Tasty Tailgate Recipes from Salt Creek Grille Princeton

Salt Creek Grill Princeton's Executive Chef Fabian Quiros offers two of his Tailgate Recipes for your Sunday football experience. Enjoy!

Lamb Sliders with Goat Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced  onions
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 ounces fresh goat cheese (1/4 cup)
• 1/2 pound Mexican chorizo casing  removed
• 1 pound ground lamb
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup goat cheese spread  mix
• 24 slider rolls

For the Goat Cheese Spread

• 6ounces fresh goat cheese
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 8 medium fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 large green onion, chopped
• 1oz minced garlic

Goat Cheese Spread Preparation:

In a small bowl with a fork, mash goat cheese with cream cheese to make a spreadable consistency. Add basil, green onion, garlic, and salt, to taste. Mix well. Set aside.

Lamb Slider Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, add coriander fennel seeds and rosemary cook for 1 minute Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and refrigerate until cool. Add the chorizo, ground lamb and salt to the bowl with the spice mixture and mix with your hands until just combined. Roll into 24 small ovals (about 2 tablespoons meat each set aside in cooler for 2 hours. Heat grill to medium heat and cook sliders for 2 minutes each side. To assemble the sliders, spread the goat cheese mixture on each Hawaiian roll and set lamb slider on the bun. Garnish with baby arugula.

Blue Cheese and Shallot Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 cup. chopped shallots
• 1 cups good mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup. Crème fraiche or sour cream
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 oz blue cheese

Preparation:

In a skillet, sauté shallots in olive oil over medium-low, covered, until golden and caramelized. This should take about 20 minutes. Let shallots cool.

In a mixing bowl, blend mayonnaise and crème fraiche. Add softened blue cheese.

Mash mayo mixture and blue cheese together until smooth.

Stir in cooled, caramelized shallots. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and refrigerate until flavors mix, at least three hour.

Eat with your favorite tortilla chips.

Chipotle Macadamia Nuts

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried chipotle powder
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cup macadamia halves
• 2 tbsp. golden brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In low heat skillet combine the honey, chipotle powder, and ground cinnamon.

Stir nuts into warmed honey mixture. Stir well to coat. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spread honey-coated nuts in a single layer. Bake until toasted and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool only slightly (no more than a minute or two-- you want them to still be sticky.) In a clean, medium sized mixing bowl, combine the sugar and salt. Pour the hot, coated nuts in the bowl and toss to combine. Spread nuts on cold waxed or parchment paper and let dry. It's best if they don't touch each other.

Serve or store until ready to eat.