Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for June, 2008

If you're looking to try something different for dinner, then this recipe might be just what you had in mind!

Ingredients:

• 1 duck (5-6 lbs.)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 cups sake or dry sherry
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. minced ginger root
• 1/2 tsp. Ac’cent
• 2 tbs. oil
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms

Have the duck cut in small pieces. Remove as much fat as possible; wash and dry. Combine the soy sauce, sake or sherry, salt, pepper, ginger, and Ac’cent. Marinate the duck in the mixture for 4 hours or overnight. Drain the duck, reserving the marinade.

Heat the oil in a casserole or deep skillet; brown the duck in it. Add the onions and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes. Pour off the the fat and stir in the marinade. Cover and cook over low heat 1 1/2 hours or until the duck is tender. The sauce may be thickened with a little cornstarch if desired.

When you've finished up, don't forget dessert! Complement your meal with a chocolate pretzel gift. It's sure to end the night off on a good note!

Putting gourmet desserts and cookies aside, this recipe makes for some delicious broiled steak. Now if you haven't tried (or even heard of) broiled steak before, this will be a nice adventurous moment for you! It's a simple recipe, just follow along.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak cut 3/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sake or sherry
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 tbs. minced ginger root
• 1 tbs. oil

Pound the meat with a cleaver or knife to a thickness of ½ inch; cut in 4 inch squares. Mix together the soy sauce, sake or sherry, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Marinate the steak in it for 4 hours or overnight. Drain and arrange on an oiled boiling pan. Broil for 2 minutes on each side (as close to the heat as possible) or to desired degree or rareness. Serve with chopped scallions if desired.

For more steak recipes, try some of the following:

• Summer Steaks with Fresh Berry Salsa
• Summer Steak Kabobs
• Fried Steak - Koon Ko Ki

Just like your mother always told you, eating your vegetables is important (as much as you tried to sneak cookies, she had a point). That's why this recipe makes for a delicious, yet healthy meal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 3 cups cooked spinach
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 tbs. olive oil
• 2 oz. grated Pecorino cheese
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients, except oil, thoroughly until well blended. Heat oil in skillet. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of mixture into hot oil; fry about 3 minutes or until each side is golden brown. Serve very hot as a side dish or as a main dish with vegetables. Serves 4.

Looking for more healthy recipes? Try some of these:

• Frittata Di Carne E Vegetali - Vegetable-meat Omelette
• Pickled Vegetables - Atjar
• Vegetable Salad - Gado Gado
• Roasted Potatoes Brunch Recipe

Many parties happen at sea these days. And if not at sea, then they are sea themed! With many sailboat and nautical party favors,  it's understandable why seafood would be a popular meal choice these days. So if you're throwing a party and need some foods from under the sea, you have to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 24 clams
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbs. sake or sherry
• 3 tbs. oil
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1 cup julienne-cut eggplant
• 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cups sliced bamboo shoots

Scrub the clams and remove from the shells. Combine the soy sauce, broth, sugar, and sake or sherry. Marinate the clams in the mixture for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a skillet; sauté the onions, eggplant, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots for 5 minutes. Add the undrained clams and cook 3 minutes longer.

For more seafood options, try one of these delicious recipes:

• Garlicky Lemon Scallops
• Manila Style Crab Meat - Alimasag
• Mixed Rice Casserole - Phoat Khat
• Stuffed Noodles In Stew - Pancit Molo

Fish is always a nice option to have for a meal. In this case, a fish chowder is even more delicious. Try this recipe for a great change of pace.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. tomatoes
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups bottled clam juice
• 1/4 tsp. dried ground chili peppers
• 1 1/2 lbs. fillet of mackerel
• 1 cup shredded watercress or spinach

Combine the tomatoes, onions, water, clam juice, and chili peppers in a saucepan; bring to a boil and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Cut the fish in bite-size pieces and add to the soup; cook over low heat 10 minutes. Add the watercress; cook 1 minute. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately. If you want to cook the soup ahead of time, add the watercress 1 minute before serving to avoid overcooking.

It's not the usual cookie bouquet that you would expect, but hey, we like other delicious things too!

For more fish recipes, you might try some of the following:

• Fish Kugel
• Fried Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce
• Sweet and Sour Pungent Fish - Tiem Shun Yu
• Pescaditos En Escabeche A La Andaluza - Small Marinated Fish Andalusian Style
• Pescaditos En Escabeche A La Catalana - Small Marinated Fish Cctalan Style