Red pepper: A common ingredient used to make salsa

Try these vegetables in salads this month, or sliced on sandwiches, or in a stir-fry. You can even use summer squash and red bell peppers in your salsa.

Ingredients:
2 pounds zucchini (look for small to medium ones)
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into a small julienne
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 Serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:
Trim and dice zucchini, and place in a medium bowl. Add julienne of red pepper, cucumber, red onion and chiles. Dress with olive oil, lime juice and salt, and toss to incorporate. Gently stir in cilantro and serve with yellow or blue tortilla chips, round slices of jicama, or thin slices of French bread.

The lobster bisque is very rich, so a small serving (about two-thirds cup per person) is plenty. At the restaurant, this is baked in individual crocks, with puff pastry on top.

Ingredients:
2 lb boiled lobsters, medium sized
2 1/2 c fish or chicken stock
1 onion, sliced
4 celery stalks, with leaves
2 cloves, whole
1 bay leaf
1/4 c soft butter
1/4 c flour
3 c milk; heated
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 c cream; hot but not boiling
2 tablespoons sherry
1/8 teaspoon parsley; minced
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
Remove the meat from boiled lobsters. Dice and reserve the body meat and mince the tail and claw meat. Crush the shells and add them to the stock along with the onion, celery, cloves and bay leaf. Simmer these ingredients for about 30 minutes and strain the stock.

Combine the flour and soft butter in a small saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes, but do not let flour begin to color. Gradually pour the heated milk into this mixture. Whisk to combine thoroughly then add nutmeg. If there is coral roe, force it through a fine sieve into the mixture. Stir in the strained stock.

When the soup is smooth and boiling, add the lobster and simmer the bisque, adding the sherry and cover for 5 min. turning off the heat after that. Stir in the cream and season to taste. Serve at once with minced parsley and paprika, if desired.

What makes or brakes a salad is the dressing. Although it does not easily grab our attention, these so-called silent ingredients play a very crucial role in determining the outcome of a salad.

Tossed with the wrong dressing and the freshest ingredients lose their taste. Salad dressings are like icings on a cake so to speak. They give that final touch, the magic that makes salads come alive. Listed below are some salad dressing recipes that one can choose from to come up with that special salad one might have in mind.

APPLE VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple juice
3 whole fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine parsley, vinegar, olive oil, apple juice, basil, honey, salt, dry mustard and pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.

BASIC ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Pinch of dried oregano

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk to blend. Salt and pepper.

CITRUS POPPY SEED SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons half & half
1 teaspoon poppy seed
1 teaspoon grated lime

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in small bowl. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.

RANCH SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley, crushed
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in the blender and process on high speed until well blended and powdery smooth.

To use: Combine 1 tablespoon dry mix with 1 cup milk and 1 cup mayonnaise. Mix well.

In a large pan, fry the snapper (sprinkled with sea salt) skin-side-down until golden. Turn the fillets over to finish cooking the fish. To stop the fillets from curling up, use a fish slice to press down on the fillets as soon as they go in the pan. Hold for 20 seconds at the start.

Toss arugula in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of New Zealand or regular extra-virgin olive oil.

Arrange potato slices on warmed dinner plates and squeeze “circles” of vanilla saffron aioli around the potatoes. Place snapper on top with arugula and roast tomato to the side. Brush with lemon caramel and serve while hot.

Vanilla Saffron Aioli
Boil the vinegar and saffron together. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and rub the seeds into fine salt. If using vanilla extract, skip this step. In a bowl, whisk vanilla salt or extract onto the yolk, whisk in vinegar and slowly add in the oil, whisking well. Place in a bottle until ready to use. This makes it easy to serve and will keep in the fridge for up to four days.

Lemon Caramel
Boil sugar, water and salt till golden caramel in color. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before carefully stirring in the lemon juice. Use a pastry brush to coat the snapper fillets.

This authentic New Zealand dish can help spice up your menu.