Shrimp on the Barbie

These went so fast I didn't get a picture.  My husband does not like coconut, but I used the coconut milk anyway, he still enjoyed it.  So for all you coconut haters out there, don't miss this one!

1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp Thai green curry paste
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce (I used Hoisin sauce)
500g Jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on
4 stalks lemon grass (not available in Midland - so I skipped it)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil

GARNISH
reserved marinade
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp chopped mint

1. Combine coconut milk, curry paste and garlic.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until coconut milk has thickened slightly.  Stir in lime juice and fish sauce.  Cool.  Toss with shrimp and marinate for 1 hour.
2. Remove shrimp from marinade and thread shrimps onto lemon grass (or just skewers), spearing shrimps in 2 places so that they don't turn on the skewers.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reserve marinade.
3. Preheat grill to high.  Brush shrimp with oil.  Grill about 2 minutes per side or until shrimps are cooked.  While shrimp is cooking, place reserved marinade in a small pot over high heat.  Bring to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes or until quite thick (like mayonnaise).  Remove from heat stir in lime juice and sugar.  Drizzle over grilled shrimp and sprinkle with mint.

Wild Salmon with Balsamic Glaze and Fennel Confit

The glaze for this salmon could be used for a multitude of dishes, including chicken and pork.  The recipe says it keeps for 3 months, but I doubt you will leave it alone that long!  From Food and Drink 2005

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp sugar

FENNEL CONFIT
2 tbsp butter
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, core removed and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

FISH
1 tbsp olive oil
Four 175 g pieces wild salmon fillets

1. Combine balsamic, red wine, and sugar in a small pot.  Bring to boil, then boil for 12 minutes or until you just begin to see the bottom of the pan as you stir; glaze thickens considerably as it cools.  You will have about 1/2 cup.  Reserve.
2. Make confit while glaze is cooking.  Heat butter in skillet on medium heat.  When butter sizzles add fennel, red onion, orange juice and sugar to pan and toss to distribute.  Bring to boil, and then reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until fennel is softened. 
3. Remove cover, turn heat up to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes longer or until fennel is caramelized.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a nonstick skillet until hot on high heat.  Add oil and add salmon flesh-side down.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook 2 minutes longer.  Cover skillet and cook 3 to 5 minutes longer or until fish is just cooked.
5. Place on 4 plates.  Serve with fennel confit and drizzle with glaze. 

Red Rice Salad with Red Wine Vinegar

This is a favourite!  I had never tried red rice (Wehani) before and I really enjoyed it.  The rice is a little chewy, which makes it perfect for a salad.  Sprinkle some goat cheese on top for extra flavour.  From Food & Drink 2005.

3 cups water
2 cups red rice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/22 cup pitted, slivered black olives
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (I left this out - not a dill fan)
2 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.  Sprinkle in rice and bring back to boil.  Cover rice, reduce heat to low and steam for 35 to 45 minutes or until rice is tender but slightly chewy and water has been absorbed.  Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.
2. Whisk together oil and red wine vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss half of the dressing with rice and let cool
3. When rice has cooled, combine it with olives, green onions, cucumber, pine nuts, dill and parsley.  Toss with remaining dressing.

Mango Mini Cheesecakes

I like that these are individual.  It makes it so much more fun.  A simple recipe and the fruit toppings can be switched up according to your preference.  Try strawberries, raspberries, pineapple or manderin oranges! You can change the crust to a regular graham crust, but why would you?  The ginger crust makes this different and delicious.  From Food and Drink 2005.

2 cups crumbled gingersnaps
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup plain cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp grated lime rind

TOPPING
1 large mango, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp apricot jam (I left this out - I prefer just putting on the fresh fruit)

1. Place gingersnaps and almonds in food processor (or blender) and process together until almonds are finely chopped.  Add butter and process briefly.
2. Grease 6 wells of a muffin tin, and line each with plastic wrap.  Divide crumbs amongst wells; press into bottom and up sides to make 6 mini crusts.  Chill for 30 minutes
3. Use a hand mixer to beat together mascarpone, cream cheese, sour cream, honey and lime rind.  Divide into 6 and spoon into chilled shells.  Chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
4. Place mango on top of cheesecakes.  Melt jam until just liquid, strain and brush over mango.  Let set for 30 minutes.  Then remove cheesecake from muffin cups.  Serve with extra fruit if desired.

Serves 6.

Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Asparagus are one of the veggies that I have discovered as an adult.  I would never have eaten them when I was younger and certainly would not have thought they were delicious.  But wow, how the years have changed me.  I really enjoy them roasted, I find them much nicer than boiled or steamed.  The white asparagus are largely aesthetics here, if you can't find them, just substitute for regular green asparagus.

1/2 lb (250g) thick green asparagus, with tough ends snapped off
1/2 l (250g) white asparagus, with tough ends snapped off
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
2 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. (the recipe calls for peeling the asparagus stalks - I did not do this) toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place on baking sheet.  Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, turning once, or until stalks are crisp tender.
3. Heat butter in small pot until foaming.  Place egg yolks and lemon juice in food processor (or blender) and process for 20 seconds.  With machine running, slowly pour melted butter down through feeder tube.  Season with salt and pepper.  To keep warm, place in a thermos or use for up to 30 minutes.

Parmesan Cheese Cigarettes

These are WONDERFUL.  A great accent to any dinner and really not that hard.  You can bake them flat, but I decided to roll them.  You must shape them while they are still warm; so only bake a few at a time.  I used the handle from a wooden spoon but you could place in muffin cups, drape over a small cup or a rolling pin for different shapes.   From Food & Drink 2005

1 cup freshly, finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano (do not use the stuff that is cheese product)
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Mix the cheese, chives and cayenne pepper.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter as a guide, sprinkle 1 tbsp cheese within the ring, spreading to edges, then carefully remove ring.  Repeat 3 times.
4. Bake the Parmesan cookies for 4 to 5 minutes, or until cheese melts and begins to turn golden at edges.  Loosen each cookie with a spatula then quickly roll them up around the handle of a wooden spoon.  This must be done while they are hot.  Repeat process.  Store in airtight container.

Makes about 16

Chocolate Cake with Cocoa Icing

Another Food and Drink 2005 recipe.  This one is simple and can be quite elegant with some strawberries or raspberries added at the end.

CAKE
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup strong coffee
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch processed
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

ICING
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups icing sugar, divided
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup cold strong coffee
1 tsp pure vanilla essence

1.  To make cake, preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease and line bottoms of two 9 inch cake pans with parchment or waxed paper.  Thoroughly cream butter with granulated sugar in a large bowl until lightened and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time; continue beating until fluffy.  In a large measuring cup stir buttermilk with coffee and vanilla.  In a medium bowl, sift cocoa into flour; thoroughly stir in baking powder, soda and salt.
3. Alternately stir in a third of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk combination into the butter mixture, repeating and ending with final third of flour mixture.  Stir until most lumps are gone.  Turn batter into prepared pans; smooth tops.  Bake in centre of preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into layer centre comes out clean.  Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes; then turn cakes out onto rack to complete cooling.  Remove and discard paper lining.
4. To make icing, cream butter with 1 cup icing sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in cocoa, coffee and vanilla until well blended.  Beat in remaining icing sugar until icing is smooth.  Place one cake layer on serving piece rounded side down.  Spread flat surface with about a third of the icing.  Top with remaining layer, flat side down.  Frost top and sides with remaining icing.  Lightly covered, cake keeps well for 2 days in a cool spot (do not refrigerate).