Pepper Salmon Béchamel -- 45 minutes -- serves 2

Description
On occasion, I can get away with preparing fish for Fuego - provided we know and trust the source of the wild catch, the way in which it was caught, and the region from which it came.  This means that fish is an occasion worth celebrating with a certain culinary flair.  The following rather serendipitously came together in my imagination while shopping, and was AMAZING.  This is almost a Bearnaise Salmon, but without the egg yolks it is technically more of a Béchamel.  Whatever you call it, it is delicious - Fuego asked me to write down the recipe so we could make it again - so here it is!  We'll be tasting this one again next month - hope you enjoy it too!  (I recall this being somewhat spicy... adjust peppers to your personal tastes.)


Ingredients
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 T onion powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t thyme
3 tomatillos
2-3  jalapeños
1-1 1/2 T ghee
2 Salmon fillets (about 6-8 oz each)
1/4 t salt
1/4c goat milk
12-16 oz broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 lemon
Directions
While fish is simmering, prepare spiral pasta (enough to cover each plate).
To serve, place pasta on a plate as a bed for the Béchamel, carefully place one salmon fillet on each plate (it should want to fall apart - thus the care), surround with broccoli, then top with the Béchamel sauce.  

2T Olive Oil
1T minced garlic
1/2 t pepper flakes

2 Serrano chilies

1 Package spiral pasta

Oil wok (2T Olive Oil) and preheat for about 20 seconds over medium high heat. 

Add garlic, pepper flakes, cayenne, onion powder, black pepper, and thyme.
Dice 3 tomatillos and sauté with spices for 2 minutes.
Dice  jalapeños and serrano chilies and sauté with other ingredients for 3 minutes
Add Ghee, stir mixture until fully melted.
Add Salmon (move pepper mixture out of the way and lay on the bottom of the pan in ghee/oil and spices - SKIN DOWN)
Sprinkle salmon with about 1/4t salt.
Add goat milk to sauce (not on top of salmon).
Add broccoli florets (not on top of salmon).
Slice lemon and lay on top of salmon.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Chili Paste -- 15 mins -- yields 8-10 oz.

Description
Why buy chili paste with all the extra ingredients (MSG, food dyes, preservatives, and unidentifiable chemicals - what are those for??), when fresh ingredients make perhaps the best chili paste I've ever tasted!?  This is fairly spicy - but then chili paste is supposed to be spicy!  As an uncooked paste, this should be made when you need it, and then used within about a week to ten days (we put the leftovers on EVERYTHING - it was particularly delicious on eggs!)

Ingredients
3 habaneros (including seeds)
2 Serano chilis (+ seeds)
1 large jalapeño (+ seeds)
2 limes (juiced)
2  grated lemon grass stalks (white only)
1 T onion powder
1 T minced garlic
1 1/2 T grated fresh ginger
1/2 t fish sauce
1 T salt (really)
1 T ground black pepper
1 T honey
1-2 T olive oil (sesame if avail)
1 T rice vinegar
Dash of soy sauce


Directions
No cooking necessary... Combine all ingredients in a food processor and liquefy.  Adjust oil until the right consistency (acts as an emulsifier).

Pumpkin Syrup -- 10 minutes -- yield 2 1/2C

Description
I LOVE pumpkin lattes, but since I don't necessarily love the extra ingredients, food dyes, high fructose corn syrup, and DAIRY found variously in the majority of commercial coffee purveyors, I thought it might be fun to create my own pumpkin syrup.  I tinkered with this a bit to get it just right - so far I love it!  (Though it does require a vigorous shake before you add the 3T to your latte in the morning).  

Enjoy this fall treat!

Ingredients
1/2C organic pumpkin
2C Water
1 1/2C honey
2t vanilla
2t cinnamon 
1t nutmeg
1/2t cloves

Directions
Start heating water in a sauce pan while adding the rest of the ingredients.
Bring mixture to a low boil (careful, the sugars will want to foam up if the heat is too high).
Boil for five minutes to dissolve all ingredients and thicken.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (yes, it WILL mold if you leave it out for a couple of days).

Almond Milk -- 12 hours -- yield 1Qt

Description

I have always wanted to learn how to make my own almond milk.  One day in the grocery store I happened upon a nut-milk bag and decided to give it a try... It is surprisingly easy, and the results are delicious!

Ingredients

1c Almonds

4c Water

3T Honey

1/8t Cinnamon

1 pinch Salt

Directions

Soak 1c almonds overnight (about 8-12 hours) in about 2-4c water.

Drain and rinse almonds.

Combine almonds, 4c water, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a blender and blend at highest speed for about a minute.

Strain "milk" through a nut milk bag (commonly found at Whole Foods, Food Co-ops, or other hippie-type grocers).

Enjoy!

Dairy Free Sweetened Condensed Milk -- about 2 hours -- yields 2C

Description
Gluten and Dairy free living can be difficult - particularly when you need things like sweetened condensed milk.  I tried sweetening evaporated goat's milk... I don't recommend trying to sweeten evaporated goat's milk... it wasn't good (you might have guessed that, but I'm stubborn and insist on trying things that sound gross with the hopes that they will actually be yummy - this sometimes works out great for me... this wasn't one of those times).  

The next try was with homemade almond milk, which makes for a lovely base - as would soy milk, or another nut milk.  The most important part is getting it down to the right consistency, which is what takes most of the time.  While I haven't tried this as a crock-pot recipe, it would likely be a GREAT way to cook it down overnight without the fuss of stirring more than every few hours (or once before bed, and again in the morning).

Ingredients
3 1/2 c fresh almond milk
2C honey
1t Vanilla
1 pinch salt

Directions
Combine ingredients in a sauce pan.
Boil uncovered until 2C

Notes:  
Consider marking or taking mental note of where 2C is on the pot you are using so you don't have to pour the entire contents into a measuring glass and then back into the pot when it's still not done yet (yes, this comes from experience).

Thai-Island Iced Tea - 5 mins - Serves 1

Description
Was looking for more uses for the dairy free Sweetened Condensed Milk I made (also posted), and thought of Thai Iced Tea.  While yummy, it seemed that it could be improved upon as an evening cocktail, so I pulled an old page out of the DJA history book and reinvented the Long Island Iced Tea with a tropical flair.  I really enjoyed the results - hope you do too!

Ingredients
1 shot tequila
1 shot Captain Jack
1 1/2-2 shots Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions
Fill a rocks glass with ice.  Add the rest and stir.

Veggie Tomato Curry -- 40 Mins -- Serves 4

Description
So I was looking for a curry spin on my normal tomato sauce... and then I just kept adding stuff until it was a wholely new delicious creation.  Fuego and I loved this spontaneous dish so much that I recreated the recipe so we could make it again and again.  

As presented this isn't a particularly spicy curry, but then if you know me, you might guess that my perception of spice may not match well with yours ;).  Adjust the spices depending on your 'heat' tolerance.  

Ingredients
25 oz. diced tomatoes (fresh is awesome, but if this is a winter dish for you, 25 oz. canned tomatoes works well too).
6oz red wine
4oz balsamic vinegar 
14oz coconut milk
1T minced garlic
1 onion (1 T onion powder for the texturally challenged ;)
1 1/2 T curry powder (I use Simply Organic as a good basic blend, or mix your own if you have more time and are feeling adventurous)
1t cayenne
1/4 t black pepper
1/2t crushed red pepper
1t basil
1/2t thyme
1/8 t salt (add more to cut down spice if you've gone and hurt yourself ;)
1t sugar
8 oz edemame
8 oz broccoli
1/8 t chili powder

Directions
Saute onion in olive oil until soft.
Add tomatoes, red wine, and balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer.  
Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until the desired consistency.
Serve over Thai rice noodles, jasmine rice, potatoes, or whatever favorite starch you'd like underneath.