Ammonoosuc Inn & Restaurant

Recipe of the Day: Coconut Cashew Red Snapper ~ Tropical Fruit Salsa

Serves 4

4  (6 oz.) Red Snapper Fillets ( or any firm white fish)

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup chopped roasted cashews

2 eggs beaten w/ 1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 cup flour seasoned w/salt & pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil for sauteing.

Salsa

1 cup ripe mango peeled & diced

1 cup ripe papaya peeled and diced

1 cup fresh pineapple diced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1/4 cup green onions finely sliced

1/2 small jalapeno minced (seeds & ribs removed)

2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre heat oven to 350. Mix  the coconut and cashews together into a shallow pan. Do the same for the eggs and the flour separately.

2. Dredge the fillets in the flour then the egg and finally in the coconut mixture. Reserve crusted fillets on a plate.

3. Mix together all the salsa ingredients and set aside for the flavors to meld. If there is a fruit you do not like substitute it for another or use more of one of the others.

4. In a skillet heat oil on medium high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently add fillets to the pan. Turn fish over when slightly golden brown. Be careful not to burn the coconut. Transfer the fish to a baking pan. When all fillets are browned finish cooking the fish in the oven 10-12 minutes or until done.

5. Remove fish from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Place fish on serving tray and top with the fresh salsa

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Recipe of the Day: Orange Bread

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1-1/2 Cups Sugar

1/3 Cup Butter (shortening may be substituted)

1-1/2 Cups Orange Juice

2 Large Eggs (beaten)

1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

1/2 Cup Grated Orange Zest

1. Sift dry ingredients and cut in the butter. Mixture should look like small peas.

2. Combine the orange juice with the beaten eggs, nuts and zest.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until moist. Do not beat mixture.

4. Grease a medium sized loaf pan. Pour in mixture and let set 1/2 hour before baking.

5. Pre-heat oven 350. Bake about 1 hour or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing fro the pan. Let cool completely before slicing.

This is a great breakfast sweet bread, or try with your favorite berries and whipped cream.

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Recipe of the Day: Crab Rangoon

1/2 Pound Crabmeat (drained and checked for shell)

1/2 pound Cream Cheese, room temperature

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 Clove of Garlic, finely minced

1/4 Cup Green Onions (scallions), finely sliced

1/4 Cup Water Chestnuts, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

2-3 Dozen Won Ton Wrappers

small bowl of water

Oil for deep frying

1. Combine the cream cheese and crab meat.  Mix in the remaining ingredients.

2. On a flat surface, lay out a won ton wrapper in front of you. Cover the remaining with a damp cloth to prevent drying. Wet the edges of the won ton.

3. Add 1 teaspoon of filling to the middle, and spread it out toward the left and right points of the wrapper.

4. Fold over the edges of the wrapper to make a triangle. Wet the edges with water and press together to seal.

5. Keep the completed Crab Rangoon covered with a damp towel or paper towel to keep them from drying out while preparing the remainder.

6. Heat oil in a wok, deep fryer or electric. Heat to 365-370. If you are not using electric, use a deep heavy pan with a deep fry thermometer. Oil should be at least 2 inches high.

7. Carefully slide in the Crab Rangoon into the oil, taking care not to overcrowd them. Deep-fry until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

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Recipe of the Day: Scallops Provencal

Serves 4-6 people

1- 1/2 pounds Scallops (medium sized sea scallops)

2 Cups Tomato (chopped, seeds removed)

2 Tablespoons Chopped Shallots

2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Garlic

1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme, Chopped

1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, Chopped

2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Chopped

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Cup White Wine

1 Teaspoon Butter

1. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add oil, shallots and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook slowly until tomatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Add the scallops and the wine to the pan. Simmer until scallops tender.

3. Remove scallops from the pan. Add the herbs and butter to the pan and cook the sauce until desired consistency. Check seasonings and add additional salt if needed. Return scallops to the pan and heat through. Serve

*Great accompanied with rice, couscous or crusty bread.

* Note: Peeled & deveined shrimp may be substituted or a combination of both.

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Recipe of the Day: Coffee Can Bread

This is a great recipe to make with your children. Have fun!!

2   1 pound empty coffee cans washed & dried with lids

2 Large Eggs- beaten

1/2 Cup  Milk

1/2 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Salt

4-1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 Tablespoons Butter

1. Grease cans with the butter. Set aside

2. In a small pot add the milk, sugar, oil, salt & water. Heat until warm and sugar is dissolved. ( do not boil)

3. In a large bowl add 2-1/2 cups of flour and the yeast. Mix until blended.

4. Add the warm milk mixture to the flour and mix until incorporated. Add the eggs and mix until blended.

5. Add the remainder of the flour and mix to make a soft dough.

6. Divide the dough equally and put into the greased cans. Cover cans with the lids.

7. Keep cans in a warm place until the dough reaches the top of the can. This should take about an hour.

8. Pre-heat oven 350. Remove lids from the cans and bake in the cans about 30 minutes.

9. Remove cans from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing the bread.

10. Shake bread out of the can. If is sticks a bit use a spatula to help it out.

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Recipe of the Day: Zabaione

Fruit season is upon us and this is a wonderful way to showcase them.

Serves 4

3 Cups Mixed Berries, Peaches, Kiwi etc. (use your favorite fruit, it all works)

5 large egg yolks
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Sweet Marsala Wine (Grand Marnier or another sweet wine may be substituted)

1. Divide the fruit between 4 large glasses or bowls. Set aside.

2. Place a wide saucepan filled halfway with water over medium heat and bring the water to a moderate simmer.

3. Use a stainless steel or glass, or copper mixing bowl that will comfortably fit on the saucepan; make sure that the simmering water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Place the egg yolks in the bowl and whisk in the sugar. Continue whisking until the egg yolks are light in color and fluffy in texture.

4. Place the bowl over the simmering water, and, whisking constantly, add the Marsala wine .Continue whisking the mixture; it should become increasingly fluffy and double in volume. The mixture is done when you lift the whisk and some of the mixture mounds and holds its shape. Be patience with this process it will take about 10 minutes.

5. Pour over fruit and serve. Bon Appétit!!!

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Recipe of the Day: Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur

Makes 1-1/2 Pints

1 Cup Irish Whiskey

1 14- Ounce Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

4 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Chocolate Extract

1 Tablespoon Coconut Extract

1 Tablespoon Instant Espresso or Instant Coffee

In a blender, blend all of the ingredients on low speed until thoroughly mixed. Transfer to a bottle with a tight cover and refrigerate overnight or longer. Serve very cold. Shake well before serving.

Will keep about 3 weeks, if it lasts that long!!

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Recipe of the Day: Zucchini Nut Bread

This is a great quick bread for anytime!!

3 Cups. Flour

1 -1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

3 Large Eggs

2 Cups Grated Unpeeled Zucchini

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven 350. Grease a (9×5x3) loaf pan. In a large bowl place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder & salt. Whisk lightly to mix. Set aside

2. In a medium bowl beat the eggs and gradually add the sugar, vanilla & oil, mixing well.

3. Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Mix until incorporated. Stir in the zucchini and the nuts.

4. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

5. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.

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New Hampshire wildlife fact sheets -Little brown bat

(Courtesy of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department - www.wildnh.com)

Click here for information about White Nose Syndrome and the bats in need of conservation.

Click here to download instructions for how to sew bat holding bags (PDF, 230 KB).

Description
The little brown bat is a small mammal with a body length of 3 - 31/2″ and weighing approximately 1/8 to 1/2 an ounce. The wingspan of little brown bats range from 6 - 8″. Bats are the only mammals that engage in truly active flight. As their name suggests they are glossy brown above with a light buff color below. These bats can live 20 to 30 years.

Range and Distribution
The Little Brown Bat is found from Labrador west to central Alaska and south to the Appalachians in Georgia and Arkansas. Located in most states except Florida, Texas, and southern California. The little brown bat is found abundantly throughout New Hampshire.

Habits and Habitats
Little brown bats are insectivorous, eating a variety of insects including some agricultural pests. They can eat 50% of their own body weight each evening. During gestation and lactation, even more insects are consumed. These nocturnal mammals use echolocation to navigate and locate prey.

Bats hear high frequency sounds emitted by their prey enabling them to distinguish contracting a muscle in the ear, these bats can block out their own sounds while still detecting prey. Little brown bats feed primarily over wetlands and other still water where insects are abundant. They use rivers, streams, and trails as travel corridors to navigate across the landscape. Bats will occasionally swoop down close to mammals to indulge on the insects that swarm around them, not to make a nest in the hair.

Little brown bats hibernate in clusters during the winter months, though little is known on hibernation locations in New Hampshire. Caves or mines are preferred but large tree cavities with favorable microclimates may be used. In order to minimize evaporative losses the humidity in these hibernation areas must be high, preferably over 90%. A constant temperature of 40 degrees F is desirable for hibernation.

Sexual maturity is reached in 6 to 9 months for females and a year for males. Breeding occurs from September to October but the female stores the sperm for fertilization in the spring. The young are born from mid-June to early July. Little brown bats generally have one offspring per year, occasionally two. The young become self-supporting within a month.

Little brown bats seek cavities for shelter, roosting and brooding. In summer females brood their young in dark, warm sites such as barns, attics, caves, hollow tree cavities and other protected areas. Little brown bat roost sites are highly variable and not well known. In temperate regions, they often use cavities along forest edges with high sun exposure.

Management

• Suitable roost sites for bats can be maintained by conserving standing dead ‘trees (snags) along riparian areas, forest edges and in regenerating stands. Maintaining snags, particularly those over 14 inches dbh, in mature and over-mature stands is also beneficial.
• Avoid any disturbance of bats during hibernation.
• Avoid handling bats and vaccinate dogs and cats for rabies.
• Bat houses promote public awareness of bats, although their effectiveness is uncertain. To encourage bats, place the house in an area that receives at least four hours of sun exposure and is within a quarter mile of streams or rivers. A darkened bat house will absorb more heat and be more effective in cooler regions such as New Hampshire.

UNH Cooperative Extension programs and policies are consistent with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations on non-descrimination regarding age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran’s status. College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, County Governments, N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, Department of Resources and Economic Development, N.H. Fish and Game Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services cooperating.

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Chef Melanie’s French culinary word of the day: Chiffonade

Chiffonade: a finely sliced mixture of lettuce, basil or sorrel into long thin strips. Obtain this by stacking them, then roll them and slice.

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www.melaniesbistro.com

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