Oven roasted tilapia and vegetables with lemon herb butter
Oven roasted tilapia and vegetables with lemon herb butter
Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds fresh tilapia (4 each 5-6 oz filets)
1 tomato (sliced in 8 slices)
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 lemon (sliced in 8 slices)
To taste Italian seasoning (use your favorite)
To taste salt and pepper
4 Tbsp butter
2 cups cooked brown rice (use what is in your pantry)
4 sheets aluminum foil (approx 12-16 inches long)
Lay four pieces of foil out on counter top or work table. Place two slices of tomato in center of each sheet, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the zucchini and yellow squash into four portions, and place over the top of tomatoes. Try to keep them as flat and evenly spread out as possible so they will cook evenly. Season the vegetables with Italian seasoning. Use whatever seasoning blend you normally have in your pantry. If you prefer all basil, or have a blend you normally use, substitute here. You could replace with fresh basil leaves, but fresh herbs may be expensive depending on timing and market prices.
Place the tilapia on top of the vegetable stack. Place 1 Tbsp butter on top of fish. If you soften butter slightly you can spread it easily over fish. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and same seasoning you used on vegetables. Top with two slices of lemon. Form a pouch with foil and crimp edges, forming an envelope or bag.
Place in 350 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and open foil; use caution as steam will be trapped in foil. Serve the tilapia and vegetables over cooked rice. Make sure to spoon liquid from bottom of foil over top of the fish and vegetables.
Sarma (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
Sarma (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
Serves 6
1 large head cabbage
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground ham
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 pound sauerkraut
1 cup tomato juice
water to cover
Place cabbage in the freezer for a few days. The night before making the rolls, take it out to thaw.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, ham, rice, onion, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form meat mixture into oblong balls, using 1/2 cup of the mixture at a time. Then, wrap a cabbage leaf around each ball.
Spread the sauerkraut in the bottom of a large pot, then layer cabbage rolls on top, placing them seam-side down. Pour tomato juice over rolls, then add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours, adding more water as necessary.
Tasting Notes: Try boiling cabbage leaves in salted water with added vinegar. Try adding dill, marjoram, paprika. Rinse kraut so it will not overpower the dish. Use orzo, Arborio, or barley instead of regular rice. Can add bacon to meat mixture. Can add ham hock or sausage to pot for added flavor. Serve with salted cucumbers. Can utilize crock pot for cooking instead.
Traditional Cioppino
Traditional Cioppino
Recipe Courtesy LoRusso’s Cucina on The Hill
Serves 2
1 tablespoon (or more) chopped garlic
1/3 cup chopped red onion (plus 1/4 cup chopped celery and carrot, if desired)
2 tablespoons (packed) chopped fresh basil
10 turns freshly ground black pepper
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup Chianti wine
1 can (28 oz.) chopped plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon lobster or shrimp base dissolved in 1 cup water (or clam juice)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon saffron
8 large sea scallops
4 extra-large shrimp
8 oz. swordfish, tuna or other firm fish
8 fresh whole clams
12 green lip mussels
1 cup arborio rice
Extra clam juice
Italian bread, sliced
In large skillet, cook and stir garlic, onion, basil, black pepper and red pepper until onion is transparent. Add wine. Heat and stir to loosen pieces of mixture from bottom of skillet. Add undrained tomatoes, dissolved liquid, parsley and salt. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add saffron, scallops, shrimp, swordfish, clams, mussels, and rice. Cook over medium heat, covered, adding hot clam juice, cup at a time, until rice is desired texture and seafood is cooked thoroughly.
Creamy Italian Chicken
Creamy Italian Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup water
8 oz cream cheese — softened
1 can cream of chicken soup — undiluted
4 oz can mushroom stems and pieces — drained
Hot cooked rice or pasta
Place the chicken breast halves in the crockpot. Combine the Italian dressing mix and water until smooth; pour over top of chicken. Cover; cook on low for 3 hours. Combine the cream cheese and soup until smooth and blended. Stir in mushroom pieces. Pour soup mixture over chicken. Cook 1 hour more or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta.
Yellow Rice – Arroz Amarillo
Yellow Rice – Arroz Amarillo
Recipe Courtesy of Daisy Martinez
Yields 6-8 servings
Good to serve with Fillet a La Veracruzana
1/2 cup Achiote Oil (recipe follows)
1/2 cup Sofrito (recipe follows)
1/2 cup alcaparrado (marinated olives, capers and pimentos, found in jars in the international foods aisle) or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
2 to 3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 cups long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned, plus additional if needed
Heat the achiote oil in a heavy, 4- to 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Stir in the sofrito and cook until most of the water is evaporated. Add the alcaparrado or olives, salt, cumin, pepper, and bay leaves; stir to combine. When the mixture is bubbling, add the rice, stirring to coat. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the rice by the width of two fingers. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid until the broth reaches the level of the rice. When the broth and rice are level, stir the rice once, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, without opening the pot or stirring. After 20 minutes, gently fluff the rice up by scooping the rice from the bottom to the top. Serve hot.
Achiote Oil
Yields 1 cup
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds
Heat the oil and annatto seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until the seeds start to give off a lively, steady sizzle. Don’t overheat the mixture or the seeds will turn black and the oil a nasty green. Once they’re sizzling away, pull the pan from the heat and let it stand until the sizzling stops. Strain as much of the oil as you are going to use right away; store the rest for up to 4 days at room temperature in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Sofrito
Yields 4 cups
2 medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks
3 to 4 Italian frying peppers or cubanelle peppers, cut into large chunks
16 to 20 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch cilantro, washed
4 leaves of cilantro
3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large chunks
Add the onion and cubanelle or Italian peppers into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth. Sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It also freezes beautifully.
Oven-Baked Risotto
Oven-Baked Risotto
Serves 2 to 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine, (optional)
2 to 2 1/4 cups hot water
1/2 cup homemade or low sodium canned chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees;. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.
Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter, cheese, and parsley. Serve immediately.
Curry Shrimp
Curry Shrimp
Recipe courtesy of James Palmer
Serves 2 as first course
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 extra-large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tail section left on
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon very thinly sliced basil
1/4 Scotch bonnet chile pepper, seeded and julienned
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Curry Sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 Cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
1 coconut, halved
Fried plantain chips, for garnish (optional)
Fried ginger pieces, for garnish (optional)
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add shrimp, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add basil, Scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, and onion, stirring shrimp to coat. Remove skillet from heat, and add wine. Return to heat, and add curry sauce and coconut milk. Cook, stirring until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Place 3/4 cup of rice in each coconut half. Place 4 shrimp on each rice mound, and top with coconut curry sauce. Garnish with fried plantain chips and fried ginger, if desired. Serve immediately.
Curry Sauce
Makes 3/4 cup
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 scallion, trimmed and finely chopped
1 fresh thyme
6 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
Heat oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add curry powder, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, scallion, and thyme. Cook until vegetables are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Add coconut milk, and stir until well combined. Strain into a small saucepan, and continue cooking until reduced and the sauce thickly coats the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes more. Sauce may be stored, covered, in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Lamb and Pine Nut Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Lamb and Pine Nut Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Active work time: 40 minutes
Total preparation time: 2 1/2 hours
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 pound ground lamb
3/4 cup rice
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cups white wine, divided
Freshly ground pepper
1 (3-pound) cabbage
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1. Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pine nuts, lamb, rice, cilantro, cumin, salt, egg, 1/2 cup of wine and pepper to taste. Stir to mix thoroughly, but don't overmix or the rolls will be heavy.
3. Leaving the cabbage head whole, cut out as much of the core as you can. Dip the whole cabbage head in a large pan of boiling water until the outer leaves soften, about 30 seconds. Remove the cabbage from the water, carefully remove those outer leaves and set them aside on a towel to drain. Repeat this process until you come to the inner leaves that are very convoluted and thick. Shred those and set them aside.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet with a heat-proof handle, cook the shallots in the olive oil over medium heat until they soften, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage and cook until the cabbage is wilted and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of wine and cook until it loses its raw smell, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and heat through. The sauce should be slightly soupy.
5. Set 1 medium-sized cabbage leaf flat on a work surface with the core end facing away from you. Cut a "V" in the base, removing the tough part of the core. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the "cup" of the leaf at its tip. Roll once, then fold in the sides and continue rolling. Set aside seam-side down. Repeat using all of the medium-sized leaves, then using the larger leaves, cutting them in half if necessary to make consistent-sized rolls. You will probably have some cabbage leaves left over.
6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. When the tomato sauce is ready, place the prepared cabbage rolls seam-side down in the pan. Go ahead and pack them tightly, and, if necessary, you can even stack one or two on top. Arrange any unused cabbage leaves in a single layer on top of the rolls. Cover the pan with a lid and place it in the oven. Bake until the rolls are thoroughly cooked and fragrant, about 11/2 hours.
8. Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the loose leaves from the top and then carefully spoon the hot cabbage rolls onto a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the top and serve right away.
Shrimp and Creamy Spinach-Feta Rice
Shrimp and Creamy Spinach-Feta Rice
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut into julienne strips
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
1 pound cooked, peeled, deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen
3 cups cooked medium or long-grain white rice
1 cup crumbled feta cheese flavored with basil and tomato
Toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds
1. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add raisins and bell pepper; cook 1 minute. Add spinach, salt and pepper; toss until spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute. Add shrimp; cook, stirring, just until shrimp are hot, 30 seconds.
2. Add the hot rice and feta cheese. Toss all ingredients until heated through and cheese is soft and creamy. Top with toasted nuts.
Persian Rice
Persian Rice
Serves 4 to 6
Coarse salt
2 cups white basmati rice
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
3 black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds (from about 3 pods)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons diced dried apricots
2 tablespoons dried sweet or sour cherries or golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fill a large saucepan with 4 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt, return to a boil, and stir in rice, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom seeds. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let stand in a sieve.
3. Place a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and cook until melted. Remove 3 tablespoons melted butter and set aside. Add onions and saffron to skillet and cook, stirring until onions are golden, about 8 minutes. Spread onion in an even layer in skillet.
4. Season rice with salt. Spoon half of rice over onion, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with apricots and cherries. Evenly spread remaining rice over fruit, pressing down firmly to compact.
5. Drizzle reserved butter evenly over the top. Cover skillet with a double layer of parchment-lined aluminum foil, pressing down on the top and crimping the edges. Transfer to oven and bake 1 hour.
6. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, and invert a large round platter over the skillet. Carefully, turn the skillet and platter over. Remove skillet, and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
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