The Cookbook

Mix and Match Stir Fry


oil for frying (vegetable, peanut or olive)
2-3 cloves crushed garlic

GLAZE SAUCE
1/2 cup chicken broth (may be made from boullion)
2 Tbs. Soy sauce
2 Tbs. corn starch
Stir all these ingredients together until well-mixed and give a final good stir with a fork or whisk before adding to stir-fry.


GROUP A
Choose 1 or more proteins
beef, cut into strips
chicken, cut into strips or cubbed
shrimp/lobster/scallops/clams
pork, cut into strips
Tofu (see note)


GROUP B
Choose 2 or more longer cooking vegetables
sliced mushrooms
broccoli florets
baby carrots
zucchini
cauliflower
green beans
asparagus, cut into 1" lengths


GROUP C
Choose 2 or more faster cooking vegetables
bean spouts
shredded cabbage (reg., bok choy or nappa)
shredded carrots
chopped green onions
snow peas
sugar snap peas
bell peppers
chopped onion
chopped celery


GROUP D
Optional Canned Vegetables
mushrooms
bamboo shoots
mixed asian vegetables
water chestnuts

Heat skillet or wok on med. hi (about 3 minutes).
Add about 3 Tbs. oil; heat until oil shimmers
Add garlic and meat, stir fry about 2 minutes
Add vegetables from group B, stir fry 3 minutes
Add vegetables from Group C, stir fry 2 minutes
Add optional canned vegetables, stir fry 1 minute

Add Glaze Sauce, stir fry until sauce thickens. Garnish, if desired with cashews or chopped green onions. Serve with rice.

For lo mein, add cooked linguini after adding sauce.


Note: To Stir-Fry Tofu:
Cut 1 container extra-firm tofu into about 24 strips. Heat 3 Tbs.oil in non-stick pan over med.hi heat until oil shimmers.While oil heats, sprinkle 1/3 cup of cornstarch on a big plate and dredge tofu with hands until evenly coated in it. When pan is hot, fry tofu on one side until brown- 4 to 6 minutes. Turn with tongs and cook on second side. Remove to paper towels. Add at the end of stir fry, before sauce/glaze is added.

Flash McCord

Ceviche

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001 Show: Emeril Live Episode: A Taste of Mexico

1 pound fresh conch or scallops, or combination
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup diced avocado
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Pat the seafood dry and place in a glass bowl. Cover with the lime juice and let marinate until opaque, about 3 hours, refrigerated. Place the seafood in a clean bowl, and reserve the lime juice. Add the remaining ingredients to the seafood, gently stirring to mix. Add reserved lime juice to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour, and serve chilled in a tall martini or cocktail glass.

Flash McCord

Tilapia Parmesan

Just tried tilapia for the first time and really liked it. Wanted to share the recipe we used, it's soooo good. Use lite butter/lite mayo if you want. This is from http://www.recipezaar.com - over 100 five-star reviews.

4 servings
35 min 15 min prep

2 lbs tilapia fillets (orange roughy, cod or red snapper can be substituted)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt (I like Old Bay seasoning here)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish or jellyroll pan, lay fillets in single layer.
Do not stack fillets.
Brush top with juice.
In bowl combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions and seasonings.
Mix well with fork.
Bake fish in preheated oven 10 to 20 minutes or until fish just starts to flake.
Spread with cheese mixture and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use.
Watch fish closely so that it does not overcook.
Makes 4 servings.

Note: This fish can also be made in a broiler.
Broil 3 to 4 minutes or until almost done.
Add cheese and broil another 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.
Thank you Mama's Supper Club in Wisconsin.

klh6656

Crab Salad in Crisp Wonton Cups

For the Wonton Cups:
Cooking spray
18 wonton wrappers, thawed (if frozen)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the dressing:
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the salad:
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced mango
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.
Brush the wonton wrappers with oil, and place each wrapper into a section of a mini-muffin tin. Gently press each wrapper into the tin and arrange so that it forms a cup shape. The wrapper will overlap itself and stick up out of the cup. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove from the tin and allow wrappers to cool.

Meanwhile whisk together the zest, lime juice, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Add the oil and whisk until well combined.

In a medium bowl, toss together the crabmeat, celery, mango, scallion and cilantro. Add dressing and toss to combine. Fill each cup with the crab salad and serve.

Jami

Salmon Loaf

(surprisingly good)

1 (15 1/2 oz.) can red salmon, drained
2 small pkg. cream cheese (9 oz. total)
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 small onion chopped fine
chopped pecans

Mix all of the above ingredients (except pecans) together. Mold into a loaf. Cover with chopped pecans and chill. Really good with Keebler Wheat Crackers.

klh6656

Perfect Scalloped Oysters (What I Call Oyster Cassarole!)
hydrogen hydroxide

1 pint oyster (good ones, of course)
2 cups cracker crumbs medium coarse (I prefer real Saltines)
1/2 cup melted butter (margarine if you're desparate)
1/tsp. salt
Dash (or two) pepper
3/4 cup cream (did I neglect to say this ain't necessarily healthful???)
1/4 cup oyster liquour
1/4 tsp worchestershire sauce

Drain oysters reserving liquor.
Combine crumbs, butter, salt, and pepper.
Spread one third of buttered crumbs in greased 8X1&1/4 inch round pan
Cover with half the oyster.
Repeat for second layer.
Combine cream, oyster liquor and worchestershire sauce.
Pour over oysters.
Top w/rest of the crumbs.
Bake in moderate oven (350) for forty minutes.
I usually double the ingredients and use a Corning Ware kinda square pan to serve eight. Make sure the crust is brown to your taste.

Just Me

Oyster Casserole
Ric

2 (12 ounce) containers fresh oysters
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2teaspoons worcestershire sauce
2 cups crushed cracker crumbs
1/2 cup lightly-salted butter, melted
1/2 cup half-and-half
paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Drain the oysters and place half of them in a lightly greased shallow 2-quart baking dish; sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
3. Top with half of each of the vegetables, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Sprinkle with half of the cracker crumbs.
5. Drizzle with half of the butter and half-and-half.
6. Repeat the layers one more time then sprinkle paprika over all.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Just Me

Oyster Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
4 green onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cups crumbled cornbread
3 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 pint shucked oysters, drained, reserve 1/2 cup liquid

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté onions and celery in the butter until tender, not browned.

Combine cornbread and bread crumbs in a large bowl; mix in sautéed onions, salt, pepper, and parsley.

Add beaten eggs and toss more; moisten with the oyster liquid until moist but not soggy. Gently stir in the oysters.

Pat the mixture into a large lightly buttered rectangular baking pan (it should make a 1-inch layer in the pan). Dot with remaining butter and bake about 45 minutes, until golden brown and set in the center.

Just Me

Crawfish or Shrimp Etouffe

As in most Louisiana recipes, First you make a roux. The simplest way to do this is below. If you are forced to go to the grocery and are tempted by the bottled roux.. you are taking a big chance. Making a roux takes time, but it is the one single item (well except maybe the brandy) heh... that can make or break your dish...

Carry on......

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces butter, divided
1/2 C flour
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C chopped green pepper
1/2 C chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t salt
1 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 C fish stock
2 pounds crawfish tails, peeled
1 C chopped green onions, with tops
6 to 8 T sherry or good brandy, optional, I prefer brandy

PREPARATION:
Make a roux with 4 ounces of butter and flour, cooking over low heat until flour is dark brown; stirring constantly, 20 to 30 minutes. Keep heat low and stir constantly to prevent scorching.

Add the chopped vegetables and seasonings; cook until vegetables are softened. Gradually stir in stock and let simmer 15 minutes or until thickened.

Add crawfish, green onions, remaining butter, and sherry; bring to a simmer. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes, cover, remove from heat, and let sit 15 minutes. Serve hot around a mound of rice.

Serves 4.

Ric

Shrimp Creole

1 (6oz) can tomato paste
3 tT olive oil, divided use
3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
3 large white onions, chopped
3 bell peppers chopped
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (46oz) can V-8 juice
½ t cayenne pepper
¼ t white pepper
¼ t black pepper
3 bay leaves
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 lb med. Shrimp, peeled

In a small sauce pan over very low heat, combine tomato paste and 2 tbl olive oil. Cook gently until mixture turns dark red, about 30-40 minutes. Add garlic and set aside. In a large stockpot, heat remaining 1 tbl olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers, cook until onions are transparent.

Add tomato paste mix, tomato sauce, V-8, peppers and bay leaves, salt to taste. Cook over low heat for 2-3 hours, uncovered. Add sliced mushrooms during last 30 minutes of cooking. Add shrimp during last 10 minutes of cooking and cook until pink. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick. Remove bay leaves before serving and serve over rice.

Jami

Seafood Scampi Stuffed Peppers

Take a bag in the box rice packet (preferably the kind with holes scattered,
and boil it with a tablespoon of crab boil and/or other seasonings to taste.

While it is boiling, cut the tops off of several red or green peppers and
remove the seeds. Wrap the peppers in individual sheets of tinfoil, leaving
the top open to stuff them.

Take the now cooked rice and add a tablespoon of minced garlic, 1/2 bag of
shredded cheese (I use cheddar/jack) and 1 package of imitation crab or
lobster meat. Take a package of cooked shrimp,(from 6oz to 16oz, depending on how much shrimp you want in the mixture, and boil it for a few minutes in the seasoned water that you boiled your rice in. Remove from the water and add to your stuffing mixture. (Depending on the size of the shrimp, I slice them into small, bite-sized pieces.

Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper and a teaspoon of
paprika. Mix thoroughly. Stuff your peppers with this mixture, and put a pat
of butter or margarine on the top of each, and sprinkle some paprika on top
of each for a bit of color. Stand your peppers up in a bread pan, and put
them in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for an hour.

You can thank me later....

Ric