A Menu For Special Celebrations, not only for Valentine´s Day!
First Course or Appetizer: Fruit Cocktail
Timescale: 15
minutes
Level of difficulty: Easy
Price level:
Affordable
Ingredients for two:
1 small Papaya
2 small avocados
2 stripes of crispy bacon or ham
4 canned Palmitos or Palmettos *
8 Tablespoon of cocktail sauce
1 Tablespoon of brandy
Salt
Pepper
Tabasco sauce
Lemon juice
*Palmitos can be substituted with melon, shrimps, crab meat (or imitation).
You can also use avocados instead of papaya.
Directions:
Cut papaya in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice, to keep its color until you prepare the rest, and set them aside. Cut avocados as the papaya, and remove the seeds.
Using a spoon or melon-balling tool, make balls with the flesh, putting them into a bowl with lemon juice. Cut hearts of palmettos, if available, into small slices, and then mix together with the avocado balls.
Whip up a cocktail sauce using a tablespoon of brandy with a few drops of Tabasco (or as shown below) and mix with the avocado balls and palmetto hearts. You can also add optional shrimps or crab meat.
Salt and pepper to taste, and then fill the papaya halves with this mixture. Chop up crispy bacon, or ham into small strips, and sprinkle on top for flavorful garnish.
Cocktail Sauce
The cocktail sauce can be purchased or homemade. If you are making fresh cocktail sauce, you will need a little mayonnaise, and then add the following:
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar,
1 teaspoon of mustard
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons of brandy
6 drops of Worcestershire sauce
3-4 drops of Tabasco
Just a pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon of mustard
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons of brandy
6 drops of Worcestershire sauce
3-4 drops of Tabasco
Just a pinch of cayenne
Mix well with a whisk or fork, and it is ready to serve.
Main Course: Marinated Seabass with tangerines & caramelized onions
Timescale: 40 minutes
Level of difficulty: Easy
Price level: Affordable
Ingredients for two:
2 Sea Bass fillets (or similar fish fillets)
100 g. Shallots or small onions
100 g. Shallots or small onions
4 small tangerines segmented and de-seeded
A handful of raisins
A handful of raisins
Green olives, de-seeded
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon Honey
3 Tablespoons white wine (dry)
1 Tablespoon apple vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon dill or parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Peel shallots and tangerines, then set them aside. Heat butter (or olive oil) in a pan and cook the shallots (small onions) until they start to look light brown and caramelized.
Add tangerine segments, a handful of raisins, a tablespoon of honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with vinegar and wine, or vinaigrette dressing.
Simmer for 15 minutes, over low heat, stirring occasionally. Minutes before removing from heat, add chopped olives. Allow to cool.
Simmer for 15 minutes, over low heat, stirring occasionally. Minutes before removing from heat, add chopped olives. Allow to cool.
Fry Sea-Bass fillets about four minutes per side. Serve with the caramel onions and tangerine mixture. Sprinkle with (optional) chopped dill or parsley, and serve warm.
Check also:
Romantic & Heart-Healthy Valentine's Dinner Delicious Poached Salmon & Marinated Spinach dinner
Cook an Impressive Dinner for Your Prom Date An easy-to-make Spaghetti Dinner that's inexpensive for grads
Enchiladas del Mar Seafood Enchiladas
And if you are wondering what´s for dessert, see our sweet delights:
