Traditional Bajan Salted Cod Fish Cakes

Ingredients

2 tbsp. oil

1 cup onions, finely chopped

1 1/2 cup self-rising flour

Salt to your taste  - careful the fish is salty

Ground black pepper

1 egg lightly beaten or egg whites

1 tbsp.  Butter, melted

2 tbsp. shallots/green onions (finely chopped)
2 sprigs fresh thyme, parsley or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 lb. salted cod fish, cooked and flaked  

1 large fresh hot pepper such as a jalapeno (chopped) or Scotch bonnet

1 tbsp Jamaican curry powder

Dash Old Bay seasoning or smoked paprika 
2 stalks of celery
1 bay leaf
1/2 lime
1 clove of garlic minced
Approximately 1 cup fresh water
3 tablespoons oil for frying

 Baccala Salt Cod 

Note:  Cod has been over fished. Sometimes salted cod fish is hard to find. I've found salted pollack labeled as baccala.  It's cheaper than salted cod and a reliable substitute.

Without the potato, the fish cake is more like a lump crab cake. 

Directions

Rinse salted fish under cold water to remove some of the salt.

Soak cod in a large bowl of cold water for 6–8 hours, changing water 2–3 times.  Put cod into a medium pot of fresh cold water, bring to a boil over high heat, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain well, and then break fish into flakes

Or boil fish with bay leave, celery and parsley 2 times, using fresh cold water each time.  Drain well, and then break fish into flakes. 

If you want to actually see the fish, don't mince it too much. Check for bones. Even boneless/skinless fish may have small bones.

Note:  Use potato if you want softer cake. Put potatoes into a pot of cold water and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, then mash with a potato ricer or masher; set aside or use 1 cup of instant potatoes.

Combine onions, cod, curry powder, flour, parsley, thyme, dry seasoning, egg or egg whites in a medium bowl. Mix together lightly, and then add the shallot, and pepper.

Prepare a sample cake.

I use a caste iron frying pan. Heat oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Fry the sample and adjust seasoning. Season to taste and shape into cakes.  I use a a small ice scoop to measure and keep cakes uniformed.

Fry the patties on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Crab Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

10 ounces elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups 2% milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 green packets Badia Sazon tropical, no msg (Sweet, sharp flavors infused with smoky acidity)

1/4 teaspoon granulated onion

1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teapoons dried basil

1/4 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon garlic granules

1/4 teaspoon cayenne chili pepper flakes optional

4 ounces Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

6 ounces Feta cheese

8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

8 ounces fresh crab meat

1 lb medium shrimp, deveined and shelled
2 cans low sodium cheddar cheese soup
1 pkg.  (6 oz.) FRESH TAKE Italian Parmesan Recipe Cheese Breadcrumb Mix
salt to taste

NOTE: Substitute pizza seasoning and/or Italian seasoning for the indvidual seasoning. Be aware that the blended seasonings are not all the same. Different brands include different herbs As with all recipes, taste, taste, and taste again

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Boil pasta in salted water until al dente, drain and set aside. Don't over cook.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add soup and milk. Continue stirring butter and soup mixture over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Cook while stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until mixture thickens.

Add salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and seasonings. Blend and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and add the grated cheese.

 Stir in pasta and gently fold in crab meat. Adjust seasonings.

Spray a large casserole dish or baking pan with pan spray. Pour in filling and spread out evenly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling around the edge.

Mix thawed shrimp and Kraft FRESH TAKE Italian Parmesan Recipe Cheese Breadcrumb Mix according to directions

Spread shrimp evenly over top. Return to oven and bake until shrimp cooked and topping brown.

Serves 8 as an entree with a side salad.and pinot grigio.

 Greek Salsa Salad recipe

Photo: Greek Salad by Petr Kratochvil

One Pot Meal - Jambalaya

Makes 8 servings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

1 tablespoon canola-olive blended oil
1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion
3 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
3-4 mini red, yellow and orange peppers or 1 medium green pepper(s), seeded and chopped  
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound smoked turkey or beef sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 package McCormick® Gourmet Smoked Sausage & Pepper Creole Jambalaya Recipe & Seasoning Mix
2 1/4 cups water
1 can (10 ounces) RO*TEL chunky Tomatoes and Chilies, undrained
1 cup uncooked white rice, long-grain or  brown rice *Note
1/2 pound medium/large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add celery, garlic, peppers and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or slightly softened. Add chicken and sausage; cook and stir 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

2. Stir in Seasoning Mix, water, tomatoes and rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes.

3. Stir in shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes longer or just until shrimp turn pink and rice is tender.

Note:

Brown rice needs more cook time and liquid than white rice. Adjust your cook time and liquid accordingly.

Speed up cooking time - start with leftovers:  cooked chicken and/or rice Instant brown rice takes less time to cook.

tomatoes, peppers & onions

Tomatoes

Lycopene is a carotenoid pigment that has long been associated with the deep red color of many tomatoes. A small preliminary study on healthy men and women has shown that the lycopene from orange- and tangerine-colored tomatoes may actually be better absorbed than the lycopene from red tomatoes.  

Intake of tomatoes has long been linked to heart health. As our knowledge of unique tomato phytonutrients expands, we are likely to learn more about the unique role played by tomatoes in support of heart health. 

In terms of conventional antioxidants, tomatoes provide an excellent amount of vitamin C and beta-carotene; a very good amount of the mineral manganese; and a good amount of vitamin E.

Source:  Borguini RG and Torres EAFDS. Tomatoes and Tomato Products as Dietary Sources of Antioxidants. Food Reviews International. Philadelphia: 2009. Vol. 25, Iss. 4; p. 313-325. 2009.

Dogukan A, Tuzcu M, Agca CA et al. A tomato lycopene complex protects the kidney from cisplatin-induced injury via affecting oxidative stress as well as Bax, Bcl-2, and HSPs expression. Nutr Cancer. 2011;63(3):427-34. 2011.

Etminan M, Takkouche B, and Caamano-Isorna F. The role of tomato products and lycopene in the prevention of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004 Mar;13(3):340-5. 2004. 2004.

Friedman M, Levin CE, Lee SU et al. Tomatine-containing green tomato extracts inhibit growth of human breast, colon, liver, and stomach cancer cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jul 8;57(13):5727-33. 2009.

Salmon in Pastry

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, washed and sliced
1 onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup portabella mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
Flour, for dusting surface

Portabello Mushrooms

1 egg plus 2 teaspoons water, for egg wash
1 (3-pound) salmon fillet, skin removed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion and mushrooms and saute until the onion mix is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Let the liquid cook off, add the salt and pepper, and remove from the heat and set aside. Let cool before using.

Unfold 1 pastry sheet and lay it on a lightly floured surface. Brush 1 edge with the egg wash and overlap the other sheet by 2 inches. Roll the pastry out until it's big enough to fold around the salmon. Spoon the cooled leek mixture down the center of the pastry, place the salmon on top of the leeks and fold the pastry over the salmon. Egg wash the edges to seal and press well.

Place the salmon parcel seam side down on a sheet pan. Brush with egg wash and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing.

Salmon

A 2005 study shows that the net benefits of eating wild Pacific salmon outweigh those of eating farmed Atlantic salmon, when the risks of chemical contaminants are considered, although there are important regional differences. The co-authored by Barbara Knuth and Steven Schwager benefit-risk analysis of eating farmed versus wild salmon in the Journal of Nutrition (November, Vol. 135).  The conclusions of Barbara Knuth, Cornell professor of natural resources who specializes in risk management associated with chemical contaminants in fish, and Steven Schwager, Cornell associate professor of biological statistics and computational biology and an expert in sampling design and statistical analysis of comparative data.

This well known and favorite fish is a very good source of easy digestible proteins (amino acids), fatty acids like Omega-3 Fatty acids in form of Triglyceride, vitamins like vitamin-D, vitamin-A and some members of vitamin-B family and minerals like Selenium, Zinc, Phosphorus, Calcium and Iron.

Portobello Mushroom

Zhang, M; Huang, J; Xie, X; Holman, CD (March 2009). "Dietary intakes of mushrooms and green tea combine to reduce the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women". International Journal of Cancer 124 (6): 1404–1408. doi:10.1002/ijc.24047. ISSN 0020-7136. PMID 19048616.  A 2009 case control study of 2,018 women correlated a large decrease of breast cancer incidence in women who consumed mushrooms. Women in the study who consumed fresh mushrooms daily were 64% less likely to develop breast cancer, while those that combined a mushroom diet with regular green tea consumption reduced their risk of breast cancer by nearly 90%.

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Massaged Raw Kale Salad

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• Juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• bag of chopped kale, ribs removed
• lemon pepper without MSG (suggest Chef Paul Prudhomme Lemon & Cracked Pepper - no salt or sugar added)
• 1/4 cup or less cup balsamic vinegar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp organic agave nectar or honey optional

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil until well combined. Add kale and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to "massage" the leaves. Leave out at room temperature for an hour. 

Marinating overnight in the refrigerator is better.

Toss before serving. Adjust taste/seasoning 

Kale 

Kale  is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group), with green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. The species Brassica oleracea contains a wide array of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts.

Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli  contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.  Kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. Kale is also a good source of carotenoids.

 Yuesheng Zhang & Eileen C. Callaway (May 2002). "High cellular accumulation of sulphoraphane, a dietary anticarcinogen, is followed by rapid transporter-mediated export as a glutathione conjugate". The Biochemical journal 364 (Pt 1): 301–307.PMC 1222573. PMID 11988104.

Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick (2007-05-15)."Research Says Boiling Broccoli Ruins Its Anti Cancer Properties".

"Broccoli chemical's cancer check". BBC News. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 5 September 2010.

 "How Dietary Supplement May Block Cancer Cells". Science Daily. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.

Organic agave nectar

Agave americana

The liquid the agave plant uses to nourish itself, called aguamiel, has been consumed directly from the plant itself for centuries.  Beware of the increasing number of fraudulent, poor-quality “agave” products.   Natural agave has been harvested traditionally in Mexico.  The agave plant also contains saponins and fructans, phytochemicals associated with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting capabilities. (Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 1996; 52:175-7).

Agave azul (blue agave) is used in the production of tequila.