Spring
has sprung and the snow is finally melting. The creeks are flowing,
the buds are budding and the gardens are growing. Some spring veggies
are ready to be picked. This is a time of renewal and once again, we
honor our sacred holidays, we delight in the spring equinox and we
look forward with mixed emotions to April Fool's Day!
Ah,
the day of hoaxes and practcal jokes is almost here, so watch out!
While not a national holiday, it is indeed celebrated by people in
many countries around the world including Great Britain, France,
Italy and of course, the USA. It is said that this date, April 1st,
came about by an error someone made when mis-copying official
manuscripts in the days of Chaucer.
So
you can see that April Fool's Day has been around since the
fourteenth century and my guess is that it is here to stay. In
getting prepared for the serious business of joking around, many of
us plan and plot the most intricate of gags. Why did you know that
there are lists of these on the internet? They range from office
pranks to fake snakes, electronic idiosyncrosies, and even some booby
traps. Go figure!
However,
there is nothing foolish about a good meal. Anyone ready for chillen
and grillen? Well, we're almost there. Just two more snowstorms to go
…. ha ha, just kidding! I ernestly wish you to savor this
wonderful time of year and for this, I offer you a succulent fish
recipe that can either be grilled or baked depending upon the
weather. I also offer you a great side dish for that meal, my
southwestern pasta salad. Enjoy!
MARINATED
SWORDFISH STEAKS
2
pounds swordfish steaks- serves 4-6
Marinade:
3/4
cup soy sauce
2-3
TB lemon juice
3/4
C. orange juice
4
TB Ketchup
3
garlic cloves, chopped
1/3
C. parsley leaves, chopped
1
tsp oregano
1
tsp. pepper
Combine
ingredients and marinate the swordfish steaks for 1-2 hours. Heat
your grill and put on the fish. While it cooks, baste it occasionally
with the marinade. (Option: bake or broil in the oven).
Serve
with rice or pasta salad, grilled veggies and French bread.
SOUTHWESTERN
PASTA SALAD
Best made 1-2 days ahead
One lb. medium Macaroni
Shells, cooked al dente
1/3 C. Cider vinegar
¾ C. Mayonnaise
¼ C. Vegetable Oil
1 C. Celery, chopped
1 bunch (about 6) Green
Onions including green tops, chopped
One green pepper, chopped
Pimiento, one small jar
(about 4 oz.), drained
3-6 generous dashes
Worcestershire
3-6 dashes Tabasco
Salt & Freshly ground
Pepper to taste
One can (15oz.) Black Eyed
Peas, drained
One can (15oz.) Corn,
drained
One small can (3-4 oz.)
pitted Black Olives, sliced & drained
One jar (4 oz.) Green Olives
with Pimiento, drained
1. Cook & drain pasta.
In the meantime, combine the vinegar, oil, and mayo. When pasta is
done and drained, put in a large bowl and add the mayonnaise mixture
just to moisten the pasta, then set aside while you fix the rest of
the salad.
2. Prep all the rest of the
ingredients and add to pasta. Mix and adjust seasonings including
adding more dressing as needed.
Note: add the dressing
incrementally until you find the salad a bit moist but not drenched.
Save any extra dressing.
3. Cover in refer for 1-2
days, adjust seasoning and dressing and serve.
ENJOY!!
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