Author: Heidi Lee (Page 45 of 96)

An easy, down-home recipe direct from Heidi… “My maternal grandmother made this favorite salad of mine–she’s still one of my heroes. My mother makes it for me when I come home in the summer.  Great for a simple salad for my boat guests.”  

Grandma Holcomb’s Shrimp Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Head Lettuce
• 2  carrots, shredded
• 1 C. Miracle Whip
• 10 oz can Medium, Deveined Shrimp

1. Clean and chop the lettuce, making sure it is well drained.
2. Add carrot and miracle whip and mix well. Add the shrimp and toss gently. Cover and put in the frig for awhile – this goes great with fried chicken and corn on the cob! Ah, home….

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why stop at breakfast with this recipe! Use your favorite combination of berries—we recommend strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries—and LOTS of whipped cream!

French Toast with Mixed Berries and Cream

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh berries (if using strawberries, trim and slice)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups cream, divided
• Butter
• 8 (1-inch-thick) slices brioche (from day old loaf)

1. Combine 2 cups of the berries with the water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat until the berries are softened; set aside until ready to serve. Keep warm.
2. In a shallow, large bowl whisk together eggs and 1 cup cream.
3. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat (make sure that the entire surface is covered with butter). Dip slices of brioche in the egg/cream mixture. Turn bread over to briefly soak both sides.
4. Transfer the bread to the prepared griddle and cook until golden brown and slightly crisp, about 3 minutes per side. To keep French toast warm, place on an ovenproof serving platter in a preheated oven (200 deg F) and cover loosely with foil.
5. Whip the remaining 1 cup of cream until soft peaks form. Serve the French toast topped with the warm berries, remaining fresh berries and whipped cream.

Another recipe direct from Heidi’s cookbook, ‘Cook This!’ Become an ITS member to download a free copy!

In her own words… “Another great reason to pull out the grill! Great recipe with a ‘South of the Border’ flair that my [charter yatch] guests loved. The dish can be casual or elegant depending on how you plate it.”

Grilled Tex-Mex Tenderloin Pork Medallions

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• _ 4 lbs. Pork tenderloin, well trimmed

For Marinade:

• _ 2 T. Olive oil
• _ 4 lg. ripe Roma tomatoes
• _ 1/2 C. cilantro, rough chop
• _ 1 Red onion, chopped
• _ 2 T. Lime juice
• _ 3 Cloves garlic – slivered
• _ 1 T. Cumin
• _ 4 oz. Canned corn, drained
• _ 1 t. Salt and Pepper (each)

Trim the tenderloins well and put whole into a ziploc bag. In a large non-metallic bowl mix all ingredients well. Pour into Ziploc and squish it all around. Seal it up and refrigerate for at least an hour. I usually do 3 hours, tops.
 
For Sauce:

• _ 2 C. Sour Cream
• _2 t. Garlic Powder
• _ 2 T. Cumin
• _ 2 T. Lime Juice
• _ 1/3 C. Cilantro, Chopped
• _ 1-1/2 t. White Pepper
• _ Salt to taste

Mix everything together – this will need more salt than you think, but let it sit first.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Bring the sauce to room temperature prior to serving. Salt to taste.

To Grill and Serve:

1. Preheat grill to high. Remove pork from Ziploc and scrape clean. Put marinade in a medium sauce pan and boil the crap out of it for at least 5 minutes. Use a thermometer to read 165 for 15 seconds and you‘re good. You may need to add a little chicken broth so it doesn‘t dry out.
2. Place tenderloins on the grill and sear all the way around. About 5-6 minutes total.  Remove from grill and let rest. Lower grill heat to medium high. Slice pork into 2-inch medallions and return to grill until just a little pink is left in the middle, about 1-2 minutes per side. You can also cook the pork until well done, about 2-3 minutes per side.
3. Remove meat from grill and cover to keep warm. The marinade can be served as a salsa as long as it‘s been boiled as indicated above.   
4. Fan the pork out on the plate and serve the sauce over the top with the salsa on the side. This goes really well with roasted potatoes or a quesadilla with Cotija Cheese.

How can you improve on a fresh, juicy peach?  Layers of peaches, cream, and rich, buttery macadamia nuts, of course! Try this easy parfait recipe for a refreshing treat in the midst of the dog days of summer…

Peaches ‘n’ Cream Parfait

Serves 2 (large parfaits) or 4 (small parfaits)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey roasted macadamias, halves and pieces*
• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons  confectioners’ sugar
• 3 cups sliced fresh peaches
• 1/2 cup honey roasted macadamias, extra, for garnish*
• mint leaves (optional), for garnish

1. Using electric beaters, whip together the ricotta, yogurt, vanilla and sugar until thick and fluffy. 
2. Place a layer of the peaches in parfait glasses (or one large dish), top with some of the ricotta mixture and sprinkle with the roasted macadamias.  Repeat layers  (make as many layers as desired), finishing with a layer of the ricotta mixture.  Sprinkle top with the chopped honey-roasted macadamias and garnish with mint, if desired.

*Note: Macadamia nuts make a truly exotic, decadent parfait, but feel free to use your favorite nut (cashews, pecans, etc.) or coconut (toasted). Be creative!

This recipe is direct from Heidi’s cookbook, ‘Cook This!’ Become an ITS member to download a free copy!

In her own words… “I’ve been makin’ this sandwich long before anyone ever thought of combining oranges and curry – well, maybe not THAT long… However, none of my [charter yacht] guests had tried this flavor combo  – must have spread the word.”

Curry Chicken & Mandarin Orange Pita Salad  

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• _ 3 lg. boneless chicken breasts – par boiled
• _ 10 oz. mandarin oranges – canned and drained
• _ 3/4 C. Mayonnaise
• _ 3 T. Curry Powder, divided
• _ 2 Green Onions – chopped on the bias
• _ 1/3 C. Celery – small dice
• _ 16  Leaves Butter Lettuce (optional)
• _ 4 Pita Pockets – halved
• _ Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Heat a large pan of water to a boil, reduce heat just a little and add the chicken breasts (skin on optional), 1 tsp of salt and 1 Tbsp of the curry powder. Cook, turning occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes (165 degrees for 15 seconds with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast means it’s done). Remove from the pan and pat dry with paper towels.
2.  In a separate bowl, combine the mayo, the remaining 2 Tbsp of curry powder, oranges, onions and celery (set aside a few oranges and some onion for garnish). Let the mayo mixture sit in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
3. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into bite sized chunks and add to the mayo mixture. Taste for seasoning.
4.  Halve the pita pockets and open carefully. Lay a butter lettuce leaf or two inside each pita and add enough chicken mixture to fill. Garnish with onions and oranges.
5. You can also make this an entrée salad by eliminating the pita.