Cook's Corner

Welcome to the Cook's Corner.

Well I'm back from my 3 week business trip to San Diego and thought I would share a couple of recipes from that beautiful, warm, sunny part of the country.

I'm going for a Mexican theme since I discovered quite a variety of new and delicious Mexican recipes. For the health conscious we have fish tacos (sounds a little strange but very delicious).

Next week is more low fat and preparing for summer recipes we finally seem to be getting some spring like weather. Look forward to some barbecue and salads next week.

Cook's Corner can also be accessed through the columns section of the Herndon/Reston web.

Please continue sending me your comments, inquiries and suggestions.

On to the recipes:

A brief aside. Got an inquiry from a reader as to how to make her own self rising flour. It's quite easy 8 cups flour, 1/4 cup baking powder and 1 Tablespoon salt. Mix well and be sure to store in an airtight container and use before too long. If you cut in 1 1/2 cups of shortening you will have made your own version of biscuit mix.

Easy Fish Tacos
(Recipe One, not very traditional but easy and delicious)

fish sticks
corn or flour tortillas (per your preference)
taco sauce or salsa
salad cabbage (often called Napa) or lettuce shredded
tartar sauce

Cook the fish sticks in the oven or fry them in oil as per your taste and calorie preference. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of tartar sauce on the tortilla. Add the cabbageor lettuce and 1-3 fish sticks depending on their size. (If you are using the larger ones you may want to slice them into pieces so they fit into the tortilla better). Spoon on some salsa and serve. In San Diego these are served with either Mexican rice and beans or coleslaw depending on the establishment.

Fish Tacos
(Recipe Two, gourmet style)

Grill fish of your choice (brush lightly with a marinade) Serve on flour tortillas with lettuce or Napa cabbage, tomatoes and/or salsa. For an extra flair you can add some slices of avacado or serve with guacamole.

Marinade

1 Tablespoon oil
1 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon herbs (suggestions dill, thyme, chives, oregano)

Whisk and baste fish with this as they are grilling.
Mary's Easy as Pie Chicken Enchilada Casserole

3 chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1 onion chopped

Simmer the above ingredients with water to cover the chicken for 1 1/2 hours until the chicken in cooked through. Save the broth to use in another recipe. Cut up the chicken using a fork to break it into pieces.

Pour the can of beans (which has been drained and rinsed) in the bottom of a casserole. Put the chicken on top of the beans. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Put the torn up tortillas on top of the cheese. Pour a can of enchilada sauce or salsa over this and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake in a 350F oven for 30 minutes. Delicious served with extra tortillas or chips on the side.

Thank you for stopping by the Cook's Corner. There will be new recipes and suggestions next week. Please send your favorite recipes, suggestions, comments and questions to cookscorner@townweb.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Lisa Carlson has been a cooking instructor for over three years with the Fairfax County Adult Education program. She also teaches cooking and art classes for children and adults at the Herndon Community Center. She studied cooking during her junior year of college in Scotland, while she traveled throughout Europe, and during her year long tenure in Japan. She has appeared in 9 television programs on cooking, puppetry, and gift basket design on the Fairfax County public access channel.

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