THIS Sunday is Mother's Day, and a lovely way to say thank you to your mum on her day is to host a special luncheon in her honour.
Ask your dad and your siblings to dress in their Sunday best and come over for an afternoon of shared memories and appreciation for that wonderful lady (increase the recipes if necessary to make enough to feed the assembled crew). Happy Mother's Day to all the great mums out there.
Salmon Cakes with Lemon Mayonnaise
Make the cakes ahead of time and refrigerate until it's time to cook them. You can also make 16 small cakes and serve them as an hors d'oeuvre rather than a plated appetizer.
One 16-oz salmon fillet, skin removed
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest; 1 tsp freshly grated lime zest
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 tsp Asian hot chili sauce (sambal oelek)
1 Tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 egg yolk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup vegetable oil
Lemon mayonnaise:
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp freshly grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp finely minced parsley or cilantro ½ tsp very finely minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper to taste Mixed greens for serving plates; black sesame seeds for garnish
To make the lemon mayonnaise, stir all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Chill until ready to serve (make this at least two hours ahead to allow flavours to blend).
To make salmon cakes, cut the salmon into cubes and place in a food processor; add the next seven ingredients (lemon zest through salt and pepper); pulse food processor slowly until ingredients are well combined but still have some texture (you don't want a smooth paste).
Form the mixture into eight small cakes. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; fry the salmon cakes in two batches, cooking for about two minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy on the outside but still moist on the inside. Keep the first batch warm on a paper-towel-lined plate while frying the second batch. Add more oil to pan as required.
To serve, place a small handful of mixed salad greens on each of four serving plates and top with two salmon cakes. Place a small dollop of lemon mayonnaise to top of each cake and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Makes four servings.
Pasta with Snap Peas, Spinach & Mushrooms
8 oz farfalle pasta (bowties)
½ lb snap peas, strings removed, cut in half crosswise
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp butter
1 lb brown mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
½ cup heavy cream
1 ?3 cup dry white wine
2 cups fresh baby spinach
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into fine shreds Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until tender; add the snap peas and cook about 30 seconds longer. Drain, reserving one cup of the pasta cooking water. In the same pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat; sauté the mushrooms until they begin to brown. Add the cream and the wine and cook, stirring, for about two minutes. Add the Parmesan and the spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Return the pasta and snap peas to the pot and stir until warmed through, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to lighten the sauce to desired consistency.
Season to taste with salt and pepper; sprinkle with basil and stir gently to combine. Makes four luncheon servings.
Raspberry Tarts
1 cup homogenized milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg yolks
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
8 frozen tart shells, baked and cooled
3 oz dark chocolate (a high-quality brand)
2 cups of fresh raspberries
½ cup red currant or raspberry jelly mixed with 1 Tbsp water
To make custard, heat milk in a heavy pot over medium heat until simmering (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and add vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined; gradually stir in flour. Very gradually whisk the milk-vanilla mixture into the egg yolks, then return mixture to pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about three minutes. Pour custard into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let custard cool completely.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water; brush the insides of the baked tart shells with the melted chocolate. Let cool until chocolate is completely set. Spoon an equal amount of the cooled custard into each tart shell and top with raspberries. Gently heat red currant jelly and water in a small saucepan until jelly is melted. Let cool slightly, then drizzle or brush the jelly over the raspberries. Makes eight tarts.
Angela Shellard has done informal catering for sports and business functions. Contact: [email protected].
