Coconut Crab Cakes with Coconut Basil Mayonnaise

Coconut Crab Cakes with Coconut Basil Mayonnaise. Need I say more? Recipe follows.

Coconut Crab Cakes
Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons canola oil (plus a bunch more for frying)
• 1/2 Medium onion, finely diced
• 1 Stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 pound lumb crabmeat
• 1/2 Cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, I chose sweetened)
• 2/3 Cup mayonnaise
• 1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons chives, finely minced
• 2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 5 Cups panko bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Large eggs, beaten
• Diced tomatoes, for garnish (whoops, didn't garnish for that pic, did I?)
• Chives for garnish 

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saute pan, add onion and celery until onion is translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix crabmeat, coconut, mayonnaise, mustard, chives, parsely and 1 cup panko with the onion/celery mixture. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Form into 2-inch diameter cakes.
3. Roll cakes first in flour, then in beaten eggs, then in the remaining 4 cups of panko, each time shaking off excess. At this point you can plate on wax paper and refrigerate to allow cakes to set if desired.
4. Heat oil, and deep fry the crab cakes until golden brown, flipping once.
5. Arrange on a platter and garnish with tomatoes and chives. Serve with coconut basil mayonnaise.

Coconut Basil Mayonnaise
Ingredients

• 1 Cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon basil leaves,chopped
• 1 Teaspoon chili garlic paste (more if you want it spicy, the 1 teaspoon will not make it spicy at all)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and whisk until smooth.
2. May be prepared a day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Sauteed Swai Fillets with Green Salad and Honey Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Ok, so I have to admit that Swai is not my favorite fish, but it's inexpensive and if you're going to eat it, this recipe will do just fine. I served it with a fresh green salad drizzled with honey grapefruit vinaigrette.
Recipes follow.

Sauteed Swai Fillets
Ingredients

• 3 large Swai fillets, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablesoons garlic powder
• salt to taste
• lemon pepper to taste

Directions

1. In large, deep sauce pan or sautee pan, heat olive oil, then add butter and heat until melted.
2. Add red wine vinegar and give a light stir, then add a pinch of salt and the garlic powder.
3. Add Swai fillets, and continue cooking over medium heat.
4. Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning onto each fillet.
5. After about 3 minutes, carefully flip fillets, sprinkling other side with lemon pepper, and continue cooking for about 4 minutes, or until outside is opaque.
6. Serve immediately, spooning sauce from pan over fish.

Lemon Grapefruit Vinaigrette
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1-2 freshly crushed garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients well, adding the olive oil last, and whisking to combine.

Cajun Spice-Crusted Pork Loin with Mango Salsa

Recipe Follows
Cajun Spice-Crusted Pork Loin
Ingredients

• 2 pound pork loin
• 1/3 cup Emeril's Creole Seasoning (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat grill on high heat
2. Rub pork loin with Creole seasoning
3. Place pork loin on hot grill, turning every 3 to 4 minutes until all sides have dark grill marks
4. Insert thermometer.  I like to use a wireless thermometer that alerts me even if I'm not watching it. Set the thermometer to alert you at 157 degrees.  
5. When the pork reaches 157 degrees remove it from the grill immediately. Place it on a cutting board or serving platter and tent it loosely with tin foil. The meat needs to rest so that the juices distribute back throughout the meat and the carryover heat will bring the internal temperature up to 160 degrees.
6. After the pork has rested for at least 5 minutes, slice into 1/2 inch slices and serve with mango salsa (recipe follows)

Mango Salsa
Ingredients

• 1 large ripe mango, diced
• 1 medium size red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• juice of 1 large lime
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients and season well with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for an hour or more.

Emeril's Creole Seasoning
Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 
  

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container.

Blondies

Ok, so if you read my post about The New Best Recipe, here's your chance to try it before you buy it.

I like blondies because everybody makes brownies all the time, and as far as I'm concerned variety is the spice of life.  So try the recipe and let me know what you think.  Make sure you do NOT overcook them.  Under-cooking them would be much better, so take them out before you think they're ready.  When they get overcooked they get hard and that's not a good thing. Recipe Follows.

Blondies
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• l teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups packed (10 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped course

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. fold two 16-inch pieces of foil or parchment paper lengthwise so that one measures 13 inches wide and the other 9 inches wide. Fit one sheet in the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan (the overhang will help in removal of the baked bars). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together in a medium bowl until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips into the prepared pan., smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
4. Bake until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars and serve.

The New Best Recipe

Ok, so about a month ago I told my wife to throw out all of our recipe books.  Why, you ask?  Well, because they are pretty much worthless.  They filled a good part of one of our lower kitchen cabinets and we NEVER used them.  There's a reason we never used them.  Like I said, they are pretty much worthless.  Here's the thing.  You could probably find 1,000 different recipe books with different recipes for the same dish.  Nothing wrong with that, right?  Wrong.  There is something wrong with that.  One of those 1,000 recipes is better than the rest, so why are the others even out there?  The bottom line is that I found that most of the recipes I found in cookbooks were simply sub-par.

That wasn't the only problem.  The other problem is that technique is usually just as important as (sometimes more so than) the ingredients.  None of the recipe books I had did anything to make sure I had the right technique.  They use words like, "combine" and "saute."  Well, there's a right way and a wrong way to combine certain combinations of ingredients in some (probably most) recipes.  So just knowing which ingredients to use isn't enough.  I have learned a lot about proper technique by watching Food Network.  You see not only the ingredients, but exactly how to cook with them.  If you're familiar with Alton Brown (particularly his Food Network show "Good Eats"), then you know that technique matters and you also know that most people are lacking in the "technique department."

So, what's my point?  My point is that most cook books or recipe books are worthless.  They have sub-par recipes and they don't do enough to help the sub-par cook master the techniques that will make him a superior (or even adequate for that matter) cook.

Here's the deal, though.  My buddy Fish gave me a birthday/Christmas present that changed everything.  It's still true that most recipe books are worthless, but there's at least one that breaks the mold.  The New Best Recipe, from the editors of Cook's Illustrated is everything you are looking for in a recipe book.

The title may sound a little presumptuous, right?  How do they know it's really the "best" recipe?  Here's how:

"We start the process of testing a recipe with a complete lack of conviction, which means that we accept no claim, no theory, no technique, and no recipe at face value. We simply assemble as many variations as possible, test a half dozen of the most promising, and taste the results blind. We the construct our own hybrid recipe and continue to test it, varying ingredients, techniques, and cooking times until we reach a consensus. The result, we hope, is the best version of a particular recipe..."

Not only that, but "Because good technique is also critical, we have included 800 illustrations that show you the best way to do everything from carving a turkey to beating egg whites properly to frosting a layer cake to setting up your grill."

And as if that wasn't enough, "And because the right equipment always makes a difference, you'll find valuable information on how and when to splurge on that expensive knife or baking pan and when the basic model will do just fine."

There are over 1,000 recipes, divided into logical categories, all cross-referenced and indexed and just ready to be cooked.

Bottom line, if you are tired of jumping from one cookbook to another, do what I did.  Toss the rest, and stick with the best:

Nellie's Tacos (Salmon and Shrimp)

 

Ok, I could just refer you to Noelle's blog (Salmon Tacos, Shrimp Tacos), but I ate at her house Sunday and these tacos were yummy, so I'm going to share the recipes her too:

Salmon Tacos:
Tortillas (small taco-size)
Salmon (recipe follows)
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing (recipe follows)
Pico De Gallo
Fresh Cilantro

Salmon
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb Salmon Fillets
• Lemon Pepper to Taste
• Garlic Powder to Tast
• Salt to Taste
• 1/3 C Soy Sauce
• 1/3 C Brown Sugar
• 1/3 C Water
• 1/4 C Vegetable Oil

Directions

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved.  Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with soy sauce mixture, seal and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill on medium heat.
4. Lightly oil grill grate.  Place salmon on grill and discard leftover marinade.  Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
Ingredients

• 3 Fresh Tomatillos, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
• 1 Pkg Ranch Buttermilk Dressing
• 3/4 C Mayo
• 3/4 C Buttermilk
• 1 C Fresh Cilantro
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

1. Put all of the ingredients in blender or food processor.  Blend.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Will last in refrigerator for at least 10 days.

Shrimp Tacos
Grilled Garlic & Herb Shrimp
Ingredients

• 2 Tsp Ground Paprika
• 2 Tbs Fresh Minced Garlic
• 2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 C Olive Oil
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tsp Dried Basil
• 2 Tbs Brown Sugar
• 2 Lb Medium Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined

Directions

1. Whisk paprika, garlic, italian seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, basil, and brown sugar together in a bowl until thoroughly blended.  Stir in the shrimp and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning once.
2. Preheat grill on medium-high heat.  Lightly oil grill grate.
3. Remove shrimp from marinade, drain excess, and discard leftover marinade.
4. Place shrimp on preheated grill and cook, turning once, until opaque in the center, 5 to 6 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Creamy Chipotle Chile Sauce
Ingredients

• 1/4 C Mayonaise
• 1/4 C Sour Cream
• 2 Tsp Canned Chipotle in Adobo
• 1 Garlic Clove, Minced
• 2 Tsp Minced Fresh Cilantro
• 1 Tsp Lime Juice

Directions

1. Mis all ingredients in a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate.

Citrus Habanero Salsa
Ingredients

• 1/2 Habanero Chile 
• 1/2 Small Red Onion
• 2-3 Mini Sweet Peppers
• 1 1/2 C Grape tomatoes
• 1/2 Can Mandarin Oranges, Drained
• Handful of Cilantro
• Juice of 1 Lime
• Salt to Taste

 Directions

1. Pulse chile, onion, and sweet peppers a few times in food processor.
2. Add tomatoes.  Pulse 1-2 times.
3. Add cilantro and oranges.  pulse until salsa reaches desired consistency.
4. Transfer to serving bowl and stir in lime juice.  Salt to taste.

Zucchini Cookies

 I'm not really much of a baker, but I'm currently all about trying to eat healthier and lighter.  These little low-fat jewels are a great alternative to regular chocolate chip cookies.

My sister-in-law B made these ones.  My only complaint was that she didn't use dark chocolate chips.


Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe:

• 1 C Sugar
• 1/4 C Butter
• 1/4 C Applesauce
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Sal
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cloves
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 2 C Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 C Oatmeal
• 1 C Grated Zucchini
• 1 C Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Cream together sugar, butter, applesauce and egg until well blended.
2. Add dry ingredients, zucchini and chocolate chips and mix until combined.
3. Spoon onto cookie sheet sprayed with pam. 
4. Bake at 375 for 10-12 min. Makes about 3 dozen.