Recipes that can be thrown together in 20 minutes or less with no more than five ingredients--that's the quick and the easy of Jane Butel's Quick and Easy Southwestern Cookbook. "The two pillars of the cuisine," she writes, "are chiles, which provide the personality, and corn, which provides a great deal of the structure." Jane Butel provides the know-how. That includes how to reduce fat, plan a week's worth of cooking for a family,
Chard leaves are so big that they make a great wrap.
Cooking Time: 3 to 4 minutes in a microwave oven,
12 to 15 minutes in a convential oven
Yield: 4 servings
4 large leaves Swiss chard, well rinsed
1 pound salmon fillet or steak, bones removed
4 teaspoons minced reconstituted chipotle chiles
1 lime, cut into 8 slices
Place the chard leaves in a plastic bag and cook on high in the microwave oven for about 1 minute, or until they wilt. Or immerse the leaves in rapidly boiling water for about 2 minutes.
Drain the leaves and lay them flat on a work surface. Cut the salmon into 4 equal portions and place one on each leaf.
Place 1 teaspoon chipotles on each fillet and spread as uniformly as possible. Top each fillet with 2 slices of lime. Wrap the chard leaf around the fillings and secure with toothpicks, if needed.
Place the salmon wraps on a microwave-safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and cook in the microwave oven on high power for 2 to 3 minutes, until done (see *Note). The thinner the cut of salmon, the faster it will cook. The salmon should be somewhat shiny in the center for the best flavor. Serve hot.
NOTE: To cook the salmon conventially, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the wraps on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 10 minutes.
