Cornbread and Molasses: March 2011

Not Your Uncle's Chicken and Waffles
I'm back to redeem myself from the deep fried grilled cheese. This time with some fusion cuisine. This is my take on chicken and waffles; I call it "Not Your Uncle's Chicken and Waffles." It consists of fried chicken paired with a french toast soufflé served with a maple bacon custard. Not sure how many calories but it was scrumptious!

Red Snapper FishTacos

Ingredients:
Fish Tacos
1 lb Red Snapper

1 cup Flour
1 Egg
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Chipotle
1 tsp Dried Cilantro
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Lime Zest
4 Tortillas

Slaw

1 bag Fresh Express Coleslaw
1 tsp Lime Zest
1/2 a Lime Juiced
1 Garlic Minced
1/8 tsp Chipotle
1 Tbsp Cilantro
1/4 tsp Fish Sauce

Directions:

MMM Red Snapper! Slice the fish in equal parts that will fit in your tortilla.
Place the panko bread crumbs in a bowl and add black pepper.
Add cilantro.
Add garlic powder.
Add lime zest.
Add chipotle.
Batter your fish using the 3 step breading process: Pat fish dry and toss in flour Coat with egg Roll in panko breadcrumbs
Place fish in an oiled pan (I used white truffle oil) and cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until fish is done.
For the slaw I used pre-packaged coleslaw.
Add the lime zest.
Squeeze the lime juice.
Add the garlic.
Add the chipotle.
Add the cilantro. I prefer the stems and the leaves.
Add the fish sauce. You can find fish sauce in the Asian aisle of a good grocery store or an Asian market. Fish sauce is salty (made from anchovies) therefore this coleslaw needs no additional salt for flavor.
I warmed up my tortillas before stuffing them with the breaded fish.
Top it with slaw.
Served with sour cream and salsa verde.

Six Pears A Penny

, Posted in black lava salt , caramel , Hazelnut , pear , recipes , whipped cream , 0 Comments

This is a very simple dessert packed with flavor that can be prepared without cooking.

Ingredients:

1 USA D’Anjou Pear

1 Tbsp Light Rum

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Hazelnuts

4 Cubes of Caramel

1 tsp Water

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch Black Lava Salt

1Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions

Start with a firm nice sized pear. This is a USA D'Anjou Pear. You can also use USA Red D'Anjou or USA Bosc Pear
Core out the pear.

Slice the pear into even round slices. Melt the butter in a microwavable dish and add light rum. You can also use any white wine.
Soak each slice in the butter and rum.
Use a round cutter to cut each slice individually. Remove the peel and stack the pears. You can use any shape cutter of your choice.

Assembly:

Toast your hazelnuts until golden brown.
Place hazelnuts inside of the stack of cored out pears.
Move Pears to a serving dish
Whip the heavy cream to a stiff peak. When whipping by hand it is always best to use a chilled bowl and whisk. Whipping 1 tablespoon of whipped cream may seem tedious and you may want to whip 3 tablespoons at a time.
Place a tablespoon of the whipped cream in the center on top on the nuts.
The caramel for this dessert can be prepared fresh or you can melt 4 cubes of packaged caramel with a teaspoon or water and vanilla in a microwaveable dish.
Pour a small amount of caramel in front of the pears.
Garnish the caramel with a few hazelnuts and a small amount of Black Lava Salt.

Basil, Sundried Tomato, and Garlic Aioli Fettuccini

, Posted in basil , garlic , pasta , tomato , 0 Comments

Aioli is a sauce made of garlic and olive oil. There are many variations of it and today we are going to make our Aioli with Basil, Sundried Tomato, and Garlic. These simple ingredients give an aromatic, clean flavor to your pasta.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic Minced

6 Basil Leaves Chiffonade (Ribbons)

10 Sliced Sundried Tomatoes

Fettuccini Pasta

Salted Water

Directions:

Bring pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Add pasta to boiling water and stir occasionally to avoid pasta sticking.* Cook til al dente according to the box instructions. You can add oil to your pasta, but it’s the agitation that keeps I from sticking
While pasta is boiling prepare your Aioli.
To chiffonade (ribbon) your basil, stack your leaves and roll the basil then cut into ribbons.
Stack your sundried tomatoes and slice them.
To mince your garlic begin by pounding your clove with your knife. This will help you remove the “skin” as well as release the oils in the garlic. Begin chopping until garlic is minced.
Add olive oil to pan and heat on medium.
Add garlic and sauté for three minutes.
Add Sundried Tomatoes. Do you smell the flavors developing?
Add basil and continue sautéing for 5 minutes.
Drain pasta and add to the basil, garlic, and sundried tomatoes. Toss to ensure all pasta is coated.
Serve immediately.