Cruise Cuisine – Sapphire Sea Day

On our third “sea day”, a day not in port, but on the open waters, we went along to dinner in Sapphire thinking it would be our last day to experience such a luscious repast. More on that hint in the next installment of this series.

Appetizers

Beef Carpaccio with shaved Parmesan, Arugula, and Lemon Vinaigrette

Baked Onion Soup

Steamed Mussels with Garlic Toast

 

Main Course 

The prime rib was wonderful, shown here with and without the reduction.

 

The creole was billed as being “Caribbean Style” and turned out to be full of shrimp and  veggies, and very mild in heat.

Tiger Shrimp Creole with a scoop of Jambalaya

 

Dessert

The cherry pie was a bit of a surprise, being very dense, but it was quite tasty with a sweet/tart combination that pleased the palate.

Cherry Pie a la Mode

Carrot Cake with Candied Ginger and Caramel Sauce

 

Among all the birthdays we celebrated on this cruise, we were surprised when our anniversary was also brought to light.

Chocolate Panna Cotta

 

 

— Ann Cathey

Cruise Cuisine -Another Sapphire Evening

Our group was assigned two side-by-side tables in the Sapphire dining area. We were able to sit down each night with variations on seating, often being able to taste and share bits of our meals with one another.

Each encounter in Sapphire was as satisfying as the first.

Appetisers

Mushrooms stuffed with spinach, Romano, and fine herbs.

Chesapeake crab cakes with an herb remoulade.

 

 

Main Courses

Duo of Filet Mignon and Short Rib in a red wine reduction with sautéed green beans.

 

Spanikopita with couscous stuffed bell pepper on a bed of stewed tomato, with fired eggplant and a dab of Greek yogurt.

 

 

Desserts

Grand Marnier Soufflé with orange crème anglaise.

 

Chocolate and Amaretto Cake

 

Key Lime Mousse, low calorie with no added sugar.

 

— Ann Cathey

Cruise Cuisine – Sapphire

After a tiring day of walking and bussing about in Montego Bay, we settled in for supper with our sunburns and big grins. It was time to chat together about our day’s excursions while our meal was presented to us with leisurely decorum.

We admittedly got a little crazy with ordering items to try this night, but fortunately had table companions who were willing to help consume it all.

Appetisers

Cannelloni filled with Ricotta, bacon, and shaved Parmesan.

 

Lovely, salty cured ham with sweet and mellow cantaloupe is a definite taste treat.

Prosciutto ruffles over sweet melon.

 

It wasn’t as if there had not already been jerk chicken that day, but there just had to be more. The sauce was not as spicy hot as the one we had sampled on shore, but it was extremely tasty, nonetheless.

Jerk chicken wings with jicama slaw

 

I’ve tried ox tongue and beef tongue before now and found it to be chewy and not to my liking. This dish changed all that. The tongue was as tender and flavorful as any well roasted cut of beef I have ever put into my mouth. It fairly fell apart without chewing.

Braised Ox Tongue with onion marmalade.

 

Main Courses

Salmon Cakes with lemon, capers and sour cream.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin in a red wine reduction with polenta.

Caribbean Shrimp Curry (mild) with coconut rice, lemon grass and chilies.

Desserts

This may have been the most outstanding dessert we tried on the ship, even among all of the truly delicious temptations we had been offered. The warm brioche simply melted in your mouth.

Sticky Toffee Brioche with vanilla crème and strawberry sauces.

 

Mango Cream Cake with fresh fruit salsa and mint. Another lower calorie,  no sugar added item.

 

S’mores Parfait featuring dark chocolate, graham cracker mousse, milk chocolate, and toasted marshmallow.

 

 

There was simply too much to tease our palates with, and we definitely tried to taste everything!

— Ann Cathey

Crock Pot Desserts

I was amazed to find quite a number of warm dessert dishes that can be cooked in a crock pot or other slow cooker. I bet you didn’t know that brownies and cobblers can be prepared in a slow cooker rather than in a conventional oven. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

These recipes are written more like concepts than with the usual ingredients list due to the many variations that are available for each.

BREAD PUDDING
Nothing is a better dessert on a cool fall evening than a warm gooey bread pudding – and it will make your house smell absolutely wonderful. Into a buttered slow cooker put eight cups of cubed day-old bread. In a separate bowl, combine four eggs, 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of Nutella, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Whisk until smooth, pour over bread cubes, and press cubes until all liquid is absorbed. Cook on low for three hours and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

BROWNIES
The best part about brownies made in a slow cooker is you can cook them without the panic of leaving your oven on – and, of course, how gooey and delicious they get. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and pour in your favorite brownie recipe. Cook on low for three hours. Drop crumbled chocolate or other candies across the top of the brownie batter and cook normally. Serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s seriously decadent.

COBBLER
Peach cobbler is an amazing dessert, and this slow cooked cobbler will delight you. In a buttered crock pot, put four cups of sliced peaches mixed with 1/4 cup of sugar. In another bowl, mix one cup of yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup of sugar and one cup of milk until just blended. Pour the mixture over peaches. Cook on low for three hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Spoon it into bowls and dust lightly with cinnamon sugar for an added treat.

Apples, pears, and all kinds of berries may be used instead of peaches for this recipe. You might even use several at one time for a great mix of flavors and textures. You might also use a different flavor of cake mix, such as lemon or orange, to create even more tasty treats.

PUDDING CAKE
Set this to cook in the morning and have an amazing dessert waiting for you when you get home from a long day at work. Mix together one box of chocolate cake mix, one package of chocolate instant pudding, two cups of sour cream, four eggs, 3/4 cups of oil, one cup of hot water and two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray and pour in the batter. Cook on low for five to six hours. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Give these warm desserts a try and let us know how you enjoyed them. See if you don’t agree that the crock pot method is a time-saving twist on these home-made favorites.

–Ann Cathey