Kitchen Cabinet: Readers' recipes tested in Sunset's kitchens - Review

Sunset, Feb, 2002 by Charity Ferreira

Mayan Chicken

Beverly Smick, Coulee Dam, WA

This chicken dish, which Beverly Smick serves with rice and beans, was inspired by one she enjoyed on a recent trip to Belize. The chicken gets its red color from a paste made of achiote seeds (from annatto trees), commonly sold in Latin American markets.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/4 hours, plus at least 3 hours to chill

MAKES: 4 servings

4 chicken breast halves (about 10 oz. each), skinned

2 tablespoons salted red achiote paste (see note above)

1 can (141/2 oz.) crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green bell pepper (8 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub achiote paste all over chicken. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, thyme, salt, cumin, oregano, and pepper; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.

2. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add bell pepper and onion and stir often until limp, about 10 minutes.

3. Add chicken and its marinade to pan and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), about 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer chicken to a wide, shallow serving bowl; pour sauce over chicken.

Per serving: 319 cal., 18% (56 cal.) from fat; 45 g protein; 6.2 g fat (1.1 g sat.); 20 g carbo (2.5 g fiber); 762 mg sodium; 107 mg chol.

Salmon Cakes with Cilantro-Ginger Aioli

Jennifer Swezey-Rudnick, Boulder, CO

Jennifer Swezey-Rudnick serves these flavorful cakes over sauteed greens. She bakes the salmon first and makes her own mayonnaise for the aioli; we've simplified by starting with unbaked salmon and prepared mayonnaise.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes

MAKES: 10 cakes; 5 main-dish servings

13/4 pounds boned, skinned salmon fillet, cut into chunks

1/3 cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons minced shallots

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice

2 tablespoons salad oil

Cilantro-Ginger Aioli (recipe follows)

1. In a food processor, working in batches, pulse salmon just until finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl.

2. Add cornmeal, shallots, mayonnaise, soy sauce, mustard, garlic, ginger, and five spice to salmon. Gently shape mixture into 10 equal patties about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick; set slightly apart on a sheet of waxed paper or foil.

3. Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add half the cakes and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and opaque but still moist-looking in the center (cut to test), 6 to 8 minutes total. As cakes are cooked, transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep warm in a 2000 oven. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan and cook remaining cakes.

4. Serve with Cilantro-Ginger Aioli.

Cilantro-Giner Aioli. In a blender or food processor, whirl 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon Chinese hot mustard, and 1 peeled clove garlic until well blended.

Per serving: 589 cal., 69% (405 cal.) from fat; 36 g protein; 45 g fat (7.4 g sat.); 11 g carbo (0.7 g fiber); 922 mg sodium; 110mg chol.

Per tablespoon: 81 cal., 98% (79 cal.) from fat; 0.3 g protein; 8.8 g fat (1.3 g sat.); 0.7 g carbo (0 g fiber); 172 mg sodium; 6.5 mg chol.

Shrimp and Kiwi Fruit Salad

Mickey Strang, McKinleyville, CA

A friend who grows kiwi fruit keeps Mickey Strang's kitchen well supplied. As a result, the fruit turns up in a number of dishes, This salad is a favorite of Strang's husband.

PREP TIME: About 15 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

About 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce 2 tablespoons lemon juice

8 ounces shelled cooked tiny shrimp, rinsed and drained

4 kiwi fruit (12 to 14 oz. total)

2/3 cup matchstick-size pieces peeled jicama

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (including tops)

4 large butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and crisped Lemon wedges

Salt

1. In a large bowl, mix 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, lemon juice, and shrimp.

2. Peel kiwi and slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Add kiwi, jicama, celery, and green onions to bowl; mix gently

3. Place a lettuce leaf on each plate.

Spoon shrimp mixture equally onto leaves. Place lemon wedges alongside. Add juice from lemon wedges, more hot sauce, and salt to taste.

Per serving: 118 cal., 7.6% (9 cal.) from fat; 13 g protein; 1 g fat (0.2 g sat.); 15 g carbo (4.1 g fiber); 157 mg sodium; 111 mg chol.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Jane Shapton, Tustin, CA

Three layers of chocolate make Jane Shapton's creamy cheesecake a dessert for serious chocolate lovers. Serve it with whipped cream and raspberries.