• ¼ cup tequila
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 to 2 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup green onion, cut in ½” pieces
• 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt

Combine ingredients in food processor and puree. Taste mixture and add more jalapeno as desired.

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp melted
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• 3 c chicken stock
• 1 med onion, finely diced
• 2 c Arborio rice
• 1 c dry Vermouth
• 1 c finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp chiffon sage
• pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 475°. Toss cubed squash with 2 tbsp melted butter and a 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Shake vigorously and roast for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and keep warm.
Heat stock plus 3 cups of water over medium high heat until simmering. Reduce heat to low and keep warm. In a large dutch oven or saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add onion and saute until translucent and soft, about 9 minutes. Add rice and stir frequently until the edges of the rice grains are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add vermouth and stir frequently until all liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Add 3/4 cup stock and stir occasionally until all liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan is dry. Continue adding 1/2 cup of stock at a time, stirring frequently, allowing all stock to absorb before adding next 1/2 cup. Continue with this until the grains are firm tender, about 15-18 minutes. Add sage, parmesan, and nutmeg and stir until combined. Remove from heat and fold in squash. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

• 1 lime, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 inch finger of ginger, peeled, very thinly sliced
• 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and thinly sliced, on the bias
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 4 6 oz flounder/fluke filets

Bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add lime, ginger, and lemongrass, boil for 5 minutes. Place flounder filets in a heavy bottomed sauté pan or skillet. Pour poaching liquid over the filets and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and simmer about 7-10 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily. Serve garnished with cilantro and tomato.

Heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add black beans, cumin, chili powder, and 1/4 cup of water. Simmer until all water has evaporated. Remove from heat. With the back of a fork, mash the beans and combine the mixture. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a tortilla and drop dollops of goat cheese. Cover with another tortilla. Brown each side in an oiled skillet over medium high heat. Cut into eight pieces and serve with a dollop of guacamole on top.

Serves 8 as an appetizer or 3 as a main course.

For vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp red or white miso
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 4 tsp tahini
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

For cabbage

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 lb Savoy cabbage, very thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 lb napa cabbage, very thinly slice crosswise
• 1/4 lb snow peas, very thinly sliced lengthwise

For fish

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 5 oz. cod fillets, center cut if possible

Make vinaigrette

Purée all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender until smooth

Sauté cabbage

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic until golden, about 30 seconds. Add cabbages and snow peas and sauté until cabbages are wilted and peas are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a bowl, then wipe skillet clean.

Cook fish

Heat oil in skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté cod, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, about 6 minutes in total. Divide cabbage among 4 plates, then top with fish and drizzle with some dressing. Serve remainder on the side.

• 2 bone-in chicken breast halves
• flour
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2/3 c chopped onion
• 1/3 c chopped celery
• 1/3 c chopped carrot
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 4 lg garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• salt & pepper

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with the flour. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Brown the chicken skin side down for about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and sauté for another 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, and garlic to the pan and sauté about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add the mushrooms and sauté about 10 minutes or until just starting to brown. Add the tomatoes, juice, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce sauce by one third. Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165° F. Transfer chicken and sauce to plates, serve.

• 3 c clam juice
• 1 750ml bottle Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
• 1 half lemon, thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh dill
• 4 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 1 dozen whole peppercorns
• 4 8 oz. salmon filets

Combine first 6 ingredients in a deep saute pan. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add salmon filets and allow to cook until just opaque in the center, about 7 minutes. Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with fresh dill and lemon slices.

Caper Dill Sauce

• 2 tbsp chopped capers
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 c creme fraiche

Combine first 3 ingredients. Slowly fold in creme fraiche. Do not overmix or the sauce will thin. Set aside and allow flavors to come together while you make the salmon.

This recipe was in Self Magazine’s November 2006 issue. Another one of Ellen’s great finds, we threw this together on New Years Day. We had a bit of trouble finding some of the ingredients since the market was nearly empty. We made do, and noted our substitutions below. This is better than any hot pot I’ve had at any Thai restaurant, ever.

• 4 oz. dried rice stick noodles
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 C chopped onion
• 2 1/2 C chicken stock
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 C light coconut milk
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• Zest of 2 limes (about 1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp Sriracha, more to taste
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
• 6 sprigs of cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 2 sprigs basil, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 C canned straw mushrooms (available at Asian or specialty markets)
• 12 large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 4 large sea scallops, cut in half
• 2 calamari tubes, cut into 1/2″ rings
• Juice of 1 lime

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Stir in noodles; remove from heat. Let stand until noodles soften – 5 to 8 minutes. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook shallots, garlic and onion until soft – 3 to 5 minutes. Add stock, juice from tomatoes, coconut milk, vinegar, fish sauce, lime zest, Sriracha, sugar and lemongrass. Bring to a boil medium high heat. Add cilantro and basil; reduce heat to medium low; simmer 10 minutes. Remove garlic, cilantro, and basil from pot; add tomatoes & mushrooms. Reduce to a simmer. Add shrimp and scallops; cook 2 minutes. Add calamari and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide noodles among 4 bowls; top with soup; garnish with remaining basil & cilantro.

That left us with seafood for this week. For next week, we were thinking of all vegetarian meals. We haven’t experimented much with tofu but would love to try. We do some good vegetable sautées as side dishes. So, I ask you:

What’s your best/favorite/most tasty/easiest vegetarian recipe?

Use the comments section below to recommend yours!

• 1 cucumber, preferably English
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 or 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar (or other sweet white wine vinegar)
• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt

• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 8 green Swiss chard leaves
• salt
• 4 salmon fillets, skin removed
• freshly ground pepper

About 1 hour before serving, make the cucumber relish: Peel the cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the seeds and discard. Cut the cucumber into 1/4-inch dice; you should have about 1 1/2 cups.

In a bowl, combine the cucumber, bell pepper, green onions and dill. In a separate small bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt. Whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the sweetened vinegar to the cucumber mixture and stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside at room temperature for 50-60 minutes, stirring frequently.

Position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 425°F. Select a baking dish that will accommodate the salmon fillets comfortably in a single layer. Brush the bottom of the dish with some of the olive oil.

Rinse the chard leaves. Trim the white stems from the chard, including the first 2 inches that protrude into the leaves. Discard the stems. Fold the leaves in half crosswise, sprinkle them with water and arrange in 4 stacks of 2 leaves each in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the chard with a little salt and lay a salmon fillet, skinned side down on each chard stack. Brush the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper.

Bake, uncovered, until the salmon is opaque throughout, 12-15 minutes.

Using a spatula, carefully transfer the fillets with their chard leaves to warmed plates. Top each fillet with 3-4 spoonfuls of the cucumber relish. Serve.