RECIPE: PINEAPPLE TOMATO SALSA

I love the sweet spiciness of this salsa... pineapple, tomato, and a onion and jalapeno for heat. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to jalapenos. I always add 1/2 of the recommended amount. Taste. Then add more if I want to. You can't take it out if it is tooo hot! Sometimes, I make the recipe with half the jalapenos then split it into two bowls. I add the remaining jalapeno to one of the bowls and label that one HOT for my guests who like a lot of heat.

Pineapple Tomato Salsa is great on fish, grilled meat, pork, or even on its own. I always serve it with my Slow-Roasted Chipotle Pork or Tequila Lime Tuna recipe. (Photo by Arden Photography and bowl by Earthborn Pottery)

PINEAPPLE TOMATO SALSA

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes    Cook Time: no cook recipe 

INGREDIENTS

3 cups fresh pineapple, diced very small

1 large ripe red tomato, seeded and diced very small          

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

¼ cup lime juice                       

½ cup red onion, diced very small

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced very small

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients and chill. Taste and add more jalapeno pepper if you like a spicy hot salsa. This has medium heat. Perfect condiment with fish, pork, and chicken. Let this sit out about 15 minutes before serving time.

RECIPE: MY CITRUS PICKLED SHRIMP FROM FOOD NETWORK STAR

I made this recipe for my pilot for Food Network Star because it has always been one of my signature dishes. In the Deep South, shrimp is a party staple year ‘round. I discovered this recipe about 20 years ago and have reinvented it many times based on what I had in the house. Around the holidays I add orange slices and zest, a few whole cloves and a splash of orange liqueur to change it for the season.

This is one of my easiest summer party recipes. You can make it a day ahead and it is ready to go when you are. Plus, this recipe can feed a lot of folks. If you are on a budget, get the smaller shrimp or opt to clean and devein them yourself. You can even use frozen raw shrimp for this dish if you don't live in an area where you have easy access to raw shrimp. Either way, everyone loves this dish and every guest will ask you for the recipe! It easily doubles or triples for a big crowd

My most popular recipe and probably my favorite to serve at a party is the Citrus Pickled Shrimp I made on Food Network Star. The beautiful bowl is by my friend Tena Payne of Earthborn Pottery.

MARTIE'S CITRUS PICKLED SHRIMP

Skill level: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes if you buy peeled and deveined shrimp. If you buy shrimp you have to clean, add 30 minutes.

Cook Time: 6-8 minutes for the shrimp but the marinade takes 8-24 hours

Yield: Approximately 60 shrimp

INGREDIENTS

For the shrimp:

2 Tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 pounds medium raw shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined with the tails on

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the marinade:

2 small Spanish onions, sliced very thin

6 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

2 lemons, sliced very thin

14 small bay leaves or 7 large ones

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

3 dried hot chili peppers, like Chilies de Arbol (substitute ¼ t. cayenne)

1 teaspoon white pepper

¼ cup white wine vinegar

½ cup lemon juice

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Mix the Old Bay, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Place shrimp on a sheet tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle with the Old Bay mixture. Cook for 6 minutes or until shrimp just turn pink; flip and cook another 2 minutes.  

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a large glass bowl except the lemon slices, bay leaves and the chilies. 

When the shrimp come out of the oven, put them into the marinade, toss, add the lemon slices, bay leaves, and the chilies and let cool. Wrap the bowl tightly with 2 layers of plastic wrap. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and marinate, turning the shrimp in the bowl occasionally to mix well for at least 8 hours and for up to 24 hours before serving. Place a large glass bowl in the fridge to chill, for serving the shrimp.

To serve: Remove the bay leaves and chilies. Strain and reserve the liquid from the shrimp using a medium sieve or strainer so the seeds can pass through but it is ok if some remain in the shrimp.

Put the shrimp in a chilled glass bowl. Add some of the marinade back to the shrimp and toss. The shrimp should not be swimming in the marinade liquid but there should be some in the bowl. The onion, lemon and seeds are all edible but don’t necessarily have to be eaten.

Serve in a large bowl with a slotted spoon.

RECIPE: ONE BITE PARTY APPETIZER GOUGERES AKA CHEESE PUFFS

There are lots of easy appetizers I have in my arsenal of recipes but this one is one of my favorites... Gougères, the fancy French name for cheese puffs, are simple to make and you can freeze them and reheat them later so that makes them perfect party food in my book. Based on a classic French recipe for cream puffs but without the sugar, this base recipe can be used for all sorts of things: make them a bit larger, slice in half and use as a bun for a tea sandwich, for example. With sugar, it becomes a cream puff when you fill it with custard. Perfect for just about any menu- make a ton and freeze some for later... they are best served warm. Change up the cheese as you like; the traditional method uses Comte or Gruyere. I like adding a bit of Parmesan, too. I often just use scraps of whatever cheese I have around that need to be used.

***Scroll down for v2 of this recipe which uses an ice cream scoop rather than a piping bag.

These are so easy and so delicious... Classic Cheese Puffs are always a hit.

GOUGERES (CHEESE PUFFS)

INGREDIENTS

11/2 cups water

1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 large eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese (or use Gruyere for the traditionalist)

pinch cayenne pepper

1- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus 1 teaspoon for tops

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Put the water into a large pan over high heat. Add the butter and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat. Add the flour all at once, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth, thick paste with no lumps. Add in the beaten eggs, a little at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until incorporated and the dough is not slippery.

Stir in cayenne, black pepper, and the cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Put the dough in a pastry bag or a ziptop bag and push it down into the corner. Snip the end.   

Pipe the dough into 2" mounds. Use a bit of water on your finger to tap down the top slightly so the tip won't burn. Sprinkle the top of each with the remaining sea salt. Bake at 400 for about 25-30 minutes or until dry and golden brown. Baking time is determined by how large you pipe the rounds. Check one by pulling it apart to make sure the inside is not still doughy.

Remove from the oven and pierce each puff to allow the steam to escape. Serve warm.

Leave off the cheese and you can make these to stuff with all sorts of goodies. Chicken salad comes to mind.....

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GOUGÈRES – v2

This recipe is a basic 1-1-1 ratio: 1 cup liquid, 1 cup flour, 1 stick butter. It works best using an ice cream scoop rather than a pastry bag.

Yield: about 36 using a small ice cream scoop

 INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup water

1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons) cut into 8 pieces

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) grated cheese, such as Gruyere or Cheddar

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425˚ Fahrenheit. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a rapid boil over high heat. Whisk in the flour all at once and lower the heat to low. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir quickly until the dough comes together and a “crust” forms on the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring for 2 minutes to dry the dough.

Turn off the heat and allow the dough to sit for a minute. Add the eggs, one at a time. The dough will be slippery and appear broken, but it isn’t. Continue to beat the dough with the wooden spoon until the dough accepts the egg and isn’t slippery; then add the next egg and do the same thing until you have added all five eggs.

Beat in the grated cheese. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet leaving room for the dough to spread.

Place the baking sheets into the oven and turn down the heat to 375˚ Fahrenheit.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Rotate the pans. Continue baking until the gougères are golden, firm and, of course, puffed, another 12 to 15 minutes. I find the cheddar takes longer to bake than the Gruyere.  

You may freeze the dough. Simply put them on a baking sheet and freeze solid, then store them in a freezer bag. You may bake them frozen, but it will take a bit longer.