Lox Mousse

Even I’m surprised that I haven’t passed along this recipe sooner: It’s one of my very best appetizers - easy, quick, and not overly expensive! I’ve adapted it from the original by Vancouver caterer Susan Mendelson. Susan’s show-stopping recipe for Basilica Torta has been a consistent reader favorite since the day I published it. 

If you don’t already know it, lox is a cured salmon fillet that has been brined in a spiced sugar solution before being sliced paper-thin. When I visit gourmet food stores, I invariably see tiny slabs of salmon mousse selling for something like $7, but they use gelatin in their preparation, haven’t been made with lox, and aren’t even close to the flavor and texture of this terrific Lox Mousse. I never buy them, and nor should you! They aren’t worth the price. 

This ever-popular recipe serves a crowd for not much more than gourmet food stores charge for a product that isn’t as tasty and needs to be viewed under a magnifying glass. You’ll need a food processor or a wide-based blender to make Susan’s recipe, so beg, borrow or steal one if you must! Always the first thing to be gobbled up at a buffet table, it’s flat-out fabulous. When I prepare for a party, I appreciate that I can store it in a covered container in the refrigerator a couple of days in advance. 

One bite of this amazing appetizer spread on a cracker or slice of baguette, and you’ll want to make it over and over again! If you have no lox, try the equally popular, delicious, and less costly Salmon Mousse. There are many terrific appetizers out there. Never be afraid to try something new!

Lox Mousse:

4 oz. (115 g) lox (with one small piece reserved)

1 lb. (500 g) cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp. (30 mL) onion, minced

2 tsp. (10 mL) lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ c. (60 mL) black olives, pitted and sliced (divided)

Combine lox and cream cheese, onion, lemon juice, and pepper together in food processor, blending until smooth. Transfer to bowl, folding in 3 tbsp. (45 mL) black olives. Garnish with remaining sliver of lox and olives.

Strawberries Romanoff

Diva in need of strawberries

“Divine” and “sublime” are extravagant words I try to use sparingly. But let me tell you, Dollinks, this recipe is both divine and sublime. I feel like a diva when I say that, but few other words will do! The terms certainly apply to Strawberries Romanoff, which I’ve been making since the Year Dot. It truly is one of the best of my favorite recipes. Last week, when I served it to dinner guests, cries for “More, more!” filled the room. A friend actually licked the last few drops from the serving bowl. I enjoy making desserts - some of them complex and time-consuming - but for its ease of preparation and showy presentation, this ultra-quick dessert has no equal. Guests can’t get enough of it; I suggest you duct-tape your mouth as you make it! Use only the best, most luscious, perfectly ripe strawberries from the summer markets!

Although I have only four or five small-to-medium pitchers, I harbor a great fondness for them. The classic pitcher's shape is elegant and perfectly proportioned: I love setting one at the table. Serve this decadently delicious sauce in your nicest pitcher, and you’ll enjoy this dessert even more!  

Strawberries Romanoff:

4 c. halved strawberries

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

3 tbsp. Cointreau plus 3 tbsp. Grand Marnier, divided

1 c. whipping cream, whipped

1 c. vanilla ice cream, softened

Gently toss halved strawberries together with granulated sugar, 1 tbsp. of the Cointreau, and 1 tbsp. of the Grand Marnier. Cover and let rest at room temperature about 20 min., to allow juices to flow. Remove ice cream from freezer, placing in refrigerator 1 hr. before needed. Up to 2 hr. before serving, whip cream until moderately stiff. Add remaining Cointreau and Grand Marnier, continuing to beat. Fold whipped cream mixture into softened ice cream. Decant sauce into pitcher, allowing your guests to serve themselves. 

For a fascinating look at the origins of this recipe, as well as a Russian, French, and American version of same, go to: http://members.cox.net/jjschnebel/strawrom.html

Note: The pitchers and the cut-glass dishes below are among my favorite serving items! I found the smaller pitcher in an art shop in Mexico, and the larger one in a Vancouver flea market. Despite the difference in their quality and price, I love and use both equally. I found this lovely cut-glass serving bowl and matching set of eight individual serving dishes at different times in various antique shops in the US and Canada. They’re a common item, and not hard to find. I paid less than $20 for my entire nine-piece collection. The big dish is ideal for serving trifle, mousse, and even vegetables. I like it very much because it occupies so little room on a crowded table. If you like them too, search for them! My best “finds” have come from thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, and antique stores. Half the fun is in the seeking! 

Gorgeous, fresh, and luscious ... Not me, Dollinks! The strawberries!

Use your favorite pitcher for the sauce ...

And your favorite serving dishes for the berries!

One of our Anonymous Taste Testers said she
would lick her lips ... if she could only find them.

Tomorrow: Lox Mousse.

Caren McSherry’s Party Punch

This wonderful recipe originates with Canada’s Caren McSherry, owner of The Gourmet Warehouse in Vancouver, which I consider a candy store for cooks. Each time I visit that store, I learn how many things I didn’t know I needed!

Caren McSherry’s Party Punch:

1 - 12-oz. (355 mL) can frozen orange juice concentrate (undiluted)

1 - 12-oz. (355 mL) can frozen grapefruit concentrate (undiluted)

1 - 12-oz. (355 mL) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate (undiluted)

2 - 40-oz. (1.2 L each) bottles cranberry cocktail 

2 - 25 oz. (750 mL each) bottles ginger ale

2 - 25 oz. (750 mL each) bottles soda water

Vodka or rum, to taste (optional; I use about 5 cups, or 1.2 L)

Ice cubes

Whisk the undiluted concentrates together in a large punch bowl or spigot-pour container. Add vodka or rum, if desired. Add ice cubes just before serving. 

Helen Manson’s Party Punch

My dear friend Helen Manson is a gifted cook who lives on Vancouver Island. Her “slushy drink” recipe is suitable for serving smaller groups; I like to serve it in a Margarita glass topped with a straw and a mint sprig. The great thing about this punch recipe is that you can keep it premixed in the freezer. What I like best about this recipe is that I think fondly of Helen when I make it!

Helen Manson’s Party Punch:

48 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice

1 - 12-oz. (355 mL) can frozen lemonade concentrate (undiluted)

1 - 12-oz. (355 mL) can frozen limeade concentrate (undiluted)

2 - 12 oz. (355 mL each) cans 7-Up (non-diet)

20 oz. (600 mL) white rum

Combine all ingredients well. Freeze in a covered ice cream bucket. Mixture will be slushy. Scoop into serving glasses, returning bucket to freezer. Makes 26 punch-cup size servings.

Note: I don’t omit the alcohol from this yummy by-the-glass summer concoction!

Pink Lady Punch

I’ve relied on this recipe for many years. It’s always a hit! To be honest, I never add alcohol to it! Our guests are welcome to add a splash if they wish, and we always offer an alcoholic alternative, but I like this punch “straight” - as do our guests who are designated drivers.

Pink Lady Punch:

4 c. (1 L) cranberry juice cocktail

1-½ c. granulated sugar

4 c. pineapple or grapefruit juice

2 c. gin or vodka (optional)

8 c. chilled ginger ale

Ice cubes

Combine all ingredients, adding chilled ginger ale as your guests start arriving.

Five Beverage Tips for Hosting Better Parties

Serving punch at a party takes the pressure off any host, because your guests can help themselves without over-imbibing. As well as being a delicious thirst-quencher, punch also keeps the cost down, offering a refreshing alternative to a stiffer pour. The recipes you'll find in the next three posts will easily serve a crowd. I haven’t given specific serving quantities, because that depends on a number of factors. A standard punch cup holds four ounces; I usually estimate that guests will return to a punch bowl or spigot-server three times - more, if the crowd flow is smooth and the punch is in a convenient spot. 

Five Beverage Tips for Hosting Better Parties: 

• Place a label that reads “Non-Alcoholic Punch” on or beside your punch dispenser or bowl. For that matter, place another reading “Alcoholic Punch” beside the boozy stuff. Have your local stationery store laminate these labels, so you’ll have them easily available for future use. I punch a couple of holes in mine, and tie them to the top of my punch dispenser. I do the same thing with coffee urns, having labels that read: “Caffeinated Coffee,” “Decaf Coffee,” and “Hot Water.” I display a selection of caffeinated and herbal teas beside the urn labeled “Hot Water.” 

• Make your ice cubes from fruit juice so your punch won’t become diluted as the event goes on. 

• If your party’s outdoors, consider investing in a spigot-pour dispenser. An open punch bowl tends to attract wasps and fruit flies. If you buy a spigot-pour container, don’t float citrus slices or cranberries in your punch, because the small bits of fruit will plug the spigot. I published a very tasty Non-Alcoholic Cranberry Punch in my blog of May 20, 2011. The photo in that post shows my spigot-pour punch dispenser, but there are many styles from which to choose. I also like the clear plastic type, because it's not likely to break if it gets knocked off the table. My Heavenly Lemonly Lemonade recipes (July 10, 2011 blog) can also be made for a crowd.

• If you’re going to buy one spigot-style server, and you have room to store it, I recommend you buy two, serving ice water or unsweetened iced tea in the second. Nothing beats cool, clean water when it’s hot and you’re entertaining outdoors. Believe me, your guests will thank you for it!

• My fifth and final tip is that you RELAX! On the afternoon before any party, I like to listen to some music, catch up on my reading, and have a little snack. Ron caught me at it on his candid camera before we hosted a party last weekend! 

Pork Tenderloin with Orange Sauce

When my pal Lorna came to dinner a few days ago, I wanted to make something special. So I adapted this recipe from Canadian amateur golfer Jackie Eddy's cookbook, Slicing, Hooking and Cooking, published in 2005. My friend Barbara Lefevre says Jackie - a former food editor for the Edmonton Sun and an enthusiastic golfer - could spend the better part of a day on the golf course and still present a wonderful dinner for her guests that evening. I liked the recipe Barbara sent me from Jackie’s book, but didn’t want to spend an hour simmering a whole pork loin, as the instructions direct, so what follows is my version of the recipe, loosely based on Jackie Eddy's original. If you enjoy this dish, I hope you’ll also try my Médaillons de Porc à la Crème (see my blog of April 16, 2011). 

Pork Tenderloin with Orange Sauce:

1 lean pork tenderloin, approximately 2 lb. or 900 kg

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

2 tbsp. green onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp. freshly grated orange rind, divided

⅔ c. orange juice

½ c. dry sherry (Yes! Half a cup! How divinely decadent!)

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp. salt

Coarsely ground pepper, to taste (I like lots)

2 tsp. tapioca starch (I routinely use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch - no lumps!)

1 tbsp. cold water

Reserved grated orange rind, as garnish

Finely chopped parsley, as garnish
1 fresh orange, sliced into ⅜-in. rounds and halved, as garnish

Slice tenderloin crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds, pounding flat with a heavy mallet. With heat set on “high,” melt butter in large skillet, swirling in pan above element so it doesn’t burn. Add meat, searing on both sides to seal in juices. Remove meat from pan and set side. Using the same unwashed pan, sauté onion in butter until tender and translucent.  Add 1 tbsp. of the orange rind, juice, sherry (at this point, Lorna joined me in the kitchen, cackling!), sugar, salt, and pepper. Return the meat to the pan. Cover and simmer slowly 10 min., or until tender, turning occasionally. Transfer the meat to a hot platter, covering to keep warm. Combine tapioca starch and water to make a paste. Gradually stir into orange mixture and bring to a boil. Lower heat, continuing to stir 1-to-2 min. or until clear. Pour sauce over meat, sprinkling with reserved orange rind and parsley. Poke halved orange slices under meat, around the platter’s edge. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Slice tenderloin into rounds

Sear at high heat

Whoops! Too much sherry ... too much fun!

Spoon sauce over! Garnish with orange peel and parsley

World’s Best Banana Loaf

I haven’t seen it lately, Dollinks, but there was a time when cafés everywhere claimed to have the “World’s Best Coffee” or “World’s Best Burger,” and so forth. Those signs always gave me a giggle. Who’d voted it “best”? Had the proprietor of the place drunk coffee in every place in the world? Did he have a special secret? Special beans? A special machine? Did he hold his head at exactly the right angle as he measured out each scoop? And so I present - without the least bit of embarrassment in acknowledging that its title is silly - the World’s Best Banana Loaf! 

And hey! While I’m asking rhetorical questions, why do the instructions of so many recipes say “Add eggs one at a time, beating well”? Be a rebel! Go ahead and dump in those eggs - NOT! 

Cooking is part method and part madness. The “add liquids slowly” method - eggs included, Dollinks - allows such liquids to emulsify (or suspend themselves as fine droplets) with the creamed fat in the mixture. When you add eggs (or any other liquid) gradually, and you beat them in after each addition, they mix in well. When you dump them in, they settle to the bottom of your cake or loaf as a gummy, chewy mess.

Although my creative instincts say those “add one at a time” or “add gradually” instructions date to the days when cooks beat ingredients into batters with a wooden spoon, the “add gradually, beating after each addition” method remains the best one to use. With no fancy appliances in her küche, my Austrian “Mutti,” or grandmother, always mixed her cakes and loaves one item at a time. It was madness that she worked so hard, but the result was worth the effort. Doing so made her arms extra strong, so she could give us massive hugs!

World’s Best Banana Loaf:

½ c. butter or margarine

1 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs, room temperature

1-⅔ c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 c. mashed, over-ripe bananas (approximately 2 medium bananas)

½ c. sour cream

½ c. chopped walnuts, toasted or ½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla, creaming well. Add eggs one at a time, continuing to beat after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, adding to butter-egg mixture in alternate thirds with the bananas and sour cream, beating well after each addition and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in ½ c. chopped walnuts. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5-in. loaf pan, knocking out any excess flour. Pour batter into pan, baking 60-to-70 min., or until skewer poked in center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 min. before turning loaf onto wire rack. That’s all there is to it! 

Best Tip Ever: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttjhOZjL59w&feature=youtu.be

Note: For banana muffins instead of loaf, line muffin pan with ungreased paper liners, filling 2/3 full. Bake 25 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Yields 14 or 15 standard-sized muffins. 

Assemble ingredients

Sprinkle in walnuts

Test loaf with toothpick or wooden skewer

Black Bean and Summer Corn Salad

How easy is this? When I prepared this great salad on our recent sailing vacation, it was an instant hit. Packed with nutrients, it's low in calories and very colorful. Fresh corn is especially wonderful in summer, but you can enjoy “summer corn” in any season if you buy it canned or frozen.

Black Bean and Summer Corn Salad:

1 - 19-oz. (540 mL) can black beans, rinsed and drained 

½ c. finely chopped green onions

1 large or 2 medium chopped tomatoes (about 1 c.)

1 - 12 oz. (341 mL) can whole kernel corn, drained (or 2 c. fresh or frozen kernels, cooked)

½ red bell pepper (also called “capsicum”), diced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili flakes

Salt, to taste (I enjoy using a salt grinder for some recipes; 10 grinds seemed just right!)

3 tbsp. Ron’s Arf ‘n’ Arf Balsamic Dressing (see my blog of June 6, 2011 titled Two Simple Summer Salads)

Cilantro, as garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients except cilantro. For an artistic flourish, garnish with a clutch of cilantro sprigs at the side of the bowl. Serve at room temperature. 

Assemble ingredients ...

Begin to combine ...

Add chopped green onions ...

And serve - rich in fiber, low in fat, high in antioxidants

Brown Rice Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing

What a refreshing summer salad this is! Make it in the morning … have it as a simple, high-fiber lunch or dinner. It works well with almost anything, but a small green salad and a barbecued steak are especially good alongside! This recipe serves 8. It keeps well for two or three days, so leftovers aren’t a problem.

Brown Rice Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing:

2 c. uncooked long-grain brown rice (not “instant” rice)

1 cup dried mango, coarsely chopped

1 c. mango chutney

¼ c. olive oil

2 large, tart apples such as Granny Smiths, unpeeled and cut into ½-inch chunks

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed but uncooked

¼ c. mint sauce with leaves (or finely chopped fresh mint)

¼ c. slivered almonds, toasted

Salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse rice under cold, running water before adding to pot or rice cooker (see Note). Stir in dried mango. Top with 4 to 5 c. cold water and cook according to instructions on rice packet. While rice cooks, whisk together mango chutney and olive oil as dressing; set aside. When rice finishes cooking, toss with remaining ingredients including dressing. Add salt and pepper, to taste (I use none; it’s fine). Serve at room temperature. 

Note: Golly! Although it contains celery, this salad looks very "brown." They aren't in the photo, unfortunately, but when I added some frozen peas to the recipe as an afterthought, the appearance of this salad perked right up! Peas or no peas, it's delicious!

Note: Ah, Dollinks! I cannot let you go without singing the praises of a rice cooker. There are many small appliances you can do without in your kitchen (I’ve seen some that are perfectly ludicrous and a total waste of money and storage space, but I don’t care to be sued), but a good rice cooker is not one of them. I have two - a large Sanyo-brand cooker big enough to feed half of China, and a small Salton-brand cooker that’s just the right size for feeding four or five people, or usually just Ron and I. Of the two, I prefer the Salton, which once cost me the princely sum of $15. With a rice cooker, there’s no worrying about boil-overs, burned pots, or under-cooked rice. There’s also no need to watch a timer. White rice takes 20 minutes flat; brown or wild rice takes 45. If you’re not around once the cooker's done its job, it will keep the rice warm until you are. A rice cooker truly is one of my favorite kitchen tools.

Combine rice with remaining ingredients and serve

Phyllo-Wrapped Chicken and Duxelles

Phyllo pastry! The very words make strong cooks quiver - and weak ones weep. It’s not difficult to work with phyllo pastry - though some people think it is. If you’re one of them, I’ll soon disabuse you of that notion.

If you’ve never worked with phyllo before, see my blogs dated April 16, 2011, for Baklava and for Potato, Wild Mushroom, and Cambozola Strudel. All of these delicious recipes will make you a phyllo fan! As I mentioned then, you’ll find it in your grocer's freezer case; it’s best thawed overnight, in your fridge. You can rewrap and refreeze the unused phyllo sheets. “Filo,” as it’s sometimes spelled, is a handy ingredient to stock in your home freezer. 

I’m not a professional chef, so at my level of cooking, I classify this dish as “gourmet.” It requires slightly more effort than something like baked pork chops, but I’m sure you’ll find the results well worth while. Because some cooks shy away from phyllo, it’s sure to wow whomever you ask to dinner. I’ve made this recipe often, but when I prepared it for Ron a few days ago, he was certainly wowed! Because this dish is so rich, I suggest you serve it with a simple green salad. When I made it for Ron, I served it with fresh green beans and Brown Rice Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing (I’ll give you this extraordinary rice salad recipe tomorrow. It's one of my summer favorites!).

Phyllo-Wrapped Chicken and Duxelles:

For the Duxelles: 

1-to-2 tbsp. butter (no substitutes) (see Note)

2 tbsp. finely chopped shallots

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tsp. fresh tarragon, finely chopped (or 2 tsp. dried leaf tarragon)

1 c. very finely chopped mushrooms

2-to-3 tbsp. heavy cream (33% milk fat) (see Further Note)

Salt and pepper, to taste

If you’ve never made mushrooms “duxelles,” you’re in for a treat! Have all ingredients prepared and ready. Turn your element to “high” (or very close to it). Add butter to a medium skillet, swirling it just above the stove element as it melts, so it doesn’t burn. The butter should be very hot when you add the shallots, garlic, and tarragon. 

Using a silicone spatula, flip this mixture every 5-to-10 seconds, giving it good exposure to the base of the hot pan, sautéing about 1 min. Add the mushrooms, sautéing 2 min. longer, until the mushroom mixture is tender. Reduce this mixture to a paste, stirring constantly. Add cream 1 tbsp. at a time, stirring well after each addition. Season to taste with salt and finely ground pepper. Set aside.

Note: Use only just enough butter to lightly coat the bottom of the pan, so the food sautés and doesn’t sizzle or slide around the pan.

Further Note: Adding a little whipping cream towards the end enhances the rich flavor of the duxelles - but don’t add too much or you’ll have mushroom sauce, which you definitely don’t want in this recipe. Duxelles can be used as a garnish over steak, or - as in this recipe - as a delicate complement to the chicken filling. 

For the Chicken Filling:

2 whole chicken breasts, boned and skinned

2 tbsp. butter (no substitutes) 
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms

Using the flat side of a meat mallet or heavy cleaver, flatten chicken breasts slightly. Sliver into ½-inch wide strips. Turn your element to “high” (or very close to it). Add butter to a large, clean skillet, swirling it just above the stove element as it melts, so it doesn’t burn. 

Add slivered chicken, browning quickly until no pink remains. Remove with tongs or slotted spoon. Set aside in bowl, but do not wash skillet. Sauté sliced mushrooms in same skillet, about 2 min. Turn heat to low. Return chicken mixture and finely minced duxelles to skillet, combining until chicken is well coated with duxelles. Set aside to cool.

For the Phyllo Wrap:

5 sheets phyllo pastry

1/3 c. butter, melted

1 egg

1 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. Thaw, unwrap, and peel off five phyllo pastry sheets. Rewrap and return remaining phyllo sheets to freezer for another time. Phyllo dries out quickly, so keep it covered with a clean, damp tea towel as you work with it. Place the first sheet on your work surface, dabbing with melted butter. Top with second and subsequent phyllo sheets, dabbing each except the last one entirely with melted butter. 

With this sheet, brush melted butter as a 2-inch border around the outside edges. Arrange cooled chicken and duxelles mixture lengthwise along a third of the phyllo pastry, leaving a 2-inch border around edges. Carefully fold bottom of phyllo sheets over chicken mixture; repeat with sides. 

Roll up and over, jelly-roll style, ensuring seam is at bottom. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Swirl egg and water to combine. Brush over phyllo-wrapped chicken. Bake 15-to-20 min., until pastry is golden. Serve immediately, slicing into 6-to-8 pieces.

Phyllo-Wrapped Chicken, top right, with fresh green beans
and Brown Rice Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing