Chipotle Barbecue Shrimp

• Two pounds large shrimp (I’ve used frozen/peeled raw/tail-on and unshelled and deveined)

Spices:

• 2.5 Tbsp. Medium red chili powder

• 1-2 tsp Chipotle powder, to taste

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp. Black pepper

• 1.5 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp. Granulated garlic (or 2 tsp garlic powder, or 6 large cloves garlic, chopped)

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or 1 stick butter (for Version I if you’re irrepressibly Cajun)

• Scallions, cut in 2” sections and sliced lengthwise 

1. (If using frozen shrimp, fill shrimp bag with cold water twice; enough so shrimp break apart and are semi-thawed.) If using peeled shrimp, cut back on the cumin.

2. Mix spices, add shrimp and toss until coated.

Variation I: The traditional version:

After tossing shrimp, put into large baking dish, cover with the oil (or put stick of butter on top of shrimp) and bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes, stirring gently and turning the shrimp over every 15 minutes. (if shells start to crinkle, shrimp is being overcooked). Stir in scallions and serve in bowls with juices.

Variation II: (The fast way from Bobby Flay)

Put half the oil in a large (at least a 12in.) skillet, heat until shimmering. If you have 2 skillets, now’s the time to look cool—use ‘em both.Cook half the shrimp in (each) skillet over medium-high heat, stirring or tossing occasionally until cooked through (curled and white), about 4-5 minutes. Add scallions and stir into shrimp. Transfer to platter and serve. Repeat, if you only used one skillet.

Makes 6 servings

Inner Rodney Sauce

• 5 ground dried habanero peppers

• 1 cup cider vinegar

• 12 ounces box colman’s whole mustard*½ cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 2 tsp. tumeric

• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Throw in a blender until it’s ready.*double superfine” mustard doesn’t work!

Chiltepin Sauce

• 2 cups cider vinegar

• 1.5 ounces chiltepin peppers

• 4 tablespoons kosher salt

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 Gwyneth Doland, Cookbook Autor and Food Editor

Smoked Eggplant and Asadero Stacks

• 1 cup hardwood chips for smoking

• 2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 3/4-inch-thick discs

• 2 cups Mole Negro

• 12 ounces asadero cheese, cut into 16 thin slices

Put the wood chips in a deep bowl and pour in hot water to cover them. Keep the chips submerged with a small plate or saucer.

If you are using a charcoal grill, light the coals. When the flames have died down, but the embers are glowing brightly, use a long-handled tool to separate the coals into two piles. Drain the wood chips and sprinkle them over the coals. When they start smoking, add the eggplant slices to the parts of the grill over the coals and cook, covered, 10–15 minutes, flipping once. As the slices become cooked, move them to the center where they will still get smoky, but not char.If you’re using a gas grill, preheat it to medium. Drain the wood chips and wrap them in a tightly sealed packet of two layers of aluminum foil. With the tip of a knife, make several holes in the top of the packet, then place it over the flames, under the grill’s rack. When it starts to smoke, add the eggplant slices; cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes, flipping once. As the slices become cooked, move them to a cooler part of the grill or an upper rack where they will still get smoky, but not char.In a small saucepan, reheat the mole over medium-low heat.

On a plate, put one smoked eggplant disk, top with a slice of cheese, and repeat 2 or 3 more times, ending with an eggplant disc. Transfer the stack to a baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining stacks. Place the baking sheet on the surface of the grill and cook, covered, for just a few minutes, until the cheese melts.

Top the stacks with the hot mole and serve immediately.

Makes 4 – 6 servings

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Mole Negro

Mole Ingredients

• 6 dried chilhuacle negro (or mulato) chiles, stemmed and seeded, seeds reserved

• 6 dried pasillas negros, stemmed and seeded, seeds reserved

• 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded, seeds reserved

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

• 1 (2-inch) piece canela (Mexican cinnamon)

• 4 whole cloves

• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil

• 6 cloves garlic

• 1 small white onion, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 large tomato, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup dried plums, pitted

• 1 dinner-roll-sized bolillo, piece of challa, or brioche, torn into pieces

• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• Salt and brown sugar

Preheat the grill to high. In a cast-iron skillet set on the grate, cook the reserved chile seeds until blackened. (You’ll want to stand upwind of the grill.)Back inside, bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.

In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles on both sides until they soften slightly and become aromatic. Transfer the chiles to a medium-sized, heat-safe bowl and add enough hot stock to cover. Keep the chiles submerged with a small plate or saucer.

In the same skillet, toast the sesame seeds, almonds, canela and cloves until the nuts are golden and the spices become aromatic. Transfer the seeds, nuts, and spices to the blender.

Add the onion and the garlic to the dry skillet and cook until the onions char a little and the garlic gathers some golden patches. Add the tomato and dried plums and cook until the tomatoes release their juices and thicken. Transfer the mixture to the blender.

Add the bread, soaked chiles, and about 1/4 cup of the blackened chile seeds to the blender and puree, adding enough stock to make a thick, smooth sauce.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of lard or oil. Add the pureed sauce and fry about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chocolate, stirring until melted; reduce heat and simmer, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and brown sugar.

From ¡Mole! by Gwyneth Doland, published by Rio Nuevo 2006.

To order a personalized copy of ¡Mole! or Cilantro Secrets, go to www.gwynethdoland.com 

 Rochelle Schaetzl, Executive Chef, Nando's of South Africa

Butternut/ Pumpkin Roast with Chickpeas and Lentils

• 1kg butternut or pumpkin cut into chunks (Potato or Sweet potato can also be used)

• 1 jar Nando’s Moroccan Curry Cooking Sauce

• 250ml Cream

• 60g (1/4 cup) parmesan cheese

• 60g (1/4 cup) bread crumbs

• 30g (1/4 cup) fresh coriander leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F)

Boil Butternut/ Pumpkin/ Potato in 1 L boiling water and 5ml Salt for 20 min. Drain excess water off.

Place Butternut/ Pumkin/ Potato in an ovenproof dish.

Blend the Chickpea & Lentil cooking sauce with the cream and pour over the cooked pumkin/ butternut/ potato

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, Bread crumbs and Coriander and bake in preheated oven for 15 min.

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Picnic Bread with Layers of Grilled Brinjal, Avocado & Sundried Tomato Beef Filet

• one large farmstyle round bread

• small brinjal (=eggplant), 150g

• medium avocados

• 60ml olive oil

• 50g crushed garlic

• 1 medium red bell pepper, 150g

• 500g rump minute steaks (or 1X 500g cunk sliced into very thin slices)

• 250ml Hot Peri Peri marinade or Roasted Red Capsicum Marinade

Marinade meat in the Roasted Red Capsicum marinade

Cut the top of the bread and hollow the inside out. Leave a 1 ½ cm wand .

Slice the brinjal into thin slices, and layer on a flat baking sheet.

Deseed the Capsicum and into segments. Place next to the brinjal on the baking sheet.

Drizzle with the olive oil and garlic and roast under a grill until slightly charred. Remove from heat.

Panfry the marinated meat quickly ( 1 minute on each side )

Layer the inside of the bread with the Roasted Capsicum. Season

Place a layer of grilled brinjal on the capsicum.

Layer the meat on the grilled brinjal

Slice the avocado into slivers and layer on top of the meat. Pour the pan juices over the avocado.

Press all the layers down firmly and replace the “lid of the bread”Slice into 5cm chunks and serve with a green salad.

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Basil & Parmesan Crumed Chicken Breast on Lemon Cous Cous

• 500 g (1 lb) Deboned, Skinless Chicken fillets ( 4)

• 1 bottle Nando’s Sun dried Tomato Marinade

• 50g ( 1/4 cup) Bread crumbs

• 50g ( 1/4 cup) Parmesan Cheese

• 20g (1/4 cup) freshly chopped Basil leaves

• 1 cup dried Cous Cous

• 1 lemon

• 30g pitted Black olives, coarsely chopped

• 30g Italian Flat leave parsley, coarsely chopped

• Salt

Marinade Chicken breast in Nando’s Hot Peri Peri marinade for 25 minutes.Mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped Basil together.

Preheat oven to 180 C (350F)

Remove chicken fillets from the marinade and crumb in the crumb mixture.

Place on an roasting rack and bake for 30min at 180 C (350F)

In the meanwhile prepare the Cous cous:

Steam cous Cous according to manufacturer’s instruction. Season t taste. Stir in the grated rind of one lemon , the chopped olives and the chopped parsley.Spoon cous cous into a flat serving dish, and place the Crumbed chicken Breast on the Cous Cous. Drizzle with extra leftover marinade.

Makes 4 servings

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Potato Latkes

• 500g (1 lb.) Lamb fillet ( 2 medium fillets), Pork fillet can also be used

• bottle Roasted Red Capsicum marinade

• 50g rocket leaves

• 200g cream cheese ( 1 tub)

• 500g  (1 lb.) potatoes, washed and grated

• egg

• 1 cup Cake flour

• 1 tbs Salt

• 2 tbs Medium Peri Peri

• 100ml Olive oil for frying

Slice fillet lentghwise ( don’t cut through) and butterfly open. Flatten slightly with a meat happer or rolling pin.Place in a flat dish and pour over Roasted Red Capsicum marinade. Allow to marinade for 25 min

Preheat the oven to Grill

In the meanwhile, Prepare the Latkes:

Grate the potatoes, and mix with the flour, salt, egg & Peri Peri

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, scoop spoonfuls of the Latke mixture in the pan , flatten with a spatula and fry for 2 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden in colour.

Remove from pan and drain excess oil on paper towel.

Prepare the lamb fillet as follows:

Remove from the marinade ( Don’t wipe of excess marinade), place a thick layer of Rocket leaves on one halve of the fillet, and fold the fillet over lenghtwise, to coverthe leaves and so the fillet has thje original closed shape again.Place fillet on a roasting rack on the top shelf of the oven and grill for 5 minutes. Turn around and roast the other side for 5 minutes.

Place Potato latkes on a serving dish and spoon a spoonful of Cream cheese on to each.

Slice medallions of the fillet and place 2 medallions onto each potato latke.

Serve hot.

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Curry Coconut Risotto

• 250ml (1 Cup) Arborio rice

• 50g Butter

• 5g Crushed garlic

• 50g chopped onion

• 1 bottle Nando’s Curry Coconut Cooking sauce

• 425g (1 can) Coconut Milk

• 1 head Bok Choy (or one head chinese cabbage or 1 head butter lettuce)

Melt the butter in a pot and lightly fry the onions and garlic.

Stir the rice through making sure that it is well covered by the butter.

Pour the Nando’s cooking sauce and coconut milk in and stir through.Allow to simmer over a medium heat for 30 – 35 minutes. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.Remove from the heat and stir the chopped Bok Choy through the rice.

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Curry Coconut Butternut Soup

• 4 medium sized butternuts (or 1kg ready peeled and cut into cubes)

• 1 l (1/4 gal) hot water

• 12,5 ml salt

• 1 bottle Nando's Curry Coconut Cooking Sauce

• 405 ml coconut cream (1 can)

• 30g (1 oz.) freshly chopped coriander leave

Peel and deseed the butternut and cut into 1inch cubes.

Place into a medium sized Pot with the Hot water and salt and bring to the boil

Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until butternut is soft.

Drain Butternut, but keep drained liquid. Place butternut in a food processor and blend to smooth. Add the drained liquid back if puree is too thick.

Pour back into the pot and heat up again slowly, stirring continuously to prevent burn. Add the bottle Nando's Curry Coconut Cooking Sauce and the can of coconut cream, and stir through.· Serve with sprinklings of freshly chopped coriander leave.

 Mike Stines, Author of “Mastering Barbecue”

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Spicy Grilled Shrimp

This recipe is for two entrée-size servings but this could also be served as an appetizer by substituting large (21 - 25) shrimp.

• 12 jumbo (U-12) shrimp, peeled & deveined, tails attached

• Bellycheer® Seafood SeasonZing

For the marinade:

• 2 limes, zested and juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)

• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and diced (about 2 tablespoons)

• 2 stalks lemon grass, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Add the shrimp, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain the shrimp and grill over medium-high direct heat 5 minutes per side or until shrimp are opaque. Baste the shrimp occasionally with the marinade. Remove the shrimp from the grill and dust with Bellycheer® Seafood SeasonZing.

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Avocado, Tomato and Serrano Salsa

• 2 avocados, diced

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, diced

• 1/4 cup diced red onion

• 2 serrano chiles, seeded & diced (about 2 tablespoons)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

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Grilled Peppercorn Ostrich Medallions

Ostrich is a very lean meat that comes from the leg, thigh and back of the bird and is cooked similar to beef. It should be cooked rare (145 degrees F.) to medium (155 degrees F.) otherwise it will become dry. This is also an entrée-size serving but could easily be served as an appetizer by placing the arugula atop the baguette slices and topping with ostrich slices and Bellycheer® Wow Chow. (Ostrich, and other non-traditional meat, is available from ExoticMeats.com.)

• 2 (4-ounce) ostrich medallions

• Coarse kosher salt

• 1/4 cup crushed black peppercorns

• 1 baguette

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups arugula

• Porky’s Gourmet Bellycheer® Wow Chow (Hot or Mild)For the marinade:

• 1/2 cup dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 large clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

• 1 bay leaf, crumbled

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Prepare the marinade by combining the wine, oil, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and black pepper in small bowl. Add the ostrich medallions, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 4 hours.

Remove the medallions from the marinade; discard marinade. Place the peppercorns in a shallow plate. Season the medallions with salt and lightly roll the medallions in the peppercorns. Grill the ostrich over medium-high direct heat, turning frequently, about 5 to 7 minutes per side or to an internal temperature of 145 to 155 degrees F. Scrape off the excess peppercorns and let the medallions rest, covered with foil, for 5 minutes before thinly bias slicing.

Bias slice the baguette and put three slices on a service plate. Arrange the arugula on the plate and shingle the ostrich slices atop the arugula. Garnish with Bellycheer® Wow Chow.

 Sam Etheridge, Executive Chef, AmbroZia Restaurant

Lobster (or Shrimp) Corndogs with Chipolte Ketchup and Wasabi Mustard

• 4 warm water lobster tails(or 10 shrimp)

• 30 skewers

• Corndog batter (recipe follows)

• 1 gallon frying oil

Remove lobster tails from shells and cut into thirds long ways. Thread lobster tails long ways one on each skewer. Preheat oil in fryer or large pot to 325 degrees. One at a time dip lobster tails into batter and place in hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning the tails several times with tongs to get even cooking. Skewers should fry about 4-5 minutes each. Fry about 5-6 skewers at one time. Drain on paper towels. Serve with chipolte ketchup.

Makes 10 servings

Corndog Batter

• 2 cups flour

• 2 cups cornmeal

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• 1 tsp sugar

• 5 eggs

• 3 egg yolks

• 2 roasted and diced green chilis

• 1 cup buttermilk

• one cup milk

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine eggs, egg yolks, milks, and green chili. Stir each bowl until well combined. Add liquid to dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth.

Chipotle Ketchup

• 1 yellow onion

• 8 cloves chopped garlic

• 1 #10 can ketchup

• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 can chipotle in adobo

Sauté onions until soft, add garlic and sauté for 10 seconds, add remaining ingredients and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. Puree, strain, cool.

Wasabi Mustard

• 1 cup whole grain mustard

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 2 tbsp wasabi powder

• 1 tbsp siracha chili sauce

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• salt and pepper

Dissolve wasabi powder in vinegar until smooth, add in mustard and sour cream, salt and pepper to taste.

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