Desserts in Jars: Book Signing and Demo

This past weekend, I attended a cookbook signing and demo at Kitchen in the Market.   I love this twist on desserts and am excited to have my very own signed cookbook.    

I love that the jars make the dessert portable and a little more casual.    

Shaina Olmanson, who created the blog Food for my Family, is author of the cookbook and took the mouthwatering photos.

She showed us how to make lemon curd for Peach-Raspberry Verrines with Lemon-Thyme Cream.  

I’ve never made lemon curd before and was surprised to learn that it has butter in it!  

(For the recipe, go here:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000766661&ie=UTF8)

As a parting gift we received the mix for Monster Cookies (my favorite) in – you guessed it – a jar.   There is a section in the back of the book called “Mixes for Giving," that has some great recipes and gift ideas.

I can’t wait to try some of the recipes in the book, you should check it out too.   After all, you can never have too many cookbooks.   

Cheers!

A Twist on Fish & Chips: Seared Ahi Tuna with Mango Avocado Salsa on a Blue Corn Chip!

I made “Fish & Chips” last night and it was delicious.   This is the perfect light meal for summer (especially with this extreme heat and humidity here in the Midwest).    The recipe below serves 2-4 people for dinner.   My husband and I had this for dinner and we had enough left over for lunch the next day.   This would also make a great “crowd pleasing” appetizer.

Mango Avocado Salsa

• 2 mangos, peeled and diced (I prefer the Champagne Mangos – go figure, right?)
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• Red onion, small dice (use up to half of the red onion)
• Jalapeno, minced (use as much as you’d like depending on your heat preference)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• Juice of ½ lime
• 3-4 Tbsp. orange juice

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl.   

IMPORTANT REMINDER: For my recipes, I tend to just wing it and go by taste.  I strongly encourage you to do the same.   Consider recipes as ONLY A GUIDE.    Play!    You love garlic?  Add more garlic.   Not a cilantro fan?   Leave it out.   Have an extra cucumber in the fridge?  Add it.    You catch my drift…….

Seared Ahi Tuna

• Use Sushi grade tuna (I used a little over a pound for this recipe).  Because it is served rare, make sure to buy it from a reputable fish market and eat it the day you buy it.
• Cut the piece of fish into long rectangles (do the best you can given the shape of the fish).
• Season the tuna on all sides with S+P (salt and pepper) and cayenne.
• Heat a pan on high for 2 minutes, add olive oil and heat for another minute.  Add the fish and sear for 40 seconds on each four sides. 
• Set on a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  

Serve on a Blue Corn Chip.    (Use can use other tortilla chips if you have a favorite.  I’ve tried various options and like the taste of blue chip the best – and it’s pretty!) 

Optional:   Garnish each one with some toasted sesame seeds.   My husband also used a little wasabi on his.

I kind of set it up as a “build your own” as you go.   If you make them too far in advance the chips can get soggy. 

What is that delicious looking cocktail you ask?   Well, it is a “mock-tail” I made up since I had to work.  I basically muddled raspberries in the bottom of a glass, added ice, Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade (3/4), Diet 7-Up (1/4), and a lemon twist.    It was really refreshing (and low calorie).   It would probably be even better with some vodka or sparkling wine instead of 7-Up.  

Enjoy!