South Coast Portuguese Fish Chowder

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, SO good and easy!
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Saute the following:
2 T. olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 med. onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 t allspice

Add the following and simmer for 10 min:
2 lb diced potatoes
4 c. broth (I used chicken)

Add the following and simmer 5 more min:
2 c. canned tomatoes with juice
6 oz chopped chourico or andouille sausage (remove casing)
salt and pepper to taste

Add the following and simmer 5 min more:
2lb fish

Remove from heat and add:
10 sprigs cilantro, chopped

Let sit for 10 min and then garnish with Italian parsley.

Chicken Scaloppine with Sugar Snap Pea, Asparagus, and Lemon Salad

From Cooking Light - So easy and fresh tasting.


Ingredients

* 3 cups julienne-cut trimmed sugar snap peas (about 1 pound)
* 2 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)
* 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 1/3 cup dry white wine
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
* 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 6 lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Steam peas and asparagus, covered, 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Rinse pea mixture with cold water; drain. Chill.

2. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 breast halves to pan; sauté 2 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure twice with remaining chicken. Add broth and wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter.

3. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, mint, oil, rind, and juice, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle oil mixture over pea mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve pea mixture with chicken and sauce. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Oeufs en Cocotte avec Sauce au Cari

I read both "My Life in France" by Julia Child and "Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell on my last plane trip. Read these books in that order--better than Iron Chef on the Food Network! Anyhow, after I flew into PWM, I ran to Borders to get these recipes and it was SOO worth it. I like adding chopped, fresh herbs to my "ouefs."



Oeufs en Cocotte

Per serving:

* 1/2 teaspoon butter
* 1 ramekin 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter and about 1 1/2 inches high
* 2 tablespoons whipping cream
* A pan containing 3/4 inch of simmering water
* 1 or 2 eggs


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter ramekin, saving a dot for later. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and set the ramekin in the simmering water over moderate heat. When the cream is hot, break 1 or 2 eggs. Pour in the remaining spoonful of cream over the egg and top with a dot of butter.

2. Place in middle level of preheated oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The eggs are done when they are just set but still tremble slightly in the ramekins. They will set a little more when the ramekins are removed, so they should not be overcooked.

3. Season with salt and pepper and serve. The ramekins may remain in the hot water, out of the oven, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. To prevent overcooking, remove eggs from oven when slightly underdone.

***

Sauce au Cari

You can half this for 4 servings of eggs and still have leftover. I warmed up leftover, thinly sliced steak in my remaining curry sauce.

* 1/2 cup finely minced white or yellow onions
* 4 tablespoons butter
* An 8-cup enameled saucepan
* 2 to 3 tablespoons curry powder
* 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups boiling milk
* 4 to 6 tablespoons whipping cream
* Salt and pepper
* Lemon juice
* 1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter

To use this sauce in Oeufs en Cocotte, substitute 2 tablespoons sauce for the whipping cream. Leftover sauce can be used atop chicken, vegetables, fish or lamb. (Or, as I did, put a dollop of the sauce on top of the eggs rather than substituting for the cream.)


1. Cook onions and butter on low heat for 10 minutes without allowing onions to color.

2. Stir in curry powder and cook slowly for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir over low heat for 3 minutes.

3. Off heat, blend in boiling milk. Return to heat and simmer slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The stir in 4 to 6 tablespoons cream by tablespoons, until sauce has thinned to consistency you wish. Check seasoning, and add lemon juice to taste. Off heat, and just before using, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter and if using, parsley.

Source: "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Knopf, 1961)

Halibut Fish Tacos

I kind of played with ingredients today so don't have exact measurements, but yummmmmmm.


Tempura Batter for halibut:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup ice cold beer
1 t Adobo seasoning
Emeril Essence
(let sit for 10 min)

Oil for frying halibut (cut into fish stick size) @ 350 degrees. After frying, lay fish on paper bag.

Salsa:
chopped jalapeno
diced fresh mango
chopped mint
juice of 1 lime
4 sliced scallions

Cole Slaw:
sour cream
mayo
rice vinegar
2 chipotle in adobo, chopped finely
slaw mix

Wrap all in warm flour tortillas

Dharma Bums

I finally read this book. I found it at Goodwill while buying Mitchell's English books for next year. Great book. I had to go buy "Myths and Texts" by Snyder afterwards and dragged out my copy of "Poets on the Peaks: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen & Jack Kerouac in the Cascades" by John Suiter.

One of the best and most popular of Kerouac's autobiographical novels, The Dharma Bums is based on experiences the writer had during the mid-1950s while living in California, after he'd become interested in Buddhism's spiritual mode of understanding. One of the book's main characters, Japhy Ryder, is based on the real poet Gary Snyder, who was a close friend and whose interest in Buddhism influenced Kerouac. This book is a must-read for any serious Kerouac fan. -- Amazon Review

Grilled Chicken Salad

This is good, fast & easy - I served it on lettuce. Next time, I'd serve it on more greens as the salad is sweet. I grilled garlic naan (pita bread would work as well) to serve on the side.


Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup seedless green grapes
* 1/2 cup chopped red onion
* 1/2 cup mango chutney
* 1/3 cup finely chopped celery
* 1/3 cup canola mayonnaise (such as Spectrum organic)
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring to combine. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place yogurt mixture in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken, breast side down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of breast registers 160°. Remove chicken from grill; let stand 10 minutes. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Coarsely chop chicken and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. Add grapes and remaining ingredients to chicken mixture; toss gently to combine. Chill 30 minutes.

Asian Street Sandwiches

MMMMMMMMMM! Guy Fieri's recipe from Family Circle, July 2009. I haven't tried his other recipes, but here they are.


* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 2 tablespoons garlic, crushed
* 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (such as Sriracha Thai hot sauce)
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 pound pork roast, sliced on the bias into 12 thin pieces
* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup mirin (Asian cooking wine)
* 1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
* 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1-1/4 cups)
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 6 hero rolls, each 6 inches long, split
* 6 romaine lettuce leaves
* 1 cup cilantro leaves, stemmed and cleaned

Directions

1. In a medium-size bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the oyster sauce, the garlic, the ginger, 1 teaspoon of the chili garlic sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Add pork and toss to coat. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag, remove the air and let marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 4-1/2 hours.

2. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the rice wine vinegar, mirin and mint; mix until sugar dissolves. Add cucumber and marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, blend mayonnaise with the remaining 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Let sit for 5 minutes.

4. In medium-size saute pan or on hot grill, cook meat to medium-rare, until it registers 145° on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate or platter.

5. Drizzle olive oil on rolls and brown lightly on grill or under broiler, about 2 minutes. Spread mayo onto each roll, dividing evenly. Place pork in roll, top with marinated cucumbers, lettuce and cilantro. Slice in half and serve.

Roasted Huevos Rancheros

This was my breakfast yesterday --- kind of a "clean out the frig" type meal.

For the scramble:
cubed ham (cook in oil & butter before adding eggs)
6 eggs & milk or cream, scramble & season with "Slap Ya Mama"
shredded mozzarella and cheddar
roasted red peppers
chopped Kalamata olives

Serve on:
6 corn tortillas - fried crisp

Top each with a dollop of:
sour cream or Greek yogurt
fire roasted salsa

Egg Fu Yong

6 eggs
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
¼ cup green onion (minced)
¼ cup bamboo shoots (minced)
4 water chestnuts (minced)
¼ cup slivered ham
1 teaspoon soy sauce
oil (for cooking)

Foo Yung Sauce -
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water