Recipe(tried): This Weeks Winners

**** This Weeks Winners ****

# 1 - Indoor BBQ

Being that the weather was not cooperating, I decided to do this indoors. BBQ Pork Chops with a yummy marinade, roasted potatoes and microwave corn on the cob. It was delicious. Recipes here for the pork chops and potatoes.

Yummy Indoor BBQ Pork Chops
Recipe By : RisaG
Servings: 6

6 3/4" center cut pork chops -- up to 1" thick
Paul Prudhomme's Magic Barbecue Seasoning -- for sprinkling
Smoky Tomato Marinade:
1/4 cup unseasoned tomato sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic -- smashed

Make marinade: Mix together the ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Blend them well, until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, refrigerated. Allow the mixture to come to room temperature before using.

Risa's note: I usually put all ingredients in a jar. Cover the top and shake well. Works really well.

For pork chops:
Sprinkle pork chops with Chef Paul's Barbecue Seasoning. Let sit, in the refrigerator, for a few hours. When ready to cook, Preheat George Foreman Grill or cast-iron pan. When hot, Spray with some cooking spray. If using George Foreman Grill, cook for 6 minutes. If using cast-iron pan, place in pan and cook for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from pan and check to make sure they are cooked through. If not, cook for another minute or so.

In last minute of cooking, either way, brush on some of the marinade. Cook for another minute. Remove. Let sit for a few minutes.

Buttery Roasted Potatoes
Recipe By : Gooseberry Patch Celebrate Summer, p. 41
Servings: 4

2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes* -- peeled, cut in 1" cu
hot water
2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place potatoes in a large cast-iron skillet and pour in enough hot water to cover about 1/4 inch of the potatoes. Scatter bits of butter over potatoes and season; then stir. Bake uncovered about 60 minutes, until potatoes are lightly browned and water has evaporated.

NOTES : Risa's notes:

* I didn't have Yukon Gold. I used tiny red skin potatoes and didn't cut them at all.

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# 2 - Red Chile-Rubbed Salmon

I love salmon. It was so good with this topping on it. Not hot, just a bit sweet and delicious. So good. I served it with some polenta. No veggie. You could put something green on the side, or a salad.

Red Chile-Rubbed Salmon Steaks with Microwave Polenta
Recipe By : RisaG
Servings: 2

2 salmon steaks
1/8 cup ancho chile powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 cup olive oil
kosher salt and ground black pepper
Polenta:
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Garnish:
cilantro -- chopped

Combine chili powder, cumin, sugar, cinnamon and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Coat the salmon with the mixture on one side of the salmon steak.

Preheat cast-iron pan. When hot, place salmon steaks in pan, coated side down. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn over and cook for 5 minutes.

For polenta: Place cornmeal, water and salt in microwave container large enough to fit all the cornmeal when it is cooked. Whisk well. Place in microwave uncovered. Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. Remove and whisk well to get out all lumps. Place back in microwave, uncovered. Cook for another 3 minutes uncovered. If done, all water will be absorbed. If not, do this for another 3 minutes. Should be done. Remove from microwave.

To serve: Place cooked polenta in middle of plate. Top with one salmon steak. Garnish with some chopped cilantro.

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# 3 - Chicken

This was soooo good. A bit fattening but worth it. The 20 cloves of garlic are not raw tasting. They are buttery and soft by the time the cooking is done. I served the chicken with white basmati rice and a vegetable. It was delicious.

Chicken Braised with 20 Cloves of Garlic
Recipe By : Celebrity Dish, September 2000, p. 18

2 lg heads garlic
1 3 lb chicken -- cut-up
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion -- chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine or water
1 tsp dried thyme -- crumbled
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp cornstarch -- optional

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Separate heads of garlic into individual cloves. Add to boiling water and cook 1-1/2 minutes, or until skins peel off easily. Drain and rinse briefly under cold running water. Peel garlic cloves.

Trim any pieces of fat or extra skin from chicken; rinse pieces and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and saute until skin is nicely browned, 8-10 minutes. Carefully holding lid against pan, pour off all but a thin film of fat.

Turn chicken over and sprinkle onion between pieces. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Pour in wine and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on bottom or around sides of pan. Boil until wine is reduced to 2 tbsp, about 2 minutes.

Scatter garlic around chicken, season with thyme and pour broth into pan. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, or until chicken is very tender. Remove chicken and half of garlic cloves to a deep platter or serving dish.

Skim fat off sauce in pan. Pour sauce into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. If sauce is too liquid, pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp of cold water and stir into sauce. Cook, stirring 1 minute, until slightly thickened. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Pour over chicken and serve.

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# 4 - Stir-Fry

This stir-fry is thai-inspired. A vegetarian version. You could add some chicken or meat to change it. You could also add extra chiles. Either way it probably would be great. I served it over grain, not rice.

Thai-Style Stir-Fry
Recipe By : RisaG

3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 lg scallions (green & white parts) -- chopped 1/2" pC
1 lg eggplant -- peeled & chopped
1 small red or yellow bell pepper -- sliced 1/4" x 1"
3 lg cloves garlic -- minced
3 tsp red chile paste OR
4 fresh hot chiles -- minced
3 tbsp water
1 1/2 tbsp bean paste or light miso
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar -- to taste
1 1/2 tsp sugar
salt
3 tbsp lemon balm & lemon basil -- julienne

Heat the oil in wok or large skillet over medium heat. Saute the scallions for a minute. Add the eggplant and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the bell pepper and garlic and stir for a few minutes more. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the chile paste or chiles with the hot water and stir with a fork until the paste is dissolved. Stir in the bean paste or miso, 3 tbsp soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Add this sauce to the pan and toss well to distribute evenly. Cook for a minute, add herbs, stir, and cover for 1 minute.

Taste and add salt, soy sauce or vinegar if necessary. Spoon over rice, garnish and serve.

Original from The Herb Companion Cooks, p. 57

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# 5 - Fish

I adapted this from The Herb Companion Cooks, a compilation of recipes from the magazine, The Herb Companion. I used cod instead of snapper and I didn't have any ground cumin, only seeds that I couldn't find, so I used Penzey's Turkish Seasoning blend. This came out delicious. Served with Buttery Roasted Potatoes (using Yukon Gold this time) and stir-fried green beans with garlic and tomatoes, it was a simple and delicious meal.

Tunisian-Style Cod
Recipe By : RisaG
Servings: 2

1 tbsp Penzey's Turkish Seasoning blend
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 tbsp olive oil
hot pepper flakes or harissa sauce* -- to taste
2 lb cod fish fillets
salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil -- for frying
1 cup flour
1 lg lime or lemon -- sliced
Garnish:
Lemon or Lime slices

Mix the Turkish seasoning, minced garlic and olive oil together to make a paste, stir in optional harissa or hot pepper flakes. Rub the paste all over the fish, then cover and refrigerate for an hour or 2.

When ready to serve, sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Make sure the skillet is large enough to hold the fish without crowding.

Dredge fish in flour, removing excess flour. When oil shimmers in pan, add fish fillets. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fillets. Drain briefly on paper towels. Transfer to serving platter and squeeze lime or lemon juice all over. Garnish with optional lemon or lime slices. Serve hot. - - - - -

NOTES : Risa's notes:
Harissa is a chile paste that is part of the Moroccan & Tunisian pantry. It can be very hot. If you cannot find it, use a bit of chinese chile paste or a couple of fresh chiles or some hot pepper flakes. If you can find it, it will make this more authentic tasting. * Exported from MasterCook *

Buttery Roasted Potatoes
Recipe By : Gooseberry Patch Celebrate Summer, p. 41
Servings: 4

2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes* -- peeled, cut in 1" cu
hot water
2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place potatoes in a large cast-iron skillet and pour in enough hot water to cover about 1/4 inch of the potatoes. Scatter bits of butter over potatoes and season; then stir. Bake uncovered about 60 minutes, until potatoes are lightly browned and water has evaporated.

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Garlic & Tomatoes
Recipe By : RisaG
Servings: 2

1/2 lb green beans -- washed & snipped
2 cloves garlic -- sliced
6 grape tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes -- halved
salt and pepper

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a tbsp of vegetable oil. Add oil when hot. Add garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and stir-fry for 1 minute just to heat up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

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# 6 - Quesadillas & Guacamole

A quick dinner. Also makes a great lunch or snack. A little spicy and full of protein & vegetables. Love those quesadillas. Great thing about quesadillas, you can fill them with anything on hand, a great way to disguise leftovers.

Corn & Black Bean Quesadillas
Recipe By : RisaG
Servings: 2

4 8" flour tortillas
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 small onion -- finely chopped
2 lg cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 cup corn -- frozen thawed fine
1 lg jalapeno pepper (or other chile) -- finely diced
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 15 oz can black beans -- rinsed & drained
1/2 avocado -- halved & pitted
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
cilantro sprigs -- for garnish
prepared salsa -- for garnish

Preheat oven to 300 F. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil and bake until soft and pliable, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes. Add corn, chili and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until veggies are crisp-tender, 4 min. Add beans and mash coarsely with potato masher. Mix well and remove from heat.

Place tortillas on work surface. Spread 1/2 of each with about 1/4 cup bean mixture, almost to edge. Fold each tortilla in half, pressing lightly to seal. Set aside.

In medium bowl, using a fork, mash together avocado, lime juice and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.

Coat large heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, with cooking spray, then heat over medium heat. Add 4 quesadillas and cook until golden brown, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with more cooking spray and remaining quesadillas.

Top each quesadilla with dollop of avocado mixture. Garnish with cilantro and salsa. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

NOTES : Risa's notes:
If you wish, serve avocado mixture as guacamole beforehand with either chips or jicama slices. Maybe add some onion or tomato to avocado mixture.

Also, if you wish, preheat GF Grill. When hot, add one quesadilla at a time. Cook for 2 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove and add the next one until all are done. This will take less cooking spray and a little more time.

Original from Vegetarian Times Magazine, 6/2000, p. 30. Original used poblano peppers which are milder than jalapeno. If you can find them, use them. If not, jalapenos are easy to find in supermarkets these days.

RisaG