"Ceviche" Express

Ceviche Express

Serves 1-2

3 T. lime juice

5 drops fish sauce

1-2 T. diced red onion

1/4 jalepeno, diced

1 t. minced fresh garlic

1-2 t. hot pepper paste, to taste

2 T. fresh chopped cilantro

12 jumbo shrimp, cooked

Optional ingredients:

3-4 pieces mandarin orange, chopped

Tomato slice, diced

1/4 avocado, diced 

Combine all marinade ingredients.  Mix well.  Let marinade stand for 1 or more hours to meld flavors.  

About 30-60 minutes before serving, add shrimp (and optional ingredients, if using) to marinade.  Stir or shake a few times to ensure shrimp is marinating evenly.   I like to eat this plain as a low(ish) carb main dish, or throw it on top of some greens for a salad, if you wish.  (The marinade and shrimp without optional ingredients: 144 calories...13 carbs...6 from the hot pepper paste, so eliminate that for the lowest carb version.)

If you don't need to watch your carb intake, this is great as an appetizer served with tortilla, plantain, sweet potato, or salt & pepper chips.  The optional ingredients all increase the carb count as well, so keep that in mind.  

This has a wonderfully bright, happy flavor that pairs well with a glass of ice cold Gewürztraminer.

NOTE: I have let the shrimp marinate as long as 2-3 hours, but be careful!  If you put the shrimp in the marinade too early, the acid in the lime juice "cooks" the shrimp further and it will become rubbery.  If you have access to VERY FRESH raw seafood, place it in the marinade 5-8 hours, until the seafood is opaque, and you will have a *more* authentic ceviche.

Pesto Cream Fettucine

By request, here is my recipe for a pasta dish that is capable of clogging healthy arteries in a mere instant.  But what a way to go.  Seriously.  Death by cream and butter?  Count me in.

Pesto Cream Fettucine

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Coat both sides heavily with a rub made from:

Garlic granules

Oregano

Parsley

Thyme

Seasoned Salt

Cracked Pepper

Or...use whatever combination of garlic and herbs you happen to have on hand!

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Chicken should be slightly undercooked and pinkish.

Prepare 1 lb. fettucine, according to package instructions.  Drain, set aside.

In skillet over med-high heat:

1 1/2 c.butter, melt

7-8 T. flour, whisk in until smooth

Add:

2 1/2 pints heavy cream

2 1/2 c. water

3 cubes chicken boullion

6 T. crushed garlic (more, if desired)

2-4 T. prepared pesto (optional)

Sauce should be of thick gravy-like consistency. 

Remove chicken from oven and cut breasts into chunks.

Combine chicken and drained pasta in large baking dish.  Pour cream sauce over top and stir to coat all.

Sprinkle with: 

2-3 handfuls fresh spinach

1 can black olives, hand crushed

1 med. jar roasted red peppers, torn in strips

Feta cheese (optional)

Return to oven and cook until chicken is cooked through...about 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy! 

Prosciutto & Mozzarella with Fig Jam

This is one of my favorite new taste sensations, inspired by a specialty sandwich I was served at River City Deli on Chattanooga's North Shore.  It was served up by a gentleman whom I would classify as a New Jersey Italian.  Because I like NJ Italians, I thought perhaps my psyche persuaded my tastebuds of the merits of this combination.  I was wrong.  This is truly a marriage of soulmates...the sweetness of fig, the saltiness of prosciutto, and the tang of balsamic.  Perfecto.  

The Mike & Molly
named for the young whipper-snappers who persuaded us to enter the dive

Fig Jam
24 dried mission figs stems removed
1 c water
1 c sugar
1/4 c port

Place the ingredients above into a small pot and bring to a boil over Med-High heat.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool before blending in a food processor until the consistency of thick, seeded jam.

Balsamic-Port Reduction
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. ruby port

Bring to boil over High heat; boil until liquid is reduced by at least half, and mixture is slightly thickened.

For each sandwich, you'll need:
1 XL croissant
2 large slices prosciutto
2 slices fresh mozzarella
Few slices red onion
Fig Jam
Balsamic-Port Reduction

Brush inside of croissant - both halves - with the balsamic reduction.   Place prosciutto on one half and mozzarella and onion on the other half.  Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is slightly melted.  Watch carefully so that croissant edges don't burn.  

Remove from oven.  Spread with Fig Jam.   Prepare to be addicted.

Cinna-Mini Muffins

Cinna-Mini Muffins

3 c. flour

3 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 t. nutmeg

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. shortening

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. milk

1 c. grated apple

Place dry ingredients in bowl.   Cut in shortening until mixture is fine.  Combine egg, milk and apples, then add to dry ingredients.  Mix thoroughly.  

Grease mini-muffin pan and drop a scant teaspoonful of batter into each cup (about 3/4 inch blob...not enough to fill the cup).  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from pan.  

1 1/2- 2 c. melted butter

2 c. sugar mixed with 4-5 T. cinnamon

Roll muffins in melted butter then coat with Cinnamon-Sugar.  

These little guys are very good cold, but they are to die for fresh out of the oven!  This recipe makes approximately 72 doughnut holes.  It can successfully be halved.  You can also make 18-20 normal-size muffins and bake them for 20-25 minutes.  Bon appetit!

Raspberry-Chipotle BBQ Pork Sliders

Raspberry-Chipotle BBQ Pork Sliders

(enough for about 20 sandwiches)

4.5 lbs. pork roast (or butt or shoulder)
4 T. garlic powder
3 T. seasoned salt
3 t. cumin
3 T. chili powder

Place roast in casserole dish with all spices and about 3/4 c. water.  Cover and slow cook at 200 degrees for 8 hours or overnight.  

While still warm - but just before serving, if possible -  pull apart using 2 forks, leaving meat in juices.  Meat should be very tender.    

Serve on warm Sister Schubert's rolls with this sauce:

Raspberry-Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Blend all ingredients in a small mixing bowl:
1 c. KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce
4 heaping T. adobo sauce (from canned chipotles)
8 T. raspberry preserves (preferably seedless)

Lobster Bisque

Lobster Bisque
feeds 12-16

Lobster tails - 2 XXL or 7-8 small

Immerse lobster tails in boiling water (enough to cover them).  Boil for 8 minutes (or until shell is bright red and meat is tender).  Remove tails from pot and cool completely before extracting the meat.  Reserve 4 c. of the lobster "broth."  

In a large pot, whisk together:
1 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. flour (up to 3/4 if you prefer a thicker bisque)

Add, whisk, and bring to boil:
3-5 T. minced garlic
8 chicken boullion cubes
3 T. chipotle adobo sauce
3 capfuls Zatarain's crab and shrimp boil
2 t. black pepper

Add and heat through:
4 c. broth (reserved from lobster tail boil)
2 quarts heavy cream (8 c.)
1 lb. lump crab meat
1/2 - 1 lb. lobster meat from tails

TIP #1: I have found the smaller tails easier to work with...both in cracking the shell and cleanly removing the meat.

TIP #2: You can substitute milk for the fish broth if 1) you bought pre-cooked lobster meat and don't have any broth!  or 2) you prefer a less fishy taste...in which case, I'm not sure why you would be making a seafood bisque in the first place.

TIP #3: Heavy cream is a tad pricey right now.  You can substitute 4-6 c. with milk; while you will sacrifice the thick, rich, creaminess, it will still taste really good.  If you do this, use the highest-fat milk possible!

TIP #4:  If you like spicy, bump up the chipotle a notch or two.  You won't sacrifice the overall flavor by doing so.

Anaheim Shrimp

Anaheim Shrimp

Boil and simmer:
1 bag dried Anaheim peppers
1/2 lg. onion
4 T. garlic
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. sugar

Process and strain.
Add 1/2 c. oil
2 T. adobo sauce

Marinate peeled, deveined, and cooked shrimp for 3 or more hours before serving.