Penne Pasta with Chipotle Salsa Vodka Cream Sauce

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This recipe is from John Hard of CaJohn’s Fiery Foods.

Ingredients

  • 2 (16 ounce) jars chipotle salsa

  • 1½ cups heavy whipping cream

  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

  • ¼ teaspoon dried leaf basil

  • ¼ cup vodka

  • 1 (16 ounce) box mini penne pasta (prepared according to manufacturer’s directions)

  • Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Place 1½ jars of the salsa in a food processor, and blend until smooth. Pour into a high walled skillet and add the basil, oregano and remaining salsa. Bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the heavy whipping cream and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes whisking often. Turn off the heat and add the vodka, stirring well

Place the prepared pasta in a large bowl. Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese and serve.

Coconut Chicken with Yam Chips

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This recipe is from Fofo Voltaire of Caribbean Temptation, Inc.

Ingredients

Coconut Chicken:

  • 2 pounds chicken breast

  • 2 tablespoons vinegar

  • ¼ cup virgin olive oil

  • 2 packages of Caribbean Temptation spices (or your favorite spicy spice mix)

  • 1 cup diced onions

  • 2 cans coconut milk

  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds and stems removed, diced

  • ¼ cup of water

  • ½ cup white rum

Caribbean Yam Chips:

  • 2 pounds of yams

  • Vegetable Oil

Instructions

Coconut Chicken:

Remove the skin and cut the chicken into ½ inch cubes. Place the chicken into a bowl with vinegar, add one quart of cold water, rinse chicken and drain all remaining water.

Combine oil, 2 packages of Caribbean Spices, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cook over medium high heat, until golden brown.

Add red bell pepper, onion, coconut milk, water and rum. Cover for fifteen minutes on medium high heat.

Serve over crispy salad with Yam chips (see below) or steamed potatoes

Yam Chips:

Wash yams (leave skin on) and slice medium. Fill a skillet or deep fryer half full with vegetable oil and heat to 375 degrees. Deep fry the yams for three minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle Caribbean spice of your choice or salt.

 

A Cowboy Named Julius

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This Southwestern caesar salad with chipotle dressing may sound strange, but it tastes wonderful.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1½ tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon minced drained canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 1 fresh red jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • 1 to 2 drops Insanity Sauce (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon firmly packed light brown sugar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • ½ cup fresh or drained canned corn kernels
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

To prepare the dressing, in a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, water, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest, chipotle chiles, jalapeño, Insanity Sauce, and brown sugar. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Toss together the romaine, tomatoes, corn, 2 tablespoons of the cheese, and the salad dressing. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the tossed salad and serve.

Crazy Cajun Salmon

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Everyone loves salmon. It is such a flavorful fish, especially with all the great herbs and spices included here. Give this recipe a try and it will be Mardi Gras in your mouth.

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon fillets

  • Spice Blend:

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • ½ teaspoon white pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil

  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  • Chile Herb Butter:

  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

  • 2 fresh green jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, very finely minced

  • 4 sprigs cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped

  • 2 sprigs parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

  • Insanity Seafood Sauce or prepared salsa, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the grill to medium high. Prepare the filets by rinsing and making sure that all of the bones have been removed and that no skin is left on the edges. Pat the filets dry and reserve.

Combine all of the spice blend ingredients in a sauté pan and lightly toast over very low heat, stirring constantly, until light brown and aromatic. Remove from the pan. Transfer to a shallow dish or plate.

Prepare the chile-herb butter by combining the butter, chiles, and herbs in small bowl and blending with a wooden spoon until smooth and well mixed. Place the butter on a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap, rolling the butter up in a tube shape. Refrigerate briefly while the filets are grilling.

To grill the filets, lightly oil each filet with canola oil then roll the filet in the spice blend until uniformly covered. Grill the filets over medium heat until browned on each side and cooked through to the middle, about 3 minutes per side.

Unroll the tube of butter and allow to soften briefly. Cut the butter crosswise into ½ inch thick rounds. Serve the filets hot from the grill topped with the chile-herb butter and Insanity Seafood Sauce or your favorite salsa.

Fish in Coconut Broth (Pescado en Salsa de Coco)

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Coconut adds a Caribbean flavor to this dish from the Dominican Republic and Cuba. A favorite on island menus, the fish and coconut combo is also very popular in Brazil, where both are plentiful. This delicate and delicious dish is served with rice and plantains. This recipe can be found in La Comida del Barrio, Clarkson Potter Publishers/New York.

Ingredients

  • 4 red snapper fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)

  • Juice of 2 limes

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium white onion, diced

  • 1 celery stalk, diced

  • 1 serrano chile, minced

  • 1 ripe tomato, chopped

  • ½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

  • 1 cup shrimp stock (recipe follows)

  • 1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • ½ cup coarsely chopped mint

  • ½ cup toasted shredded coconut

Instructions

Rinse the snapper and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix the lime juice and half of the garlic together, rub it on both sides of the fish and let sit for 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, Serrano, and remaining garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomato and white wine, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, to break down the tomatoes and evaporate the liquid. Pour in the stock and coconut milk, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over a medium-high flame. Scrape off the garlic from the snapper so it won’t burn and season both sides with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. When the oil begins to smoke, lay the fillets in the pan. Gently press the fish with a spatula to brown, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the fish to the coconut-broth mixture, browned-side up. Toss in the mint, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes to finish cooking the fish all the way through. Serve the snapper with a ladleful of sauce and garnish with the toasted coconut.