Sage-Scented Shortbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, room temperature
Preparation
Blend first 4 ingredients in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until dough comes together. Divide in half. Shape each dough piece into log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Chill until firm enough to slice, about 30 minutes.
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Cut each dough log into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rounds; place on sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Reverse sheets so bottom sheet is on top rack of oven and top sheet is on bottom rack. Bake until cookies are golden, about 15 minutes longer. Cool on racks.
Chilled Avocado Soup
3 C vegetable broth
3 Tbs fresh lemon or lime juice
1/3 C fresh cilantro leaves (I left this out)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Crab and Mango garnish (recipe below)
Combine ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until completely chilled. Pour soup into serving bowls. Top each serving with Crab and Mango garnish. Makes 6 servings
Crab and Mango Garnish
½ lb lump crab¼ C chopped sweet onion
½ C diced mango
2 Tbs cider vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1 Tbs light olive oil
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Combine ingredients in bowl; cover and chill. Makes about 2 cups.
Tropical Citrus Shrimp
1-1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 cup diced jicama
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Tortilla chips
Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling on high. Fill large bowl with ice and water. Add shrimp to boiling water; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until just opaque throughout. Drain; transfer to bowl of ice water. Let stand until cold. Drain well. Cut shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer to large bowl; stir in fruit juices. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Stir in mango, jicama, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, avocado, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes longer. Serve with tortilla chips.
Yield: 8 main-dish servings (7 cups)
