Recipes

Coconut-Crusted Salmon with Coconut Chili Sauce

Ingredients
1 can (around 14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Sriracha
Salt and pepper
¹⁄₂ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
¹⁄₄ cup panko
4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions
1. To make sauce: Combine coconut milk, 1 tablespoon lime juice, honey and Sriracha in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces and thickens, about 5 to 10 minures.  Season sauce with salt to taste. 

2. Preheat oven to 375*F. 

3. Combine coconut, panko, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper in small bowl.  Toss well and then spread mixture on large plate. 

4. Brush the top sides of salmon with remaining lime juice.  Season fillets with salt and pepper.  Working one piece at a time, dip the top side of each piece in the coconut mixture, making sure the surface is well-coated, patting mixture onto fish if necessary to adhere. 

5. Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat.  Carefully place salmon coating side down in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned.  Carefully flip fish over and cook another 3 minutes.  Transfer skillet into oven and bake until salmon is firm to the touch and the interior is flaky but still moist, 2 to 6 minutes.  (Or until an instant read thermometer reaches 130*F.) 

6. Serve salmon topped with Coconut Chili Sauce. 

Comments
This recipe is from Sippity Sup.  I thought it was great served with rice and the sauce was delicious.  I love how easy it was to bring the whole thing together.

Internet - Sippity Sup

Garlic Steak Butter

Ingredients
1 stick (¹⁄₂ cup) butter, softened
3 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¹⁄₄ teaspoon black pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients in small bowl. 

2. Place butter onto plastic wrap and roll the mixture up in the plastic, forming into a log.

3. Refrigerate until firm.  When ready to use remove plastic wrap and slice into rounds.  Top hot steak with butter just before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from About.com.  While I do believe that a really great steak doesn’t need anything to make it better, I do love a good compound butter from time to time and this compound butter rocks. It was deliciously garlicky and went extremely well with the steaks.  It also went well served on bread the next day.  If you’re looking for an easy way to dress up a basic steak, this is it. 

Shown here with Pan Seared Rib Eye and Butternut Squash Risotto.

Internet - About.com

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for brushing squash
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 leeks
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
¹⁄₄ cup white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425*F. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds, and brush all sides with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place cut-side up on baking sheet and roast for 45 to 55 minutes, or until squash is tender.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Once cooled, scoop out squash into bowl and mash with fork. 

2. Trim leeks and cut in half lengthwise then cut into half moon slices.  Place in large bowl, fill with water, and separate with fingers to ensure all of the dirt is removed.  Rinse well. 

3. Heat butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium pot over medium heat.  Add leeks and sauté until tender.  Add garlic and stir until just fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.  Add rice and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and stir until absorbed. 

4. Working ¹⁄₂ to 1 cup at a time, add broth to rice mixture.  Stir often until broth is almost completely absorbed before adding more.  Repeat until rice is tender. 

5. Remove pot from heat and stir in squash, Parmesan cheese, and extra salt and pepper to taste. 

Comments
This recipe is from Naturally Ella.  I chose it with Art in mind since he is a huge fan of squash risotto.  He’s actually a fan of winter squash in general which is pretty fantastic since I love the stuff.  Risotto is a great way to use most types of winter squash – it works well with most of them except spaghetti squash.  This will probably be a stable in the weeks to come.  I like the flavor of the leeks in this recipe, it’s a milder flavor than the usual onions I use. 

Shown here with Pan Seared Rib Eye and Garlic Butter.

Internet - Naturally Ella

Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used Emeril’s Essence which seemed close enough.)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons honey
¹⁄₄ cup water

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F. 

2. Heat butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat.  Season the pork tenderloin with Cajun seasoning and black pepper.  Place pork in the skillet and brown for 5 minutes on each side. 

3. Add honey to skillet and roast for 7 to 10 minutes or until pork is fully cooked.  Transfer pork to a plate and cover with foil to rest. 

4. Return skillet to burner set to medium heat.  Add water and simmer, stirring, until sauce is reduced to ¹⁄₂ cup.  Slice pork and serve with sauce. 

Comments
This recipe is from Momma Hen’s Kitchen although the original recipe wasn’t very clear so I had to fill in some gaps to get something that I thought would work well.  This was delicious, the pork was nicely cooked and the sauce was flavorful.  It wasn’t super sweet, just the right amount, and fantastic butter flavor.  It’s very easy to double the recipe if your pork tenderloins come in two packs like mine do. 

Shown here with Creamy Parmesan Orzo.

Internet - Momma Hen’s Kitchen

Pan Seared Rib Eye

Ingredients
Rib eye steaks, 1 to 1 ¹⁄₂-inch thick
Olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Place large cast iron skillet in oven and preheat to 500*. 

2. Bring steak(s) to room temperature.  Once oven preheats coat steak lightly with olive oil then season well with salt and pepper. 

3. Remembering that the handle is hot, remove skillet from oven and place on burner over high heat.  Place steak in skillet and sear for 30 seconds on each side, only moving the steak to flip. 

4. Return skillet to oven for 2 minutes.  Flip steak and cook for 2 more minutes.  Remove steak from pan and place on plate.  Loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for 2-5 minutes before serving. 

Note: This will yield steaks that are medium-rare. Increase time in oven if you desire steaks which are more done. 

Comments
This recipe is from the great Alton Brown and hasn’t failed me yet.  It works well with most steaks and is super quick and simple.  Just remember that the handle of the skillet is hot… I always manage to burn myself when I do things like this. 

Shown here with Butternut Squash Risotto and Garlic Butter.

Internet - Alton Brown

Tenderized Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients
2 pounds sirloin, cut into strips (Top round or similar cuts will also work.)
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons red wine
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions
1. Place meat in large zip-top bag or container and add buttermilk.  Seal bag or container and marinate in refrigerator 8 to 24 hours. 

2. Drain meat and pat dry with paper towels.  Season meat with salt and pepper. 

3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Fry meat in batches until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on thickness of slices.  Remove from skillet and set aside. 

4. Reduce heat to medium and add butter to skillet. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms, thyme and paprika and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have softened and any liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 10 minutes. 

5. Sprinkle with flour, stir and cook for a minute.  Add broth and wine, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.  Return meat and any juices to the pan and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, mustard, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over rice or egg noodles. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Eclectic Cook and the original calls for “lesser” cuts of meat such as top round. I used sirloin since it’s what I happened to have, but top round would tenderize nicely with the buttermilk marinade.  The sirloin I used was nice and tender as well.  I’ve got quite a number of stroganoff recipes, this one is nice and simple and was very tasty.  I’m not entirely sure why I keep trying new recipes for stroganoff… it’s just so tasty.

Internet - The Eclectic Cook

Peppery Chicken Curry

Ingredients
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch saffron
3 teaspoons black pepper, coarsely ground
5 tablespoons olive oil
4 onions, 2 sliced and 2 processed in food processor until pureed
1 cup water

Instructions
1. Place chicken, garlic, ginger, salt, lime juice, turmeric, saffron, and 1 teaspoon pepper into bowl or container.  Stir well to coat chicken, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

2. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and remaining pepper. Cook, stirring, 10 minutes or until onions are softened and golden.  Add onion puree and continue cook until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. 

3. Add chicken and marinade to skillet and cook, stirring, until meat has started to brown and chicken is well coated.  Add 1 cup water, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until chicken is tender.  Season with salt and serve with rice, if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Almost Bourdain and, since I’m always looking for good, new curry recipes, I decided to try it out.  Oh my gosh is it peppery!  I actually had a hard time eating it due to the amount of pepper and lack of anything to mellow the pepper flavor.  That said, I really like the concept of this curry which is to use onion puree as a sauce, there’s a lot of potential there. 

We did find that after a day or so in the fridge the extreme pepper flavor mellows out significantly.

Internet - Almost Bourdain

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Ingredients
³⁄₄ cup flour
³⁄₄ teaspoon baking powder
³⁄₄ cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes
¹⁄₂ cup pizza sauce, warmed (optional, for serving)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.  Whisk in milk and egg.  Stir in mozzarella and pepperoni, let stand for 10 minutes. 

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.  Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. 

3. Serve with warmed pizza sauce if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Noble Pig and, as far as I’m concerned, it was the best of the appetizers I made for the recent Appetizer Feast.  The puffs were moist and flavorful and full of possibilities.  I’m going to try making more this week with pineapple and ham in fact! I didn’t serve them with pizza sauce, but Art said he would have preferred them that way, so it’s worth noting for the future.

Internet - Noble Pig

Four-Layer Dip

Ingredients
4 large tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped fine
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
6 green onions, sliced
Juice of 2 limes
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained but not rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
³⁄₄ teaspoon chili powder
2 cups sour cream
4 cups pepper jack or cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
1. Combine tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, green onions, and juice of ¹⁄₂ lime in medium bowl. Stir in ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt and let stand until tomatoes begin to soften, about 30 minutes. Strain mixture into bowl and discard liquid.

2. Pulse black beans, garlic, remaining lime juice, chili powder, and remaining salt in food processor until mixture resembles chunky paste.  Spread bean mixture evenly over bottom of 8-inch square glass baking dish or 1-quart glass bowl.  Wipe out food processor.  Pulse sour cream and 2 ¹⁄₂ cups cheese until smooth. Spread on top of bean mixture in serving dish.   Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.  Spread tomato mixture over cheese and serve with tortilla chips. 

Comments
This recipe is modified from the 2007 Cook’s Country Annual.  The original recipe has more layers, but this is the amount of layers which works best for my family.  We didn’t actually get to this dip during our appetizer feast, but it made a great lunch the following day.  The only change I would make for next time is a doubling of the black bean layer.  Otherwise, perfect.

Cook’s Country 2007

Barbecue Chicken Wontons

Ingredients
Canola, vegetable, or peanut oil, for frying
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
²⁄₃ cup cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, shredded
2 celery stalks, shredded
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 package wonton wrappers
Ranch dressing, for dipping

Instructions
1. Heat oil over high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Mix together chicken, cabbage, carrots, celery and barbecue sauce in a large bowl. 

2. Working one wonton at a time, brush wonton wrapper with egg.  Place a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of the wrapper then fold over all four corners to create a little square envelope sort of shape.  Repeat until all wontons are done. 

3. Gently drop 4-6 wontons in the oil at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot. Fry until golden, about 1-3 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 

4. Serve with ranch dressing.

Comments
This recipe is inspired by Eatin’ on the Cheap and, among the four appetizers I made that day, was the favorite for everyone except me.  The filling worked very well, the barbecue sauce was a nice flavor, and they were very tasty.  I think I just would have preferred something more.. maybe garlic or ginger? 

I shredded all of the filling ingredients with my food processor.  You could also chop everything up with a knife if you’d like.

Internet - Eatin’ on the Cheap