The Swineapple

This recipe is so good, I had it first in Lakeland, Georgia. My son Herbert E. Raney Jr., AKA Tarri, made this for the July 3 celebration and cookout. It was the appetizer, served up on hamburger buns. Recipe adapted by Chef Rob Koeller, owner of Culinary Concepts and Hospitality Consultants.

Herbert E. Raney, Jr. version
 

Ingredients

1 each fresh pineapple

6 ounces ground pork

3 ounces ground chorizo

3 ounces Ground Sausage

4 ounces Pickled Red Onion (OPTIONAL)

2 ounces Diced Green Onion (OPTIONAL)

1-ounce Garam Masala (Indian Spice Mix) (OPTIONAL)

1-ounce Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

2 pounds Thick-sliced Bacon

¼ bunch Fresh Cilantro

4 ounces Carolina BBQ (Vinegar-based BBQ sauce)

Procedure

1. Peel and hollow out the center of the Pineapple. Place inside a pre-heated 250-degree oven and par-bake for 15 minutes.
2. Make a weave out of the 2 pounds of thick-sliced bacon and also par-bake at 325 degrees for only 12 minutes. To keep the bacon from curling up and shrinking excessively, layer another pan on top while baking. Once removed from the oven, drain all the grease.
3. Mix all of the remaining ingredients, except for the BBQ Sauce, in a bowl and stuff the center of the Pineapple with this mixture.
4. Once the bacon is cooled to room temperature, carefully wrap it around the Pineapple. You can use skewers or toothpicks to hold the bacon onto the fruit.
5. Place back into a 280-degree oven and bake for another 20 minutes. The moisture from the Pineapple will prevent the Bacon from over-crisping.
6. Once ready to serve, place onto a pre-heated BBQ grill at no more than 300 degrees and brush the Pineapple with the BBQ Sauce. Continue to baste the pineapple while grilling for another 10 minutes. Make sure the center of the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees before serving. This can be done with any prop-type kitchen thermometer.
7. Slice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

2017 New Year's Dinner "UMOJA"

Kwanzaa, the seventh day wouldn't be "Imani" without a Sunday dinner for the beginning of a new year. So even though I didn't have guests, I prepared dinner to share the blessing for 2017.

Menu

Red Moscato Wine

Chicken Shrimp Gumbo

Black-eyed Peas in Sweet Meat

Akara

Plantain

Jollof Rice

Mustard/Collard Mixed Greens

Sweet Potato Pie

Strawberry Caramel Cream Cake

Frances Guichard's place setting for Christmas Dinner.

 The Guichards shared a lovely Christmas dinner for family and friends at the gallery. I asked Frances to BYOB her own bowl to fetch the gumbo I was sharing for the New Year.

Christmas Dinner at Gallery Guichard 2016

I made my Chicken Seafood Gumbo but added sweetmeat (smoked). I used Louisiana Cajun Etouffee Base, browned with a cube of butter and 2 cups of water. I boiled the shrimp shells, added a concentrated seafood base, crab boil, and Old Bay seasoning, and added two cups of broth to the etouffee base.

After boiling sweet meat until it was tender, I chopped and deboned the heart and returned to the pot. Next, I bought a rotisserie chicken from Mariano's instead of a fresh one, boiled it down, and deboned it.

I used the sweetmeat in my black-eyed peas to have a smoky-tasting pot liquor, and with the other half of the black-eyed peas, I made Akara fritters. This year I used dried beans instead of fresh black-eyed peas. I added my onions, garlic, eggs, and a little flour to hold them together and fried them in vegetable oil until brown on both sides.

I just love good plantain. I had one sitting for a week, so it would be nice, sweet, and suitable for browning in butter, oil, and sprinkling brown sugar cinnamon.

Heat peanut oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter begins to sizzle. Gently toss plantain slices with brown sugar, then place into the hot oil. Fry until the plantains turn golden brown, then turn over and continue frying until they have caramelized, about 2 minutes per side.

Uncle Ben's boiled brown rice in a bag came in handy and was suitable for easy clean-up. I added Joloff rice seasoning, which has that west African spice taste.

Jollof rice, also called Benachin, is a one-pot dish popular in many West African countries. It is the progenitor of the Louisianian dish jambalaya. Jollof rice can be served with any kind of meat or chicken.

Christmas 2016 Sunday Brunch

Blood Red Roses, Red Apples, and Christmas Red Berries, Pines, Center Piece

Menu

Espresso Coffee

Turkey Wrap and Rolls

Cranberry Sauce

Giant Purple Grapes

Mimosa

Turkey Wrap and Rolls with Cheddar Cheese and Cranberry Sauce

Andre Campaign and Tangerine Juice, Espresso Coffee

We all have so much to be thankful for, for Jesus is the reason for the season. For those of us with an empty nest, we can still celebrate by making breakfast as if we are entertaining guests. I’ve made a commitment to myself to put a place setting, with napkins, wine glass, candles, and make enough for whoever may drop by. Cheers 

• Wrap and Rolls (Turkey, Ham, Roast Beef, Cheddar, Swiss, Provolone Cheese, Herb and Garlic Spread, leaf romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, Spinach, Vegetable, Plain Wraps.)  Cherry tomatoes to garnish.
• Purple Giant Grapes
• Cranberry Sauce

A Mimosa is a cocktail composed of equal parts champagne and chilled citrus juice, usually orange juice unless otherwise specified. Instead of orange juice, I used tangerine juice from Mariano's fresh-squeezed. 

Main alcohol: Champagne

Ingredients: 2 1/2 oz (1 part) Orange juice, 2 1/2 oz (1 part) Champagne

Preparation: Ensure both ingredients are well chilled, then mix into the glass. Serve cold.

Served: Stirred not shaken

Standard garnish: Cherries, Strawberries, Grenadine

Drinkware: Champagne flute

Wash Your Hands First: Gumbo- Sea Food & Chicken

Wash Your Hands First: Gumbo- Sea Food Chicken

Camarones-Diablos-Devil Shrimp

Recipe by: Dick McCabes "This dish is very spicy, somewhere between the sweating brow and teary eyes! 

Sometimes you just have to wake up your taste buds. Serve over brown rice cooked in chicken broth and butter that is reminiscent of risotto. I have made the rice with water and bouillon instead of broth, with very little change in the flavor or texture. Like so many dishes, this one is better the next day. I adapted this recipe from the chipotle shrimp recipe on this site."

·         

2 1/4 cups chicken broth,1 cup brown rice, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed 1 onion, sliced 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup dry red wine

·         

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 (7 ounces), can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (16 to 20 per lb.), peeled and deveined.

Combine chicken broth, brown rice, 1 tablespoon butter, and salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and the broth is absorbed for about 45 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and jalapeno peppers in the hot butter and oil until onion is slightly softened, 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Pour red wine and Worcestershire sauce into onion mixture; mix in chipotle peppers. 

Cook and stir mixture until liquid is slightly evaporated about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced about 15 minutes. Serve shrimp mixture over cooked rice.

"Shake, Shake, Shake"-COCKTAIL PARTY'S AWAYS A TIME TO SOCIALIZE

Alan Emerson Hicks, mixologist for the house bar with house specialties, and BYOB drinks. (Trisa Williams quilt hangs over the bar "Waterfall".)

 "Shake, Shake, Shake"- Cocktail parties are always away to invite friends over for conversation, to thank them for friendships, and to talk about projects they are working on in a nonformal setting. Make sure your list is balanced with artists, collectors, gallery owners, board members, and a few new friends from outside the normal circle, for the cocktail party to be a social engagement to bring new patrons into the gallery.

Yvonne Watson, and Letha from Holy Angels Church

I like to make something special, there is an art to mixing drinks, and it is to making food. I'm busy flipping cheese quesadillas. I provided a condiments bar. (jalapeno peppers, avocado, sour cream, salsa, onions, cilantro, and my own mixed salsa with extra garlic and spicy peppers). This was a winner!

BAL residents Bruce Gage, is the owner of  Mario UOMO, and Dinita is a writer. Jackie Moses plus one is Margret Lanterman watching Alan mix drinks.

Rick Baldwin

Mixing a little business with pleasure, a time to introduce new artwork and broker deals. Rick Baldwin, a collector purchased one of Alan's pieces the one in the background, right upper corner of the room.  Yvonne Watson, William Hill (gallery owner).

Alpha Bruton host of the Quesadilla Bar the trick is to make guest fill part of the experience.

Black Eyed Peas Keeping Tradition 2016

AKARA-Black Eyed Peas

Akara, also known as Bean Cakes, Bean Balls, Bean Fritas, or Acarajé in Portuguese, is a Nigerian breakfast recipe made with beans. Yes, I put on the traditional food for luck: Black-eyed peas with a ham bone, mixed collard greens with spinach, chicken wings with Caribbean dipping sauce, and buttery corn kernels. I started a corn beef brisket for Saturday with potatoes. Let's have a Happy New Year.

HOME COOK RECIPE: 

Black Eyed Peas

Here is your shopping list:

Ingredients
1 Pkg Dried Black Eyed Peas (or field peas, or cowpeas) - package size doesn't matter
Pork for seasoning: ham hocks, ham bone, or a large piece of ham
1 T salt (will need more)
1 T pepper
1 T cooking oil
1 T Sugar

Instructions
First, sort through the beans to ensure there are no stones. Place the sorted beans in a large mixing bowl or pot, and cover them completely with water, adding a few extra inches above the beans. Soak the beans overnight. 

In the morning, drain the soaking water and transfer the beans to the pot where you will cook them. Add pork for seasoning, then cover the beans with fresh water, ensuring there's an additional few inches above the beans to prevent them from boiling dry. 

Stir in all other seasonings, bringing the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat. Simmer the beans uncovered for several hours. After some time, remove the pork, shred it, and return it to the pot. Continue cooking until the beans are tender. The total cooking time will take at least three to four hours.

globalfoodbook.com

Making Akara- The Nigerian Way

Before frying Akara, remove the skins from the beans. For guidance on this process, refer to how to remove bean skins. It's important to avoid letting salt touch the beans until you are ready to fry them. 

Salt is believed to destroy the leavening properties of beans, which prevents the batter from spattering during frying. To prepare the beans, soak them in water for 2 hours to ensure they become soft enough for your blender. If you’re using the heavy-duty grinders found in Nigerian markets, you won’t need to soak the beans for as long.

 

Cut the peppers and onions into your desired sizes.

 

When grinding the beans with your blender, use as little water as possible—just enough to allow the blades to move. Operators of heavy-duty grinders in Nigerian markets typically do not add any water when grinding beans for Akara. The less water you use during grinding, the more the batter will hold together while frying, which reduces spattering. 

 

Additionally, do not add any other ingredients when grinding the beans for Akara. It is believed that adding other ingredients too early can decrease the ability of the ground bean particles to stick together.

globalfoodbook.com

Set some vegetable oil in the cooker to heat up. The oil should be at least 3 inches deep.

Put some of the ground beans into a mortar. This should be the quantity you can fry in one go.

Stir the bean puree with the pestle in a continuous circular motion. You need to apply some pressure so that you can energize the particles of the bean puree.

This stirring technique releases the gas that will act as a leavening agent to the bean particles, making them rise and somehow stick together. This will be like the yeast making the dough rise in Puff Puff, or what folding does to cake batter.

Keep stirring till the ground beans appear whiter and you can perceive their peculiar aroma.
Add some water till you get the consistency shown in the video below.
Check to make sure the oil is hot. The oil should be hot enough to sizzle but not too hot. If too hot, the Akara will spatter as soon as the bean batter hits the oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the onions and pepper to the bean puree in the mortar. Stir well.
Add salt to your taste and stir again. Salt should always be added just before scooping the bean mixture into the oil. If salt stays in the mixture for extended periods of time, it will destroy the leavening property of the beans. This property is what makes the Akara float in the oil and prevents splatter during frying.

To fry the Akara, scoop the mixture with a tablespoon and slowly pour it into the oil. Dipping the spoon a little bit into the oil helps reduce spatter. Fry the underside till brown and flip to fry the top side too. When the Akara balls are brown all over, remove and place in a sieve lined with paper towels.

Important points to note when making Akara

Follow these, and your Akara will turn out great.

Use freshly peeled beans.
Use a very small quantity of water when grinding.
Smooth the mix with a mortar and pestle before frying.
Add salt just before frying.

Serve Akara with Akamu, Custard, Agidi, or Bread. The best bread to eat in Akara is oven-fresh, hot, and stretchy bread-like Agege Bread. lol!

Making Akara may seem like rocket science, but with practice, you will perfect this recipe. If you do not get it right the first time, try again. Everybody has the same first-time experience with making Akara.

Christmas Tamale’s Like Elsie Use to Make

Vicky Cruz Perez 2015 Tamales 

This year I said "I'm making Tamale’s for Christmas, the ones like Elsie use to make. Elsie Cruz was our next-door neighbor, their family moved to the house next door to our family's home on West Lemon ave, in Fresno California. 

I was twelve years old when I and my sister Diana were invited to the “Tamale Making Christmas Party.” Where we helped spread, wrap, tuck, and tie tamales for Christmas. We'd eat chips, drink soda and other munchies, play music, and laugh out loud at everything because Elsie was always saying funny things.

We had olive trees in the front of our houses, they lined the street on both sides, so of course, olives were our favorite, we would stuff olives in the tamales. That is a key in the tamales I make whenever I take on the task of making tamales.

Pork Chipotle Tamales 

2015, this year I made several variations using chicken, green Verde sauce, red chili sauce, and Mexican cheese with jalapeno. I made a batch of pork tamales with roasted chipotle pepper sauce.  I made my masa for the first time from scratch, since I couldn’t find any pre-made masa in the stores here in Valdosta nor Lakeland Georgia.

Katie in the UP image copyright

This really took a few days of planning, to make, grocery shop, to prep the meats, making the chili sauce, spreading the tamales, and steaming them. This is more fun when there are more cooks in the kitchen, but I wanted to make them for my family for Christmas Eve.

CHICKEN TAMALE:

Prep chicken, wash and clean off the skin, add onions, seasoning, Verde sauce, put in the crockpot, cover with water, and let cook   7-8 hours. Pour off broth sit aside for later use. Shred chicken, removing bones, and fat, add chili spices set to the side.

SPICES:

1 tsp.     salt

¼ cup chili powder

1 tbsp   Paprika

1 tbsp   garlic powder

1 tbsp   onion powder

2 ½ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp      black pepper

2 tsp      black pepper

Cumin (optional)

Mix- use ½ of seasoning in masa meal, set aside ½ for later use.

Chili Sauce-

In a sauce pan over medium heat adds vegetable oil, onion, garlic, a jalapeno pepper (de-seeded). Cook until translucent, add the remaining ½ of the spice mixture. 2-3 mins

Add 1 cup of smoked chipotle pepper sauce, into red mild chili sauce, blend.

Leave remaining Chipotle smoked pepper as a paste to add to tamale centers, and to coat outside as garnish.

MASA MIX

2 cups masa meal (for this recipe I used Tamal Gluten Free)

1 ½ cups chicken or stock from pork

1 tsp baking powder (Rumford Aluminum Free)

1 tsp Kosher salt

2/3 cups vegetable oil in the chicken tamale

Mix masa, baking powder, 1 or 2 tbsp spice mix, and stock.

In another small bowl mix 2/3 cup of shortening until fluffy. Mix masa into shortening with hands until smooth, (sticky not dry). Add stock a little at a time to get a smooth spreadable consistency.

CORN HUSK:

1. In the meantime, soak corn husks in warm water for at least 20 minutes; rinse to remove any corn silk and drain well.

MEAT:

CHICKEN:

Wash and clean chicken removes the skin, salt bath, then rinse, add to crockpot, add onions, garlic, green chili-Verde sauce. Let cook overnight, or 8-10 hrs, remove meat from the pot, strain stock, set aside for use later, in the masa. Cool stock in refrigerator skims off any grease from the top. Add remaining ½ of seasoning to taste to the meat.

PORK:

Wash and clean pork, cut the fat off, cut into ¼ size cubes, place in crockpot, season with spice mix, add onions, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorn, Mexican oregano. Cook overnight in Crockpot, skim off fuzz from water, strain stock off meat. Place both in the refrigerator to cool. After the stock has cooled skim off the layer of fat, use stock in masa.

SPREADING:

Husk, spread masa, roll, tuck ends, tie, add to steam pot.

The rhythm of the spreading works better if you have friends over, its takes a minute to get it, but once you get started have some music on to help you with this part, make it a party.

 

Use a cutting board, with a towel under to keep counters clean. Make sure you have enough towels, paper towels on hand this part gets messy. 

 Spreading. Use hands to spread the masa onto the corn husk, about ¼ cup, small ball (less is better) use a butter knife or a rubber spatula to spread masa on to the husk evenly, apply thin, if to thick once the masa is steamed is too much to masa to eat). Add meat in the middle, 2-olives, slice jalapeno, and tbsp or two of chili sauce or green chili Verde sauce.  ( the more meat the better)

 Roll, tuck, tie.Roll, tuck end, tie ends with husk tie.

Using the larger husks, place each husk waxy side up (ribbed side down). Spread masa onto each husk out to the wide edge.

STEAMING

Use a deep pot, with a lid, if you don’t own a tamale steamer. I put a pie or cake pan on the bottom of the pot upside down, add water 2-3 inches. I place a wet kitchen towel in the pot, then line it with corn husk. I lean the tamales in the basket, open side up. I add more corn husk on the top, cover them with the towel, add foil, then the lid tightly. Steam for at least 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Check water levels so that it doesn’t boil dry, and add more water as needed.

1. You will need from the kitchen:

Crockpot

Strainer

Wooden spoons

1-c. measuring

½ c. measuring

1/3 c.  measuring

Tbsp

Tsp

Wooden Cutting board

Pairing knives

Rubber spatula

2-Glass bowls

2-Large bowls with lids

Saucepans

Tupperware containers (for olives, jalapenos, cheese)

Kitchen towels

Large pot with lid for steaming tamales

Jars with lids for extra sauces

Shopping List:

Chicken thighs

Pork shoulder

Queso Mexican Crumbling cheese

Lard

Vegetable shortening

Baking powder

Masa Tamal Gluten-free

Corn Husk

Canned jalapeno

Black Olives

Smoked Chipotle Peppers in sauce

Can red mild chili sauce

Green Verde salsa

Cilantro

Thanksgiving Family Dinner 2015

This year, my two adult children (Sgt. Herbert E. Raney and Jazmin Bruton Davis) took over the kitchen and cooked a full-course meal for Thanksgiving, all the trimmings. They invited everyone to the table to enjoy themselves, including me.  My new granddaughter, Dani, of course, was the center of attention and a very blessed baby girl to be surrounded by so many who serve and protect.

With the invitation going to his airmen from Mooney Air Force Base, for some reason or the other, he didn’t take leave to go home for the holidays and came over for fun, food, football, and some family time.

Deep-fried turkey with garlic injection

Brown Glazed Country Ham with pineapples and cherries

MENU

Baked Mac & Cheese

Potato Salad

Cornbread and Giblet dressing

Collard and Kale Mixed Greens

Green Beans & Potatoes

Dinner rolls

Sweet Potato Pie

Banana Pudding

Cranberry Sauce (garnish)

Chow -Chow (garnish)

TROPICAL SUNDAY GET TOGETHER

(Clipping files June 1984 Better Home and Gardens), This pineapple cut punch bowl set was given to me by Bessie, my oldest brother Thomas Bruton Jr.'s mother. She loved to entertain and passed them on to me because she knew I loved to entertain.

For Ice Bowl: Select one 3 ½ or 4 –quart bowl or casserole and one 1 ½ inches of water to the large bowl. Freeze overnight or till firm. Center the small bowl. (If the surface freezes unevenly, break up the surface with an ice pick to center a small bowl on ice.) Fill a small bowl with rocks or dry beans to weigh down. Pour water into a large bowl around a small bowl.

Freeze just till the surface starts to harden. Stir and break up the top layer office every 15 to 20 minutes for 1 to 1 ½ hours or till the top layer is slushy. Arrange nontoxic flowers or leaves (pineapple ginger, freesia, tea roses, baby carnations, lilies) or fresh fruit slices in slush, pressing decorations against the outer side of the large bowel. Alternate small flowers and leaves, allowing tips of leaves to stick up above the surface of slush. Freeze for several hours or till firm. To unmold, remove rocks or dry beans. Pour warm water into a small bowl; remove the bowl. Press a warm, damp cloth around the outside of the large bowl; remove Ice Bowl. Freeze till needed.

Pre-Dinner Drinks for a guest when they arrive- 

PINEAPPLEADE-

1 medium fresh pineapple

2 cups of water

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint leave or 

4 teaspoons dried mint, crushed

2 tablespoons lime juice

Pineapple chunks

Remove the crown from the pineapple. Cut off the peel. Halve pineapple; cut out the core. Finely chop pineapple. Place chopped pineapple in a 2 –quart saucepan. Add water and sugar. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in mint. Let stand, covered, for about 1 ½ hour or till cool. Strain; discard mint. Reserve pineapple for another use. Stir lime juice into pineapple liquid. Pour into jars. Cover and chill. To serve, pour the liquid into a pitcher with ice cubes; garnish with a skewer of pineapple chunks. Makes about 3 ½ cups.

RUM-GINGER MOUSSE

Caribbean Rum with Coconut flavored liqueur

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

½ cup of sugar

1 ¼ cups milk
3 slightly beaten egg yolks

3 egg whites

1 cup whipping cream

6 tablespoons Caribbean Rum with 

Coconut flavored liqueur 

3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

Crystallized ginger

In a small saucepan, stir together gelatin and sugar. Combine milk and egg yolks. Stir into saucepan; cook and stir till gelatin and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat. Cover surface with clear plastic wrap. Chill for about 2 hours or till the mixture is the consistency of corn syrup, stirring several times. Beat egg whites till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Beat whipping cream till soft peaks form. Fold egg whites and whipped cream into gelatin mixture. Divide the mixture in half. To one-half stir in curacao. Spoon mixture into a glass bowl or 6 goblets; chill till nearly set (15 to 20 minutes). Stir the rum and chopped ginger into the remaining gelatin mixture. Leave at room temperature till the curacao mixture. Cover and chill till firm. Garnish with ginger. Serves 6

RED SNAPPER WITH AVOCADO SAUCE

1  3-to 4-pound fresh or frozen dressed red snapper with a tail.

4 cups of water

½ of a lime, sliced

1 large onion, sliced and separated into rings

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup snipped parsley

6 peppercorns, crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano, 

Crushed Cilantro

Lemon and lime slices, quartered

Pitted ripe olives

Cherry tomatoes

Avocado halved

In a fish, the poacher combines the water, lime, onion, garlic, parsley, peppercorns, thyme, and oregano. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Lightly sprinkle fish cavity with salt. Place fish on a large cheesecloth; fold the cloth over the fish. Place on rack in poaching pan. Immerse in boiling poaching liquid. (If necessary, add another ½ to 1 cup boiling water to nearly cover fish.)

Cover and poach fish for 25 to 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove from pan. Cool. Wrap fish in foil. Chill fish thoroughly. Meanwhile, prepare Avocado Sauce.

At serving time, unwrap and arrange fish on a cilantro-lined platter. Garnish with lemon and lime slices, olives, and tomatoes. Spoon some Avocado Sauce atop the fish. Spoon remaining sauce into one avocado half and place on a platter to serve with fish. To serve, cut fish crosswise into serving-size portions and remove bones. Serves 6 to 8

Note: If desired, substitute 2 pounds fresh or frozen red snapper fillets for the whole fish. Ina 12 "skillet, combine enough water to cover fillets plus the lime, onion, garlic, parsley, peppercorn, thyme, and oregano. When tested with a fork, poach fillets for 5 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Serve as directed.

AVOCADO SAUCE

image @Weight Watchers

Chill any leftover sauce, covered, to serve as a dip with tortilla chips.

2 ripe avocados, seeded, peeled, and cut into chunks

½ cup chicken broth

¼ cup lime juice

1 tablespoon grated onion

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

½ cup milk

In a blender container or food processor bowl, combine the avocado, chicken broth, lime juice, onion, salt, and pepper, cover; blend just till smooth. Turn into a bowl. Stir in milk. Cover and refrigerate till needed. Makes 2 cups.

LUMPIA

Filipino Lumpia image @

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound lean boneless pork, cut into ¼ "cubes

8 ounces fresh green beans

½ cup finely chopped celery

1 16-ounce can hearts of palm or two 8-ounce cans of water chestnuts, finely chopped

1 cup finely shredded cabbage

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Cooking oil

12 egg roll skins

1 recipe Sweet Soy Sauce or plum sauce

Preheat a wok or large skillet over high heat; add oil. Stir-fry onion and garlic in hot oil for 2 minutes. Add meat; stir-fry for 4 minutes more. Remove. Add beans and celery to wok; stir-fry 2 minutes more. Remove from wok. Combine the meat and vegetables; stir in soy sauce.

Brush a little oil in a large skillet. Cook one egg roll skin, on one side only 1 a minute or till light brown. Turn out onto paper toweling. Repeat with remaining skins. (Add more oil to skillet, as needed.) To assemble, place an egg roll skin, un-browned side up. Using a slotted spoon, spoon about 1/3 cup filling onto the skin. Roll-up egg roll skin around filling. Serve with sauce.  Serves 6

FESTIVE RICE "Indonesians call this cone-shaped dish

Nasi Kuning"

1 ½ cups long-grain rice

¼ teaspoon finely snipped dried lemongrass or

1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

1 ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon cooking oil

3 cups Coconut Milk

2 salam leaves or bay leaves

¾ teaspoon salt

3 beaten eggs

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Fresh salam leaves (optional)

1 sweet red or green pepper, seeded and cut into strips.

In a 3-quart saucepan, cook and stir the uncooked rice, lemongrass or peel, and turmeric in the first 1 tablespoon oil for 2 minutes. Add the Coconut Milk, the two salam or bay leaves, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes or till liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.



Fresh Salam or Bay Leaves

Meanwhile, in a 10" skillet, cook the eggs in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, without stirring, till set. Invert skillet over a baking sheet to remove cooked eggs; cut into short, narrow strips. Remove and discard salam or bay leaves from rice. Press hot rice into an oiled 5-cup cone-shaped mold. Place a serving plate upside down over the mold; invert to remove the rice. Garnish the top of rice with a salam leaf. Arrange egg strips, red pepper strips, and salam leaves around the base of the rice cone. Serve immediately. Makes 10 servings.

 

Serve in small molds, the pudding will not hold its shape in a large mold-

 2 cups Coconut Milk

¼ cup of sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Sliced guava, peaches, or strawberries

Shredded coconut, toasted

SAMBAL CONDIMENT

 This meal accompaniment is especially good with fish dishes. Cut peppers open. Discard stems and seeds. Finely chop peppers. Ina small bowl, combine the red and green hot peppers, tomatoes, shallot, lime peel, and juice. Cover and chill till serving times. Makes about 1 ¼ cups

COCONUT CONDIMENT

If you haven't made Coconut Milk, substitute sweetened

flaked coconut for the fresh.

Bake only 10 to 15 minutes or till dry.

2 cups fresh grated coconut from Coconut Milk

1 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon tamarind

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup dry roasted cashews or peanuts, chopped

 In a medium bowl, stir together the grated coconut, ground coriander, brown sugar, tamarind, ground cumin, ground cardamom, and salt. Spread mixture in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300F oven for 40 to 50 minutes or till the coconut is toasted and dry, stirring the mixture occasionally. Add the cashews or peanuts. Cool completely. Store condiments in an airtight container. Serve as a meal accompaniment with hot cooked rice. Makes about 2 cups.

Annatto Oil- use this oil to make a golden red for food

 ½ cup cooking oil

2 tablespoons annatto seeds

Heat the oil over medium heat for 3 minutes in a small saucepan. Stir in seeds. Heat 1 minute more. Cool. Strain oil into a jar; cover. Store in refrigerator. Makes ½ cup