Malaysian Ikan Bakar Fish with Citrus Basmati Rice

I love Asian food. Their use of chilies and spices adds subtle layers of flavor and heat enhance a dish. Asian food is both spicy and savory. In my new novel, Slow Boat to Hell, one of my characters is a chef studying Malaysian and Indonesian recipes. I thought this would be a good time to introduce Faith's version of Ikan Bakar,a Malaysian staple found in many roadside stands. I will be posting other Faith Nomore's recipes as novel progresses.


                                              

                             Malaysian Ikan Bakar, Faith Nomore Style


2 pieces red snapper (Faith uses fresh Dorado but it's hard to find. Mahi mahi could be used.)
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger, minced
2 tsps. Turmeric powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tsps. miso paste or fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon srirachi sauce
1/4 tsp. salt


Take all ingredients except fish and blend until they form a paste.  Make slits across snapper and rub paste over fish. In Malaysia they wrap the fish in banana leaves. In the US, you can warp in foil. Place in pre-heated 350 degree oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until flaky.


                                                         
Roasted Tomato-Mango Salsa

5 Plum tomatoes, oven roasted, seeded, and small diced
1/2 cup diced mango
1/2 red onion, small diced
1  Anaheim pepper, small diced
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
salt/pepper to taste


Citrus Basmati Rice

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
4 quarts water
1 1/2 tsps. salt
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons small died mango
2 tablespoons chopped orange, seeded, peeled.

Bring water to a boil. Add salt.
Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add rice and sauté or stir for 2-3 minutes until nutty aroma. Add rice to boiling water, cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes. Drain any remaining water.

Stir in other ingredients.


Serve fish with rice. Add salsa. Enjoy.

Tangy Chicken Kabobs with Grilled Pineapple-Lime Rice

It's summer, time for backyard grilling. Grilling imparts a particularly hearty flavor to food as it bastes in its own juices and absorbs the smoke from the juices hitting the charcoal briquettes or gas-grill rocks. This recipe combine the heartiness of a chicken dinner with the light tropical flavors of the outdoors with a touch of zest thrown in for good measure.


       Tangy Chicken Kabobs with Grilled Pineapple-Lime Rice


Tangy Chicken Kabobs

2# Marinated chicken breast, cut into 2# cubes (See marinade recipe below)
1# thick sliced apple smoked bacon, cut into 2" strips
1 can Mandarin oranges
1 red onion, peeled and diced into 2" squares
1 red pepper, seeded and diced into 2" squares

Skewer Chicken. If using long metal skewers, oil first. If using long wooden skewers, soak in water 1 hour prior to use. Order is not important, but do have 2 pieces of bacon on each side of chicken. Layer with onion, red pepper and Mandarin oranges. 4 pieces of chicken per skewer makes a good portion, or 2 pieces per skewer if you want crossed skewers on plate as a presentation.

Pre-heat grill to Medium-high, about 350 degrees. Oil grill before using. Lay kabobs on oiled grill. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning so all sides cook evenly. Chicken is done when juices run clear.


Chicken marinade

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon Mandarin orange juice
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
1 garlic clove, crushed but intact
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients. Place whole chicken breasts in large Ziploc bag. Add marinade. Shake well to evenly coat chicken. Refrigerate 2 hours (Overnight is best). Discard garlic clove before grilling.


Grilled Pineapple-Lime Rice

2 cups water
1 cup long grain rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup chopped, grilled pineapple
1/4 teaspoon salt

Grill 2 pineapple rings or slices of fresh pineapple. On Medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Add butter and rice. Add lime zest, lime juice, and salt. Reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. When done, add chopped grilled pineapple.

Serve rice with Chicken Kabobs for a full meal. 

Slow Cooker Cajun Chops

Slow Cookers are great for tenderizing meats. They saturate the meat with all the blended flavors as they cook. Best of all, slow cookers keep the kitchen cool by eliminating the oven and stove-top burners. This recipe will make you want to pack up and move to New Orleans.




                                           Slow Cooker Cajun Chops


4  5-oz. boneless pork chops
3/4 cup AP flour, divided into 1/2 cup for dry marinade and 1/4 cup for slurry
1/2 tsp. Creole Seasoning mix
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsps. Canola oil
1 can chicken stock
2 carrots, medium diced
1 green bell pepper, medium diced
2 celery stalks, medium diced
1 medium white onion, medium diced
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and medium diced


Dry Marinade

Mix all but 1/4 cup flour with Creole Seasoning, Old Bay, pepper, and thyme into a large plastic bag.  Add chops one at a time and shake to coat. Heat skillet over medium-high burner, add Canola oil and sear chops 1-2 minutes per side. Use a little of the chicken stock to deglaze pan. Save  for slow cooker. 


Slow Cooker

Pre-heat slow cooker to high. Place seared chops around edges inside slow cooker, forming a bowl for vegetables. Mix up vegetables and add to slow cooker. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup flour held back with a little chicken stock to form slurry. Add remaining chicken stock and slurry to slow cooker. It will help develop a delicious gravy. Don't forget the skillet deglaze.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Note: I included no salt. Chicken stock and seasonings contain salt and should be sufficient. Salt can be added to taste if you prefer. Product should be nicely spied, but you can add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce to liven it up. Put a little N.O. jazz on the stereo and enjoy.

Healthy Garden Skillet

Ground turkey is an excellent substitute for ground beef. It's lower in fat and calories than ground beef. I prefer the ground turkey breast for chopped steaks or tacos, but whole ground turkey works great for savory dishes. This recipe couldn't be much healthier, especially if you use fresh vegetables from your own garden, but frozen or canned will work.


                            Healthy Garden Skillet 


1# ground turkey
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small yellow squash, diced
1 large garden tomato, diced, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup bell pepper, green or red, diced
1/2 cup peas
1 small potato, thinly diced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon shredded basil
olive oil
salt/pepper to taste


Sprinkle salt and pepper into ground turkey to season. Form ground turkey into small meat balls, 1/2 inch in diameter. Drizzle olive oil into skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté meatballs, turning occasionally until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan. Add diced potatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add peppers, zucchini, squash, and onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until tender.

Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, peas, cooked meatballs, and marinara sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in Mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle fresh basil on top and serve.  

Can be a stand-alone dish or serve with a side of pasta.
Add red pepper flakes for a little heat.

Beef and Mushroom Stew with Bacon

A hearty stew makes a great winter weather meal. Bacon makes everything taste better. This quick and easy recipe will please everyone.



                                   Beef and Mushroom Stew with Bacon



6 strips apple-smoked bacon, diced
2 # beef chuck, diced into 1" cubes
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2# mushrooms, 2-3 varieties for flavor. I suggest Shitake, portabella, and button.
4 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
5 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
2 tsps. kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 Tablespoons flour (For gluten free, use dark rice flour)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cups beef stock
2 cups red wine


In large skillet, sauté bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil to bacon drippings. Add beef and cook until almost done. Remove beef and set aside.

Add 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil to sauté pan. Add mushrooms. Cook until soft. Add flour. Reduce heat to medium. Stir often. Cook 7-8 minutes. Add seasonings. Add beef and bacon, onion, potatoes, and carrots. Add stock and red wine. Simmer to reduce liquid. After 20 minutes, add tomato paste. Cover and continue to slow simmer for 1 hour or until vegetables are soft and sauce thick.

Southwestern Hamburger Steaks with Black Bean Salsa and Potato Hash

Tired of burgers? Hamburger Steaks are a great way to utilize ground beef, and they can be part of a delicious meal. I like to add a bit of spice to everything. Here is a Southwestern-style entrée that will delight everyone. The Black bean Salsa and Potato Hash are great toppers.


                                         Southwestern Hamburger Steaks


2# ground beef or ground chuck, 80/20
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp A1 sauce
2 tsp oil

Mix all ingredients in a  bowl. Add ground beef and mix thoroughly. Form into 5, 6 oz. patties (Make slightly larger to utilize the other 2 oz. of meat).

Add oil to a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook patties on one side for 4 minutes. Flip, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until done.


Black Bean Salsa

2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1/2 cup dice white onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt/pepper to taste

Heat sauce pan over medium high-heat. Add beans and chicken stock. Cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add all other ingredients except lime juice. Heat but don't cook. Remove from heat, add lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Serve warm over chopped steak.


Potato Hash

2 red potatoes, peeled, diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 tsp paprika
salt/pepper to taste

Add oil to sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes. Cook, turning often, until slightly brown. Add onions, bell peppers and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add chicken stock, paprika, salt, and pepper, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until stock is well absorbed and potatoes tender.


Serve Potato Hash as a side dish to Hamburger steak with Black Bean Salsa on top of steak.

Kickin' Turkey Tacos with Cranberry Salsa

Because there's always turkey left over from holiday meals, here is another easy recipe to deal with them. Kickin' Turkey Tacos



                                                          Kickin' Turkey Tacos



6 flour tortilla wraps
2 cups cooked, turkey, shredded
1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar or Pepper Jack)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 package Taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup Cranberry Salsa (Recipe below)

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded turkey and minced jalapenos. Sauté while stirring for 2-3 minutes, then add Taco Seasoning mix, 1 cup water, and mix. Reduce to a simmer and cook until most of the moisture is gone, about 8-10 minutes.

Heat tortillas in microwave for 15 seconds or warm over stove burner. Add some turkey, cheese, and a tsp. of Cranberry salsa. Roll up and enjoy.


Cranberry Salsa

1 cup onion, small diced
1 cup bell pepper, small diced
1 cup tomatoes, small diced with juice
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/2 cup jelled cranberry sauce or 1/2 cup minced whole cranberries
Juice of 1 lime
salt/pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to bowl, squeeze in lime juice, finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add to taco.