Sangria

Great sangria recipe

1 can of limeade concentrate + 1 can water
1 can of orange juice concentrate + 1 can water
1 liter grapefruit soda, chilled, (substitute Squirt if you don't have grapefruit soda)
1 bottle red wine (red table wine, or semi sweet red wine) (add another bottle if you want more mmph)

Mix ingredients, place in freezer until slushy

Heady Mary's

Best Bloody Mary ever....

Mix
1/2 bottle of bloody mary mix
2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs Soy Sauce
1/2 bottle of tomato juice
1 Tbs hot sauce

In the glass:

Add 2 shots of skyy vodka

Add green olive, celery, and a lime wedge...

Enjoy..

Beer battered Tilapia

Beer battered Tilapia


1 cup flour
1 cup beer
1 egg
salt
pepper

Added 1 tbs of butter garlic seasoning

Mix wet ingredients together then the dry ingredients then combine
Dip fish in mix of flour / cornstarch first then batter

fry in oil


serve with
vinegar
tartar sauce
remoulade

Paella

Paella

4 tbs oil (canola or olive)
2 large chicken quarters (cut into 4 pieces each)
1/2 lb of andouille sausage or chorizo
3 ribs of celery diced
3 carrots diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 onion diced
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups of rice


Heat 2 tbs oil in a stock pot on med-high
Once, hot add chicken and sausage
brown, but don't cook all the way through
Remove sausage and chicken from pot
Add 2 tbs of oil
Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic
Cook till onion is translucent (add a little water if needed, don't brown onion)
Add a few pinches of salt and pepper
Add white wine vinegar and deglaze on high
Add rice and stir to coat rice in oil
Add 1/4 cup of water and stir
Set stove back to med-high
Add 3 cups of water
Add the partially cooked chicken and sausage back to the pot
Cook covered until rice is 3/4 done
Add clam and shrimp (push into the rice but don't stir)
Add 2/3 cup water
Cover and cook on high for 4 minutes
Lower temperature and simmer
Once 90% of the water is absorbed turn off the burner and let sit for 10 minutes

Kifta (Arabic Meatloaf)

Original Recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kifta/


Ingredients


1 1/2 cups vegetable oil for frying

1 large potato, thinly sliced

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cups long grain white rice

4 cups water

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, place potato slices in a thin layer, and fry just until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside on paper towels.

2.In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, minced onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and cumin. Press flat into a 7x11 inch baking dish. Arrange potato slices over the meat in an even layer. Place tomato slices over the potato. Top with slices of onion. Cover with aluminum foil.

3.Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the aluminum foil from the top, and continue to bake for another 15 minutes, or until browned.

4.While the kifta is cooking, combine the rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. When kifta is done, cut into squares and serve over rice.

Butternut Squash Gratin

from: whatscookingamerica.net

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coarse dry bread crumbs
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
Coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chicken broth or white wine (your choice)

* Learn How To Make Homemade Bread Crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 1 quart baking dish.
Prepare Topping:  In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, and melted butter; set aside.
In a medium-size frying pan over medium-low heat, add olive oil and saute sliced onions, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme until onions are lightly browned, approximately 15 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another minute or so. Remove from heat. Spread onion mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Set aside the frying pan for later use.
In a large bowl, toss butternut squash cubes with the flour, parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme (or to taste) to evenly coat the squash cubes. NOTE: I like to add some additional black pepper at this point. Spread squash mixture evenly over the top of the onions; set aside.
Place frying pan (that you cooked the onions in) over low heat. Add chicken broth or white wine to deglaze, scraping down brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pan, and let simmer approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from head and pour over the top of the squash mixture.
Spread prepared cheese topping over the top of the gratin. Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes until the squash is soft and the topping is lightly brown. NOTE: If you find your topping is browning to fast, cover the dish with some aluminum foil.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Basil Curry

Original recipe at: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/basil_chicken_in_coconut_curry_sauce/


1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you can use breasts, but the thighs are more flavorful)
1 large red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
FOR A HOTTER  DISH: 2 habanero peppers, seeded and minced, 4 jalapeno
2 Tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 14-oz can coconut milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
Hot cooked basmati rice

1 In a small bowl, mix together the salt, ground coriander, cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon, ground cardamom, black pepper, chili powder, and turmeric. Set aside.


2 Rinse chicken, pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Put into a bowl and sprinkle the spice mix over all the pieces. Coat well and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

3 In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the onions, peppers and garlic from the pan and put into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Use the same pan for the next step.

4 Add 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and heat on medium high heat. Add one half of the chicken pieces, spreading them out on the pan so they are not crowded. Brown for a few minutes on each side. When the chicken pieces are cooked through, and no pink remains, remove from pan, add to the bowl with the onions. Cook the second batch of chicken pieces the same way. Remove from pan, add to bowl with onions.


5 Add the coconut milk, minus a couple tablespoons, to the skillet. In a small bowl, mix the remaining coconut with the corn starch to dissolve the corn starch. Add the corn startch mixture back to the skillet with the coconut milk. Cook on medium heat and stir till thick and bubbly. Mix in the worcestershire sauce. Add chicken mixture, basil, and ginger. Cook 2 minutes more to cook through.

Serve over rice. (I like to serve with naan as well)

sides could be samosas, idli, hummus and pita..

Sweet white wine like Pinot Grigio went great with this dish.

Rosemary Salmon

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh Rosemary
1 stick of butter
3 to 10 garlic cloves minced.
1 tsp lemon pepper

Melt butter in saucepan on low.
Once melted scoop top layer of foam/white stuff off of butter leaving only the clarified butter in the pan.
Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes on low
Add rosemary and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on low, stiring occasionally. 

Set salmon in a baking dish big enough for the salmon to lay flat.  Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning.  Pour the butter/garlic/rosemary mixture over top of the salmon evenly. 

Grill salmon until cooked.  Or bake salmon in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes.  Or smoke the salmon till done. 

MMM.. Delicious..

roasted garlic

preheat oven to 400

Remove the outer layer of skin from whole garlic but leave all cloves attached.
Chop top 1/4 inch off the top of the whole garlic.
pour a little olive oil over top
place in baking dish, cover with foil
bake for 35 minutes

use in any recipe that calls for garlic... roasted garlic is the BEST!!!!!!

hot sauce

take any hot peppers from the garden.  use anywhere from a 1/2 pound to 5 pounds.

turn oven on broil at 400
Place peppers on cookie sheet.
put cookie sheet on top rack for 10 minutes or until peppers are starting to look blackened.
remove cookie sheet, turn peppers over and place back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until blackened..
removed cookie sheet let peppers cool a bit, then remove skins, slice open and remove seeds. you should be left with just the flesh of the peppers.
Add the pepper flesh to a cooking pot with just enough vinegar to cover the peppers.
cook on med-low for an hour, checking liquid level regularly and adding vinegar as needed.  may end up using up to 2 cups of vinegar.
Strain the pepper/vinegar mix with a strainer and cheesecloth up to 3 times for desired consistency.
bottle the strained juice and use as hot sauce.