Italian 75

Chill Station: Italian 75

Ingredients: 

1.5 oz Stellina De Notte Prosecco

0.75 Tanqueray London Dry Gin

0.5 simple syrup

0.5 lemon juice

Glass: Champagne Flute

How to Mix: 

1. Combine ingredients in shake over ice
2. Shake well and strain into champagne flute

Banana Avocado Dip with Plantain Chips

Amazing Appetizers: Banana Avocado Dip with Plantain Chips

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 4 to 6 cups canola oil
2. 2 green plantains, peeled, very thinly sliced
3. Coarse salt
4. 1 very ripe banana
5. 1 small avocado, peeled and pitted
6. 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to side of pan, and heat oil to 380 degrees. Carefully drop plantain slices into oil one at a time. Cook in batches until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels with a slotted spoon; let drain while finishing batches. (Adjust heat to keep temperature constant, if necessary, during cooking.) Sprinkle with salt; set aside
2. Make dip: Place banana, avocado, and lemon juice in bowl; mash with fork. Season with salt; serve with plantain chips.

 

Blanco Banana-Black Raspberry Martini

Chill Station: Blanco Banana-Black Raspberry Martini

Best Served With:  (Don Julio Blanco Tequila)

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Don Julio Blanco Tequila

0.5 oz banana puree

0.5 oz black raspberry puree

1 dash fresh squeezed lemon

1 oz simple syrup

2 pieces raspberries

How To Mix:

Glass: Martini Glass

1. Combine all ingredients with ice, shake well and strain into a martini glass
2. Garnish with blackberries

Banana Split Brownie Pizza

5 Star Taste: Banana Split Brownie Pizza

This week 5 Star Taste is going bananas!!! Our first dish is a decadent dessert from Paula Deen and it’s absolutely delicious!

Total Time: 25 minutes ( Prep 15, Cook 10)

 

Ingredients: 

1. 1 (20-ounce) box fudge brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix)
2. 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3. 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
4. 2 tablespoons sugar
5. 2 bananas, sliced and tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning
6. 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
7. 1 cup chopped nuts
8. Chocolate ice cream topping or chocolate syrup, for drizzling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 15-inch pizza pan. Prepare the brownie mix according to box directions. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until done. Remove from the oven and cool. Beat the cream cheese, pineapple, and sugar together in a bowl. Use any reserved pineapple juice at this time, if needed, to soften the mixture to a good spreading consistency. Otherwise dispose of or save the juice for another use. Spread the mixture over the cooled brownie crust. Arrange the banana and strawberry slices over the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and drizzle with chocolate ice cream topping. Refrigerate. To serve, slice as you would a pizza, and enjoy!

Bushmills Irish Honey Lemonade

Chill Station: Bushmills Irish Honey Lemonade

Best served with:  (Bushmills Irish Honey)

Ingredients: 

1. 5 oz Bushmills Irish Honey

4 oz lemonade

1 slice lemon

2 dashes bitters

How to Mix:

Glass: Pint Glass

1. Add Bushmills Irish Honey to lemonade

2. Stir and serve over ice

3. Garnish with lemon wedge

Steak and Guinness Pie

5 Star Taste: Steak and Guinness Pie

Total Time: (3 hrs 30 minutes) (30 min prep, 3 hrs cook)

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, diced, sea salt, to taste, fresh ground black pepper, to taste, 2 tablespoons flour (heaping), 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped, 2 -3 carrots, peeled and chopped (depending on size), 2 -3 potatoes, peeled and chopped (depending on size), fresh rosemary (fresh herbs, pick leaves and add about a handful) or fresh thyme (fresh herbs, pick leaves and add about a handful) or bay leaf (fresh herbs, pick leaves and add about a handful), 2 cups Guinness stout (Can substitute the Guinness for beef stock) or 2 cups other dark stout beer (Can substitute the Guinness for beef stock), 28 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted (1 sheet from a 1 lb. 2 oz. package), 1 egg, beaten

Directions: 

1. Season your beef generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the flour and toss around until all pieces are well coated.
2. Heat olive oil, over med.-high heat, in a large casserole type pan and brown the meat. Make sure to not crowd your meat. You may do this in two batches, if necessary.
3. Add the onion and cook for 1 more minute. Then add the carrot, celery, parsnips and fresh herbs. Cook for another 4 minutes. Add the Guinness and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir and turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer this mixture for about 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. The sauce should be thick and intensely flavored. Season if needed.
4. To make pies:.
5. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
6. Put your meat filling into a large, round baking dish. You could also make individual pies. Any high-sided round ovenproof bowl is fine.
7. Roll out the pastry, dusting with flour as you go, until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out a large circle (or individual circles for smaller servings) – about 1/2 inch bigger than the top of your bowl. Brush the rim(s) of the bowl with the beaten egg, then place the pastry circle(s) on top, pushing the excess pastry down the outside of the bowl to secure. Lightly score the top of the pastry in a criss-cross manner and brush with more of the beaten egg.
8. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

 

Paula Deen’s Creme De Menthe Brownies

Delectable Desserts: Paula Deen’s Creme De Menthe Brownies

Total Time: 55 Minutes (30 Prep, 25 Cook)

Ingredients: 

Brownies:

4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, 1 cup unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 2 cups granulated suger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup flour

Filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened), 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar, 4 tablespoons green creme de menthe

Icing:

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mist 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Prepare brownies: In double boiler, melt baking chocolate and 1 cup butter over simmering water; cool slightly.
4. In medium mixing bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until blended, then add the 2 cups granulated sugar and continue whisking until mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Add cooled chocolate mixture, salt, vanilla and flour
6. Keep whisking until thoroughly blended.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and leave brownies to cool in pan.
9. Make filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the 1/2 cup butter and confectioners’ sugar together until well blended.
10. Stir in the creme de menthe and blend well.
11. Spread over cooled brownies.
12. Refrigerate in original baking pan until filling is firm.
13. Make icing: Melt the chocolate chips and 6 T butter in the top of a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (You can do this in the microwave, just monitor closely and stir a few times.).
14. Pour the warm glaze over the filling and tilt pan to distribute the icing evenly.
15. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens
16. To cut, allow brownies to come to room temperature in the pan so chocolate doesn’t crack

 

Freaky Fortune Teller

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Suerte Blanco Tequila
1 oz Manzanilla sherry
.5 oz Avèze Gentian Liqueur
.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 tsp Tarragon Tincture*

Garnish:Tarragon and lemon peel

Glass:Rocks

Procedure:

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir, and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a sprig of tarragon stuck through a small swatch of lemon peel
2. To make Tarragon Tincture, steep a large bunch of fresh tarragon in 6 ounces of high-proof rum overnight. Strain before using

Flavor Popping Potato-Gruyère Tartlets

Ingredients:

6 baby Dutch or fingerling potatoes
1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

Preparation:

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes or until almost tender. Drain; rinse with cold water. Cut crosswise into thin slices.
2. Preheat oven to 400°.
3. Unfold dough; place on a surface dusted with flour. Roll to a 10 x 9–inch rectangle. Cut into 20 (2 1/4 x 2–inch rectangles). Score each rectangle about 1/8-inch from edge. Prick dough liberally with a fork. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; chill 10 minutes.
4. Arrange 2 potato slices onto each dough piece, and sprinkle with salt. Combine cheese and rosemary. Sprinkle about 3/4 teaspoon cheese mixture over each tartlet. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden.

Swiss n Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

4

cups  chopped cooked chicken

2

cups  croutons

1-1/2

cups  KRAFT Shredded Swiss Cheese

2/3

cup  MIRACLE WHIP Dressing

1/2

cup  milk

4

stalks  celery, sliced

1/4

cup  chopped onions

Direction

HEAT oven to 350°F.

COMBINE ingredients.

SPOON into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.