Grilled Fish Tacos

From Bon Appétit, May 2008

* 2 cups chopped white onion, divided
* 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
* 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
* 1 pound tilapia, striped bass, or sturgeon fillets
* Coarse kosher salt
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon milk
* Corn tortillas
* 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced
* 1/2 small head of cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
* Salsa Verde
* Lime wedges

Stir 1 cup onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, orange juice, garlic, and oregano in medium bowl. Sprinkle fish with coarse salt and pepper. Spread half of onion mixture over bottom of 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange fish atop onion mixture. Spoon remaining onion mixture over fish. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Turn fish; cover and chill 30 minutes longer. Whisk mayonnaise, milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl.

Brush grill grate with oil; prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill fish with some marinade still clinging until just opaque in center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Grill tortillas until slightly charred, about 10 seconds per side.

Coarsely chop fish; place on platter. Serve with lime mayonnaise, tortillas, remaining 1 cup chopped onion, remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, avocados, cabbage, Salsa Verde, and lime wedges.

Carrot Thing

From Sally's Mother, Evelyn W. Murov


Ingredients:


1 C grated carrots (4-5 med)
2 C brown sugar
1-1/2 sticks margarine (3/4 C)
3 eggs
1-1/4 C flour
2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 T lemon juice
1 T water


Directions:
Cream sugar and margarine and add 3 eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add sifted flour mixture. Then add lemon juice, water and carrots. Mix well.

Put in greased casserole and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


Other Info:
Another one of those recipes that my mother got when I was a little girl and I=ve been making for years. Actually it=s more of a carrot bread than ring or pudding as my mother used to call it. Lenny says we should just call it “Carrot Thing”. Use fine side of grater in grating. Can be fixed in am and put in refrigerator and baked before serving. However, you must allow enough time for it to reach room temperature before baking or else it will not get done.

I usually make it several days before I=m going to serve it and stick it in the freezer. The key is to defrost it early enough so that it=s at room temperature before baking, otherwise it takes forever for the inside to get done. I also use a food processor to grate the carrots and this gives it a somewhat different texture. Either way works fine and the result is delicious.

Cinnamon Scones

For the scones:
3 C all purpose flour
1/2 C sugar
2-1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 C unsalted butter, at room temp
1 C cinnamon chips
1 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 & butter a baking sheet. In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt & baking soda. Blend the butter into the dry ingredients, using your fingertips or a pastry blender, until the mixture is crumbly. Add the cinnamon chips and mix to combine. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough is tough and shaggy.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto buttered baking sheet. Bake until puffy and golden, 15-18 minutes. (approx 28 - 30 scones, depending on size - cinnamon chips made by Hershey)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 oz)

PREPERATION
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1 3/4 tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips.

Scoop 1/4 cup batter for each cookie, arranging mounds 3 inches apart, on 2 baking sheets. Flatten mounds into 3-inch rounds using moistened palm of your hand. Form remaining cookies on additional sheets of parchment.

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets.

Cornbread Stuffing with Ham, Chestnuts and Sage

From Bon Appetit, November 2005

8 Servings

Stone-Ground Cornbread
6 Tb butter, divided
8 oz ham steak or pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 c)
2 c chopped onion
3 large celery stalks, chopped (about 1 3/4 c)
2 Tb chopped sage
1 7.25 oz jar steamed, peeled chestnuts, coarsely crumbled (we use fresh)
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea ground black pepper
1 1/2 c low-salt chicken broth
2 large eggs
nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Coarsely crumble cornbread onto large baking sheet. Toast in the oven until slightly dried, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, maintain oven temperature.

Butter a 11X7X2 inch glass baking dish. Melt 1 Tb butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced ham and saute until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer ham to large bowl. Melt 4 Tb butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and sage; cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to bowl with ham. Stir in chestunuts, parsley, 1/2 tea salt and 1/2 tea pepper.

Stir crumbled cornbread into ham mixture. Whisk 1 1/2 c chicken broth and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Mix into stuffing, adding more chicken broth by tablespoonfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish. Dot with reminaing 1 Tb butter. Spray sheet of foil on 1 side with nonstick spray. Cover cornbread stuffing with foil, sprayed side down. Bake 40 mintues. Uncover and bake until top begins to brown, about 20 minutes longer.

Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

From Food and Wine magazine, September 2008

4 servings

1/2 c dark brown sugar
3 Tb Asian fish sauce
1/4 c water
3 Tb rice vinegar
1 tea minced garlic
1 tea finely grated fresh ginger
1 tea coarsely ground pepper
2 fresh Thai chiles, halved
1 Tb canola oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cilantro sprigs

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, fish sauce, water, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper and chiles.

2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce mixture and the chicken adn simmer over high heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 mintues. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with the cilantro.

Serve with Jasmine rice.

Pasta with Sausage, Basil and Mustard

From Food & Wine magazine, September 2008

4 servings

1 lb medium shells
1 Tb olive oil
1 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausages - casings removed, meat crumbled
3/4 c dry white wine
3/4 c heavy cream
3 Tb grainy mustard
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 c thinly sliced basil

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the sausage meat and brown over moderately high heat. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the cream, mustard and red pepper adn simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the pasta and basil and serve.