Honey Lime Pork Chops

juice and zest from 1 lime
pinch kosher salt
2 tbls honey lime mustard (or honey dijon would work too or 1 tbls honey and 1 tbls dijon)
2 tbls buttermilk
2 tbls olive oil
1 clove garlic chopped

6 center loin pork chops

mix all of the marinade ingredients and add to a container big enough to hold your pork chops.Mix it all around until your chops are all totally covered in the marinade and put in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.

Take the pork out of the fridge at least 40 minutes before you are going to cook them to let them come to room temperature.

As far as grilling them, it all depends on the thickness. For thinner chops like these, you want to go hot and fast. Get the grill as hot as you can and grill them for a minute or so with the lid on before you flip them and turn down the heat (or if you are using coal like we do, pile the coals on one side so the other side is going to be a bit cooler for the second side) and cook them, lid on, for another three minutes. Remove the lid, flip them one more time and cook them another 3 or 4 minutes with the lid off, still on the cooler side.

Once they are cooked (they should feel solid but have a bit of spring under your finger when you poke them), remove to a plate and tent with foil and let sit for 5 or 10 minutes to rest before eating.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• garnishes- nonfat sour cream, pickled jalapenos or avocado

1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, and salt and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
3. Add water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low (make sure you keep a gentle simmer), cover and cook 8-10 minutes, or until sweet potato is tender.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, and lime juice and continue to simmer 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Tropical Mahi Mahi

• 2 mahi mahi fillets (approximately 6 ounces each)
• 3 limes
• 6 tablespoons light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced (approximately 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 red onion, diced (approximately 1/2 cup)
• 1 mango, diced (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 – 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt

In a shallow dish, combine the juice from 2 of the limes, 4 tablespoons of light coconut milk, and the minced ginger.  Whisk to combine and form a marinade.  Season both of the mahi mahi fillets with salt before placing in the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

While the fish marinates, combine the bell pepper, onion, mango, and pineapple in a mixing bowl.  Add the zest and juice from the remaining lime.  Add the mint and the remaining coconut milk, stirring to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

After the fish has marinated, heat a grill pan over medium heat.  Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil.  Cook the fish for 4-5 minutes on each side (adjusting based on the thickness of the fish).

Serve immediately, topped with the mango salsa.

Ginger Soy Mahi Mahi with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

serves 4
Marinade
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons tamari or wheat-free soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 filets mahi mahi, about 6 ounces each


Salsa
1/2 large pineapple, skinned, cored, and cut into 1-inch rounds
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup loosely-packed, finely chopped cilantro
1 small lime, juiced

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place the fish filets in a resealable plastic bag and cover with the marinade. Press out as much of the air in the bag as you can and seal tightly; turn several times to coat the fish. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than an hour.

Prepare and heat your grill, depending on type – if using charcoal, make sure you have a bed of hot coals, covered in ash, spread evenly beneath the grate. Grill the pineapple slices until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, dice, and place in a medium sized bowl with the bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. Toss to mix well; taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.  Set aside.

Remove the mahi mahi filets from the bag and discard the marinade. Place the fish on the grill and cook until it flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place each filet on a plate and top with about 1/4 cup of salsa and serve immediately.

Pasta with Tuna and Tomato Sauce Recipe

From Simply Recipes

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 35 minutes

Tuna packed in olive oil is highly recommended for this recipe. If all you have is tuna packed in water, you can try draining it and then adding olive oil to the can, and letting it soak in the olive oil in the fridge for several hours, but you will get the best results if you start with tuna packed in oil.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes, whole or crushed
• Salt
• 1 pound pasta shells
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 6-ounce can tuna packed in olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
• A generous 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method

1 Melt the butter in a medium pot on medium heat and add the can of tomatoes, including the juice. If you are using whole canned tomatoes (or fresh ones) crush them with your (clean) fingers as you put them in the pot. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
2 Once the sauce is cooking, heat a large pot of well salted water to a strong boil. Add the shell pasta to the boiling water and cook at a vigorous boil, uncovered, until al dente, cooked through but still a bit firm to the bite, which is usually whatever the time specified on the pasta package minus about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3 Pour off the excess oil from the tuna can and stir the tuna into the tomato sauce. Add the ricotta cheese, and add salt to taste. Turn off the heat. Mix the sauce with the pasta in a large bowl. Mix in the basil.

4 Pour the pasta into a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish and top with the parmesan cheese. Put under a hot broiler for 4-6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Yield: Serves 6-8.

Green Bean Salad with Basil, Balsamic, and Parmesan Recipe

Simply Recipes

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes

To save time, while the water is coming to a boil, prep the other ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed green beans, cut to 2 to 3 inch long pieces
• Salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (or shallots)
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Place the chopped onions in a small bowl of water. This will help take the edge off the onions. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

2 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (2 Tbsp salt for 2 quarts of water). Add the green beans to the water and blanch only for about 2 minutes or so, until the beans are just barely cooked through, but still crisp. Fresh young beans should cook quickly. Older, tougher beans may take longer. While the beans are cooking, prepare a large bowl of ice water. When the beans are ready, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the boiling water to the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the green beans and the red onions.

3 Place the green beans, red onion, and chopped basil in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the olive oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle in the balsamic and Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Chill until ready to serve.

Yield: Serves 6.

Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

From Simply Recipes

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 45 minutes

If you don't want to eat skin-on chicken, still cook the dish with the skin-on, even if you don't eat it. The skin will protect the meat from drying out.

Ingredients

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup smooth Dijon mustard
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 pounds chicken thighs (or legs)
• Salt
• 2 sprigs rosemary (or a generous sprinkling of dried rosemary)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix mustard with the honey, and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and taste. Add more salt and mustard until you get the flavor where you want it.

2 Salt the chicken lightly and lay the pieces skin-side up in a shallow casserole dish. Spoon the honey mustard sauce over the chicken. Place the rosemary sprigs in between the pieces of chicken.

3 Bake for 45 minutes, or until the thighs read 175° on a meat thermometer, or the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Remove the casserole pan from the oven, use a spoon to spoon off any excess chicken fat that has rendered during the cooking.

Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the chicken before you serve.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

Potato Salad with Bacon and Barbecue Sauce

Serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer

• 4 pounds small red or yukon potatoes
• 1/2 cup lean bacon, preferably applewood-smoked
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/3 cup mayonaise
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large pot, cover the potatoes with salted water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook until fork tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Drain the potatoes, rinse under cold running water, and cut into quarters. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy, about 5 or 6 minutes. (You don’t need any additional oil, as the bacon will provide enough oil for itself for cooking.) Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Finely dice the bacon once it is cool enough to handle.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, mayonaise, mustard, and vinegar. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and carefully fold until well-mixed. Let stand for 10 to 20 minutes so the potatoes absorb the dressing.
4. Carefully mix in the shallots, bacon, parsley, and tarragon. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything once more and serve.

Buttery Lemon Parsley Noodles

Prep Time 5 Minutes Cook Time 15 Minutes

Servings 8
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• 1 pound Pasta (fettuccine, Linguine, Angel Hair)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• ¼ cups Finely Minced Parsley
• 1 whole Lemon
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
  
  Preparation Instructions
  Cook the noodles according to package instructions. (If using angel hair, stop just short of the al dente stage.) Drain and set aside.
  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the cooked pasta and cook it around in the butter for a couple of minutes so that a few of the noodles get a little bit of a panfried texture to them, whatever that means.
  Zest the lemon. Squeeze in the juice, then add the zest of half the lemon.
  Add salt and pepper to taste, then toss around and serve. Yum!
  

Fish tacos

Recipe summar

Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes 
Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

Spicy Avocado Lime Cream

4 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped

2 cups plain thick yogurt or sour cream

Juice and zest of 1 lime

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, chopped

A few drops of green Tabasco sauce, to taste

A handful of cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper

Pico De Gallo

2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped

1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 onion, minced

Juice of 1 lime

A handful of cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Fish

450 grams haddock fillets, cut into large cubes

1 cup of flour for dredging

Canola or peanut oil for frying

Beer Batter

2 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups beer (2 bottles of beer)

Salt and pepper

Serving

Homemade tortillas (refer to Chuck’s recipe)

Green chili sauce (refer to Chuck’s recipe)

Iceberg lettuce, finely shredded

Directions

Spicy Avocado Lime Cream

Using a food processor, mix all the ingredients together. Keep in the refrigerator.

Pico De Gallo

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients. Keep in the refrigerator.

Fish

Heat oil in deep fryer to 180 C (350 F).

Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter and fry for 1-½ minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Beer Batter

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Next, quickly stir eggs and beer into flour mixture (don't worry if there are a few lumps).

Serving

Spread Avocado Lime Cream on a homemade tortilla (see Chuck’s recipe) and place 3 pieces of fried fish on top. Add shredded iceberg lettuce and garnish with Pico de Gallo and Spicy Green Chili Sauce (see Chuck’s recipes).