Pecan Crusted Mahi with Pineapple Mango Salsa Recipe
Fish
3
1 cup panko
1 cup ground pecans
6 6-oz fillets of mahi
2 tbsp salt
3 tbsp pepper
3 tbsp mayo (do not use fat free)
Salsa
1 pineapple cut into bite size pieces
1 ripe mango cut the same
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped, ribs and seeds discarded
1/2 cup red pepper chopped
1/2 cup orange pepper chopped
1 lime zested and juiced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro (if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar if needed
Splash of olive oil
Black beans and rice
Cook rice according to directions
2 cups dried black beans
3 bay leaves
1 onion
2 carrots
2 tsp of coriander
2 tsp of cumin
3 tsp oregano
3 tsp ancho powder
Soak beans overnight with enough water to cover the beans by one inch. Discard water and fill again until one inch of water covers the beans. Add all ingredients and simmer 4 hours or until beans are tender, adding water if necessary.
Pat fish dry. Spread a thin layer of mayo on fish. Mix panko and pecans, salt and pepper in a dish. Press fish, mayo side down, into panko mixture. Set oven to 350°. Set fish aside to dry for 7-10 min. Heat large skillet with small amount of oil. After fish has set and oil is hot, place fish, coated side down in skillet to brown, not cooking all the way though. Cook in batches. When all pieces are browned, set in nonstick pan, panko side up, and place in oven for 12-17 min, or until cooked through.
Combine all ingredients for salsa and serve with fish and beans and rice.
Pollo Marengo
4 chicken legs with thigh meat
1 lb. Roma tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup sliced green olives
1/3 cup roasted red peppers
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 325°. Salt and pepper chicken. Heat skillet with about 1 tbsp of oil until shimmering. Carefully place chicken shin side down in pan, until browned but not done. Remove from pan, set aside. Put 2 tsp. oil in pan and reheat till shimmering. Put onions in pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost browned. Add garlic.
While the onions are cooking, heat a large pot of water. With a knife, make an X on the bottom of each tomato. When water begins to boil, place tomatoes in water. After 10-20 seconds, tomatoes will float, immediately remove from water. Skin will peel off. Discard skin and chop tomatoes.
When onions have browned, add the wine. Cook, stirring until almost evaporated. Add broth, tomatoes, and olives. Cook for approx. 5-10 min until heated through. Add chicken back to pan, and cover with foil. Place in oven and cook 40-50 minutes more or until chicken is done. Serve over rice.
Coconut Snapper with Thai Chili Garlic Sauce
Fish
six 6 oz. fillets of snapper
¾ cup panko
¾ cup unsweetened coconut
pinch of salt
3 tbs mayo
Sauce
¼ cup thai chili garlic sauce
1 tsp lime zest
juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
pinch of sugar
Rice
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
Bok Choy
6 heads baby bok choy
olive oil
1-2 tsp sesame oil
Bring water and coconut milk to a boil and add rice. Stir, cover and cook on low heat without disturbing for 20 min.
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare fish by patting dry and spreading on a thin layer of mayo. Mix panko, coconut, and salt in dish, then press the fish, mayo side down, into mixture. Set aside for 5-10 min. Heat small amount of olive oil in a skillet, and without crowding the pan, place fish, coconut side down, working in batches. Brown only for 3-5 min and remove before done, placing on a rimmed cookie sheet. Place in oven 12-15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
Mix all ingredients for sauce and taste, if too sour add sugar.
Roughly chop bok choy, and make sure it is well drained. Heat skillet with olive oil, throw bok choy in all at once, stirring constantly until it begins to wilt and slightly browns. Remove from heat and drizzle on sesame oil.
Serve fish with rice and 1 tbs of sauce and a side of bok choy.
Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin
1 ½ -2 lb. pork tenderloin
1/3 cup mayo
¾ cup panko
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375°. Mix all dry ingredients in a dipping container. Dry pork and spread thin layer of mayo over whole tenderloin. Roll pork in dry ingredient mixture, thoroughly coating it. Set aside, and let dry, 5-10 min. Place on baking pan, put in oven. Bake until thermometer reaches 165°.
Cheese Grits
1 tbls olive oil
1 cup yellow, stone-ground grits
2 cup whole milk
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbls butter
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
1 onion, grated
Heat oil in pan, add onion, and cook until translucent. Add milk, water, and broth. Bring to a boil. Add grits and stir. Cook, 45-55 min, whisking occasionally, until thick. Add cheese and butter.
Wilted Spinach
1 tbls olive oil
20 oz. of baby spinach, washed and dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of half a lemon
Salt
Pepper
Heat oil until shimmering in large pan. Add garlic, cooking until lightly browned. Add spinach, stirring constantly until completely wilted. Remove from heat and squeeze lemon before serving. Salt and pepper to taste.
Stuffed Pork Chops, Sweet Potato and Apple Gratin, and Italian Coleslaw
Center Cut Pork Chops Stuffed
Four 1½ – 2” thick center cut pork chops
6 oz. thin cut prosciutto
6 oz. good quality provolone cheese
1-sleeve butter crackers
2 tsp black pepper
1 tbls finely chopped fresh rosemary
Preheat oven to 375° finely chop the prosciutto and divide into 1½ oz. piles. Stand chops on edge and cut a pocket in chop, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place approx. 1½ oz. of prosciutto and 1½ oz. of cheese into each pocket. Using kitchen twine, tie chops to close pocket. Crush one sleeve of crackers and mix with pepper and rosemary. Press chops into mixture. Place in oven and bake 40-45 minutes or until barely cooked through. Let stand 5 min before serving
Sweet Potato and Apple Gratin
3 sweet potatoes thinly sliced
20-25 dried plums
½ cup Calvados (apple brandy)
1 large apple
4 tbls butter
½ cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375°. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch square dish. Cut plums in half and put them in a dish, then cover with Calvados. Place sweet potatoes in pot of boiling water and cook until fork tender. Drain. Place half of the potatoes in a dish. Melt 2 tbls butter in pan, and place thinly sliced apple in pan and cook until just tender. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar to the apples. Drain the plums and put the liquid in apples. Put apple mixture on top of potatoes and then sprinkle plums on top. Top with rest of sweet potatoes. Dot top with the remaining butter. Bake 20-25 minutes or until hot and slightly golden on top.
Italian Coleslaw
1 package pre-shredded cabbage/carrot mix
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
½ red onion
3 tbls olive oil
2 tbls white wine vinegar
1 tsp dried dill
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
In large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Chill and serve in 2 to 3 hours.
Curry Chicken, Cous Cous, and Summer Salad
Curry chicken
2 tbls olive oil
4 chicken quarters
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 tbls fresh grated ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tbls curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 cup chicken broth
1 can chickpeas
½ cup Greek yogurt
Preheat oven to 325°. Heat 1 tbls olive oil in pan. Sear chicken on one side (not cooking through) in batches, if necessary add more oil as needed. Remove from pan, and set aside. Add a little more oil to pan, add onion, and cook until slightly browned. Add garlic and carrots, continuing to stir. Add all spices and cook until heated through. Add chicken broth, and return chicken to pan. Cover and place in oven, cooking 1 hour and 30-45 min, until the chicken is falling off the bone. Place pan back on stove and place chicken on a dish. Add chickpeas and cook until heated thoroughly. Take off heat and add yogurt. Serve sauce over chicken.
Cous Cous
Cous cous
25-30 dried apricots cut in half
½ cup roasted salted pistachios, chopped
Make according to directions using chicken broth instead of water. Add apricots to broth when adding cous cous. Before serving, stir in pistachios.
Summer salad
1 yellow tomato, chopped
1 red tomato, chopped
2 large zucchini, chopped
4 very thin slices of red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp za’atar
Mix all ingredients together. Serve within 2 hours.
Pork Chops and Spinach with Cherry Balsamic Glaze and Wild Rice
Pork chops
6 center cut pork chops about 1½- 2 lb.
10-12 fresh sage leaves
salt
pepper
olive oil
1 tbls butter
Preheat oven to 250°.
Heat skillet on medium high with oil and butter. Salt and pepper the pork. Add pork chops and sear until almost cooked through. Place on oven-safe plate in oven.
Spinach and Glaze
2 tbls balsamic vinegar
½ cup cherry conserve
one bag of cleaned spinach
Have spinach ready in heat proof bowl. Put vinegar and cherry in same heated pan as chops were in. Heat until boiling. Pour over spinach and toss.
Serve pork chops over spinach with rice on the side.
Rice
1 tbls oil
1 cup wild rice
2 cups lower sodium chicken broth
½ cup walnuts
1 onion finely chopped
2 tbls butter
Heat pan with tight fitting lid. Place oil and bring to heat, put onion in pan, and cook until translucent. Add butter to pan, after butter melts, put rice in and cook 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Add all the liquid, stir, put lid on, and bring temperature down to simmer. Cook 20 more minutes or until tender and liquid absorbed.
Rolled Chicken with Asparagus and Polenta
Chicken
4 flattened chicken breasts
1½ oz goat cheese
¼ sun dried tomatoes in oil, cut up
12-14 fresh basil leaves
2 tbls olive oil
1 tbls balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 350°. Take flattened chicken breast, and place skin side down. Put 2-3 basil leaves, ¼ of the cheese, and ¼ of the cut up tomatoes on chicken. starting with the short end, roll the breast tightly. Place in pan. Repeat with remaining chicken. Mix oil and vinegar together. Pour over chicken and place in oven. Bake 25-30 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.
Asparagus
1 lb asparagus trimmed and washed
8 very thin slices of Pancetta
Divide the asparagus into 8 sections, and wrap each section with slice of Pancetta. Place under broiler for 3-5 min or until pancetta is cooked and asparagus is tender/crisp.
Polenta
chilled polenta
olive oil
Slice polenta and fry in oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve chicken with asparagus on top of polenta.
Shrimp and Grits
1 lb raw, peeled and deveined shrimp
½ pint yellow cherry tomatoes
½ pint red cherry tomatoes
1 onion, minced
3 bell pepper of varying colors
1 jalapeno pepper
6 oz goat cheese
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup stone ground yellow grits
½ cup white wine
3 tbls olive oil
3 tbls butter
In large pan boil broth and 2 tbls butter. Add grits and stir, turning down heat to low. Continue cooking for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put 1 tbls oil in skillet, heat and place onion in oil, and cook until caramelized. Cut peppers into large pieces, place on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbls oil. Place in oven and broil, watching carefully, until skin is blistered. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut in small pieces and put in pan with onions. Cut tomatoes in half and add to skillet with peppers and onion. Cook just until tomatoes release juices. Add shrimp and cook until just seared. Add wine to pan and continue cooking until shrimp is done. Add 3 oz of cheese to grits, stir until melted and incorporated.
Serve shrimp and veggies over grits and top with small piece of cheese.
Fish en Papillote with Rice Pilaf
6 4-6 oz. flakey white fish
2 carrots Julianne
2 zucchini Julianne
1 lemon, sliced very thin
3-4 very thin red onion slices
6 tbls butter
6 tbls white wine
6 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1 cup white rice
½ cup slivered almonds
3 tbls butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 350º. Tear six sheets of parchment paper and place one piece of fish on each. Place lemon slice, and then veggies on top. Put butter, parsley, and wine on top and lightly salt and pepper. Wrap and seal parchment paper. Place in rimmed dish and put on over for 25-35 min depending on thickness of fish.
Heat butter in heavy bottomed skillet on stove. When melted, place almonds and rice and cook until browned and fragrant. Add water and chicken broth. Stir, cover and turn heat to low. Simmer on low for 20-25 min until rice tender and liquid absorbed.
Serve the fish over rice.
Steak with Red Wine Reduction and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Steakhouse Salad
Red Wine Reduction
1½ cup red wine
½ cup reduced sodium beef broth
4 tbls butter
1 shallot
3 sprigs rosemary
Melt butter in pan. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Add wine, broth and rosemary. Simmer on low until reduced by half. Strain and serve hot with steak.
Steak
6 filet mignon about 2 in thick
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Salt and pepper steak. Place enough olive oil in pan to lightly coat. Put on high heat. When pan is searing hot, place steak in and sear, 2-3 min per side. Do not crowd steak in pan. After the steak is seared, place on oven safe plate, and place in oven for 2-3 min or until desired doneness.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1 head garlic
3 lbs. Potatoes
½ cup sour cream
4 tbls butter
2 oz. Cream cheese
½ cup cream
Cut top off of garlic, and rub with olive oil. Roast for 1 hour at 425° or until garlic is fragrant and soft. Take from oven and let cool.
Peel and cube potatoes, place in boiling water and cook until fork tender. Drain. Put in bowl with the rest of ingredients. Squeeze garlic over the bowl and mash all ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or hold for 1 hour in 250° oven.
Steakhouse Salad
1 head iceberg lettuce cut into wedges
4 very crisp slices bacon, crumbled
Thin slivers of red onion
12-14 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Dressing
3 oz. Blue cheese
2 tbls sour cream
2 tbls mayo
2 tbls milk or cream
Salt and pepper
Plate the lettuce and garnish with bacon, tomatoes and onion. Mix the dressing ingredients adding a little more milk if necessary to desired consistency. Dress salad and serve immediately.
Honey-Mustard Pork Loin with Butternut Risotto
Pork
3-3½ lbs pork tenderloin
¼ cup stone ground mustard such as Mialle
2 tbls honey
2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Mix mustards, oil, honey, and salt and pepper together. Slather on pork, and marinate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Bring to room temperature and then place in 375° oven until meat thermometer reaches 140° (about 15-17 minutes per pound.) Take out of oven and tent a piece of foil over meat and let sit for 15 minutes before cutting.
Risotto
1 cup carrots
1 cup celery
1 cup onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbls butter
Salt and pepper
2 cups white wine
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups abrio rice
1 butternut squash cut into ½ inch cubes
2/3 cups Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tbls butter
Cut the carrots, onion, and celery into chunks and place in a food processor. Add garlic and pulse until finely ground. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Place ground veggies in pan and cook until dry. Add rice, broth, and wine. Bring to boil and add squash, stir, and then cover and turn down heat to simmer for 15 min.
When rice has absorbed almost all liquid, add cheese and butter. Stir vigorously until all liquid is absorbed. Serve immediately.
Pabellón, Black Beans, Rice, and Fried Plantains
Pabellón
2½ -3 lbs Boneless chuck roast
¼ lb bacon, cut into pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbls cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tbls annatto
1 mild beer
1½- 2 cups beef stock (low sodium)
1 onion, chopped
2 tbls olive oil
1½ lb seeded, chopped tomatoes
Preheat oven to 325°. In large, oven safe skillet, fry bacon. Add roast, and sear on both sides. Add spices, and garlic. Add beer and stock. Cover, place in oven and cook 1 hour per pound, checking occasionally to make sure liquid is at least halfway up side of meat.
When done, remove from oven and let cool. Remove meat from pan when cool enough to handle, leave any cooking liquid in pan. Shred meat and place on plate.
Return pan to stove on medium heat. Add oil. When hot, add onion and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes and meat (with any juices) back to pan. Cook until liquid is absorbed and dish is heated though.
Black beans
Black beans 2 cups dried
2 bay leaves
1 onion
2 carrots
1 tsp of coriander
2 tsp of cumin
1 tbls anchero powder
Make white rice according to directions.
Fried Plantains
3 ripe plantains (dark, not black)
vegetable oil
In large skillet, pour about ½ inch oil. Heat on medium high. Cut plantains into ¾ to ½ inch slices, and carefully place in heat oil. Fry until golden brown, and place on wire rack to cool. Serve hot or at room temperature.