Your Not so Ordinary Fish N Chips

Organic Tortilla Chips (www.costco.com)

Grilled Ahi (tuna fish) [sliced thin into bite sized pieces]

Tarter Sauce (mayonnaise and pickle relish)

Cayenne Pepper (optional) [www.mortonbassett.com]

Mango with Peach Salsa by Santa Barbara Salsa (www.sbsalsa.com)

Once all these ingredients are laid out begin the layering. Here is the preferred method:

Take one tortilla chip. Add a small dollop of tarter sauce then a piece of the ahi. Top this off with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (optional, use if you like a little heat) then a dollop of salsa. This should be just the right size to shovel into your mouth with one bite. If it’s too big for one bite, try again with smaller portions.

It was this revelation that made me decide that I would work on always having fresh alfalfa sprouts in the house. I thought it might be a difficult task but discovered how simple and rewarding sprouting my own alfalfa could be.

The hardware is fairly simple. You will need 1 qt sized canning jar with ring top (the wide mouth variety is preferable), some cheese cloth, a tupperware that you can finish the sprouts in that has a lid for storage.

Start with 2 TBS alfalfa seeds
Put in jar, cover with water, put cheese cloth on the top and screw on the lid.

In the morning, pour out water, rinse with fresh water, pour that out and shake the jar holding the lid end in a wrist-twisty sort of motion so the seeds adhere to the sides. Continue this process daily until the sprouts end up in a clump instead of adhering to the side of the jar. At this point pour out into your tupperware and spread evenly. Depending on how sprout crazy you are, now would be a good time to start the next batch. Cover with wet cheese cloth. Continue to water daily until sprouts are at the height of the top of the tupperware. On this day, set the sprouts outside in the sun to get a last dose of sunshine before being stored in the fridge.

Voila! Your own fresh alfalfa sprouts.

Enchiladas are very forgiving because normally, the filling is in small dice-sized pieces and the dish is covered in cheese and sauce (who can resist that?!). The basic ingredients you need for enchiladas are cheese, sauce, corn tortillas and filling. The filling will consist of whatever you have in the fridge today. For me, since we Barbecued a turkey for Christmas, my enchiladas will have turkey in them. Another ingredient I like in enchiladas (although I have made some without it) is cottage cheese.

You will need:
13×19 glass pan
1 can enchilada sauce (or get the packaged stuff and follow the recipe)
1 can olives, drained and sliced
2 C grated cheese (start with cheddar and add whatever else you have)
1 C leftover meat
2 C diced vegies (leftover or fresh) be sure to include onions and possibly broccoli and carrots
10-12 corn tortillas (I use 10 – 2 rows of 5 – because 12 seems a bit crowded)
Cottage cheese
Canola or olive oil (used to soften the tortillas)

Corn tortillas have a tendency  to crack so the first step I take is to soften the tortillas with a little oil. Heat a large pan on the stove with a teaspoon of oil. When it gets hot, swirl the tortilla in the oil to cover and flip tortilla over to do the same on the other side. This process is very fast and won’t take but a couple minutes to soften all the tortillas.

Once the tortillas are softened and all your prep is complete you are ready to assemble the enchiladas. Take a softened tortilla and add some meat, vegies and cottage cheese. Roll up in a tube and place in pan. Continue this process for the rest of the tortillas and other ingredients. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle on the cheese. Cut the olives in slices and sprinkle on top (there may be too many olives in one can for just one batch of enchiladas and if this is the case, the only proper option is to snack).

Place pan in a preheated 350 degree oven for approx. 20 minutes. If it looks hot and bubbly then it’s done. If not, leave in an additional 10 minutes. Once you have retrieved the enchiladas from the oven, make sure they rest (and cool) for a minimum of 5 minutes (preferably 10) before serving.

This can be served with a variety of sides (including rice and beans if you want). One of my favorites is to top the enchilada with sour cream and a big pile of fresh alfalfa sprouts. This brings a special brightness to the meal and you can have your salad right on top of your enchilada.

Fresh baked bread is another aroma that is hard to resist. I had to stop baking bread regularly because I was eating too much of it! When a fresh loaf comes out of the oven, I am always tempted to promptly cut off the heel, slather it in butter (not margarine or any other butter substitute) and delight myself in a simple pleasure.

Anything that is prepared in a slow cooker is usually filled with wonderful aromas. Starting with garlic and onions, then adding some wonderful herbs and spices that will fill your house with yummy goodness. The problem with using the slow cooker when you are at home is that you are tantalized with all those lovely smells throughout the day. This can cause a frustrated anticipation and prompt you to impatience. It may even make you turn the slow cooker to high when you know the recipe called for low. You can avoid this temptation by only using the slow cooker when you will be out for the day. The other way to avoid this temptation is to put the slow cooker on at night for a wonderful dinner for breakfast. Sometimes that’s the best way to start your day.

Each different ethnic group has their own aromas that will prompt you to euphoria. We’ve already covered the most prevalent one in Italian cooking which is garlic. What do you think of when you consider Oriental cuisine? Perhaps it’s the sesame flavors. Sesame Oil is a very strong flavor and needs to be used with finesse. Garlic is also very present in most forms of oriental cuisine. When I think of Mexican the aromas that come to mind are corn tortillas, cheese, cumin, cilantro tomatoes and onions.

Any time you have a mixture of good ingredients going into a dish, the result will be tantalizing aromas exuding from your kitchen. And let’s not forget that the first part of tasting how good a meal is, is how good it smells!

Here are some things you will find in my refrigerator:

• Butter – the real stuff. I just don’t do margerine
• Milk (nonfat because that’s the only kind my daughter will drink), 1/2 and 1/2
• Cheese – this will include: Cheddar (sharp and extra sharp), Swiss (usually Jarlsberg), Jack, Parmesan (chunk and that canned stuff), goat cheese, mozzarella, and a good aged gouda (this is strictly for snacking and not meant to be a cooking cheese)
• Condiments –  including Mayonnaise, Catsup, Pickle Relish, Dijon Mustard, Hoisin Sauce
• Fruits including lemons and limes for cooking, apples, oranges and whatever else is in season
• Veggies including lettuce.
• In both the fruit and veggie department I try not to have more than I can use up in about a week to 10 days. No matter how fresh it was picked, every day of storage looses a little more nutrient and flavor.

Here are my freezer necessities:

• Meat of all kinds – chicken, beef (in steak form as well as ground), ground turkey
• Seafood of all kinds – fish, shrimp, scallops etc.
• Other staples include all sorts of fast food items such as frozen pizza. These don’t take up much of my freezer space, but they are good to have around for those days that you just can’t do more than heat something up
• The only frozen veggies I usually keep on hand are peas and sometimes spinach – I’m more of a fresh veggie gal
• My whole goal in compiling this list is that frankly, I don’t like to shop and I would rather have a complete store in my fridge and pantry. This way I can entertain guests at the drop of a hat. After all, that’s what Chef Rebecca does – she brings friends together.

1 dozen jalapenos
1 8 oz package of cream cheese (use full fat or low fat, the non fat doesn’t work as well) softened
1/2 C grated sharp cheddar cheese
Egg Whites (I use the “fake eggs” in a carton – the ones that are supposed to be good for you) You can also use 1-2 whole eggs scrambled
Bread Crumbs – this can either be regular or flavored bread crumbs, panko crumbs, or corn flake crumbs. I like a combo of Italian bread crumbs and panko.

1. Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise.
2. Put on your mask and gloves (Do Not Skip This Step)
3. Under running water, use your thumb to scrape out all the seeds and ribs. The seeds and ribs hold most of the heat so this helps to make this dish more mild.
4. Mix together cream cheese and cheddar cheese (it’s ok to take off your mask and gloves at this point)
5.  Evenly fill each pepper half with the cheese mixture
6. Prepare a baking sheet by covering with foil and give a quick spray of Pam or some other kind of non stick cooking spray. The foil makes for easy clean up.
7. Put your bread crumbs in one bowl and the eggs in another bowl
8. Dip the peppers first in the egg mixture, lift and let drain, then cover in the bread crumbs
9. Arrange in a single layer on cookie sheet.
10. Bake at 375 F for 15-17 min (until the cheese looks raised and bubbly, the crumbs look browned)
11. Let cool at least 5 min. Serve alone or with Ranch Dressing or Blue cheese dressing. – Enjoy.

Saffron is always a great twist on any seafood favorite. I tried it with seared scallops and pasta which isn’t exactly norm but it worked. Added a little shiitake mushroom and cauliflower – a complete meal in a bowl. Just what I needed tonight.

Yield 3 dozen mini meatballs and some meat left over to flavor your sauce

Arrange meatballs on a greased (or Pam-sprayed) cookie sheet  and bake at 375 degrees F. for about 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown. Do not wait til golden brown as turkey tends to stay a bit lighter in color.

Use the remaining meat (if you have some) to be the base of a delicious sauce to add to your balls. (coming soon)

• Raw Sugar – this is readily available in Hawaii, but a little more difficult to find in the other states. The Maui Raw Sugar has nice large granules. Turbinado Sugar is a good substitute for Raw Sugar. It has the same flavor quality (kind of molassassy)
• Salt – Rock salt as well as granulated. There are many types of salt if you are really into that stuff. Some swear by Kosher Salt, also there is smoked salt, ormus and other types of gourmet salt and non salt minerals that enhance flavors. If you are looking for just the basic, go with whatever salt you can find in the grocery store.
• Pepper – I like to grind my own as I use it, but if you’re not into that sort of thing you can buy the pre-ground stuff.
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Oyster Sauce – readily available in Hawaii, possibly found in oriental section of your grocery store.
• Oil – Canola, Olive, Sesame and possibly Peanut. Smoke point is different on each oil. Canola and Peanut can hold up to the highest heat so always use these with deep frying and stir-frying. Also remember that Canola does not add flavor whereas olive, sesame and peanut oil do. Personally, I do not use Peanut Oil in cooking, but a great recipe for scar oil is 50% peanut oil and 50% olive oil – mix well and rub on any owie or even an old scar. This will help heal this area.
• Herbs – As I mentioned before I prefer fresh herbs, but these cannot be stored in your pantry. Here are a few of the herbs that I cannot do without in my pantry: Italian Seasoning (this is a mixture of basil, rosemary,parsley, and a few others), Basil, Cumin, Chili Powder, Thyme, Dill. There are several commercial mixtures that bear mentioning – Montreal Chicken Seasoning and Montreal Steak Seasoning http://www.mccormick.com/Products/GrillMates/. Also look into keeping Lawry’s Seasoned Salt http://www.lawrys.com/, and Spike by Modern Products http://www.herbspro.com/modernproducts.html on hand. I can’t imagine avocados or homemade soups without spike. Some others I like to keep on hand are Cayenne Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Tarragon and Curry Powder. Curry Powder is actually a mixture of several different spices - cumin, cardamom, coriander, turmeric, dry mustard,cayenne among others. My favorite comes from a local health food store http://www.downtoearth.org/. The only other combo spices I keep on hand come from Costco www.Costco.com. Not all are listed on their website. I like the “Sweet Mesquite Seasoning” and the “Rustic Tuscan Seasoning”.  One other combo to note from Costco is the “Herbed Seafood Rub”
  
• Other seasonal spices would include cloves (whole and ground) cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric and cardamon. Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cardamon can also fall under the baking category. One spice that I haven’t mentioned yet is Saffron. It seems very expensive to buy just a little bit of saffron, but since it is very aromatic, it will last a really long time. This is one of my favorite things to add to clam chowder.
• Vinegar – Apple cider (medicinal as well), White, Red Wine, Rice and Balsamic. Depending on your cooking style and taste preferences you will probably only have 2 or 3 of these on hand.
• Chicken Broth – very useful for all sorts of things, it’s not just for soup
• I may be adding to this list from time to time. Please let me know if there is something that you just cannot do without and I will add it to the list.

Here are the basic items that I like to keep around for baking purposes:

• Flour – This can be all purpose, unbleached, or whole wheat whatever you like to cook with but make sure you at least have some all purpose or unbleached as whole wheat can be too heavy for some purposes. If you are a very experimental cook, you can also include other flours such as barley flour, rice flour, rye flour, etc.
• Sugar – This includes white granulated sugar, brown sugar and powdered or confectioner’s sugar. I don’t always have powdered sugar on hand but I never run out of granulated or brown sugar
• Salt – Morton’s white salt “When it rains, it pours” For those of you gourmet foodies go with the ormus
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Cornstarch – this can also fall under the cooking category
• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats – who knows when you want to make oatmeal cookies.
• Chocolate Chips – I actually keep mine in the freezer not the pantry.
• Nuts – Pine Nuts, Walnuts, Pecans, Sunflower Seeds, Almonds, Cashews – I keep most of these in the freezer as well. This keeps them fresh as I do not always bake. As a side note all these are great for snacking and can double in the “cooking” category.
• Oil – Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Sesame Oil. The Canola Oil is the only one I would use for baking whereas all three are useful in different ways in the cooking process.
• Molasses – I don’t use this very often and it is very strong so a very small jar goes a long way.
• Vanilla – I only use pure vanilla or vanilla beans – never imitation vanilla ewww
• Other flavored extracts – Orange, rum, lemon, almond…these all come in handy but are not necessary unless you come across a recipe that specifically calls for them. (One of my favorite things for Thanksgiving is to make fresh cinnamon rolls and use an icing of powdered sugar milk and a little orange extract – YUM)
• Cream of Tartar – useful in any dish that calls for egg whites