Recipes Archives - Crave Catering

Fourth of July, July

July 3, 2015

Patriotism. A common characteristic displayed throughout our country—and especially from our experience, in Texas. That pride that has been instilled from a young age that is very evident in our everyday lives. The 4^th of July is the day to commemorate our independence and at Crave Catering we feel downright lucky to be part of such a forward-thinking and great country. With that being said, we would like to celebrate accordingly by posting a recipe for a festive red, white and blue party. We hope everyone has a safe and lovely holiday with family, friends and pets! Be sure to comment below on some of your favorite 4^th of July recipes.

Skewered Cantaloupe

Ingredients

1 cantaloupe – peeled, seeded, and cubed
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
skewers
Add all ingredients to list

Directions

Preheat grill for medium heat.
Thread the cantaloupe chunks onto 4 skewers. In a small saucepan, heat butter with honey until melted. Stir in mint. Brush cantaloupe with honey mixture.
Lightly oil grate. Grill skewers 4 to 6 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Serve with remaining sauce.

(photo credit- All Recipes Magazine/ A|R.com)

Recipes: Mid-Summer Italian Bread Salad

June 25, 2015

It’s funny that we waited patiently for summer to come after all of those rainy days in May and now that it has arrived with full force, we are all burning up in the heat now. The slight breeze in the late afternoon does allow for some nice picnic weather, however, for which we picked the perfect appetizer recipe to show everyone. This quick and easy Italian bread salad works best with day-old bread, preferably a loaf baked with rosemary for added flavor. The nice crunch of the stale bread gives it the perfect texture to enjoy out on the patio or as something to tide you over until dinner time.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic- 1 whole, 1 minced

1 loaf Italian bread

1 cup cucumber- peeled, seeded and chopped

1 cup red onion- chopped

2 cups chopped fresh basil

1/8 chopped fresh thyme

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions

Rub a peeled clove of garlic around a wooden salad bowl.
Pull apart or chop the bread into bite-size pieces.
In the prepared salad bowl, combine the bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, garlic, basil and thyme. Add enough olive oil and vinegar to lightly coat, toss and serve.

(photo credit and recipe by Tamara/Allrecipes.com)

Recipe: Spicy Beef Empanadas

February 24, 2015

The Latin culture that permeates Austin has influenced a lot of the cuisine we see today. Some call it “Tex-Mex”and we believe that word perfectly describes some of the inspiration we find in our dishes. For example, we have served various types of empanadas over the years, filling them with whatever our clients desire from savory to sweet. We wanted to share a recipe for spicy empanadas filled with ground beef and a blend of spices that give it that Tex-Mex flavor. Our empanadas can be made extra spicy by adding habanero peppers like the recipe below. These can be made into miniature versions and passed around as appetizers like the picture of Crave’s specialty spicy empanadas. Enjoy!

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Spicy Beef Empanadas

INGREDIENTS

2?3 tablespoon cooking oil
2?3 lb ground beef
1 2?3 shallots, finely chopped
1 2?3 garlic cloves
2?3 red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1?3 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1?3 tablespoon ground cumin
1?4 tablespoon chili powder
1?3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1?3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
7?8 ounce concentrated tomato paste
1 2?3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1?3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1?3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1?4 tablespoon habanero sauce
1?4 lemon, squeezed
1 large hardboiled egg, finely chopped
1?8 cup jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1?3 cup cilantro, chopped
1?3 to taste salt and pepper
2 2?3 sheets puff pastry

2?3 eggs, beaten (for glaze)

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven at 375°F Pour some cooking oil in a skillet and press cloves over the pan. Add chopped shallots and fry on low heat, until soft but not browned. Add asalt and the chopped red chili pepper.
Add ground beef and brown on med-high heat. Drain the mixture put back in skillet. Add bell pepper and cook on high for about a minute.
Turn heat to med-low and add cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, flour, and tomato sauce. Turn off the stove and let cool to room temperature.
Now mix some Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, habanero pepper sauce (or tabasco). To add a hint of sweetness, add tomato ketchup, about 5 tbs. Stir in chopped egg, jalapenos and cilantro. Add pepper and salt to taste.
Let pastry thaw and cut 5″ circles.
Put pastry on baking sheet. Put about a spoonful of the meat mixture on one half of the circle. Put some beaten egg on the edges and fold. Press edges with a fork. Put some more egg mixture over the empanadas for glaze. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Turkey Tips and Holiday Cheer

November 27, 2014

Chipotle-Brined Grilled Turkey

Our Chef Adam has been busy in the kitchen this Holiday Season! One of his favorite recipes is a Chipotle-Brined Grilled Turkey. See below for complete recipe. One of the most important things to remember about brining your bird is that it must sit in the brine solution for a minimum of 12 hours. Soaking a turkey overnight in a solution of salt and water ensures moist results. When you add aromatics to the brine, the resulting roast is also infused with a subtle character all its own.

Chipotle-Brined Grilled Turkey

For the Brine:
1 quart boiling hot water
2 cups salt
1/2 cup sugar
7 quarts cold water
1 can chipotle in adobo, pureed
1/4 cup ground cumin
2 tbsp dried epazote (can omit if unable to find)
2 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp mexican oregano
3 tbsp paprika

1 approximately 11-14lb turkey
oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 aluminum roasting pan.

melted butter, for basting

Add the salt and sugar to the boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Place the seasoned water into an extra large stock pot. The pot needs to be big enough to hold 8 quarts of water plus the turkey. Add the rest of the ingredients for the brine to the pot. Mix well. Allow the brine to come to room temperature. Depending on how cold your water was you may not need to wait at all.

Remove the neck and internal organs from the cavity of the turkey. Discard or save for another use.

Completely submerge the turkey into the room temperature brine. Put a lid on the pot or cover with plastic wrap then place entire pot into the refrigerator. Allow the turkey to sit in the brine, refrigerated, for 12-18 hours.

1 hour before cooking, remove the turkey from the brine and place on a wire rack over a sheet pan at room temperature. Allow the bird to drip dry and come to room temperature. After 50 minutes, pat the bird dry with paper towels. Coat all surfaces of the turkey with oil then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

While the bird is resting at room temperature, prepare the grill. Prepare 1/2 of the grill for cooking over high heat and leave 1/2 of the grill for indirect cooking. If desired, you can use soaked wood chips in a smoker box or aluminum packet to add an extra smokey flavor.

Place the aluminum roasting pan on the side of the grill without heat (for indirect grilling).

Once the grill is hot place the seasoned butterflied turkey skin-side down on the HOT sided of the grill. Grill the turkey over high heat for about 6-8 minutes until the skin starts to crisp and nice grill marks have been seared in. Using two sets of tongs or your hands inside of rubber cooking mits, flip the bird. Allow the flesh side to cook over the high heat for another 6-8 minutes until it too has nice grill marks.

After the bird has been marked on both sides, carefully place it skin-side up into the aluminum pan off of the direct heat. Place an internal digital thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh, not touching any bones. If your thermometer has an alarm set it for 168 degrees. Shut the lid to the grill. Try to maintain a temperature inside the dome of the grill of about 350-375 degrees.

Allow the turkey to roast on the grill over indirect heat until an internal temperature of about 168 has been reached, basting with melted butter and rotating the aluminum pan 180 degrees every 20 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the bird so USE A THERMOMETER! Once the desired internal temperature has been reached, remove the pan with the bird from the grill. Loosely cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes so that the juices can be redistributed throughout the meat. To slice first remove the drumstick and thigh in order to better access the breast meat. Slice as desired. Enjoy!

Recipes: Turkey Dressing or Turkey Stuffing?

November 25, 2014

Toma-toe, toe-mah-toe.

Some people call it dressing, some call it stuffing- but we can all agree it’s an amazing staple at Thanksgiving and holiday dinners. Not only does this dish have a variety of names but also comes in endless varieties. Below is a stuffing recipe we love to re-create. Take from it what you will and tweak it to make it your own tradition! From the Crave Catering Team, we hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are so very grateful for all the blessings we have received this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

Recipe by: Stacy M. Polcyn/AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
1 pound ground turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
3/4 cup turkey stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.

Recipe: Rosh Hashanah Kugel

September 10, 2014

Happy Rosh Hashanah! For those that are not familiar, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It is a two-day celebration, which begins on the first day of Tishrei. Meals during this holiday usually include apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year as well as a traditional baked pudding dish we are sharing with you today, Kugel.

Made from egg noodles, this Apple Noodle Kugel is slightly sweet which differs from the potato based kugel.

Apple Noodle Kugel

(Photo Credit: Marlene Sorosky/Tastebook)

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 1/2 pound Gala apples (about 3), peeled and coarsely grated on large holes of a box grater

5 ounces fine egg noodles (4 cups)

Accompaniment: sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in upper third. Butter a 1 1/2-quart gratin or other shallow baking dish.

Whisk together eggs, butter, 7 tablespoons sugar, zest, and nutmeg in a large bowl until well combined, then stir in apples.

Cook noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain noodles, then toss well with apple mixture. Spread in baking dish and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar.

Bake kugel until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.

Recipe: Kale Chips

September 5, 2014

Do you love chips, but feel guilty after snacking? Maybe you are trying to maintain a healthy diet and have to deny yourself the pleasure of chips altogether. Well, I’ve got good news: with few ingredients and little work you can make a familiar snack out of the hottest health food out there.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh kale leaves, washed and dried – pat dry or let air-dry, your call.
2 Tbsp. of olive oil
Sea salt – optional, but highly recommended!

Process:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop the kale into bite-sized pieces. Kale is the hot food item of the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t approach this like a caveman, so feel free to tear it apart with your hands if you’d like.

Place pieces in a large bowl and drizzle olive oil. Then toss the kale until the leaves are evenly coated with oil.

Lay the kale pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until kale is dark green and crunchy. This typically takes about 12 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy the healthy snack you’ve created!

It’s National Oyster Day!

August 5, 2014

August 5th, 2014 has now been deemed National Oyster Day. Lucky for us we love everything about oysters! This tasty delicacy has been around for centuries. Did you know oyster farming and cultivation can be traced back to Roman times in France and England? These mollusks have quite the history. To check out some more cool trivia, check out the National Oyster Day website here.

What it means for Crave is that today we get to show off one of our favorite Oyster recipes! We call this delectable appetizer Oysters Texasfeller. As if the name wasn’t fantastic enough, this app consists of a fried oyster, paired with some wonderfully green wilted spinach and then topped with creamy hollandaise sauce.

Check out the pic below, its a sight for sore eyes. From the Crave Catering Team, we hope everyone has an awesome National Oyster Day. Let’s celebrate by munching on some of these for dinner tonight!

4th of July Recipe: Slaw Dogs with Mustard

July 4, 2014

A happy Independence Day to you all Cravers! We hope everyone is enjoying this free time with their families and friends. We wanted to share an American classic recipe from Serious Eats—The Slaw Dog. Enjoy!

(photo credit: Nick Kindelsperger/Serious Eats)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 head cabbage, core removed, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 quarts)
For the Hot Dogs:
8 hot dogs, preferably with a natural casing
8 side-split hot dog buns
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
Mustard, for serving

Directions

— Make the Cole Slaw: In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, celery seed, dry mustard, and black pepper. Stir until combined. Add the cabbage, and mix until it is evenly coated in the dressing. Set aside.
— Cook the Hot Dogs: Pour 1/2 cup water into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the hot dogs. Cook until the hot dogs are thoroughly warmed. If the water has not evaporated, pour any remaining water off. Add one tablespoon of butter. When it has melted, roll the hot dogs around until they are coated in the butter. Cook until the hot dogs are lightly browned on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Remove and set aside.
— Add remaining butter to the skillet, then add the buns, cut-side down. Cook until browned, about 1 minute. Rotate the buns. Continue this process until the buns are lightly browned on four sides, about 4 minutes total.
— To serve, place one hot dog in each bun. Top all of them with mustard and a few spoonfuls of the slaw. Serve immediately.

Easter Recipe Ideas

April 17, 2014

Marshmallow Peeps, Cadbury eggs and chocolate bunnies are normally the treats that come to mind when you think of the Easter holiday. Whether you celebrate Easter or not, the consumption of delicious treats on this weekend seems to be inevitable. Crave wanted to share some easy recipes to enjoy with family and friends. Happy Easter!

Easter Veggie Boats

(Photography: Charles Schiller/Recipe on Martha Stewart)

This quick and simple recipe from Martha Stewart is perfect as an appetizer that requires little preparation. Julienne any vegetables you like and pick your favorite veggie dip or make your own!

Ingredients:

– 1 large French baguette

-1 cup vegetable dip

-Sliced vegetables (carrots, celery, red bell pepper, cucumber, etc.)

Directions:

Slice a little off of each baguette and then cut into four equal parts. On an angle, cut each wedge in half. Create two vegetable boats out of each part. Hollow out the bread boat, but leave the bottom so it will hold the dip. Add two tablespoons of dip per boat and fill with sliced vegetables. Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Carrots (Strawberries)

Photo Credit: Harry & David (via Pinterest)

These strawberries look deceivingly healthy… and are so simple you can make this a fun project for kids to do with you. If you don’t have time you can order them from Harry & David as well!

Ingredients:

– 1 pack of strawberries

– 1 bag white chocolate morsels

– orange food coloring

Directions:

Simply melt the white chocolate (we use the double broiler method).

– To melt in a double boiler, place a small amount of water in the bottom pan of a double boiler, the water should not touch the top pot. Place the chocolate or melting chocolate in the top pot and start heating. Stir frequently until chocolate is just melted, turn the heat off.

– Add orange food coloring.

– Dip away! (for the texture, dip a toothpick in the chocolate and make a zigzag shape over the strawberries once the first layer of chocolate has hardened.)

Ham-Asparagus and Cheese Strata

Recipe/photo credit by Better Home and Garden

Ingredients:

– 8 ounces asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

– 5 cups French bread cubes

– 2 cups shredded Gruyere or white cheddar cheese, (8 oz.)

– 1/2 cup chopped onion

– 1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions

– 8 ounces cooked ham, diced

– 10 eggs

– 1 1/2 cups milk

Directions:

– Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling. Add asparagus; cook 5 minutes or until bright green.

– In a greased 3-quart baking dish spread half the bread cubes. Top with cheese, onion, chives and half the ham and asparagus. Top with remaining bread.

– In a bowl whisk together four of the eggs and the milk. Evenly pour over layers in dish. Press down bread pieces into the egg milk mixture with the back of a spoon. Top with remaining ham and asparagus. Cover; refrigerate until ready to bake.

– Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degrees F oven 30 minutes. With the back of a wooden spoon, press 6 indentations in top of strata. Pour a whole egg into each indentation. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of strata registers 170 degrees F and eggs are set. Let stand 15 minutes.

– Cut into squares to serve. If desired, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper.