Mark and I made "bruschetta" (sort of) and bran muffins. for Lara's 'Congratulations-on-finishing-the-BAR-exam' party. For the bruschetta, we split a baguette lengthwise, then cut them into several pieces and oiled them up real good. We sauteed peppers and garlic, then layered the peppers, sliced tomatoes, fresh (AMAZING!) basil and oregano, and parmigiana cheese on the bread, then toasted them in the oven. The herbs were seriously out of this world.

Fettucine with Shrimp

1 pound linguine or fettucine
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound crawfish tails (shrimp can be substituted)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return to the pot and toss with the olive oil and reserved cooking liquid. Cover to keep warm.

In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Essence, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook over high heat until nearly all evaporated. Add the cream lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced. Add the crawfish tails and cook, stirring, to warm through. Add the onions and parsley and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook until the pasta is warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Serve.

[Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning: 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 2/3 cup]

I did not have the spices to make Essence, so that was out, nor did I have any cayenne or parsley, so just threw in a bunch of basil, and used lime juice instead of lemon juice (had none). I also didn't use any onions. Added a large zuchini, grated, just because I like it. Used the same Pinot Grigio (as last meal) for the sauce, and bought a 1 lb bag of 100-200 count shrimp from Korger ($5.99) - the pasta to shrimp proportion was perfect. The whole thing was very good; I really liked it. Served it with a deliiiicious loaf of bread which Vanessa tore into chunks and we broiled in the overn (at 400) for a few minutes, and a bowl of olive oil for dipping. YUM. No complaints about how this turned out except I would have liked to try it with the spices it actually called for.

Baked Wrapped Tilapia

Topping:
1-inch cube fresh gingerroot, finely chopped or grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped or grated
2 green onions (green part only), finely chopped
Fresh chile to taste
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 tbsp grapeseed (or safflower) oil
Dash of toasted sesame oil
Dash of soy sauce
Dash of fish sauce
4 tsp dark maple syrup
Tilapia:
4 fillets (4 oz each) fresh tilapia (or other firm-fleshed whitefish)
4 large banana leaves (or unbleached parchment paper)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all topping ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place afillet on each banana leaf and divide topping evenly among them, spreading it over the top. Fold each banana leaf over to form a packet around each fillet and seal the edge of each packet with a small piece of aluminum foil, crimping it tightly. Place on a baking sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Nutritional analysis per serving: 213 calories, 10 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 7 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein, trace fiber. Makes 4 servings.

Well this is sort of a 'guest appearance', if you will. Matt made this on Friday night and it was so good, I wanted to remember it. I think baking it in the pouch makes the flavor totally soak through and so this whole fillet was totally seasoned. Sweet, and totally delicious. The recipe, since Matt made it, was followed pretty much down to each pinch and dash (very unlike my style).

Fettucnine ala... Katerina?
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
5 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 large zucchini
10 oz white mushrooms, sliced
1 lb chicken, cooked and sliced into thin strips
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 3 anchovy filets (optional
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups heavy cream or combination heavy and light creams
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound fettuccini, cooked al dente
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute. Increase temperature to medium-high. Add mushrooms and zucchini and sauté until tender; do not brown. There should be some moisture from cooked zucchini in pan, but not too much. Add basil, salt and pepper. Add anchovy paste, if desired. Stir well. Add wine and cook until slightly reduced. Add cream and nutmeg. Cook until reduced by about half. Taste for additional seasoning. Pour over hot fettuccini and toss until well combined. Serve immediately, passing grated cheese.

I used Pinot Grigio for the wine, it worked fine as the dry white wine (especially since I drank it with dinner, then). I definitely did not include the anchovy paste. The original recipe called for like 18 lbs of zucchini and did not include mushrooms, so that was a modification on my part, as was the chicken. As mom and dad suggested, I should not have mixed the chicken with the sauce, but served it separately. I used about 2 cups of Half and Half but should have used more with the chicken being in the sauce, to make it more saucy. I did really like this recipe though. I love zucchini! We served the pasta with a loaf of whole grain french bread, sliced lengthwise and seasoned with a garlic butter mixture, then broiled in the oven until toasty. Yum! Note to self- broil bread at like 400 as opposed to 250.

Chicken Fajitas
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 cloves garlic
1 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2 jalapeno, seeded
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
10 flour tortillas

Flatten chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap with a mallet or rolling pin. Place chicken breasts in glass baking dish. In a blender combine oil, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and pour over chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and let chicken marinate for 30 minutes. In a large skillet over medium heat oil.
Add onions and peppers and cook until they are tender and begin to brown.
Heat a cast iron grill pan or an outdoor grill. Toast flour tortillas for about 30 seconds per side and keep warm in an aluminum foil pocket. Grill the chicken on each side for 4-5 minutes. To serve slice chicken into even strips. Serve hot with onions and peppers, grated jack cheese, salsa and sour cream.

Guacamole
4 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded
1 tsp ground cumin
1 ripe, medium Roma tomato, seeded, diced
½ Cup minced sweet white onion
2 serrano chilies, seeded, minced
¼ Cup chopped cilantro leaves
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Hot pepper sauce, sea salt, white pepper to taste

Cut avocado in large chunks and mash coarsely in large bowl with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and blend gently - leaving some small chunks is fine. Taste and adjust seasoning with more pepper sauce, salt and pepper if desired.

Yum yum YUM. I should have pounded the chicken thinner and cut the chicken into thinner strips. And maybe a little less lime juice; it was perhaps excessively citrus-y. I only used a little cilantro from a jar because I don't like cilantro. We did the chicken on the grill outside- shoulda grilled it a little longer. Maybe shredded chicken? Steak would have been good. And I used more olive oil for the onions and peppers than was necessary. I liked the guac, but definitely did a lot of doctoring- only used 2 T lime juice (good move). Added plenty of salt, a little pepper and garlic. No onion, and substituted chili peppers for the serrano (they're 5 times hotter than jalepenos!). Didn't use sour cream. Next time, I'd like to make Mexican Rice as a side. Or, make refried beans to go on the fajitas. Over all, mom said it's a "keeper".

Bacon Cheeseburger Chili
1 pound lean ground beef $2
1/2 large onion -- finely chopped $.50
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1 package chili seasoning mix -- $1
1 jar chunky salsa -- (16 ounce) $2
1 can diced tomatoes -- (14.5 oz) undrained $.75
1 can beef broth -- (14.5 oz) $.75
1/4 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1 can kidney beans -- (15 oz) drained $.85
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 package Velveeta cheese -- (8 oz) diced $1
6 slices precooked bacon -- diced $1.50


In large, heavy saucepan cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heatuntil beef is cooked through and onion is translucent. Add chili seasoning mix, salsa, tomatoes, broth, barbecue sauce, beansand mustard to saucepan; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve bowls of chili garnished withdiced bacon. Makes 8 cups, serves 4-6.

I loooooooooooove this stuff. I stole this recipe from Matt- he got it from the 'Basic Cigarette Company Winter Cookbook for Men' or something equally silly like that. It's fairly cheap (can do it for less than $10), so easy, and quick. And it is DELICIOUS. I served it with biscuits- a tube of Grand's Biscuits, the flaky buttery kind, split in half, cheddar cheese inside, and then baked. Careful not to put too much salsa in. gotta watch the quantities.