Arlena’s Unforgettable Seafood Grat’ton Feast
Arlena’s Bruschetta Buffet
Heat up any dinner party with this sassy Mediterranean influenced bruschetta from television host, Arlena Schott of Garden Wise with Arlena.
Amounts vary according to how many people you plan to serve. There is no wrong or right way to layer this recipe. Use colorful ingredients like different colored bell peppers to go with feta cheese, your favorite Mediterranean olives, tabouli, tomatoes, cilantro, roasted garlic, cucumbers—you pick!
In fact, at Valley Natural Foods, there is a new Mediterranean bar to go with selections from the salad bar all for the same price per pound, allowing you to experiment with different ingredients.
Once you select your ingredients, arrange in layers in a long platter. Alternate colors.
Then, sprinkle with your favorite balsamic vinegar and drown in olive oil. Yes, drown. The idea is that you will be mopping up this fresh buffet with thick sliced pieces of rustic bread. Use a spoon if you have guests.
The flavor is amazing and the buffet a fun idea to warm up a cold February night in Minnesota!
Arlena’s Wrapped Pepper-Jelly Brie
The key to any brie recipe is to start with a fresh round of brie. You can always ask the cheese buyer at Valley Natural Foods for a recommendation. This fiery recipe is from television host Arlena Schott of Garden Wise with Arlena.
Use a refrigerated pie crust wrapper or thawed phyllo dough as the wrapper. Lay your choice flat on a oiled baking sheet. Set the brie round in the center. Cover liberally with pepper jelly, then wrap and crimp at the top of the brie, sealing everything inside.
Bake at 350 degrees in a pre-heated over for 35 minutes or until the crust turns golden and the cheese melts. Serve warm with crackers.
Arlena’s Old-Fashioned Backstrap Venison
This is something out of the ordinary unless you have a hunter in the family. Arlena has several avid hunters in her family! That makes her a game-cook expert.
Backstrap is a delectable and tender cut of venison. You can also pick up a fresh buffalo roast from the meat department at Valley Natural Foods if venison is not your thing.
Chop up two large onions and sauté them in about an inch of butter combined with olive oil. Oh, just like Grandma used to cook liver and onions! Fry the meat in the onion butter until the juices run clear, flipping once.
Arlena’s Seafood Grat’ton
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Set aside a small casserole dish.
Melt 3 Tbsp. of butter in a fry pan. Add vegetables and 3 Tbsp. of Mirin, ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the clam juice, heavy cream, ½ C. Mirin, tomato paste and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then turn down low.
Once the carrots are tender, set the sauté mix aside. Peel, devein and chop the shrimp. Chop the fish into bite-sized chunks. Remove the lobster tail and chop into chunks.
Add the shrimp to the saffron sauce. After 3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to the casserole dish. Add the fish to the sauce for 3 minutes, and remove to the same dish. Add the lobster to the sauce for three minutes and remove to the rest of the seafood.
In a small jar with a lid, add the cornstarch to remaining saffron sauce to make a liquid. Shake it well, dissolving the starch. Add to the remaining saffron sauce in the pan and again bring it to a boil, stirring and reducing it by half its volume.
Layer the vegetable mix on top of the seafood, then pour the reduced saffron sauce over it all.
In a bowl, mix the panko, Parmesan, parsley, tarragon, and garlic. Melt the remaining 3 Tbsp. of butter and mix it into the crumbs until just moistened. Spread the crumb mixture evenly over top of the seafood casserole.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.
