Fragrant Indian Butter Chicken

2 T. Butter
1 Cup chopped onion
2 t. minced garlic
1 T. grated fresh ginger root
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground turmeric
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 Can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, un-drained
2 T. tomato pasted
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 whole cooked rotisserie chicken, skin removed and cut into chunks or several breast of chicken cooked.
1/3 C. half-and-half
1/4 C. Sour cream(I have substituted plain yogurt instead of the sour cream, it was equally as good, if not better than the sour cream, I just forgot that I did that until now. I made it with sour cream last night)
1 T. minced fresh cilantro
Cooked Rice (optional)

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 min. Add ginger root, chili powder, turmeric and cinnamon; cook and stir 1 min. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

2 Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 min; stirring occasionally. In another bowl mix half-and-half and sour cream and some of the hot tomato mixture. Slowly add it to the rest of the tomato mixture. Add the chicken; simmer uncovered for 5 more min. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro. Serve over rice if desired.

yield: 4-6 servings

Island Pork Salad

The pork is the same as Amy Engar's. Here is the recipe for the salad.

Salad Dressing:
3 T Lime Juice
1 T OJ
1 tsp Curry powder toasted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Romaine Lettuce
Napa Cabbage
Blackberries
Mango
Strawberries
Kiwi
Blueberries
Really whatever colors look and taste good!!

Island Pork Tenderloin

For Pork:
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins
2 tablespoons olive oil
meat thermometer

For Glaze:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Tabasco

Prepare pork: Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven at 350 F. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Coat pork with spice rub. Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until just beginning to smoke. Brown pork, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total. Remove from heat; leave pork in skillet.

Make the glaze and roast the pork: Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco in a small bowl. Pat the mixture onto tops of tenderloins. Roast until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 150-155 F, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand covered for ten minutes. (The recipe actually says to roast until 140 F and then cover 10 minutes until it raises 10-15 degrees, but somehow that never works for me and I don't want to make anyone sick, but maybe it will work for you).

Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on platter. Pour any juices from skillet over pork.

Nectarine Muffin

1½ c. flour

¾ c. white sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

⅓ c. oil

1 egg

2 large very ripe nectarine, pitted and diced

¼ to ⅓ c. milk or buttermilk

1 T. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Mix well.  Add vanilla, oil, and egg; mix until ingredients are just moistened then fold in the diced nectarines (if desired, nectarines can be made into a chunky puree). Finally, stir in milk (depending on the juiciness of the nectarines, amount of milk may need to be adjusted to give a good batter consistency).  Do not over mix.  Fill each muffin cup with muffin batter. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on the top of each uncooked muffin.  Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Check muffins regularly after 15 minutes of baking. Serve warm or cool.  May also be served with Cinnamon Cream (1 c. whipped cream, 1 T. sugar, ½ tsp. vanilla, ½ tsp. cinnamon.)  Shauna Sabey

Dreemskerry Scones

2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

1 pinch salt

1 T. baking powder

½ C. margarine, shortening or butter

2 eggs

½ C. buttermilk or part cream

½ C. cranberries, blueberries or candied ginger and lemon rind (opt.)  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut in the shortening into the dry ingredients just the way you would do to make piecrust…(use a pastry cutter or your fingers.)  Beat the eggs then add milk.  Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a good dose of love and humor.  (Additional flour may be added if dough is too sticky.)  Pat out onto a well-floured board and form a square about 1½ inches thick.  Cut into scone sized squares and place on a greased and floured cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Blow a kiss into the oven for absent loved ones.  Think nice thoughts for 12 minutes and then you’re ready to enjoy!  If you want to make the scones a little more fancy, you can use cookie cutters to cut them out before baking (i.e. hearts or stars).  Serve with Lemon Curd and Devonshire Cream.

Lemon Curd

4 eggs

2 C. sugar

⅛ tsp. salt

¼ C. butter

½ C. fresh lemon juice 

2 T. grated lemon zest

Beat together eggs, sugar and salt.  Stir in butter, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Cook in double boiler until thick, about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  Cool to room temperature; store in refrigerator.  Curd is thicker when cold.  Makes about 1½ cups.  

Devonshire Cream

½ C. heavy whipping cream (or 8 oz. softened cream cheese)

¼ C. powdered sugar

¼ C. sour cream

Using a chilled bowl, beat the ½ cup heavy whipping cream until medium-stiff peaks form.  Add the sugar in the last few minutes of beating.  (If using cream cheese, just mix in sugar.)  Fold in sour cream and blend.  Makes 1½ cups.  This is a lovely substitute for English clotted cream.   -Shauna Sabey-

Pesto Panini

French bread
butter
pesto
tomato
fresh mozzerella

Heat a large skillet or panini press. Slice french bread and butter each piece on one side. Spread pesto on other side (inside) and add one layer of tomato slices and mozzerella slices, top with another bread slice with pesto. Grill like a grilled cheese. I don’t have a panini press so I just use a flat plate or pan to smash the sandwich while cooking.


Pesto
makes 2 cups

2 c. fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated
2/3 c olive oil

Put all ingredients into food processor and blend till smooth, or consistency you like. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to use. Good on pasta, fresh tomatoes, accompanying chicken, and with bread. Best served at room temp, heating to much can make it bitter. You can freeze it for the winter in small jars or in ice cub form and then transfer to freezer bag.