Waffles

This recipe came to me via John's sister Mary. Mind you, this is for a huge amount but you can make just 1/3 of this easily.

6 cups Bisquick baking mix
4 cups club soda
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Beat together and then bake on a very hot waffle iron. I serve with warm syrup and fresh strawberries.

Fresh Mango Salsa

2 mangoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, minced (1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno or serrano chile, (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired), minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, (from 1 lime)
1/3 cup orange juice
Coarse salt
Tortilla chips, for serving (optional)

Yorkshire Pudding

This is a dish that John and I had on a trip to a Shaker Village. I have been meaning to make these ever since then and just recently found a simple recipe on epicurious.com

5 ounces flour (or 1 heaping cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1-2 ounces melted fat (beef, duck, lard, butter, oil)

In a bowl combine flour, salt, and milk until well blended. Incorporate both eggs and blend together until you have a smooth liquid batter. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a large 6 muffin pan in oven and heat for 10 minutes. Place equal amounts of the fat into each muffin mold and continue heating in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour equal amounts of prepared batter into each muffin mold and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Tomato Barbecue Sauce

This Barbecue sauce was something special and can surely be used for other dishes as well/ To keep the pork chops from burning, rotate them from the hottest parts of the grill to the perimeter during cooking, basting with barbecue sauce as you do so. It was easy to overcool as well, so be sure not to.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 piece ginger, 1 inch, peeled and grated
1 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup best-quality peach jam
2 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, trimmed of excess fat

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and ginger; cook about 2 minutes more.

Stir in tomato sauce, peach jam, and peaches. Reduce heat to low; simmer until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar to taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; let cool. Pour half the barbecue sauce into a shallow baking dish; add pork chops, turning to coat both sides. Reserve remaining sauce.

Grill pork chops on a medium-hot grill or grill pan until chops are well marked and cooked through, at least 5 minutes per side. Baste chops with barbecue sauce; rotate during cooking. Remove from grill. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with remaining sauce.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter, Lime and Cotija Cheese

If you don't feel like going all out with the garlic butter just follow the instructions for preparing grilled corn. It is so much more flavorful than the usual boiled stuff.

8 ears corn
4 fresh limes, quartered
Garlic butter, recipe follows
1/2 cup grated cotija cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat grill to medium. Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silks and recover the corn with the husk. Soak in large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes.

Unwrap corn and brush with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with the cotija cheese and squeeze with lime. Sprinkle with chopped chives, to garnish.

Garlic Butter:
2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 habanero pepper, seeded
1/4 bunch fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine butter, garlic, habanero, and chives in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

Boiled Lobsters

Be sure to add enough salt to the water to create the right balance of ocean-briny flavor. A mere swipe through melted butter, a squirt of lemon and that's all anyone needs. Heaven!
2 or 3 tablespoons salt
4 live lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
Lemon wedges

Fill a large stockpot about half full of water. Add the salt and bring to a boil. When the water has come to a rolling boil, plunge the lobsters headfirst into the pot. Clamp the lid back on tightly and return the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the lobsters for 12 to 18 minutes (hard-shell lobsters will take the longer time), until the shells turn bright red and the tail meat is firm and opaque when checked.

Lift the lobsters out of the water with tongs and drain in a colander. Place underside up on a work surface and, grasping firmly, split the tails lengthwise with a large knife. Drain off the excess liquid. Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.

Note: Lobsters must be kept alive until they are cooked.

Korean Barbecue Burgers

These burgers are based on bulgogi, a traditional Korean barbecue specialty of marinated sirloin. We made them on our summer vacation and they are so flavorful.

1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
Cooking spray
6 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, split
6 red leaf lettuce leaves
6 tablespoons thinly sliced radishes

Prepare grill. Combine first 8 ingredients. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 160°. Remove from grill; let patties stand 5 minutes. Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tablespoon radishes, and top half of bun.

Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Dill Sauce

I didn't have sour cream and made this with plain yogurt instead, awesome anyhow.
Prepare the sauce up to one day ahead, and refrigerate.
6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill, divided
3 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 English cucumber (about 1 pound)

Combine sour cream, 2 tablespoons dill, 2 tablespoons vinegar, shallots, rind, juice, and garlic in a bowl, stirring well; cover and chill.

Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn fish over, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add wine; cover and let stand 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave cucumber lengthwise into ribbons to yield about 2 cups. Combine cucumber, remaining 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon dill in a bowl; toss gently to coat. Place about 1/2 cup cucumber mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 fillet and 2 tablespoons sour cream mixture.


This picture is of the salmon alone after being grilled. The cucumber salad is actually quite pretty as well.

Iceberg Wedges with Buttermilk Dressing

3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped (about 1 shallot) shallot, (about 1 shallot)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 iceberg lettuce, core trimmed
1/2 cup halved and whole small cherry tomatoes

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, shallot, chives, lemon juice, coarse salt, pepper, and celery salt in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. Cut lettuce lengthwise into quarters. Transfer a wedge to each of 4 plates. Drizzle each wedge with dressing, and garnish with tomatoes, dividing evenly.

Basil Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup well-chilled heavy cream
Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer; an ice cream maker

Bring milk, basil, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, then remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender (reserve saucepan) and blend until basil is finely ground, about 1 minute.

Beat together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Add milk mixture in a stream, beating until combined well. Pour mixture into reserved saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 175°F on thermometer (do not let boil). Immediately remove from heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir until cold, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in cream and freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.

Cooks' note:
Ice cream can be made 2 days ahead.