Royal Caribbean Recipes Offer Cruise Passengers
"A Taste of Europe"
Greek Salad
This zesty salad is sure to conjure images of lively Greek tavernas, ancient ruins and sweeping views of the sparkling turquoise sea. Serve with warmed pita bread and extra lemon dressing for dipping.
Lemon Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the lemon juice in a small, non-reactive bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Salad:
1/2 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and chopped
1 cup shredded spinach leaves
3 plum tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced into rings
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
12 Kalamata olives, pitted
6 oz. feta cheese, cubed
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano or marjoram
In a large, non-reactive serving bowl, combine the lettuce and spinach. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and bell pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange the olives and cheese on top and drizzle with lemon dressing. Sprinkle with the oregano or marjoram and serve immediately.
Rigatoni Pesto
Pesto is a classic basil sauce originating in Genoa, Italy. Although it is used in a variety of dishes, it is a favorite with pasta, and is at its best in summer, when fragrant, garden-fresh basil is at its peak.
1 cup pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
4 medium cloves garlic
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound dried rigatoni
2 cups heavy cream
chopped fresh basil for garnish
1. In a dry skillet over high heat, toss or stir the pine nuts, taking care not to scorch them, until lightly browned. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
2. In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, garlic and pine nuts. Process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Add 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Process briefly until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside.
3. Cook the rigatoni in a stockpot of boiling salted water until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over low to medium heat. Be careful not to scorch the cream. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cream is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto.
4. To serve, drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to coat. Transfer to a large warmed serving bowl. Garnish with chopped basil and remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Raspberry Creme Brulee
Although we usually think of creme brulee as the traditional French dessert, recipes for "burnt cream" appear in many old English cookbooks dating back to the 18th century.
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water; set aside. Pour the cream into a medium saucepan. Use the tip of a blunt knife to scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the cream. Very slowly, bring the cream and vanilla to a boil over medium-low heat.
2. Meanwhile, bring about 1 inch of water to a bare simmer in a wide saucepan. In a large heatproof bowl that can sit on the saucepan, combine the egg yolks and sugar. With an electric mixer, beat on high speed until pale in color, about 3 minutes, stopping 2 or 3 times to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Set the bowl with the egg mixture over the simmering (not boiling) water and whisk constantly until the mixture is lemony looking, tripled in volume and very thick. Keep the mixture over the simmering water as you whisk. (Take care that the eggs do not curdle. If necessary, momentarily remove the mixture from the heat if it gets too hot).
4. When the cream boils, remove it and the egg mixture from the heat, continuing to whisk the egg mixture as it cools down slightly. Whisking constantly, slowly add the heavy cream to the egg mixture until completely blended. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Place the bowl in the bowl of ice water to chill the mixture quickly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before using.
5. To serve, divide the raspberries among six 4-ounce souffle dishes or ramekins and spoon the creme brulee mixture over them. Level the surface with a spatula and sprinkle some sugar over each dessert. Place the dishes under the broiler and heat until the creme brulee mixture turns golden brown. (Alternatively, use a kitchen blowtorch to glaze the mixture.) Serve immediately.
The "Royal Caribbean International Cookbook" and the "Royal Caribbean Holiday & Entertainment Cookbook" are available onboard all Royal Caribbean cruise ships, nationwide at bookstores and through online book retailers, including Amazon.com below:
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Royal Caribbean
International Cookbook
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Royal Caribbean International Holiday & Entertaining Cookbook
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Recipes Copyright © Royal Caribbean International
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