Chili Lime Cod Loins with Avocado Salsa

This is most certainly a nod to Monica's dish (that I LOVE and make so frequently that I had to start messing with the recipe to change it up...) Cayenne Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4 cod loins (1 lb)
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 limes, halved
• Salt, pepper
• Chili powder

Directions:
1. Prep salsa by combining avocado, tomato, and 1 lime in a bowl. Fold it together and let it chill in the fridge.
2. Season the cod loins with salt, pepper, and a light smattering of chili powder.
3. Heat a saute pan or skillet on medium high heat, just until it starts to smoke. Reduce heat to medium and place cod loins on pan. Nudge with a spatula once a minute to see if they're ready to flip. They're not ready to flip until they stop nudging back (3-4 minutes). Flip 'em when they're ready, and let cook another 1-2 minutes.
4. When fish is done, squeeze the remaining lime over the cooked pieces. Top with avocado salsa and serve with long grain rice. Yum!

Braised Haddock, with herbed tomato sauce and roasted peppers

I'll show these as two dishes, but really they complimented each other so perfectly! The only change that I would make would be to use green peppers rather than red. There was just too much red on the plate. 

Roasted, Peeled Bell Peppers in vinaigrette
Time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minutes to chill)
Serves: 2-4
 
Ingredients:

• 2 bell peppers (any color, I used red and yellow. I wish I wouldn't have used red, because while the flavor was good, the color balance was too red in combination with tomatoes).
• 1/4 c grapeseed oil (or any mild flavored oil/dressing)
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 t salt

Directions:
1. Divide peppers in half, then place on a baking sheet face down. Broil on high for 3 minutes. Continue checking them every 1-2 minutes until the peppers are spotted with brown.
2. Cool peppers by running under cold water. Then remove skins fairly quickly, the browned skin can cause the flesh of the pepper to brown. Slice the peeled peppers thinly (1/4-1/2") and set aside.
3. Mash garlic and salt together using a mortar and pestle or a food pro. Combine oil, garlic and vinegar. Whisk well, and pour over peppers. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Braised fish filet
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2


Ingredients:

• 1 1 lb fish filet (I used haddock. It holds together well for braising and has such a mild fish-flavor when it's cooked. Beware of the smell of raw haddock, however. Luckily, the smell fades as soon as you hit it with any hot liquid.
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 c fish stock or light chicken stock
• 1 c dry white wine or white vermouth
• 1 1/2 c peeled, diced tomatoes (I used drained, canned tomatoes)
• 2 T butter

Directions: Preheat oven to 350
1. Remove any skin from the filet. Bring stock and wine to a simmer in a small pot. Lightly butter fish and place in a shallow baking dish. Add liquids and bay leaves. Bake for 20 minutes. Place fish on a tray and let stand while you make the sauce.
2. In a medium sauce pan, quickly saute scallions on high heat for 1 minute. Then add liquids from fish and boil down quickly until it is almost a syrup viscosity (4-5 minutes). Fold in drained tomatoes and boil for another 4-5 minutes.
3. Spoon sauce over fish and serve with rice.

Pecan Crusted Salmon and sides

This one came together quickly and was really yummy!

The spicy pecan crusted salmon came prepared from the grocery store. I didn't touch the green beans except to wash and season them, and the rice was super throw-together. All of that being said, it was tasty!

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon filets, marinated or coated
• 1/2 lb fresh green beans
• 1 c long grain rice
• 1/2 c marsala wine
• 1 c sliced mushrooms
• 2 dashes of soy sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a sauce pan, combine 1 c rice, 1 1/2 c water, 1/2 c marsala wine, mushrooms and a few dashes of soy sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, and simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid while the rice is cooking.
3. Bake the salmon at 350 for 20-25 minutes. About 10 minutes into baking the salmon, pop the green beans in the oven. I topped them with butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and drizzled them with honey. Baking for about 10 minutes kept them nice and crisp.

Sushi

For my 25th birthday party I served sushi and it was a huge success. The guests really enjoyed it, but I think I enjoyed making it more than anything. A friend of mine brought some great ingredients and know-how, the result was fantastic!

Let's take this step by step and by the end you'll be a sushi pro! There are two types of rolls in this picture, traditional rolls (seaweed paper on the outside) and inside out rolls (rice on the outside).

Sticky Rice!

Sticky Rice Ingredients:

• 2 c short grain rice
• 4 c water
• 1/2 c rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 t salt

Sticky Rice Directions:

1. Rinse the rice a few times. Each time you add water, be sure to agitate the rice with your hands. Keep rinsing it until the water is just about clear. If you don't do this, your rice won't be properly sticky.
2. Bring the rice and 4 c water to a rolling boil, let it boil for 5 minutes on medium heat, then reduce heat to LOW and cook covered for 15 minutes.
3. While the rice is cooking, combine rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Then remove from heat and let cool.
4. Empty cooked rice into a large flat surface (I used a cookie sheet). Pour the vinegar syrup over  a spoon onto the rice, to help evenly spread the vinegar syrup. Then use a slicing motion to diagonally move rice from a giant heap to the far edge of the cookie sheet. You're goal is to spread the vinegar solution throughout the rice without smashing the it. By the time you're at the end of the pile of rice, the cookie sheet will be covered and the rice will start holding together.
5. Now take a newspaper or piece of cardboard and fan the rice until it cools. Turn it a couple of times during the fanning process so that the moisture and heat evaporate evenly from the rice. Fan for about 10 minutes.
6. Voila- you should have some very sticky rice! Cover with a damp cloth until you're ready to use it.

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Dipping Sauces!

This part is a two person job

Sriracha Aoli Ingredients:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 squeezed lime
• 2 T Sriracha (hot sauce that you can find in the Asian section of the grocery store)
• 1 c oil
• 2 t salt

Directions:

1. Combine egg yolk, Sriracha and lime juice in a mixing bowl.



The emulsion will stick to the whisk.

2. Slowly pour a constant stream of oil into the bowl and whisk the entire time until the mixture emulsifies (you'll know it when you see it). Don't add all of the oil if you don't need it. We didn't measure it, so I'm not positive about the amount. The key to this one is that if you add more oil it will get thicker and if you add more lime or Sriracha (acids) it will get thinner. So if you mess up the amount of oil, you can always go back.

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Boiling jalapenos? Hot hot hot!

Jalapeno Sauce Ingredients

• 3 Jalapenos, blanched
• 1/2 squeezed lime
• 1 T water
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 4 T oil
• 1 t salt

Directions

1. Remove stems from blanched peppers
2. Blend together all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
3. This one's a-spicy!

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Sushi!

I'm going to show a lot of pictures of this part because it really can't hurt!

Ingredients

• Bamboo rolling sheet
• Bowl of water to dip your fingers in
• Nori (Seaweed paper)
• 6 c sticky rice
• 1 avocado
• 1 6 oz salmon filet
• 1/4 c cream cheese
• thinly sliced red pepper or carrot
• Crab leg meat
• Kim Chee (spicy fermented cabbage and chili peppers, found in an Asian market)
• Be creative!

Directions

1. Wrap bamboo rolling sheet in saran wrap
2. With wet hands spread a small baseball sized amount of rice onto the bamboo roll. Press it flat and leave an inch at the end with no rice.

 

3. Lay 2/3 of a Nori paper on top of the rice.

4. Add Kim Chee in a line down the center of the paper.

 

5. Roll it up starting at the end with the paper and rice. Try to keep it tight. This part takes practice, but be assertive with it and you'll get it.

6. Thinly slice avocado and salmon (paper thin) and lay them out alternatingly onto a piece of saran wrap.

7. Lay the sushi roll on the salmon/avocado. Put the whole thing onto the bamboo sheet and roll it up the same way. Roll it tight so that the avocado and salmon press into the rice and come out flush with the surface of the roll.

8. With a sharp wet knife, cut the sushi roll into 6 slices and present decoratively with dipping sauces and soy sauce. The scrap ends are great to munch on while you're making the rolls, but save room for dinner!

We played around with different ingredients in different rolls. You can do the traditional (nori on the outside) roll by putting the nori on the bamboo first (no saran wrap needed) and spread the rice out to 1 inch away from the edge of the paper. Experiment with thicknesses of rolls and ingredient combinations. I did one with a squash puree and spinach that was tasty and light. 

9. Clean up the giant mess that you've just made! The key to working with sticky rice is water water water and that applies to clean up too!

Fish Tacos

This recipe comes from my friend Casey (known as Boy-Casey in any situation where Girl-Casey will be...).  He's recently caught wind of the blog and I wanted to send him a nod by posting my favorite dish of his. A summer classic!

Ingredients:
4 4 oz cod filets
1 c panko bread crumbs
1/2 c oil
1 egg
-

1/2 c mayonnaise
3 limes
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
-
1/2 of a white cabbage, chopped
12 hard taco shells
-
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Combine mayo, squeezed limes, and Old Bay seasoning. Let sit in the fridge until you're ready to eat.
2. Chop cabbage and set it aside.
3. Cut cod filets into 1"x1" cubes. Douse in egg wash and bread with panko crumbs.
4. Fry  fish in medium-hot oil for 3-4 minutes on each side.
5. Microwave taco taco shells for 30 seconds or heat in the oven at 300 degrees for 5 minutes.
6. Combine ingredients in a taco shell and top with cheese.



These are the best fish tacos I think I've had. The recipe is such a nice twist on taco night!

Artic Char with Cucumber-Feta Relish and Ricotta Dumplings

This dish was great for a summer day where I didn't want to bother with the grill and still didn't need to turn on the oven. It was also very easy and quick to make. I have served this fish before but with Jalapeno Goat Cheese Hush Puppies. As I needed Ricotta for tomorrow night's dinner, I made it with the dumplings instead and they were delicious. I used salmon as a substitue for the artic char, they are both in the Salmonidae family.

Artic Char

Serves 4

Ingredients

Relish:

1 12-ounce cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

3/4 cup coarsely crumbled sheep's-milk feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

Fish:

4 5- to 6-ounce arctic char (or salmon) fillets with skin

3 tablespoons canola oil

Directions

For relish:

Toss first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Season relish with salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

For fish:

Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Place fish, skin side down, in skillet. Cook until skin is brown, occasionally flattening with spatula to prevent curling, about 4 minutes. Turn fish over. Cook until just opaque in center, about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, mound relish on plates. Top with fish, skin side up. Arrange dumplings alongside and serve.

Dumplings

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta

1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving

1 large egg yolk

1 and 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, cheese, egg yolk, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until combined. Sift 1/2 cup flour over mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and sift remaining flour over top. With fingertips, gently incorporate flour into dough and lightly knead until dough comes together (do not overwork dough).

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 3/4 inch thick and 20 inches long. With a knife or dough scraper, cut each log into 1/2-inch pieces.

Drop pieces into boiling water. Cook until they plump up and float to the surface, 2 minutes. Drain dumplings and shake off excess water.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium. When it sizzles, add dumplings and cook, undisturbed, until golden on one side, 6 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet containing dumplings and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with cheese.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Grilled Halibut with Mango-Avocado Salsa

My grandmother gets me a subscription to Bon Appetit magazine which is always filled with the most delicious recipes. This one was in a feature about Gwyneth Paltrow. It was super easy to make and tasted delicious! I served it with oil and vinegar over a bed of spinach to turn it into a salad and a slice of Texas Toast.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice

1 medium ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 6-ounce halibut or mahi-mahi fillets

4 lime wedges

Directions

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Gently combine the avocado, mango, tomatoes, basil, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature, gently tossing occasionally.

Place fish fillets in a 13x9x2" glass baking dish. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoon lime juice over. Season fish with salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, turning fish occasionally.

Brush grill rack with oil. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Spoon mango-avocado salsa over fish. Squeeze a lime wedge over each and serve.

Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna on Mixed Greens with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Ok, this one sounds like a lot, but it's really quick and easy to whip up. AND it was delicious! Seriously, I got home from a 10.5 hr day of work at 6:30 and dinner was completely ready by 6:50 with Joe's help at the chopping board :)

Mmm- Doesn't that look good?!

The Greens
It's good to have helping hands to chop up all of the goods while you mix the dressing and sear the tuna. Just dice and chop everything up! In this mix we used:
-Cabbage
-Spinache
-Broccoli
-Cilantro
-Bok Choy stalks
-Cucumber
-shredded Carrots
-sliced Strawberries


Wasabi Vinaigrette 
Combine and Shake Well!!

Red Rice
You'll see this dish used time and time again with me, so just try it! It's good with everything!

• 1 c rice
• 1 c water
• 1 can diced tomato (with basil, garlic, or whatever)

1. Bring to a boil
2. Reduce heat to LOW, cover, and let simmer 15 without opening the lid!

Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna

• 1 eight-oz tuna steak
• 3 T sesame seeds
• 1 egg, whipped
• 3 T olive oil

1. Dip tuna in egg, then sesame seeds (on both sides)
2. Sear in a pan with olive oil on medium/ medium high heat on each side for just under 2 minutes each.
3. Slice going with the grain and lay atop Mixed Greens.
4. Add a scoop of Red Rice. The hot rice with the cool salad makes a nice wilty and refreshing treat with the Tuna!
5. Drizzle with Vinaigrette.

   

   When you sear the Tuna, you'll still see some Pink/Red on the sides when it's time to pull it out of the pan.

Salmon, red rice, and eggplant Jo Jo's

This is my twist on an easy way to dress up salmon that's quick and always a hit!

Ingredients:

• 2 four oz pieces of salmon (I got the "tomato basil" ones from the fresh fish market at Giant Eagle)
• 1 c long grain rice
• 1 c water
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (basil, garlic and oregano seasoned)
• 1 egg plant
• 2 glugs olive oil
• salt and pepper
• rock salt ("Jal Jeera" is the Indian name, or "Chaat Masala" ... I think Casey referred to this as "house seasoning")

 Red Rice

1. Combine rice, water and canned tomatoes in a medium pot
2. Uncovered, bring to a rolling boil
3. Reduce heat to LOW, cover, and let simmer 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let stand until the meal finishes cooking. Resist the urge to open the lid when you remove it from the heat. Just let it be, child.

**Get this started because it can sit for as long as the meal takes to cook.

Salmon
1. Preheat oven to 400 F, put salmon on a baking tray

Eggplant Jo Jo's

1. Cut eggplant into 2" rings, slice rings in half (into two half circles), stand the half circles up, and slice them into 2 wedges.
2. Drizzle with olive oil.
3. Season with salt, pepper, rock salt
4. Add to baking tray (with salmon if you're a one pan weirdo like me...)

Bake

1. Bake Salmon and Eggplant at 400 for 15 minutes.

Voila! Fresh, yummy, healthy, and quick! Joe's review: "...the rice came out soft and perfect... I give it a 3.5 out of 4" (Cue: Jolene gives Joe a nasty look and clears throat) "Actually, 3.9 out of 4." Moral of the story, Don't piss off the cook... duh!

Salmon and Couscous Packets

For my first blog recipe I thought I would start with something easy that and anyone can cook. The pearled couscous comes from a box making this dish only semi homemade. I like the Near East brand for the couscous (be sure to get pearled couscous, the larger balls) and for my house seasoning in use Paula Deen's. Also, for the matchstick carrots I like to use the ones that are pre shredded and come in a bag, found in the salad section of the grocery store. They are great for salads the next day. I paired this salmon dish with a light, crisp, carbonated Vinho Verde made by Gazela.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 (5-ounce) pkgs basil and herb pearled couscous mix, cooked according to directions

4 (4-ounce) skinless salmon fillets

1 c matchstick zucchini 1 c matchstick carrots

1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tsp house seasoning blend
Salt & Pepper

2 Tbs olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.2. On 4 sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil, divide couscous evenly. Place salmon fillets over couscous. Top each evenly with zucchini, carrots, sliced tomato, and sliced lemon. Sprinkle with house seasoning, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Fold the paper or foil over and seal completely.

3. Bake for 15 minutes, on a baking pan, adding more time if your fish is more than 4oz.