Roscoe\'s kitchen-Family, food and fellowship

Tag : Green Bell Pepper Seeds


Roscoe's kitchen—Family, food and fellowship
Over Emancipation Day holiday weekend I was fortunate enough tocelebrate my mother's birthday with all of my brothers, sisters,nieces, nephews, dad, Aunt Jan and "Uncle Charley". It is always awonderful experience getting together with the family, watching thedifferent generations playing and the older members sharing lifeexperiences. It is so much fun when "Uncle Charley" shares some ofhis life experiences with the young adults especially the men inthe family. What an education!
This weekend we were all required to bring a dish that would makeup the menu for the celebration. My sister Yvette handed out theinstructions to all members of the family who can actually cook onwhat they should prepare. As a result we had a mouthwateringselection of meats, poultry, fish, salads, fruit salads, cakes andpastries.
We had macaroni made with secret ingredients and aged cheeses thatwas "to die for". Recipe secrets in our family happens to be afamily trait that cannot be broken, not even for requests from ourmother ... not even on her birthday.
The afternoon get-together reminded me of the movie "Soul Food"without the drama. It's always about the laughs, good food, mom'sfavorite game of scrabble and a number of beverages when weget-together.
Families all across The Bahamas should do more getting together,with the food preparation being shared among the family members(the one's who can cook) so that the focus is on fellowship.
The family that prays, fellowships, laughs and cries together staystogether.
Cooking is about sharing and having fun in the process so allow meto share the great recipes from Roscoe's Kitchen and be sure tolisten to Star 106.5FM every weekday at 6:30pm, and e-mail us atroscoeskitchen@ivoryglobalpromotions.com with your comments andrecipes so that we could share your experiences and creations withour audience.
Monday, July 28
LAMB WITH ONIONS AND DRIED MANGO POWDER
Summer time is mango season, and his savory dish displays one ofthe many uses of the tropical fruit.
4 onions
1 1/4 cup oil
1 tsp finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp chili powder
Pinch of ground turmeric
1 tsp salt 3 fresh green chilies, chopped
1 lb lean lamb, cubed
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp aamchoor (dried mango powder)
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
Boiled rice, to serve
Using a sharp knife, finely chop 3 of the onions.
Heat half the oil in a skillet, and then add the onions andsauté until golden brown. Reduce the heat and add theginger, garlic, chili powder, turmeric, and salt. Stir-fry themixture for 5 minutes, and then add 3 of the chopped chilies.
Add the lamb to the skillet and stir-fry the mixture for anadditional 7 minutes.
Add the water to the skillet, then cover and cook over low heat,stirring occasionally, for 35-45 minutes, or until the lamb istender.
Meanwhile, slice the remaining onion. Heat the remaining oil in askillet and sauté the onion until golden. Set aside.
Once the lamb is tender, add the aamchoor, the remaining chili, andthe chopped cilantro and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.
Transfer the curry to a serving dish and pour the sautéedonion slices and oil down the center. Serve hot, with rice.
WINE PAIRING: White Zinfandel, Riesling, or Zinfandel.
Tuesday, July 28th
SALMON AND TUNA PARCELS
You will need fairly large smoked salmon slices as they are wrappedaround a light tuna mixture before being served on a vibrant salad.
2 tbsp low-fat plain yoghurt
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
1 teaspoon whole-grain honey mustard
Grated rind and juice of 1 lime
1 can (7 ozs) tuna in brine, drained
5 ounces smoked salmon slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper Fresh mint leaves, to garnish
3 tomatoes, sliced
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
1/4 cucumber, cut into julienne sticks
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Mix, the yogurt, tomato paste and mustard in a bowl. Stir in thegrated lime rind and juice. Add the tuna, with black pepper totaste, and mix well.
Spread out the salmon slices on a board and spoon some of the tunamixture onto each piece.
Roll up or fold the smoked salmon into neat parcels. Carefullypress the edges together to seal.
Make the salad. Arrange the tomato and kiwi slices on 4 servingplates. Scatter on the cucumber sticks.
Make the vinaigrette. Put all the ingredients in a screw-top jar,season with salt and pepper and shake vigorously. Spoon a littlevinaigrette over each salad.
Arrange 3-4 salmon parcels on each salad, garnish with mint leavesand serve.
Cook's tip: Although healthy eating guidelines recommend reducingthe amount of fat, particularly saturated fat, in the diet, saladdressings made with polyunsaturated oil, such as olive oil, can andshould be included, in sensible moderation. This recipe is not highin calories, but if weight control is a real issue use an oil-freedressing instead of vinaigrette.
Wednesday, July 30
DUCK LASAGNA
This hearty family dish is great for all seasons and occasions.
2 lbs boneless duck meat
1 large Spanish onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 celery stalks
1 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp each of salt, basil, marjoram
1/4 tsp each of pepper, paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 lbs mafalda noodles
3/4 lbs grated mozzarella cheese
Cut the duck meat into 1/2" cubes. Medium dice the vegetables.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven.
Add the duck and vegetables and sauté until the duck iscooked through. Add the tomato, seasonings and Worcestershire.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the sauce isvery thick. Skim any grease from sauce as it floats to the top.
Cook the noodles in a large Dutch oven with plenty of salted wateruntil they are al dente, drain and cool.
Alternate layers of noodles and sauce in a large greased casseroledish. Cover with cheese.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes or untilcheese is golden brown. Serve.
Wine pairing: Zinfandel, Chianti/Sangiovese or Merlot.
Thursday, July 31
PRAWNS (SHRIMP) WITH VEGETABLES
This is a light and nutritious dish, excellent served either on abed of lettuce leaves, with plain boiled rice or whole meal (wholewheat) Chapatis.
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 tsp salt
2 fresh green chilies, seeded if wished
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
20 cooked king prawns (jumbo shrimp), peeled 1 medium courgette(zucchini), thickly sliced
1 medium onion, cut into 8 chunks
8 cherry tomatoes
8 baby corn cobs
Mixed salad leaves
Place the chopped coriander (cilantro), salt, green chilies, lemonjuice and oil in a food processor and grind these together for afew seconds.
Remove the contents from the processor and transfer to a mediummixing bowl.
Add the peeled prawns (shrimp) to this mixture and stir to makesure that all the prawns are well coated. Set aside to marinate forabout 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill (broiler) to very hot, and then turn the heatdown to medium.
Arrange the vegetables and prawns alternately on 4 skewers. Whenall the skewers are ready place them under the preheated grill for5-7 minutes until cooked and browned.
Serve immediately on a bed of mixed salad leaves.
Wine pairing: Chardonnay, Fume/Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio.
Friday, August 1
ASPARAGUS AND BRIE SOUP
Quick, easy and tasteful, this dish combines the mildness of Briewith the earth taste of Asparagus.
1/3 cup butter
1/2 lb asparagus, pared, blanched
1/4 cup flour, all purpose
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sweet white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 brie, rind removed
In a sauce pan, heat the butter. Add the asparagus and sautéuntil tender.
Stir in the flour, reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the broth, wine and cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat andsimmer for 20 minutes.
Transfer soup to a food processor or blender, puree.
Return to pot and reheat.
Stir in the cheese; continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve cheesevery hot.
Wine pairing: Pinot Noir, or Chardonnay
SPICE OF THE WEEK
Ajowan (Indian)
Ajowan (pronounced aj'o-wen) is a member of the Umbelliferaefamily, which has some 2,700 members including dill, caraway andcumin. It is mostly found in Indian cooking, where it is also knownas bishop's weed or carom. It is particularly suited to thedelicate vegetarian fare found in the state of Gujarat.
Ajowan seeds are used as a spice. The grayish-green seeds arestriped and curved (similar to cumin or caraway seeds inappearance), often with a fine silk stalk attached. They areusually sold whole. The seeds are often chewed on their own formedicinal value, tasting bitingly hot and bitter, leaving thetongue numb for a while. Cooking ajowan mellows it somewhat, whencrushed. They have a strong and distinctive thyme-like fragrance.