Marinated Cheese

Cordi's Marinated Cheese

This appetizer is delicious and beautiful




½ cup olive oil

3 Tbs chopped parsley

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup white wine vinegar

3 Tbs minced green onion

¾ tsp dried basil

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 - 2 oz jar pimiento, drained

1 - 5½x2x1 inch block sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz), chilled

1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese, chilled

Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs
Combine first 10 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, shake vigorously. Set aside.

Cut block of cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into ¼ inch thick slices; set aside. Repeat procedure with cream cheese.

Arrange cheese slices alternately in a shallow baking dish; standing slices on edges.

Pour marinade over cheese slices. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours.

Transfer cheese slices to a serving platter in the same alternating fashion, reserving marinade. Spoon marinade over cheese slices.

Garnish, if desired.

Serve with assorted crackers.

Yields: 12 to 16 Servings

Almond Rice (Anne Fairchild)

The best recipes come from potlucks...here was Anne's contribution ~ delicious.

1 stick butter
1 lb. box Uncle Ben's Rice (original)
4 beef boullion cubes
3 1/2 cups water

Cook down - 20-25 minutes on simmer

add 6 green onions, chopped
8 - 10 T soy sauce
1 sm bag slivered almonds
1 cup bean sprouts

Cindy's Feta Dip

Here is Cindy's feta dip...great and easy to prepare.

8 ounces Feta Cheese (crumbled or mashed)
8 ounces sour cream
2 green onions
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Mix and let stand in refrigerator 3 hours or more. Stir and serve with crackers.

Tomatoes with Green Onions & Basil

This is a very easy and fast recipe that we love. (also low fat)

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 T minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add tomatoes; saute 2 minutes or until tomatoes are thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in onions and remaining ingredients; toss gently. Serve immediately.

Spicy Salmon Wraps

Serves 6 - 8  Prep Time 15 minutes Cook time 15 minutes

12 oz Salmon 

2 t sesame oil

1/2 t five spice powder

1/4 t salt

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/2 T lime juice

1 T soy sauce

1 t grated fresh ginger

1 - 2 T chili paste

1/4 cup cola

1/2 cup julienne carrots

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup julienne sweet red peppers

1/2 cup julienne snow peas

6 - 8 lettuce leaves, trimmed

Preheat broiler.  Place salmon on spray coated broiling pan, skin side down and broil 5 inched from heat source for about 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and drain any excess liquid.  Set oven to 375.  Spread sesame oil over salmon; rub 5 spice and salt onto fish.  Place in oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Cook jut until opaque.  Remove skin and break into pieces.  In a food processor or blender, combine peanut butter, hoisin, lime, soy, ginger and chili.  Stir in cola until it reaches a sauce consistency.  In a medium bowl, combine vegetables (except lettuce)and 2 T of peanut butter sauce, tossing to coat. Gently add salmon.  To serve place mixture on lettuce leaves and drizzle with additional sauce.

Alaskan Salmon Pepper Chowder

Makes 4 servings  Prep 15 minutes  Cook 15 minutes

16 - 20 oz salmon

1/4 cup cornstarch

28 oz chicken broth

1 can Rotel

2 teaspoons green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chipotle-red pepper sauce

1 can (12 oz) evaporated low fat milk

2 cups tortilla chips broken

1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese, divided

Cut salmon into 1 inch pieces.  Coat the inside of a large soup pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Blend cornstarch in broth in pot.  Stir in tomatoes, onions, seasonings and pepper sauce.  Heat to boiling; cook and stir one minute.  Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in evaporated milk and salmon.  Cook 5 - 10 minutes until salmon is cooked.  To serve, portion into large soup bowls.  Sprinkle each bowl with tortilla chips and 2 Tablespoons of cheese.

Ceviche

I love ceviche but had never attempted to make it.  I found this recipe and it was great.

1# halibut cut into bite size pieces

1 large onion diced, (I used about 4 green onions...because that is what I had)

1 tomato, chopped fine

1 small green pepper, chopped fine

2 chili peppers, chopped fine (I used 1 jalapeno)

Tabasco sauce, a liberal sprinkling (I used 2 teaspoons of chili-garlic paste)

juice of 4 - 6 limes (I only needed 3 to be enough to cover the ingredients)

Salt the fish and let it stand while you are chopping the vegetables.  Add all inredients and cover with lime juice.  Mix well and let stand overnight.  Serve with crackers or tortillas. 

Pasta with Uncooked Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella

This recipe is from Carol Troxel. From the ingredients, it sounds like a warm caprese...sounds great. Thanks Carol


Add hot pasta to this sauce and you have an incredible side dish or, as I usually eat it, a main meal. It is best made with fresh picked summer tomatoes, but when those are unavailable I have found grocery store, vine-ripened cherry tomatoes very acceptable.

PASTA WITH UNCOOKED TOMATO, BASIL and MOZZARELLA SAUCE

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, seeded and chopped if large, or halved
and unseeded if using cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped coarse
1 cup diced mozzarella (about 1/4 pound)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 pound dried pasta

In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, mozzarella, oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and let the sauce stand, covered, at room temperature for at least one hour and up to four hours. Just before serving, in a pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta until it is al dente; drain it well, and add it to the sauce.

Chicken with Orange, Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is from Carol Troxel, I can't wait to try it! Carol is a great cook so I know this is a winner. Thanks Carol.

CHICKEN with ORANGE, SPINACH and CHERRY TOMATOES
(adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine)

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
3 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced crosswise
4 cups firmly packed fresh spinach leaves, torn if large (about 8 oz)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place large baking sheet in oven to heat. Meanwhile, mix dill, orange peel, garlic and salt in medium bowl. Season with pepper. Combine tomatoes, oil and 1 teaspoon dill mixture in small bowl. Add chicken to remaining dill mixture in medium bowl and toss to coat.Cut 4 sheets of foil, each about 20 inches long. Place 1 foil sheet on work surface. Arrange 1 cup spinach on 1 half of foil.

Place 1/4 of sliced chicken mixture atop spinach. Spoon 1/4 of tomato mixture atop chicken. Fold foil over, enclosing contents completely and crimping edges tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining 3 foil sheets, spinach, chicken mixture and tomato mixture, forming 4 packets total. Arrange foil packets in single layer on heated baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake until chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Serve on couscous that has been made with chicken broth.
Betz, I use rice with this....Yummy

Baked Dijon Arctic Char

We went to the local fish market and bought some Arctic Char. The owner of the market was nice enough to share her favorite Char recipe with us. While you probably can't buy Char, you could use this recipe on other mild fish such as halibut.

2 lbs Char fillet
2 T olive oil
2 t lemon juice
2 t Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t basil

Arrange Char fillets in a baking dish. Whisk all other ingredients together and spread over fish. Marinade in the refrigerator for one hour. Remove from the refrigerator an let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap in foil and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillets, or until the fish flakes with a fork.

Serves 4

Crusted Tuna with Soy Ginger Sauce

We found some fresh tuna and made this dish. YUM We loved the sauce and Dad cooked the tuna perfectly. This is really fast to make and you will love it.

4 T. Toasted Sesame Seeds
4 Tuna steaks

Olive oil

Sauce:
2 T fresh ginger, minced
2 T unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup dry white wine (I didn't have so I used a little rice vinegar and water)
1/4 cup soy suace
1 T chile garlic sauce
1 T molasses (didn't have so I increased the brown sugar)
1 T brown sugar
1/2 t. dry mustard

Finish with:
1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1 T fresh lime juice (I only had lemon)

Preheat grill to medium high. Brush both sides of tuna with olive oil, then press seeds into tuna. Grill fish 2 minutes on each side, remove and let rest 5 minutes. You may need to adjust cooking time based on thickness.

Saute ginger for the sauce in butter in a small skillet over medium heat until soft, 1 minute. Deglaze with wine, simmer until reduced by half, then stir in soy sauce, chile garlic sauce, molasses, sugar and dry mustard. Simmer 2 - 3 minutes.

Drizzle sauce over tuna, then finish with scallions and lime juice.

soy glazed salmon

Here's Roxy's salmon recipe that goes great with the coconut rice.
Serves 4
2 pounds salmon fillet ~ whole or cut into serving sizes
Soy-Ginger Glaze
2 T vege oil
2 T soy sauce
3 T chardonnay, bourbon or whiskey
2 t fresh ginger, minced
2 T brown sugar
fresh ground pepper & salt to taste
1 T lemon juice, reserved
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except salmon and lemon juice, and blend thoroughly. Set aside.
Brush salmon with soy ginger glaze. Season with s&p. Place on BBQ for approx. 8 - 10 minutes.
Transfer remaining glaze to sauce pan and gently simmer over medium heat until reduced by half

Coconut Ginger Rice

Roxy and I turned out a fantastic dinner last night. Roxy's salmon was great and this rice was delicious. Here is the original recipe and how I changed it due to what I had on hand. YUM

Coconut Ginger Rice

2 T vegetable oil (I used coconut oil, which is very healthy)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 Serrano chili, thinly sliced (I used 1 T chili garlic sauce)
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice, rinced well (sub. brown rice for more fiber)
1 cup coconut milk (I used low fat)
2 cups water
1 t salt
4 green onions, thinly sliced (I used 2 T red onions)
2-3 T cilantro, stemmed and coarsly chopped

1. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger chili and onion. Stir 1-2 minutes until soft.
2. Add rice, continue cooking until you can smell the grain. Add water, coconut milk and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low and cover until rice is tender and the liquid is fully absorbed, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
4. Marie's trick ~ cover with a clean tea towel and return the lid tightly to absorb any steam.
5. Serve when ready, will hold for 20 minutes, or so.

White Gazpacho

I love cold soup, especially my gazpacho served in avocado shells. Here is a different version of gazpacho. This recipe comes from Cahoots Cookbook by Lisa Jones & Jim Subject. Let me know if you like it.
Betz


White Gazpacho

Serves 6 - 8

3 cucumbers (I use English, peeled)
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cups low fat sour cream
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted and salted for garnish

Dice one of the cucumbers and add to a bowl along with the chopped tomatoes, green onions, parsley and garlic.

Cut the remaining 2 cucumbers into one inch cubes

In the food processor or blender, add one half of the cucumber pieces and puree with the sour cream until smooth. Add to the bowl of vegetables. Repeat this step with the ofther half of the cucumber pieces and the yogurt. Add to the bowl of vegetables.

Add the chicken broth, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and white pepper. Stit well and chill for at least 2 hours.

To serve, top with sunflower seeds.

Spiced Halibut with Chipotle Butter

This recipe was featured in the Bend Bulletin and is delicious.

takes less than 30 minutes ~ serves 4

1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
4 (4 oz) halibut steaks
1 TBS butter, softened
1 -2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, finely minced

Preheat over in 400. Combine cumin, paprika with a little s & p. Rub in the fish. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, combine butter and chile. When fish is cooked, transfer to serving plate and spread with chile mixture. Serve with lemon wedges.

152 calories per serving.

Slow Cook - Spicy Asian Pork Filling for Lettuce Wraps

This is a great recipe for your crock pot, mix everything the night before and just plug it in in the morning before work. When you get home voila!

Prep Time 15 -20 minutes
Cook time 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours high

1 (3 pound) boneless pork sirloin roast, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce (or to taste)
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspooons dark sesame oil

1. Combine pork, soy, chili garlic sauce and ginger in the crock pot; mix well. Cover; cook on selected temperature.
2. Remove roast from cooking liquid; cool slightly. Trim and discard any excess fat. Shred the pork using 2 forks. Let liquid stand 5 minutes to allow fat to rise. Skim off any fat.
3. Combine water, cornstarch and sesame oil until smooth; whisk into pan juices. Cook on HIGH until thickened. Add shredded meat to stoneware; mix well. Cook 15 - 30 minutes or until hot.

Place pork filling in lettuce leaves with your favorite toppings.
Enjoy...

Crab stuffed Artichoke Bottoms

We had a delicious appetizer in Bend, Oregon. Crab stuffed Artichoke bottoms. I asked the chef for the recipe, he kindly gave me the ingredients without measurements. I think we can quess though.

Use canned artichoke bottoms, rinsed.
Clean crab and add finely chopped green onion, panko, just enough light mayo to bind and season with "old bay" seasoning. Make little crab balls and place on top of artichoke bottoms. Bake until warm and slightly toasted. He topped with a light lemon sauce.