Recipe: Balsamic Rosemary Chicken

Simple, tangy, herby chicken.

Ingredients:

1. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into one inch pieces
2. 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3. 1/4 cup olive oil
4. 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
5. Juice of one blood orange (regular orange juice may be substituted)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mince rosemary leaves into tiny pieces, avoiding the woodiest parts of the stems (trick: use a pair of scissors)
2. Rub pieces together with your fingers to bruise and release fragrance
3. Add vinegar, orange juice, and olive oil
4. Submerge uncooked chicken in the mixture and soak, refrigerated, for at least 20 minutes. (Ideally use this time to prepare other parts of the meal).
5. Remove chicken from liquid and sauté in an olive oil-greased pan for a few moments on high (if you do it right it will caramelize the outside) then turn down to medium heat.
6. To prevent chicken from drying out, add a small amount of the marinade to the pan while the chicken is cooking (just a few tablespoons in total). Do not add any liquid too close to the end as it does contain raw chicken germs and needs to be cooked.

Try the same recipe on tuna steaks.

Recipe: Seared Steak Salad

This one will make you seem like a true gourmet, without much actual cooking involved. Feeds two people (and is surprisingly filling, serve as the main course). This recipe is also good with seared tuna.

Ingredients:

1. One mango, diced
2. One package red raspberries
3. Two large handfuls baby spinach
4. 1/3 cup toasted almonds
5. small handful toasted sunflower seeds

6. two six-ounce (approximately) steaks or fillet mignon cuts if you're feeling fancy
7. one tablespoon butter or enough sesame oil to coat the bottom of your pan

8. Mustard Vinaigrette

Proportions are flexible.

Instructions:

1. Place a pan large enough to hold both steaks on med/high-high.
2. Add butter before completely up to temp, oil can be added earlier.
3. When butter is melted or oil is hot lay on the steaks.
4. After just a minute or so: flip, give one more minute, and remove.
5. Being careful not to burn your fingers, slice meat into thin strips with a sharp knife. It should look pretty darn raw in the middle, hence "seared" (think fancy Mediterranean restaurant). If you feel more comfortable cooking the steak a little further, make sure you slice it extra thin afterward to achieve the same tenderness.

6. Toast almonds and sunflower seeds in a dry pan on med. Do not burn. Under-toasted is better than going too far. Seeds should be browned slightly.

7. Toss mango, raspberries, spinach, almonds, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
8. Coat with mustard vinaigrette.
9. Divide into servings, lay seared meat over top, drizzle vinaigrette once more.

Recipe: Pan-fried Catfish Fillets

Catfish is the likely the least expensive of your local grocery store's seafood selections. If properly prepared, it can also be one of the most delicious.

Ingredients:

1. Catfish fillets (enough to feed you and your family/friends)
2. All-purpose flour
3. Mrs. Dash^®
4. Sesame Oil (enough to coat the bottom of a large pan)
5. 1 tablespoon salted butter
6. Salt
7. Lime and/or vinegar (chef's choice or whatever is available)

Instructions:

1. Cut fillets into pieces about the width of your spatula
2. Sprinkle a a fair amount of Mrs. Dash^® on either side of each fillet
3. Toss each fillet in flour until well coated
4. Heat a large frying pan at med/high on the stove
5. Coat the bottom of the pan generously with sesame oil
6. When oil is hot, throw in the butter (scoot around in pan until it melts)
7. Put in the fillets. Try to position the thicker ones closest to the center of the pan to even out the cooking time.
8. Add salt/lime/vinegar in desired amounts while cooking. Do not add too much at once or the pan temperature will drop
9. Flip when edges are brown
10. Peek at the undersides of the fillets from time to time until they are about as brown as the first side.
11. Remove from heat and serve.