Food for Thought

Fish Tacos And Beer

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

FISH TACOS AND BEER

 

With the weather finally warming up it is time for fish tacos and beer on the patio.  Did you know that any of Bellisari’s Spreads and Sauces can be used as the perfect taco sauce?  Here are some easy ways to step up that fresh, grilled or fried fish for your patio tacos. 

Barista Sauce = grilled salmon tossed in Barista sauce with diced avacado, corn and purple cabbage.

Saigon Street Sauce = fried fish with Saigon slaw and cotija cheese.

Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spreaddiced lobster tail tossed in Fig spread with pico de gallo, avocado cilantro micro greens for garnish and lime wedges for serving.

Balsamic Shallot & Black Garlic Spreadsea bass, feta and roasted red peppers.

Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spreadfried fish with Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread and sriracha sauce.

Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spreada grilled white fish tossed in Calabrian with green olives.

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Fish Tacos And Beer

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

FISH TACOS AND BEER

 

With the weather finally warming up it is time for fish tacos and beer on the patio.  Did you know that any of Bellisari’s Spreads and Sauces can be used as the perfect taco sauce?  Here are some easy ways to step up that fresh, grilled or fried fish for your patio tacos. 

Barista Sauce = grilled salmon tossed in Barista sauce with diced avacado, corn and purple cabbage.

Saigon Street Sauce = fried fish with Saigon slaw and cotija cheese.

Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spreaddiced lobster tail tossed in Fig spread with pico de gallo, avocado cilantro micro greens for garnish and lime wedges for serving.

Balsamic Shallot & Black Garlic Spreadsea bass, feta and roasted red peppers.

Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spreadfried fish with Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread and sriracha sauce.

Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spreada grilled white fish tossed in Calabrian with green olives.

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Avotoast

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

Fortunately for me, the avocado toast trend is still going strong.  I haven’t tired of it yet and love it even more when I pair it with a poached egg as we did in yesterday’s recipe.  Happily, most breakfast/brunch restaurants still have it on their menu to feed my addiction.  As we all know, food trends come and go but this savory delight has been in and out of the US, Australian and Europe since the 1930’s

According to Laura Martin of the Newstatesman, “The “on toast” variation of avocado appears to be a 20th century invention, with a 1937 New Yorker article documenting an “avocado sandwich on whole wheat and a lime rickey” in Los Angeles. In the 1990s in Australia, chef Bill Granger is believed to have given avocado toast its modern makeover with a twist of lime and chili, which made its way back to New York by the millennium, then on to breakfast plates in London a few years later.”

Since Instagram’s launch in 2010, the avocado has become one of the top food shots to snap - there are currently more than seven million tags for the fruit on the app and each day more.  Here are a couple of my easy favorites of the “butter fruit” using Bellisari’s products.

Avocado, cucumber, kale, sprouts, and pumpkin seeds Avotoast with a Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread smear.

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Avotoast

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

Fortunately for me, the avocado toast trend is still going strong.  I haven’t tired of it yet and love it even more when I pair it with a poached egg as we did in yesterday’s recipe.  Happily, most breakfast/brunch restaurants still have it on their menu to feed my addiction.  As we all know, food trends come and go but this savory delight has been in and out of the US, Australian and Europe since the 1930’s

According to Laura Martin of the Newstatesman, “The “on toast” variation of avocado appears to be a 20th century invention, with a 1937 New Yorker article documenting an “avocado sandwich on whole wheat and a lime rickey” in Los Angeles. In the 1990s in Australia, chef Bill Granger is believed to have given avocado toast its modern makeover with a twist of lime and chili, which made its way back to New York by the millennium, then on to breakfast plates in London a few years later.”

Since Instagram’s launch in 2010, the avocado has become one of the top food shots to snap - there are currently more than seven million tags for the fruit on the app and each day more.  Here are a couple of my easy favorites of the “butter fruit” using Bellisari’s products.

Avocado, cucumber, kale, sprouts, and pumpkin seeds Avotoast with a Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread smear.

Read more


Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Scalloped Potatoes

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

BLUE CHEESE, HONEY & SHALLOT SCALLOPED POTATOES

 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds Russet potatoes

1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp ground rosemary

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup Bellisari’s Blue Cheese Honey & Shallot Spread

2 cups of al dente, small, chopped asparagus spears(optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9"x13" glass baking dish. Peel and slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Toss them in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, and rosemary. In a small bowl, toss together the parmesan cheese and the Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread. Layer half the potatoes in the buttered baking dish with one cup of the asparagus(optional). Sprinkle with half the cheese mixture and top with remaining potatoes and asparagus(optional).  In a bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake potatoes for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until browned and completely tender all the way through when poked with a knife. Serve immediately.

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Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Scalloped Potatoes

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

BLUE CHEESE, HONEY & SHALLOT SCALLOPED POTATOES

 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds Russet potatoes

1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp ground rosemary

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup Bellisari’s Blue Cheese Honey & Shallot Spread

2 cups of al dente, small, chopped asparagus spears(optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9"x13" glass baking dish. Peel and slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Toss them in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, and rosemary. In a small bowl, toss together the parmesan cheese and the Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread. Layer half the potatoes in the buttered baking dish with one cup of the asparagus(optional). Sprinkle with half the cheese mixture and top with remaining potatoes and asparagus(optional).  In a bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake potatoes for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until browned and completely tender all the way through when poked with a knife. Serve immediately.

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Spicy Shrimp Pasta In A Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

Spicy Shrimp Pasta in a Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce

 

My father lived in South Florida, so growing up I would eat a lot of seafood and learned quickly that you can overcook seafood very easily if you don’t know what you are doing.  Shrimp was one of the first seafood that I learned how to cook on my own.  I remember being so proud of myself.  Yesterday I shared a tip on the correct way to cook, boiled, sautéed or steamed shrimp so be sure to check it out. It can be a little overwhelming when purchasing shrimp for your recipe.  There are over 300 separate species of shrimp, so it can be overwhelming as to which to choose.  Here are a few of the most common selections that you see at the grocery store with cooking suggestions. 

White shrimp: Mild flavor with a slightly salty, shrimpy taste and firm texture. Great for salads and stir-fry.

Pink shrimp: Mild to medium flavor with a medium texture. Perfect for shrimp cocktail.

Brown shrimp: Full, robust flavor with medium texture. Best when used for full-flavor dishes like gumbo or for frying.

Rock Shrimp:  My favorite!! They are called the armadillo of the shrimp world.  They earn their name because their shells are “hard as a rock”.  They are a small shrimp reaching a maximum size of up to six inches.  Rock shrimp has a flavor similar to spiny lobster…firm textured and sweet. Once you decide which shrimp you would like to use in your recipe it is important to know how to cook them. 

Deep Fry

Deep fry shrimp by preheating (canola, vegetable, or peanut) oil to 375 degrees F. Carefully place a small amount of breaded or battered shrimp in cooker. Fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes, depending on size of shrimp, until golden brown outside and opaque in the center.

Stir-fry

Stir-fry or sauté shrimp by preheating a pan over medium-high heat. Add butter, margarine, olive oil, or flavored cooking oil. Carefully place shrimp in pan. Stir-fry large shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes; medium 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes, and small/bay 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.  Here is one of my favorite shrimp pasta recipes that is perfect for a weeknight meal.

Spicy Shrimp Pasta in a Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-pound shrimp without shells, and deveined

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 Jar of Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread

1/4 cup water

1/2 cube chicken bouillon

1 tablespoon basil

1/4 teaspoon oregano dried

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz Spaghetti (Sub any pasta you would like)

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook on one side for about 1 minute, until shrimp turns pink on that side. While it cooks, sprinkle the top of shrimp with crushed red pepper, paprika and salt to cover every single shrimp. Make sure not to crowd the shrimp in the skillet, otherwise moisture will form, and shrimp won't sear right. And, don't skimp on spices. Using spatula turn shrimp over to the other side and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Remove shrimp to a plate, being careful to leave all the oil in the skillet.

To the same skillet, add minced garlic and cook on medium high heat in the olive oil that will have a nice reddish color from paprika and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until onions soften.

Add Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread and bouillon cube dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water. Add basil and oregano, mix, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, mixing occasionally and crushing all tomatoes into very small bites, until the sauce reduces just a bit. Season with more red pepper and salt, if needed. In the end, while on simmer, add heavy cream, mix it in, and immediately remove from heat.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta al dente according to the package instructions.  Drain.

Add back the cooked shrimp and cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Mix everything well to combine. Reheat on low simmer, if needed. Do not bring to boil or high heat as it might affect the sauce texture. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

When serving, I like to sprinkle the top of pasta with just a touch of crushed red pepper.

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Spicy Shrimp Pasta In A Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

Spicy Shrimp Pasta in a Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce

 

My father lived in South Florida, so growing up I would eat a lot of seafood and learned quickly that you can overcook seafood very easily if you don’t know what you are doing.  Shrimp was one of the first seafood that I learned how to cook on my own.  I remember being so proud of myself.  Yesterday I shared a tip on the correct way to cook, boiled, sautéed or steamed shrimp so be sure to check it out. It can be a little overwhelming when purchasing shrimp for your recipe.  There are over 300 separate species of shrimp, so it can be overwhelming as to which to choose.  Here are a few of the most common selections that you see at the grocery store with cooking suggestions. 

White shrimp: Mild flavor with a slightly salty, shrimpy taste and firm texture. Great for salads and stir-fry.

Pink shrimp: Mild to medium flavor with a medium texture. Perfect for shrimp cocktail.

Brown shrimp: Full, robust flavor with medium texture. Best when used for full-flavor dishes like gumbo or for frying.

Rock Shrimp:  My favorite!! They are called the armadillo of the shrimp world.  They earn their name because their shells are “hard as a rock”.  They are a small shrimp reaching a maximum size of up to six inches.  Rock shrimp has a flavor similar to spiny lobster…firm textured and sweet. Once you decide which shrimp you would like to use in your recipe it is important to know how to cook them. 

Deep Fry

Deep fry shrimp by preheating (canola, vegetable, or peanut) oil to 375 degrees F. Carefully place a small amount of breaded or battered shrimp in cooker. Fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes, depending on size of shrimp, until golden brown outside and opaque in the center.

Stir-fry

Stir-fry or sauté shrimp by preheating a pan over medium-high heat. Add butter, margarine, olive oil, or flavored cooking oil. Carefully place shrimp in pan. Stir-fry large shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes; medium 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes, and small/bay 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.  Here is one of my favorite shrimp pasta recipes that is perfect for a weeknight meal.

Spicy Shrimp Pasta in a Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-pound shrimp without shells, and deveined

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 Jar of Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread

1/4 cup water

1/2 cube chicken bouillon

1 tablespoon basil

1/4 teaspoon oregano dried

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz Spaghetti (Sub any pasta you would like)

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook on one side for about 1 minute, until shrimp turns pink on that side. While it cooks, sprinkle the top of shrimp with crushed red pepper, paprika and salt to cover every single shrimp. Make sure not to crowd the shrimp in the skillet, otherwise moisture will form, and shrimp won't sear right. And, don't skimp on spices. Using spatula turn shrimp over to the other side and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Remove shrimp to a plate, being careful to leave all the oil in the skillet.

To the same skillet, add minced garlic and cook on medium high heat in the olive oil that will have a nice reddish color from paprika and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until onions soften.

Add Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread and bouillon cube dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water. Add basil and oregano, mix, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, mixing occasionally and crushing all tomatoes into very small bites, until the sauce reduces just a bit. Season with more red pepper and salt, if needed. In the end, while on simmer, add heavy cream, mix it in, and immediately remove from heat.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta al dente according to the package instructions.  Drain.

Add back the cooked shrimp and cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Mix everything well to combine. Reheat on low simmer, if needed. Do not bring to boil or high heat as it might affect the sauce texture. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

When serving, I like to sprinkle the top of pasta with just a touch of crushed red pepper.

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Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

GUINNESS CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

 

Enjoy this hearty dish that is as much a part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations as shamrocks and wearing green. 

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
4 lbs. flat cut corned beef brisket
1 jar Bellisari’s Saigon Street Sauce
1 (12 oz.) bottle Guinness draught (make sure you use Guinness draught, not stout as it will turn it bitter!)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄8-1⁄4 tsp. ground cloves (to taste)
1⁄4 tsp. ground allspice
1⁄4 tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. coriander
1 head cabbage, cut into wedges, rinsed and drained
6 medium red potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 2 lb. carrot, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

Directions:
Rinse corned beef under cold water, and pat dry. In a Dutch oven, or other large pot with a cover, brown corned beef well on all sides over high heat. Pour Guinness over the meat, and add enough water to just cover the brisket. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coriander and pepper to the pot. Bring pot to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 3 hours.

Add carrots, then potatoes and then the cabbage wedges to the pot. Cover pot, and continue cooking until meat and vegetables are tender (about 20-30 minutes). Remove meat and vegetables to warm serving platter/dishes, leaving the cooking liquid/sauce in the pot. Over high heat, bring the cooking liquid to a boil, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Slice the corned beef; serve with the vegetables and the Bellisari’s Saigon Street Sauce on the side.

Note: Corned beef should always be sliced across the grain.

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Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage

Posted by Annette Bellisari on

GUINNESS CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

 

Enjoy this hearty dish that is as much a part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations as shamrocks and wearing green. 

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
4 lbs. flat cut corned beef brisket
1 jar Bellisari’s Saigon Street Sauce
1 (12 oz.) bottle Guinness draught (make sure you use Guinness draught, not stout as it will turn it bitter!)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄8-1⁄4 tsp. ground cloves (to taste)
1⁄4 tsp. ground allspice
1⁄4 tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. coriander
1 head cabbage, cut into wedges, rinsed and drained
6 medium red potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 2 lb. carrot, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

Directions:
Rinse corned beef under cold water, and pat dry. In a Dutch oven, or other large pot with a cover, brown corned beef well on all sides over high heat. Pour Guinness over the meat, and add enough water to just cover the brisket. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coriander and pepper to the pot. Bring pot to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 3 hours.

Add carrots, then potatoes and then the cabbage wedges to the pot. Cover pot, and continue cooking until meat and vegetables are tender (about 20-30 minutes). Remove meat and vegetables to warm serving platter/dishes, leaving the cooking liquid/sauce in the pot. Over high heat, bring the cooking liquid to a boil, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Slice the corned beef; serve with the vegetables and the Bellisari’s Saigon Street Sauce on the side.

Note: Corned beef should always be sliced across the grain.

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