Mayan Chicken

Beverly Smick, Coulee Dam, WA

This chicken dish, which Beverly Smick serves with rice and beans, was inspired by one she enjoyed on a recent trip to Belize. The chicken gets its red color from a paste made of achiote seeds (from annatto trees), commonly sold in Latin American markets.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/4 hours, plus at least 3 hours to chill

MAKES: 4 servings

4 chicken breast halves (about 10 oz. each), skinned

2 tablespoons salted red achiote paste (see note above)

1 can (141/2 oz.) crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green bell pepper (8 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub achiote paste all over chicken. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, thyme, salt, cumin, oregano, and pepper; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.

2. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add bell pepper and onion and stir often until limp, about 10 minutes.

3. Add chicken and its marinade to pan and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), about 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer chicken to a wide, shallow serving bowl; pour sauce over chicken.

Per serving: 319 cal., 18% (56 cal.) from fat; 45 g protein; 6.2 g fat (1.1 g sat.); 20 g carbo (2.5 g fiber); 762 mg sodium; 107 mg chol.

Salmon Cakes with Cilantro-Ginger Aioli

Jennifer Swezey-Rudnick, Boulder, CO

Jennifer Swezey-Rudnick serves these flavorful cakes over sauteed greens. She bakes the salmon first and makes her own mayonnaise for the aioli; we've simplified by starting with unbaked salmon and prepared mayonnaise.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes

MAKES: 10 cakes; 5 main-dish servings

13/4 pounds boned, skinned salmon fillet, cut into chunks

1/3 cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons minced shallots

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice

2 tablespoons salad oil

Cilantro-Ginger Aioli (recipe follows)