Chili-Rubbed Tilapia Fish with Lemon and Asparagus

Do you enjoy foods with chili? I do!

Wow, I even enjoy chili in my corned beef. Perhaps there's not yet a worst recipe for chili I've ever seen to make me say no to it. Believe me, I don't have to make it to know it's gonna be BAD...One star for the fact that it's among my favorite ingredient.

Try this chili-rubbed tilapia (or if you don't find tilapia, buy any white fish).

Ingredients:

- 2 pounds asparagus
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 pound Tilapia, or white fish fillets

How to Prepare

Boil water in a saucepan. Add the asparagus and cook for 4 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Set aside to cool. Mix together garlic powder, chili powder and salt in a shallow plate. Rub to coat the mixture on the fish fillets. Heat the oil over medium heat and cook the fish until opaque in the inside. When cooked, divide and arrange the fillets among 4 serving plates and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, salt and asparagus and mix well. Cook altogether for 4 minutes, or until asparagus is coated. Serve together with the fish. An elegant serving dish can add glamour to your fish recipe.

Let me know how you rate this recipe. I'd be glad!

Fun and Fantastic Holiday Drinks

We all want new flavors for drinks that can make a difference on our holidays. If you are still so engrossed with the ones you've been used to, perhaps a little change this year will make some difference.

Christmas Snow

- 1 oz. light Puerto Rican rum

- 1/2 oz. Galliano
- 1/4 oz. Rose’s unsweetened lime juice
- 1 oz. heavy cream

Mix all ingredients in a shaker and shake well with ice cubes. Serve in claret or large cocktail glass. Sprinkle chopped pistachio nuts on top, or whatever you like.

Enjoy that snowy Christmas creamy drink!

Irish Cheer

- 2 oz. Irish Whiskey

- 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth

Stir well with ice and serve in a cocktail glass. Garnish with lightly cooked cranberries.

Savor that holiday cheers!

Scotch Star

- 1 oz. Scotch
- 1/2 oz. sloe gin
- Dash Angostura Bitters
- Juice of 1/2 lemon

Shake well with cracked ice. Serve in cocktail glass.

Chocolate Mice to Make Kids Jump

After your homemade candies, why not bring out your nuts, raisins, colorful M& M's, and licorice tails and create sweet little mice. Old and young will enjoy these super sweet little mice as they are as much fun to make as they are to eat. I bet something perfect for the holidays!

Ingredients:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
48 dried apricots
Wooden skewers
48 M&M's Minis (or raisins)
Black shoestring licorice
24 dry-roasted peanut halves

Directions:

Put the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for another minute, them continue stirring until smooth. To make the mice, press together 2 dried apricots. Make a small point to make the mouse' nose, and thread them onto a skewer. Dip them into the melted chocolate and place on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet.

Use a second skewer to push the mouse off the first skewer; use your fingertip to cover the hole left behind with chocolate. Add M&M's Minis eyes, a shoestring licorice tail, and peanut ears Refrigerate until hardened. Makes 24 chocolate mice!

From the Family Fun Magazine.

Zesty Vegetable Medley for Your Holiday

If you have a romertopf clay baker, then you can go a zestier holiday with your favorite greens. Surprise everyone with your new easy to prepare, crunchylicious and fat-free vegetable medley.

Ingredients:

- zucchini squash slices
- tomatoes, sliced
- onions, sliced
- salt
- seasoned pepper
- parmesan cheese

Procedure:

Like the same way before using a clay baker, put both pot and cover in water in a clean sink for 15 minutes. After draining, arrange the vegetables and seasonings in the pot. Cover and place in a cold oven. Bake at 450° F for about 30 minutes. If your vegetables are thickly-sliced, you need more baking time.

Arrange your cooked vegetable medley in one of your most beautiful serving platters or bowl and enjoy zestier bites of holiday veggies.

Here's a link from YouTube on how to arrange a beautiful vegetable platter.

Cooking Heallthy Must Be All Year Round

Cooking healthy must be all year round. This season, find delicious meat, chicken and turkey dishes as well as casseroles, vegetarian dishes and desserts that you can prepare easily.

It's not just healthy, its claybaker food!



Roasted Duck in Orange Sauce

Ingredients:

- 2 domestic ducklings (3 lb. average)
-2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
- 4 stalks celery, diced into 1/2 inches
- duck seasoning ( see recipe below)
- orange sauce (see recipe below)

Submerse top and bottom of Romertopf baker in water for 10 to 20 minutes. Wash ducklings immaculately, removing giblets, then pat dry. Rub ducks with duck seasoning, inside and out, and stuff cavities with onion and celery. Prick the skin of the ducks to allow fat to escape, and put them in the bottom of your baker, cover with lid. Place baker in cold oven and set temperature to 475°F. Roast 1 & 1/2 hours. Remove lid and allow to continue cooking for 30 to 60 minutes or until skin is lightly browned. Test ducks with fork. Ducks are done when juices run clear from thigh. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with orange sauce.

Duck Seasoning:

- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoon powder of onion
- 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
- 2 teaspoon anise
- 2 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 teaspoon ground fennel
- 2 teaspoon accent seasoning (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

Orange sauce:
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 cups brown sauce
- 2 tablespoon orange juice cooncentrate
- 1 teaspoon lemon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 tablespoon brandy

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and vinegar and bring to simmer until lightly browned and slightly caramelized. Add brown sauce, orange juice, and lemon juice, mixing well. Dissolve cornstarch in brandy and add to sauce. Stir well, and simmer until thickened. Simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes.

If you like a claybaker main dish, try Clay Baker Recipe for Classic Meatloaf.

A Goat Curry for the Season

Now we're talking goat!

Perhaps it sounds unique and impossible for some of us, but goat meat has the most delicious flavors in food, so why not join the club and make a unique holiday treat!
I actually got this recipe from my Jamaican neighbor who became popular in the village for his Jamaican blends, but I think you can find this online too.

I always cook my goat's meat first in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes before putting it in the large pot, this way I can be sure meat is super tender and super delicious to melt in the mouth.

Here we go.

Ingredients

3 lbs mutton (goat meat) -cut it into medium-sized chunks
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 medium potatoes (diced)- optional
1 large onion; diced
3 cloves garlic; minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bunch scallions; chopped
1 scotch bonnet, seeded & minced finely
2 tablespoons Jamaican curry powder (or any available curry powder)
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Preparation

Dash goat meat with the seasoning salt. In a large pot (make sure its large) heat the cooking oil and add 1 tablespoon of the Jamaican curry powder. Cook while stirring constantly until the curry powder starts to darken. Put meat in pot along with onions, scallions, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. Fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add thyme, remaining curry powder, black pepper & a little (1/2 teaspoon) of seasoning salt.

Cover with water and simmer uncovered, until meat is very tender sauce has thickened. Add the diced potatoes to pot, and simmer on very low heat until potatoes are tender. Taste sauce and add more salt, if necessary. Serve with rice.