Baked Brie and Shrimp

2 Tbls. finely diced red pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¾ cup raw peeled and deveined shrimp chopped
dash of red pepper flakes
1 wedge of brie rind removed and cut into chunks

Sauté diced red pepper in a bout 1 Tbls of olive oil and shrimp, sauté until just about cooked, add garlic and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over chunks of brie (avoid excess olive oil). Bake at 325 for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally to combine. Serve with baguette slices.

*Don’t let it get too hot or the cheese will break and become very oily.


Hearts Of Palm Salad

2 cans hearts of palm, drained
4 medium cloves of garlic
8 green onions chopped
1 ½ dozen cherry tomatoes
6 tomatillos; quartered
3 Tbls. chopped parsley
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lime juice
assorted salad greens

Cut hearts of palm into approximately ¾ inch slices. Mix remaining ingredients except salad greens, season with salt and pepper.

Place salad greens in a bowl, arrange hearts of palm mixture over greens.

Margarita Flank Steak with Tropical Fruit Pico de Gallo

1 flank steak, about 2 lbs.
2/3 cup orange juice concentrate
½ cup tequila
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
½ cup olive oil
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
Marinate flank steak in plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight. Grill (med.–high) until grill marks appear about 3 minutes, rotate the steak a quarter turn and continue grilling for about 3 minutes more. Turn steak over and repeat. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes, cut across the grain into ½ inch thick slices. Spoon sauce over the top. Serves 4.
Tropical Fruit Pico de Gallo:
1 mango, diced
1 papaya, diced
1 avocado, diced
3 Tbls. red onion, diced fine
1 tsp. chopped jalapeno, diced fine
2 tbls. chopped cilantro
¼ cup orange juice (or to cover)
squeeze of lime
Mix ingredients together and let sit for about ½ hour to let flavors come together.

Strawberry Shortcake

6 cups strawberries, rinsed and quartered
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups heavy cream
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar; let sit to bring out their juices.
In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal but with some pea-size bits of butter remaining, 10 to 12 times. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cream and the eggs; pour over flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form.
Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough, invert, and then tap out onto a baking sheet. Repeat to form 8 biscuits. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes.
Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar with the vanilla until soft peaks form.
Let the biscuits cool and then slice in half horizontally. Spoon strawberries and their liquid over bottom halves. Spoon whipped cream on strawberries, and replace top halves of biscuits. Serves 8.
 

Made by Lena