Celebrity Chefs

Feast on Red, White and Blue this July 4th

By

dessert-strawberries-cheesecake-blueberries-fourth-of-july

Celebrating July 4th is about more than fireworks. It’s the opportunity to gather with family and friends for a celebration of the freedoms you enjoy because of your country’s independence. This year, celebrate the holiday with delicious and festive recipes in shades of red, white and blue.

Side Dishes

Peach Chicken Wings add grilling and food taste to your festive celebration. Process 2 cups of barbecue sauce, 1 finely chopped garlic clove and 2 peaches in a food processor. Add 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup for basting. Toss 24 wings in the remaining sauce and chill. Combine the remaining sauce with 1 cup peach jam, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of hot sauce, 1 finely chopped garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoons salt in a small saucepan. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until slightly thickened. Baste the wings in this sauce as they grill.

Cilantro Tomato Corn Salad bursts with flavor and color, and you can adjust the ingredients to satisfy your palate. Combine the kernels from three cooked ears of corn with 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 chopped plum tomatoes, 1 seeded and finely chopped jalapeño pepper, 1/2 small, finely chopped red onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro, 1 pinch lemon-herb seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

Snacks

Watermelon Salsa delivers a sweet punch of flavor in every bright red bite. In a white serving bowl, mix 2 cups seeded and coarsely chopped watermelon, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 3 tablespoons seeded, chopped Anaheim chile, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt. Cover and chill then serve with blue corn chips.

Red, White and Blue Party Mix combines patriotic colors with a sweet and salty crunch as you involve your kids in the kitchen. Mix 1 cup yogurt coated mini pretzels, 1/2 cup yogurt coated raisins, 1/3 cup dried blueberries, 1/2 cup dried banana chips, 1/2 cup dried pineapple pieces and 1/3 cup dried sour cherries or cranberries into a large bowl. Serve the mix in individual flag buckets for guests to enjoy.

Drinks

Berry Blue Fizz tastes great and looks festive when you serve it in clear glasses. Microwave 3 cups of water on high in a glass measuring cup for 5 minutes or until it boils. Pour in 4 (3 ounce) packages of blueberry gelatin and stir until dissolved. Cool slightly before adding 5 (12 fluid ounce) cans lemon-lime soda. Serve over a scoop of pineapple sherbet or vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Punch adds vibrant color to the drink table. Mash 4 cups of strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar. Let it sit for an hour before straining it. Add 3 cups orange juice, 3/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar and 1-1/2 liters ginger ale.

Desserts

Patriotic Fruit Salad ends the evening on a sweet note. In a seasonal serving bowl, mix 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper. Add 3 cups seeded and cubed watermelon, 2 cups blueberries and 1 cup julienned jicama. Stir, chill and enjoy.

July 4th gives you an opportunity to celebrate your country’s birthday and your freedom. Invite a few friends over and enjoy festive food and a fun time. What’s your favorite patriotic food?

Gingerbread Houses

By


Children love christmas time. Maybe it’s because of the joy in the air or maybe it’s because of the gift giving. They definitely enjoy the decorating that is done for this holiday.

The gingerbread house is a fun christmas tradition. It allows you and your kids to work together to be creative. It also makes a great item for your christmas decorating. You might want to buy extra bits of the ingredients as some might get nibbled before you finish making your gingerbread house.

The gingerbread house starts with the form. Most use a cardboard house as a base. You can usually buy these in stores if you don’t want to make your own or try creating your own template, it is really easy. Of course you can always print out guides from online.
For the rest of the gingerbread house, try this recipe from Chef Bobby Flay. He introduced this recipe on his show, Food Nation.

Ingredients:

  • 5 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups dark molasses
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Frosting, either store-bought or homemade
  • Brightly colored candies such as gumdrops, licorice, peppermint sticks, etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 5 cups of flour, the ginger and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar in large bowl with mixer. Add molasses and lightly beaten eggs. Blend well. Gradually add dry ingredients. Knead in remaining flour, if necessary. Chill dough 1 hour for best rolling results.

Lightly grease cookie sheets. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick directly onto cookie sheets. Cut patterns, removing excess dough. Chill 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes.

Let cookies cool.

Next, to assemble house, you will want to make a simple cardboard house to use as your base to help hold the house together. Begin applying cookies to the cardboard using your frosting as glue. Once cookies cover the entire house you can decorate with colorful candies such as gumdrops, peppermint sticks and licorice.

[tags] Christmas,recipe,Bobby Flay,gingerbread house,decorating [/tags]

Art Smith’s Roast Chicken

By

Art Smith is most known for being Oprah’s personal chef and his concoctions can grace our own tables during this season – thanks to Oprah’s web site. I found this roast chicken recipe by Art Smith which might prove to be a good alternative to turkey. Though Christmas is over, I am sure you still have a lot of meals to prepare. Why not try this out?

Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
• 2 (4-pound) chickens
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 lemon , halved
• 2 medium onions , chopped
• 2 medium carrots , chopped
• 2 ribs celery , chopped
• 2 cups homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth

Position a rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°. Clean chickens inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Arrange on racks in a large roasting pan.

Chop garlic, then mash with salt to make a paste. Transfer to small bowl. Add oil, tarragon, basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano and pepper, and mix. Slip your fingers under the skin of each breast to loosen; rub as much herb paste as you can under skins. Rub remaining paste in body cavities, then place a lemon half in each cavity. If desired, tie chicken legs together with kitchen twine.

Place chickens, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan. Roast 30 minutes, basting twice. Scatter onions, carrots and celery in pan. Roast about 20 to 30 minutes longer, basting once or twice, or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh, without touching a bone, reads 180°.

Transfer chickens to a platter. Pour pan juices into a small glass measuring cup. (Discard vegetables in roasting pan.) Let juices stand 5 minutes, then skim off any fat from surface. Place pan over high heat on stove. When pan is sizzling, pour in degreased juices and broth. Bring to a boil, stirring up browned bits on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Strain into a sauceboat. Carve chicken and serve with pan juices.

All those herbs are making my mouth water!