Adapted from Jim’s Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

½ ounce dried shitake mushrooms, or any type of dried mushrooms
4 white fish fillets, about 6 ounces each
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grind the dried mushroom in a food processor, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle until the mushrooms are the consistency of powder.

2. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and coat it with the ground mushrooms.

3. In a skillet large enough to accommodate all of the fish in a single layer, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-heat. Cook the fish until it is just cooked though, about 4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.

4. Serve the fish on a bed of ravigote sauce

Serves 4

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INGREDIENTS:

Coarse salt
1 pound of elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 slices of bacon, coarsely chopped
2 large leeks, trimmed of roots and dark green tops
Coarse black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken stock or broth
3 ½ cups grated Gruyere cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
¾ cup plain bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When the water reaches a boil, add some salt and the pasta, and cook until al dente.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chopped bacon and cook until crisp. While bacon is cooking, split the trimmed leeks in half lengthwise, lay the leeks cut side down and thinly slice into half-moons. Fill a large bowl with water and mix the leeks into the water. Allow the water to settle and the dirt and the grit to settle to the bottle of the bowl. Using your hands, draw the leeks from the water, taking care not to unsettle the dirt. Drain the cleaned leeks on a kitchen towel, pat dry and, and then add to the pan with the bacon. Season the leeks with salt and pepper. Cook until leeks are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3. To start the cheese sauce, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then add the flour, cayenne, and paprika and whisk together over the heat until the roux bubbles; cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in the milk and stock and raise the heat a little. Bring the sauce to a quick boil and simmer to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in 3 cups of the grated cheese and the mustard. Set aside.

4. Add the cherry tomatoes to the leeks and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.

5. Preheat the broiler.

6. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pasta pot. Combine the reserved leek mixture and the cheese sauce with the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Combine the remaining ½ cup of grated cheese with the bread crumbs. Top the pasta with the mixture. Place the dish under the broiler until the cheese melts and the bread crumbs are brown.

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Rachael Ray’s 365: No Repeats

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INGREDIENTS:

½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup soy sauce
2 medium-sized fillets
¼ cup coarsely ground pepper
Vegetable oil or peanut oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together maple syrup and soy sauce in a deep bowl or Ziploc bag.

2. Stick salmon fillets in the maple syrup and soy sauce mixture, making sure they are completely covered in the marinade.

3. Marinate for 24 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 500°F.

5. Rub vegetable oil or peanut oil on baking sheet.

6. Place coarsely ground pepper on a plate.

7. Remove salmon from marinade and place top side down on to the pepper to coat.

8. Place salmon fillets pepper side up on oiled baking sheet.

9. Bake for about 10 minutes (depending on the size of the fillets). Avoid overcooking the salmon. The syrup will cause the fillets to smoke a little – this is ok.

10. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

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INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs pork spareribs
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
1 bottle Barbeque sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a shallow baking pan, place ribs in a single layer.

3. Add a little freshly ground pepper and salt (about a ½ teaspoon of each is fine, but add more or less if you’d like).

4. Rub garlic on the ribs.

5. Bake for 2 hours, until ribs are tender.

6. Remove after a of couple hours. Pour barbeque sauce all over the ribs, being sure to cover both sides.

7. Return ribs to oven and bake for another 45 minutes to an hour at 300 degrees F.

Serves 4-6

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Grilling season is upon! The succulent scent of smoky meat and grilled vegetables will soon be filling the air. Mmm… Here’s one of my mother’s recipes for marinated chicken breasts. Since my mother doesn’t normally measure ingredients out, the measurements that I have listed are just a rough estimate. I tested the recipe out myself, and it came out just fine. However, feel free to experiment with the measurements yourself. This tastes great served with some grilled onions and zucchini.

INGREDIENTS FOR MARINADE:

½ cup fish sauce
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pineapples with juice
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
1-2 stalks lemongrass, minced
½ teaspoon pepper
6-8 chicken breasts, skinned and boned

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken in large, shallow dish.

2. Grind garlic and lemongrass in a mortar until the texture is almost smooth.

3. Rub the garlic and lemongrass mixture all over the chicken pieces.

4. Combine fish sauce, brown sugar, chopped pineapples (along with juice), and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly.

5. Pour over chicken.

6. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours (preferable overnight).

7. Grill or broil chicken.

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Pan-Fried Crab Cakes with Chili-Lime Dressing, Mango-Cucumber Relish, and Mixed Greens

INGREDIENTS:

4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
6 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 ½ cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
½ cup vegetable oil
1 recipe Mango-Cucumber Relish
1 recipe Chili-Lime Dressing
1 cup of mesclun or assorted baby greens for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line a baking sheet parchment paper and set aside.

2. Combine the butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, green onions, chives, and parsley in a bowl of a food processor and process until well blended and slightly thickened. Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne and process for 15 seconds to blend. Transfer to a medium bowl with the crabmeat and bread crumbs and fold gently to mix, being careful not to break up the lumps.

3. Form the crabmeat mixture into eight 2 ½ to 3-inch-round cakes, about 2 ½ ounces each, and pack gently but firmly. Place on the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, 1 to 2 hours.

4. Place the flour in a small shallow dish. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make an egg wash. Place the panko in a third shallow dish.

5. Dredge each crab cake in flour, then in the egg wash, and then in the panko crumbs, shaking to remove any excess breading. Set aside.

6. Heat ¼ cup of the vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry the crab cakes 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, and 4 ½ minutes per side. Add more oil as needed. Drain the crab cakes on paper towels.

7. To serve, arrange 2 crab cakes on each of 4 plates and top with 2 tablespoons of the Mango-Cucumber Relish. Drizzle the Chili-Lime Dressing around the crab cakes, garnish each plate with greens, and serve immediately.

Makes 4-8 servings

Recipe from Emeril's Delmonico

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http://www.ahamburgertoday.com/

In honor of National Hamburger Month, my sister and I made some delicious onion and jalapeno burgers! Here’s the recipe…

Tasty Onion and Jalapeno Burgers

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1-2 jalapenos, sliced lengthwise and chopped
1 handful of white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
A couple dashes of soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoon garlic salt
1 ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together all ingredients together thoroughly.

2. Form in medium sized burger patties.

3. Grill burgers for about 8-12 minutes or until cooked to preference.

4. Add cheese on top of each burger for one minute before cooking is completed.

5. Remove burgers from grill.

6. Place on toasted buns, and add toppings.

Makes about 6 medium-sized burgers

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They say that eating salmon is very good for you... it's a great source of protein and rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It may even increase the production of collagen, keratin, and melanin. It's no wonder my mom loves this fish! This is one of the recipes that she uses... it's really simple, and can be prepare quickly. The marinade really gives the salmon a nice flavor that isn't too overpowering. I enjoy this served simply with some steamed white rice. Mmmm...



INGREDIENTS:
2 lb salmon filet
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, mix together fish sauce, with sugar, salt, and garlic.
2. Clean salmon and pat dry with paper towel.
3. Place salmon in fish sauce mixture and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
4. Cover broiler ban with aluminum foil, and place marinated fish on top.
5. Pour the excess fish sauce mixture on top of the salmon, and sprinkle with black pepper.
6. Broil in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Serve with steamed white rice.


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INGREDIENTS:
1 medium eggplant
¼ cup of vegetable oil
¼ cup of chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ cup milk
Flour
Vegetable oil for frying
8 ounces fresh sliced mozzarella cheese
4 ounces fresh sliced prosciutto
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet.
2. Add onions and garlic into the skillet and sauté over low heat. Stir occasionally until onion become tender.
3. Stir in parsley, salt, fresh ground pepper, and tomato sauce. Let simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, peel and slice the eggplant. Make each slice about ¼ inch thick.
5. In a bowl, beat the egg slightly. Add in milk and 1 tablespoon oil.
6. Dust each slice of eggplant with flour, patting well to remove any excess flour.
7. Dip the floured eggplant slice into the egg and milk mixture, and then drain.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
9. Fry eggplant on both sides, adding more oil as needed. Fry until slices are golden brown.
10. In a 2-quart baking dish, layer the fried eggplant, tomato sauce, prosciutto, and mozzarella, topping each layer off with parmesan cheese.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes at about 350°.

Serves 6


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Savory Beer Duck!

Beer Duck with White Rice and Green Beans

Last Sunday, the girls and I had a cooking night topped off with some Desperate Housewives! This recipe for Beer Duck that Katherine got from her mom was really delicious!! Instead of duck, however, we decided to use chicken, and instead of a whole chicken, we actually substituted chicken breasts. The results were mouth-watering!

Beer Duck
INGREDIENTS:
1 duck
1/3 cup of light soy sauce
1/3 cup of dark soy sauce
1 oz. beer
2/3 cup of sugar
2-3 small pieces of ginger
2/3 cup of water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a baking dish or tray with foil
3. Mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, beer, sugar and water in a bowl
4. Marinate duck in mixture for ½ hour – 1 hour
5. Bake duck in oven for ½ hour
6. Flip duck over after ½ hour, and bake on the other side for another ½ hour

Recipe adopted from ECCFC


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My cousin Janine claims to have no cooking skills whatsoever, so therefore she was a little hesitant when I suggested that she cook her boyfriend a romantic dinner for his birthday. Being the wonderful person that I am, I offered to break down some of my favorite simple recipes for her to make.

- CAPRESE (Tomato Mozzarella Salad)
- STUFFED MUSHROOMS
- PASTA PRIMAVERA
- BROCCOLI WITH LEMON CRUMBS
- CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES


CAPRESE (Tomato and Mozzarella Salad)
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 fresh basil leaves
Fresh Mozzarella
Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Slice the 4 medium tomatoes into thin, quarter inch slices.
2. Strain the mozzarella, and then slice it into thin slices. I like to slice mine into third inch slices. I love mozzarella!
3. Alternate tomatoes and mozzarella on a serving plate.
4. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.
5. Add the basil leaves as a garnish.

* I like this dish much better with some balsamic vinegar . . . you can drizzle it over the tomato and mozzarella stack, or you can add around the stack or even underneath the stack.


STUFFED MUSHROOMS
INGREDIENTS:
12 whole fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel.
4. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
6. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet.
7. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic.
8. Set aside to cool.
9. When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper.
10. Mixture should be very thick.
11. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing.
12. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.
13 Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.


BROCCOLI WITH LEMON CRUMBS
INDGREDIENTS:
2 slices whole-wheat bread
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 12-ounce bags broccoli florets OR 1 large bunch broccoli, cut into florets

DIRECTIONS:
1. Whirl the bread in a food processor or blender to make bread crumbs. (Unless you have store bought crumbs) Sometimes I like to use crumbled croutons. You can buy the flavored kinds … like garlic herb or something.
2. Melt the butter in a small skillet.
3. Add the bread crumbs and sauté over medium heat until toasted.
4. Grate the zest from the lemon.
5. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half into the pan.
6. Add the salt and several grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until dry. (The Lemon Crumbs can be made to this point up to 2 days ahead. Spoon into a plastic bag and set aside at room temperature.)
7. Cooking the broccoli:
This recipe tells you to cook it in the microwave (it’s easier and it saves time). If you want, you can boil or steam the broccoli on the stove, which is what I like to do. It’s your call on this one.
Microwave the broccoli according to the package directions. (If using fresh broccoli, pile the florets on a microwave-safe plate and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.)
8. Remove and sprinkle with the Lemon Crumbs.


PASTA PRIMAVERA
INGREDIENTS:
6 qt. water
2 tablespoons salt
6 asparagus (Cut the tough ends off of the asparagus off, and finely dice them. Keep the tips of the asparagus whole, and in one piece.)
½ pound of broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped up finely
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
¾ cup fresh peas OR frozen peas
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 lb. fresh fettuccine OR 12 oz. dried fettuccine
1 cup heavy cream OR half & half light cream
12 fresh basil leaves
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Chop up all the vegetables; be sure that everything is the same size so that it looks pretty
2. Bring the water and the salt to a rolling boil.
3. Add the asparagus and broccoli and cook for one minute; remove them and then plunge into cold water to stopping cooking.
4. Save the water that you used to boil the vegetables. You are going to use that same water to boil the pasta in a minute.
Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
5. Add onions and carrots. Cook by stirring over heat until soft. Add blanched asparagus and broccoli along with the frozen peas and salt and pepper to taste. Cook till all vegetables are tender.
6. Now, re-boil the pot of water (the same water used for the asparagus and broccoli).
7. Add in fettuccine and cook until tender. While the pasta is cooking, add cream to vegetables and stir while simmering.
8. When the pasta is tender, drain out the water.
9. Then add the pasta to the vegetables, along with the basil leaves and cheese.
10. Serve very hot!


CHOCLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES
INGREDIENTS:
16 ounces milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening (hydrogenated vegetable oil, such as Crisco)
1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

DIRECTIONS:
1. Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries.
2. In a double boiler, (this is a small pot placed above a larger pot that contains boiling water) melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth.
3. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.
4. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into Styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.

* I usually just lay them neatly on wax paper.

* If you don’t want to go through the trouble of melting the chocolate, you can buy chocolate at the grocery store that is made specifically for dipping fruit. I used something similar when I was making dinner for Nick a while back, and it worked out great!! It’s much more convenient. I found it in the baking aisle, and all I had to do was microwave the chocolate and then dip my strawberries into them. I refrigerated them for about 20 minutes, and they cam out perfect!


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- Katherine's Mini Crab Cakes
- Katherine's Green Beans
- Madi's Empanadas
- Mrs. Jefferson's Brownies


Katherine's Mini Crab Cakes
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/3 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely minced celery
1/3 cup minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, shells picked out
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 teaspoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk mayonnaise, egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt in bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of the bread crumbs, celery, bell pepper and onion. Gently stir in crab. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
2. Transfer remaining bread crumbs to a large shallow dish and toss with parsley. Place a 25-inch-long piece of waxed paper on flat surface. Pack a level measuring tablespoon with crab mixture and drop onto breadcrumbs; gently turn to coat and shape into 1 1/2-inch cake. Place on waxed paper. Repeat.
3. Heat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly coat a large cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 8 to 10 crab cakes to skillet and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining oil and crab cakes.
4. Bake crab cakes 10 minutes, until heated through. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices and serve. Makes about 36 cakes.


Katherine's Green Beans

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound frsh green beans with the ends pinched off
5 tbs balsalmic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano

DIRECTIONS:
1. Saute green beans with olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add balsamic vinegar and oregano, while stirring ocassionally until tender as desired.


Madi's Empanadas

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
sofrito
Goya Sazon
1 handful of spanish olives
1/2 cup tomato sauce
empanada shells or pastry sheets
cooking oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix the ground beef, 4 tablespoons of sofrito, 1 packet of Goya Sazon, a handful of chopped spanish olives, and half a cup of tomato sauce in a mixing bowl.
2. Heat cooking oil in pan.
3. Cook meat in pan until meat is no longer pink (20 minutes or so).
4. Microwave empanada shells for 30 seconds (unless using pastry sheets).
5. Fill empanada shell with meat, fold over shell, and pinch with a fork.


Mrs. Jefferson's Brownies

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 squares unsweetened Ghirardelli chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chooped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease and 8-by-8-by-2-inch baking pan.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt.
3. In small bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time, until very light. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla.
4. At low speed, blend in flour mixture just until combined. Stir in nuts.
5. Turn into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake 30 minutes.
6. Cool 10 minutes. With sharp knife, cut into squares. Let cool completely in pan.
Makes 16.


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