Turn Up the Heat (25 page)

Authors: Susan Conant,Jessica Conant-Park

Tags: #General, #Women Sleuths, #Fiction, #Mystery & Detective

1½ cups good quality shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 package of 12-inch flour tortillas

1 thinly sliced red onion

1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped Sliced roasted pork

4 tbsp. melted butter Fresh cilantro for garnish

Spread equal amounts of Cheddar and Jack cheese, thinly and evenly, over one half of a tortilla. Lay a few sliced onion rings on the cheese and then sprinkle with jalapeños. Place a few of the pork strips on top and then fold the tortilla in half. Brush with a bit of the melted butter, and cook in batches. Lay the quesadillas on a preheated griddle or large pan over medium heat, and cook until the cheese has started to melt. Turn the quesadillas over and finish cooking until golden brown. Remove from the pan and cut into quarters. Place a scoop of apple salsa in the center of the plate and arrange the quesadilla quarters on top. Garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro.

Coriander Seared Sea Scallops with Grilled Pancetta, Honey Parsnip Puree, and Warm Pear Chutney

Justin Lyonnais, Executive Chef, Commercial Street Fisheries, Manchester, New Hampshire

One of the things that makes eating out at a fine-dining restaurant so enjoyable and delicious is that chefs often make three or more components separately, then bring them together to create one dish. Each separate element here is simple to whip up, but the combination makes a restaurant-worthy plate. Taking a few extra minutes when arranging the scallops, pancetta, parsnip puree, and pear chutney will give a beautiful presentation.

Makes 4–6 servings

Pear Ginger Chutney

¼ cup sliced almonds

4 Bartlett pears, peeled and cut into roughly 1" pieces

1 cup golden raisins

½ cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes until just browned. Keep an eye on them, since they will burn easily. This can be done a day ahead if you like.

In a small saucepan, add the rest of ingredients. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for fifteen minutes, or until the pears are tender. Cool the chutney and mix in the toasted almonds.

Parsnip Puree

1 lb. of parsnips, peeled and sliced into ½-inch-thick slices

½ cup honey

½ cup water Salt and pepper to taste

Place parsnips in a large pot with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, cook until very tender, and then drain. While still hot, puree the parsnips in a blender with the honey and ½ cup water until smooth. The puree should be the consistency of mayonnaise, so add more water if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pancetta

12 slices of pancetta, about ¼ inch thick (sliced like bacon)

Simply cook the pancetta slices over a grill or on a stove top skillet until nicely browned on each side. Remove from pan and pat off any grease with paper towels. Set aside.

Scallops

4 tbsp. whole coriander seeds

1 tbsp. salt

1½ lbs. of fresh sea scallops, patted dry with a towel

1 oz. canola oil

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread the coriander seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown. Grind the toasted seeds in a clean coffee grinder and mix with the salt. Generously season both sides of the scallops with the coriander and salt mixture. Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the canola oil and sear the scallops for two minutes on each side.

To Plate

Arrange three slices of the grilled pancetta in the center of a plate. Top with some pear chutney, and place the scallops around the plate in a circle. Drizzle with the parsnip puree.

Fish Fillets with Vegetables and Herbs

Jessica Park, Manchester, New Hampshire

This is a very easy way to cook fish fillets. It is nearly impossible to mess up unless you absolutely forget about the fish and let it completely overcook! Feel free to substitute or add whatever seasonal vegetables you like. Fresh herbs will really make a difference here. You may want to stick with one variety if it is particularly pungent, like thyme. (Basil and parsley will match up well with other herbs, but you wouldn’t want thyme competing with cilantro.) If you’ve got a grill fired up, these fillets will cook up beautifully for an outdoor supper.

Serves 4 people

4 6–8-oz. pieces of white fish (cod, haddock, red snapper, halibut), preferably fresh Salt and pepper

2 plum tomatoes, halved and then sliced, or a handful of yellow or red cherry or pear tomatoes, sliced in half

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

1 small yellow summer squash, thinly sliced

2 scallions, finely sliced

1–2 cloves garlic, minced or finely sliced

1 cup white wine

4 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. olive oil Handful of fresh herbs (thyme, basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley), roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread out four good-sized pieces of tinfoil (roughly 15" to 18" long) on two baking sheets. Place each fish fillet on one half of the foil piece. Season well with salt and pepper. Lift up the sides of the foil so your toppings won’t leak out and then top each fillet with equal amounts of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, squash, scallions, garlic, wine, butter, olive oil, more salt and pepper, and the herbs. Fold the foil over the top and seal the edges. Place the trays in the oven and check after 12 minutes. When the fish is fully cooked and the meat is flaky, remove from the oven. Top with more fresh herbs if you like and then serve with plain couscous, rice, or French bread (to soak up all the delicious juices), and a salad.

Crispy Calamari with an Asian Slaw and Roasted Pineapple Dressing

Mark Porcaro, Executive Chef, Top of the Hub, Boston, Massachusetts

The roasted pineapple dressing in this recipe is outstanding and very simple to make. You will need to let the slaw marinate in the dressing for a bit so that the vegetables will soften and all the delicious flavors will come together. Topped with the hot fried calamari, this slaw creates a fantastic summer entrée!

Makes 6 servings

Roasted Pineapple Dressing

1 tsp. canola oil

½ pineapple, skin and crown removed, quartered

1 cup orange juice

½ tbsp. red Thai curry paste

½ cup honey

2 cups canola oil Optional: 1–2 tbsp. scallions, cilantro, chives, or lemongrass

Preheat oven to 350°.

Rub 1 tsp. of canola oil onto pineapple quarters and roast on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes or until nicely browned.

Puree the roasted pineapple in an electric blender with the orange juice, curry paste, and honey. Add canola oil in a steady stream until the dressing has emulsified and thickened. Add any of the fresh herbs listed above and pulse the blender a few times to incorporate.

Slaw

1½ cups cooked cappellini, cooled under running water

1 tsp. canola oil

1½ lbs. Chinese cabbage, shredded

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, thickly sliced

½ cup carrots, shredded or julienned

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

½ bunch cilantro

½ cup water chestnuts, sliced

1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp. black sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350°.

Toss cooled cappellini with oil, spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy. Remove and set aside.

Mix the rest of the slaw ingredients together and then toss with as much Roasted Pineapple Dressing as you like, reserving any extra dressing for another time. Refrigerate the slaw for 3 to 6 hours before serving so the slaw can marinate and the vegetables can soften.

Calamari

Peanut oil for frying

1 lb. calamari (frozen is fine), cut into 1/8" rings

Kosher salt for seasoning

Cornstarch for dredging

Add enough peanut oil to a deep skillet to reach halfway up the pan and heat to 350° (or you may use a deep fryer if you have one). Season the calamari rings as you like with the kosher salt and then dredge in cornstarch. Fry the calamari in batches until golden brown, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Drain the rings on paper towels.

To Serve

Fresh mint

Toss the baked cappellini and hot calamari rings into the slaw and top each serving with a sprig of fresh mint.

Guatemalan Tamales

Julio and Anjos Veliz, Boston, Massachusetts

Don’t panic when you see the list of ingredients and the huge amounts for these tamales! This recipe will make 100 tamales but can easily be cut in half or quartered. As Snacker pointed out in the story, if you are going to take all the steps necessary to make these delicious creations, you might as well make a very large batch and freeze a portion or give some away as gifts. Get together with a friend or two and spend an afternoon in the kitchen rolling these phenomenal treats!

Note: Maseca corn flour is readily available in Hispanic markets and even in some large grocery stores. The frozen banana leaves are also found in Hispanic markets and in some Asian stores. The dried chiles and pumpkin seeds can be found in most good markets or natural foods stores.

Prepare the Night Before

50 chicken thighs, skin removed, bone in Salt for seasoning

10 cups of uncooked white rice

Using a good, heavy knife, cut the chicken pieces in half, chopping through the bone. Season the chicken well with salt, and refrigerate until following day.

Set the uncooked rice in a bowl or pot and cover with cold water. Let the rice soak in the water overnight. The rice will absorb most of the water, but do not drain any excess the next day.

Sauce

40 plum tomatoes

15 red peppers, cut in half, stems and seeds removed

7 onions, cut in half

1 head of garlic, skin removed, cloves left whole or slightly crushed

2 quarts water

1/3 cup salt

4 guajillo chiles

4 ancho chiles

2 whole sticks cinnamon

3 cups pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place tomatoes, red peppers, onions, garlic, water, and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Let cook over medium-high to high heat while you prepare the chiles, cinnamon sticks, and pumpkin seeds. Stir the sauce occasionally so it doesn’t burn.

Cut all the chiles in half and remove the seeds and stems. Place chiles and cinnamon sticks in a nonstick pan and toast over high heat for about 2 minutes until they release their aroma. Do not burn these or your sauce will be bitter! Add to sauce.

Toss pumpkin seeds into a nonstick skillet and stir over high heat until they begin popping and are gently browned.

When the vegetables in the sauce have softened, stir in the pumpkin seeds, and then remove the pan from the heat. Ladle the sauce in batches into an electric blender and puree each batch until smooth. When all the sauce has been blended, strain through a mesh colander or sieve to remove any excess chunks and seeds. Return to the pot and add the olive oil. Bring to a boil once, and then set aside.