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Sensual
Salsa
3 mangos,
peeled and diced
7 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 red peppers, chopped
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/4cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp diced canned jalapeno peppers
generous sprinkle chili powder
Taste and
add more jalapeno peppers if desired. Combine all ingredients
in a mixing bowl. Serve with corn chips or grilled chicken or
fish.
Yield: appetizers
for 30 people
Did you know that basil is very alluring? Rub a little on yourself
and see what happens.
"Smell
is the potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles
all the years you have lived."
Helen Keller
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Captivating
Carrot & Cranberry Loaf
2 1/4 cups
all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup bran
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup grated raw carrots
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup plus 2 tbsp water
2 eggs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Combine flour,
baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, bran, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In another bowl combine carrots, oil, water, eggs, dried cranberries
and chopped nuts. Combine liquid and dry ingredients. Pour into
oiled loaf pan. Bake at 375F for 1 hour.
The aroma
of this loaf as it bakes makes you feel cozy and cared for.
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Ecstatic
Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Margarita Dipping Sauce
6 ounces semisweet
chocolate
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup pureed cooked beets
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Preheat oven
to 350F. Melt the chocolate in a small heavy saucepan. Remove
from heat and add butter. Beat until smooth and add vanilla, cinnamon,
eggs and beets. Mix thoroughly. In mixing bowl, combine sugar
and flour. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly.
Pour the batter into prepared 8” pan and bake until just
cooked, about 30 minutes. Cool
completely in the pan and cut into squares.
For dipping
sauce combine in blender
2 cups
frozen raspberries,
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup ready-to-drink margarita.
Dip brownies
in sauce and let the fun begin.
To women,
the experience of chocolate is the same as falling in love. Men
-- give your ladies chocolates often!
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Take
a Dip on the Wild Side
1 cup yogurt
2 tbsp liquid honey
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp orange rind
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
Combine ingredients
and refrigerate. Serve with fresh fruit cut in bite-sized pieces:
orange segments, apple slices, strawberries, kiwi slices, banana
chunks -- you’ve got the idea!
“Eating
with a knife and fork is like making love through a translator.”
Indian Saying
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Charismatic
Cranberry Compote
4 medium tart
apples, peeled & sliced
2 pkg. (12 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tsp grated orange peel
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cans (15 ounces) sliced peaches drained
2 cans (15 ounces) apricot halves, drained
2 cup chopped pecans
In a saucepan,
combine all ingredients, except peaches, apricots and pecans.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes,
or until cranberries pop and apples are tender. Add peaches and
apricots. Heat through. Stir in pecans. Serve warm or chilled
with turkey, chicken, ham. Or serve as a passion-packed topping
on ice cream or yogurt. Store in refrigerator.
Yield: 12
cups.
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Kiss-a-licious
Salad
with Red Wine Dressing
1 bag spinach
washed & torn in bite-size pieces
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup sweet cherries
Place the
spinach in a large serving bowl and arrange the avocados in a
circle around the edge of the salad.
Place the cherries in the centre of the salad. Drizzle with the
Red Wine Dressing.
Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine
1/3 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
Yield: enough
for 6-8 people
“Candy
is dandy but liquor is quicker.”
Ogden Nash
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Romantic
Romaine & Orange Salad
1 head romaine
lettuce, washed and torn in bite-size pieces
1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 small tin mandarin oranges, drained
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Combine salad
ingredients, drizzle with dressing and enjoy!
Yield: enough
for 6-8 people
“The
music I heard with you was more than music. And the bread I broke
with you was more than bread.”
Conrad Aiken
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Satisfying
Mexican Salad
1 can (19
ounces) black beans
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup corn niblets
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Dressing:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
pinch of sugar, salt and pepper
Combine salad
ingredients. Stir in dressing and enjoy a touch of sunny Mexico.
Yield: enough
for 4-6 people
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Succulent
Oysters - what a mouthful!
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 cups cracker crumbs
2 cups shucked oysters in their liquor
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp dry sherry
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
dash of hot sauce
freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp chopped parsley
Preheat oven
to 350F. Melt the butter and sauté onions. Remove from
heat and add cracker crumbs. Spread half crumb mixture over bottom
of baking dish. Drain oysters, saving the liquor. Spread oysters
over crumb mixture. Cover oysters with remaining crumb mixture.
Combine oyster liquor with remaining ingredients and pour over
oysters. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brown and bubbly.
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Ecstasy
Under the Sea
Venus, the goddess of love was
believed to have risen from the sea --
so no wonder seafood exudes
stimulating intrigue and sensuality.
Was it
this aphrodisiac power of
seafood that William Shakespeare
was referring to when he wrote:
“Bait
the hook well: the fish will bite”?
Sensual Lobster Salad
2 pounds cooked
lobster meat
1 papaya, peeled and sliced
2 cups honey dew melon balls
2 large plum tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
watercress
Dressing
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp red wine
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine lobster,
papaya and melon. Add tomatoes, dill and ginger and toss gently.
Make dressing and drizzle over salad. Serve on a bed of brilliant
green watercress.
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Satisfying
Sole Mate
1 lb sole
fillets
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp freshly ground ginger
1 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
dash hot pepper sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp orange zest
orange slices
Italian parsley
Arrange sole
in skillet. Combine orange juice, teriyaki sauce, ginger, sugar,
garlic and hot pepper sauce. Pour over sole. Bring to boil. Reduce
heat to simmer and cook covered 3-5 minutes or until sole is opaque.
Remove fish to serving platter. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp
water and add to skillet. Bring to boil, stirring until thick
and smooth. Add orange rind and pour sauce over sole. Garnish
with thin slices of orange and Italian parsley.
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Ritzy
Avocado
This easy
to make classy appetizer gives a smooth and savoury start to a
special meal.
2 ripe medium
avocados
200 g cooked small shrimp
Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp vinegar
1 small clove garlic, crushed
generous splash of Tabasco sauce
2 tsp tomato sauce (for pink colour)
salt & pepper
Cut avocados in half lengthwise and remove pits. To make sauce,
combine mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic,
Tabasco sauce, and tomato sauce. Season with salt & pepper.
The sauce needs to be zesty enough to complement the delicate taste
of the avocado and the shrimp. Stir in shrimp. Spoon shrimp mixture
into avocados and serve with pride.
Yield: serves
4 people
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“Lightly
Dressed” Cucumber Salad
2 cucumbers
2 tbsp finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried dill)
2/3 cup yogurt (or try it with sour cream sometimes)
salt & freshly ground pepper
Slice cucumbers
as thinly as possible. Place the slices in a colander on a plate
to catch the juices. Sprinkle each layer lightly with salt. Leave
the cucumber to drain up to 2 hours. Then lay cucumber slices
on a clean dishtowel and pat them dry. Mix the cucumber with the
herbs and yogurt and season with salt and pepper.
Serve as soon as possible.
Yield: makes
4 servings
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