Tropical Bananas Foster
Papaya Salsa
Mango, Jicama And Corn Salad
Trout With Tropical Fruit Salsa And Mixed Greens
Grilled Sea Bass, Mango, Grapefruit And Avocado Salad
Spiced Lamb Chops With Mint-Mango Sauce
Vietnamese Chicken And Pineapple Soup
Thai-Style Crab Salad In Papaya


Tropical Bananas Foster

"Inventing desserts is my passion," says Laura Gambrill of Washington,
D.C.. "This is a twist on an all-time favorite, bananas Foster. The
mango, crystallized ginger and pineapple complement the banana and rum
nicely - and so does the toasted coconut that I sprinkle on top."

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup mango nectar
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup diced peeled pineapple
1 banana, peeled, sliced
1 cup diced peeled mango

Vanilla ice cream or macadamia brittle ice cream
Toasted sweetened coconut (optional)

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar,
nectar and rum; stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil
until syrupy, about 4 minutes. Mix in ginger and nutmeg. Add pineapple,
banana and mango and saute just until heated through, about 1 minute.
Let cool 2 minutes.

Scoop ice cream into bowls. Spoon warm sauce over ice cream. Sprinkle
with coconut, if desired; serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.




Papaya Salsa

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

2 lb papaya (2; preferably pink-fleshed strawberry variety), peeled,
seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 cups diced (1/4 inch) fresh pineapple (from 1/2 small pineapple)
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stir together all ingredients.
Makes about 4 1/2 cups.




Mango, Jicama And Corn Salad

Here's a bright and refreshing salad. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or
less but requires additional unattended time.

6 ears fresh corn
6 small mangoes, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
2 pounds jicama, peeled, chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Cook corn in pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain and cool
corn. Cut off enough kernels to measure 4 cups (reserve remaining corn
for another use). Place corn in medium bowl. Add mangoes, jicama, red
onion, cilantro and lime juice. Toss to combine. Season to taste with
salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Can be prepared 3
hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Serve cold.

Serves 8.

Trout With Tropical Fruit Salsa And Mixed Greens

Chef Tory McPhail writes: "I was 19 years old and just out of culinary
school when I first started at Commander's Palace. Despite my training,
nothing prepared me for the pressures of working in a fast-paced
kitchen, or in a restaurant of such high quality. I think my success
came down to sheer effort and a lifelong passion for cooking. Even as a
kid I loved playing with cookie and pie dough.

"After a seven-year absence, which I spent working abroad and opening a
new Commander's Palace restaurant in Las Vegas, I came back to New
Orleans last year. Since returning I've enjoyed cooking for my friends.
On the weekends we'll go fishing, and then I'll grill our catch and
serve it along with a fresh salad. That meal combines the two best
things about living in the South - lots of fishing and great fresh
produce."

6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
4 1/8 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1 cup diced peeled cored pineapple
1 cup diced peeled pitted mango
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
6 cups mixed baby greens
4 5- to 6-ounce golden trout fillets with skin

Whisk 4 tablespoons oil, lime juice, sugar, ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon
Creole seasoning in small bowl to blend. Season vinaigrette with salt
and pepper. Combine pineapple, mango, bell pepper, and red onion in
large bowl. Add half of vinaigrette; toss to coat. Toss greens in
medium bowl with remaining vinaigrette.
Brush trout fillets with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with remaining 4
teaspoons Creole seasoning, about 1/2 teaspoon per side, then salt and
pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add trout fillets and cook until just opaque in
center and browned, about 2 minutes per side.

Divide greens among 4 plates. Place trout fillets and salsa alongside.

Makes 4 servings.




Grilled Sea Bass, Mango, Grapefruit And Avocado Salad

A lovely salad in which the citrus fruit strikes a nice balance with
the fish.

For fish:
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
6 4- to 5-ounce sea bass fillets

For salad:
5 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens (about 10 cups)
3 pink grapefruits, peel and pith cut away, segments cut from between
membranes
2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced

Make fish:
Grind first 6 ingredients in processor until almost smooth. Add juice
and blend well. Season spice mixture with salt and pepper. Sprinkle
fish with salt and pepper. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture over each
fillet; place on waxed-paper-lined tray. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Make salad:
Whisk juice, oil, vinegar, mint and ginger in small bowl to blend.
Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 2
hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Spray barbecue rack with nonstick spray; prepare barbecue (medium-high
heat). Spray fish with nonstick spray. Grill until just opaque in
center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plate.

Toss greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat; divide among 6
plates. Arrange grapefruit segments and mangoes atop greens; drizzle
with some dressing. Place 1 fish fillet alongside each salad. Top fish
with avocado. Serve, passing any remaining dressing separately.

Per Serving: calories, 374; total fat, 17g; saturated fat, 3g;
cholesterol, 52mg.
Serves 6.




Spiced Lamb Chops With Mint-Mango Sauce

Mint-mango sauce
2 1-pound ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded
2 cups fresh mint leaves
4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 serrano chiles, halved, seeded

Lamb chops
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
16 1-inch-thick lamb loin chops
Fresh mint sprigs

For mint-mango sauce:
Blend all ingredients in processor until smooth. Transfer to small
bowl. Season with salt. Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

For lamb chops:
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk first 8 ingredients in small
bowl. Mix oil and garlic in another bowl. Brush chops on both sides
with oil mixture, then press chops into spice mixture to coat both
sides. Grill chops to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for
medium-rare. Transfer to platter. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serve warm
or at room temperature with sauce.

Makes 16 servings as part of buffet.





Vietnamese Chicken And Pineapple Soup

Kia Ly Dickinson of Miami, Florida, writes: "This fragrant soup is so
good you will be freaking out. It can be served hot or cold, with rice.
The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it
with my new friends in America."

This recipe calls for fresh lemon verbena, but you can substitute 1
stalk of fresh lemongrass if lemon verbena is unavailable. Both
ingredients are sold at specialty produce markets, but lemongrass is
also sold at Asian markets and some supermarkets, so it may be easier
to find. If using lemongrass, discard 1 or 2 outer leaves, then thinly
slice lower 6 inches of stalk. Finely chop, then saute along with
chiles and garlic.

1 pineapple (preferably labeled "extra sweet"; about 3 1/2 lb)
About 2 qt water
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (3/4 lb total)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 (1-inch) fresh red Thai chiles*, minced, including seeds
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts (2 oz)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh lemon verbena
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

Accompaniment: rice

Cut peel from pineapple in a thin layer and discard, then trim outer
layer of pineapple, cutting just deep enough to remove eyes but
allowing pineapple to remain intact, and transfer trimmings to a
blender. Quarter pineapple lengthwise and cut out core, then coarsely
chop core and transfer to blender. Puree with 2 cups water until
smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart glass measure,
pressing hard on solids (discard solids), then add enough water to
measure 8 cups pineapple broth.

Cut remaining pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces and put in a bowl.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound chicken
1/4 inch thick with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin.
Cut chicken across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips and transfer to
a bowl, then chill, covered.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately
high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute chiles and 2
tablespoons garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4
cup fish sauce and boil until sauce is reduced by half, about 2
minutes. (Fish sauce will be extremely pungent when first added but
will have a mild flavor in soup.) Add pineapple broth and bring to a
boil. Stir in pineapple pieces, mushrooms, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and
1/4 teaspoon pepper and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer,
uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. While soup simmers, heat
remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately
high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute remaining tablespoon
garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 2
tablespoons fish sauce and simmer until sauce is reduced by half, about
2 minutes.
Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add to garlic
mixture, then saute, stirring, until just cooked through, about 4
minutes.

Stir chicken into soup along with herbs and salt and simmer 1 minute.

*Available at Southeast Asian markets and some specialty produce
markets.

Makes 6 to 8 first-course servings.





Thai-Style Crab Salad In Papaya

Look for Gold or Strawberry papayas. Their sweet flavor complements
this tangy crab salad beautifully.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh serrano chile (about 1; including seeds)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lb jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
2 ripe small papayas, halved lengthwise and seeded

Accompaniment: 4 lime wedges

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, water, fish sauce, and salt in a bowl
until sugar is dissolved. Add bell peppers, chile, cilantro, and crab
and toss gently to combine.

Serve crab salad mounded in papaya halves.

Makes 4 light main-course servings.



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