Fried Rice

from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook
Makes 6 side-dish servings

2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 c. thinly bias-sliced celery (1 stalk)
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups cooked white rice
1 med. carrot, shredded
1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c. sliced green onions (2)

In a small bowl combine eggs and the 1 tsp. soy sauce
Pour the sesame oil into a large skillet. Preheat over med. heat. Add the egg mixture and garlic; stir gently to scramble. When set, remove egg mixture from skillet and cut up any large pieces. Remove skillet from heat.
Pour the cooking oil into the skillet. Return to med high heat. Stir-fry celery in hot oil for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Add cooked rice, carrot, and peas. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture and green onion; cook and stir for about 1 minute more or until heated through.

Shrimp Fried Rice – prepare as before except add 12 oz. peels and deveined fully cooked shrimp when adding the rice. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

 

Marlin Kabob

We received some wonderful Marlin & Dorado steaks from a friend lucky enough to go fishing in Mexico. Now, what to do with them! Here is a recipe I found for the Marlin over at http://www.mrmarlin.com. I think we’ll try it tonight and then I’ll post my review.

Marlin Kabob
Ingredients:
1/2 lb Marlin steak, cut in squares
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
salt
15 cherry tomatoes
12 whole mushrooms
1 yellow pepper, cut in squares
1 green pepper, cut in squares

1. Combine basil, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in blender or food processor. Process until smooth. The result should be a brushable sauce – add 1 Tbsp water if too thick
2. Alternate fish and vegetables on skewers. Brush on all sides with sauce
3. Place on a hot grill and cook until fish flakes easily, about 5 minutes each side

 

Clam Chowder

From the kitchen of:  Lisa

2-3 Lg potatoes, peeled and diced
1 med onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
6 slices bacon, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. Dill weed or dried parsley
1/8 tsp. paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 c. Whole Milk or Half n Half
2 cans chopped or minced clams

Cook potato and celery in boiling water for 10 minutes. In Dutch Oven or Stock Pot cook bacon, onion and garlic til browned. Add seasonings and flour to bacon and onion. Cook over low heat until smooth an bubbly. Add drained potatoes, celery and milk. Bring to boil over med -low heat. Boil one minute. Add chopped clams with juice and heat through. Don’t over cook clams they will get tough. Serves 4-6.

For Potato-Cheese soup instead of Clam Chowder, omit clams.
Turn off heat, add 6-8 slices of American Cheese.

After I put it in the bowls I crunch up crackers in the soup, more for the kids to make it thicker so it is easier for them to eat.  Now, if only I’d had a loaf of extra sourdough bread…mmm!

 

Baked Salmon Fillets Dijon

from Living Waters Ranch

4 (4-oz.) salmon fillets
3 T prepared Dijon-style mustard
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 c. Italian-style dry breadcrumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a shallow baking pan with foil.  I used my Pampered Chef bar pan lined with parchment.  Place salmon, skin side down, on foil.  Spread a thin layer of mustard over each fillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Top with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

This was a great salmon dish!  I needed something that was easy and mild (again, I have kids) yet has wonderful flavor.  I served it with white (instant) rice seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper, and a green salad.

 

Cheesy Crab Enchiladas

Cheesy Crab Enchiladas
from “A Taste of Heaven” Living Waters Ranch

2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 env. ranch salad dressing mix
3 T plus 1/4 c. milk, divided
1 sm. red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T butter
1 lb. fresh, frozen or canned crabmeat, flaked
2 (2.75-oz.) cans sliced ripe olives, drained
1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chilies
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
8 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1/2 c. shredded Colby cheese
For Garnish – chopped green onions and tomatoes, chredded lettuce, sliced
ripe olives

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, ranch dressing mix and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth. Set aside 3/4 cup for topping. In a skillet saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in crab, olives, chilies, salt and pepper. Fold crab mixure and 1-1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese into remaining cream cheese mixture. Spoon about 2/3 cup down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Combine the remaining milk and reserved cream cheese mixture until blended; pour over tortillas. Sprinkle with Colby and remaining Jack cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with green onions, tomatoes, lettuce and olives if desired. Makes 8 enchiladas.

I made this the other night for my family and it was delicious! I used “krab”, lol, that is imitation. My husband thought that it might have been good with a thin layer of enchilada sauce before the colby and jack cheese at the end. I just added a layer of salsa on top (skipping the garnish) and it was so good! We had half the pan left over and I just put in back into the oven to warm the following evening and it was just as good the second time around. We’ll definately be making it again!

 

Skillet Fish with Tomato and Feta

Skillet Fish with Tomato and Feta
http://www.savingdinner.com

Serves 6
6 cod fillets (or other firm white fish)
4 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups Feta cheese, crumbled

On a dinner plate, combine flour and salt and pepper to taste. Dredge fish in mixture. Heat half of the olive oil in a skillet over medium high-heat.  Brown fish well on both sides, then arrange in an 8-inch square baking dish.  Add remaining oil to the skillet and cook the onion and garlic till soft. Add the tomatoes (with juice) and spices, then salt and pepper again. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to reduce the sauce, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Pour sauce over fish, sprinkle Feta over the top and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.