Cooking Irish can be found at Pinterest and PETITCHEF.
SNOW PEA AND SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH LEMON MAYONNAISE
I felt very sad when we left Aswan. Since we were the only ones on an American Express tour booked from London, Erin, Eli, and I were put in with other groups throughout our Egyptian holiday. So we left the people we had been with since Cairo and assigned a new tour guide named Bill and a new group. I remember feeling like I was going to cry and that I was leaving old friends knowing I would never see them again. When we got to Luxor, we were taken by horse-drawn carriage to our hotel--a dump.
I wrote in my journal that I was surprised at my reaction and feelings of loss since I had only known these people for a few days. I guess when one is alone in a country whose culture is so different from one's own, a person makes stronger connections. As I look back, being young myself and responsible for my two children, I unconsciously perhaps gravitated to the group for safety. But that sadness was present and real in all three of us. Eli cried on the train, and Erin was low.
Dinner was surprisingly good: chicken and pea soup, vine leaves, beef stew, zucchini in a seasoned butter sauce, tomatoes, bread, and watermelon. The Nile was the only hotel on the tour that was substandard, and we were moved the next day. It was a cockroach-infested, mosquito-infested, dirty disaster. There were not even pillowcases on the beds. The sheets kept coming off the mattress during the night. I hardly slept as I was being eaten alive. I found a flea on me in the morning. I also discovered that the spray cans outside the rooms in the hallway were for spraying your room before going to sleep. If I'd only known! We got up at 4:00 AM to take the ferry to begin the donkey [mine was called Ali Baba] tour to visit the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Nobles. We visited the tombs of Ramses II, Ramses VI, Seti II, and Tutankhamun. We also hired a horse-drawn carriage to tour the Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple. I have written about these experiences and included pictures in past posts. When we took the train back to Cairo to end our Egyptian holiday, Eli bunked with Bill, the new Australian tour guide. For dinner we had beef and rice-stuffed green peppers. I found a bug in mine, but did not tell my daughter. I was so keyed up by our experiences in Luxor, that I went to the club car and bought a pack of Egyptian cigarettes from a vendor, a little Egyptian boy. Lordy, lordy! We played cards in one of the group's cabin talking of our donkey trip over the mountains. It was truly an adventure for us all.
Valley of the Nobles, near Luxor during July of 1985
Valley of the Kings near Luxor, again in July of 1985
A Step Pyramid in Egypt in July of 1985
And once again I must credit my favorite experts on the hors d'oeuvres. All these recipes are found in Hors D'Oeuvres published in 1999 by A D K Publishing, Inc.® and written by Eric Treuille and Victoria Blashford-Snell. This book appears to be out of print, but you can still purchase a used copy online very inexpensively starting at a couple of dollars. I think I will buy another since I use it so often, I want a reserve!
LIME MARINATED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH AVOCADO CREMA DIP [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
For the Marinade:
Juice of one lime
1 tbsp. of honey
2 tbsp. of quality olive oil
2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup of cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp. of salt
¼ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
For the Dip:
1 ripe avocado, stoned and removed from peel
3 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. of quality olive oil
½ cup of sour cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp. of cilantro, finely chopped for garnish
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers, presoaked in cold water
Preparation:
Cut the chicken into one-inch cubes. For the marinade, combine the lime juice, honey, oil, chilies, cilantro, salt, and pepper into a non-metallic bowl. Add the chicken to the mixture and toss to coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. For the dip, place the avocado, scallions, vinegar, olive oil, and sour cream into a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Thread a chicken cube onto each presoaked skewer. Preheat broiler, cast-iron griddle, or barbecue. Broil/grill the chicken until cooked through, 5 minutes on each side. Garnish each skewer with the finely chopped cilantro. Pour the avocado crema dip into a circular dipping bowl. Arrange the chicken skewers with the pointed end facing the bowl in a circle around the dip. Garnish tray with more cilantro for presentation.
Tips:
Marinate the chicken up to one day in advance. Skewer the chicken up to 12 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make the dip up to 8 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate. To prevent the avocado crema dip from discoloring when making ahead, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dip. It is the oxygen in the air that turns avocado brown, so the less air that comes into contact with it, the better.
PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED SCALLOP BROCHETTES WITH SAUCE BÉARNAISE [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
10 sea scallops
7 very thin prosciutto slices
20 large basil leaves
Salt and black pepper
¾ cup of sauce béarnaise [Recipe included]
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers, presoaked in cold water
Preparation:
Slice the scallop in half. Cut the prosciutto slices into three strips. Place one basil leaf on each prosciutto strip. Top with a scallop. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap each scallop and secure each with a presoaked skewer. Preheat a broiler, ridged cast-iron griddle, or barbecue grill. Broil/grill 1 to 2 minutes on each side until the scallops have turned from opaque to white.
Assembly:
Pour the béarnaise sauce into a circular dipping bowl. Arrange the scallop skewers with the pointed end facing the bowl in a circle around the dip. Garnish plate with the chopped fresh parsley for presentation. Serve hot.
SAUCE BÉARNAISE [Makes ¾ cup]
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
6 peppercorns
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 sprig of tarragon
1 sprig of chervil
½ cup of butter
2 tbsp. of water
2 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. of tarragon
1 tsp. of chervil
Preparation:
Place the vinegar, peppercorns, shallot, tarragon and chervil into a small saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced to 1 tablespoon. Cool and strain. Melt the butter, and then skim the froth from the surface with a spoon. Let it cool until tepid. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water set on low heat. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not in direct contact with the water. Place the tablespoon of reduction, water, egg yolks, and pinch of salt and pepper into the bowl. Whisk to a light and frothy mixture that holds the trail of the whisk, about three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the melted butter, a little at a time vigorously whisking after each addition, until the mixture emulsifies and becomes thick and creamy. Add the tarragon and chervil, and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste.
Tips:
Make the sauce up to 30 minutes in advance. Keep warm in a bowl over a pan of hot water placed off the heat. Or make the sauce up to two days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Place in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water set over low heat. Again, make sure the base of the bowl is not in direct contact with the water. Warm through, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes.
If the butter is added too quickly, the sauce may separate. Do not throw it away as it can be salvaged. Combine 1 tbsp. of water and 1 egg yolk in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water set on low heat. Again, make sure the base of the bowl is not in direct contact with the water. Whisk to a light and frothy mixture that holds the trail of the whisk, about three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the separated sauce.
SESAME SOY GLAZED BEEF SKEWERS [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
¾ lb. of beef filet or sirloin, 1-inch thick
4 scallions, white stalk only
1 red pepper, halved and seeded
For the Glaze:
1 tbsp. of sesame seeds
2 lemon grass stalks, tender stalk only, finely chopped
1 tbsp. of honey
2 tbsp. of sesame oil
1 tbsp. of sunflower oil
2 tbsp. of light soy sauce
1 tbsp. of Chinese hot chili sauce
1 tsp. of salt
½ tsp. of black pepper
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers, presoaked in cold water
Preparation:
Cut the beef into 20 one-inch cubes. Cut the scallions on the diagonal into 20 one-inch lengths. Cut the pepper into 20 one-inch pieces. For the glaze, combine the sesame seeds, lemon grass, honey, oils, sauces, salt, and pepper into a non-metallic bowl. Add the beef, scallion, and red pepper, and toss to coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Thread a piece of scallion, red pepper, and beef cube onto each presoaked skewer. Preheat a broiler, ridged cast-iron griddle, or barbecue grill. Broil/grill the skewers for 3 minutes on each side so that the beef is browned but still pink and juicy inside. Serve hot.
Tips:
Marinate beef up to one day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Skewer the beef up to 12 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
SNOW PEA-WRAPPED SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH LEMON MAYONNAISE [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
Juice of one lemon, divided
20 large or colossal shrimp, cooked and peeled
20 large snow pea pods
1 ¼ cup of quality mayonnaise
1 tsp. of dijon mustard
1 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
½ tsp. of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 tsp. of sugar
Fresh chive, chopped for garnish
Essential Equipment: 20 6-inch wooden skewers, presoaked in cold water
Preparation:
In a bowl, place the cooked shrimp. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon onto the shrimp. Let marinate while preparing snow peas and dip. Bring a pan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the snow peas and boil for one minute. Drain immediately and refresh them in cold water. Drain again and pat dry with paper towels. All ingredients for the dip should be room temperature before mixing. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and half the lemon in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.
Assembly:
Lay one shrimp on top of each snow pea. Secure with skewer: the head end of the shrimp will be skewered first, then the first end of the snow pea extending a bit above that end of the shrimp will be skewered next, then the tail end of the shrimp, and finally, the last third of the snow pea. This makes for a more dramatic presentation. Chill the skewered snow pea and shrimp. Fill a circular dip bowl with the lemon mayonnaise. Garnish with chive and place in center of a serving plate. Place the pointed end of each snow pea-wrapped shrimp skewer toward the bowl and place in a circle around the dip. Garnish the shrimp with chive.
Tips:
Skewer shrimp and snow peas up to 8 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
I hope you are enjoying these hors d'oeuvres recipes and are thinking about planning an end of summer party. They are really so easy to do, and so much of the preparation can be done in advance. So whether proudly sitting in trays on a buffet table, patio table, or butlered, these recipes are sure to be a crowd pleaser. If you do a bellini bar with these hors d'oeuvres, it would make for a fun time for your guests as well as an easy evening for you as the hostess. You would have plenty of time to enjoy the party. Hire a couple of high school students to replenish the hors d'oeuvres, and you would be the "hostess with the mostess!"
Next up: 3 vegetarian skewers--lemon marinated tortellini and sun-dried tomato skewers, basil marinated mozzarella and cherry tomato skewers, and fennel marinated feta and olive skewers.
SNOW PEA AND SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH LEMON MAYONNAISE
I felt very sad when we left Aswan. Since we were the only ones on an American Express tour booked from London, Erin, Eli, and I were put in with other groups throughout our Egyptian holiday. So we left the people we had been with since Cairo and assigned a new tour guide named Bill and a new group. I remember feeling like I was going to cry and that I was leaving old friends knowing I would never see them again. When we got to Luxor, we were taken by horse-drawn carriage to our hotel--a dump.
I wrote in my journal that I was surprised at my reaction and feelings of loss since I had only known these people for a few days. I guess when one is alone in a country whose culture is so different from one's own, a person makes stronger connections. As I look back, being young myself and responsible for my two children, I unconsciously perhaps gravitated to the group for safety. But that sadness was present and real in all three of us. Eli cried on the train, and Erin was low.
Dinner was surprisingly good: chicken and pea soup, vine leaves, beef stew, zucchini in a seasoned butter sauce, tomatoes, bread, and watermelon. The Nile was the only hotel on the tour that was substandard, and we were moved the next day. It was a cockroach-infested, mosquito-infested, dirty disaster. There were not even pillowcases on the beds. The sheets kept coming off the mattress during the night. I hardly slept as I was being eaten alive. I found a flea on me in the morning. I also discovered that the spray cans outside the rooms in the hallway were for spraying your room before going to sleep. If I'd only known! We got up at 4:00 AM to take the ferry to begin the donkey [mine was called Ali Baba] tour to visit the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Nobles. We visited the tombs of Ramses II, Ramses VI, Seti II, and Tutankhamun. We also hired a horse-drawn carriage to tour the Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple. I have written about these experiences and included pictures in past posts. When we took the train back to Cairo to end our Egyptian holiday, Eli bunked with Bill, the new Australian tour guide. For dinner we had beef and rice-stuffed green peppers. I found a bug in mine, but did not tell my daughter. I was so keyed up by our experiences in Luxor, that I went to the club car and bought a pack of Egyptian cigarettes from a vendor, a little Egyptian boy. Lordy, lordy! We played cards in one of the group's cabin talking of our donkey trip over the mountains. It was truly an adventure for us all.
Valley of the Nobles, near Luxor during July of 1985
Valley of the Kings near Luxor, again in July of 1985
A Step Pyramid in Egypt in July of 1985
And once again I must credit my favorite experts on the hors d'oeuvres. All these recipes are found in Hors D'Oeuvres published in 1999 by A D K Publishing, Inc.® and written by Eric Treuille and Victoria Blashford-Snell. This book appears to be out of print, but you can still purchase a used copy online very inexpensively starting at a couple of dollars. I think I will buy another since I use it so often, I want a reserve!
LIME MARINATED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH AVOCADO CREMA DIP [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
For the Marinade:
Juice of one lime
1 tbsp. of honey
2 tbsp. of quality olive oil
2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup of cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp. of salt
¼ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
For the Dip:
1 ripe avocado, stoned and removed from peel
3 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. of quality olive oil
½ cup of sour cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp. of cilantro, finely chopped for garnish
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers, presoaked in cold water
Preparation:
Cut the chicken into one-inch cubes. For the marinade, combine the lime juice, honey, oil, chilies, cilantro, salt, and pepper into a non-metallic bowl. Add the chicken to the mixture and toss to coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. For the dip, place the avocado, scallions, vinegar, olive oil, and sour cream into a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Thread a chicken cube onto each presoaked skewer. Preheat broiler, cast-iron griddle, or barbecue. Broil/grill the chicken until cooked through, 5 minutes on each side. Garnish each skewer with the finely chopped cilantro. Pour the avocado crema dip into a circular dipping bowl. Arrange the chicken skewers with the pointed end facing the bowl in a circle around the dip. Garnish tray with more cilantro for presentation.
Tips:
Marinate the chicken up to one day in advance. Skewer the chicken up to 12 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make the dip up to 8 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate. To prevent the avocado crema dip from discoloring when making ahead, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dip. It is the oxygen in the air that turns avocado brown, so the less air that comes into contact with it, the better.
PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED SCALLOP BROCHETTES WITH SAUCE BÉARNAISE [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
10 sea scallops
7 very thin prosciutto slices
20 large basil leaves
Salt and black pepper
¾ cup of sauce béarnaise [Recipe included]
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers, presoaked in cold water
Preparation:
Slice the scallop in half. Cut the prosciutto slices into three strips. Place one basil leaf on each prosciutto strip. Top with a scallop. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap each scallop and secure each with a presoaked skewer. Preheat a broiler, ridged cast-iron griddle, or barbecue grill. Broil/grill 1 to 2 minutes on each side until the scallops have turned from opaque to white.
Assembly:
Pour the béarnaise sauce into a circular dipping bowl. Arrange the scallop skewers with the pointed end facing the bowl in a circle around the dip. Garnish plate with the chopped fresh parsley for presentation. Serve hot.
SAUCE BÉARNAISE [Makes ¾ cup]
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
6 peppercorns
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 sprig of tarragon
1 sprig of chervil
½ cup of butter
2 tbsp. of water
2 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. of tarragon
1 tsp. of chervil
Preparation:
Place the vinegar, peppercorns, shallot, tarragon and chervil into a small saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced to 1 tablespoon. Cool and strain. Melt the butter, and then skim the froth from the surface with a spoon. Let it cool until tepid. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water set on low heat. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not in direct contact with the water. Place the tablespoon of reduction, water, egg yolks, and pinch of salt and pepper into the bowl. Whisk to a light and frothy mixture that holds the trail of the whisk, about three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the melted butter, a little at a time vigorously whisking after each addition, until the mixture emulsifies and becomes thick and creamy. Add the tarragon and chervil, and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste.
Tips:
Make the sauce up to 30 minutes in advance. Keep warm in a bowl over a pan of hot water placed off the heat. Or make the sauce up to two days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Place in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water set over low heat. Again, make sure the base of the bowl is not in direct contact with the water. Warm through, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes.
If the butter is added too quickly, the sauce may separate. Do not throw it away as it can be salvaged. Combine 1 tbsp. of water and 1 egg yolk in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water set on low heat. Again, make sure the base of the bowl is not in direct contact with the water. Whisk to a light and frothy mixture that holds the trail of the whisk, about three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the separated sauce.
SESAME SOY GLAZED BEEF SKEWERS [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
¾ lb. of beef filet or sirloin, 1-inch thick
4 scallions, white stalk only
1 red pepper, halved and seeded
For the Glaze:
1 tbsp. of sesame seeds
2 lemon grass stalks, tender stalk only, finely chopped
1 tbsp. of honey
2 tbsp. of sesame oil
1 tbsp. of sunflower oil
2 tbsp. of light soy sauce
1 tbsp. of Chinese hot chili sauce
1 tsp. of salt
½ tsp. of black pepper
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers, presoaked in cold water
Preparation:
Cut the beef into 20 one-inch cubes. Cut the scallions on the diagonal into 20 one-inch lengths. Cut the pepper into 20 one-inch pieces. For the glaze, combine the sesame seeds, lemon grass, honey, oils, sauces, salt, and pepper into a non-metallic bowl. Add the beef, scallion, and red pepper, and toss to coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Thread a piece of scallion, red pepper, and beef cube onto each presoaked skewer. Preheat a broiler, ridged cast-iron griddle, or barbecue grill. Broil/grill the skewers for 3 minutes on each side so that the beef is browned but still pink and juicy inside. Serve hot.
Tips:
Marinate beef up to one day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Skewer the beef up to 12 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
SNOW PEA-WRAPPED SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH LEMON MAYONNAISE [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
Juice of one lemon, divided
20 large or colossal shrimp, cooked and peeled
20 large snow pea pods
1 ¼ cup of quality mayonnaise
1 tsp. of dijon mustard
1 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
½ tsp. of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 tsp. of sugar
Fresh chive, chopped for garnish
Essential Equipment: 20 6-inch wooden skewers, presoaked in cold water
Preparation:
In a bowl, place the cooked shrimp. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon onto the shrimp. Let marinate while preparing snow peas and dip. Bring a pan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the snow peas and boil for one minute. Drain immediately and refresh them in cold water. Drain again and pat dry with paper towels. All ingredients for the dip should be room temperature before mixing. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and half the lemon in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.
Assembly:
Lay one shrimp on top of each snow pea. Secure with skewer: the head end of the shrimp will be skewered first, then the first end of the snow pea extending a bit above that end of the shrimp will be skewered next, then the tail end of the shrimp, and finally, the last third of the snow pea. This makes for a more dramatic presentation. Chill the skewered snow pea and shrimp. Fill a circular dip bowl with the lemon mayonnaise. Garnish with chive and place in center of a serving plate. Place the pointed end of each snow pea-wrapped shrimp skewer toward the bowl and place in a circle around the dip. Garnish the shrimp with chive.
Tips:
Skewer shrimp and snow peas up to 8 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
I hope you are enjoying these hors d'oeuvres recipes and are thinking about planning an end of summer party. They are really so easy to do, and so much of the preparation can be done in advance. So whether proudly sitting in trays on a buffet table, patio table, or butlered, these recipes are sure to be a crowd pleaser. If you do a bellini bar with these hors d'oeuvres, it would make for a fun time for your guests as well as an easy evening for you as the hostess. You would have plenty of time to enjoy the party. Hire a couple of high school students to replenish the hors d'oeuvres, and you would be the "hostess with the mostess!"
Next up: 3 vegetarian skewers--lemon marinated tortellini and sun-dried tomato skewers, basil marinated mozzarella and cherry tomato skewers, and fennel marinated feta and olive skewers.
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