The Appetizing Appeal Of `Fusion Cuisine' - Recipe

Ebony, April, 2001 by Charlotte Lyons

There's nothing quite like a perfect combination, especially one that comes from your kitchen. That's the appeal of "fusion cooking," which is the art of blending flavors from different cuisines to create some unique and mouth-watering dishes. Some exotic. Some spicy but subtle. Some just simply sumptuous. A good example is a creation like Black-Eyed Peas And Bacon Risotto--a combination of Soul and Italian.

On the following pages are recipes that can help you orchestrate the marriage of various cuisines, giving your family some incredible treats to remember.

Sauteed Scallops With Lime

1 pound scallops, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Pat scallops dry with paper towel. Heat butter until melted in large skillet over medium-high heat. Place scallops in melted butter and lightly brown on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes or until scallops are just opaque in the center. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in lime juice, rind, butter and parsley; continue stirring until scallops are coated with butter mixture. Serve immediately with cooked rice.

Yields 4 servings

CALORIES 179.8, TOTAL FAT 9.5G, CHOLESTEROL 60MG, FIBER 0.2G, PROTEIN 19.4G, SODIUM 274MG

Black-Eyed Peas And Bacon Risotto

5 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, chopped
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups Arborio rice
  Salt and pepper to taste
1 16-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained
  and rinsed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
  Diced tomatoes

Heat chicken broth in saucepan to boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, cook and stir onion, bacon, garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper in large saucepan over medium heat until bacon is crisp and onion tender. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring for 2 minutes until the rice is coated in the bacon mixture. Add a ladle of broth and cook gently over low heat, stirring until absorbed. Continue adding the broth, ladle by ladle, until half the stock is used. Season the rice mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Add black-eyed peas. Continue adding the broth until the risotto is thick, but not sticky. This will take about 25 minutes and should not be hurried. Stir in sliced green onion. Mix well, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with diced tomatoes if desired.

Yields 6 servings

CALORIES 412.3, TOTAL FAT 4.6G, CHOLESTEROL 6MG, FIBER 3.4G, PROTEIN 21.8G, SODIUM 1479MG

Grilled Catfish With Cilantro Pesto

6 catfish fillets
2 do ves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice

CILANTRO PESTO

1 garlic dove
1 cup loosely packed spinach
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
1/2 cup olive oil

Arrange catfish fillets in a single layer in glass baking dish. Combine garlic, chili powder, cumin, olive oil and lime juice until well-blended. Brush each filet with garlic mixture on both sides. Let stand for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat grill to hot. Place catfish on grill and grill until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from grill and season with salt and pepper. Top each filet with Cilantro Pesto and serve immediately.

To make Cilantro Pesto: Combine garlic, spinach, cilantro, green onions and olive oil in blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate up to two days. Mix well before serving. Garnish with lime if desired.

Yields 6 servings

CALORIES 362, TOTAL FAT 27.2G, CHOLESTEROL 92MG, FIBER 0.5G, PROTEIN 26.9G, SODIUM 80MG

Lemon-Pecan Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
2 teaspoons finely chopped
  fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

Remove ends of beans. Sprinkle with salt. Arrange beans in a steamer basket, and place over boiling water. Cover and steam approximately 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Plunge green beans into cold water to stop cooking process; drain and set aside. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add green onions and cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Add green beans, pecans, rosemary, and lemon juice; cook, stirring constantly until mixture is thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with lemon rind. Garnish with lemon and rosemary desired. Serve immediately.

Yields 4 servings

CALORIES 88, TOTAL FAT 6.0G, CHOLESTEROL 0, FIBER 3.9G, PROTEIN 2.3G, SODIUM 140MG

Banana-Nut Bread Pudding With Rum Sauce

6 cups cubed, day-old French
  bread
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 large, very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter or margarine,
  melted

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place cubed French bread into a 9x13x12-inch baking pan. In blender or food processor, blend the eggs, milk, sugar, bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla until smooth. Pour this mixture over the cubed French bread. Fold in the pecans and let bread mixture stand for 30 minutes. Drizzle butter over bread mixture. Cover the pudding with foil and place the pan in a larger pan. Add boiling water to the larger pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes, or until set.