Scallop Aguachile Ceviche

Hello my Hy-Vee friends,

It is lent and with lent my mind turns to fish. If you are familiar with ceviche, and I hope you are, you are aware that it is seafood that has been “cooked” in an acid such as lime juice. You can find this dish all over South America with the epicenter of ceviche coming from Peru. Mexico, however, has its own unique twist with aguachile—literally meaning chile water, serrano chiles are pureed with lime juice and cilantro and tossed with local seafood. For a modern twist, I like to add pineapple and fresh mint. It is spicy, sour, slightly sweet and oh so delicious.

Scallop Aguachile Ceviche

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

All you need:

1 pound bay scallops

4 serrano or jalapeno chiles, stemmed and rough chopped

Juice of 5 limes

1/3 cup cilantro

1/2 cup mint

1/2 cup pineapple

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

1 avocado, small diced

All you do: 

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. 

2. Add scallops and cook 5 minutes. 

3. Drain and cool.

4. In a blender puree the chiles, lime juice, cilantro, mint, pineapple, olive oil and salt.

5. Combine the scallops with the puree, red onion and avocado. 

6. Let it sit for 15 minutes and serve.
7. Enjoy!

Eat some fish but as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

Mardi Gras Pasta Salad

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

Mardi Gras is just around the corner and as much as I love sharing recipes for all food Cajun and Creole, today’s idea is a bit more "colorful." The colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold. While I won’t bore you with what the colors mean, I did want to represent them in a dish. After some thought, I created a pasta salad that simply screams Mardi Gras. 

All you need is 3 one pound boxes of your favorite pasta and a box of food coloring. In one pot add the bottle of yellow, in the second pot add the bottle of green and in the third add ¾ bottle of blue and the entire bottle of red food coloring. Boil each pound of pasta separately in each pot of water. Drain and combine. At that point add what you want! I mixed in a red wine vinaigrette with olives, salami, ham, and provolone. Delicious and festive!

Let the good times roll and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

Caramelized Onion Bacon Dip

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

Oh the memories of the big game growing up...can I remember any of the stats? Of course not. But I can remember the first dip I made. I was about 8 years old and it was French Onion Dip. I opened a pack of that French onion dip powder, poured it into a bowl and mixed in sour cream. Voila, it was done! It was cool, creamy and delicious. I still love that dip but a little over 35 years later, my taste buds are craving something a little more sophisticated.

I now caramelize the onions, mix in bacon and add asiago cheese. I am no longer that nervous 8 year old boy but tasting this new improved version of the dip still brings me back to that that small kitchen in Chicago helping my mom make food for the big game.

Caramelized Onion Bacon Dip

All you need:
1 tablespoon oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 

All you do:
1. In a medium sized skillet add oil, brown sugar and onions. Cook over low heat until onions are brown and caramelized.
2. Combine onions, cream cheese, mayonnaise, 1/2 cup grated asiago and bacon.
3. Spread into a baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes of until top is nicely golden brown.
5. Enjoy!

We also sell this dip on the shelf across from our Produce department!

Enjoy the big game and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

Miso-Marinated Salmon

It’s a new year which means it's time to explore bold flavors in your kitchen. Today we talk miso paste, a delicious fermented soy bean paste (trust me it tastes much better than it sounds). Miso paste is rich in glutamates, which gives foods that meaty bold taste known as umami. We carry miso in the Health Market refrigerator section.

Miso is delicious in soups, whisked into mayo, mixed into salad dressing and one my favorite applications is in a marinade for salmon (see recipe below). 

Miso Salmon

All you need:

-¼ cup miso (a little goes a long way)

-2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

-2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

-2 teaspoons sesame oil

-A pinch of sugar

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-4 eight ounce pieces of salmon

-Sesame seeds

All you do:

1. Whisk together the miso, rice wine vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and garlic in a bowl. 

2. Pour the mixture over the salmon and marinate for about an hour. 

3. Grill to desired temperature.

4. Top with sesame seeds.
5. Enjoy!

Delicious, simple and bold.

Keep cooking with big flavors in this new year and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

New Year, New Flavors

Happy New Year my Hy-Vee Friends!

I could tell you how to start the new year by eating healthier. You know the pitch—eat more grains, drink more water, skip the bacon...while that is all sage advice, you can visit our dietitians for that! I am here to talk to you about new flavors in the new year! With the new year I propose you try new bold flavors that you might not have not done in the past. Think outside the box.

Our line of Food Trk Fusion sauces is a perfect example. Inspired by the bold flavors of food trucks, Food Truck Fusion has a variety of sauces that include ingredients like gochujang (a fiery Korean bean paste) and sambal (an Indonesian garlic chile paste). Simply grill up a steak, splash some sauce on and you have an exciting new dish to welcome the new year!

Stay tuned for more bold ideas for your new year and as always, Praise the lard!

-Chef Alex

Smoked Salmon Lollipops

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

When I think New Year’s Eve, I think of eating fun little bites throughout the night as opposed to sitting down to one huge meal that puts you into a coma so that you are asleep by 10pm. Preferably something luxurious that goes great with champagne.

If there is ever a night to buy incredible champagne (like my favorite, Veuve Cliquot) and luxurious food like king crab, smoked salmon and caviar, tonight is the night. The recipe below fits the bill perfectly!

Smoked Salmon Lollipops

Makes 20-30 lollipops.

All you need:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 red onion, diced
2 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons capers
12 ounces smoked salmon, sliced thin
20 to 30 lollipop sticks (available at candy and craft stores)
Freshly ground black pepper
Thinly sliced cucumber 

All you do:

1. In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, onion, dill and capers until well blended. Season with pepper to taste.
2. Using a miniature ice-cream scoop, make a small ball of the cream-cheese mixture. Wrap a thin slice of the salmon around the cheese ball and insert a lollipop stick.
3. Repeat until all the cheese and salmon are used.
4. Line a round serving tray with thinly sliced cucumber. 

5. Arrange the pops in a circular pattern with the stick ends facing out.
6. Serve at room temperature.

Praise the Lard and Happy New Year!

-Chef Alex

Sopressata Brie Bites

Happy Holidays my Hy-Vee friends!

Let me guess, you have 10 people coming over for appetizers tonight. Even better, you are going to someone’s house and you don’t want to be that guy that brings the BBQ flavored Pringles. Well I have an easy and tasty solution for you--Sopressata Brie Bites! 

All you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350^oF.

2. Place thinly sliced sopressata (or any other good quality salami) on a sheet tray. 

3. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until crispy (it should be crispy like a potato chip).

4. Place a small piece of brie cheese on the salami.

5. Top with chopped sun-dried tomato. 

Volia! You’re done. Low carb, elegant, creamy and crispy. Stay tuned for more easy, elegant holiday appetizers.

And as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex