Shrimp with Key Lime Dipping Sauce

Key Lime Dipping Sauce

• 3/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)
• 1/8 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Table Blend
• 1/2 stick butter (melted)
• 4-5 cloves minced garlic

Shrimp

• 1-3/4 lbs unpeeled large raw shrimp
• 3 (12 ounce) cans beer (actually 4 cans, one for the cook)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning or crab boil seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy

Directions

Melt butter in sauce pan. Remove from heat as soon as it is melted and add the remaining ingredients. Stir completely and set aside.

Pour beer into a large pot and add seasonings. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook approx 5 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink.  Remove from heat, but do not pour off water until ready to server to keep shrimp hot.

Serve the shrimp while hot, with the Key Lime dipping sauce and corn on the cob.

Pork Sirloin and Herbs

• 2-4 lbs Pork Sirloin
• 6-8 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Crush rosemary, sage, salt, chili powder and pepper using a mortar and pestle.  Add minced garlic and mash into a paste.  Add the butter and heat in microwave for about 10 seconds to melt the butter.  Mix the paste.

Rub the paste on all sides of the pork sirloin and place in plastic bag and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.

Pre-heat grill on high heat.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat and place the sirloin in the hot oil.  Watch for splatters.  Cover to reduce splattering.  Cook over medium heat, turning regularly, for about 20 minutes.  Add more oil as necessary so that the herbs do not burn.  Save the oil and herbs.

Place the sirloin on the grill and turn after 2 minutes to put the grill marks on the meat.  Lower the grill temperature to low and cook for about 20 minutes, turning regularly.  Cut the sirloin in half and grill the inside cut portion for about 10 minutes over medium heat.  Slice the sirloin into 1/2 inch slices and grill until thoroughly cooked.  Spoon the oil and herbs on top of each slice of meat, cook for 5 minutes, turn and put the oil mixture on the other side.  Watch for flare up in the grill from the dripping oil.

Serve with Apple sauce or Apple Chutney and white rice.

Café Cubano

No Cuban meal is complete without a café cubano (Cuban coffee). A well-made café cubano has a thick layer of sweet crema (cream) floating over strong espresso. To get the crema right, whisk about 1 tablespoon of the espresso with sugar until it turns foamy, then pour the pot of espresso over it. Lourdes Castro says you can't overbeat a crema, so stir it energetically.

Finally! Good Fried Chicken

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup half and half
• seasoning salt to taste
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup crush corn flakes
• 1 cup Italian Breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1+ teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper
• oil for frying

Directions

• In a resealable plastic bag mix together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, Mrs Dash seasoning, crushed corn flakes, breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
• In a shallow dish or bowl combine the soup, eggs, half and half, and more Mrs. Dash seasoning and whisk together. Place chicken in mixture and turn to coat completely and let sit for 10 minutes in mixture.
• Place chicken pieces in bag, seal and shake to coat. Add more flour, breadcrumbs and cornstarch as necessary, but add them in equal parts. 
• IMPORTANT!!! Place coated chicken on a platter and allow to sit until it becomes doughy (this is critical, to ensure crispiness when fried). Allow to sit fo a good 5-10 minutes.  Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat; be sure to use enough oil to cover chicken pieces.
• Once chicken is doughy, test oil by dropping a piece of the 'dough' into it; the oil is ready when it starts to fry immediately.
• Fry chicken pieces in oil for about 7 to 10 minutes each, or until cooked through. Only fry a few chicken pieces at a time so the oil does not cool down when placing the chicken in it.  Drain on paper towels.
• Make sure the chicken is cooked in the middle!

Honey-Mustard Chicken with Roasted Red Potatoes

• 4 each (6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Tablespoon Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 minced shallot
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 pound small red potatoes, cut in half
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and Mrs Dash seasoning.  Place in 13x9-in baking dish. Combine homey, mustard, garlic, thyme and shallots to form a paste.  Spread over chicken.
3. Add potatoes to pan and brush on olive oil.  Sprinkle potatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
4. Bake for about 50 minutes, stirring potatoes once, until tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Pink Diamond Bellini

• Champagne
• Peach Mignon (Peach liqueur)
• splash of Chambord liqueur

Mix and taste Champagne, Peach Mignon and Chambord to taste or until you pass out, whichever comes first.

Scallops with Mushrooms and Spinach

• 20 sea scallops (2#)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 cup shallots
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced (3 cups)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 8 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon Mrs Dash Original Seasoning
• Shaved Parmesan cheese\Lemon slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 275 F.

Pat scallops dry with paper towel. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  In a medium bowl, mix together walnuts, Mrs Dash Original Seasoning and flour. Add scallops a few at a time and toss to coat.  Shake to remove excess flour.

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in large skillet.  Add the garlic and saute without burning them for about 1 minute. Add 1/2 half of the scallops and saute without moving them until browned (about 3 minutes). Turn scallops and cook about 2 minutes more.  Transfer to heat-proof platter and keep them warm in the oven.  Saute the remaining scallops and add them to the platter.  Continue to bake for 5-8 minutes or until the scallops are opaque.

Meanwhile, melt butter in same skillet and add shallots and mushrooms.  Cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until tender.  Remove from heat.  Add white wine and return to heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and boil gently for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen brown bits on bottom of skillet.

Gradually add spinach, toss to wilt each handful before adding more.  When all the spinach is wilted, season to taste.  Serve spinach as a base for the scallops and top each serving with Parmesan cheese.  Garnish with lemon slices.

Adapted from traditionalhome.com

Roasted Halibut with Vegetables en Papillote

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium carrots, cut into straws
• 3/4 pound thin asparagus, cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning
• 2 1/2 pounds skinless halibut fillet (about 1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1/4 cup dry sherry

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375°. In a saucepan of boiling water, cook the carrots for 1 minute. Add the asparagus and sugar snaps and cook until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Drain and spread on a plate to cool.


In a nonstick skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring until softened, 7 minutes. 


Transfer to the plate; let cool slightly.


Heat 2 large, sturdy baking sheets in the oven. Lay out eight 14-inch-long sheets of parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Mound some of the vegetables on half of each sheet. Set the fillets on the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Fold each packet in half, then fold up 2 sides to seal, leaving 1 side open. In a small bowl, combine the stock and sherry; spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons into each packet. Fold up the last side, sealing tightly.


Transfer the packets to the preheated baking sheets. Bake for 9 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Open the packets and transfer the fish, vegetables and broth to plates. Serve at once.


NOTES
One Serving 298 cal, 15 gm fat, 1.9 gm saturated fat, 8 gm carb, 3 gm fiber.


Adapted from: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-halibut-with-vegetables-en-papillote

Hominy & Ancho Chili

Ingredients

• 8 guajillo chiles
• 2 ancho chiles
• 1 dried New Mexico chile
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• One 28-ounce can hominy
• 1/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning

Directions

1. Wash the chiles thoroughly.  Break off the stems from the chiles.  Do not seed them. In a medium saucepan, cover the chiles with the water and bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and remove from the heat. Let the chiles stand, stirring a few times, until very soft, about 1 hour. Working in batches, puree the chiles with their soaking liquid in a blender.
2. In a large pot, toast the cumin seeds over moderately high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the cumin seeds to a spice grinder and let cool completely. Grind the cumin seeds to a powder.
3. In the same pot, heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the ground beef, pork and lamb and cook, breaking up the meat into coarse chunks, until starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ground cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chile puree and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir the hominy and its liquid into the chili. Gradually stir in the cornmeal. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, 5 minutes. Add the seasonings.

Adapted from Food & Wine on-line magazine <http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chili-with-guajillo-and-ancho-chiles-and-hominy>

Beer Chili

Ingredients

• 2 ancho chiles
• 2 pasilla chiles
• 2 guajillo chiles
• About 2 cups boiling water
• 2 canned chipotles in adobo
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• One 12-ounce bottle Dos Equis Dark Beer
• 2 tablespoons olive oil oil
• 3 pounds boneless short ribs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Freshly ground pepper 
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup masa harina (see Note) or fine cornmeal
• Chipotle hot sauce
• Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, warm corn tortillas and cold Dos Equis beer.

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet. Add the ancho, pasilla and guajillo chiles and toast over moderately low heat, turning, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a heatproof bowl. Cover with the boiling water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain the chiles and transfer to a blender. Add the chipotles and coffee and puree until smooth. Add the beer; pulse until blended.
3. Heat the oil in a large, enameled cast-iron casserole. Season the short ribs and add half to the pot. Cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Lower the heat to moderate and brown the remaining short ribs. Return all of the meat to the casserole and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, cinnamon and cloves and cook until fragrant. Add the chile-beer mixture and the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, stirring. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the meat is very tender and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 2 hours.
5. Ladle 2 cups of the sauce into a heatproof bowl and whisk in the masa harina (or corn meal). Whisk the mixture into the pot and simmer until the sauce thickens, 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning and add hot sauce; serve with shredded cheddar, dices onions and tortillas.

 Adapted from Food & Wine on-line magazine <http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/julies-texas-style-chili-with-beer>

Ed's BBQ Pulled Pork

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 pork tenderloin (do not trim fat)
• 2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 1 bottle Bill Johnson's Hot & Spicy BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 265 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and brush both sides of the tenderloin with the mixture.  Place in a roasting pan, with the fat side up.

Slow roast the tenderloin for about 4-6 hours.  Add a small amount of water to the pan if the juices begin to dry up.

When the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 150 degrees, add 1/2 cup of water to the roasting pan and increase temperature to 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove the tenderloin from the pan and cut into quarters.  Place the quartered tenderloin in a large crock pot, along with the juices from the pan and 1/4 cup of water.  Cook on high for 1 hour and lower to low for one more hour.  Turn the meat over every 1/2 hour or so.

Allow the meat to cool for about 15-20 minutes, unless you enjoy burning the crap out of your fingers.  Using two forks, shred the meat and put into large bowl.  Remove the fat and give to the dog.

In a separate bowl.  Mix 1 bottle of Bill Johnson's Hot & Spicy BBQ sauce.  Slowly add the juices from the crock pot, but taste the sauce constantly to make sure it does not taste too salty.  Mix thoroughly and blend into the shredded meat until completely covered.  Note: Tasting the meat during blending is required to get your fill before the rest of the gang digs into it.  So, eat up.

Serve on buns with cole slaw.  Add Louisiana Hot Sauce to spice it up a bit.

Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 scallions, chopped 
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 Habaneros, chopped
• 2-3 Jalapeños, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• 2 tablespoons ground allspice
• 1-1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4+ cup vegetable oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning
• Three, 4-pound chickens, each cut into 8 pieces 

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients (except the chicken) and process to a paste. Put the chicken pieces in a very large bowl and pour the marinade on top. Toss to coat the chicken thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight. NOTE: Since, the ingredients are put into a food processor and pureed, you don't need to slice and dice them very much. Just toss them into the food processor.
2. Light a grill. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, leaving on a coating of spice paste. Grill the chicken over moderately high heat, turning often, until the skin is nicely charred and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Chipotle Maple Baby-Back Ribs

• 1 rack baby-back ribs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cub maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup Bill Johnson BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Season the ribs with salt, pepper and Mrs Dash Extra Spicy on both sides.  In a blender combine chipotle chiles, BBQ sauce, maple syrup and butter and puree until smooth.  Baste ribs with the sauce and roast directly on oven rack, with a drip pan below, for 6 hours.  Baste every hour.  The last 1-1/2 hours, loosely cover ribs with aluminum foil.

Preheat the grill to medium hot and grill the ribs the for 30 minutes.  Watch carefully so they do not burn.  The glaze should darken to a crust, but do not burn.

Citrus Soy Glazed Salmon

• 1-/2 cups Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup grapefruit juice
• 2 cups honey
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 4 scallions finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Mrs Dashes Garlic and Herb
• 4 salmon filets
• Cajun seasoning
• Mrs Dashes Extra Spicy

Mix and Whisk all ingredients (except salmon of course). Reserve 1 cup of marinade.

Place the salmon in a glass casserole dish and pour marinade over.  Cover and refrigerate and 4-6 hours.

Remove salmon from marinade before grilling.

Set grill to medium heat.  Season salmon with Cajun seasoning and Mrs Dashes Extra Spicy seasoning.  Spray grill with cooking spray so the salmon will not stick to it.  Place salmon on grill, presentation side down first.  Cook for 4 minutes and carefully turn over with spatula.  Cook an additional 4 minutes, rotate salmon filets 1/4th turn and cook another 4 minutes (12 minutes total).  The honey in the marinade will darken the salmon rapidly as it cooks.

Serve with reserve marinade drizzled over top.  Goes good with cucumbers and vinegar and curry rice with peas.