By: Nadine Hughes
For many people, June is happy month!
School is ending, the days are longer, the sun is warmer,
many workplaces have summer hours and people are generally
in a happier place! When people are happier, they are more
likely to share that happiness with friends and family by
hosting parties; be it in the backyard, around the pool
or at the cottage. As a caterer, that makes me happy! It’s
going to be a busy cooking season with weddings, bon voyage
parties, cocktail parties and birthday celebrations booked.
Summer menus are bursting with bright colours, simple cooking
methods and a focus on fresh flavours. For some hosts, hiring
a caterer is the best option for them; no mess, no work
and no stress. Others like the thrill of planning a menu,
sourcing the best ingredients and making their tables a
picture of summer beauty. Regardless of what category you
fall into, I have something to make your summer entertaining
a breeze. Pour yourself a glass of cool lemonade and browse
through my summer catering menu (http://nhughes.homestead.com/hireachef.html)
or sip away and start planning your next menu with two of
my easy no fuss summer entertaining recipes. Either way,
have a wonderful and delicious start to your summer!
Ricotta Fritters with Fresh Ontario
Tomato & Mint Salad
menus : friends for dinner : super sides
Serves 4
· ricotta fritters
· 500g fresh ricotta
· ¼ cup (20g) finely grated parmesan
· 2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra,
for dusting
· ¼ cup chopped chives
· 1 egg
· sea salt and cracked black pepper
· 1 eggwhite
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 large tomato, diced
· ¼ cup minced red onion or sweet Vidalia
onion
· 2 tbsp freshly chopped mint
· Salt and pepper to serve
1. Place the ricotta, parmesan, flour,
chives, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggwhite
until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg through
the ricotta mixture.
3. Using moistened hands, shape ¼-cupfuls
of the mixture into fritters and dust each side with the
extra flour. DO AHEAD: the fritters can be prepared up to
24 hours in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator
until you are ready to cook them.
4. For the salad, combine the tomato,
onion and mint in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying
pan over medium heat. Cook the fritters, in batches, for
2–3 minutes on each side or until browned.
6. Serve with a tomato, mint and onion salad.
Fresh Strawberry Bellini
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 bottle Prosecco or sparkling wine
2 cups pureed and strained fresh strawberries
Fresh mint for garnish
Place 8 Champagne flutes in the freezer
for 20 minutes.
Open the prosecco and let it stand in an ice bucket for
5 minutes.
Into a pitcher, pour the 2 cups pureed strawberries.
Gently pour in the bottle of prosecco and stir gently to
combine.
Divide among Champagne flutes and
serve garnished with a mint sprig.
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Nadine Hughes is a mother of two and a Home Entertainer
with a vibrant personality and memorable cooking style.
As the owner of The Cook’s Companion, Nadine
offers lifestyle cooking and entertaining classes
for adults, teens and private at home classes. She
is also a food writer, guest speaker and television
presenter. For more information on these services
or The Menu Companion – dinner party menu planners,
visit www.thecookscompanion.ca
and www.themenucompanion.com.
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