Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for August, 2008

Pasta salad is not quite the thing you'd find in a gourmet Italian gift basket, but nonetheless it's delicious, simple and people love it!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked pasta (macaroni or rotini)
• 1/2 green and red pepper chopped
• Green onions, chopped (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons Italian salad dressing
• 2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 Clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon Oregano

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and serve.

If you're up for a challenge in salads, attempt this Tomato and Cucumber Salad next!

Like cookies or other treats, rice balls are best eaten fresh, just after they have been prepared. The rice should be freshly cooked, and just cooled off enough for you to handle. When shaping the rice balls, keep in mind the shape should be lovely, since the Japanese are very much interested in the aesthetics of their food. Shapes such as long cylinder are common, and if you use this shape you would decorate it with a piece of noi, black seaweed, on the outside, by cutting it into a strip and wrapping it around the cylinder.

You can use umeboshi (picked plums with or without seeds) in the center but cautions that some find the taste quite salty. We suggest using cooked meats or eggs inside the rice balls. You really could use just about anything.

• Salt
• Cooked short grain rice, approximately 1/2 cup for each rice ball (see note)
• Fillings, such as umeboshi, cooked meat or eggs (optional: see note)
• Nori (optional: see note)

1. To make the rice balls: Wash your hands and cover your palms with salt (you can also dip your hands in a bowl of salty water before forming the ball). Grab a handful of rice and shape it into a round or triangle shape, pressing with both hands.
2. If you are filling the rice balls. Make a hole in the top of the rice ball with a chopstick or your finger, then push approximately 1 teaspoon of filling inside the rice. Fill the hole with rice and reshape. If using nori, cut into a thin strip and wrap around the cylindrical shaped rice balls.

For another wonderful rice recipe, try this one for Rice Fritters.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 (4 ounce) boneless pork chops
• 1 (15 ounce) can yams drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pear slices in pear juice, drained (reserve 1/2 cup juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, crumbled
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In large skillet, heat oil. In large baggy, mix flour, curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add pork chops. Shake and coat. Put pork chops in skillet; sauté until cooked through. Cut yams into bite size chunks. Add pork with the pears, pear juice, thyme, pepper and remaining salt. Reduce heat and simmer covered, about 5 minutes uncovered and simmer until pork is cooked through about 2 minutes longer.

These are excellent ideas when you need a complete meal gift for a loved one.

For another delicious dinner idea, try Pork and Chive Dumplings.

Sometimes cookies and desserts can only last so long. Sometimes you just want a semi-healthy drink with some fruity goodness. Well in that case, here's a recipe you'll enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 (6 ounce) can orange juice concentrate, frozen
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 large ice cubes

Place the first five ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding ice cubes one at a time.

If you love all things oranges, then you'll really enjoy this recipe for "All-Vol" Orange Juice Cupcakes.

It's always fun to switch up your recipe a little bit and try something different. In this case, your regular hamburger takes a wild turn to include things such as pepper, celery, garlic, onions, tomatoes and more. It makes for a tasty meal and a brave step towards something new for dinner. Heck, why not make them for your Thanksgiving feast? Include the recipe in a Thanksgiving gift basket for everyone to enjoy at their own homes as well. It's so delicious, you'll be thinking of more ways you can eat these tasty burgers.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

Brown ground beef with green pepper, onion, celery. Drain and add tomatoes and garlic. Add water to make some juice (if preferred) and let simmer for 20 minutes. Spoon mixture on hamburger buns. You can also enjoy with nacho chips.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll want to try his Southwestern Burger Recipe.