Baked Snapper Roteña - Urta a la Roteña

By Lisa & Tony Sierra

This recipe is from Rota, a city in the province of Cadiz, which is located in the region of Andalucia (Southern Spain). Urta is a kind of snapper that is local to the area. Rota has had an annual Urta Festival for almost 40 years. Try this simple and delicious dish and see why Rota is crazy about it!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 00 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp Spanish olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 large yellow onions
• 3 sweet green peppers (long, not bell)
• 1 26 oz can crushed tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of nutmeg
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 lbs snapper fillets

Preparation:

This baked snapper rotena Makes 4 servings.

Slice 1 onion into thin rings and seed and cut the peppers into strips. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan and heat to medium. Sauté 1 onion and peppers. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Add the bay leaves. Cook for about 30 minutes.

While the tomato sauce is cooking, prepare the fish and pan. Cut the onion into julienne strips and lightly fry in a pan. Grease a baking dish or casserole dish with a bit of olive oil and spread the strips around on the bottom of the dish. Flour the fish fillets and cut into 3-4 inch pieces. Place fish in baking dish. Cover fish with tomato sauce, spreading evenly.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place in oven and bake until fish is tender, 20-30 minutes.

Source

http://spanishfood.about.com/od/maincourses/r/bakedsnapper.htm

Paul Prudhomme's Hush Puppies

From Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen (William Morrow)

Hush puppies are little nuggets of fried cornbread flavored with thyme, oregano, green onions, and garlic. They are a Southern favorite, often served with fried fish or seafood.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup corn flour, available at health food stores
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, preferably cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• .
• Other Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup green onions, tops only, very finely chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons pork lard, unsalted butter, vegetable oil, chicken fat or bacon drippings
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Combine the cornmeal, flour, corn flour, baking powder, red pepper, salt, black pepper, thyme, white pepper, and oregano in a large bowl, breaking up any lumps. Stir in the green onions and garlic. Add the eggs and blend well.

In a small saucepan bring the milk and lard (or other fat) to a boil. Remove from heat and add to flour mixture, half at a time, stirring well after each addition. Refrigerate 1 hour.

In a large skillet or deep fryer, heat 4 inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Do not crowd. Cook until dark golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels.

Yield: 5 servings

Recipe Source: Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen by Paul Prudhomme (William Morrow)
Reprinted with permission.


Source
http://homecooking.about.com/od/breadrecipes/r/blsea1.htm

Pork Cutlets: An Old Southern Favorite

By Kevin D. Weeks.

Frying (and sauteeing, a form of frying) is almost universally derided these days. That's because we've been told that all fat is bad for us. But this is a lie. Some fat is not only necessary but good for you - olive oil is case in point. Furthermore, if you fry properly using a high enough heat the food absorbs relatively little fat. In this recipe only about 1 tablespoon of oil ends up in the cutlets which is only 1 1/2 teaspoons or 60 calories per serving - not bad at all. By my calculations one serving of these cutlets is only about 400 calories. (Larger Image.) Serves 2.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 4-oz. boneless pork loin chops; trimmed of fat
• Rubbed sage, paprika, salt, black pepper
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 egg; beaten in pie plate
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 lemon; cut in half

Preparation:

1. Pound chop to about 1/4" thick and season generously with sage, paprika, salt, and pepper.*

2. Add oil to a non-stick skillet and heat over medium high heat until oil shimmers.

3. Dredge the chops in the flour, coat with egg, and thoroughly coat with bread crumbs.** Set chop aside.

4. Fry chop on each side until golden and crisp (about 2 minutes per side). Serve immediately with a lemon wedge.

The cutlets are great with these Glazed Carrots with Mint and Lemon.

*Note: seasoning the pork directly is much more effective than seasoning the flour and or seasoning the bread crumbs alone.

**Note: Flour will adhere to the meat. The egg will adhere to the flour. And the bread crumbs will adhere to the egg.

Source

http://cookingfortwo.about.com/od/pork/r/porkcutlets.htm

Dolmathakia Yialantzi: Stuffed Grape Leaves with Rice & Grated Vegetables

From Nancy Gaifyllia

In Greek: ντολμαδάκια γιαλαντζί, pronounce dohl-mah-THAHK-yah yah-lahnd-ZEE

Throughout the Middle East and southern Europe, this dish is a favorite. Here in vineyard country, these are often made with the very youngest and tenderest (and smallest) freshly picked leaves - which you can do as well if you have access to vines.

This is the same stuffing I use for stuffed vegetables with rice, so if you don't want to make 100 pieces, refrigerate the extra filling it and use it for another meal.

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 jars of grape leaves in brine (16 oz. jars or about 120-150 leaves)
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound of zucchini, grated
• 1/2 eggplant, peeled and grated
• 2 medium carrots, grated
• 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups of long grain rice
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• juice of 3 lemons

Preparation:

Blanch the Grape Leaves
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, add juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 teaspoon of salt. Carefully unroll the leaves (do not separate). Turn off the heat and place leaves in the hot water for 3 minutes. Remove leaves and place them in a bowl and cover with cold water. When cooled, drain in a colander. It is not unusual for many of the outer leaves in the jar or can to be damaged, or to tear while using. Set these aside to use later in the recipe.

Make the Filling
In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil and sauté the onion for about 2-3 minutes. Add grated zucchini, eggplant, and carrots, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomato pulp and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes, and put in a bowl. Add the rice, parsley, remaining salt, and pepper, and mix well with a spoon until blended.

Filling and Rolling the Leaves (see step-by step photos)

Gently separate one leaf and place it shiny side down on a work surface. Cut off the stem and discard. Place one teaspoon of the filling on the leaf at the point where the stem joined the leaf. Fold up the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then each side inward in parallel folds, and roll up the leaf. Roll should be firm, not tight, as the filling will expand during cooking. Repeat until all the filling has been used.

Cooking the Dolmathakia

Because it's easy for the leaves to burn while the filling cooks, put a plate or wooden souvlaki skewers in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot (see tip below). The plate should fit as closely as possible to the sides. If there are unused leaves, or leaves that were torn and not used during the filling process, put them on the plate or on top of the skewers. Place the dolmathakia on top, packing them closely together (not squashed), seam side down, so they don't unroll during cooking. Layer them until all are in the pot (2-3 layers is best, but no more than 4 layers). Place several unused leaves over the top. Take another plate and place it upside down on top of the dolmathakia, with something to weight it down (I use a second plate). Add 2 cups of water to the pot and cover. Bring the water to a gentle boil, add the remaining lemon juice, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 50-70 minutes. Check to see if done. If the rice has cooked, they are done. If not, continue cooking for another 10 minutes and check again. Cooking time depends both on the type of pot used and the particular stovetop element.

If preferred, use a pressure cooker. No plates needed, but do use the skewers in the bottom. Pack the dolmathakia into the pressure cooker, add the 2 cups of water, close and cook for 15-20 minutes at the first pressure mark.

Yield: about 100 pieces

Serving

Individual servings of dolmathakia are 4-5 pieces on small plates as an appetizer, however they can also be used as a side or main dish. Serve dolmathakia warm or at room temperature with avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce), lemon wedges, tzatziki, or unflavored yogurt on the side.

Storage

These will keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Return to room temperature before serving. Drizzle olive oil on top and cover to store. They can also be frozen. If you do freeze, reheat in the microwave or by steaming and serve warm. Don't just thaw and eat.

Tip
If you don't have a plate that fits or skewers, line the bottom of the pan with unused or torn leaves.



Source http://greekfood.about.com/od/veggieappetizersmezethes/r/dolmayialantzi.htm

Southern Cooked Greens

From Emeril's TV Dinners by Emeril Lagasse (William Morrow)

Bacon, beer, and onions flavor mixed mustard, collard, turnip, kale, and spinach greens. Keep in mind that the greens will need to cook more than an hour and plan appropriately.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound raw bacon, chopped
• 3 cups julienne onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne
• 2 Tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle Dixie Beer
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon molasses
• 6 pounds greens, such as mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, kale, and spinach, cleaned and stemmed

Preparation:

In a large pot, render the bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes or until the onions are wilted. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and pinch of cayenne. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the beer, vinegar, and molasses. Stir in the greens, a third at a time, pressing the greens down as they start to wilt. Cook the greens, uncovered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe Source: Emeril's TV Dinners by Emeril Lagasse (William Morrow)
Reprinted with permission.


Source
http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv223.htm

Chicken Potato Pie

By Linda Larsen

This delicious and homey pie that uses frozen hash brown potatoes and precooked chicken is ready for the oven in minutes.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 cups frozen southern hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained
• 2 (10-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 (13-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2-3 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 (16-ounce) bag mixed frozen vegetables
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 pie crust pastry, rolled out to fit casserole top

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine soup and milk and mix with wire whisk. Heat over medium heat until blended. Add potatoes, chicken, vegetables, lemon pepper, and cheese. Pour this mixture into 3-quart casserole dish. Top hot mixture with pie crust, sealing and fluting edges. Cut several slits in crust to vent. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes, until filling is bubbly and crust is browned.


Source
http://busycooks.about.com/od/savorypierecipes/r/chixpotatopie.htm

Gulf Coast Shrimp

By Diana Rattray

A seasoned shrimp recipe from our forum.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon clarified butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 pound large shrimp shelled
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup beer
• 3 tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
• .
• Seasoning Mixture:
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon rosemary, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

Preparation:

Combine seasoning ingredients. Using a heavy skillet, heat butter until hot and foamy. Sauté garlic for 20 seconds; stir in shrimp, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tablespoons of seasoning mix. Mix together well; saute for about a minute. Add beer; simmer until shrimp are cooked, about a minute or 2 longer; remove from heat. Add cold butter; stir until butter is melted. Place mixture into a large bowl and serve with bread.

Source
http://southernfood.about.com/od/shrimprecipes/r/blbb151.htm