What's for Dinner? personal chef service

06/15/2023

A cool, refreshing watermelon salad is tough to beat on a summer day. Mine has just 3 ingredients: cut watermelon, feta cheese and chopped fresh mint. Yummilicious! If you can get local watermelon, even better because it doesn't have to be picked before it's ripe. Use a block of feta cheese that you crumble or cut yourself for more flavor. Cheese that you buy in a container already crumbled starts to lose flavor as soon as you cut it, plus it has anti-caking agents added.

12/31/2022

Well it's been a zillion years since I last posted, so I guess I'm (waaaay) overdue. Gloomy day here in beautiful Beaufort by the Sea so I made my favorite Tomato Basil Soup. Crazy easy when you cheat with stewed tomatoes.

Fast Tomato Basil Soup

1 can stewed tomatoes (regular 15 oz size)
4-5 sprigs of fresh basil
dash of Jane's Crazy Mixed up Salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 - 1/3 cup half and half

Put all but half and half in a blender and blend until smooth. Put in a saucepan along with 1/2 and 1/2. Heat until starting to boil.

Didn't I tell you it was easy? Delicious topped with fresh avocado slices or paired with a grilled cheese sandwich. Wonderful comfort food.

Enjoy

08/30/2020

This is a masterpiece. To the untrained eye, it may not look like much, but I make (arguably) the best tomato pie on the planet. When I add shrimp caught in local waters, there is no argument!!! (She said immodestly)

Tomato Pie

1 deep dish pie crust
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 tablespoon dried minced onions
3 medium sized tomatoes (preferably fresh off the vine)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 cups freshly grated cheese (I always include parmesan, a smoked cheese like smoked gouda or smoked cheddar and some extra sharp cheddar.)
1/2 - 3/4 cups mayo (Dukes is the best :-) )

* If adding shrimp:
1 lb. wild caught American shrimp
1 can of beer
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With a fork, prick some holes in the pie crust and bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Chop tomatoes, put in a colander and press out as much juice as possible.
Chop onions and microwave for about 1.5 minutes to soften. If no microwave, sauté with a tiny bit of oil for a few minutes.
Chop basil.

Stir together tomatoes, onions (fresh and dried), basil and salt.

Stir together grated cheeses and mayo.

Put tomato mixture in pre-baked pie shell. Top with cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

* For shrimp tomato pie:
Peel and devein shrimp.

This step is optional, but your shrimp will be more flavorful if you do this. Let shrimp marinate in beer with salt for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Pour shrimp and beer mixture into a saucepan. Make sure the beer covers the shrimp - if not, add a little water. Put saucepan without a lid on stove and turn the burner on high. When liquid is just starting to bubble and shrimp is starting to turn pink/orange, take off stove and drain. You want the shrimp to be a little undercooked at this stage so that it won't overcook in the pie.

Place shrimp on the pre-baked pie crust and follow with tomato mixture and the cheese mixture as above.

A couple of important notes:

Freshly grated cheese is MUCH better than pre-grated. Soon after you grate cheese, it starts to lose flavor and the grated cheeses in the store have anti-caking ingredients that leech out the flavor even more.

Wild caught American shrimp is IMPERATIVE. That imported crap is totally tasteless and has been farmed in extremely unhealthy environments in Asian countries with absolutely no regulations on health and safety. Don't waste your money or put that junk in your body.

Enjoy the best Shrimp and Tomato Pie ever!!!

07/15/2020

A fabulous salad! This is a Publix Aprons recipe, meant to be a side dish, but I think it's a great main dish salad too.

Sweet Potato-Edamame Salad

2 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup water
1 cup shelled, cooked edamame
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Asian ginger dressing
1 T mayonaise
1/2 cup pre-sliced green onions

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch cups. Place potatoes and water in microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Chop bell pepper. Drain sweet potatoes and let stand to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Combine dressing and mayo in large salad bowl. Fold in all other ingredients and coat evenly.

Serve room temperature or cold.

Enjoy!

04/22/2020

Asparagus Tart (modified from Food Network version)

1 Tbsp flour, plus more for dusting
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
8 oz. block cream cheese softened to room temp.
1 tsp salt
1 large egg
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 Tbsp dried tarragon or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped
*1.5 - 2 lbs asparagus, woody bottoms trimmed off
1 Tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or use silicone liner). Lightly flour work surface and roll out thawed puff pastry to a 9x12 rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet.

Beat together cream cheese, 3/4 tsp salt, flour, onion powder, tarragon, egg and lemon zest. Spread mixture over puff pastry, leaving a 1/2" border. Roll border slightly to raise it and meet the cream cheese mixture.

Toss asparagus with olive oil, pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Lay 1/2 of asparagus in a neat row across tart leaving a little space in between with tips facing one direction. Then lay remaining asparagus in the spaces with tips facing the opposite direction.

Bake about 25 minutes until the border is puffed and golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

* Note that original recipe called for only 1 lb. asparagus and that's what I used in the picture. I really like asparagus, so the next time I make this, I will double the amount and not have so much space between asparagus pieces.

11/30/2019

Is there any good food that comes from China? I think not.

Garlic, one of the healthiest, and most popular foods on the planet. There is no denying the wonderful health benefits that garlic holds, it is a traditional remedy for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even the common cold. But there is something about garlic that you probably do not know,...

10/18/2019

A pretty regular occurrence in my life :-D

08/22/2019

Outrageously delicious recipe from Publix!!!

Thai Style Shrimp and Melon Salad

1.5 lbs. peeled/deveined shrimp, tails removed (Publix recipe calls for 1 lb. but I think you need more for 4 people)
3 cups fresh honeydew chunks
1 large red bell pepper
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
1 small fresh jalapeño
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 limes - or 2 T lime juice
1/4 cup lightly salted peanuts
1 t sriracha-garlic seasoning
2 T Worcestershire sauce or fish sauce
1/2 t salt
3 T olive oil

Cut honeydew and bell pepper into 1" long thin strips. Slice jalapeño - removing seeds and membrane, if desired. Chop cilantro and crush peanuts. Squeeze limes.

In large bowl, combine honeydew, red peppers, cilantro, jalapeño and green onions. Second bowl combine lime juice, fish or worcestershire sauce, salt 1 T oil. Pour over melon salad and stir.

Coat shrimp in remaining 2 T oil and seasoning. Preheat large, nonstick sauce pan on medium high 2-3 minutes. Put shrimp in pan and cook 3-4 minutes until opaque and hot. Allow to cool for a few minutes and combine with salad.

Sprinkle peanuts on top of salad.

Serves 4.

06/18/2019

This latest Publix recipe is off the charts delicious! I think the only thing I'd change is to add a little heat - maybe a jalapeño or some red pepper in the sauce.

Grilled Pork with Blueberry Chimichurri

1 pork tenderloin - about 1 lb. (I'd use more)
2-3 limes (3 Tablespoons juice)
6 cloves fresh garlic
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 T white balsamic vinegar
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T honey

Preheat grill.

Squeeze limes. Finely chop 4 cloves garlic, or run through garlic press. Combine garlic, 1/2 t salt, pepper, 2 T lime juice, 1 T oil. Cut pork into 1" thick round medallions. Put pork and sauce in a baggie and marinate for 10 minutes or longer.

Place blueberries, honey, cilantro, vinegar, green onions, remaining 1 T lime juice, 3 T oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 t salt in small food processor or blender. Pulse until desired consistency (a little chunky or as smooth as you want it).

Grill pork 7-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and 145 degrees. Let stand for a few minutes to rest.

Serve pork over rice topped with blueberry chimichurri.

If you don't have a grill, you can use a frying pan, like I did. In that case, I would not add the oil to the marinade. Instead, marinate the pork in the other ingredients and then use the oil in your frying pan to cook the pork. When you remove the pork from the pan, leave the juices and add the chimichurri to warm it up.

Recipe would also be delicious with chicken or probably good with shrimp too.

Enjoy!

05/28/2019

There are lots of watermelon salad recipes out there. Here's my hybrid between a traditional one and a watermelon salsa recipe from Publix. I made it recently and took to my sister's house when relatives were in town. It was a big hit!

Watermelon Salad

3 cups watermelon chunks
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 T key lime juice (I use Nellie and Joe's)
1 T olive oil (don't use light, not enough flavor)
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 oz. crumbled feta
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Put the basil in the lime juice right after chopping to prevent browning. Simply mix all together and you have a delicious summer salad. Enjoy!

05/28/2019

Frogmore stew (with fresh SC shrimp, of course), watermelon salad and cole slaw! Honestly, it doesn't get any better than this :-D

05/12/2019

One of the tables at a cocktail party I catered 2 nights ago.

Love the thank you I received today:
"Catherine, thanks very much for helping make our little gathering a great success. Parties are more fun when the caterer stops working and starts drinking!!!"

In case you're wondering, yes, I did know some of the people at the party and yes, I was invited to join after I had all the food out on the tables! :-D