Mary Jane’s Green Chile Meatloaf

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Take a meatloaf recipe from the Midwest, transfer it to New Mexico, add some green chile (El Pinto brand bottled, flame-roasted works great), and bingo, a spiced-up old standard made even more delicious. Serve with baked potatoes, vegetable, salad. It makes great sandwiches the next day.

Ingredients

1 egg beaten in a large bowl
1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I get mine at a store that has hormone free meats)
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion or shallots
1/4 to 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs (start with 1/4 cup-if the mixture looks too moist, mix in more)
1/4 cup catsup or more depending on the mixture
1/2 cup well drained green chiles, or green chile salsa drained very well and squeezed in a paper towel
Ground black pepper and a little salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F
Slap  on the latex gloves and gently mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. This is when you need to determine whether to add more bread crumbs or more catsup.
Shape into a rectangular loaf and place the mixture in a bread pan. Bake for 1 hour for a one pound loaf. Bake 1 and 1/4 hours for a 1 1/2 pound loaf
Place several paper towels on a heat proof plate( to absorb excess grease) and  place the meatloaf on them. I use 2 spatulas at each end of the loaf  to remove it, so it doesn’t break in the middle.

Prawns in Orange-Ginger Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Rick Browne, Ph.B., host of the PBS show “Barbecue America” and the author of The Best Barbecue on Earth and nine other books, is supplying articles and recipes to the Fiery Foods& Barbecue SuperSite.

Ingredients

12 giant tiger prawns, shelled and de-veined (tails intact)
1/2 cup butter

1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice 

2 tablespoons sherry

1 teaspoon grated orange zest 

2 minced green onions (tops and white parts)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1 orange, thinly sliced for garnish

 

Prawns in Orange-Ginger Sauce

Instructions

Combine butter, juice, sherry, zest, onions, and ginger in a saucepan and cook over  medium to low heat, stirring until butter is completely melted. Cool to room  temperature.


Put prawns in a one-gallon sealable plastic bag and add half of the orange sauce, seal the bag and set prawns aside to marinate for 1 hour.  Cover remainder of sauce and keep warm.


Preheat charcoal or gas barbecue to 375˚F.


Place the shrimp on an oiled grill rack about four inches above the coals or gas flame. With a brush, liberally baste the prawns with the sauce and grill for two minutes, then turn the prawns over and generously baste again, cooking for another two minutes. Most of them will be done at this point, but continue basting and turning any larger prawns until they are pink and just cooked through. 


Remove the prawns from the heat immediately, as they will get tough if overcooked. 


Serve prawns on a warm platter over spinach leaves, with the remaining sauce as a dip for the prawns. Garnish with thin orange slices.


Serves 4 to 6

Chicken Groundnut Stew (Hkatenkwan)

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Groundnut or peanut soups and stews are extremely popular in the cooking Ghana and Mali in West Africa; in fact, some consider it to be the most popular of all Sunday meals.  Chicken is usually the preferred meat, but we have found that a variety of meats and seafood are also used, including beef, lamb, smoked fish, and crabs.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 10 to 12 pieces of chicken, rinced and drained
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons hot curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons crushed dried Thai chiles, or other hot dried red pepper
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 3/4 peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup tomato pulp
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly group black pepper
  • 6 cups chicken stock or water
  • 1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen okra
  • * Garnish: dieced pimentos

Instructions

Pour the water into a large saute pan, add the chicken, ginger, curry powder, chilies, onion, and saute the mixture for 15 minutes, turning several times.

While the chicken is cooking, mix together the peanut butter, tomato pulp, salt, and pepper and stir it into the chicken.  Add the chicken stock, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

When the chicken is tender, add the eggplant and the okra and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring twice.  If the stew is thickened enough, serve it immediately.  If the stew still has too much liquid, simmer it uncovered for several minutes.

Garlic Cayenne Calamari with Nigerian Fried Pepper Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This South African recipe is a party favorite.  However, take care to not over cook the calamari; it turns from tender to tough and chewy very quickly, so removed from the pan the moment it is done.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds calamari tubes, throughly cleaned
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon milled black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne
  • 7 ounces butter
  • 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Lemon wedges for squeezing
  • Nigerian Fried Red Pepper Sauce

Instructions

Slice the calamari according to size; smaller specimens are better cut in half, lenghtwise, laid flat and each piece scored lighly in a diamond pattern.  Next, toss the calamari in the flour seasoned with the black pepper and cayenne.

In a large, non-stick frying pan, heat the butter and oil until it starts to brown.  Stir in the garlic, add the calamari and cook for one and a half to two minutes, depending on the thickness.  Press it down with a spatula to brown nicely.  Cook the calamari in batches, to control how quickly it cooks.

Transfer the calamari to a warmed serving platter, and squeeze the lemon wedges over the top.  Last, spoon the sauce over the appetizer.  Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with rice.

Avocado Smoked Fish with Hot Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe is from Zaire, where its is know as “Senegalese Quiche.”  Feel free to choose another hot sauce to serve over this dish.

Ingredients

  • 4 hard-boilded eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup vegtable oil
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 pound smoked fish, such as salmon
  • 2 large ripe avocados
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 can pimentos (cut in strips)
  • 1/4 cup West African Pili-Pili Sauce

Instructions

Peel the hard-boiled eggs and take out the egg yolks.  Mash the egg yolks in a large bowl.  Mix in the mild and stir until if forms a smooth paste.  Add 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, the sugar and salt.  Mix well.  Pour in the vegetable oil and olive oil.  The stir in the rest of the lime juice.  In a separate bowl, place the chipped egg whites and flaked smoked fish.  Make sure all of the skin and bones are removed.  Then add the fish and egg whites into the sauce; toss gently and thoroughly.  Refrigerate mixture and then just before serving, cut avocados in half, take out seeds and all brown fibers.  Spoon mixture into avocado halves and top with either pepper strips or pimento strips.  Spoon the hot sauce over the dish and serve immediately.