Bring out the best in frozen seafood.

On Jan 29, 2011, I wrote about how getting fresh fish in a landlocked state forced one to be creative with frozen fish. It's not just about how to cook the seafood itself, but what can be served as a side.  Most folks, even restaurants, go the easiest route and serve a steamed to death vegetable medley.  Personally, I rather have just the seafood and a good salad as a side dish; limp, overcooked veggies just don't have a big appeal for me.

Oh, but that's just too easy; and I have always wanted to attempt an Italian dish called Carbonara which basically consists of bacon (or pancetta is you can find it), eggs, butter and cheeses.  What, no sauce!?!  Hey, it's got bacon in it; and everything tastes good with bacon.

I happen to have some frozen scallops and salmon in the freezer, so defrosted them; gave them a good sear and served the Carbonara on the side...it was so good!  Not complicated and comforting; just like it should be.  Enjoy!

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped pancetta (if not available, use unflavored smoked bacon)

1 lb strand pasta (fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti)

3 large eggs

¼ cup each grated Pecorino Romano and shredded Parmesan cheese

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp each salt and ground black pepper

2 Tbsp diced fresh parsley

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium heat, melt butter; add in pancetta (bacon) and cook till crisp.  At the same time, cook pasta according to package direction, but until just under al dente.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, cheeses, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Drain pasta and add to skillet; reduce heat to low.  Add in mixture from small bowl and mix thoroughly with pasta and the bacon; let cook for 7 minutes to make sure all is heated through.

Serve with sprinkled parsley over top.

Makes 4 servings.

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Seared Salmon and Scallops

Ingredients:

4 – ¼ lb salmon filets (skin and pin bones removed)

12 large scallops

1 Tbsp each sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika mixed together

4 Tbsp olive oil (Option – substitute bacon fat instead of oil)

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Season the salmon and scallops with the seasoning mixture.

In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat; place in salmon and cook each side for 4 minutes.  Remove to plate.  Next, cook scallops in same skillet; 2 minutes per side; remove.

Add lemon juice to skillet, mix with oil and scrape up any bits stuck to pan.  Pour liquid over the salmon and scallops.

Makes 4 servings of each seafood.

Mary Cokenour

Chesters Chicken may out do the Colonel.

Chesters Fried Chicken

17 North Main Street
Monticello UT 84535

Tel: 435-587-2555

Hours: Monday - Saturday from 6am to 3 pm
                            Closed Sundays

Inside the Shell station, on the corner of Main and Center Streets, there is a small area reserved for Chesters. If you have never tried Chesters and are a fan of fried chicken, then you should, but beware, as their fried chicken gives the Colonel (KFC) a run for his money.

The chicken is crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside and flavorful; though it’s fried, there is very little grease. There is the usual assortment of parts: breast, wing, leg or thigh and they also have their own version of a hot wing and chicken tenders. The potato wedges are a bit pricey at 50 cents a wedge, but they are good; and there is an assortment of sauces to use on the chicken and wedges.

Recently they have started to serve breakfast items, and the breakfast sandwiches are quite good; made fresh, not the typical microwave fare.  They will also be serving fresh made breakfast plates starting this June.

Mary Cokenour

Old Chicago cannot make real Chicago Pizza.

Old Chicago Pasta and Pizza

120 North Avenue

Grand Junction, CO, 81501

(970) 244-8383

Website: http://www.oldchicago.com/home

When entering Old Chicago, there is usually someone friendly there to greet you and the wait staff is attentive, for the most part.  The last time we were there, besides having dinner in, we ordered take out for family members back home.  Well, the waiter brought us all the food at once and then commented, “Wow, that’s a lot of food for two people; you gonna be able to eat all that?”  The smirk on his face was no help in the situation which we quickly had to explain to him again, so he could bring boxes to our table for packing the food up.

As to the food, we started with the Honey Chipotle BBQ Wings and Pepperoni Rolls which are both amazing, and our absolute favorites.  The Wings are large, crispy and juicy with a finger licking sauce you can’t get enough of; the Pepperoni Rolls are baked to perfection, packed with pepperoni and come with ranch dressing, but we opted for the delicious marinara sauce instead.

We ordered a Chicago Style pizza and it was a disappointment; not a real Chicago deep dish pizza at all, but similar to Pizza Hut’s deep dish, and just as tasteless.  The crust was undercooked, just a smear of sauce, and the minimum of cheese...definitely similar to Pizza Hut.

The decision is, if we go to Old Chicago again, to stick to the appetizers and get a salad instead of any pizza. 

Mary Cokenour

Trying to master New Mexico cuisine.

One dish I have tried at Mexican restaurants is Carne Adovada; pork that has been marinated overnight in New Mexico chiles, cumin and oregano. Living in my area, Mexican restaurants are not readily available. We did have one place, but it was forced out of business...nice, right?

Anyway, I decided that it was time to tackle this recipe, and learn to make it myself. I researched the origins, read over recipes, and came up with a combination of ingredients. Usually Carne Adovada is very spicy, or the ones I have tried were; so I cut the spice down a bit. Anyone trying this recipe can up the spice then to their own liking.

I also wanted rice as a side dish, but I'm not happy with the Mexican or Texas dry rice recipes, so came up with a combination of both which is moist and very flavorful. Eaten together with the pork, each dish compliments the other.

Carne Adovada

While this dish is primarily made with pork; beef or chicken can be substituted and cooking time will need to be adjusted.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp flour

3 Tbsp New Mexico red chili powder

2 ½ cups water

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp dried crushed oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp salt

4 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into cubes

Preparation:

In a medium skillet, heat the oil on medium heat; whisk in the flour and let cook until golden brown; whisk in the chili powder.  Gradually add the water and continue to whisk to prevent clumping.  Add in the garlic, oregano, cumin and salt; reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Place pork cubes into large bowl; pour cooled mixture over pork and mix to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (minimum 12 hrs).

Next day, set a 4 quart crock pot on low; place pork and marinade inside; cover and cook for 5-6 hours; until pork is tender.

Makes 8-10 servings.

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Tex-Mex Skillet Rice

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup diced onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp chili powder

3 cups cooked long grain rice

1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

½ tsp dried crushed oregano

2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

Preparation:

In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, sauté onion in oil until softened; stir in garlic and chili powder; mix thoroughly.  Add rice and mix to coat rice with seasoned onion; cook an additional 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low; mix in beans, corn, tomatoes and oregano and let cook for 10 minutes.  Before serving, sprinkle cilantro over all.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

My baby boy is one today; he deserves brisket!

Happy Birthday Tippy!  He’s made it to one year old, and deserves whatever he wants; he loves mama’s brisket.   The vet estimated that Tippy was 4 months old when I found him; abandoned, he had been wandering the streets of a neighboring town.  His breed is primarily Australian Shepherd with another breed mixed in, but can’t be sure which one.

The poor little guy was only 17 lbs., had stopped making red blood cells and was in the first stage of Parvo; he was given an 85% chance to live. His treatment was supposed to take two weeks, but surprisingly it only took one week before he was home once again.

Today, Tippy is a very happy, healthy dog; weighing in at 70 lbs, muscular and a wonderful bundle of love. He has deep brown eyes that can quickly put anyone under the spell of absolute cuteness. He is protective of his family and home; and his growls warn anyone to stay away if not invited. Yet, he is gentle with the cats, and lets our little Basenji, Nefertiti, roll him onto his back while she playfully mauls him; she’s only 15 lbs.

Tippy is my baby boy, but daddy’s buddy; you’ll always see Tippy sitting by Roy’s feet, or walking by his side.  Every night, when Roy comes home, he has to lift Tippy up onto his lap, and cuddle him like a father would his small child.  Yep, Tippy is one of the best little creatures that has come into our lives, and we love him dearly.  Happy Birthday Tippy, Love from Mommy and Daddy.

Now when I made the brisket, the weather kept me from using one of my smokers. Instead, I set my gas oven to 225F; seasoned a 4 lb. brisket with my homemade All Purpose Rub for Grilling and Smoking, previously posted on April 21, 2011, and wrapped it in aluminum foil. I placed it on the rack, inside a roasting pan, put it in the oven, and just let it do its thing for 8 hours. The next day, in 30F weather, I had the brisket on the barbeque, high heat, getting a good char on both sides and basted with my homemade barbeque sauce. Only took me about 15 minutes for the whole process, and the cold hands was worth it.

All Purpose Barbeque Sauce
Ingredients:

2 Tbsp peanut oil (if not available, use canola oil)
1 small onion, diced
1Tbsp minced garlic
1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground horseradish
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp each salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dark molasses

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium-high heat; sauté onion and garlic till softened; be careful not to burn garlic. Add in remaining ingredients, stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes; sauce will thicken. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking or burning. If sauce thickens too much, stir in a tablespoon of water until desired consistency is achieved.

Use warm or cold; store in refrigerator in airtight container; will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 2 cups.

Mary Cokenour

Arches Chinese Restaurant is so-so.

Arches

1770 E. 20th Street
Farmington, NM, 87401

(505) 327-1351

Website: N/A

As with other Chinese restaurants in the Four Corners area, the main cuisine of Arches is Mandarin cuisine based. However, I noticed that when it comes to sauces, this restaurant favors sweet and sour sauce; it seemed to be everywhere. It was available as a condiment.

At the buffet serving tables, it was included in such dishes as “Beef with Broccoli” and “General Tso Chicken”; the actual “Sweet and Sour Chicken” was so saturated in the sauce, it was a goopy mess. The first two dishes mentioned are normally in a brown sauce, but not at Arches.

The individual serving units were one quarter to half full with many other dishes, with the sauces congealing, and a skin forming over whatever dishes they covered; or the vegetables were obviously limp from sitting over the steaming tables. The fried rice and pork lo mein were kept piled high with fresh servings, as was the fruit table. The restaurant was busy, so there was no reason why the food was not refreshed as it ran low. For the dishes I tried, I found the food to be mediocre, at best, and lacking in seasoning.

The saving grace for Arches hot food was the spring and egg rolls; crispy on the outside and the cabbage filling was finely shredded, so easier to bite into and eat in small portions. The sweet and sour sauce plus hot mustard were a great accompaniment for these. The fruit table contained many varieties, all tasting and looking fresh.

All in all, the price for the buffet is reasonable, especially if you’re not picky about the quality.

Mary Cokenour

What to do with Chicken Thighs?

I am not a big fan of chicken thighs; I don't like dark meat on poultry, and they are too fatty for my tastes. My hubby and his family though don't agree, so I usually make the thighs just for them...either fried or barbequed. His mom likes to pick up grocery items when they are on sale, and have me cook them up, and what did she buy....you guessed it, chicken thighs.

I didn't want to pull out the deep fryer; I didn't want to put the oven on to have them roast in barbeque sauce; I wanted something a bit more creative this time around. Southwestern....no, Italian....no; lets go a little Asian this time; but instead of the usual sweet and sour sauce, lets use up the apricot and pineapple jams in the pantry.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
3 cups dried seasoned bread crumbs
peanut or canola oil for frying
1 cup each sugar snap peas, chopped broccoli
1/2 cup each chopped onion, red, yellow and green bell peppers
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup each apricot, pineapple jams

Preparation:

In a large bowl, coat the chicken with the bread crumbs. Fill a large skillet with about 1-1/2 inches of oil and bring temperature up to 375F. Fry, about 5 minutes, 12 pieces of the chicken at a time and drain on paper towels.

When all the chicken is done, remove all the oil but 2 Tbsp; place into the skillet the vegetables, soy sauce and ginger; mix and cook for 7 minutes. Add back the chicken and mix in jams, making sure to coat all the chicken and vegetables. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour