Thursday, January 29, 2009

Just in time for the big game: Some simple Super Bowl hors d’oeuvres

John Bucy forwarded these easy recipes for Super Bowl enjoyment.

The first is complements of my good friends Mike & Kristi Hill. I call it kielbasa skewers.

One ring of kielbasa sausage
One jar large green olives
Cheese (Cheddar, jack, pepper jack, Swiss, whatever your pleasure. Choose one or use any combination.)

Grill the kielbasa and cut into large, bite size chunks. Cut cheese into bite size cubes.

Using long tooth picks or short wooden skewers, put kielbasa, cheese and olive on skewers.

Serve and enjoy!

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The second recipe is for a bean dip that I got out of a newspaper feature on tailgating ideas.

One large can of refried beans (Rosarita)
One small block of Velveeta cheese
One small jar Pace Picante Salsa (Or use some of Saleen’s “Special Salsa”!!)
One half cup Ranch salad dressing

Cut the Velveeta into cubes.

Put refried beans and cubed Velveeta into microwave safe bowl. Alternately heat in microwave and stir until beans are warm enough and cheese is melted to make a smooth, blended mixture.

Add salsa and Ranch dressing and stir until mixed.

Serve warm with favorite corn or tortilla chips.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Saleen's Salsa

When we had the massive get-together at Lake Las Vegas in mid-December, Saleen made a huge bowl of delicious salsa. You'll remember that Saleen's magical email gave birth to this website at the beginning of October 2008. We begged her to share the recipe for the salsa we enjoyed in Vegas.

And we waited. And waited. And finally, the recipe has arrived! Thank you, Saleen!

1 28 oz. can petite cut tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 7 oz. cans green Ortega Chilies
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves
1-2 fresh jalapenos (canned will work too)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin

In a large container mix together canned ingredients. Add finely chopped cilantro and green onions. Press, finely chop, or use a food processor for the garlic cloves; same for the jalapenos (you don't want chunks of jalapeno). Season with generous helpings of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Taste test, make additions if need be.

Each batch is slightly different. This makes a large amount, so make sure there are others to share it with! It will last all week in the refrigerator. Chips, tacos, scrambled eggs, burritos, fiesta soup....the salsa possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Ahi Nicoise Salad Stacks

The "Twins In The Kitchen" blog has reached some milestones lately. We have a dozen official "followers," we're closing in on 500 visits (including those from places as exotic as Kuwait and Mongolia!), we have nearly 60 posts, and now we have our first recipe reprinted from a cookbook with official permission from the book's author.

Deborah Fabricant, author of "Stacks - The Art of Vertical Food," has become a friend of our site, and has given us the OK to reprint the following fabulous recipe:

Yield: 6 servings

A terrific entree salad for hot summer nights! This classic Salade Nicoise gets a facelift with a stack version made with grilled ahi.

Planning Ahead

Prep all ingredients, except the ahi, the day before.
Assemble the stacks and chill 3 hours ahead.
Prepare the dressing the day before.

AHI

2 pounds fresh ahi
1 cup Balsamic Glaze (recipe follows)

DRESSING

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3 anchovy fillets, minced
1 teaspoon Colman's mustard powder
1/2 cup Japanese seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

SALAD

3 large or 4 medium White Rose potatoes
1 cup French green beans, trimmed
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 heirloom tomatoes or ripe red or yellow tomatoes, cut into 12 slices
1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup capers
3 cups mixed spinach, Bibb lettuce, and romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn into pieces

Advance Preparation

To make the ahi, marinate the ahi in the glaze for 20 minutes. Drain and grill quickly over hot coals, or broil, to rare (about 2 minutes per side). The fish should be seared on the outside and pink on the inside. Thinly slice the ahi across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices. You should have approximately 36 slices. Set aside.

To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, mustard, and vinegar in a food processor and blend well. Slowly add the oil with the machine running and blend until emulsified. Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper.

Boil the potatoes in salted water (to cover) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces the center of the potatoes. Drain, peel, and slice 1/4 inch thick.

To prepare the green beans, boil them for 3 minutes in salted water(to cover). Then drain and chop the beans.

Assembly

Spray 6 stack cylinders with vegetable spray and place them on a sheet pan. Layer the stacks in the following order: 1 layer of sliced potatoes, 2 tablespoons green beans, 3 ahi slices (to cover beans), 1 tablespoon egg, 1 slice tomato, 2 teaspoons olives, 1 teaspoon capers. Repeat the layers and top with a third layer of potatoes, overlapping the slices decoratively. Press down gently but firmly and chill 1 hour or longer, up to 3 hours.

To serve, slide a spatula under each stack cylinder and transfer to a serving plate lined with mixed lettuces. Unmold the stack, drizzle with dressing, and serve immediately.

Balsamic Glaze

Yield: 2 cups

1/4 teaspoon ground star anise
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Combine all the ingredients and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Keeps in the refrigerator several weeks.

Note: This syrup is also terrific when used as a marinade for grilled chicken, onions, and eggplant. For a fabulous dessert, marinate strawberries in Balsamic Glaze and stack with pound cake and vanilla ice cream.

(c) 1999 Deborah Fabricant
All rights reserved.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

More New Pictures from Lake Las Vegas

Here are some new pics from our December Las Vegas Reunion that just came in from John and Connie Bucy in Idaho.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Barbecued Butterflied Leg of Lamb

John Bucy provides this great dish for the grill:

This recipe came to us via Bon Appetit. We love lamb and this makes a great and special summer barbeque dish. As with any lamb dish, if you have a reliable source where you know you are getting “young” lamb vs. “old” lamb or mutton, it makes a world of difference in the end results.

Ingredients for serving 6 to 8:

1 6-pound leg of lamb; boned trimmed and butterflied

Sauce:
1 cup catsup
1 cup water
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup vinegar
Few drops of Tabasco
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

Combine sauce ingredients in a 2-quart sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, but do not boil! Remove from heat and pour over lamb. Marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Barbecue lamb 8 to 10 inches from hot coals for about 50 minutes, turning often to prevent sauce from burning. Continue to baste every 10 to 15 minutes. Do not overcook.

It should be crisp on the outside and pink on the inside. (You are going to have to use some judgment in the cooking process. After butterflying the lamb, the meat will vary in thickness so some areas will tend to get more well done versus others.)

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Applesauce Pancakes

Another recipe from John Bucy in Idaho:

This is one for applesauce pancakes that I found in a fairly generic bread cookbook that I have had for years. I don’t make pancakes very often and for not very much additional trouble these “from scratch” pancakes are much better than pancake mix out of a bag. These applesauce pancakes are very moist and flavorful.

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. melted butter (or margarine)

In large mixing bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, beat together the remaining ingredients. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir till blended, but still slightly lumpy.

Pour about ¼ C of batter onto hot, slightly greased skillet or griddle for each pancake. Cook like a regular pancake. Top with maple syrup or topping of your choice.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Veal (or Eggplant) Parmesan

John Bucy in Wilder, Idaho has a terrific recipe for veal parmesan, with an accompanying version featuring eggplant instead of veal. Here is John's take on these recipes:

"Over the years, this whole thing has evolved into another tradition for us. For Connie’s birthday, I make her a veal dish. Why? First, I like GOOD veal. Second, I’ve been disappointed too many times with restaurant (even good ones!!) veal. Third, veal seems special and many of the recipes are elegant. Fourth, it is very versatile: From French to Italian, different cheeses, different hams, numerous herbs. Its all GREAT!! There is even a recipe with tuna, which I’ve never had enough adventurous spirit to try. And, lastly and most importantly, Connie likes veal also.

This years’ fair was veal parmesan which I’m sharing the recipe. This particular recipe comes from America Cooks, which Connie referred to in her Burgundy Bean recipe. I also am a huge fan of this cook book. (If you look at our book, on certain areas like veal, the pages are all dirty and black from years of usage!) Another favorite cookbook for special dishes is Betty Crocker’s International Cook Book.

The bonus of this recipe is EGGPLANT PARMESAN. When living in the east a good Italian friend (and when it comes to cooking, I truly believe all the good Italians stayed in the east!) told me how to prepare eggplant. While there aren’t recipes for other veal dishes made with eggplant, I truly believe any veal recipe, with minor adjustments and modifications, can be made using eggplant. I have actually made veal and eggplant parmesan simultaneously and people really couldn’t tell the difference between the two!"

VEAL PARMESAN

6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped or minced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound 4 ounce can tomatoes, crushed
1- ¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. thyme
8 ounce can tomato sauce
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pound thinly sliced veal scallops
8 ounces sliced Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 13 x 9-1/2 x 2-inch baking dish.

Prepare sauce: Heat 3 T of oil in large skillet; sauté onion and garlic for five minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer uncovered for five minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, thyme and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

On a large plate or piece of wax paper combine ¼ cup of parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Dip veal into egg and then coat with crumb mixture. Heat remaining oil in another large skillet and sauté veal until golden on both sides.

Arrange veal in the greased baking pan. Stack veal as needed. Top with two-thirds of the sauce. Place Mozzarella slices over the sauce and then spoon the remaining sauce over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

Notes from John: When buying the veal, have the butcher slice it about as thin as he can, 3/16 of an inch, ¼ inch at most. Trim any fat or white connecting tissue away from the scallops. This makes the veal much more tender. Pound the veal across the grain of the meat and cut into manageable serving portions.

I find the amount of egg, bread crumbs and cheese called for are not nearly enough. So, when I’m ready to sauté the veal, I have eggs, cheese and bread crumbs close at hand to replenish as needed. As I sauté one batch of veal, I have time to beat another egg, grate more Parmesan and add to the bread crumbs.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Follow the above recipe and substitute eggplant slices for the veal. You may also substitute flour seasoned with pepper, for the egg, Parmesan and bread crumb mixture. The key is the preparation of the eggplant.

Buy two medium sized eggplants. Cut into ½ inch slices and cut away the skin or rind of the eggplant. Sprinkle salt on the slices. On a large plate put a paper towel and then a slice of eggplant. Another paper towel and another slice of eggplant. Repeat until all eggplant slices are used. Top with a paper towel. Put the plate of eggplant into a frost free refrigerator for a day. This draws the moisture out of the eggplant, removes any bitter flavor and creates the desired texture of the eggplant.

An added benefit is you don’t have to pound the eggplant!! After sautéing the eggplant, pour half of the sauce into the baking pan and put in the eggplant. Cover with the Mozzarella cheese slices and then pour the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and bake.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Latino Torre Magnifica

Sheri' and Mark DuMond have been experimenting with stacked food for years. This is one of their creations. During the research for this post, Mark came into direct contact with Deborah Fabricant, the creator of the original "stack kit" and the author of the cookbook mentioned here. Deborah has transitioned into a new career as a home staging designer and the book has long since gone out of print. But the stack kits are still in limited availability. If you are interested in obtaining any of the stacking tools, email Mark at cafedumond@comcast.net.

********

If you ever want to totally impress someone with your culinary prowess, or if you desire to take latino food to new "heights," try this recipe. It's not easy, but it will blow your guests away with its sheer size, scope, array of colors and tastes, and audacity.

You'll need a "stacking" tool for this one. You can get by with an empty aluminum can with both ends removed, although we utilize a "stack kit" which has round, square and triangular shapes. There is an accompanying book about stacked food called "Stacks: The Art of Vertical Food" by Deborah Fabricant, which has all sorts of cool stack recipes. But this one is truly a DuMond original.

We approach this layer by layer, starting at the bottom.

Makes four towers.

Layer 1 - Potato-Veggie Cake

1/2 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
1 Yukon gold potato, peeled, shredded, rinsed and drained
1 small carrot, trimmed, peeled and shredded
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saute pan. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes, carrot and bell pepper, stir to combine, cover and allow to saute and steam for about four minutes. Remove cover and stir the veggies around. Form into four round patties (try to make them approximately the same size as the mold you're using) and fry until the bottoms are crisp and golden brown. Flip each patty and fry until the other side is crisp.

Drain the patties on paper towels, then transfer to a baking sheet or plate and place in a 250 degree oven to keep warm.

Layer 2 - Roasted Beets

1 medium red beet
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chipotle Tabasco sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the beet on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and put in the oven. Roast the beet for 30 to 45 minutes, testing doneness by sticking a sharp knife into the center of the beet. It should slide in easily if the beet is done.

Allow the beet to cool slightly, then peel and slice very thinly. Put the slices in a bowl and toss gently with the olive oil and chipotle Tabasco sauce. Set aside.

Layer 3 - Wilted Mustard Greens with Garlic & Olives

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 cups mustard greens, washed, patted dry and coarsely chopped
8 kalamata olives, pitted and minced

Heat the butter in a wok or skillet. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute, until fragrant. Add the mustard greens and stir-fry until completely wilted. Add the olives and stir in to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

Layer 4 - Grilled Tequila/Habanero Marinated Halibut

2 oz. tequila
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. prepared habanero hot sauce
1 habanero pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely minced

3/4 lb. fresh halibut fillets, skinned

In a sealable plastic baggie place, place the four marinade ingredients. Seal the bag and shake to mix well. Place the halibut in the bag, seal it, and put in the fridge to marinate for up to two hours.

When the time for finishing the tower nears, heat up a grill and place the halibut directly over the heat. Grill on one side for several minutes, then flip the fish and grill the other side for several minutes more, until opaque in the center.

Remove the halibut from the grill and transfer to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm and set aside.

Layer 5 - Avocado with Lime

1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest

Put the avocado slices on a small plate. Sprinkle with lime juice and zest. Set aside.

Layer 6 - Mango-Serrano Salsa

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced red onion
2 Tbsp. finely sliced green onions

2 Tbsp. finely diced red bell pepper
2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely minced
1/2 mango, diced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Salt & pepper

Heat the oil in a small skillet until hot. Add the red and green onion and saute for a couple of minutes, until slightly cooked but not browned. Allow the cool slightly.

Put the onions in a bowl with the other ingredients. Stir to mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Layer 7 - Grilled Prawn

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 giant prawns, peeled but with tails left on

Put the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Place the prawns in the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Heat the grill and put the prawns directly over the flames. Grill for a minute, then flip and grill the other side for another minute. When the prawns are cooked through, remove from the heat and set aside.

Layer 8 - Fried Tortilla Tangle

2 cups canola oil

2 corn tortillas, cut into very thin strips
Salt
Smoked paprika

Heat the oil in a small saucepan until very hot. Divide the tortilla strips into four groups. Put a mound of strips into a small strainer and lower it into the hot oil. Fry until very crispy. Put the tangle of fried tortilla strips on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the other three piles of strips.

Dust the frazzled tortilla nests with a little salt and smoked paprika and set aside.

******

OK, now it's time for the fun part. Now that you've prepared and "set aside" all the layers, it's time to assemble.

Take a white serving plate and put a mold in the center.

Place a potato-veggie patty at the bottom of the mold and press down gently. Place a very thin layer of sliced beets on top of the potato cake. Put a small amount of mustard greens on top of the beets and press down gently.

Cut the grilled halibut into four pieces, with the objective to make each piece approximately the size of the mold. Place the piece of halibut on top of the greens and press down gently.

Place a few avocado slices on top of the halibut, spreading evenly to make a thin layer.

Now would be a good time to unmold the dish, as the last layers can be added without the mold. Pressing down gently on the top of the tower, carefully slide the mold upward and off the tower.

Spoon a little of the mango-serrano salso on top of the avocado layer. Place a grilled prawn on its side on top of the salsa. Put a tangle of fried tortilla strips on top of the prawn. (If a few stray pieces of tortilla fall off and land on the plate, no problem. They just became "garnish" on the plate.)

Repeat the process with the other three towers.

Garnish the plate with random drops, swirls and squirts (using squirt bottles for this makes it easy and fun) of:

Spicy red wine reduction
Garlic chile oil
Yellow bell pepper puree
Finely minced red jalapeno pepper

Enjoy! Oh ... and if one of the towers makes it through to the table intact and in relatively perfect presentation, take a picture. Why? Because you may never feel like doing this again, and you won't want to forget what it looks like.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Marinated Veggie Salad

This one's from Kaye Riebau in Renton, Washington:

1 head of cauliflower
2 heads of broccoli - I like to have equal or more broccoli to cauliflower
1 green pepper
2 bunches of green onions
1 package of fresh button mushrooms

Wash and cut up veggies. Place in large mixing bowl.

Add:

1 or 2 cans of sliced water chestnuts
1 16 oz. can of black olives - cut in half

I really like the flavor of the "Good Seasons" Salad Dressing Mix.

Begin with 1 package (0.7 oz) of "Good Seasons" Italian All Natural Salad Dressing (dry mix).
Follow the directions on the package. You will need cider vinegar and olive oil.

Pour over veggies, water chestnuts and black olives mixture. Mix well. Place covered bowl in refrigerator, stirring often.

You can prepare this salad 12 - 24 hours before serving.

I like to have some extra dressing just in case I want to add more while marinating.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Burgundy Beans

Here's one from Connie in Idaho. Here's her background on it:

Well, this recipe comes out of a cookbook called America Cooks that friends of ours owned in upstate New York. When we arrived in Idaho, I tried to purchase the book and was unable to find it anywhere (those were the days before the "Internet"). Finally, with the help of our local library, they found a place in Canada that I was able to purchase the book from. It has a lot of wonderful recipes, but for beans, this is my favorite.

It's a baked bean, but it definitely has a different flavor to it than your traditional baked beans. I put on a large graduation party last summer and served these beans and so if you're serving them for a large crowd, I would definitely double or triple the recipe.

2 cups small red beans
1 large onion, minced
1 cup chopped bacon
1 cup burgundy wine
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Pinch of thyme
3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1. Day before, wash beans. Put in Dutch oven or heavy kettle with tight-fitting lid; cover generously with water. Soak overnight (or you can boil your beans for 2 minutes and let sit for one hour).

2. Next day, preheat oven to 325 degrees.

3. Drain beans; add remaining ingredients. Add water to cover ingredients by 2 inches.

4. Cover; bake in preheated oven for 6 to 7 hours, at least, adding water, if necessary, to keep beans moist.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Pea Salad with Parsley-Tarragon Dressing and Lemony Greens

Sheri' and Mark DuMond like to have this salad with veggie burgers.

Makes 4 servings.

2 cups frozen peas

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt & pepper to taste

4 cups loosely torn mesclun salad greens
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Boil peas in salted water to heat through. Drain and allow to cool to room temperature.

Heat olive oil in small skillet and add the minced shallots. Saute for about a minute and remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and mustard. Add the peas, parsley, tarragon and shallots, season with salt and pepper, and mix well to combine.

In another bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the salad greens and toss to coat.

Place one-fourth of the greens on each of four plates. Top each mound of greens with an equal portion of the pea salad.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Marinated Halibut-Veggie Fajitas

From the kitchen of Sheri' and Mark DuMond:

You don't have to go to a Mexican restaurant to enjoy some wonderful sizzling fajitas. The key to this dish is the marinade, which was concocted by Sheri'. It was pretty much done "on the fly" so ingredient amounts are approximated.

It helps to have a stove with some sort of device that can suck away the smoke. Otherwise you might be setting off your smoke alarms with this one.

Serves four.

For the halibut marinade:

1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ancho chile powder (recipe follows)
Pinch ground cinnamon
2 tsp. olive oil

For the veggie marinade:

1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ancho chile powder (recipe follows)
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 tsp. southwest chipotle seasoning (we use Tone's)
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 Tbsp. saffron oil
2 Tbsp. orange juice

4 small flour tortillas

3/4 lb. fresh halibut, skinned, rinsed and cut into 1" cubes

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 red onion, trimmed, peeled and sliced into thin wedges

Condiments:

Medium red or green salsa
Prepared guacamole
Sour cream

Accompaniments:

Spicy slow-cooked black beans
Spanish rice

Put the tortillas inside a tightly wrapped piece of aluminum foil and place in a 275 degree oven to warm.

Place the fish marinade ingredients in a resealable plastic bag. Work it around in your hands to mix. Put the halibut chunks in the bag and shake around to coat with the marinade. Place in refrigerator to marinate for up to an hour.

Put the vegetable marinade ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag, seal the bag, and work everything around to thoroughly mix. Add all the cut veggies to the bag, seal it, and place in refrigerator to marinate for up to an hour.

When ready to serve, heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat with a little safflower or canola oil. When it's almost smoking, pour in the marinated veggies. Stir-fry for a couple minutes.

Put the marinated fish into the pan and continue to stir-fry for several more minutes, until the halibut is cooked through and opaque. Remove the pan from heat and scrape into a serving bowl. Take the warm tortillas out of the oven and put onto four separate serving plates.

Serve with black beans, spanish rice, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and any other appropriate accompaniments.

ANCHO CHILE POWDER

2 large dried ancho chiles

Break the chiles into pieces, removing the stems and most of the seeds. (The more seeds you add to the finished product, of course, the spicier it's going to be.)

Put the chile pieces into a spice grinder or small food processor and buzz thoroughly until it becomes a gritty powder. Store in a jar at room temperature.