Seduction Meals

Seduction Meals TV

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:11:11 -0500

I'm really excited to share the first in a series of videos from Seduction Meals. I went on the streets of New York and asked people to share their Seduction Meal secrets. Here's what they had to say.

blueberry mini muffins

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:11:11 -0500

Waking up to the sweet aroma of freshly baked blueberry muffins or scones will put a smile on anyone's face. Sweet, juicy and colorful, right now is the best time to find large, ripe blueberries bursting with flavor. Look for fresh blueberries that are firm, dry, plump, and smooth-skinned. And, a added bonus: Eating blueberries, as part of a healthy diet, may help ward off several key risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, such as an accumulation of belly fat, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. So grab a handful of fresh blueberries and pop them in your mouth for a satisfying sweet treat.

Blueberry Mini Muffins
Yields 24 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Lightly grease 24 (1-inch) mini-muffin pan cups.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour and sugar.
Make a well in the center; add milk, egg and butter.
Stir gently until mixture begins to form a soft dough; fold in berries; spoon into mini-muffin cups, dividing evenly.
Bake until tops are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Per muffin: 83 calories, 13 g carbohydrate, 2.6 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat

Recipe courtesy of The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council

duck prosciutto salad

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:11:11 -0500

Enjoy an elegant salad of mixed greens, endives, sliced cucumbers, duck prosciutto, radish slices and shaved Parmesan cheese strips. For a bit of sweetness you can add pear or apple slices. Serve with a glass of chilled white wine for a luscious summer luncheon.

Duck Proscuitto Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 Belgium endive
1 cup mixed greens
1/4 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 radish, trimmed and thinly sliced
Parmesan cheese, shaved into long thin strips
1 package of Duck Proscuitto
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with a sprig of thyme

Directions

Wash and drain the greens and endive, set aside to dry
slice cucumbers and radicchio
(optional) 1 pear or apple, thinly sliced

Plating the Dish

Place two endive leaves on each plate
Place a strip of the duck proscuitto over the endives
Add a small handful of mixed greens in the center
Add 3 or 4 slices of Parmesan cheese over the duck/endive leaf, and add a few rolled up slices of duck proscuitto on top of this
Arrange the cucumbers and radish slices on the plate
Sprinkle olive oil over the dish
salt and pepper to taste

Option: For a bit of sweetness, thinly sliced pears would work perfectly

rainbow trout fish tacos

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:11:11 -0500

I discovered this recipe in The Valley Table magazine. I used a fresh local brook trout instead of rainbow trout, and I must say, it was a big hit. The original recipe, Whitecliff Winery rainbow trout fish tacos, is a creation of Michael Migliore, an avid angler, devout foodie , wine maker, and owner of Whitecliff Vinyards.

Rainbow Trout Fish Tacos
Recipe by Michael Migliore, Whitecliff Winery,Valley Table Issue 45
Serves 2

Ingredients

Whole fresh rainbow trout, cleaned and gutted
juice of 3 limes
salt and pepper to taste
onion, sliced
lemon wedges
butter
flour tortillas

Method:
1. Place whole gutted trout in a large glass or stainless steel pan. Cut limes in half and squeeze juice over the fish, refrigerate and marinate for 1 hour.
2. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high.
3. Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in 250F oven.

To grill trout:
1. Remove the fish from the marinade, pat dry.
2. Season inside of the fish with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with sliced onion, lemon wedges and a few pats of butter.
3. Make four slices in the skin on each side and insert lemon slices.
4. Wrap the whole fish in foil and place on medium hot grill. Cook 10 to 12 minutes per side for a 3- to 4- pound fish. Remove when internal temperature reaches 140F.
5. Place the trout on a cutting board and remove skin. Remove the bones (they should come out as one piece), leaving two fillets.
6. Shred the meat with two forks.

Prepare tortillas:
Remove the tortillas from the oven. Place two tortillas partially overlapping on a large plate. Place four heaping tablespoons of the shredded fish in the center of the tortillas.

Serve with a spicy tomato salsa, a zesty lemon mayonnaise or a simple sour cream dill sauce.I opted for the sour cream dill sauce. Enjoy with Whitecliff Chardonnay, Awosting White or Traminette.

buffalo ribeye steak au poivre

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:11:11 -0500

Try a new and healthy take on this classic French preparation using lean and succulent buffalo ribeye steaks instead of beef. These steaks are best prepared using a lower temperature than you would use for beef. Cook rare to medium rare for best texture and flavor. Serve with home-made crispy fried and a bottle of your favorite full-bodied red wine. Just delicious!

Buffalo Ribeye Steak au Poivre
Recipe courtesy of D'Artagnan - Serves Two

Ingredients

2 - 8 oz Buffalo Ribeye or Beef Ribeye Steaks

4 Tbs. cracked black peppercorn
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 oz Armagnac
6.5 oz Duck and Veal Demi-Glace
2 Tbs.green peppercorn
2 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
6 oz heavy cream
Regular salt to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 425°F
Use cracked peppercorns. If you have whole peppercorns, you can crack them by placing them in wax paper with all sides sealed/folded over. Use the flat side of a large knife blade and smack the peppercorns to crack.
Season steaks on both sides with salt. Press the cracked black peppercorns into both sides of the steak. I use the flat side of large knife blade and hit the steaks to embed the peppercorns.
Heat vegetable oil in oven-proof skillet over high-flame until smoking.
Sear steaks until brown and crusted on both sides.
Put skillet into oven, cook for 4 minutes until medium-rare.
Remove steaks from skillet and reserve.
Over medium-high heat deglaze skillet with Armagnac, add demi-glace and reduce by half.
Add green peppercorns, heavy cream, tarragon and cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Season to taste with salt.
Remove skillet from heat, add steaks and any drippings. Coat the steaks with sauce.
Serve with home-made french fries or your favorite potato recipes.