Ger-Nis INTERNATIONAL, LLC

Seasonal Entertaining: Summer Fiesta NYC Style

New York is famous for its foodies, the multitudinous options of cuisines and the plethora of available ingredients from anywhere in the world. The city is a Mecca for food lovers, and food lovers take eating seriously. When summer arrives, New Yorkers want to be outdoors, throw parties, have barbecues and take in the summer magic that warm weather brings. However, there is one slight problem for New Yorkers who want to entertain at home and outside at the same time – finding enough room in cramped apartments! In the summer, many New Yorkers have to travel outside the city or to the many large (and crowded) city parks or beaches in order have their parties and take advantage of the warmth and beauty at the same time.

In this summer edition of Seasonal Entertaining, we’ve designed an herb-infused menu that proves that great food, great friends and summer entertaining can be done exceptionally and in even the smallest of outdoor spaces. Celebrate the summer with our “Summer Fiesta NYC Style!”

*Recipes By Nissa Pierson
*Photos by Marie Arago

Our Summer Fiesta menu serves 8-10 people and includes the following delicious recipes:

Jalapeno Mango Margaritas
Red Basil Summer Fruit Sangria
Fresh Guacamole
Fresh Salsa
Cotija Cheese
Red and Yellow Sliced Peppers
Cilantro Radish Cabbage Salad
Cilantro Pesto Grilled Chicken Breasts
Chipotle Herb Grilled Flank Steak
Shrimp & Crab Fresh Corn Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
Grilled Corn with Cilantro Cumin Lime Butter
Grilled Flour & Corn Tortillas
Basil Strawberry Tart with Guacamole Ice cream

RECIPES

Jalapeño Mango Margaritas

Makes 1 large pitcher

3 large ripe mangos, peeled, deseeded and chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, deseeded and chopped
Zest of 2 limes
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 15 limes
1½ cups Cointreau Triple Sec
2 cups tequila blanco
Coarse salt
Limes for garnish and taste

Puree the mangos, jalapenos, lime zest, cilantro leaves and lime juice in a blender or with a handheld food processor until very smooth. Refrigerate mango puree until just before serving. When ready to serve, combine the puree with the triple sec and tequila blanco and mix very well. It can also be blended with ice at this stage for a frozen drink. Garnish salt-rimmed glasses with limes. Of course, some folks may prefer a little more tequila!

Red Basil Summer Fruit Sangria

Makes 1 large pitcher

1 cup red basil syrup (recipe follows)
2 bottles Rioja red wine
1 cup Cointreau
Juice 3 oranges
1 orange, sliced
1 peach, cubed
1 apricot, cubed
1 plum, cubed
2 cups soda water

Combine the red basil syrup, wine, Cointreau and orange juice in a large pitcher and stir well. Add the fruit and let stand unrefrigerated for about 1-2 hours. Add soda water just before serving and serve either tepid or over ice, but do not refrigerate.

Red Basil Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh red basil leaves

Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil.Reduce heat to medium.

Once all the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat and add red basil leaves.Cover your pan and steep to desired strength.Strain out your red basil leaves and cool.Bottle and refrigerate.

Fresh Guacamole

Makes approximately 3 cups

6-8 avocados, ripe and soft but not mushy
½ cup cilantro leaves
½ cup tomatoes, chopped fine
½ cup white onions, chopped fine
1 jalapeño
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt
5-6 limes

In a large mixing bowl mash avocados one by one with a large fork until chunky and relatively smooth. Add cilantro, tomatoes, white onions, jalapeño and cumin. Continue to mash and mix all ingredients. Add a few pinches of salt and mix well. Begin to juice the limes into the guacamole one by one mixing and mashing after each one. Taste, and add salt pinch by pinch until desired flavor. You should use approximately 3 teaspoons in total.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Makes approximately 3 cups

3 cups red cherry tomatoes, chopped fine
2 medium yellow tomatoes, chopped fine
1/2 cup white onion, chopped very fine
½ cup red bell peppers, chopped very fine
½ cup cilantro leaves
1-2 jalapeño peppers, chopped fine and deseeded
1 teaspoon cumin
Juice of 3-4 limes
Salt

Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until well combined. Add salt to taste.

Cotija Cheese Crumbles

Use fingers to crumble cotija cheese. Use as a garnish for the following recipes:

Red, Yellow and Orange Fresh Bell Pepper Strips

Slice the bell peppers and keep as a fresh topping for fajitas.

Fresh Cilantro Radish Cabbage Salad

Makes approximately 2 cups

1 cup mixed baby greens
1 cup red cabbage, shredded super fine
6 medium red radishes, sliced thin
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Use as a topping for fajitas or toss with lime juice and enjoy as a salad.

Cilantro Pesto Grilled Chicken Breasts

Serves 6

1 bunch fresh cilantro (approx. 1½ cups)
3-4 cloves fresh garlic
Zest of 2 limes
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped and deseeded (optional)
Juice of 4 limes
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup walnut oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
Salt
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

In a blender, or with a handheld food processor, combine cilantro, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, lemon juice, jalapeño pepper and oil with a little salt and blend until smooth. Pour over chicken breasts and let marinate for approximately 1 hour. Use the remaining marinade to mop the chicken breasts while they are being grilled. Grill on a medium high heat until juices run clear.

Chipotle Herb Marinated Flank Steak

Serves 6

2 13 oz. cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup white onion, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped fresh chives
Juice of 6 limes and zest of 3
1 tablespoon cumin
2 jalapenos chopped, seeds removed
Salt/pepper
2 pounds flank steak

Blend chipotle peppers, onion, herbs, lime juice, jalapeño, cumin, salt and pepper together in a blender or food processor until smooth. Marinate the steak in the sauce for approximately 1 hour. Grill steak on high heat using the remainder of the sauce for a mopping sauce while grilling.

Shrimp and Crab Fresh Corn Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Serves 6

Salsa Verde

1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, cut in quarters
3 poblano chili peppers, deseeded and chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cilantro leaves
½ cup half-and-half
Juice of 1 lime

Place the tomatillos, poblano peppers, cumin, salt and water in a medium sauce pan and boil for about 15-20 minutes until tomatillos are soft. Take off burner and allow to coolfor about 30 minutes. Transfer tomatillo mixture to a blender and add cilantro, half-and-half and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate.

Enchiladas

Olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped fine
Zest of 1 lime
1 pound medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup fresh crab meat
3 ears of fresh corn, taken off the cobs
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh chives, chopped fine
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
6 medium flour tortillas
1 cupcotija cheese, crumbled

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Sauté onions, bell peppers and lime zest until onions are translucent. Add shrimp and crab, sauté for another 3 minutes. Add corn and sauté another 4 minutes or until all shrimp and crab is cooked through. Add herbs, lime juice and cumin. Stir well. Take off burner. To assemble enchiladas, place a spoon full of mixture in a tortilla and a small sprinkle of cheese in each one. Wrap and lay folded side down in a greased, rectangular glass baking dish. After all enchiladas are assembled pour salsa verde over all enchiladas evenly. Sprinkle the tops with remaining cotija cheese. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for approximately 30 minutes or until slightly golden brown on top.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Lime Butter

Serves 10

10 ears of sweet corn, shucked and presoaked in water (totally submerged) for at least 3 hours
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped fine

Mix butter, lime juice and zest, cumin and salt until very well mixed. Add cilantro and mix well. Refrigerate and take out of refrigerator for about 20 minutes before serving. Grill presoaked corn and serve with the cumin lime butter.

Grilled Flour and Corn Tortillas

A simple and easy approach to cooking tortillas is to throw them on the grill. Put them on low heat away from direct fire for just a minute on each side. Corn tortillas can be moistened before in order to maintain a soft texture.

Strawberry Basil Tart with Guacamole Ice Cream

Serves 10

Crust

1½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ sticks of unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons tequila blanco

Filling

2 lbs. strawberries, de-stemmed and cut in half
½ cup sugar
½ cup Cointreau
Juice and zest of 1 orange
1 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced thin

Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until combined well. Using your hands, add butter and crumble into the flour (a food processor can also be used) until the crust mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the egg yolk and the tequila, and mix together gently until dough is moist. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile mix together strawberries, sugar, Cointreau, orange zest and juice and the basil leaves. Let soak for at least an hour.

Roll out dough on a floured surface until it forms a large circle about 16 inches in diameter. Place rolled dough on a large, thick, greased cookie sheet with sides or, better yet, a large, greased cast iron pan. Place berries in a big pile in the center of the dough, reserving liquid. Fold dough up all around the pile of berries leaving a big hole at the top like a shallow volcano. Pour a little of the liquid in the top and reserve a little for the end. Bake in a preheated oven 375° for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crispy. Drizzle finished tart with the remainder of the juice from the berries.

Serve with avocado ice cream. Avocado ice cream is extremely rich and decadent and really is a special treat. It is not as easy to find in supermarkets but many specialty restaurants that make their own ice cream will make it for you. Our local restaurant,Applewood, made it for us.

Avocado ice Cream

2 avocados, meat scooped out
Juice of 1 lime
1½ cup whole milk
½ cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Puree avocados, lime juice, whole milk and sugar in a blender until very smooth in texture. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and whisk in heavy cream until combined. Chill the mixture for a few hours in the refrigerator and then follow the instructions for your ice cream  maker.