Archive for January, 2008

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Fajitas on a Stick

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Fajitas on a Stick
Ingredients
1 (1 1/4-pound) boneless beef top
sirloin steak, cut 1-inch thick
1/3 cup prepared Italian dressing
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 medium green or red bell peppers,
each cut lengthwise into quarters
2 medium onions, each cut crosswise
into 1/2-inch slices
8 medium flour tortillas, warmed
Prepared salsa
Method
Soak eight 9-inch bamboo skewers in enough water to cover for 10 minutes; drain.

Trim fat from beef steak. Cut steak crosswise into 1/2-inch thick strips. Thread an equal amount of beef, weaving back and forth, onto each skewer.

In small bowl, combine dressing and lime juice, mixing well; brush onto beef, peppers and onions.

Place vegetables on grid over medium, ash-covered coals; grill peppers uncovered 12 to 15 minutes and onions 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, turning both once.

Approximately 10 minutes before vegetables are done, move vegetables to outer edge of grid. Place beef in center of grid; grill 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once.

Season beef with salt, as desired; remove beef from skewers.

Serve beef and vegetables in tortillas with salsa.

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Dry Rub Tri Tip

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Dry Rub Tri Tip
Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup salt
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons celery seed
Method
Combine all ingredients and rub over 4-pound tri tip 20 minutes before grilling.

Cook over medium-hot grill 15 minutes on the fat side, 15 minutes on the other side.

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Copper River Chowder

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Copper River Chowder
Ingredients
Stock
7 quarts water
Trim from 2 large (30-40 pound) Copper River king
salmons (backs, tails, fins, cheeks, etc.)
Vidalia sweet onion, chopped
Yellow onion, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
Several turns freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

Stock: Cut up the salmon trim and split it between two large stockpots, unless you have a stockpot large enough to hold everything; cover with water. Skim scum as it appears. Cook just until the salmon meat is cooked, then pick all the meat off the bones. Reserve the meat and refrigerate. Put the bones, fins, tails, etc. back into one of the stockpots. Cook on low for an hour or two, skimming off scum.

Take out the rest of the salmon trim. Add the chopped veggies and spices. Cook over low to medium heat. Then reduce to about 1/3 or 1/4. Strain through dampened cheesecloth, pressing out all the liquid or as much of it as you can get. Dump the mass of vegetables and what few bones remain, and save the liquid. You should have about 6 cups. If there’s more, reduce further or use as is.

Chowder
1/2 gallon half-and-half
1/2 gallon milk
6 cups strong salmon stock
4 – 5 large red potatoes, diced
1 stick butter (optional)
4 pounds corn kernels, preferably sweet corn from someone’s backyard
2 cups Madeira wine (optional)
1 pound ends and pieces bacon, cut up into small pieces
1 – 2 teaspoons dill
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
Several turns freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon culinary-grade lavender
3-quart bowl full of Copper River king salmon meat from trim
4 bay leaves (preferably California Bay Laurel, but the more
commonly-found and cheaper Turkish will do fine)

Method
Chowder: Fry the bacon in a large stockpot. Pour off most of the bacon fat, saving just a little to coat the bottom of the pan. Add half-and-half and stock. Add salmon meat. Add potatoes. Add pepper, dill, thyme, basil, rosemary, marjoram, and lavender. Cook for a bit to give the flavors a chance to marry. Get out a second stockpot and split ingredients between the two. Add 1 quart milk to each pot. Add 1/2 stick butter to each pot, if you’re using butter. Add half the corn to each pot. Add two bay leaves to each pot. Bring to simmer and cover most of the way. Let simmer on low heat for about 3 hours, being careful not to let it boil; stir occasionally. Add half the Madeira (if you’re using it) to each pot and simmer for another half hour. Serve.

Makes about 10 quarts of delicious chowder.

I have made this without the Madeira, butter, and lavender, using wild-caught coho trim and Turkish bay leaves (and in about half the quantity all ’round), and it’s good that way, too.

Posted in Fish_And_Seafoods | No Comments »

Strawberry Crisp

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Strawberry Crisp
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 cups sliced fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Method
Mix together oatmeal, flour and brown sugar. Add nuts. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly.

In another bowl, mix strawberries and sugar together. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Spread half the crumb mixture on bottom. Cover with strawberries. Spread remaining crumb mixture over top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Serve warm or cold with ice cream, whipped cream or topping.

Posted in Pies_And_Pastries | No Comments »

Raspberry Chocolate Fudge Red Velvet Cake

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Raspberry Chocolate Fudge Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) box red velvet cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) box instant chocolate fudge
pudding and pie filling mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup cr?me de cocoa or raspberry liqueur or brandy
1/2 cup cooking oil
4 jumbo or extra large eggs (at room temperature)
1 (12 ounce) jar seedless raspberry jam
Vanilla buttercream frosting, old-fashioned 7-minute
icing or chocolate fudge frosting
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan or wax paper-line two greased 9-inch heart-shape layer pans.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, cr?me de cocoa or raspberry liqueur or brandy, and oil; add eggs and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Fold in pecans. Spoon into prepared pan(s). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (heart-shaped layer pans) or 45 minutes (tube or Bundt pan), or until a cake tester inserted into the cake layers or cake comes out clean.

Let cake or cake layers cool for 10 minutes in pan(s), top side up for tube cake and upside down for Bundt cake.

Turn out onto wire rack(s) to finish cooling.

For heart-shaped cake, arrange one layer on a cake serving plate. Evenly spread raspberry jam over cake layer. Top with second layer. Evenly spread top and sides with frosting of choice.

For tube or Bundt cake, spread frosting of choice over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle decorative confectioners? red sugar over cake as desired.

Posted in Cakes | No Comments »

Kentucky Butter Cake

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Kentucky Butter Cake
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Sauce
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan.

In a large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; beat on low speed until moistened. Beat for about 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 50 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine sauce ingredients; cook just until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Do not bring to a boil.

Pierce the cake all over with a fork then pour the hot sauce over the warm cake. Let stand 5 minutes, or until sauce is absorbed.

Posted in Cakes | No Comments »

Fig Preserves Cake

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Fig Preserves Cake
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fig preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
Method
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream sugar and butter. Add well beaten eggs. Mix baking soda with buttermilk and add to first mixture. Gradually add flour, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Stir in fig preserves, vanilla extract and nuts. Bake in loaf or Bundt pan for one hour or until done.

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Southwestern Stir Fry

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Southwestern Stir Fry
Ingredients
1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
Warm flour tortillas
Green chili salsa
Method
Cut pork tenderloin lengthwise into quarters. Cut the quarters into 1/4-inch thick slices. Combine sherry, cornstarch, cumin, garlic and seasoned salt in a medium-size bowl. Add the pork slices and stir to coat.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork mixture and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the onion, green pepper and tomatoes. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve hot with tortillas and salsa.

Posted in Meats | No Comments »

Angel Food Delight

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Angel Food Delight
Ingredients
2 angel food cakes (in loaves)
2 (15 ounce) cans crushed pineapple (undrained)
2 (8 ounce) containers Cool Whip, thawed
1 bag flaked coconut
1 large jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved
Method
Break 1 loaf of angel food cake into bite-size pieces and place in 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Top with 1 can pineapple and half of the cherries. Spread 1 container of Cool Whip over entire pan and top with coconut (as much as desired). Repeat layering with remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Posted in Dessert | No Comments »

Caramelized Salmon with Cherry Salsa

Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Recipe
Caramelized Salmon with Cherry Salsa
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen salmon fillet with skin
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 ripe mango or papaya, seeded, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen tart cherries, thawed, drained and halved*
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, basil or cilantro
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Method
Thaw fish, if frozen.

Stir together brown sugar, orange peel and pepper. Place fish, skin side down, in a shallow pan. Rub sugar mixture over fish. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 8 hours.

Remove fish from pan, draining off any juices. Place salmon, skin-side down, on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium-hot coals. Grill for 20 to 25 minutes, or until fish flakes easily. Do not turn fish.

Meanwhile, toss together mango or papaya, cherries, mint, vinegar and red pepper. Spoon fruit salsa over warm fish. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

* 1/2 cup dried tart cherries can be substituted for frozen tart cherries.

NOTE: To bake salmon instead of grilling, spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put salmon, skin-side down, in pan. Rub with sugar mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate 2 to 8 hours. Bake, covered, in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake 5 to 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily. Prepare fruit salsa as directed above. Spoon over warm fish. Serve immediately.

Posted in Barbecue | No Comments »

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