint flavor, this soup is so simple and like a breath of new spring air. Serve it warm on a chilly night or icy cold as a warm weather lunch.

 

  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 small bag of frozen baby peas
  • 12 fresh mint leaves
  • 3 cups of water
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 tbs Crème Fraîche stirred together with salt to taste (for garnish)
  1. Heat oil in medium sized pot on medium heat.
  2. Sauté scallions, seasoning with salt and pepper, stirring often for several minutes.
  3. Add peas, mint, water, salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until peas are cooked but till bright green.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  5. Carefully transfer mixture to a blender.  Blend carefully, allowing steam to escape, stirring and scraping blender container as necessary.
  6. Continue to blend until all ingredients are well pureed.  Add some additional water if necessary to thin the soup.
  7. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Serve immediately or allow cool, refrigerating and serving the next day.
  9. Garnish each serving of soup with a dollop of Crème Fraîche.

 

Note: Be extra careful when blending hot ingredients in a blender to allow some hot air to escape while blending ingredients, by slightly moving lid to a side position or removing the center plastic part of the lid and covering with a towel so the ingredients don’t splatter.  Neglecting this step can cause a hot explosion.

 

Serves 4

photo by Kristi Senat

 

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