Seduction Meals is about food + romance and the premise that everyone should learn to master one dish that is their signature dish—a Seduction Meal, to enchant and captivate that special someone in your life...
Does your body ever crave salad? I know I go through a craving every once in a while. All I want (and I guess need) is to enjoy a meal of greens--clean food as I call it. There are many variations of hearty dinner salads such as Salad Nicoise, Caesar Salad with Sliced Chicken or Grilled Shrimp, and now this tasty salad made with braised America Lamb, Raspberries, Pecans and Avocado. Serve this dish with a grilled cheese sandwich such as the Feta cheese on baguette described below or melted open faced Gruyere cheese on french bread.
Lamb, Raspberries, Pecans and Avocado Salad 8 servings Recipe and image courtesy of the American Lamb Board
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless American Lamb shoulder, trimmed of visible fat and cut into pieces of equal thickness
1 large ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cubed
1/3 cup prepared dressing of your choice (I prefer a simple dressing of olive oil with a splash of red wine vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon)
Creamy feta cheese and 16 slices of baguette for garnish
Directions:
In large skillet with cover, heat oil over high heat. Brown lamb on all sides. Add 2 cups water. Cover and braise over low heat for 1 hour. Cool in liquid. Remove from liquid. Refrigerate or freeze remaining liquid for use in stock for soup.
Cut meat into 1-inch pieces, removing all fat; set aside.
In salad bowl, combine greens, berries, pecans, and avocado; set aside. Mix lamb with salad dressing. Toss with salad.
For garnish, spread feta cheese on slices of baguette and brown under broiler.
Serve salad on plates and garnish with two slices of baguette.
Seduction Meals is pleased to present the first of a six-part series: Vietnamese Splendor by Tastemaker and Trendsetter, Moshe Aeylon.
Moshe fell in love with
Vietnamese food during his first visit to New York City in 1983 when he dined at the
ultra trendy hot spot of the time, Indochine. He was inspired to take cooking classes at ICE with master chef Andrea Nguyen, and quotes his favorite Vietnamese restaurant in NYC is OMAI in Chelsea.
"Every since I was introduced to Thai & Vietnamese cuisines, two of my favorites, I have always loved most of the salads dishes. These tangy but sweet, crispy but wilted, crunchy but hot salads are always perfect starters and an appetite teasers for me. I am happy I finally can prepare them in my kitchen for my friends. Here is one of my all time favorites-- Vietnamese Cucumber & Shrimp Salad."
Cucumber and Shrimp Salad Serves 4 to 6 Recipe and photo by Moshe Aeylon Adapted from a recipe by Andrea Nguyen
Start by making the Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 or 2 Thai or Serrano chilies, finely chopped (optional)
Seared shrimp served over a bed of greens with avocados, sweet pink grapefruit slices, and Kalamata olives drizzled with olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon and sprinkled with a touch of Victoria Taylor's Australian Flake sea salt. A simple salad that can be served before or with a main meat-based
dish. This can also be presented with a chilled glass of white wine for
a simple salad on a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!
Avocado, Grapefruit and Seared Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
8-10 large shrimp, peeled and deveined. I prefer to keep the tails on
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 cup of Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp dijion mustard
1 tsp minced shallots
2-3 cups of mixed greens
1 large avocado, pitted and sliced lengthwise
1 small pink grapefruit, segments sliced with pith removed
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Place a small to medium sized skillet over medium-high heat; add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the skillet is hot, add the shrimp, lightly shaking the pan to coat the shrimp with the olive oil. As the shrimp starts to lose its pink color, turning more opaque, about 2-3 minutes, flip the shrimp over to cook the other side. Add fresh squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon and a dash of salt. Shake pan to coat shrimp. After 2-3 minutes remove pan from heat.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, and Dijon mustard. Toss with greens. Be careful not to use too much dressing. Start by pouring 1/2 of the dressing and add more based on the amount of greens you are using and your preference.
Placed greens on each plate, top with sliced avocados, grapefruit slices, and olives
Top this with seared shrimp and serve immediately.
In celebration of summer, here is part two of our Peach Trilogy from superstar catering company Martin & Fitch. The combination of sweet summer peaches wrapped in smoky paper thin sheets of ham kissed with mustard vinaigrette...a simple yet tantalizing summer delight. Enjoy!
Prosciutto wrapped grilled peach salad with whole grain mustard vinaigrette Recipe courtesy of chefs Maura Martin and Phoebe Fitch Photography: Noelle Grosso
Ingredients
2 firm peaches
8 slices prosciutto
Olive oil for brushing
4 cups mixed salad greens, like frissee, arugula, watercress, tot soi (an Asian salad leaf)
¼ cup cucumber, cut into small squares
¼ cup cherry tomatoes
¼ French feta cheese, cut into squares
Salad Dressing
2 T whole grain mustard
2 T honey
3 T white balsamic or dark balsamic vinegar
½ cup fruity XVOO
Grilling Peaches Quarter peaches and remove stone. Wrap each piece with 1 slice of proscuitto and brush with a little olive oil. Grill briefly on each side until you have nice grill marks. This can be done on indoor or outdoor grill. Set aside Preparing the Salad Mix salad greens, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and feta with just enough dressing to coat. Plating the Dish Divide between 2 plates. Place 4 peach pieces on each plate and drizzle with a little dressing. Reserve extra dressing for another day. Serve immediately.
Created at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1896 by the maître d'hôtel, (dining room manager) Oscar Tschirky, the Waldorf salad was an instant success. The original version of this salad contained only apples, celery and mayonnaise. Here is a new way to enjoy this refreshing summer salad--Blueberry Waldorf Salad.
Blueberry Waldorf Salad Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large Granny Smith apple
4 cups (about 4 ounces) baby spinach
2 stalks celery, cut into 1 1/2-inch matchsticks
1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted
Directions:
In a blender container, combine half the blueberries, the oil, marmalade, lemon juice, mustard and salt; blend until a smooth, thick dressing forms.
Core and slice the apple.
Arrange spinach, apple slices, celery and pecans on cold salad plates; top with remaining blueberries if using fresh.
Blend dressing again until smooth and drizzle each serving with dressing. If using frozen berries, fold into dressing and spoon over salads.
Enjoy an elegant salad of mixed greens, endives, sliced cucumbers, duck prosciutto, radish slices and shaved Parmesan cheese strips. For a bit of sweetness you can add pear or apple slices. Serve with a glass of chilled white wine for a luscious summer luncheon.
For a light, sexy seduction meal this simple lobster salad will impress, especially when you spend some time plating your dish with a dash of seduction. This salad can be served for lunch, a light dinner, a picnic, or when visiting your loved one with a meal for two and a bottle of wine in hand.
All you have to do is whip up this luscious lobster salad, add some height by layering the ingredients, create your dish with an array of color, and visually tease with a colorful, fun garnish. For the best
texture and taste be sure to purchase fresh lobster tails from your local seafood
market the same day you plan on serving this dish....and voila! you're good to go. Bon Appetit!
lobster salad
3 lobster tails 1 yellow or orange pepper, sliced in whole rings cherry tomatoes 1 ripe mango, diced into small cubes 1 avocado, diced into small cube a large handful of mixed greens 1/8 cup olive oil 1/4 tsp mustard a dash of balsamic vinegar 1/2 of a fresh squeezed lemon salt and pepper to taste chives for garnish
Take one medium sized lobster tail and chop up into bite sized pieces. Add to a bowl with diced mango and avocado. Whisk together olive oil, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle 3-4 tbs of the dressing over the salad and toss together.
Plating the dish
Place mixed greens on each plate and top with 1-2 slices of pepper--I used an orange pepper for color and taste. Drizzle a little more dressing over the salad.
Top the pepper rings with the lobster salad. Add cherry tomatoes around the mound of salad over the mixed greens. Place 1 small lobster tail over the lobster salad and insert a few stalks of chives in the center of the lobster tail as seen in the photo. Serve with a chilled bottle of white wine.
Here is another sensational summer salad for your next seduction meal. Serve this to set the stage for your culinary seduction, or increase the portion for a main salad entree. This recipe calls for Halloumi® cheese. Made from the purest sheep's
and goat's milk by age-old traditions, halloumi® is a semi-firm white
cheese with a delicious, creamy taste and a surprising hint of mint. So
unique, halloumi has a registered trademark and hails only from Cyprus.
Healthy and versatile, it can be grilled, broiled, barbecued, and
sautéed.
baby arugula salad with Halloumi croutons in citrus olive oil vinaigrette courtesy of Christine Cushing and CheeseEU Makes 4 servings
salad
5 oz package baby rocket (arugula), washed 5 oz Halloumi cheese cut into ½ inch cubes ¼ cup fine corn meal 2 tablespoon grape seed oil for frying 1 beet, thinly sliced on a mandolin and shallow fried until crisp.
citrus dressing
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon vin cotto or balsamic vinegar Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1. Wash and dry the arugula and place in a medium bowl.
2. To make the dressing, combine the citrus juices and zests, mustard, vin cotto or balsamic with salt and pepper and whisk well. While whisking slowly pour in the oil and combine well. Set aside.
3. Dust the Halloumi cubes in fine corn meal, tossing gently in a bowl. Transfer to a plate and discard remaining corn meal.
4. In a medium skillet, heat grape seed oil over medium high temperature. Fry the Halloumi for about 5 minutes, turning often to get a dark golden crust.
5. Remove from heat and transfer back to plate.
6. Toss the greens with the vinaigrette and cheese gently to coat. Sprinkle with beet chips and serve immediately.
On a hot summer night, who wants to spend time cooking in the kitchen--there are better ways and places to kindle heat. Instead of slaving away over a hot stove, try preparing a simple salad with a delicious mix of fresh greens, vegetables, and herbs. You can add a sweet crab or lobster salad over greens. Start you seduction meal with a tray of artisanal cheese, a fois gras pate or cured sliced meats, and fresh fruit.
The key is to keep it simple by designing an enticing array of visually pleasing, scrumptious morsels. Below is an example of a simple recipe for romance. A meal that took less than 15 minutes to whip together and was paired with a chilled bottle of rose wine, served outdoors, and surrounded by mini candles. The fireflies were a magic touch from above ; )
If you are looking for a fulfilling main-dish salad to serve up for your next seduction meal, consider the French inspired, colorful Salad Nicoise. Grilled tuna steak served over a medley of potatoes, kalamata olives, tomatoes, boiled
eggs, and anchovies. For an
added twist, I've topped this salad with a stream of green garlic
cilantro sauce.
SaladNicoise 1 cup of mixed greens, washed and set aside to dry 2 medium to hard-boiled eggs 6 small yukon or red potatoes, boiled pitted Kalamata olives hericot vert, steamed, enough for two anchovies (optional)
Prepare all ingredients and set aside while you prepare the dressing, cilantro sauce, and tuna steaks.
1/4 c. sugar Juice of 1 lg. lemon (3 scant tbsp.) 1 egg yolk 6 tbsp. vegetable oil
Place sugar in medium bowl. Add lemon juice and whisk until most of sugar is dissolved. Add yolk and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Add oil 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly until dressing is thick and creamy. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, re-whisk dressing, if necessary. Pour over salad and toss gently.
Cilantro Sauce Go to the link above for the cilantro sauce recipe. Instead of using a garlic infused dressing, I preferred to add garlic to this delicious sauce. Also, as you will see, the original recipe prefers that sauce is blended until creamy. I preferred small garlic pieces for this version. You can reduce the recipe in half or use the left over sauce for sandwiches or dinner tomorrow night.
Seared Tuna 2 tuna steaks, the best grade you can find, about 1 inch thick 2 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 lemon
Add olive oil to cast iron skillet, over medium high flame. Salt and pepper each steak. Place fish in skillet; add a sqeeze of fresh lemon juice over fish. Cook 3 minutes on one side, turn over and add balsamic vinegar. Cook for 2-3 minutes on this side, or until medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Remove tuna from the skillet and heat immediately.
Plating the Dish
Place a handful of mixed greens each plate. Arrange the string beans, tomatoes, olives, potatoes and sliced boiled eggs on the plate. Drizzle with salad dressing. The various colors of these ingredients make for a visually beautiful presentation. Top the salad with a grilled Tuna steak and a stream of the garlic cilantro sauce. Add anchovies (optional).
Another saporous recipe sent to SeductionMeals.com by Stefan in NYC: Fig 'n Frisee Four-Play Salad
"I
know what all of you are thinking. Friggin' easy, right? Fore-play,
right? Well, it is easy, and this four-play will certainly prime your
appetite for the other fore-play. Let's start out with our four-play:
sweet, citric, crunchy, and crumbly. The sweetness is derived from figs
and sun-dried tomatoes, both originating from the Mediterranean
(birthplace of sensuality) and the Garden of Eden (we all know what the
fig leaf was used for). Lemon is next giving the salad and our taste
buds subtle surprise (remember a little surprise goes a long way).
Next is texture; the crispness of the frisee and spinach (both must be
fresh and chilled) along with the tender pine nuts imparts the crunchy,
and the cheese and smoked fish imparts the crumbly. When the two
textures, combined with sweetness and citric come together in your
mouth....oh, behave!"
Fig 'n Frisee Four-Play Salad Serves Two: Use large salad bowls
1 bunch of baby spinach leaves (1/2 bag)
1/2 head of frisee
1/4 cup of smoked peppered fish (bluefish or mackerel), coarsely flaked. If peppered can't be found, plain smoked is fine.
1/4 cup Papillon Roquefort cheese (or your favorite blue cheese), coarsely crumbled
5 figs, quartered
8 very fine julienned lemon peels
4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely julienned
2 tbsp pine nuts
8 - 12 pitted olives, green and black
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
Salad Preperation
Coarsely
tear the spinach leaves along with the frisee and soak in a salad
spinner with iced water(a half dozen ice cubes should do the trick).
Set aside. Next, crumble the smoked peppered fish (skin removed) by
hand keeping the pieces small bite size. Set aside. Ditto the
Roguefort cheese, keeping the pieces even smaller. Roguefort has a
strong pungent taste, so you don't want to overwhelm your taste buds
with pieces too large). Set aside.
Quarter the figs (slice
length-wise once, turn keeping the fig together, and slice again);
juliennethe lemon peels into very slender slivers, about 1 to 1 1/2
inch long. Ditto the sun-dried tomatoes, thicker slivers, about the
same length as the lemon peel. Slice half the green and black olives
width-wise, making nickel-size rings. Set everything aside.
Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, mix and set aside.
Drain
the spinach and frisee making sure all ice has melted. Spin to remove
all water. Spin again for the last drops. At this point, I like to
put the spinach and frisee and the Roguefort cheese, separate of
course, in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to get it thoroughly
chilled and make sure the cheese stays crumbly.
While you're
waiting, pour your guest and yourself a wonderful white wine, full
bodied, and have an enchanting discussion on Mediterranean culture (skip
Aristotle and gently go to olive trees and sensuality and, uh, you know
what I mean!). Pour yourselves another glass of wine (next try Brigitte Bardot, "And God Created Woman", or "Zorba the Greek", Anthony Quinn, quote, "God is very understanding, but there is one thing he will never forgive! When a woman calls a man to her bed and he will not go! This I know, because a very wise old Turk once told me.").
Plating the Dish
Remove
the spinach and frisee and Roguefort cheese from the refrigerator. Use
two large plates or large shallow soup bowls and arrange the greens so
as not to overflow the sides. Sprinkle over the greens two tablespoons
of the oil/vinegar mixture. Next, sprinkle on top the smoked fish and
Roguefort cheese, the whole green and black olives, evenly arrange the
figs on top, add the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts.
Garnish
with julienned lemon peels and sliced green and black olives on top.
It should look quite mesmerizing with all the different colors and
shapes popping through. Sprinkle with two more tablespoons of
oil/vinegar mixture on each plate. A little fresh cracked pepper on
top and Voila! Enjoy!
It's time to welcome the coming of Spring with lighter fare, and this salad is a great start. Serve this tempting arugula salad, mixed with oranges and feta, as a side dish to a simple grilled rib eye steak or grilled swordfish, or plate up a large salad bowl and served on its own. You can add kalamata olives to add another dimension of flavor.
Ingredients 2 cara cara oranges 2 blood oranges 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 2 cups total of mixed greens, frisee, and baby arugula, trimmed cracked fresh pepper (use a pepper mill) 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Note: The feta cheese can be salty, so taste before adding salt
preparation Peel oranges, and carefully remove all skin and pith--the white substance between the peel of an orange and the fruit itself. Cut each orange crosswise into 6 slices.
Trim the stems from the arugula and thoroughly clean to remove sand/grit. Place in a large bowl and toss with salad dressing.
plating the dish Add the mixed greens in a mound in the center of a plate. Arrange the orange slices nicely on top. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, and add kalamata olives if you desire. Drizzle olive oil over the entire salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For your Seduction Meal arsenal, it's a good idea to learn a few simple yet flavorful dishes that you can serve up for a refreshing "quickie" or as a side to a main dish. A simple Greek salad, this recipe is from the cookbook New Greek Cuisine from Jim Botsacos, the Chef of Molyvos Restaurant in NYC. Jim brings the vegetables from his garden to the table and prepares this dish with room temperature ingredients to maximize all flavors. Botsacos explains that in Greece greens are often not added to summer salads, except for perhaps a Romaine salad.
3 beefsteak tomatoes 1 hothouse cucumber, seeded (I like my seeds), scored and quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick 1 small red onion 20 kalamata olives, pitted, and thinly sliced (I prefer mine left whole) 1 cup diced feta cheese 1 Tbsp well-drained capers Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows) 1 tsp dried Greek oregano Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce (if you like)
Red Wine Vinaigrette makes about 3/4 cup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed 1 tsp dried Greek oregano 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
Combine the vinegar with the garlic and the oregano in a small mixing bowl. Add the oil and using a wire whisk, beat constantly until the mixture is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to use.
Preparing the Salad. Core the tomatoes. Cut each tomato in half crosswise, then cut each half into 5 pieces.Place the pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the cucumber.
Cut the onion in half lengthwise and then slice each half lengthwise into thin julienne. Add the onion to the bowl.
Add the olives, cheese and capers. Take the red wine vinaigrette and briefly whisk ingredients . Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Taste and season with oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
Plating the Dish Place an equal portion of the lettuce (if you choose to add this ingredient) on a salad plate or bowl. Top with equal portion of the tomato salad/mixture. Sprinkle lightly with oregano and serve immediately.
For a truly seductive, lighter pasta meal try Linguine alle vongole; an Italian dish made with fresh clams, parsley, garlic, white wine and butter. To start, serve up a simple salad like the radicchio salad with thinly sliced parmesean cheese slices.. Next serve up this great linguine dish with a bottle of chilled white wine and hot crusty bread and the night is yours.
Salad 1/4 cup extra olive oil 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste Medium size head of radicchio lettuce
Fresh Parmesean cheese, long thin slices
Tear the radicchio in
separate leaves. Place in a salad spinner filled with ice cold
water--add some ice cubes if your water isn't ice cold. Let stand for a
5-10 minutes. Drain. Set aside. Whisk together the olive oil and vinegar.
Plate the Dish
Place the salad on each plate. Using a cheese slicer to get very thin
slices, carve long thin slices from the brick of cheese. Arrange slices
over the lettuce. Drizzle with salad dressing, salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Linguine alle Vongole serves 4
4 Tbsp olive oil 1lb fresh minced clams 12 oz clam juice 2 dozen cockles 1 1/2 little neck clams 1 head of garlic, finely chopped 1 medium white onion, finely chopped 1 cup white wine 1/2 stick sweet butter 1 Tbsp finely chopped red jalapeno 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley 1 box linguine Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation Simmer the onions and garlic in olive oil in a skillet over low heat (you do not want to brown them, only soften). When soft, add minced clams. Continue to cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. Add remaining liquid (wine and clam juice), turn heat up to medium, cooking until liquid just begins to boil, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
Cook pasta as per directions being sure to remove when al dente. Strain the pasta and place in a large bowl, add 1/2 stick of butter and toss. Salt and pepper to taste.
Steam cockles and little necks clams until shells just open. Remove from heat, set aside
Plating the dish Heat up the minced clam juice. Place linguine in large serving bowl. Arrange littlenecks and cockles over the pasta and add minced clam mixture over the pasta and make sure its hot. Sprinkle red jalapeno (to taste), salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with the minced parsley.. Serve with your favorite wine, and toss the pasta at the table for maximum effect.
The culinary and mythological virtues of pomegranates have been extolled in art and literature since the time of the Ancient Greeks. Clearly, this exotic fruit has withstood the test of time for a reason. Famed for its lively color and refreshing juice, pomegranates add
beauty and flavor to appetizers, entrees, desserts and beverages.There are many wonderful recipes using pomegranates that are worthy of a Seduction Meal. Try a few before deciding upon your favorite as there is surely one that will add sparkle and a boost of love to your romantic soiree.
Pomegranate Cocktails
Featured are three cocktails using PAMA liquor: The Blushing Lady, Pama Passion, and Champagne Dreams.
The Blushing Lady
1 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur 2 oz. Vodka 1 oz. Pink Grapefruit Juice Lemon Wedge Course sugar, for garnish
Rub a wedge of lemon around the rim of a martini glass and dip the glass into a plate of coarse sugar. Set it aside. Pour the remaining ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the garnished martini glass.
Go to the bottom of this post for the other two recipes.
Halibut Rolled with Pomegranate Stuffing recipe from the Pomegranate Council -- serves 4
1 large or 2 pounds firm-fleshed, 1/2 inch thick halibut 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup olive oil or butter 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup pomegranate juice or 3 tablespoons pomegranate paste 1 tablespoon slivered candied orange peel 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/4 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
Rinse
fish in cold water. Pat dry with paper towel and rub both sides with 1
teaspoon salt. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large frying pan and brown onion
and garlic. Add all ingredients except the saffron water and lime juice
and cook for 3 minutes. Mix well and remove stuffing from heat.
Preheat
oven to 400 degrees. Lay fish out on the baking dish. Place a layer of
stuffing on one end of the fish about 1 inch long and gently roll from
the stuffing end and pin closed if necessary. Pour the saffron water,
the rest of the oil, and the lime juice over the fish. Place in the
oven and bake 10-15 minutes (until the fish flakes easily with a fork),
basting from time to time.
Arrange the fish on a serving
platter. Pour the sauce from the baking dish over the fish and garnish
with walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
Pomegranate and Papaya Salad withGinger Dressing recipe from the Pomegranate Council -- serves 6
Pomegranate seeds add lively color, flavor and crunch to this ginger-spiked salad.
1 medium pomegranate 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, chopped finely 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or a generous 1/4 teaspoon powdered 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 2 heads endive, separated into leaves 3 quarts baby lettuce or other torn lettuce leaves 1 medium papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green part of green onion
Separate seeds from skin and pulp of pomegranate (you should have about 3/4 cup seeds); reserve. To make dressing, mix lemon juice and next 6 ingredients; whisk in oil. Reserve. On a large serving platter, arrange endive leaves like spokes with tips pointing out. Toss papaya with 1 tablespoon dressing; reserve. Toss lettuce with remaining dressing; mound over endive leaves. Top with reserved papaya; sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, then with green onion.
For a main dish--try adding a mound of crab or lobster salad in the center.
PAMA Cocktails
CHAMPAGNE DREAMS 1 ounce Pama 1 ounce Cointreau 1 ounce Fresh orange juice 3 ounces Champagne or sparkling wine
Assemble the first three ingredients in a cocktail glass with ice. Slowly pour in the Champagne while stirring very gently to retain the bubbles and chill the mixture. Strain into a Champagne flute and garnish with an orange zest.
PAMA PASSION 1 1/2 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur ¾ oz. Peach Schnapps Orange Juice and Lemon Lime Soda Splash Grenadine Garnish with a lime
Jenn, from Leftover Queen has a delicious recipe for Pistachio Pomegranate Chicken. Visit her blog to review this recipe (and great photo), and much more--there are some really tasty romantic meals on her blog!
As part of your culinary seduction quest, you will be happy to know Arugula (also known as rocket) has a long history of being referred to as an Aphrodisiac dating back to the ancient Romans and Egyptians.
Arugula has a peppery, somewhat bitter taste. It is typically sold with its roots attached and tends to have dirt/grit on the leaves so it needs a good cleaning. When buying arugula, look for bright green leaves that are not wilting. Baby arugula leaves are preferred for salads, while mature arugula leaves are larger, darker green and spicier. The thinner the leaves the better the taste.
In this salad, the arugula is enhanced by the flavors of freshly squeezed lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. This is a light, refreshing salad that is easy to prepare and can be serve with any meat, seafood or pasta dish; or simply eaten alone.
Arugula Salad with Lemon Coriander Dressing
1 small bunch of arugula, enough for two, leaves only.
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp coriander powder
4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
fresh parmesan cheese, 8-10 thinly shaved slices
salt and pepper to taste
Thoroughly wash and dry the arugula. Place dry leaves on serving plates. Set aside.
For the dressing: Mix together the olive oil, coriander powder, sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir or whisk until well blended. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to allow the sun-dried tomatoes to absorb the dressing. Pour the dressing over the arugula salad, add the parmesan slices, salt and pepper to taste. Pour a glass of wine, get some sexy tunes going, light the candles and dig in.
I recently discovered a very cool food blog and on it this beautifully shot and wonderful recipe for Arugula Salad with Figs. The blog is called Big City Small Kitchen. Great name and very cool blog--check it out and bookmark that recipe.
Whenever you can--always buy FRESH. August and September are THE months to experience the true flavor of tomatoes and this salad is the perfect end-of-the summer treat. I am a big fan of Bon Appetit Magazine. A few years ago I discovered this recipe in the magazine and have been serving it up ever since--never without praise. I make it with or without the garlic toasted bread and I typically serve it with a grilled rib eye steak. (See next week's Grilled Rib Eye Recipe). You can find the original tomato salad recipe at Epicurous.com).
Tomato Blue Cheese Salad 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup grape tomatoes or halved cherry or pear tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped green onions
10 medium heirloom tomatoes of assorted colors, cored, thinly sliced 1 small red onion, sliced paper-thin 3 celery stalks, sliced thin on diagonal 1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled blue cheese
Combine 1/3 cup oil, cherry or grape tomatoes, and green onions in medium bowl; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Overlap tomato slices in concentric circles on platter, alternating colors. Scatter onion and celery slices over tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon tomato and green onion mixture over. Sprinkle with crumbled cheese.
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Lamb, Raspberries, Pecans and Avocado Salad
