What's For Dinner Tonight Ladies? *RECIPES*: 11/20/10

11/20/10

Hawaiian Mahi Mahi with Orange Pineapple sauce

Recipe courtesy of John J. Ashbaugh

Made with ginger, Teryaki, honey, durkee 6 pepper blend, cilantro,crushed pineapple, garlic and sweet onions. im sure I left things out.

BUT very very good!!

Smoked Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomato Crisps

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin

Makes about 2 dozen crisps

3/4 cup dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 1/2 cups grated smoked Cheddar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

In the bowl of a food processor or in a spice grinder, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes until very finely ground. Reserve 2 tablespoons. Remaining ground tomatoes can be reserved for another use.

The the bowl of a food processor, combine the reserved 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, smoked Cheddar, flour, butter, sharp Cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and cayenne. Pulse for 30 seconds, or until mixture comes together and looks uniform.

Transfer the dough to a clean surface, and roll it into a 2 1/ inch long log. Wrap the log tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

With a sharp paring knife, cut the dough log into 1/8 inch thick slices and place the slices on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until deep golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack to cool

Bean Soup from Tuscany (La Ribollita)

Recipe courtesy of: Nancy Josland Dalsin

Preparation - Needs time (beans soak 8 hours, long stove time)
Serves 4 - 6

Ribollita means 're-cooked' in Italy, and slow cooking is the secret of this hearty winter vegetable soup designed for wood stoves or back burners. There are many different recipes, but most Tuscan recipes call for cavolo nero - black leaf kale - the closest substitute being savoy (green, crinkled, loose-leafed) cabbage - and cannelini - tuscan white beans - the closest substitute being Great Northern beans. Most recipes call for the leek, onion, carrot, celery and tomato. You can use any other vegetables you might have at hand. You can also add more vegetables and water on succeeding days, cook for about an hour, and serve a new version. Good quality olive oil is also important.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (dried) cannellini or Great Northern beans
1 head of cavolo nero (black-leaf kale) (or 1/4 head green cabbage) shredded (sliced very thinly)
1/4 head of Savoy cabbage - shredded
1 bunch of Swiss chard - shredded
1 leek - chopped fine
1 onion - chopped fine
1 large carrot - chopped fine
1 large celery stalk including leaves - chopped fine
2 peeled plum tomatoes, ripe or canned - diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine (optional)
2 potatoes (optional) - diced
2 zucchini (optional) - diced
2 - 3 T extra virgin olive oil (use more if you like)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, or leaves from one fresh sprig, chopped fine
1/2 tsp dried or fresh oregano
salt and pepper
Italian or French bread
Water - enough to cover
Large, covered oven-proof casserole or pot.

SOAK the beans in plenty of water for 8 hours or over night. Drain and rinse.

IN A large casserole or cast iron or cast aluminum pot, with a cover and a thick bottom (one variation calls for putting the soup in the oven for ½ hour, so consider this when choosing your cooking vessel), heat the olive on a bit more than medium heat - you want to sautee the ingredients slowly until the onion is transparent or lightly golden NOT browned - add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and leek stirring often until the onion has turned color (about ten minutes, depending on the heat)

ADD the tomatoes, cabbage and the beans, more olive oil if you wish, and stir well to mix the ingredients.

ADD the optional rosemary/oregano, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste and mix again.

ADD enough water to cover the ingredients by about
1/4 inch.

BRING to a very slow simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beans start to soften.

ADD water as necessary to keep the ingredients just covered. (for a 'soupier' soup, keep the water level a bit higher).

ADD the optional diced potatoes/zucchini (you can also do this on the following day if there is soup left over, to give it a new taste) - cook for another hour, until potatoes are cooked. Longer cooking softens the ingredients and blends them
more.

THE soup can stand for a few hours in a cool kitchen and be re-heated for the meal. The longer it lingers, the better it gets, and some recipes call for refrigerating the soup, covered, over night and serving it re-heated the next day.

Dijon Rosemary Rack of Lamb

Recipe by Nancy Josland Dalsin

Marinade

2 racks of lamb, (12 oz/375 g each)
2 tbsp (25 mL) Dijon mustard
1 tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce
...1 tbsp honey (15 mL) honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

Directions

Mix all marinade ingredients together. Marinate lamb in marinade for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Scrape the garlic and herbs from the meat. Sear lamb rack in an ovenproof skillet for 2 to 3 minutes over a fairly high heat. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, depending on desired doneness, let rest for 10 minutes.
The thickest part of the meat should register 125°F (52°C) (for rare) to 130°F (55°C) (for medium-rare) with an instant read thermometer.