Ajeen Beckford Red Pepper Coulis Food

RED BELL PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add red bell peppers and shallots; saute until soft. Stir in white wine and chicken broth, and simmer over low heat until reduced by half.
• When the mixture is reduced, stir in sour cream, and transfer the mixture to a blender. Puree until smooth. Reheat before serving if necessary.

ROASTED RED PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• Cut the roasted and cooled peppers into small pieces and puree with remaining ingredients in a blender. Makes about 1 cup.
• Note: to oven roast peppers, place under a broiler in a pan on the rack positioned about 6 inches from the pre-heated source of heat and turn frequently to blacken all sides. Transfer the roasted peppers to a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let them steam for 10-15 minutes. Using a small knife, cut away the stems, open the peppers up and remove the seeds and membranes. Wipe the work surface clean with a damp towel whenever necessary. Scrape away the charred skin.

ROASTED RED PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400. (I use my toaster oven).
• Place peppers on a baking sheet and roast until all sides are blackened (about 25 minutes) turning occasionally.
• Cool peppers, lift off skins, then cut in half and core.
• In a food processor combine peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and basil leaves. Process until smooth.

PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• Rinse 1 red or yellow bell pepper (about 10 oz.); pat dry.
• Set pepper in a 9-inch pie or cake pan and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning as needed, until charred on all sides, about 15 minutes total.
• Let cool.
• With a small, sharp knife, remove and discard skin, stem, and seeds. Coarsely chop pepper and place in a blender or food processor.
• Add 1 tablespoon water and 1 teaspoon olive oil; whirl until smooth.
• Add salt and cayenne to taste.
• If coulis is thicker than desired, thin with 1 to 2 more tablespoons water.

AJEEN BECKFORD RED PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic without browning.
• 2. Add the red pepper and continue to sauté until tender.
• 3. Deglaze with the white wine.
• 4. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• 5. Puree in a blender and strain.
• 6. Adjust consistency if necessary.

RED PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the peppers in a roasting pan and roast, turning every 15 minutes, for 45 minutes, until the skins are wrinkled and slightly charred.
• Transfer the peppers to a cooling rack. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers over a bowl, allowing the juices to collect in the bowl. Discard the skins.
• Combine the peppers, collected juices, and balsamic vinegar in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt.

AJEEN BECKFORD LAHMA BI AJEEN

Steps:

• Mix all dough ingredients well. Knead for a few moments. Set aside to rest while preparing filling. Mix all the filling ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Since you will be preparing a large number of these, it makes sense to work on a large, clean surface. The kitchen table is perfect. Roll half the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a clean table. Use a glass, 2-2.5 inches in diameter to cut circles of dough. Place these circles on a well oiled baking sheet. Work the remaining dough into a ball, and roll it out to cut more circles. Keep combining the circle cutouts until you have used all the dough. Place 1.5 teaspoons filling on each circle. With a fork, carefully smooth filling to the edge of the circle. It's fine for the lahma bi ajeen to touch each other in the pan, but they cannot overlap.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, or until dough is just firm but not crisp.
• Serve with tehina and soup or salad for a first course.

SHRIMP WITH ROASTED YELLOW PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• Peel the broiled bell peppers, cut them in 4 and place in blender with 2 tablespoon of basil olive oil and vinegar. Blend until smooth puree forms adding salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss the artichokes and fennel with the 2 tablespoons Secolari Basil Olive Oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast in a 400°F pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes turning once. The artichoke and fennel should be slightly goldlen.
• In a hot, heavy sauté pan on medium-high heat, add the Secolari Garlic Olive Oil and sear the shrimp until pink on both sides with lightly golden color. Turn the shrimp once during the cooking process.
• On a large platter, arrange the roasted artichokes and fennel. Add the shrimp on top and drizzlle with the yellow pepper coulis. Top with roughly chopped fennel greens.

RED PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the sweet red peppers and garlic and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix in the vinegar and sugar.
• Add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 15 more minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes and basil; simmer for 10 more minutes.
• Serve hot.

RED PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• In a medium-size skillet, combine red pepper, tomato, onion and tomato juice and cook until tender. Stir in the basil and thyme. Puree in a blender until smooth. Return to skillet and cook over low heat until mixture is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups.

MUSHROOM CAKES W/AVOCADO PESTO AND RED PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• RED PEPPER COULIS:.
• Char peppers over gas flame or broiler until blackened all over.
• Seal in plastic or paper bag; let stand 15 minutes.
• Peel and seed peppers; place in blender.
• Place garlic cloves in small dry skillet.
• Cover, cook over medium heat until browned and tender, shaking skillet occasionally, about 7 minutes.
• Cool, peel garlic; add to blender with peppers.
• Add milk and honey to blender.
• Puree until smooth.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• *DO AHEAD - can be made up to 2 days ahead.
• MUSHROOM CAKES:.
• Melt butter with oil in large heavy skillet over medium high heat.
• Add all mushrooms and sauté until browned and edges begin to crisp, stirring often, about 14 minutes.
• Add garlic; stir 1 minute.
• Transfer mixture to processor.
• Add eggs, Parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper to processor.
• Pulsing on/off turns, process until mushrooms are coarsely chopped.
• Transfer to large bowl & mix in 1/2 cup of panko.
• Divide mushroom mixture into 8 equal portions (1/4 to 1/2 cup each.).
• Form each into 3/4 inch thick cake.
• Spread additional panko out on plate.
• Coat cakes with panko.
• Place on rimmed baking sheet.
• **DO AHEAD - Can be made 4 hours ahead: cover & chill.
• AVOCADO PESTO:.
• Place pine nuts or cashews in processor, pulsing on/off turns, process until coarsely ground.
• Add avocado, Parmesan, cilantro, parsley, and lime juice.
• Process to blend.
• With machine running gradually and 1/4 cup oil through feed tube.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• ***DO AHEAD - Can be made 2 hours ahead: cover & chill.
• Preheat oven to 300ºF.
• Melt butter with 2 T oil in large skillet over medium heat.
• Working in 2 batches. add mushroom cakes; cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
• Transfer to baking sheet; place in oven.
• Spoon about 1/3 cup avocado pesto into center of each plate, using back of spoon, spread out to 5 inch round.
• Place 2 cakes on each plate.
• Drizzle with red pepper coulis.

JAMAICAN CHEF AJEEN BECKFORD BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Combine the beans and stock and bring to a simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
• Remove half of the beans from the pot. Puree and then return to the pot.
• Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, covered for 1 hour.
• Serve with cilantro sour cream.

REALLY EASY ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Toss the peppers and onions with the garlic and olive oil, and spread out in a roasting tin. Roast for 40 mins, then add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar and sugar, and roast for another 20 mins. Tip into a food processor and blend until smooth. Season to taste.