The following recipes were developed by Danielle Young, chef and college assistant professor in the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management at New Mexico State University. For more information, email danielly@nmsu.edu. Click here to watch a video of HRTM sharing their top kitchen tips.
Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
- 8 ounces lemon juice
- 4 ounces white distilled vinegar
- 3 ounces honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ounce basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 5 ounces oil
Put lemon juice, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, basil, garlic, kosher salt and white pepper in a quart container. Use an immersion blender to begin blending the mixture, slowly adding the oil as you go. Blend until all oil is incorporated. Taste. Cover with a lid and set aside.
Butter Pecan Whipped Cream
- 2½ cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ Butter Pecan Syrup (see recipe below)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the bowl of the stand mixer in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow it to cool. Whip together the heavy cream and instant pudding mix using the whisk attachment on medium speed until the mixture starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar, syrup and vanilla extract, and whip until the mixture reaches stiff peaks. Remove the mixture from the bowl of the mixer and transfer it to a piping bag for serving. Tie the end of the bag and put it into the refrigerator.
Butter Pecan Syrup
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
Put molasses, maple syrup, water and light brown sugar in a saucepan and on the stove over medium-high heat. Whisk ingredients together and allow to come to a boil. Put the pecans in a medium sauté pan over medium heat to toast them. You will want to keep the pecans moving so they don’t burn. Cook until you can smell them. Once they start to turn color, turn off the heat and then add them to the saucepan. Allow the mixture to cook until the mixture has reduced to a syrup consistency. Meaning it will easily coat the back of the spoon. Add butter one piece at a time, whisking in until completely melted. Remove from the heat and transfer to a container to cool. You can place the container in an ice bath to cool it quickly if needed.
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Cutline: HRTM student Kacey Thunborg, left, makes a lemon-basil vinaigrette. HRTM student Logan Norton prepares a batch of butter pecan whipped cream. (NMSU photos by Tatiana Favela)