49 meets 50! The best of two worlds

The 49th state (Alaska) Copper River Red Salmon and the 50th state (Hawaii) Big Island Macadamia Nuts combine to provide a fabulous meal!

1 lb. Copper River Red Salmon
1 egg white
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 TBSP. Olive oil to cook the fish
1 TBSP. butter
1 TBSP. parsley
1 TBSP. lemon juice

Bone the salmon, season both sides with salt and pepper, dredge in beaten egg whites, and toss in chopped macadamia nuts mixed with parsley. Brown in hot oil for 4 minutes on each side or until flaky. Drizzle with melted butter and lemon juice.

I served this with a light salad of roots and herbs, buttered yams and steamed rice. So simple and quick. Humky hubby loved every bite and ate 3 helpings of fish.

Ravioli Fever!

I can't seem to get enough of playing with my new pasta machine and ravioli maker. I've now made two batches of spinach ravioli and am on to now experimenting with butternut squash with sage and brown butter sauce and then try a lobster ravioli. With each batch I get better at mixing, feeling and creating a better pasta. The first time I made ravioli I made a garlic alfredo and added in some roughly chopped crimini and white mushrooms. Delicious! I have a marinar sauce with sausage, mushrooms and pepperoni that I am going to try with this batch. The key is to knead the pasta dough for at least 10 minutes and then letting it rest wrapped in plastic for at least an hour. I'm combining two recipes for my dough. From "Ultimate Pasta" by Julia Della Croce (ISBN: 0-7894-2086-4 and "Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family" by Art Smith (ISBN: 0-7868-6854-6). The second book is one of my favorites and I highly recommended getting this one to add to your collection.

~2 cups flour (more for dusting the pasta and the machine)
3 eggs
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil

Weigh the flour (should be 1 lb which is about 2 cups), add salt. Slightly beat the eggs and oil. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in egg. Using a fork, gradually add flour into the egg mix as it comes away from the sides of the bowl. When the dough is well incorporated and is too stiff to work with a fork, turn onto a lightly dusted surface and begin to knead into a ball. Continue kneading until a soft ball is made. Important: Knead the dough for a minimum of 10 minutes. Put on some music to keep your eye off the clock. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest in a warm place for at least 1 hour.

While dough rests, make your filling.

Spinach Filling:
1 lb. cooked, drained to almost dry and finely chopped spinach
7 oz. Ricotta Cheese
3.5 oz grated Parmesan Cheese
2 egg yolks
1 TBSP. Breadcrumbs
Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper

Cut the dough into 2-4 smaller sizes to work with, keeping the dough you are not working with wrapped in plastic. Feed the dough through the pasta machine on the lowest setting at first, gradually tightening down the width after passing it through the machine each time. You will end up with a long, thin sheet of pasta. I like to end up on either 6 or 7 because it needs to be slightly thicker than say fettucini because it will be sandwiched. Cut off the tapered ends and fold in half.

Place the ravioli attachment onto the pasta machine. Fold the dough in half and feed the middle of the dough into the machine turning about 1/4" to begin the first seal.

Place the hopper on the attachment and spoon the filling into the middle. A sheet of ravioli will look like this:

Gently remove the edges of the ravioli (I actually saved these "noodles" and put them in a soup (waste not want not!)

Your ravioli will look like this:

Voila! Enjoy!

Grandma Hazel's Homemade Noodles

I've always loved my Aunt Bubble's egg noodles, but recently found out when I went home to visit that the noodles were actually Grandma Hazel Johnson's (my aunts mother-in-law's) recipe. Aunt Bubbles always made a pork roast to accompany her noodles, but mom used them after Christmas day in her turkey soup. After watching how easy it is to make pasta, I drug out the old pasta machine I had received as a gift over 10 years ago but was too chicken to experiment but for a few times and a huge mess later. Well I promptly broke the blasted thing..something to do with the plastic gear that turns the paddle. Those who really know me know that I won't be daunted by a little bump in the road. I set out on a mission to get a new pasta machine like moms...ALL METAL this time and found one at the Country Kitchen store on Airport Dr. No electronics to go bad this time and pasta is extruded by human work. Well, sitting right next to this little thing was a ravioli maker that I had to have as well.

The outcome was a success! The egg noodles are drying on the table to be stored in a glass jar for whenever I want noodles. In the meantime, I've made another batch of linguini that we had last night and bought some fresh spinach and cheeses to make ravioli.
Grandma Hazel's Egg Noodles 3-4 cups flour (I mixed 1/2 Semolina and 1/2 bread flour) 4 egg yolks dash of salt egg shell-to measure water (4-5 shells--or enough to just moisten and stick together) Make a well in the flour. Add eggs, salt and water. Begin to incorporate the flour, eggs and water a little at a time until a ball begins to form. Knead the dough for ten minutes (don't skimp on this step). The dough should feel tough and difficult to knead--not crumbly and not sticky.

Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for one hour. (Aunt B doesn't let it rest at all, Mom lets it rest for 10 minutes, but I like one hour because it seems easier to work with.) Cut the dough into six portions and, work with one ball of dough at a time keeping the rest of the dough wrapped so it doesn't dry out. Pat the dough into a rectangle or circle thin enough to feed through your pasta machine (or roll out into a thin sheet and cut noodles if you don't have a machine). Keep the noodles and the machine or working surface lightly dusted with flour. Use the noodles right away or dry and store them to be used later. Take care not to overcook the noodles. They only need about 10 minutes in boiling water or broth--check to taste al dente. Voila! Now I am on the lookout for new pasta recipes!

Seafood Pasta I know it's New Years Eve and I'm supposed to post something that includes black-eyed peas or dark green veggies....The black eyed peas are already cooked and on the stove and I took out a can of 2010 turnip greens that I will heat up tomorrow morning. I did make it to midnight 2012. I just can't buy into the whole 2012---the sky if falling idea...sorry...I won't be Chicken Little. If the end of the world is coming...then let it come. I don't voice it in public but I do completely believe in T. S. Eliot's quote, "The world will not end with a bang, but with a whimper." I've tried to live my life by this quote. Meaning....be ready for it at any time. Don't be forced to ask for forgiveness at the last moment. Live every day as though it is your last and give everything you have to those around you. Go out of this world with no regrets. Believe in karma and always try to do for others and be kind. What will be will be and we can't stop it. I could expand on my thoughts but that would be a whole different venue. Instead......I made a fabulous dish of wild caught jumbo shrimp and Alaska caught scallops. Just coming back from New Mexico...I had some fabulous hot green chile that begged to be cooked. I found a recipe by mom that called for both ingredients and a salsa and green chile mix served over pasta.

3/4 cup chopped green onions 2 garlic cloves, diced Olive oil 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine 1 1/2 cups salsa 4 oz. green chile 1 TBSP lime juice 1 Lb. shrimp uncooked, deveined 1 Lb. bay scallops, cubed 12 oz. pasta Prepare pasta according to directions. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add broth or wine and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in salsa, chile and lime juice. Add shrimp and scallops, cook for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and scallops are done. Serve over pasta and top with parmesean cheese. Happy New Year!

La Posta Green Chile Enchiladas

Don't bother trying to find the cookbook...it is out of print. I have the 1971 edition. La Posta was a stage stop for the Butterfield Trail during the time of Judge Roy Bean, Billy the Kid and Kit Carson. This is a real restaurant that has not changed it's habits or recipes for over a hundred years. Why? Because the simple recipes work and can't be beat. Due to living in interior Alaska, I am forced to use canned green chili. If you can get the REAL STUFF roast and peel and subsitute, it makes all the difference. If you really love your guests, invest in real chile rather than canned
. This is not a hard recipe to follow, just a lot of steps.

No ISBN Sorry.....

Enchiladas Verdes

1 dozen corn tortillas, softened
1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
12 green chiles (fresh is best if you can get it or 2 large cans green chile, chopped)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 small garlic cloves or garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
Water to cover

Saute onions, garlic,tomatoes, green chile and spices.
Meanwhile soften corn tortillas in hot oil and drain on paper towels. Place 1/4 of the green chili sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish. Over the top of the softened tortilla place some cheese (or chicken if you are doing meat--add some cheese) and roll. Put on top of the sauce. Continue layering and cover with the rest of the green chile sauce. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

If ever in New Mexico, in Las Cruces...You MUST check out La Posta!

Mom's Pecan Pie

This is the second Pecan Pie I have made in two weeks and I had to contemplate as to why I hadn't posted this recipe years ago. This is a tried-and-true recipe I grew up with. My mom got the recipe from her friend Yvonne Arnette when we lived on the Navajo Reservation in Ganado, Arizona in the 1960's. I have yet to taste a better Pecan Pie. It's simple....the only catch is to NOT overbake. Your first instincts is to let it sit in the oven a few minutes longer...DON'T DO IT! Even though it looks like it's not done...it is. It will continue to "gel" as it sits out of the oven and you don't want to over-bake this pie.

Simple ingredients

Ingredients:
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup light Karo Syrup
1 cup sugar
2 TBSP. melted butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Cup pecans
1 - 9" Pie Shell (unbaked)

Mix together ingredients. Pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 37 more minutes. Remove and allow to cool. The pie will continue to cook when you remove it from the oven so don't be fooled into thinking it's not done.

See the next recipe on Midnight Sun Mama for Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake. This pie will be "RE-BAKED" inside a chocolate cake frosted with a dark chocolate ganache. Talk about SINFUL!

Aunt Darlene's Pineapple Upside Down Cake

There is no better dessert to serve on a day we are supposed to give thanks than this recipe. I loved my Aunt Darlene. She was a strong-willed woman. No beating around the bush, a devout Christian, sweet, loving and intelligent with a fabulous sense of humor. In addition, she was a great cook and this is one of my favorite recipes. My cousin Debra had to give this recipe to me twice (I lost the first one) but the second one she sent has a permanant home in my most prized recipes book.

This is what you will need:

1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple, sliced (reserve the juice to replace the water in the cake mix)
Marachino cherries
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 1/3 cup (pineapple juice from the canned pineapple and enough water to equal)

Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet and sprinkle with the brown sugar, add the pineapple and a marachino cherry in the pineapple hole. Cover with chopped pecans or walnuts (I use pecans).

Now mix the yellow cake mix according to directions. 1 pkg. Yellow cake mix, 3 eggs, 1 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup oil. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour over the top of the pineapple/nut mix and bake for 1 hour at 350 or until set.

Once done, let sit until semi-cool (about 10 minutes). Use a butter knife and go around the edge of the skillet. Invert on a serving dish.

Today, Thanksgiving Day 2011, I am giving thanks for the strong women in my life...my grandmothers, aunts, mother, and cousins.

Lois Henderson's Lentils and Rice

I love to share healthy recipes that actually taste good and leaves us asking for seconds. This is the case with Lois Henderson's Lentils and Rice. The cumin gives this dish a real flair.

1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup lentils
1/2 cup white rice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper

In a large pan, saute the onions in oil.
In another sauce pan, boil lentils in 4
cups water for 20 minutes. Add lentils,
rice and seasonings to the onions.
Simmer for another 20 minutes and serve.

Thanks Lois for sharing your recipe with us!

Pizza!

There is absolutely NOTHING I love more than homemade pizza. The act of making the dough, kneading, resting, kneading. Making the sauce, chopping the ingredients and placing them on the crust as if they were art. Letting the final production rest for a few minutes before serving....Without exception, every pizza I have ever served the hunky hubby he exclaims that it is the best pizza he has ever had. HA! I hope to have the same reviews tonight.
I am trying very hard to be carb-conscious. I've made this almost flourless pizza crust before and remember it to be very good or else I would not have included it in my "permanant" cookbook. I am only sorry that I don't have a name to attach the credits to. Please know that I don't take credit for this recipe but can vouch for it's yumminess.

Zucchini Crust Pizza

A normal pizza on top, and a beautiful zucchini, egg and cheese crust, with flecks of green and a slight crunch. The herbs in the crust really add an extra surprise. Who knew that pizza crust could actually be healthy as well as non-fattening?

3 1/2 cups coarsely grated zuchinni
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup flour (you can use rice flour or other gluten-free binding)
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 TBSP fresh basil, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Salt the zucchini lightly and let it sit for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the water that comes off. Combine all ingredients, spread onto a sprayed pizza pan, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Spray the top with nonfat cooking spray and broil under moderate heat for 5 minutes until browned. You're going for a crispy crust.

Assemble the pizza as you normally would. (See my recipe for Flying Pie Pizza Sauce---it is the best and will freeze well). We are topping ours tonight with Turkey Pepperoni, Canadian bacon, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, cheese and black olives. Bake your pizza for 25 minutes at 350.

Skinny Oven Fries

I got this recipe over 20 years ago when I worked at Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico and threw out anything that had ANY fat in it out my front door. I was obsessed with being as thin as I could be and was convinced that all fat was bad. Don't let that concept throw you off from trying this recipe. These "fries" are spicy, crunchy, fill the need for carbs and I make it at least two times per month. It's a good and healthy recipe. Tonight I am using Sweet Potatoes, but you can use the regular ones if you'd rather and even add different spices to suit your taste. (I love vinegar and salt chips and would love to hear from anyone trying this...)

The recipe comes from "Simply Colorado, published by Colorado Dietetic Association 6930 South Bemis Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120."....It would be well worth your while to call and get this cookbook! It's loaded with healthy, really tasty recipes.

This is what you need:

2 tsp. Parmesan cheese, finely grates
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
4 large potatoes
1/8 c. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the seasonings. Cut the potatoes into 8 wedges, toss in oil, Place on baking sheet, sprinkle with seasoning mix, turn and sprinkle the other side. Bake until soft when pricked with a fork For crisp fries....bake 1 hour.

You won't b sorry you tried this recipe!

My Big Fat Greek Yogurt!

I learned something new at my Weight Watchers meeting today that I want to sing from the rooftops and share with the world about making your very own Greek Yogurt (which has become all the fad).

Greek yogurt is touted as totally decadent and loaded with fat and really not at all calorie-conscious--but completely yummy. Of course, something this good is also expensive, but it need not be if you make your own which is simple enough. It's so simple that I am aghast at how easy the process is.

We love Greek yogurt because it is more dense and flavorful. The whey that is extracted should be saved and used in smoothies, cooked in oatmeal or any other recipe that calls for a liquid. The whey that is extracted is pure protein and worth using, so don't throw it out! Here's what you need and do:

1 fine wire mesh sieve (a strainer!)
1 coffee filter
1 container of non-fat yogurt (any flavor...plain or otherwise)
1 large bowl to catch the whey protein

Place your sieve over a large bowl. Insert a coffee filter into the sieve, dump the yogurt into the coffee filter and allow the whey to pass through. It might take an hour or so.

Save the whey, which looks like a liquid at the bottom of the big bowl.

Now transfer your "Greek Yogurt" into a container and store in the fridge--it's ready to use.

Cindy Samford's File' Gumbo

Cindy Samford, My darling little cajun friend from Louisiana (an employee of Cloudcroft Schools) gave this recipe to me over 10 years ago. The recipe makes enough for an army and can't be beat. She is so right when she states, "the hardest part is the roux". This is where patience comes in and I am not a patient person. Do serve this with Louisiana Hot Sauce on the side.

1 onion, large, chop coarse
1 large green bell pepper, diced
4 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)
2/3 cup flour
2 qts. chicken broth
1 qt. water
2 lbs. boneless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 lb. smoked sausage (I used hot Louisiana sausage)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup creole seasoning (I use Slap Your Mama!)
2 ham steaks, cubed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 lb. okra, sliced
1 lb. shrimp
File gumbo seasoning to taste

Prepare the vegetables first and set them aside. Now the hard part---THE ROUX.
Combine the oil and the flour in a cold heavy deep pot. Turn the heat to med-high and stir constantly. When the roux starts to turn brown turn the heat down to medium. Continue stirring continuously until the roux turns ALMOST a milk chocolate color. If you burn it, throw it out and start over again. Remove the roux from the heat and stir in the vegetables to coat and cool the roux.

Add chicken broth and water and return to medium-high heat. Add chicken, smoked sausage, salt, pepper, Creole seasoning, and thyme.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, add the shrimp and okra and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Add file' seasoning. Serve with rice

Stealing----Spaghetti with Shrimp, Tarragon and Lemon

We are currently on the island of Kauai. Why should I stop cooking wonderful things when there is so much around me that is new and enticing? Cooking is an adventure and I learn something new everywhere I go.

Where is the fine line between stealing, sharing and contributing? I am staying at this magnificent place on the island of Kauai. There is a cookbook here that speaks to me. "The Curry Book" by Nancie McDermott, ISBN: 1-576030-029-3 at $14.95. No....the recipe does not come from this book but a printed page inserted into it.

I am a firm believer that if the cook felt it important enough to keep the recipe they printed and placed it lovingly in a cookbook, it would be a sin to bypass.

So here we go: Spaghetti with Shrimp, Tarragon and Lemon.

If you have not downloaded the link for the original recipe, here it is: (copy the link above)

2 TBSP unsalted butter (did you know that unsalted butter must have an expire date because it the shelf life is less than it's salted?---buy unsalted..It is fresher and better for you)
1 1/2 pounds of jumbo shrimp, ****SAVE THE SHRIMP SHELLS!!! peeled and deveined.
1/4 cup dry white wine
salt

1 lb. spaghetti
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and small dice
fresh ground pepper
zest of 1 lemon
1 TBSP dried tarragon
12 fresh, flat leaf parsley, chopped

In a medium sized saucepan heat the butter over medium. Add the shells of the shrimp, saute to pink (about 2 minutes). Add wine, reduce by 1/2 (about 5 minutes). Add water to just cover and a pinch of salt. Simmer 10 minutes and strain solids, hopefully you will have about 1/2 cup. (Give me a break! This is NOT unlike using Clam Juice in your chowder so quit complaining about the shell-thing).

Next you need to cook the pasta.

In a non-stick pan large enough for the pasta and the shrimp, heat 3 TBSP of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), add shrimp, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 TBSP tarragon, salt, pepper and saute until shrimp is tender....2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and saute another minute. Add shrimp broth and simmer for seconds.

Drain pasta when done, add to skillet, toss all together until well blended. Add the rest of the tarragon, parsley and toss.

Vegetable Frittata

This is a fabulous recipe to make on a lazy weekend morning, hop back into bed another hour while it cooks. This one is just as good hot as it is cold. Experiment with the veggies. I would recommend using a variety of your favorites: Broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, peppers, etc. This is sort of a crustless quiche but the cream cheese takes this dish to a whole new level.

3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups rough chop zucchini
1 1/2 cups rough chop white mushrooms
1/2 onion diced fine
1/2 cup of each: Diced red, green and yellow bell peppers
1 seeded and diced jalapeno
3 cloves garlic

6 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup fat free half-and-half cream
2 - 8oz packages fat free cream cheese, cubed
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or a combination of your favorite cheese
5 slices Whole Grain bread, cubed
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 TBSP. fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 dish with non-stick spray. Saute vegetables just until tender. Remove from heat and let cool. Beat together eggs and cream. Stir in the cream cheese, grated cheese, bread cubes, salt, herbs, bread and season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable mixture in. Pour into prepared baking dish.

Bake for one hour or until set firm in the middle.

Neiman Marcus Cookies....or whatever

It's not true that Neiman Marcus charged a customer $250 for this recipe. Check out the story on Snopes. But it is true that these are the best cookies EVER. These cookies are expensive, time consuming to make, and the recipe makes enough for a small army. Don't even consider making these unless you are planning to share with a large crowd or plan to eat them over the course of a few months (kidding). The recipe will yield about 115 2-3" cookies.

This is what you will need:

1 lb. unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
5 cups *blended oatmeal (measure and blend to a fine powder)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
24 oz. chocolate chips (I use 1 pkg. semi-sweet and 1 package milk chocolate)
1 Lindt 3.5 oz. dark chocolate bar with sea salt, grated
3 cups chopped nuts

You will need a VERY large bowl. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla mix well. Add flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda. Mix well. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate bar and nuts. Roll into 1" balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375.

Chilled Creamy Lemon-Dill Shrimp Appetizer

Make this wonderful appetizer the day before. Serve chilled with cocktail toothpicks.

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 red onion, sliced thin then diced
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
4 cups medium or large cooked, peeled deveined shrimp

Mix mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, onion, dill and salt together until well blended. Stir in shrimp to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Grain-ola Bars

One of my favorite walks through Fairbanks is the annual Walk for Charity sponsored by the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce. I love this walk for four reasons. #1-my $25 registration fee is 100% given to a local charity....I usually donate to the homeless shelter or Joel's Place (a safe haven for children who need a place to go). #2-I get to walk, laugh and talk with good friends. #3-I get walk and graze and sample appetizers and yummy things from local restaurants and, finally, #4-this is a great jump-start to my summer break.

Three years ago the BEST taste-teaser by far was provided by Chef Jamison from the Chena's Alaskan Grill. My comrades and I could not place what exactly the ingredients were and I usually pride myself in being able to take apart flavors and reconstruct it at a later time. This however was a conundrum. Jayne N., Sue B. and I could not figure out what that taste was.

A month later, I found myself with some time and stopped in at the restaurant and said I wanted to buy those granola bars/cookies or whatever you wanted to call them. The restaurant was not open yet and the chef himself came out to talk to me. I told him that his treat was the best by far on the walk and I wanted to buy them. Chef Jamison grinned an amicable grin and said that they were the best because they are created by God and that everything in them was natural and healthy and that he didn't take credit for any of it because every ingredient was whole, natural and had no preservatives. He also told me that he only made these special treats for his family and only once a year for the Walk for Charity and that he did not sell them, but would give me the recipe. **As a side note, these bars wrap nicely in plastic wrap and make a fabulous backpacking or hiking snack.

Wow! I was floored at his generosity in sharing his recipe for his treasured treat with a complete stranger. I had to laugh when I told him that my friends Jayne N., Sue B., and I could not pinpoint that ingredient that was so cleverly disguised. What was that taste????? Ginger! Crystalized Ginger! I was further impressed when he told me that everything in those bars was natural, no flour or gluten products, no eggs, whole grain, natural sugars and dried fruit. They are made from all natural ingredients, so plan on shopping in the natural foods section of your grocery store to get what you need. The coconut oil is a lovely light touch that is also a pleasant ghostly obscured taste.

Thank you Chef Jamison. Call and make your reservations today to eat at the Chena's Alaskan Grill located on the Chena River. But don't bother asking for his natural grain-ola bars...you need to join me for the Walk for Charity to get your taste or print out this recipe and make them yourself.

The Best Ever Grain-Ola Bars

1 TBSP Coconut Oil (to coat a baking sheet) You'll want to lightly coat your hands to work with the hot syrup and dry ingredients.

In a bowl combine the following:

1 1/2 C. Crispy Rice Cereal (Gluten free)
1/2 cup Oat Bran
1 C. walnuts, lightly chopped and toasted in a dry skillet only until the oil releases it's smell
1 1/4 C. Regular Oatmeal (NOT instant)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or a mix of cranberries and blueberries
2 TBSP. crystallized ginger, minced

The syrup:
1 C. Brown Rice Syrup
1/4 C. Natural cane sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. sea salt

1. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil.

2. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for about 3-4 minutes. Toss all dry ingredients, nuts and fruit together in a large bowl.

2. Boil the brown rice syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt over medium heat for 4 minutes (stirring constantly).

3. Quickly add syrup to dry ingredients and mix together. It is very sticky. Pour onto the cookie sheet and press using lightly-oiled hands. Keep in mind you don't want them to thick or too thin 1/2" thickness is just about right. When cool, cut into bars and wrap in individual plastic wrap servings.

Artichoke Prep

I think I've already spoken to my affection for artichokes. There are a number of ways to cook them, but this is an easy way prepare them.

Cut the bottom stem to 1" of the base. Remove the isolated baby leaves on the bottom. With a serrated knife cut the top off of the plant as seen here. Next, with a pair of sharp scissors, cut each leaf top that has a sharp barb (as shown). Steam for 45 minutes. Serve with your favorite side......butter with lemon, butter with worsestershire, mayo, butter and garlic....whatever floats your boat.

Tacos de Pescado a.k.a. Fish Tacos

Hunky hubby and I went on a fabulous excursion to Mexico in 1987. We took the scenic route...a jackrabbit bus from Juarez to Chihuahua. We sat right behind the driver who played chicken with everyone on the road as the real live chickens clucked in their cages in the back. Someone tried to break into our room and there was a car crash under our window in the middle of the night. The next day we took a train to Los Mochis. On the way we stopped to let passengers off and passengers on and I noticed the federales with machine guns...oh yeah, I feel safe. Once in Los Mochis we agreed to share a cab with a Canadian couple who, after 5 minutes into the drive was convinced that the cab was going to take us out into the desert, rob and kill us. We had a great time in Los Mochis and celebrated their Independence Day in the park drinking beer, listening to good music and eating great food. Then we flew to La Paz where I think we had cat tacos from a street vendor. We stayed a few days there and took the bus to Cabo San Lucas. It was there on a romantic evening on the beach I had my first experience with fish tacos.

Unlike the deep-fried fish that is placed in a tortilla with some cabbage, avocados, tomatoes and salsa here in the U.S., this was different. The whitefish was steamed or poached and served in a soft corn tortilla simply with some avocado and cilantro. This recipe speaks for itself and does not need to be disguised with fats. It was fabulous! Since 1987, I have been making fish tacos in this way....the way hunky hubby and I love them best. It is a multi-step process but a no-brainer and it goes fairly quick. You must first marry the flavors of the brine you are about to poach the fish in and this takes about 35 minutes. Simmering the fish in the brine is about 10 minutes....only long enough for the fish to begin to flake. Here are the real instructions and this is what you need to poach the fish.

Poached Fish:

1 qt. water
1/2 medium onion sliced into thin slices
6 whole black peppercorns
3 whole allspice
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dry white wine

Combine all these ingredients in a large non-stick skillet or saute pan. (you may need to double the recipe to make sure your fish is covered during poaching) Simmer these ingredients for 30 minutes then add the fish. DO NOT boil the fish...it only needs to simmer on a very low heat for 15 minutes or until flaky. Lift the cooked fish from the pan and drain. Throw out the brining mix.

Next up is making your key ingredients. This is what you need:

Fish Tacos:

1 1b. poached fish
1 TBSP. oil
1 small onion, diced
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 small jalapeno peppers, diced
1/2 tsp. salt

8 corn tortillas
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
handful of cilantro leaves to garnish
*if you want a little extra crunch, add thin sliced cabbage

Saute onion in oil until soft. Stir in tomato sauce, peppers and salt. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in flaked fish and heat through, remove from heat but keep warm. In another pan, soften corn tortillas in hot oil and drain on paper towel. Spoon a small amount of fish mixture into tortillas, top with avocado and sour cream.

Dos Cervezas Por Favor!

You Gotta Be Kidding Me! Perfect Pie Crust

So, I have always chided myself that I cannot create a pie crust that is edible. This recipe was hastily written down from me by a chef who was giving out free cookbooks at Sam's Club. I jokingly but honestly laughed that I can't make a decent crust. He quickly penned a recipe and I put it aside for a few months. This crust I will do FOREVER! Don't tell me to use ice-water, don't tell me to use 1/2 and 1/2 and 1/2...don't tell me to mix and fridge....THIS worked!

1 Cup Flour
1 stick butter
1/4 cup boiling water

yup...how easy is that? I found it easier to push directly into the pie plate with plastic wrap between you fingers to get the shape and etc you want.

The crust was fabulous! Thanks "unknown chef" at Sams.