(¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·->Free Recipe Collection<-·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯) 

for May 3, 2002

from: Spike's and Jamie's Recipe Collection

http://www.spike-jamie.com/
Many of these recipes have not yet been added to the recipe web site -so  you are getting a "sneak peek" of future additions. We hope you  enjoy these recipes!!! Spike's comments are in []Brackets[].

Shalom, from Spike the Grate and Jamie the Webmistress

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Note from Jamie: I have to apologize for the last issue. The subject line was Free Jewish Recipe Collection 25 - It should have been Free  Recipe Collection 26. 

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[] Cinco de Mayo is coming on Sunday. I have a few Mexican recipes to 
share. []



CHEVICE INFORMATION
May 1, 2002 Posted: 07:45:09 AM PDT
By BEVERLY BUNDY, KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS 

Could it be that ceviche, the south-of-the-border sushi, is finally 
going to have its day in the sun? Long a staple at even the dustiest 
Mexican restaurants, the citrus-marinated fish has made an appearance on 
this year's esteemed James Beard Award list with the nomination of 
"Ceviche!" as best single-subject cookbook of the year. Chef and author 
Guillermo Pernot's Philadelphia restaurant Pasion! is a long way from 
the Gulf of Mexico in topography or spirit.

The word ceviche, also spelled seviche, is derived from the Latin 
"cibus" (food) by way of the Spanish "cebo" (fodder, food, bait) and 
"cebiche" (fish stew). The use of citrus was as much for preservation 
and safety as for flavor.

In ceviche, shellfish and-or fish is "cooked" in citric acid via lime or 
lemon juice. When fish is cooked by heat, its protein is denatured -- 
meaning that the protein bonds are unraveled and develop different 
textures. The citric acid has the same effect without unraveling those 
bonds, leaving the fish with a firmer texture.

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ECUADOREAN SHRIMP CEVICHE
Serves: 4

1 pound shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 large tomato, roasted, peeled and seeded
2 jalapeno peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded wear gloves
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded wear gloves
1/2 medium onion, roasted
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup tomato juice
Tabasco (to taste)
1 scant tablespoon sugar
Salt
Corn nuts and popcorn for garnish

Place cleaned shrimp into a pot of boiling water for approximately two 
minutes (no longer), then remove to an ice bath. Place all other 
ingredients in the blender and liquefy. Pour over the shrimp, mix and 
chill.

Garnish:
1 small whole red onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped
Several whole leaves cilantro
1 large tomato, chopped

Combine all garnish ingredients and toss with shrimp ceviche before 
serving.

To serve: Place shrimp ceviche on individual serving plates and randomly 
sprinkle corn nuts and popcorn around the plates.

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MOLE POBLANO
Serves: 10

2 ounces each dried chilies (guajillo, negro, cascabel, pasilla, morita, 
New 
Mexico and California)
1 tablespoon dry-roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoon almonds (pieces or whole)
1 4-inch stick cinnamon
4 cups chicken broth
2 pieces toast (any type of bread), torn in pieces
2 ounces Mexican chocolate
5 chopped tomatillos
1-inch piece chopped ginger root
2 corn tortillas browned in oven and torn in pieces
5 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil
3 pounds boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Pickled onions for garnish (optional)

Heat oil and sauté all ingredients except chicken, sesame seeds and 
onions. Take warm ingredients and place in blender. Mix in blender and 
strain. Discard pulp left in strainer. Cook strained sauce at medium 
temperature, bringing to a boil. When sauce thickens, it is done. Cut 
chicken breasts in 1/2-inch strips. Lightly coat with olive oil, then 
broil. To serve, pour the mole sauce over chicken and garnish with 
sesame seeds and pickled onions.

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MOLE VERDE
Serves: 6

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 green poblano chilies, seeded and chopped wear gloves 
2 serrano chilies, chopped wear gloves
8 medium green tomatillos, chopped
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup radish leaves, washed
10 cilantro sprigs, washed and chopped
2 cups chicken broth, approximately
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

On a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pumpkin seeds, 
stirring constantly until fragrant and they begin to change color. In 
the same skillet, quickly toast the sesame seeds until fragrant and 
golden brown.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Sauté the 
onion for one minute. Add the garlic and chilies and continue to cook 
for three more minutes. Add tomatillos to the mixture and cook for five 
more minutes.

In the blender jar, combine pumpkin and sesame seeds, garlic, onion, 
tomatillos, chili mixture, lettuce, radish leaves and cilantro. Grind at 
high speed with enough chicken stock to create a thick, smooth sauce. 
Grind sauce in two batches.

Heat the rest of the oil in the skillet over medium heat and sauté 
pumpkin seed sauce, stirring constantly, for about two minutes. Mix in 
the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste. Adjust consistency of sauce by 
adding chicken broth as needed. Simmer sauce for about 10 more minutes 
over medium heat, stirring occasionally, adding more broth as necessary 
to end with a sauce that is thick like a gravy.

Serve warm with sautéed prawns, chicken breasts, pork or game. Garnish 
with cilantro, pumpkin seeds and halved chilies.

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OLE FOR MOLE
More to sauce than chocolate 
May 1, 2002 Posted: 07:45:10 AM PDT
By GWEN SCHOEN, THE SACRAMENTO BEE 

Agustin Gaytan moves like a blur in the kitchen. Chopping, stirring, 
tasting, frying. It all looks like one smooth motion as the chef quickly 
assembles the peppers, pumpkin seeds and tomatillos for making mole.

"Most people believe that mole is the national dish of Mexico," Gaytan 
says. "They also believe that all moles are made with chocolate. In 
fact, the most popular mole is poblano, from the Puebla region in 
Mexico.

"That type is made with chocolate; however, there are many other kinds 
of mole in red, yellow, white, green and brown, depending on the blends 
of spices, tomatoes, tomatillos and chilies."

Gaytan is a Mexican-born chef who learned to cook from his mother and 
honed his skills in several fine restaurants in Mexico. He is an 
instructor at Ramekins culinary school in Sonoma, specializing in 
authentic Mexican cuisine.

"Mexico is known for its sauces, especially mole," Gaytan says. "Almost 
everything is either cooked in a sauce or served with one. We eat sauce 
on tortillas, on beans, on rice, on fish, on grilled meat -- everything.

"Recipes for mole vary greatly among the various regions, but basically 
it is a mixture thickened and enriched with toasted and ground nuts, 
seeds or corn and sometimes bread or tortillas. Chilies are a major 
component of mole, along with the addition of herbs, spices and, 
depending on the region, sometimes a bit of chocolate."

The word "mole," pronounced MO-lay, comes from the Aztec word "molli," 
meaning concoction, stew or sauce.

The most famous mole, mole poblano, is traditionally made from turkey. 
It is a complex dish using dried chilies, nuts, seeds, vegetables, 
spices and chocolate.

"I prefer the mole verde," Gaytan says. "It has a very fresh flavor and 
it is not as complex or complicated to prepare, and it is wonderful with 
chicken and shrimp."

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[] I often bake chicken breasts as follows: []

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise
1 onion, sliced thinly
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thinly (or use chilies or jalapenos)

salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cumin, mixed with the salt, pepper, and chili powder

1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
2 squares baking chocolate, melted with the butter and peanut butter

Spray the baking pan with no-stickum, and put the chicken in it. 
Sprinkle the onion and pepper slices over the chicken, and sprinkle the 
dry ingredients
over it evenly. Melt the remaining ingredients and pour over the 
chicken.
bake at 325 for approximately 1 hour. Make sure the chicken is well 
done.

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SALMON CEVICHE
Yields: 4 cups to serve 8 as appetizer

1 pound skinless salmon fillets, (about 1 1/4 pounds if the salmon has 
the skin), 
cut into 1/2-inch cubes or slightly smaller
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 medium red onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large fresh poblano chile wear gloves
2 large seedless oranges
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus some leaves for garnish
Salt
2 generous cups frisee lettuce
Thin slices toasted French bread or crackers for serving

Place the salmon in a 1 1/2-quart glass or stainless-steel bowl and stir 
in the lime and orange juices and onion. You'll need enough juice to 
cover the fish and allow it to float somewhat freely. Cover and 
refrigerate for two hours, until a piece of salmon looks "cooked" about 
halfway through -- it still will be translucent pink inside.

Drain off all but a little of the juice. Roast the poblano on an open 
flame or on a baking sheet four inches below a very hot broiler, turning 
until the skin is evenly blistered and blackened, about five minutes for 
an open flame, 10 minutes for the broiler. Cover with a kitchen towel 
and let stand for five minutes. Rub off the blackened skin, then pull or 
cut out the stem and the seed pod. Tear open and quickly rinse to remove 
stray seeds and bits of skin. Cut into 1/4-inch pieces and place in a 
large bowl.

Cut the tops and bottoms off both oranges. Then, standing each orange on 
your cutting board and working close to the flesh, cut away the rind and 
all the white pith. Cut out the all- orange, no-white-pith segments. 
With a small, sharp knife cut between the segment-dividing white 
membranes, releasing perfect little segments. Cut the segments in half 
and add to the bowl.

Stir in the capers, cilantro and marinated salmon (with the remaining 
juice). Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon, then 
cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Divide the frisee among eight martini glasses or small decorative bowls.

Spoon the ceviche into the center of the lettuce and lay on a leaf or 
two of cilantro. Serve with toasted bread or crackers.

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SEA SCALLOP CEVICHE
Serves: 4

1/2 pound fresh untreated sea scallops, trimmed of hard adductor muscle 
(see note)
3/4 cup basic ceviche marinade (recipe follows)
2 Ruby Red grapefruits
6 red radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fine chiffonade of Thai basil (or sweet basil)
1 tablespoon fine chiffonade of fresh mint

Note: Scallops are sometimes treated with a liquid preservative to plump 
them. Avoid these scallops, as the preservative affects the flavor and 
texture of the seafood.

Cut each scallop in half, forming two thin rounds. In a medium, 
nonreactive (stainless-steel or enamel) bowl, toss scallops with ceviche 
marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain, cover and 
refrigerate until ready to serve.

Using a sharp knife, cut away all of the skin and the thin outside layer 
of membrane enclosing the grapefruit sections. Cut out each section of 
fruit from between membranes on both sides. Cut radish slices into fine 
julienne.

In medium, nonreactive bowl, combine the lime juice, red pepper flakes, 
salt, basil and mint. Reserve half the mixture. Toss remaining lime 
juice mixture with the drained scallops. Toss radish julienne with 
reserved lime juice mixture.

Divide scallops into four equal portions and arrange each portion on one 
side of four natural scallop shells or small salad plates. Next to the 
scallops, arrange the grapefruit segments, all facing the same 
direction, in a row. Place a small haystack of radish julienne between 
the scallops and the grapefruit. Serve immediately.

BASIC CEVICHE MARINADE
Yields: 3/4 cup

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Use to marinate seafood 
for ceviche from between 20 minutes (for very fresh, thinly sliced mild 
fish) to 24 hours (for stronger-tasting seafood such as sea scallops.)

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[] That’s all, folks. In a hurry to get this out timely. Have a great 
weekend, whether you celebrate Cinco de Mayo or not. []

Shalom, from
Spike and Jamie

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