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Category Archives: Recipes

Caesar Salad: perfect as a side or a whole meal

While salads are definitely great in the summer, a delicious Caesar salad is perfect all year round! Add some chicken or salmon and your side salad instantly becomes a meal. The following recipe is from Chef Robert Weaver at Lady Luck Casino Marquette.

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated plus extra for garnish
black pepper, freshly-ground
salt
2 heads Romaine lettuce, torn
croutons

Method:

Make the dressing:

Put the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and water into a blender and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. With the blender running, pour the olive oil in slowly for the dressing to emulsify.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper; set aside or refrigerate the dressing if you will not be using it right away.

Assemble the salad:

Tear the lettuce into a large bowl. Add croutons.

Add enough dressing to coat the salad to your liking. Add some extra Parmesan and toss the salad well.

Serve immediately.

Fish tacos are a light meal for a warm summer day

Warm weather is just around the corner, so Chef Henry Rodriguez from Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo has just the recipe for you – fish tacos. This recipe is a great twist on the traditional taco and perfect for a light meal on a warm summer day.

Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos
Yield: 4 servings of two tacos

Ingredients:

2 pounds of Mahi Mahi fillets
8  flour or corn tortillas
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 juiced lime
¼ cup chopped cilantro
4 ounces chopped lettuce
4 sliced & grilled pineapples

Seasoning for fish: paprika, cayenne pepper, salt & cracked black pepper

Method:

Cut the Mahi Mahi in 8 ounce portions and season to your liking with paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and cracked black pepper. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Cut the grilled pineapple slices in medium sized cubes (¼ inch). Set in the refrigerator.

In a large skillet on high heat, add the olive oil. Once it is really hot, slowly add the fish (in a sliding motion from the edge of the pan to prevent any splattering of oil). Sear the fish for 3 minutes each side or until reaches 145° of internal temperature.

Cut Mahi Mahi into cubes.

Bake the tortillas at 350° in a pre-heated oven for 1 minute or until they are soft and warm.

Remove tortillas and place them on a plate and layer the components as follows: Mahi Mahi, spoon of the cilantro sour cream, lettuce and grilled pineapple.

Garnish the plates with lime wedges and fresh cilantro.

 

Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms Make for Delicious Summer Party Appetizer

Planning a summer graduation, wedding shower or other fun party? This recipe from Chef Robert Weaver, Lady Luck Casino Marquette is large enough to feed a crowd at your special event.

Lobster & Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Yield: 50 mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons celery, minced
1 tablespoon onion, minced
1 tablespoon red bell pepper, minced
2 pounds mushrooms
1 cup panko bread crumbs, crushed
6 ounces cooked lobster meat, chopped
4 ounces cooked crab meat, picked over & shredded
Cheddar cheese, shredded (divided into portions of 1/8 cup, 1/3 cup, 2/3 cup)
mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided into portions of 1/8 cup, 1/3 cup)
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine

Method:

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add minced celery, onion, and red bell pepper. Cook 2 minutes, until tender, then cool.

Remove stems from mushrooms and finely chop 3/4 cup of stems. Set mushroom caps aside.

In large bowl combine vegetable mixture, chopped stems, Panko bread crumbs, lobster meat, crab meat, 1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/8 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, egg, water, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Grease two large sheet pans. Brush mushroom caps with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and stuff with lobster-crab mixture.

Arrange caps in prepared pans. Pour white wine in the sheet pan.

Top with remaining 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese.

Bake 12 minutes – until lightly browned. Makes about 50 mushrooms.

Celebrate National Beef Month with Steak au Poivre

May is National Beef Month. To celebrate, Chef Robert Weaver from Lady Luck Casino in Marquette, Iowa, shares the following recipe for Steak au Poivre.

Steak au Poivre
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

5 pounds beef tenderloin cut into 1-inch medallions
1 teaspoon green peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon white peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
2 tablespoons yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons green onion, diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon chives, diced
4 tablespoons cognac or brand
6 ounces beef gravy
3-4 ounces heavy cream

Method:

Cut beef into 1 inch thick slices to make about 8 slices.  Lightly pound each of the beef medallions and season both sides with salt and crushed peppercorns.  Be generous with the pepper.  More pepper, more heat.

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat.  Add olive oil and butter to pan.

Add all 8 medallions to the pan.  Cook on both sides until crusted and cooked to medium rare (135 to 140 degrees).

Remove from pan and set aside on a plate.

Add diced red and yellow onions and saute until they are translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add sliced mushrooms and saute for another minute.

Add thyme, a pinch of salt and pepper, and diced green onions.  Saute for another minute and then add the cognac or brandy todeglaze the pan.  Saute for another minute and then add beef gravy and the heavy cream.

Cook for another minute then add the beef medallions back to the pan and cook on both sides for another minute or two until the desired temperature is reached and the sauce has thickened.

To serve, plate beef medallions.  Pour sauce over the medallions.  Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Isle Executive Chef Takes Top Honors at Annual Culinary Classic Event

Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf’s Executive Chef Jason Gomez recently took top honors at the 4th Annual Riverside Culinary Classic.

The Culinary Classic is Iowa’s largest, most prestigious culinary event with eight food categories in which chefs can compete.

This year, a total of 31 entries competed. Chef Gomez entered the beef category and won the gold medal with a whimsical dish that amazed the judges in the way that all of the ingredients worked together. He was also honored with the event’s “Best of Show” award and cash prize.

Chef Gomez’s culinary skills will be showcased this month at upcoming cooking demonstrations and dinners held at the Isle Bettendorf. Tickets can be purchased online for these events.

One of the featured items from Chef’s winning dish was Grass Run Farms short ribs; try his recipe out at home!

Grass Run Farms short ribs
Yield: 10 servings

 Ingredients:

10 pounds Grass Run Farms bone-in beef short ribs

Marinade:

4 cups Red Ban Stout Beer
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
1 ½ cup Sue Bee Iowa Honey
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

Whisk together ingredients for marinade and marinate beef for 24 hours. Remove beef from marinade, save marinade for braising.

Braising Liquid:

¼ cup canola oil
1 cup Red Ban Stout Beer
2 cups beef broth
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
2 cups white onion, medium dice
1 cup carrot, medium dice
1 cup celery, medium dice
½ cup tomato puree
1 ea. bay leaf
½ tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

Method:

In braising pan on medium high heat, sear beef ribs with the canola oil until browned on all sides.

Remove from pan and set aside.

In hot pan add in garlic, onion, carrot and celery, and sauté until slightly caramelized.

Add in tomato puree and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Deglaze with Red Ban Stout Beer and remaining marinade.

Add bay leaf, beef and chicken broth and bring to simmer.

Reduce to a simmer and cover.

Cook ribs for approximately 3 hours in a 375 degree oven or until ribs are fork tender.

Remove ribs from pan and set ribs aside to cool slightly before carving.

Puree remaining cooking liquid left in the braising pan and strain.

Reduce braising liquid to a sauce consistency, adjust seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper, and set aside for plating.

Slice beef from the bones and remove any remaining connective tissue.

Slice beef to desired thickness, plate and sauce with reduced braising liquid.

Homemeade mini taquitos will bring flavor to any Cinco de Mayo meal

Cinco de Mayo is only days away, have you planned a festive menu? Chef Chris Banks from Rhythm City Casino in Davenport, Iowa, has provided an easy recipe that is sure to be a hit with your family and friends!

Chicken Bacon Cream Cheese Mini Taquitos

Ingredients:

1/3 of a 16 ounce package of bacon (about 6 slices), chopped
4 ounces package of cream cheese, softened
2 cans of white chicken breast in water, drained
8 flour tortillas (10 inch)
Vegetable oil
1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and cut up
¼ cup of mayonnaise
¼ cup of sour cream
1 tablespoon of milk
1 ½ teaspoon of white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
Dash of dill weed
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of black pepper
Fresh limes wedges
Salsa(optional)

Method:

Cook bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towel.

Take bacon, chicken and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and gently mix items together.

Cut each tortilla into 3 ( 3-inch circles) using a round cutter. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the chicken mixture to each of the tortillas,  roll the tortillas around the filling and secure with a toothpick.

Pour the oil into a heavy 4 quart sauce pan to a depth of 3 inches. Heat oil to 350 degrees.

Add taquitos to the sauce pan in batches and cook until golden brown. Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel.

Let cool for about 5 minutes and remove toothpicks before serving.

Mash avocado in a medium bowl with a fork. Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, salt, parsley, onion powder, dill weed, garlic powder and black pepper.

Allow mixture to chill in refrigerator prior to serving.

Garnish with fresh lime wedges and salsa (optional).

Eggs Magbeth? An original recipe to enjoy for Cinco De Mayo

By Matt Meadows, Food & Beverage Manager, Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf

In days gone by, recipe names used to mean something.  Alfredo was named after a gentleman who fixed creamy, cheesy pasta for his wife who was ill and wouldn’t eat. He added cheese and butter until she liked it. So on a recent visit to friends I volunteered to cook and was challenged to come up with something to make my friend’s wife feel better. So EGGS MAGBETH was born. It is basically a really good funky guacamole crab cake topped with a poached egg and a zesty Bloody Mary sauce.The name “Magbeth” is a combination of letters from our three names.

In a mortar and pestle grind together the following ingredients or mince finely with a knife. You could also use a bowl and large fork to mash the ingredients together.

2 cloves garlic
½ of a fresh jalapeno
Juice of one lime
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

 Place above ingredients into a large bowl and add the following:

4 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, chopped

1 Roma tomato, finely diced
2 sprigs of green onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Mash and mix everything together into a creamy-lumpy dip consistency

Note from the chef: At this point you could take this recipe and a bowl of chips and party, but please, be patient because the rest is history.

To the above mixture mix in the following ingredients and form into eight (8) patties:

½ cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup crab meat

For the Bloody Mary Vodka Sauce, place the following ingredients in a small sauce pot, simmer for 15 minutes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 Roma tomatoes diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup vodka
2 cups Bloody Mary mix

To finish this masterpiece, place two tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan, lightly brown the patties, place a poached or fried egg on top of patties and smother with the Bloody Mary sauce.

If you are in bed and not feeling well you should be up and running, dancing shortly after. If you’re feeling great and just looking for something delicious to eat, this will work well.

Enjoy!

Rhythm City Casino employees share favorite recipes with guests

Recipes for dishes in the Hit Parade Buffet at Rhythm City Casino are now coming from more than just the chef. All employees in the food & beverage department are invited to submit recipes for consideration.

Our first winning recipe was submitted by Tim Keller, a Davenport resident who has worked at Rhythm City for the past seven years in the kitchen.

Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger meat
1 12 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 small package of shredded cheddar cheese
4 to 6 soft flour tortillas shells
Topping options: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onion, jalapenos, sour cream, salsa

Instructions:

Cook hamburger meat on medium to low heat until fully cooked and brown.
Drain grease from pan.

Add 1 can of enchilada sauce and shredded cheese to hamburger (set aside ½ to 1 cup of cheese).

Take the flour tortillas and cut or tear them into bite size pieces and add to hamburger mixture.

Place in baking pan (size of pan will vary depending on how much you want to make) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

For the last 5 minutes of baking add in remaining cheese to the top of the casserole.

Once it has finished baking, cut and serve.

Make sure to add some of your favorite toppings such as shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes to make this a truly a great hunger-satisfying dish.

Score a win in the kitchen with competition recipe from Rhythm City chef

On April 21, Sous Chef Chris Banks from Rhythm City Casino will be competing in the 4th Annual Riverside Culinary Classic withrhythm-city-davenport-logo chefs from across Eastern Iowa. He will be competing in the “seafood category” with the following recipe. All proceeds of the event will benefit the American Culinary Foundation. Good luck Chris!

Raspberry Glazed Mahi Mahi w/ Tropical Fruit Salsa and Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

10 6 oz. Mahi Mahi fillets with skin OR skinless
3 cups Melba Raspberry Sauce
2 ripe mangoes (diced)
1 cup diced pineapple
½ cup red onion diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons minced jalapeno
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Pinch of salt
2 cups coconut milk
1 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
2 cups white rice
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Toasted coconut flakes, for garnish

Method:

  • Place Mahi Mahi in large baking pan, pour raspberry sauce over fish, cover & let marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator
  • Pre-heat grill and lightly oil with vegetable oil
  • Place fish on grill skin side up until marked (may take about 45 seconds to 1 minute)
  • Turn carefully with a spatula and cook for additional 4 minutes skin side down
  • Combine mango, pineapple, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic, and salt in a bowl and gently fold to combine all ingredients let sit for 30 minutes in refrigerator prior to serving so flavors can blend
  • Bring to a boil 2 cups of coconut milk, ½ cup of water, and 1 t salt. Add 2 cups of white rice, stir well, and reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Cover and let simmer undisturbed until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy (about 20 to 24 minutes). Remove from heat and let sit without stirring for about 10 minutes
  • Fluff with fork and add cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To plate:

  • Put 2 oz of coconut rice on bottom of a plate
  • Slice Mahi Mahi on a biases, lay over rice,
  • Add 1oz tropical salsa over top, and
  • Garnish with toasted coconut flakes.

From our kitchens to yours: celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

Leprechauns, pots of gold, shamrocks, green beer and food are all the top things that come to mind when thinking about how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Members of our culinary teams from Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in Boonville, Missouri, and Isle Casino Hotel in Waterloo, Iowa, provided us with recipes to help when planning your menu for the day.

 Corned Beef and Cabbage Quiche
*Recipe from Jason Martin, food and beverage manager,
Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Boonville

Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings:  6

Ingredients:

1 (9″) pie crust, unbaked
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups chopped cabbage
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons water
1 to 2 cups diced cooked corned beef
4 eggs – local free range
3/4 cup light cream
4 teaspoons flour
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large skillet, melt butter. Add onion, cabbage, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes. Then add water, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and cook until liquid evaporates and cabbage begins to brown, about 8-10 minutes longer. You need to get liquid out of the cabbage or it will come out when the quiche bakes, making it watery. Stir in the corned beef.  Remove pan from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

In medium bowl, combine eggs, light cream, flour, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper and whisk until blended.

Spread half of cabbage mixture in pie crust. Top with half of the Swiss cheese; repeat layers. Then slowly pour the egg mixture over ingredients in pie crust.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until quiche is puffed and golden brown in spots. Let cool 5 minutes, then slice to serve.

Shepherd’s Pie
*Recipe from Thomas Roberts, senior director of hospitality operations, Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo

Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings:  8-10

Ingredients

Base:
2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 ea. medium yellow onion (med. diced)
3 tablespoons minced garlic, fresh
1/2 bottle Guinness stout beer
3/4 cups. blanched green peas
3/4 cups blanched small diced carrots

1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and black pepper

Topping:

4-6 cups of mashed potatoes
1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

Preparation:

Cook on med/high heat.

In large pot, brown ground beef and release of all the excess liquid.

Add onions and garlic and stir. Continue cooking until the onions start to sweat.

Add beer and stir, reduce liquid to a half.

Add vegetables and spices, stir then add heavy cream. Bring to a simmer then add the cheese stir and shut the heat off.

Place in a baking dish and cover with mashed potatoes. Garnish with cheese and chopped parsley.

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