Michael makes a romantic dinner for two with an emphasis on presentation. He prepares Bloody Mary salmon, salad ‘Bouquet’ with cucumber vase and roasted tomatoes and little vanilla cakes.
- Bloody Mary Salmon
- Little Vanilla Cakes
- Mint and Pea Puree
- Salad ‘Bouquet’ with Cucumber Vase and Roasted Tomatoes
Bloody Mary Salmon
Yield: 2Ease of Preparation: Easy
A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!
Ingredients:
Bloody Mary Salmon
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 tsp horseradish
- A few splashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsps lemon juice
- Large splash olive oil
- 1 x stalk celery, chopped
- 2 x salmon filets, 6 oz each
Directions:
Bloody Mary Salmon
- Pour tomato juice, vodka, horseradish, Worcestershire, lemon juice, olive oil and celery into a shallow pan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and add salmon filets.
- Cover with a tight fitting lid and let salmon poach in the liquid for about 10-12 minutes, until it is just cooked through.
- Serve with Mint and Pea Puree (recipe from this episode).
Little Vanilla Cakes
Yield: 4Ease of Preparation: Easy
A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!
Ingredients:
Little Vanilla Cakes
- 4 x white chocolate
- 2 ounces butter
- 2 x eggs
- 4 Tbsps sugar
- 1 x vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cup flour
Directions:
Little Vanilla Cakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly butter 4 ramekins and then sprinkle with sugar.
- Shake so the sugar coats the bottom and sides of each ramekin. Discard excess sugar.
- Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water until melted. Stir until smooth.
- In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla seeds, vanilla extract and flour.
- Pour into prepared ramekins and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cakes are just cooked through.
- Un-mold onto serving plates and serve with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yield: Approximately 1 cup
A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!
Ingredients:
Mint and Pea Puree
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- Salt and pepper
- 1 x small bunch fresh mint leaves
Directions:
Mint and Pea Puree
- Place peas, oil, water and salt and pepper into a small pot and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, until the peas are bright green and cooked through.
- Remove from heat and add mint leaves.
- Puree with an immersion blender until smooth, or alternately puree in a blender.
Salad ‘Bouquet’ with Cucumber Vase and Roasted Tomatoes
Yield: 2Ease of Preparation: Easy
A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!
Ingredients:
Roasted Tomatoes
- 2 x plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
Salad
- 6 x Boston lettuce leaves, cleaned
- 6 x leaf lettuce leaves, cleaned
- 1 cup mixed baby greens
- Sprigs fresh dill
- Sprigs fresh basil
- Fresh chives
- Broccoli or alfalfa sprouts
- 1 x cucumber, sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick
Directions:
Roasted Tomatoes
- Place tomatoes in a small baking dish.
- Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 350°F until softened and caramelized, about 45 minutes.
- Cool.
Vinaigrette
- Place ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Salad
- Divide salad lettuces and baby greens into 2 piles, with the larger leaves on the bottom and the smaller ones in top.
- Roll them into bundles and fold the ends up.
- Secure with a finger and wrap a cucumber slice around the base to hold it together.
- Secure with a large toothpick.
- The bundle should be stable and able to stand on a plate with the cucumber acting as a vase holding the greens like a bouquet.
- Stick herbs sprigs and some sprouts attractively into the bouquet and garnish the plate with roasted tomatoes and some vinaigrette.
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