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Sweet & Sour Fish (chicken or pork)

Ojai Pepper Jelly
Sweet & Sour Fish
Baja CA Sur, Mexico
Sea of Corteo- Woo Hoo!

 

Dorado on the Sea of Cortez
Ruby’s first Dorado! ¡si!

 

 

Use organic, local ingredients whenever possible-
On the Sea of Cortez Dorado & Wahoo are plenty- Tonight’s dinner: “Ruby’s Sweet & Sour Dorado”.
Tip; have everything prepped & ready to go. Don’t have hot oil waiting- it’s a recipe for disaster…
Serves about 6

2 pounds fresh fish (Dorado, Halibut, Sea Bass, Wahoo- any mild white fish, chicken or pork is excellent)
2-3 t. salt
oil for frying (about 2″ deep in a frying pan)

Batter:
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. cold water

Sauce:
3 T. apple cider vinegar
1/3- 1/2 c. Ojai Habanero Jelly (I prefer the flavor & color)
3-4 fresh squeezed Mexican limes
1 1/2 c. pineapple juice
4 T. cornstarch

Garnish:
1 1/2 – 2 c. fresh, sweet pineapple chunks- cut in bite size pieces
1-2 carrots- cut in circles
1 c. sugar snap peas- tips cut off
1/2 c. sesame seeds- dry roast in frying pan until golden brown & beginning to “pop”

1.
Rinse then pat dry fish. Cut into bite size pieces. Be SURE to remove all bones.
Sprinkle  salt over fish.

2.
Toss fish into medium size plastic bag with
3/4 c. flour.
Shake. Remove excess flour & set aside.

3.
In a big bowl; prepare batter by mixing dry ingredients, then whisk in cold water. Set aside.

4.
In a medium size saucepan prepare sauce over low-medium heat. Add vinegar & Ojai Habanero Jelly, & lime juice.
In a separate small bowl mix; cornstarch & pineapple juice. Drizzle & whisk juice/cornstarch mixture into saucepan with the
Jelly mixture. Stir until thickened  & somewhat translucent. Keep slightly warm until you’re ready to serve.

5.
Dip fish in batter mixture.

6.
Heat oil in deep frying pan, wok or deep fryer (about 375•)
Cook fish about 3 minutes- until golden brown. Drain off excess oil. Set aside in a warming dish until all fish is prepared.

7.
I suggest you serve the sauce on the side & let your guests add sauce to their liking.
Top with sesame seeds.
This dish is excellent served with rice.

enjoy!

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Asparagus Spears wrapped in Prosciutto, drizzled with Habanero-Balsamic Reduction

This is a delicious appetizer- & the first way I tried prosciutto-

One bunch of organic asparagus spears- ends cut off, washed
About 10 thinly shaved pieces of prosciutto-
Cut each strip into 3 long strips, about 1″ wide

Boil a pot of water then turn off the heat.
Add asparagus & let sit for 2-3 minutes.
Drain & immediately cover with ice to preserve color.
Drain & gently pat dry. Set aside.

In a saucepan over low to medium heat add;
3 T. Ojai Habanero Jelly
1/2 c. Balsamic Vinegar
handful of craisins

Whisk together & stir until thickened, then remove from heat.

Wrap towel-dried asparagus with strips of prosciutto by twisting the asparagus as you hold the prosciutto.
For easy clean up, lay wrapped asparagus side by side on foil, in a baking dish.
Drizzle with balsamic Habanero reduction.

Broil for 5-7 minutes-

Served warm or @ room temperature-

Savory, sweet, salty wonderfulness- & you get your vegetable too!

enjoy!

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Jay wrote:

Jay wrote: “I’m about half-way through my first jar of Ojai Jalapeno Jelly, and I rank it up there with my first taco and my first bite of authentic cheese cake. (In other words, in and among the very highest echelons of my personal Cosmic Deliciousness realms.) BRAVO.”

THANK YOU VERY MUCH JAY- I enormously appreciate the GINORMOUS compliment!
I’d say it’s high time you try my Ojai Habanero Jelly, which I’d like to gift you-
Address please!

 

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Ca Dario…

We ♥ Ca Dario- The all-time great restaurant in Santa Barbara @ Victoria & Anacapa.
Morgan had her favorite- Ravioli with burnt-butter sage that melts in your mouth & the house salad.

I had the creamed asparagus with truffle oil soup & salad-

For dessert we split the chocolate & hazelnut gelato between us.  As if that all wasn’t enough- they sent us home with a bundle of home-made meringues.

We gave Dario a few Ojai Habanero Jelly samplers & the bartender was making him Habantini’s-
As we left he was still beaming from ear to ear!