Posts Tagged ‘guacamole’

Gazpacho Push Pops

Layer 1: Gazpacho

Layer 2: Guacamole

Layer 3: Crème Fraiche

 

Gazpacho

Ingredients:

  • 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 purple onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 cups tomato juice
  • White bread

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients.
  2. Blend slightly to desired consistency.
  3. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.
  4. Using a circular cookie cutter, cut white bread into small circles a bit smaller than the mouth of the push pop container.  Place the piece of white bread as the bottom layer of the push pop.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • ½ red onion, minced (about ½ cup)
  • 1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
  • 2 tbsp. cilantro leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. of fresh lime or lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. coarse salt
  • a dash of freshly grated black pepper
  • ½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Method:

  1. Cut avocados in half.  Remove pit.  Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
  2. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more.  Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness, add the amount of your choice.
  3. Keep tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
  4. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidations from the air reaching it.
  5. Refrigerate until ready.
  6. Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.

For more information on Mark’s Easy Breezy Summer Entertaining, click here!

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1990′s Theme

The 1990′s is the Decade of Disasters because lots of disasters happened. The Y2K bug, the earthquakes, the Gulf War, etc. This is the Decade of Discovery. Scientists discovered how to clone animals, and they released the Hubble Telescope.

During the 1990′s, Billy Bush was a student at Colby College in Maine.  I was inspired to do some New England style foods and a “White Mule” cocktail which is the mascot of Colby College.  In 1998, Billy Bush married his lovely wife, Sydney.

Mini Lobster Roll

 

Ingredients:

hot dog buns

chives

premade deli lobster salad

 

Directions:

  1. Cut hot dog buns into thirds.
  2. Fill hot dog buns with lobster salad.
  3. Garnish with chopped chives.

 

 

Dirty Fries

 

Ingredients:

1 package frozen crinkles fries

Old Bay Seasoning

Tarter sauce

 

Directions:

  1. Sprinkle the fries with Old Bay Seasoning.
  2. Follow the instructions on the back of the package to bake the fries.
  3. Serve in paper cones.
    1. Cut a circle out of paper.
    2. Fold the circle into quarters.
    3. Cut one triangle out of the circle.
    4. Fold the circle, overlapping the edges a bit.
    5. Tape to close together.
  4. Serve with a dollop of tarter sauce.

 

 

Gazpacho with Guacamole and Crème Fraiche

 

Gazpacho

Ingredients:

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 purple onion, finely chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp. sugar

6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 cups tomato juice

 

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients.
  2. Blend slightly to desired consistency.
  3. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.

 

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

½ red onion, minced (about ½ cup)

1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced

2 tbsp. cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 tbsp. of fresh lime or lemon juice

½ tsp. coarse salt

a dash of freshly grated black pepper

½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

 

Directions:

  1. Cut avocados in half.  Remove pit.  Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
  2. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more.  Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness, add the amount of your choice.
  3. Keep tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
  4. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidations from the air reaching it.
  5. Refrigerate until ready.
  6. Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.

 

To make Gazpacho with Guacamole and Crème Fraiche:

  1. Fill a votive holder 1/3 of the way.
  2. Garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and guacamole.

 

 

White Mule Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. crème de cacao

light cream

 

Directions:

  1. Pour vodka and crème de cacao over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass.
  2. Fill with light cream and serve.

 

1990′s Inspired Playlist

Here is a great playlist to bring your guests to the 1990′s.

 

  1. Mr. Jones – Counting Crows
  2. Hey Jealous – Gin Blossoms
  3. Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
  4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
  5. Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
  6. All I want – A Day To Remember
  7. Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong -  Spin Doctors
  8. Brick  – Ben Folds Five
  9. Everything Falls Apart  – Fee
  10. Lump – The Presidents of the United States of America
  11. Freshman – The Verve Pipe
  12. No Rain – Blind Melon
  13. Pets – Porno for Pyros
  14. Steal My Sunshine -Len
  15. Fade Into You – Mazzy Starr
  16. Mother Mother – Tracey Bonham
  17. Save Tonight – Eagle Eye Cherry

 

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MYO Taco Bar

 

Tacos are fantastic because you can stuff anything you want inside of them.  Give your guests lots of options, and dress up your table to give it a traditional Mexican feel.

Serve multi-colored corn chips in a Sombrero, and put out corn and flour tortillas in Mexian blankets.

You can buy your table decorations here.

Make a medley of homemade salsas: picante, creamy cilantro, pico de gallo, and Marie Sharps Hot Sauce (my personal favorite hot sauce which you can purchase here).

Meats: Barbacoa (the Mexican Barbequed beef), pulled Yucatan Chicken, and Mexican Chorizo

To make your own Barbacoa you will need:

  • 1 ½ to 2 Lbs beef brisket
  • 2 cup can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 ½ Teaspoon dried ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried ground oregano
  • 1 sliced and deseeded jalapeno
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro
  • 1 large thickly sliced onions
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Marinate meat in all ingredients overnight or at least for 4 hours in refrigerator; turn bag over at least once while marinating.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the brisket well on all sides, caramelizing the meat but keeping it raw in the middle.

Place the browned meat in crock-pot. Combine all marinated ingredients from bag in the Crock-pot, cover and cook for 8 hours on LOW or 5 to 6 hours on HIGH, or until the meat is fork-tender and can be easily shred with a fork.

To make your own Yucatan Chicken you will need:

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • Peach-Avocado Salsa (recipe follows)
  • Lime slices

Place chicken in shallow glass dish; rub all sides with garlic pepper seasoning. Pour orange and lime juices over chicken; drizzle with olive oil. Crush oregano with fingers and sprinkle over chicken. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove chicken from marinade and place in large nonstick fry pan over medium heat. Saute, turning, about 12 minutes or until lightly browned and fork can be inserted in chicken with ease.

Toppings: Guacamole, Sour Cream, Chopped Green Onions, Fresh Jalapeño Peppers, Chopped Cilantro, Limes, Grated Cheese

Some Guacamole tips:

  • Adding a bit of lime juice helps preserve the color of the avocado for a short period
  • Use pomegranate seeds to add some color and texture to the guacamole.
  • Serve your guacamole in a traditional Molcajete, the Mexican mortar and pestle.
  • Eat with chips or, more authentically, with home-made grilled tortillas.

Special thanks to Zapatista Restaurant in Chicago for providing the contents of the Taco Bar.

 

 

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Mark on Fox News: Cinco De Mayo

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Entertaining expert Mark Addison gave viewers of Fox News a special treat this morning. Live on air, Mark dissected the perfect Cinco De Mayo fiesta and WOW Table, complete with a Nacho Bar, Margarita Station and loads of toppings.

Some of the WOW elements from Mark’s segment include:

- Mix it up and take the theme the extra mile by using sombreros to hold your festive tortilla chips

- Dress up your dishes with handmade mini-burlap bags and twine. Or dress your WOW Table with a multi-colored pancho.

- Ditch the calories of a sugary margarita by mixing 2 ounces of tequila with equal parts Tonic Water and Key Lime Juice!

- Create your own signature sauces by combining equal parts salty, spicy and sweet using items like sour cream, guacamole, pepper oil, sriracha sauce, orange juice, grapefruit juice and any host of household baking items.

- Who doesn’t love a good nacho bar?! If you don’t have a fondue pot, try melting velveeta cheese in a bowl using your microwave.

Mark_AndAshley

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