60 Classic Cocktail Recipes

10 Top Holiday Cocktails

10 Easy Make Ahead Appetizers

Ann Richards’ Wonton Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce

1/2 pound ground chicken
2 green onions, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
40 wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 tablespoon clarified butter
3 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 carrots, cut in matchsticks
3 stalks of celery, cut in matchsticks
3 zucchini, cut in matchsticks
2 cups green peas

To make ravioli, combine first 7 ingredients. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of mixture in center of each wonton wrapper. Dip a finger in water and moisten sides of wonton. Fold into a triangle and seal outer edges. Moisten the two opposite corners and twist to seal. Allow wontons to dry for a few minutes on a sheet pan dusted with cornstarch. Cover with a slightly damp cloth.

To make sauce, sauté shallot in clarified butter over low heat for 1 minute. Blend in flour and cook slowly for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in chicken stock. Return to heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly (about1 minute). Remove from heat. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To cook ravioli, bring a pot of water to a simmer. Drop ravioli gently into water, adding no more than 12 or so at a time. Cook about 6 minutes. Remove gently with a slotted spoon. Keep warm. While ravioli are cooking, sauté vegetables in oil until crisp-tender, adding peas last.

To serve place sautéed vegetables on each plate and arrange 5 or 6 ravioli on top. Ladle cream sauce over both. Serves 6.

CROCK POT CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Printed from COOKS.COM

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3-4 lbs. boneless/skinless thighs and breasts
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large red or green bell peppers, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon each basil and oregano
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 (8 oz.) can stewed tomatoes with chiles
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups burgundy wine
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling before serving

Place sliced onions on bottom of crock pot. Add chicken. Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.
Cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve over pasta, with a salad on the side.

Sugar Cookies (Real Simple)

Makes 36 medium cookies Hands-On Time: 25m Total Time: 1hr 15m Note: Total time includes cooling time

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the work surface
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Coarse sanding sugar or turbinado sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
4. On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart. Sprinkle with the sanding sugar, if using.
5. Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Fish Chowder Shipboard

serves 6-8
70 mins

5 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2"
3 celery stalks, sliced 1/2"
2# potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
4 med onions, peeled thin sliced
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
1 T dried dill
2-3t salt
1 t pepper
4 c water
2 c white wine
4# boneless skinless firm white fish (cod, halibut) cut into 2" pieces
2 c evaproated milk ("cream")
1/2 c flour
4T unsalted butter

Put vegs in large kettle.  Add bay and cloves tied in cheesecloth, dill, salt, pepper and water.  Bring to boil over high.  Lower heat and simmer until vegs are barely tender about 20 mins.  Remove cloves and bay leaves.  Add wine and fish ans tir gently to combine.  Turn off heat, cover pot and let stand 10 mins.  Stir cream into flour gradualy, mixing until smooth.  Gently stir mixture into kettle, keeping fish intact.  Return to heat and simmer gently until thinkcned, about 3-4 mins.  Add butter, season with s/p.  Serve immediately with a white CA Semillon or Bordeaux.

Clam Chowder Shipboard

4 doz hard shell clams, scrubbed or 1 quart shucked cooked clams in their broth
1/4# salt pork or 6 slices turkey bacon
1 onion coarsely chopped
6 med potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
2 c milk
2 c evaporated milk
6T (3/4stick) Smart butter
s/p

Put hard shelled clams in large pot iwth 1 c water, cover, boil and cook til shells open about 10 mins.  Allow to cool then shuck and reserve.  Pour off and reserve broth, taking care not to disturb any sediment at the bottom.

Cook bacon in large saucepan over med heat.  Add onion and some evoo and cook, stirring until tender.  Add potatoes to the pan and stir well.  Ad clam broth and water to just cover potatoes.  Simmer until potatoes are tender.

Portugese Sausage & Peppers (Linguica)

serves 6
45 mins

1.5 - 2# linguica
4-6T water or white wine
3-4T evoo
1 large onion, in 1/8" slices
4 green or red bell peppers, sliced
2 garlic cloves, fine chopped
1/2t oregano
s/p
2-3t red wine vinegar

cook sausage in water over med heat until liquid gone and meat sizzles.  Cont to cook, turning once until browned, all over.  Remove and set aside.  Cool and cut to1/2" slices.  Remove any fat, add evoo.  Add vegs and herbs and cook stirring until tender, about 10 mins.  Return sausage to pan and simmer.  Season with s/p and vinegar and serve with red Zinfandel wine.

Banana Crisp

Serve with yogurt or ice cream.
Serves 4-6.

4 large firm ripe bananas
1T lime or lemon juice
grated nutmeg
1t grated lime or orange rind
3T brown sugar

Topping:
1/2 c flour or mix of flour and oatmeal
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c butter (1/2 stick) COLD

400 oven.  Butter a 9" pie pan or shallow baking dish.  Peel bananas and slice on diagonal in 1/4" ovals.  Arrange in single overlapping layer and sprinkle with juice, nutmeg, rind and sugar.  Make topping by mixing ingreds in a bowl to coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle evenly over bananas.  Bake until juices are bubbly and topping is crisp and brown, about 20 mins.

Hearty Minestrone

Serves 6
Prep 30, Cook 60

Soup improves with age!
2T evoo
1# portuguese or Italian sausage, sliced
1 large onion, coursely chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 celery stalk with leaves, sliced
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2t thyme dried
1/2 t rosemary dried
1 t sweet paprika
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
2 large potatoes, srubbed and cut into 1/2" chunks
16 oz crushed tomatoes
2 x 16 oz canellini, kidney or pinto beans, or chick peas
8c water
1# small tortellini, ravioli, agnolotti or other stuffed pasta, cooked
grated parm, asiago or romano cheese

Heat oil in large soup pot over med heat. Add sausage, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, paprika. Cook until softenend and sausage begins to brown. Add cabbage and potatoes and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally until cabbage is wilted, abotu 5 mins. Rais heat to high and add tomatoes and juice, beans and water. When boils, lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until vegs are tender about 40 mins. Add pasta and simmer 10 mins. Serve with cheese.

Serve with ligh, spicy red from Proence like a Bandol or Chateuneuf du pape or a chianti.

Chicken Jambalaya

Serves 4-6
Prep 20 mins
Cook 40 mins

2T veg oil
2# chicken, cut up and deboned
1c course chopped cooked ham
1/2# spicy smoked sausage, sliced
2 med onions coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, coursely chopped
3 celery stocks with leaves, fine chopped
1 t dried marjoram
1 t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 x 16 oz cans whole tomatoes coarse chopped with juice
1 t tobasco
2 c chicken broth or water
2 c uncooked white rice

Heat oil in large deep skillet over med heat. Add chicken and brown lightly all over. Remove. Add ham, sausage, vegetables and herbs and cook, stirring til vegs are softenened. Stir in tomatoes and simmer 5 mins. Add tobasco and broth. Boil, then add rice and reserved chicken. Lower the heat and simmer until tender. 30 mins.

Serve with an earthy white wine: Rhone or California Syrah

Stove Top Corn Bread

Serves 2-4
Cooking 25 mins

1 c white or yellow cornmeal
1/2t baking soda
1/2t salt
1 large egg
3/4c milk or plain yogurt
1/4c veg oil or melted butter

Mix dry ingreds in a bowl. Make a well in the center and break egg into it. Beat lightly with fork and add milk and half the oil and incorporate with a few swift strokes. Heat heave 10-12" cast iron skillet over moderate heat. When skillet is hot, pour in the rest of the oil and heat til it shimmers. Pour in the batter. When sizzling stops, cover skillet and turn heat to low. Cook until edges brown and top is dry to touch, about 15 mins. Slid spatula under bread and turn. Cook til bread springs back when touched, about 5 mins.

One-Pot Hungarian Chicken with Dumplings

serves 4
Cooking 45 mins

Rust red chicken stew warms the belly on a chilly night.

3-4lb frying chicken cut up (or 3# chicken pieces)
s/p
2 T veg oil
1 med onion
2 med carrots, peeled, sliced 1/4" thick
2 red or green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and sliced 1/4" thick
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 T sweet paprika
1/4t cayenne
1 bay leaf
1 t dried oregano
3 T flour
14 oz can whole tomatoes
12 oz can beer

DUMPLINGS
1.5c flour
1T baking powder
1/2t salt
3/4 c milk
3 T veg oil or melted butter
2-3 drops tobasco

Season chicken with s/p.  Heat oil in skillet over med-high.  Add chicken and brown.  Set aside.  Lower heat to med.  Add vegs, herbs to pan and cook, stirring 5 mins.  Add flour and cook, stirring 2 mins.  Add tomatoes and beer and stir, scraping browned particles stick to pan.  Return chicken and cook til tender (25 mins).  Skim off fat.  Make dumpling batter.

Mix flour, baing pwder, salt in mixing bowl.  Add milk oil and tobasco, stir till moist.  Drop tablespoonfuls 1" apart on surface, cover and cook without lifting lid, 15 mins.

Steamers with Bay Leaves

Serves 4-6
Prep under 30 mins

5# soft whell clams, scrubbed
1 c dry white wine
4-5 bay leaves
lemon wedges
melted butter

Put clams, wine, bay leaves in large pot with tight fitting lid. Bring liquid to boil over high and cook til clams open. about 10 mins. Scoop clams into large bowl, discarding any closed ones, and reserve broth. Pour broth into mugs, taking care not to get the sediment. Seve lcams iwth lemon wedgs, mugs, and melted butter. Big bowl for shells.

Serve with Beef stew, sauteed apples/pears, cabbage salad.

Mussels with Herbs

Serves 6
Under 30 mins

2 T evoo
1 med onion, fine chopped
1 t dried marjoram or oregano
3 T chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, fine chopped
1/2 c white wine
3 doz mussels, scrubbed and debearded
French Bread

Heat oil in saucepan large enough to hold all mussels, over med, then add onion and saute 5 mins til soft. Stir in herbs and garlic and add wine and mussels. Cover and increase heat to high. Steam til mussels open, about 5 mins. With slotte spoon, trf to large serving bowl, discarding any unopened ones. Pour cooking juices over mussels, taking care not to disturb sandy sediment in the bottom. Seve immediately with hot french bread to soak up the juices. Serve a dry white like Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc.

Buttered Orange Scallion Cabbage

Serves 4
2 T butter
1/2 med cabbage, cut into bite sized triangles (about 5c)
salt
1/4 c OJ
2-3 scallions

Melt butter on medium. Add cabbage. salt lightly and toss. Add orange juice, cover pan and cook 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add sliced scallions, cover and cook 5 mins.

Mushroom Sauce

makes 3 c

2T butter
1T evoo
1 garlic clove minced
1/2t dried thyme
1/2t dried marjoram
1# fresh shiitake or button mushrooms, no stems, sliced OR
6 oz dried shiitake soaked in warm water and drained trimmed and sliced
s/p
1/2c beef broth
1c dry red wine

melt butter and evoo in large skillet over med high heat. Add garlic and herbs. Stir, add usrhooms and toss to coat. Reduce to med heat, cover, cook stirring occasionally about 5 mins. Season with s/p, add liquids. Bring to boil, reduce by half.

BBQ/Roasted Fish with Potatoes and Vegs

Serves 4-6
Cooking 40 mins
Grouper, Pompano, Sea Trout, Red Snapper

4-5# whole fish, or 2x 2-3# fish cleaned
salt, paprika, olive oil
1 garlic clove fine chopped
1 t oregano
6T lemon juice (2 lemons)
4-6 med potatoes peeled and sliced
1 med onion thin sliced
2-3 firm ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced
2 med cucumbers, peeled and sliced
2 oranges, sliced

Slash fish. Rub with salt, paprika, garlic, oregano. Drizzle on oil and lemon juice and rub into fish slashes. Marinate 15 mins. Use 2 layers of heavy foil about 18" square. Oil top sheet. Arrange potaton and onion overlapping on foil leaving margin all around. Sprinkle with salt, paprika and 2 T oil. Place fish on vegs. Cover with tomato and cucumber slices, sprinkle with salt and drizzle oil. Finish with layer of orange slices. Enclose in foil, folding over edges to form tight seal.

Place packet on grill, covr and cook until fish tests done and potatoes are tender, about 40 mins. Serve with white Rhone or a light red like Chianti or Zinfandel.

Grated Gazpacho

Serves 4-6

3 cucumbers
3-4 ripe tomatoes
2-3 green and red bell pepper
1 med mild onion
1 garlic cloves fine chopped
3-4 c tomato juice or v-8
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c oilive oil
tobasco
salt
chopped fresh basil, parsley or tarragon
croutons
(opt glass of dry sherry)

Scoop out all seeds. Grate. stir in other ingredients. Season. Add a few ice cubes.