Mini Cake Hors D’oeuvres (Copy)

George Hirsch March 21, 2024

You can't go wrong with serving crab cakes as appetizers; they're a crowd-pleaser. They are also a good complement when meat is being served as a main course dish. I suggest making mini cakes so guests can easily nibble while having an interesting pre-dinner conversation.

Savory Crab Cakes

Makes four-six entrée servings or 20-24 hors d’ oeuvre size

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Step One

3/4 pound Maryland lump crabmeat (for Fishcake, substitute an equal amount of cooked salmon, cod, or shrimp)

2 teaspoons each- thyme, basil, parsley

3 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 drops of hot sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh plum tomatoes, chopped

1 egg, beaten

5 drops of lemon juice

1/2 cup Fresh ground bread crumbs

1/4 sweet onion, minced

1 rib celery, minced

1 green onion, minced

Step Two
1/4 pound Maryland lump or super lump crab meat
1 cup each- fine corn meal and fresh bread crumbs, mixed for breading of crab cakes
Olive oil for sautéing crab cakes
- Mix all ingredients in step one.
- Gently mix the remaining crabmeat in Step Two; do not over-mix.
- Preheat a non-stick pan to medium heat.
- Form crab cakes into desired-size serving pieces and place in breading mix. Lightly coat the outside of crab cakes with bread crumb mixture, forming into patties.
- Add olive oil to sauté pan and carefully place crab cakes in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown, turning once.
- Serve crab cakes with lemon and cocktail, tartar, or marinara sauce on the side.

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Holiday Spiced Nuts

George Hirsch November 18, 2023

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Need a great snack in about 1 hour? And, with no concerns about added fat intake, like the usual snack mix with butter. A viewer favorite and most requested made-at-home snack is my candied spiced nuts recipe. These nuts are ideal as a make-ahead topping for an added crunch to cheese platters, salads, desserts, and ice cream! Once prepared the nuts last a month and are kept in a tightly sealed container.

Candied Spiced Nuts

Makes about 5 cups

chefgeorgehirsch.com | from George Hirsch Lifestyle cookbook

1 pound pecan or walnut halves

1 egg white

1 teaspoon water

2 teaspoons hot sauce or chipotle Sauce

3/4 cup pure cane sugar

2 Tablespoons curry powder

1 Tablespoon kosher salt, See preparation below

Line a 1/2 or 1/4 size sheet pan with parchment paper. Mix sugar, curry powder, and salt. Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Place the nuts on a cookie sheet and toast, occasionally stirring, until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Allow nuts to cool thoroughly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the egg white and water until frothy. Stir in the nuts and sprinkle with the sugar, hot sauce, chipotle sauce, curry powder, and salt. Mix well. Replace parchment paper if needed; some parchment paper can be used multiple times. Spread the nuts in a single layer on the sheet pan.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour at 250 degrees F or until the pecans are dry, stirring once or twice.

Cool, and store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

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Vine Ripen Pizza

George Hirsch September 1, 2023

FLATBREAD PIZZA When it comes to making any type of pizza, let imagination and the season rule your toppings. I love this Caprese-style pizza in the summer with an abundance of vine-ripe tomatoes. And if you are up to expanding your hand-tossed style, take the dough to the grill for an added fire-roasted flavor.

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Caprese Flatbread Pizza

Makes four servings |

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the art of making pizza dough, easy as 1, 2, 3

Mix Dough and place in a bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator overnight.

The next day, preheat *oven to 475 degrees F.

Stretch out the dough to a rectangular shape and cut it into two pieces. Sprinkle a teaspoon of fine-grind cornmeal on the surface of a heavy gauge pizza pan or sheet pan. Place the two pieces of dough on the top of the cornmeal. Brush top lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until pizza flatbread crusts is fully baked. You can check for doneness by tapping on the edge of the dough with your finger. It should be hollow.

Remove from oven, place two pizza flatbreads on a rack, and allow to cool.

When cool, top with sliced vine oak leaf lettuce, ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, and pesto; sprinkle a small amount of sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and olive oil.

*NOTE: If grilling, pre-heat the grill to high heat. After stretching and right before placing dough on the grill surface, brush heavy with olive oil.

George's Pizza Dough

Makes enough for 2-3 pizzas

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1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (between 105 and 115 degrees F)

1 teaspoon sugar

3 1/2 cups bread flour

1/4teaspoon salt

3/4 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the yeast and water. Add the sugar and stir well. Set aside for 10 minutes or until tiny bubbles appear on the surface.

Place 3 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the yeast mixture and the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, using the additional 1/2 cup flour if the dough is sticky.

The dough is sufficiently kneaded when you can stick two fingers into it, and it springs back without leaving an indentation.

Cut the dough into four pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Let the dough rest in an oiled bowl for 45-60 minutes. Lightly oil the top of each ball with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

- Mixing with a mixer & dough hook: Mix for eight minutes at medium speed

- Mixing with a food processor: process for 40 seconds until smooth; add one additional Tablespoon of flour until all of the flour is combined into the dough.

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Cinco de Mayo Barbecue Burrito

George Hirsch May 4, 2023

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide, honoring Mexican heritage and marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than in Mexico. And many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music keep the experience to preserve & educate the public about its historical significance and culture.

A quick fix burrito made even better with yesterday’s leftover grilled chicken. And what a great way to kick off grilling season! Although my grilled chicken burrito recipe is not traditional for Cinco de Mayo - you will still get rave reviews. I have.

Chicken Barbecue Burrito

Barbecue Burrito

Makes 6 serving

chefgeorgehirsch.com | From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch cookbook

2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup Barbecue Chicken Burrito Rub

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Twelve 10-inch flour tortillas

Season chicken with rub (see below) and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the grill to high.

Brush chicken with olive oil, place on the grill, and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Move the chicken to a cooler side of the grill and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to cool for five minutes. Shred the meat, combine it with barbecue sauce in a small saucepan, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on the grill or side burner.

To serve, place 3-4 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture in the center of each flour tortilla. Fold each side toward the center and roll up from the bottom. Place the burritos on a medium-hot grill and heat on both sides for 1 to 2 minutes.

Chicken Burrito Rub

Makes 1/3 cup

1 Tablespoon each of sweet paprika, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin, lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly covered jar.

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Cinco de Mayo with George's Posole

George Hirsch May 2, 2023

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide, honoring Mexican heritage and marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than in Mexico. And many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music keep the occasion to preserve & educate the public about its historical significance and culture.

A traditional Mexican dish from the Pacific coast region of Jalisco, Posole is a thick soup made with hominy–dried corn with the hull and germ removed. It makes any large gathering a fiesta!

George's Posole

Makes 8 servings

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2 pounds of pork shoulder chops

1/2 cup Posole Pork Rub

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, sliced thick, grilled, and chopped

4 jalapenos, roasted on the grill; split, seeded, and chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups hot chicken broth

4 cups canned hominy, drained and rinsed

1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

3 fresh red radishes, sliced thin

1 cup fresh cabbage, finely shredded

Rub pork on all sides with Posole Pork Rub, and refrigerate for at least two to 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat a large soup pot to high heat.

Brush chops with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add chops and sear pork on both sides until browned and not fully cooked. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the hot broth, jalapenos, and hominy and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chops, cool, and chop meat into small pieces. Put the pork back into the soup. Continue cooking for 30 additional minutes. The longer and slower the soup simmers, the better.

Stir in cilantro and serve bowls of soup topped with sliced radish, shredded cabbage, and warm corn tortillas.

Posole Pork Rub

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon each: ground cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, chili powder, thyme

1/2 teaspoon each: nutmeg, allspice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly sealed container.