Crispy Nutella Wontons

This is a great dish. Not only does it taste great, but it can be either an appetizer or a dessert. It only takes a few ingredients, but you really get a lot of bang for your buck.

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
16 wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten to blend
1 cup Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Fennel Slaw and Citrus Sauce

This dish was made for a beer dinner back in June 2008. I love the balance in this dish. The rich meaty lamb goes really well with the bright citrus and the freshness of the fennel. If you’ve never segmented citrus fruit before, it can be a little tricky. But otherwise, don’t over cook the lamb (med. rare is perfect) and this dish please a crowd. Flavorful and hearty, perfect for a cookout.

Yield: 4 servings

Lamb and Citrus Sauce

Ingredients:
2 racks of lamb
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons

Tuna Roll with Dipping Sauce

I made this recipe for a beer dinner a few days ago. It was a great combination of flavors and textures. The thin crisp daikon contrasts with the texture of the tuna. The pickled ginger and the sprouts bring a lot of freshness and zest to the roll. The dipping sauce rounds it out with a little heat from the thai chile, and the saltiness from the soy.

Yield: 4 servings of 4 rolls

Ingredients:

1 daikon radish

12 oz tuna, cut into 16 matchsticks, 1/2 x 1/2 x2

1/2 cup radish sprouts

Mini Sweet Potato Tart

These tarts are a great fall time appetizer. They are simple to make. They are a great combination of sweet and savory.

Yield: 30 Tarts

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans

Belgian Tripel Mussels

I made this recipe for a beer dinner a little while ago. It is a fairly standard recipe for mussels. However, I replaced the white wine with Belgian style tripel beer. I used St. Bernardus Tripel and it was excellent. This is one my favorite appetizers that I have made.

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon onions, finely chopped

Jicama Salad

I made this salad for a beer brunch a while ago. I found it to be very fresh in both taste and texture. I’ll definitely be making it again.

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 pound jicama (about 1 large), peeled
2 large beets, trimmed and peeled
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
2 large navel oranges

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Guava Glaze, Orange-Habanero Mojo, and Mango Salsa

I made this recipe for a family dinner recently.  There we a lot of us so I quadrupled the recipe for the pork, the glaze and the salsa. The pork was delicious. The glaze added some good flavor and made the pork very juicy. The mojo and the salsa really complete the dish with an extra burst of flavor. They are a nice combination of sweet and heat.

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Guava Glaze (see below)
Orange-Habanero Mojo (see below)
Mango Salsa (see below)

Cauliflower Soup with Seared Scallops, Lemon Oil, and Caviar

I made this recipe for the soup course of a beer dinner. It was fantastic. Everyone loved it. It was easy to make too. I paired it with Samuel Adams Noble Pils. The bright taste and moderate carbonation of the beer cut through the richness of the soup. There was also a nice harmony between the beer and the lemon oil.

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 cup chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, sliced
3 3/4 cups (1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces cauliflower (from 1 large head)
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whipping cream