Ginger steamed cod with chilli soy sauce

For ➍
dipping sauce:
8 cl low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 ts minced red chilli
1 ts minced garlic
1 ts sugar
cod:
1 tbs peanut oil
1 ts sesame oil
300 g baby pak choi, trimmed & halved lengthwise
170 g shiitake or crimini mushrooms, halved
1 piece (7.5 cm) ginger, peeled & julienned
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
4 cod fillets (150-170 g each), fresh, thawed or frozen*

Thoroughly mix dipping sauce ingredients; set aside.
In a deep frying pan, sauté pak choi and mushrooms in peanut and sesame oils over medium-high heat until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.
Wipe pan clean. Bring 2.5 cm of water to boil; turn off heat. Place metal steamer basket in pan and open up sides. Portion ginger and ¾ of green onions in basket. Rinse any ice glaze from frozen cod under cold water; place fillets in steamer. Return water to boil; cover loosely and steam just until fish is opaque throughout, about 5 to 7 m. (Reduce cook time by half for fresh or thawed fillets.)
Serve cod over sautéed vegetables with dipping sauce; garnish with remaining green onion slices.

*Substitute pollock or sole fillets for cod, adjusting cook time for smaller fillets if necessary.

Scallop & mango ceviche

For ➍
500 g dry sea scallops, tough white muscle removed*
2 ripe mangoes, peeled & chopped, divided
8 cl lime juice
¾ tsp salt
180 g thinly sliced chilli peppers, such as poblanos or jalapeños
50 g very thinly sliced red onion

Bring 1.2 cm water to a gentle simmer in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallops and cook until firm and just cooked through, 3 to 5 m. Transfer the scallops to a medium non-reactive bowl with a slotted spoon. (Discard the poaching liquid) Add half the mango to the bowl with the scallops. Puree the remaining mango with lime juice and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour the puree over the scallops.
Add chilli peppers and onion. Gently toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate the ceviche for 1 h, gently stirring halfway through.
Serve chilled.**

*Dry sea scallops differ from wet scallops, which have been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate. Wets are less flavourful, and will not brown properly.
*Try serving this ceviche Peruvian-style, with hard-boiled egg, sweet potato, lettuce and corn. Or keep it simple and serve it on salad greens with tortilla chips on the side.

Sweet & savory chicken

For ➏
1.5-2 kg chicken
1 small lemon or clementine
several sprigs fresh rosemary
1-2 large yellow onions
3-4 whole firm fruits such as apples, pears, or quince
500-1000 g firm or crisp vegetables such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, or garlic cloves
olive oil
butter
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 220°C. Set a rack in the lower-middle of the oven.
Remove the chicken from its packaging and thoroughly pat it dry. Place the lemon or clementine inside the cavity along with the whole rosemary sprigs, and truss the legs together.
Create a bed of fruits and vegetables in a roasting pan to raise the chicken off the bottom. Chop the onions and a few pieces of fruit into rings, and scatter them over the bottom of the pan. If you're using asparagus or carrots, lay them side-by-side on top of the onions in the center of the pan. Sprinkle the vegetables and fruit generously with salt and black pepper.
Set the chicken on top of the bed of fruits and vegetables. Roughly chop and scatter any remaining fruits and vegetables around the chicken.
Drizzle the chicken and all the fruits and vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Set a few pats of butter atop the chicken.
Place the chicken into the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature to 200°C. Roast for 1 to 1½ h, until the vegetables are cooked, chicken's skin is golden, and the chicken registers 75°C in the thigh.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let the chicken rest for 15 m before carving.
While you're waiting, toss the vegetables with the pan juices and transfer to a serving bowl. If desired, make a simple gravy with the leftover bits in the pan.
Serve while the chicken and vegetables are warm.
Leftovers will keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Margarita

For ➊ drink
9-12 cl fresh squeezed lime juice
3 cl Cointreau, triple sec or another orange liqueur
4.5 cl oz Blanco tequila
kosher salt (optional)
lime wheel
Glass: Cocktail or rocks

Add the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
Garnish with a lime wheel.
For a slightly sweeter drink, add a dash of agave syrup (one part water, two parts agave nectar) before shaking. Or replace the Cointreau with it.

*Do another version, try 6 cl tequila, 3 cl lime juice, 3 cl agave syrup (1 part water/ 1 part agave nectar)
**Or have a related Paloma.

Fried egg avocado toast

For ➍
2 medium ripe avocados, pitted & diced
juice from ½ lime
salt & pepper to taste
4 slices bread, toasted
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1-2 tbs vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 tbs minced fresh parsley

Place diced avocado in a medium bowl. Mash thoroughly with lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide smashed avocado between toast slices. Top toast with tomato and pepper slices. Set aside for a moment.
Make the fried eggs. Working in batches, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Crack 2 eggs into pan and sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Allow eggs to cook, without flipping until whites of eggs are set. Carefully remove from pan with a spatula and transfer to a plate. Repeat step 2 with remaining 2 eggs.
Carefully arrange fried eggs on top of each toast.
Sprinkle minced parsley over top. Serve.

Avocado & mango topper

For ➍
2 ripe large avocados (200 g each), peeled, pitted & diced
1 ripe mango, peeled & diced
1 cup seeded, diced tomato
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander
2 tbs chopped red onion
1 tbs minced jalapeño pepper
1 tbs lime juice
½ ts salt
¼ ts black pepper
600 g grilled chicken, sliced

In a medium bowl, combine mango, tomato, cilantro, onion, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Add avocado and toss gently.
Serve over grilled chicken.

Bacon chicken guacamole bombs

For ➑ bombs
2 ripe avocados
½ white onion, finely chopped
½ tomato, chopped
2 tbs coriander, chopped
½ tbs kosher salt
2 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt & freshly ground black pepper
8 bacon strips
1 tbs canola oil

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Using a knife, cut around the pit of the avocado, separating the halves from each other. Remove the pit and use a spoon to scoop out the avocado. In a large bowl, combine the avocado, onion, tomato, coriander, salt, and lime juice. Mash and stir with a fork until there are no large chunks of avocado left.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on all sides. Slice chicken breasts in half crosswise. Cut a slit into the center of each half to make a pocket. Take a heaping spoonful of the guacamole and pack it into the pocket. Pinch the edges of the chicken closed.
Wrap the chicken with two strips of bacon, making sure the ends of the bacon all end up on the same side of the chicken.
Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Sear the bacon-wrapped chicken for 2-3 m on each side. Remember to cook the sides of the chicken as well. Bake for 10 m.
Serve.

Cinnamon apples @ microwave

For ➋-➍
2 apples, peeled, cored & sliced
1 ts cinnamon

Place apples and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl and stir until apples are coated with cinnamon. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top to let the steam escape. Place in the microwave and cook on high for 1 m.
Remove apples from the microwave and carefully remove the plastic cover. Stir apples and re-cover. Cook for 1 m longer.
Serve. Add a blotch of ice-cream, if wanted.

Grilled fish with green mango pico de gallo

For ➋-➍
1 firm green mango cut into brunoise
¼ cup red bell peppper cut into brunoise
¼ cup red onion cut into brunoise
1 tbs minced coriander
½ ts kosher salt (less if you use regular salt)
1 tbs lime juice
1 serrano chilli minced with seeds (optional)
1 ts of favourite hot sauce (optional)
2 fillets of fish (salmon, swordfish and halibut are all good choices)

Put the green mango, bel pepper, onion, coriander, salt, lime juice, chilli and hot sauce in a bowl and toss to combine.
Use a paper towel to dry the surface of the fish and salt and pepper. Grill over charcoal, broil or pan-fry.
To serve, just top the cooked fillet with a dollop of green mango pico de gallo. For a creamy tropical side dish, cook polenta with a 50/50 mixture of coconut milk and water along with some green curry paste.

Try the regular pico de gallo. Or the similar salsa fresca.

Pico de Gallo

For ➍/ 50 cl
4 plum tomatoes, seeded & chopped
3 onions, finely chopped
2 fresh chili peppers, mild or hot, seeded & finely chopped
2 tbs red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1½ ts fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 ts lime juice
salt & pepper

Combine ingredients in a glass bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 m before serving or refrigerate it overnight.
Serve with Che Guevara's ceviche or another ceviche. Or with grilled tuna or salmon.

In 1953, the Mexican communist painter Frida Kahlo painted this Naturaleza Muerta Con Sandias (Still Life with Watermelon), coming close to the ingredients of a pico de gallo, combining fruit and peppers, in ever changing combinations, depending on the region. Sometimes it is closer to a (fruit) salad than a sauce, especially when the pieces are roughly chopped in not too small pieces. (Artist suggestion from the wonderful Feasting on Art site.)
Try the similar salsa fresca.
Or the green mango variation.

Salsa fresca

For ➍
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small white onion, diced small
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbs fresh lime juice
coarse salt and ground pepper
50 g (½ cup) loosely packed fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, white onion, jalapeno, garlic, and fresh lime juice. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and stir to combine. Let sit at least 15 ms (or, covered, up to 4 h). Stir in corinder leaves just before serving.
Serve with tortilla chips or as a condiment for grilled steak or shrimp.

Try the similar pico de gallo. Or the http://foodz.blogspot.be/2015/05/grilled-fish-with-green-mango-pico-de.html.
Alternate.