THE VILLAGE VOICE

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow."   ~ Proverb HONEY DIJON SALMON ~  delicious Lenten offering with Roasted Cauliflower and healthy baked Sweet Potato for color and flavor 1  lb. salmon (trout or like fish) 1/4  cup extra-virgin olive oil 3  Tbs. honey 3  Tbs. Dijon Mustard 2  cloves minced garlic 3  Tbs. fresh lemon juice plus zest 1/2  tsp. coriander cayenne pepper to taste dill weed to taste freshly ground pepper to taste Combine oil, honey, mustard, garlic, lemon juice plus zest, coriander, cayenne, dill, and ground pepper.  Pour over salmon and marinate for 30 minutes or longer. Bring to room temperature and grill on high for 7 minutes or, depending on thickness, until done to liking. ROASTED CAULIFLOWER Separate head of cauliflower into florets. Spread florets on roasting pan sprayed with Pam. Drizzle florets with good olive oil and toss until coated. S...

"The nicest thing about the promise of spring is that sooner or later she'll have to keep it." ~ Mark Beltaire ORANGE- TERIYAKI SALMON ~ cook an extra pound and make salmon cakes the next day ______ For each pound of salmon whisk together ~ 3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice zest of 1 orange 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. minced garlic 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger Preheat oven to 450º. Pour mixture over salmon and bake 13-15 minutes, depending on thickness. Do not overcook. Fish should cut easily by not flake apart. SPRING RISOTTO ~ fresh herbs, a must 1 cup Arborio rice 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup sliced assorted mushrooms 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic 1/2 cup white wine 1 tsp. chopped shallots 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 1/2 cups of hot organic chicken or vegetable stock 2 tsp. coarse salt 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup fresh chopped savory he...

"Think big thoughts but relish small pleasure s." ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (Life's Little Instruction Book) ~ Alstroemeria _____________ LINGUINI SCAMPI ~ Lemony garlic shrimp over pasta (adapted from Mirepoix Cooking School - Royal Oak) _________________ 1 1/2 lbs. linguine 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter 5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 9 cloves chopped garlic 2 lbs. large peeled and deveined shrimp 2 tsp. fresh thyme freshly ground pepper to taste Lawry's Seasoned Pepper to taste 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup) 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes fresh chopped thyme and parsley freshly grated Parmesan Follow instructions and cook pasta ' al dente ' in large pot of boiling salted water. In large pan, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute; do not let it brown. Add shrimp, season with thyme, black pepper and Lawry's Seasoned pepper. Saute until shrimp just turn pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from hea...

"The pleasure of picking a few flowers and finding the right vase for them is incomparable." ~ May Sarton A simple Pleasure ____________ GREEK FESTIVAL FISH ~ a simple pleasure and gift recipe from dear friend, Sue ________________ 6 white fish fillets (about 2 lbs.) ~ tilapia , whitefish, flounder, sole 2 Tbsp. olive oil 8 thinly sliced scallions 2 minced cloves garlic 4 chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper crumbled feta to taste Preheat oven to 400º. Coat 9 x 13 inch pan with Pam. In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic and saute until tender. Add tomatoes, wine, parsley, oregano and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Place half of sauce mixture in baking dish. Arrange fish fillets over sauce and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork...

"Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps." ~ Luke 9:23 LENTEN ROSE 'Spring Promise' ( Helleborus x hybridus ) CREOLE SHRIMP with GARLIC & LEMON ~ For those who abstain, a simple Ash Wednesday or Lenten meal (adapted from Food & Wine ) _________________ 1 lb. large shelled and deveined shrimp 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic 1 Tbsp. Creole seasoning 1 finely chopped red bell pepper 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil juice and zest of 2 lemons 1/4 cup chopped parsley In a bowl, toss shrimp with garlic, Creole seasoning and bell pepper. In a skillet, saute shrimp in oil over moderately high heat, turning shrimp once, until just white throughout. Add lemon juice, zest, and parsley. Serve alone or over favorite rice. Wine Pairing: Lemony Pinot Grigio (Click on photos to enlarge) Ash Wednesday The Wednesday after Quinquagesima Sunday which is the first day of the Lenten fast. The name dies cine...

“ It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" ~ Mark Twain ~ Primrose (early spring visitor) ________________ LOBSTER CORN DOG ~ With a focus on Detroit and Michigan State in the 'Final Four Slam-Dunk Weekend' , enjoy this yummy elegant Midwest appetizer compliments of Executive Chef David Hubbard and the (best view overlooking Detroit, Canada & the St. Marys River) beautiful Coach Insignia (Renaissance Center, Detroit) __________ 2 4-5 oz. lobster trails (shells removed and split lengthwise ) 2 3/4 cups flour 1 cup corn meal 1 tsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp. sugar pinch salt 6 cups soda water 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika 2 6-inch bamboo skewers 4 cup blend of olive oil and vegetable oil for frying To create batter, mix flour, corn meal, baking powder and sugar. Add soda water slowly while mixing wit whisk. Mixture should look like pancake batter. Heat oil i...

"Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment." ~Ellis Peters ~ Spring container garden (Daffodil, pussy willow, primrose, English daisy) ___________ CEDAR PLANKED SALMON WITH MAPLE GLAZE ~ Native Americans pioneered the art of roasting on wood planks. The rich aroma of red cedar adds a sweet, spicy, roasted flavor. This keepsake recipe ( a 'perfect' marriage of maple syrup & cedar) came with the Chinook plank . ___ 1 cup pure Michigan maple syrup 2 Tbsp. finely grated peeled fresh ginger root 4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 3 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 2 1/2 lbs. center-cut salmon fillet with skin Greens from 1 bunch scallions In a small heavy saucepan simmer maple syrup, ginger root, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, and salt & pepper to taste until reduced to about 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Maple glaze may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring maple glaze to room temperature before proceeding. Preheat oven ...

"Forsythia is pure joy. There is not an ounce, not a glimmer of sadness or even knowledge in forsythia. Pure, undiluted, untouched joy." ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh ~ Forced Forsythia ____ GARDENING TIP: Buckle your galoshes, grab a pail and pruning shears ... trudge through snow or swampy lawn and snip forsythia branches all the way to the main stem. Back inside, fill bucket with cold water and let rest 24 hours. Tomorrow, snip ends and arrange in container or vase, stripping leaves and buds below water line. Bursting buds will appear in a week or two. ________________________ PENNE PRIMAVERA ~ ' Primavera ' means 'Spring' in Italian _______ 1 lb. penne pasta or bow-tie ( farfalle ) 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 large minced sweet onion like Vidalia 2-3 minced garlic cloves 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 lb. diagonally cut asparagus (snap off woody stems) 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms 3 diagonally thinly sliced carrots 1 matchstick sliced ye...

"Daffodils that come before the swallow dares, and takes the winds of March with beauty." ~ William Shakespeare ROASTED PEPPER, GARLIC & GOAT CHEESE PIZZA ~ Simple supper made with convenience foods, perfect for Lent _________________ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 thinly sliced red onion 6 cloves minced garlic 1 12 oz. jar drained roasted yellow & red peppers 1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper freshly ground black pepper 1 16-oz. Boboli (baked cheese pizza crust) 6 oz. crumbled soft goat cheese (like Montrachet) 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (1 tsp. crumbled dried) Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and garlic and saute until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add roasted peppers, pepper flakes and ground pepper to taste. Tip pan and use a bit of oil to brush over boboli crust. Place Boboli on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with onion and pepper mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and thyme....

"Carnival is a butterfly of winter whose last real flight of Mardi Gras forever ends his glory. Another season is the season of another butterfly, and the tattered, scattered, fragments of rainbow wings are in turn the record of his day." ~ Perry Young ~ Fragile Wings ( my garden and Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory) ________________ FIERY LEMON CAJUN SHRIMP ~ a delicious real New Orleans, peel & eat, treat _______ 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter 4 cloves minced garlic 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 Tbsp. coarse cracked black pepper 1 tsp. sea salt 3 lbs. unpeeled large shrimp 2 thinly sliced lemons French bread Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, rosemary, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. Pour half of sauce in bottom of large shallow baking dish. Layer with 1/2 of the shrimp and 1 thinly sliced l...

"There's a thing I've dreamed of all my life, and I'll be damned if it don't look like it's about to come true—to be King of the Zulu's parade. After that, I'll be ready to die." ~ Louis Armstrong ( Time magazine, February 21, 1949) ~ ' Mardi Gras ' orchids* (life ... lives on) ___________________ SHELLFISH GUMBO ~ from a fav source, Legal Sea Foods Cookbook , comes this slightly adapted (with the addition of herbs) peasant dish, perfect for 'Mardi Gras' and the upcoming season of Lent _________ 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (preferably grape seed ) 2 Tbsp. toasted unbleached, all-purpose flour* 1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped sweet onions 3/4 cup chopped celery 1 lb. (1/4-inch sliced) okra (frozen is fine) 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded chopped tomatoes 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 bay leaf 6 cups hot fish, shrimp or chicken stock 1-2 tsp. chopped garlic 1-1/1/2 lbs. peeled shrimp 8 oz. fresh (picked over for shells & cartilage) crabmeat 1 pint fr...

"We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are. " Adelle Davis (1904 - 1974) ~ Dicentra 'Gold Heart' * ________________ PERFECT PROTEIN SALAD ~ Favorite retro-health food salad (and ideal Lenten dish) adapted through the years from 1977 MOOSEWOOD COOKBOOK _____ 3/4 cup dry soybeans (soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight) 3/4 cup dry wheat or rye berries (soaked at least 30 minutes) 1/4 cup cider vinegar juice and zest of 1 lemon coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup minced fresh dill (2 tsp. dried) 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tsp. dry mustard 2 minced cloves garlic 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley 1 cup cottage cheese (drain if too much liquid) 4 minced scallions 1 minced large carrot 1 seeded and minced English cucumber 1 minced red, yellow or orange pepper 1/2 cup minced celery sliced radishes chopped black olives alfalfa sprouts (opt) sliced tomato (add or subtract veggies of ...

"If you're enough lucky to be Irish, you're lucky enough!" ~Irish Saying ~ Crystal shamrock and shamrock flowers _______ STEAMED CLAMS & 'GREEN' LINGUINE ~ Ireland's pure shores reap some of the finest seafood in Europe ... either steamed clams or mussels make this recipe a fine holiday feast. __ 1 lb. linguine (use spinach linguine for an 'all green' treat) 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 6 pounds scrubbed littleneck or other small clams or mussels 1/2 cup chopped green onions 3 cloves chopped garlic 1 stick unsalted butter 2-3 cups dry white wine 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley sea salt & coarsely ground black pepper to taste 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and toss with olive oil. While pasta is cooking melt butter in a large pot. Saute chopped scallions and garlic cloves until scallions are tender but not browned. Add 2 cups dry white wine and sal...