Grilled Catfish w/Tomato & Corn Salsa & Yellow Rice

Grilled Catfish w/Tomato & Corn Salsa & Yellow Rice

4 - 6 oz catfish filets
2 cans whole kernel corn (or 1 16oz package frozen corn)
1 can tomatoes and green chilies (or 2 whole medium tomatoes, 2 large jalapeno peppers)
2 cups yellow rice
3 cups Balsamic vinegarette
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cajun seasoning
2 tbsp lemon pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
5 cups water

Preheat grill and rub with olive oil. In a large saucepan, boil 4 cups of water with 2 tbsp olive oil. Add yellow rice, stirring for 1 minute while boiling. Reduce heat to medium low and cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 20 minutes. In a saucepan on medium heat, combine corn, chilies and tomatoes and 1 cup water. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl mix vinegarette, garlic powder, cajun seasoning, and lemon pepper. Dip catfish in vinegarette mixture and place on grill. Cook fish for 3 minutes, flip and allow to cook for 3 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Now I dont make baked mac n cheese often, since the wonderful people at Kraft made the Deluxe with cheese sauce in the box, but here goes...

6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
5 cups milk
4 cups cheese - I use 2 cups Sharp Cheddar, 1 cup Monterey Jack, 1 cup mozzarella
pinch of tsp pepper
pinch of red pepper
pinch of salt (which I usually leave out)
1 box macaroni


1. In a large saucepan cook butter and flour together, about 5 minutes.
2. Add milk and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in cheese and seasonings, plus 2 tsps salt.
4. Remove from heat and add one pound, cooked and drained macaroni.
5. Pour into greased 9x13 glass baking pan.
6. Sprinkle cheese and black pepper on top.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until golden and bubbly (bubbly is a real word right?)

Red Snapper Escovitch

2 (6 ounce) red snapper fillets
1 red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper
1 small yellow onion
1 medium carrot
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon blackened fish seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste
cooked angel hair pasta or steamed rice

1. Slice pepper, onion and carrot into thin strips.
2. Peel and finely mince ginger and garlic.
3. Remove stem from cilantro and finely chop.
4. Sprinkle fillets with seafood seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan, at medium heat.
6. Place fish in pan and cook for about 4 minutes.
7. Turn fillets over and place in center of pan.
8. Add lime juice and remaining butter.
9. Place garlic, ginger, carrot, onions, bell pepper and cilantro around fish.
10. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until fish is firm and white.
11. Serve with angel hair pasta or steamed rice.

Jamaican Curry Chicken

1 sm. chicken
1 tbsp. curry
3 stalks scallions
1 med. onion, diced sm.
1/2 red pepper
2 potatoes diced into 1/2" pieces
1 sm. green pepper
1 tsp. hot sauce
8 corns allspice or 1/2 tsp. powdered allspice
3 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp. soy sauce, optional

Marinate the chicken with all the spices for a couple of hours. Separate the chicken and lightly brown (frying pan) with vegetable oil for 20 minutes. Add a cup of water to spices and pour over chicken. Simmer low for 1 hour. Serve with white rice and beans, or saffron yellow rice.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Well, there are lots of variations to the jerk chicken recipe, but I find the ones that call for the chicken to marinate taste better than those that just call for a jerk spice rub. So here's one.

Ingredients:
3 fresh scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
6 scallions, coarsely chopped
3 shallots, quartered
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 whole chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks separated

1. Discard stems, seeds, and ribs from 2 chiles and coarsely chop.
2.Coarsely chop remaining chile including seeds (for a less spicy dish, seed half of chile before chopping).
3. Blend chiles with remaining ingredients except chicken in a food processor until a paste forms. 4. Cut several 1-inch-long slits in each piece of chicken, then rub paste all over chicken, rubbing it into slits.
5. Marinate, covered and chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day (longer is better for flavour).
6. To cook chicken on a charcoal grill: When charcoal turns grayish white (15 to 20 minutes from lighting) and you can hold your hand 5 inches about top rack for 3 to 4 seconds, grill chicken, skin sides down, on portion of lightly oiled grill rack with no coals underneath, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
7. If you aren't able to grill, you can roast jerk chicken, skin sides up, in 2 large shallow flameproof baking pans (1 inch deep) in upper and lower thirds of a preheated 450°F oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.
Then turn on broiler and broil chicken, about 4 inches from heat, until skin is browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.