All the recipes in my new cookbook, Beyond Soul Food – Modern American Heritage Cuisine, will fire up your taste buds.  Don’t be ... Read More »]]> SUMMER IS A GREAT TIME FOR FAMILY GATHERINGS. It is also a time of year that most folks desire to eat light. What could be more satisfying than a cool crisp salad for a meal? What about adding something hot to it?  How about fresh salmon? – My favorite summer fish. I love to grill or sear salmon, and then serve it over a cool salad. Add homemade Barbeque sauce and you’ll have a great American summer classic.

All the recipes in my new cookbook, Beyond Soul Food – Modern American Heritage Cuisine, will fire up your taste buds.  Don’t be surprised if you want to make every last one of them, from the first appetizer, Dungeness Crabmeat Bisque, to the last dessert, Sweet Potato Cheesecake.  They are so straightforward that even the novice cook won’t be flustered. Nor will you need chef’s cookware or any expensive ingredients.  So let’s fire up the grill this summer and enjoy some lighter, healthier American classic cuisine.

This dish is great in the summertime; it is light and refreshing. This is what new Southern cooking is all about: it’s lighter and health-conscious. Serves 4.

Barbecue Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

4 6-ounce salmon filets, skin removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

2 cups edamame succotash (see recipe below)

4 teaspoons chives, finely chopped

sea salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

Method

 Preheat oven to 450˚.

In an ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat oil to smoke point. Place the salmon in the pan, skinned side up, and sear until golden. Turn and sear for about 2–3 minutes. Brush the top of the salmon with barbecue sauce.

Place pan in the oven, and roast for about three minutes. Remove and set aside.

Place half a cup of the edamame salad in the center of each plate. Place the salmon on top of salad, garnish with chopped chives, and serve with a side of barbecue sauce.

Edamame Succotash Salad

Succotash is a dish that was passed down to freed slaves by the American Indians. This is a modern version of the dish, replacing the lima beans with soybeans. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 pound frozen  and shelled edamame

1 ear of corn

olive oil

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup Craisins, Ocean Spray brand

1/4 cup Italian dressing

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Cook the edamame in salted water for  3-5 minutes. Set aside. Cut corn off cob. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add mushrooms and sauté until just tender. Remove and set aside to cool.

Put edamame, corn, mushrooms, and Craisins in a large mixing bowl and toss. Add sea salt and toss.

Add the dressing and toss. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

2 cups orange juice

4 cups ketchup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

2 tablespoons dry mustard

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons Tabasco

2 tablespoons honey

3/4 cup butter

Method

Puree the onion and one cup of the orange juice until smooth.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan, and stir in the onion puree.

Bring to a boil, and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool.

Chef Richard Petty is a classically trained chef, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco with over 22 years of experience in the food service industry.  Chef Petty has worked in some of the best kitchens in California including Wolfgang Puck, Bradley Ogden and the Patina Group.  His much acclaimed new cookbook – Beyond Soul Food – Modern American Heritage Cuisine is available at all major online booksellers as well as www.beyondsoulfood.com

What else will you use this sauce with?

Photo credit © George Mdivanian | Dreamstime.com

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Chic Galleria is giving away one White Topaz Initial Pendant (ARV $85.00) to ... Read More »]]> E! News’ anchor Giuliana Rancic and Maria Menounos, fresh off her perfect score on ABC’s hit series Dancing With the Stars, were both seen sporting the fashionable and popular Blue Nile White Topaz Initial Pendant.

This pendant is extremely versatile because of its simplicity; Maria wears pairs her pendant with casual workout clothes on her way to rehearsal, while Giuliana wears hers to an E! Network upfront event at Gotham Hall in New York. No matter the occasion, this pendant can match it. It really is a must-have!

Chic Galleria is giving away one White Topaz Initial Pendant (ARV $85.00) to one (1) lucky person.

*To enter, you must visit www.bluenile.com and take a look around.  Then come back here and tell us what you found!  Where would you wear your pendant? Leave a comment in the box below. *Disclaimer: Anyone who enters understands and agrees that their email address will be shared with Blue Nile.

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