Trattoria Bella Vita Restaurant's Grilled Swordfish Sicilian Style

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or basil
1 1/2 pounds swordfish steaks, 3/4 inch thick

Directions
Prepare grill for direct cooking. For sauce, heat olive oil in small saucepan over low heat; add garlic.  Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Whisk in lemon juice, salt and pepper until salt is dissolved.  Stir in capers and oregano.
Place swordfish on oiled grid over medium heat. Grill 7 to 8 minutes, turning once, or until center is opaque. Serve fish with sauce.

Alhambra Palace Restaurant's Moroccan-Style Lamb Chops

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 center-cut lamb loin chops, cut 1 inch thick
2 cloves garlic minced

Directions
Prepare grill or preheat broiler. Combine oil, cumin, coriander, salt, cinnamon, and red pepper in small bowl; mix well.  Rub or brush oil mixture over both sides of lamb chops. Sprinkle garlic over both sides of lamb chops.
Grill on covered grill or broil 4 to 5 inches from heat, 5 minutes per side for medium doneness.

Applebee's Orange-Glazed Salmon

Glaze
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Salmon
4 salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
For glaze, whisk orange juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil in small bowl; set aside.
Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon skin side up, in skillet; brush with glaze. Cook salmon 4 minutes or just until center is opaque. Carefully turn; brush with some remaining glaze. Cook 4 minutes or until salmon just begins to flake when tested with fork.  Transfer salmon to serving plate; cover and keep warm.
Meanwhile, place remaining glaze in small saucepan; cook and stir until thickened and reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Serve over salmon.

Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Piccata

Ingredients
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh italian parsley
1 tablespoon drained  capers

Directions
Combine flour, salt and pepper in shallow dish. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour mixture.
Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap. Using flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Coat chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
Heat oil and butter in large non-stick skillet over medium heat until butter is melted. Cook chicken 4-5 minutes per side or until no longer pink in center.  Transfer to serving platter; cover loosely with foil.
Add garlic to same skillet; cook and stir over medium heat 1 minute. Add reserved flour mixture; cook and stir 1 minute.  Add broth and lemon juice; cook 2 minutes; stirring frequently, until sauce thickens. Stir in parsley and capers; spoon sauce over chicken.

Dimassi's Braised Lamb

Ingredients

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 pounds lamb chops or shanks

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

1 large onion, sliced

1/4 pound fresh green beans, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock)

1/2 cup water

1 can (6 ounces) tomatoe paste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsely

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

Combine flour, salt and pepper; dredge meat in flour mixture. Heat olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Brown meat on all sides. Remove from pan and drain excess oil. Add carrots, onion, green beans and garlic. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Place vegetables in greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Arrange meat on top. Combine white wine, water, tomato paste, dill, parsley and oregano. Pour over meat and vegetables. Cover tightly and bake at 350 F for 2 hours or until meat is tender. Serve immediately.

Broadway Grill's Mustard Crusted Rib Roast

Ingredients

1 (3-rib) beef rib roast, trimmed (6-7 pounds)

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup beef broth

Mashed potatoes (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 F. Place roast, bone side down, in shallow roasting pan. Combine mustard, tarragon and garlic in small bowl; spread over all surfaces of roast except bottom. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of roast, not touching bone.

Transfer roast to cutting board; cover with foil. Let stand 10-15 minutes before carving.  Internal temperature will continue to rise 5-10 degrees during stand time.

To make gravy, pour drippings from roasting pan, reserving 1 tablespoon in medium saucepan. Add wine to roasting pan; place over 2 burners. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring to scrape up brown bits; set aside.

Add shallots to reserved drippings in saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat 4 minutes or until softened. Add flour; cook and stir 1 minute. Add broth and wine mixture; cook 5 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Pour thru strainer into gravy boat, pressing with back of spoon on shallots; discard solids.

Carve roast into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes, if desired.

London's 'The Garden' Restaurant's Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Plum Salsa

Ingredients

2 to 3 limes

Fresh plum salsa (recipe follows)

1 well trimmed whole pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

Lime wedges (optional)

Directions

Cut limes crosswise in half; squeeze with citrus reamer to extract juice into measuring cup. Measure 2 tablespoons; set aside. Prepare fresh plum salsa using remaining juice.

Place tenderloin in large resealable food storage bag. Combine soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, oil and garlic in small bowl. Pour over tenderloin. Seal bag tightly, turning to coat. Marinate in refrigerator overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Drain tenderloin, reserving 2 tablespoons marinade.  Combine reserved marinade and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 1 minute, stirring once; set aside.

To ensure even cooking, tuck narrow end of tenderloin under roast forming even thickness. Secure with butcher's string.  Place tenderloin on meat rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with reserved sugar mixture.

Insert meat thermometer into tenderloin. Bake 15 minutes; brush with remaining sugar mixture. Bake 10 minutes more or until thermometer registers 160 F.

Transfer tenderloin to cutting board; tent with foil. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove string from tenderloin; discard. Carve tenderloin into thin slices with carving knife. Serve with Fresh Plum Salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Fresh Plum Salsa

2 cups coarsely chopped red plums (about 3)

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Dash ground red pepper

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Cover; refrigerate atleast 2 hours.

I

Sweet Potatoes' Drunken Pork Chop

Ingredients

4 slices bacon

4 pork loin chops (1 inch thick), fat trimmed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded

3 medium apples, peeled cored and shredded

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon dried chervil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsely

Directions

Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat. Crumble bacon and set aside.  Rub pork chops with lemon juice; brown in bacon fat. Remove from pan and set aside.

Rub pork chops with lemon juice; brown in bacon fat. Remove from pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add sweet potatoes, apples and onion to pan. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chervil; mix well.

Place vegetable mixture in greased 9x9x2 inch pan. Arrange pork chops on top of mixture; sprinkle with chopped parsely and bacon.  Cover tightly and bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes or until pork chops are tender. Serve immediately.

Peter Lugher's Strip Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients:

4 (8-ounce) bone-in strip steaks (about 1 inch thick)

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Chimichurri (recipe follows)

Directions

Prepare grill for direct heat cooking and heat to hot. Sprinkle both sides of each steak with cumin, salt and pepper. Place on oiled grill grid over heat source.

Grill steaks, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare, 5-7 minutes for medium. Divide steaks among 4 serving plates; serve with chimichurri.

Chimichurri

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup packed fresh parsely

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in blender. Puree, shaking blender occasionally if needed.

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

Avocado Egg Rolls

Deep-fried in a crisp chinese wrapper and served with a tamarind-cashew dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:   

4 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate

Pinch of ground turmeric

1/2 cup chopped cashews

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic

2 green onions 

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

Egg Rolls

1 large avocado,pitted, peeled, and diced

2 tablespoons chopped dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

Pinch of salt

4 egg roll wrappers

1 egg, beaten

oil, for frying

Directions

To make dipping sauce, combine vinegars, honey, and tamarind in a microwave safe bowl. Stir until tamarind is dissolved.  Microwave for 1 minute.

Using a food processor, puree the tamarind mixture, turmeric, cashews, cilantro, garlic, green onions, sugar pepper, and cumin.

Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the oil. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

To make the egg rolls, stir together the avocado, sun-dried tomato, red onion, cilantro, and salt.

Place some of the filling in the center of one of the egg roll wrappers.

Fold one corner up one quarter of the way over the filling. Brush the remaining corners and edges with the beaten egg, fold over the left and right sides, then fold the top corner over all and press to seal.

Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

Deep fry egg rolls in 375 degrees oil for 3-4 minutes, until browned. Drain on paper towels.

Serve with the chilled dipping sauce.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA PASTA

Their most popular seafood dish! Shrimp and chicken sauteed with onions, tomato and peppers in a very spicy cajun sauce. All on top of fresh linguini. Also can be served over rice.

Ingredients

1 stick of butter

2 teaspoons cajun blackening spice

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

6 ounces plain linguine

6 ounces spinach linguine

1/2 cup clam juice

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 small red onion cut into thin strips

8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup diced tomato

Directions

Place the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to melt but not brown. Add cajun spice, white pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir together with the melted butter. Add the c hicken and continue to cook until the chicken is half done.

While chicken is cooking, place pasta into boiling salted water and cook until al dente.

Pour clam juice into pan.  Add bell peppers and onions. Cook for about a minute, making sure vegetables are heated through and the chicken is almost done.

Add the shrimp to the pan. Mix all the ingredients together and continue to cook until the shrimp are almost done.

Add tomatoes to the pan.Continue to cook the mixture until the shrimp and chicken are cooked through.

When serving the pasta, use plates or bowls and add the jambalaya mixture on top.