While keeping your traditional dishes center stage, it may be a good idea to add a few winter favorites to heat up your menu.  Constantly evolving your offerings to meet the ever developing American pallet is essential to restaurant success.  Using seasonal menu items to test the waters and see what works for your customer base will help you to evolve while keeping costs lower.  It also provides an opportunity for your chefs to get creative and develop new signature items.  Here we’ve compiled a few of our favorite winter recipes to help increase restaurant revenue.

Spicy King Prawns

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger

1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined

salt

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or 1 cup flat leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet. Add the garlic, paprika (One Tablespoon plus One teaspoon), cumin, ginger and cayenne and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes.  Season with salt and stir in the cilantro.

Transfer to a platter and serve.

Chiles Rellenos with Cherry Tomato Salsa

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds cherry tomatoes

1 jalapeno, stemmed and finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 ancho chilies

1 pound soft goat cheese

4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS

To make the salsa, remove stalks from the tomatoes, then cut them into quarters if they are small and eighths if they are larger. Place with all the other salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix. You can use this right away or set aside for several hours in the refrigerator.  Place the ancho chilies in a medium pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, push the chilies into the water so that they are all submerged and set aside to soften for 15 minutes.  Lift the chilies out of the pot and reserve the liquid. When the chilies are cool enough to handle, pull off the stalks and scoop out the seeds, keeping the chilies whole. Put the cheese, chives and oregano in a bowl and mash with a fork to mix. Stuff the chilies with the cheese mixture and pinch closed. Arrange the stuffed chilies in a single layer in a steamer basket. Pour enough of the reserved liquid into the steamer to make a 3/4-inch layer (make up with water if necessary). Steam for 15 minutes or until the chilies puff out and are tender. Transfer to a platter and surround with the salsa.

Blackened Catfish Fajitas

INGREDIENTS

For the blackening seasoning:

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

For the fajitas:

Sunflower oil, or other high smoking point oil

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced

1 pound catfish filets, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces (or snapper or mahi)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Blackening seasoning (recipe above)

Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

For serving:

8 small flour tortillas, warmed

Sour cream

Cotija cheese, or other Mexican crumbling cheese

Lime slices

DIRECTIONS

For the blackening seasoning, combine all of the dry ingredients and set aside.

For the fajitas, heat a wok (or cast iron skillet) over highest heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and bell peppers, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and saute until tender, about 5 - 7 minutes. Remove the veggies and set aside.

Toss the catfish pieces in the melted butter; then thoroughly coat the pieces in the blackening rub. Working in two batches, place the fish into the hot wok—adding more oil if necessary—and cook the fish until cooked through and dark in color, about 3 minutes per batch. Add the veggies back into the pot and toss to combine thoroughly. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve the catfish fajitas with warm tortillas, sour cream, cotija cheese, and limes.

Many restaurant owners have great ideas to improve their business but lack the capital to make it happen. Quikstone Capital Solutions provides cash for businesses, A merchant cash advance from Quikstone Capital Solutions is a business loan alternative that can help your business thrive and prosper. For more information simply click apply now.

Like more ideas to grow your restaurant?  

Download our free Restaurant Investment Guide.