Gourmet Gifts

'Tis the season of gift giving has arrived upon us.  For some have carefully pick out their gifts and have already wrapped them and put them under the tree.  While others are scurrying to finish up the last few people on their list.  And for those of you who are looking for a last minute, easy and inexpensive gift for that coworker, teacher or friend you almost forgot, here are a few ideas which are way more thoughtful and creative than a gift card.  Oh, and they also make great stocking suffers too!

Basket and oil bottle: T.J. Maxx, Spice jar: Ikea, Flour sack dish towels: Bed Bath & Beyond (no longer available).

Winter Blend Coffee

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups medium or dark roast whole coffee beans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole rainbow or black peppercorns

Place all ingredients into and airtight container.  Cover with a lid and shake to combine.  Grind and use when needed.

Christmas Candy Bark

Ingredients
2 - 12 ounce bags semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Nestle)
6 - .55 ounce Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, cut each cup into 8 wedges
3 - 1.4 ounce Hershey's Skor Bars, roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups Christmas red and green M&M's
1/2 cup premium quality white chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)



In a medium sauce pan, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips over low heat, constantly stirring.  Pour the melted chocolate onto a 9x13 foil lined rimmed baking sheet and spread evenly to about 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Skor Bar and M&M's over the melted chocolate.  Set aside.

In a small sauce pan over low heat melt the white chocolate chips constantly stirring.  Drizzle the white chocolate over the bark.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight until the bark has hardened.

When the bark is ready, remove it from the refrigerator and roughly chop into large irregular pieces.  Serve on a platter or wrap into small plastic bags.

Meyer Lemon-Basil Sea Salt

Ingredients
1 cup coarse sea salt
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 Meyer lemons, zested










Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a small food processor combine the sea salt and basil.  Grind until the sea salt and basil are completely combined.  Add the Meyer lemon zest and pulse to combine.  Pour the sea salt mixture on to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until it has dried out.  Allow the sea salt to cool.  Once cooled enough to handle break apart the sea salt and store in an airtight container or spice jar.  Use as a finishing salt on fish, chicken or salads or simply use it as a seasoning while cooking.

Other Great Gourmet Gifts:
Infused oils
Wine infused compound butter
Five festive beers
Holiday wines

Food Recipes for Infused Oils

So it's been about a month since I have posted those Infused Oils on my blog!  I'm guessing that all of your oils are well infused and ready to use.  Sorry it's taken a bit.  I think life and summer has taken over me as I've been spending time with my family and friends in the sun, entertaining on my patio, creating in the kitchen and just enjoying life.  If you are following me on Instagram  you can catch up with Greg and I and what we have been eating and expanding our palates with!

Here are the long awaited food recipes using those infused oils.

Strawberry Arugula Salad with Norwegian Cardamom Dressing

Ingredients
1 large bunch or 1 - 10 ounce bag Arugula
8-10 fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons Norwegian Cardamom Oil
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste.

In a small jar or bowl combine the Norwegian Cardamom Oil and fresh squeezed orange juice.  Shake in the jar with the lid on or whisk to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or large salad bowl combine the arugula, strawberries, manchego and almonds.  Drizzle with the desired amount of dressing and serve.  Serves 4-6.

Note:  There will most likely be left over dressing which can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

Spicy Garlic Asian Shrimp with Quinoa and Baby Broccoli

Ingredients
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined with tails on
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Spicy Garlic Sesame Oil
1 small bunch baby broccoli, roughly chopped
2 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste



Cook the quinoa according to the package and set aside keeping it warm.  

Note: I saute the dry quinoa in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 2-3 minutes.  Then I add chicken or vegetable broth, bring it to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until all of the broth is absorbed.  I have found out this technique really brings out the flavor in the quinoa.

In a small bowl place the shrimp and add 2 tablespoons Spicy Garlic Asian Sesame Oil and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper (pepper is optional depending on desired amount of spice) and set aside to marinate, about 20-25 minutes.

On medium-high heat in a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the Spicy Garlic Asian Sesame Oil.  Add the shallots and cook for about 2-3 minutes, constantly stirring.  Add the broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring to combine.  Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the broccoli is just tender.

In a medium pan heat 1 teaspoon of Spicy Garlic Asian Sesame Oil over medium heat-high heat.  Place the shrimp in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes.  Flip the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute more.

In a large mixing bowl combine the quinoa, baby broccoli shallot mixture. Gently toss.  Divide the quinoa mixture among plates and serve with the shrimp placed on top.  Serves 2-4.

Note: A drizzle of Hoisin sauce on top would be wonderful and a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce such as Siracha would be great for a bit extra heat! 

Creamy Herbed Ricotta Pasta with Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini

Herbed Ricotta

 

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk ricotta

3 tablespoons European Herbed Oil

2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves chopped

2-3 fresh oregano, sprigs, leaves chopped

Lemon zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste.

Place all ingredients into a small mixing bowl.  Stir to combine and set aside or store covered in the refrigerator until needed.

Creating the Pasta Dish

Ingredients

1 pound pasta, cooked

1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise (thick slices)

2 small to medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise (medium to thick slices)

1 cup herbed ricotta

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the eggplant and zucchini on a large baking sheet.  Using a silicone brush, brush the 1/4 cup olive oil onto the eggplant and zucchini on both sides.  Season with salt and pepper.

After your grill is properly heated, carefully place the eggplant and zucchini on the grill and cook for about 4-6 minutes on each side until browned and slightly charred.  Remove from the grill and chop the vegetables into 1/2 inch pieces an set aside.

In a large pot over the stove, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the herbed ricotta and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the ricotta softens and absorbs the olive oil.  Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Add the grilled eggplant and zucchini and gently toss.  Divide among plates and lightly drizzle a bit of the European Herbed Oil on top.  Serves 4-6.

Coconut Lemongrass Chicken Skewers

Ingredients
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast
3 tablespoons Asian Lemongrass Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut lemongrass sauce (see notes)
8-10 - 12 inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water

Slice the chicken into 1-inch cubes.  Place the cubed chicken in a bowl.  Add the lemongrass oil and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside or refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes.

Make the the Coconut Lemongrass Sauce while the chicken marinates.


Coconut Lemongrass Sauce

Ingredients
1 - 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
1 fresh lemongrass stalk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
water

Cut both ends of the lemongrass and discard.  Roughly chop the lemongrass.  Place the lemongrass into a food processor and grind until very fine.

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat pour in the coconut milk.  Add the lemongrass, sugar, and salt.  Continuously stir for about 5 minutes.  Do not allow the milk to boil.  Once heated through, place the cornstarch in a small bowl and add a bit of water, about 1-2 teaspoons.  Stir until the cornstarch blends into the water completely.  Pour the cornstarch mixture into the the coconut lemongrass milk.  Constantly stir until the sauce starts to thicken over low heat.  Turn off the burner and set aside covering with a lid to keep warm.  

Note:  Depending on how thick you prefer your sauce use more or less of the cornstarch.

Skewering and cooking the chicken.

Skewer the chicken, about 5-7 pieces per skewer. 

After your grill is properly heated, carefully place the chicken skewers on the grill and cook for about 5-8 minutes.  Flip the skewers and cook for another 5 minutes until browned and slightly charred. 

Remove the chicken skewers from the grill and drizzle with the coconut lemongrass sauce.  Serve with the extra sauce on the side for dipping.

Note:  This can be served alone as an appetizer or over rice (or your favorite grain) with veggies.

Infused Oils

I am so excited to be back home so I can share with all of my readers about the amazing time I had in my hometown Hershey, PA with my family celebrating my cousin Challise, our beautiful bride-to-be.  I don't know if you remember awhile back I featured the wonderful couple by helping them "cope" with their wedding planning with some delicious Spring Time Cocktails.  Now, I am here again with this up and coming foodie couple (it's hard not to be in our family) and their bridal shower showing off the infused oils I created just for them.   

With the idea from my Aunt Christine, Challise's mom, each oil was specially made and created using my aunt's brilliant idea of taking their cultures and ethnicity's to create the infused oils used at their oil tasting and making bridal shower.  Challise is half Cambodian and half Norwegian.  So I came up with my favorite Asian flavors that our family uses frequently to create an Asian Lemongrass Oil and a Spicy Garlic Sesame Oil both which are wonderful for cooking.  As for her Norwegian side I went with cardamom, a spice that is often used in Norwegian baking, creating a sweet oil perfect for dipping or salad dressings.  Her fiancee Zach is from European decent including English, German and Irish.  Creating a European Herbed Oil infused with fresh oregano and thyme made a perfect bread dipping oil for everyone to enjoy.

Challise and Zach (and their pup Mumford) showing off their new aprons written on with words of love and advice.

The day was lovely and Challise and Zach had a great time spending time with family and friends.  Everyone enjoyed the tasting and then creating their own infused oils to take home as favors to enjoy in the weeks to come.  Look out for recipes this month using the infused oils below!

That's me preparing the Spicy Garlic Asian Sesame Oil!  I garnished it with Hoisin Sauce and a fresh Thai chili pepper.

Norwegian Cardamom Oil

6-8 ounces olive oil
1 teaspoon green cardamom pods
1 vanilla bean, sliced open lengthwise
1 2-inch piece orange peel 

Place all ingredients in an airtight glass jar or bottle and allow to infuse for 2-4 weeks.  Store in a cool dark place.  Strain the oil discarding the vanilla bean, orange peel and cardamom pods.

Spicy Garlic Asian Sesame Oil

6-8 ounces sesame oil
1-2 fresh Thai chili peppers, sliced lengthwise
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced

Place all ingredients in an airtight glass jar or bottle and allow to infuse for 2-4 weeks.  Store in a cool dark place.  Strain the oil discarding the chili peppers, and garlic.

European Herbed Oil

6-8 ounces olive oil
1 teaspoon rainbow peppercorn (optional)
2-3 sprigs fresh oregano, gently bruise to release oils
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, gently bruise to release oils

Place all ingredients in an airtight glass jar or bottle and allow to infuse for 2-4 weeks.  Store in a cool dark place.  Strain the oil discarding the peppercorns, oregano and thyme.

Asian Lemongrass Oil

6-8 ounces olive oil
1 teaspoon black peppercorn (optional)
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces and smashed

Place all ingredients in an airtight glass jar or bottle and allow to infuse for 2-4 weeks.  Store in a cool dark place.  Strain the oil discarding the peppercorns and lemongrass.