Red Lobster Grilled Salmon with Vinaigrette & Asparagus

Main Ingredients:
4 eight- to ten-ounce pieces of fresh salmon fillets, skinless
1/2 cup canola oil
McCormick's Season All
1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, medium size
Sun-dried tomato basil vinaigrette (recipe below)
4 portions of your favorite savory rice recipe 
(Red Lobster suggests a wild/white rice blend)

Grilled Salmon:

Lightly brush both sides of fillets with oil and season with McCormick's Season All.

Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat and grill fish for 4-5 minutes until well marked.

Turn fish over and continue grilling another 5-6 minutes or until your fresh fish preference is reached.

Grilled Asparagus:

Measuring from the tip, cut stems off about 5 inches down. Discard stems.

Toss asparagus in 3 tbsp. oil; add salt and pepper to taste.

Grill asparagus for about 1 minute, then roll and grill another minute or until tender.

Serving Procedures:

Place a heaping portion of rice on the center on a large dinner plate. Place fish leaning on half of the rice. Place asparagus next to fish and rice. Pick two pieces of asparagus and criss-cross over fish. Spoon two ounces of warm vinaigrette over fish. Serve with a lemon wedge.

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Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Vinaigrette: (Yield: 8 ounces)

6 ounces canola oil
2 ounces red wine vinegar
2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp. red onion, diced
1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix canola oil, red wine vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, red onions and garlic.

Using a wire whip, mix ingredients until incorporated.

Whip in salt and pepper to taste and warm slightly.

Makes 4 Servings

Miranda Chipotle Braised Chicken (Tinga de Pollo)

Ingredients:
1 whole free-range chicken (approx 3lbs., cut into quarters)
2 onions, yellow or Vidalia (divided usage)
8 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
4 plum tomatoes (peeled and seeded)
3-5 chipotles chiles in adobo sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedures:
Cut whole chicken into quarters, remove the skin, if desired and cut 1 of the two onions into 4 pieces as well. Add to a large pot and cover with cold water, add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. 

Simmer until cooked about 30-40 minutes, remove from heat and pull the chicken out of the pot, reserve the broth.

As the chicken is simmering, chop the remaining onion into 1" pieces, and sauté until golden brown. Cut each garlic clove into 4 pieces and place in a small sauce pot with the olive oil, simmer on low heat until the garlic is fragrant but do not allow it to brown.

Peel the tomatoes by dropping them into boiling water for a minute and then shocking them in ice water so the peel can be easily removed and then scrape out the seeds (nice plum tomatoes in a can, such as San Marzano, could also be used).

Add the peeled and seeded tomatoes, sautéed onion and the garlic along with the chipotle chiles to a blender along with 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth. Shred the cooked and now cooled chicken by hand by pulling it off the bone.

Simmer the blended sauce and add in the chicken, add more broth to completely coat the chicken with sauce. Cook 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with handmade gnocchi or even pasta and finish with grated cheese.

Makes 8 portions

The Loews Madison Hotel Seafood Salad

Lemon Anise Dressing:

1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Pernod
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola or grape seed)
Salt and pepper

Zest and juice the lemon, combining both in a measuring cup. Measure out 1 ounce, discarding the rest or reserving it for another use.

To the combined lemon zest and juice, add the honey, Pernod, shallots and mustard, whisking together. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This makes about three-fourths cup dressing, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe; cover and refrigerate the leftover dressing up to 3 days.

Salad and Assembly:

6 cups combined lettuces (watercress, frisée and mesclun)
1 cup shaved fennel, divided
Lemon anise dressing, to taste
6 cooked shrimp (16 to 20 count per pound), peeled and deveined
1/3 cup (2 ounces) jumbo lump crab meat
1/3 cup (2 ounces) smoked trout
10 Belgian endive leaves
Cracked black pepper
Fleur de sel

Procedures:
In a large bowl, combine mixed lettuce and two-thirds cup shaved fennel. Toss with a very light coating of dressing (enough to coat the leaves, 4 to 5 tablespoons).

Divide the salad between 2 plates or bowls, and top each portion with equal amounts of arranged shrimp, crab, trout, endive and remaining shaved fennel. Drizzle a little more dressing over the seafood on each salad and sprinkle over fresh cracked black pepper and fleur de sel to taste. Serve immediately.

Servings: 2