These specialties will
have you singing the blues

Star-Bulletin Staff

Navajo Corncakes

(Adapted from "Totally Pancakes & Waffles Cookbook"
By Helene Siegel; Celestial Arts)

1-1/2 cups blue cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon honey
1-1/2 cups corn kernels
Vegetable oil, such as canola, for frying

Combine corn meal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, sour cream and honey. Pour into the dry mixture and stir to blend. Gently stir in corn.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and pour in oil to 1/4-inch depth. Drop batter, 1/4 cup at a time, into pan and fry until well browned and crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Makes 12. Serve with salsa and sliced jicama if desired.

Approximate nutrition analysis per serving: 240 calories, 14 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 25 cholesterol, 200 milligrams sodium*

Blue Pincers Poke

(From "The Choy of Cooking" by Sam Choy)

4 pounds live blue crab
1 cup diced fresh ogo (edible seaweed)
1 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup diced green onion
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1-1/2 cups Korean kim chee base*
Hawaiian sea salt, to taste

Chill ingredients and utensils ahead of time. Lift off backs of crabs, remove gills and mouth parts. Cut body, with shell, into clusters.

Fold together crab, ogo, onions and sesame oil. Add kim chee base a little at a time to get the potency of chile-pepper flavor desired. Adjust seasoning with Hawaiian salt, if necessary.

Meld flavors by chilling in a covered bowl until serving time.

* Commercial mixes available at any supermarket, or strain liquid from any jar of kim chee.

Approximate nutritional analysis per 1/2 cup serving, no added salt: 110 calories, 4 grams total fat, 0.5 gram saturated fat, 25 milligrams cholesterol, 2,550 milligrams sodium. Lower fat tip: Use only 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to achieve 2 grams total fat and 100 calories per serving.*

Hollywood Salad

(From Planet Hollywood)

10 cups mixed field greens
1/3 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup plum tomatoes, diced
2 cups grilled, skinned chicken breast, sliced
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/3 cup fresh beets, diced
1/3 cup black olives, diced
1 cup croutons
2 cups vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 cup hard-boiled egg, chopped
1/3 cup bacon, 1/2-inch diced
8 Parmesan crackers

Place field greens in the bottom of a clean metal mixing bowl. Toss mixed greens with bleu cheese, tomatoes, chicken, onions, beets, olives, croutons and vinaigrette.

Divide salad into 4 chilled pasta bowls. Top each salad with equal amounts of egg and bacon. Place two parmesan crackers overlapping in salad with points facing outward. Serves 4.

Approximate nutrition analysis per serving, not including crackers: 1,000 calories, 87 grams fat, 16 grams saturated fat, 225 milligrams cholesterol, 1,000 milligrams sodium*

Vinaigrette Dressing

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/3 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1/3 teaspoon sugar
1/16 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
1/3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1-1/4 cup olive oil

Blend vinegar and spices together in a blender. As the vinegar is being mixed, add the cheese, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Let this mix for 5 minutes, then add oil a little at a time until blended smooth.

Blend on low speed for 5 minutes. Makes 4 4-ounce servings.

Approximate nutrition analysis per 2-tablespoon serving: 160 calories, 17 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, no cholesterol, 8 milligrams sodium*

Sauteed Marlin with Herb Sauce

(From Candy Golden, adapted from the
"Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant Cookbook")

6 ounces kajiki (Pacific Blue marlin) fillet
Enough flour to dredge fish
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon capers
2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon prepared pesto
1/2 ounce white wine
5 medium-sized mushrooms, sliced

Divide marlin into 2 slices. Dredge fish in flour. Heat butter in a skillet. Brown fish lightly.

Remove fish from pan and place on serving plates. Using remaining butter in pan, add garlic, capers, pesto and mushrooms. Saute lightly; add white wine. Simmer for a few minutes, then pour over fish on serving plate. Makes 2 servings.

Approximate nutrition analysis per serving: 390 calories, 30 grams fat, 14 grams saturated fat, 90 milligrams cholesterol, 430 milligrams sodium.*

Blueberry-Orange Pie

(From Northwest Blueberries)

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup reconstituted orange juice
7 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and well drained
Orange Pastry Crust or single ready crust for 9-inch pie

Stir together sugar and cornstarch in heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Stir in orange juice concentrate, orange juice and 2 cups of the blueberries. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture is thickened, translucent and just comes to a boil, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and gently fold in remaining blueberries.

Mound filling into baked Orange Pastry Crust (see recipe below). Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Can be made one day ahead. Makes one 9-inch pie; 8 to 10 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 369 calories, 14 grams fat, 142 milligrams sodium, no cholesterol.*

Orange Pastry Crust

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
1-1/2 tablespoons reconstituted orange juice
1-1/2 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour, orange zest, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl; stir to blend. Using pastry blender or two knives, cut shortening into flour mixture until all resembles coarse meal.

Combine orange juice with cold water. Add juice/water by tablespoons, mixing with fork just until dough begins to hold together in clumps. If necessary, an extra tablespoon of water may be added. Gather dough and shape into flattened round. Chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On lightly floured wax paper, roll dough to about 1/8-inch thick, in big enough circle to overhang pie plate by 1-1/2 to 2 inches.

Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch dough, and fold pastry under at edge. Crimp decoratively. Prick bottom and sides. Freeze briefly, 15 to 30 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes 1 pie crust.

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Blue Food