Crusted Tilapia

For years people (and websites) have been trying to convince me that you can crust chicken/fish with cereal to make a healthy "fried" item. I remained skepitical. Mostly I heard cornflakes, and I wondered if that was really that much healthier than breadcrumbs. Then I heard fiber bran cereal, and I thought well that's definitely healthier, but not extremely appetizing. After reading hundreds of reviews saying you can't tell it's bran cereal (the little twig kind, not the flakes), I decided to test it on some tilapia. I am happy to report that it is delicious and that you absolutely can't tell that it's bran. It's got a slightly richer and sweeter flavor, but mixed with the chili powder and the fresh herbs it just tastes wonderful. It's a bit darker in color than it would be with plain bread crumbs, but equally delicious. So skepitics out there, try it out and see for yourself!

Crusted Tilapia:
1/2 lemon
3 Tilapia fillets
1/2 cup of fiber bran cereal
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of chili powder
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp of fresh parsley
1 tbsp of sunflower oil

Squeeze the lemon over the fish on both sides, and set asside. In a food processor, pulse the cereal, garlic and parsley until resembles bread crumbs. Add in the seasonings and pulse to combine. Pour the crumbs into a shallow dish. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Slice each fish fillet along the natural divide so you have 2 strips from each fillet. Dip the strips in the cereal mixture and coat with crumbs on both sides. Put fish in pan and cook until brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Happy Eating.

Cheater's Fish Curry

Is anyone feeling a little adventerous today? Like they might want to challenge themselves, to try something new and exciting? I love Indian Food, it has wonderful textures and flavors, and the smell of spices is just intoxicating. It's definitely outside my cooking comfort zone, and some of the ingredients (ok, a lot of them) are a bit difficult to find. So I found what I could and then improvised the rest, combining several curry recipes, and just making some stuff up as I went along. Still not adventurous enough for you? Let's through is some fish, and even though I love fish, it defenitely has a reputation for being one of the "scarier" proteins. The results of this experiment left me feeling like a mad scientist, in the best possible way, and the results were absolutely delicious. Delicate poached fish, infused with the wonderful spices of India, and in a lovely rich sauce, with just a hint of coconut and sweetness. So be a little adventerous and enjoy!

Cheater's Fish Curry:
1 tbsp extra vigrin coconut oil
3 shallots
1 onion
1 jalapeno
1 zucchini
1 bell pepper
1 tomato
2 cups of low sodium chicken stock, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of evaporated milk
1 1/4 tsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp corriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1 lb of tilapia
1 tbsp of corn starch

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil. Thinly slice shallots, onions, and jalapeno and add to hot skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until shallots and onions soften and start to brown, about 6 minutes. Slice zucchini and bell pepper and add to pan, lower heat to medium and cook until pepper begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Chop and add tomato. Add 1 cup of stock and 1/4 cup of evaporated milk. Add the spices and sugar, stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Season fish with salt and chop into 1 inch pieces, and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently until the fish is opaque, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, whisk the cornstarch, remaining stock, and remaining evaporated milk together in a bowl. When the fish is cooked through, whisk in the stock mixture, and stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve over rice. Enjoy.

Happy Eating

Sriracha Lime Shrimp

I love a meal that I can make super fast. Sometimes (believe it or not) I don't feel like cooking and I jsut want something delicious to be done already. I love a meal that I can throw a couple of things in a bag, go change, come back and cook it it about 10 minutes. It's good to have a few of those in your back pocket for lazy days or days you are so hungry you can't wait for dinner to be done. This shrimp meal is delicious, healthy and super fast. Just serve up the shrimp with sauteed veggies and chinese noodles (which cook in three minutes, so perfect for a fast meal). Or if you can't wait for the onions to soften, toss the shrimp and noodles with some lettuce and additional lime, and spritz of olive oil for a fast and delicious salad.

Sriracha Lime Shrimp:
1 tbsp of Sriracha Sauce
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup of vegetable stock or 1 tbps of canola oil for cooking

Place peeled and deveined shrimp in a plastic bag. Stir together the Sriracha, lime juice, sal, pepper, and ginger. Add to the shrimp. Let marinade for 30 minutes to an hour. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetable stock (to boil) or oil (to pan fry). When skillet is hot, add shrimp and cook stirring frequently until they are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve with chinese noodles and sauteed vegetables (I used a pepper-onion-mushroom medley). Enjoy.

Happy Eating.

Shrimp Tacos

Two simple and delicious dips now get to become a delicious and fun dinner, with some super easy shrimp tacos! Up the easy factor by making the dips the night before (and then just try to save at least a little to have with dinner). This fresh feast takes about 10 minutes to make (if the dips are done, slightly longer if not) and is tastier and healthier (not to mention with way less salt) than what you'll find at the average taco/fajita serving restaurant. I am calling these tacos, because I used the really little tortillas, and I am usually a hard shell taco kind of girl, but with the peppers and onions they are probably more in the fajita camp, either way they are delicious.

Shrimp Tacos:
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 bell peppers, your choice of color
1 large yellow onion
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of chili powder
1/2 lemon, juiced
8 small flour tortillas
Queso Fresco, Sour Cream, Guacamole, and Salsa Verde for serving

Pre-heat the oven to 400. Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Slice the onion and peppers into thin strips, add the the pan and season with 1/2 tsp of pepper, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Cook until peppers and onions are soft but with a little bite, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent total burning (a little char is delcicious). Remove peppers and onions from pan and set asside. Add remaining olive oil. Season shrimp with chili powder, 1/2 tsp of pepper, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Toss them in the juice. Add to the pan and sautee until pink and curled. Use the oven to warm the tortillas. I like mine a little crispy, but if you don't watch them carefully, they heat fast. Serve tacos a la cart style with queso, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa verde. Enjoy!

Happy Eating.

Daring Cooks Ceviche

Blog-checking lines: Kathlyn of Bake Like a Ninja was our Daring Cooks’ March 2011 hostess. Kathlyn challenges us to make two classic Peruvian dishes: Ceviche de Pescado from “Peruvian Cooking – Basic Recipes” by Annik Franco Barreau. And Papas Rellenas adapted from a home recipe by Kathlyn’s Spanish teacher, Mayra.

I am so excited to be participating in my first Daring Cooks Challenge! And what I great first challenge for a fish lover! I have eaten fish cooked every way (or not cooked at all), but I have always been nervous to play around with alternate cooking methods for fish, for fear of not fresh enough seafood. This was just the kick I needed. Ceviche is fish that has been "cooked" in citrus juice. It was so easy to make and so amazingly delicious. It was also really cool to watch the fish cook, and change color from the citrus juice. I choose Corvina, because it's South American, and it looked incredibly fresh and delicious in the store, but any firm white and mild flavored fish, or scallops can be used. This was a fantastic challenge and here is my adaption of the recipe and the rest of my Peruvian inspired meal below.

Ceviche:
1 lb of Corvina or other mild flavor, firm texture white fish
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1 garlic clove
2 limes
2 lemons
1 handful of fresh cliantro
1/2 small red onion
1/2 an avocado

Mince the garlic, cilantro, 1/2 of the onion and and jalapeno. Cut the fish into small bite size pieces. Mix the fish with the garlic, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon and lime juice in and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionly. Then chill before serving. Serve with sliced red onion and diced avocado. (adapted from Peruvian Cooking – Basic Recipes)

I also tried to make the papas rellanas, but forgot to crust the meatballs in potatoes (oops). What I ended up with was a giant (but still delicious) Scotch Egg and a side of mashed potatoes, making this a very unusual but extremely tasty meal.

Scotch egg:
8 oz of ground beef
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp of chili powder
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 cup of water
3 hardboiled eggs
1 egg
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of panko
salt, pepper
2 tbsp of canola oil

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add ground beef. Mince onion and garlic (no need to be exact you are going to food prosessor it later). Add the onion and garlic to the beef along with the spices. Cook for 3 minutes, then deglaze with water and scrape up the browned bits. Allow mixture to cool, then transfer to the food processor. Pulse until the meat is very fine and sticks together easily. Arrange a breading station. Beat egg in one bowl, have one bowl of flour seasoned lightly with salt and pepper and one bowl of bread panko. Take a peeled hardboiled egg and run it under water, then pack a handfull of meat around the egg to shape it into a ball. Roll that in flour, then in the egg white, and then in the panko. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry the meat encrusted eggs on all side until golden. Serve with mustard (or mashed potatoes and ceviche, if your me).

Happy Eating.

Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia

My seafood adventures continue. Trying to find new and fun ways to make a satisfying meal for a fish lover (me) and a not so much (the boyfriend). After spending 15 minutes in the super market convincing him he would like tilapia and that it was very mild, I figured I better make it very delicious. What is better than crusted and fried? How about the appearance and taste of being crusted and fried, while still being extremely healthy and not a million calories. Perfection. The tilapia is mild and firm, which makes it a perfect fish for crusting, I choose cornmeal for a little texture, flavor, and whole graininess. This delicious dinner was done in about 10 minutes too (well the asparagus took a little longer than that, but you could choose a super fast side), so this dinner is perfect for a lazy and healthy week night meal.

Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia:
2 tilapia fillets, a little less than a pound
1/4 cup of cornmeal
1/4 tsp of salt, plus additional
1/2 tsp of pepper, plus additional
1 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 a lemon
1 1/2 tbsp of canola oil, approximately

Slice the tilapia fillets along the natural split, so you have four pieces. Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets on both sides and lightly salt and pepper. In a bowl mix together the cornmeal 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper, and the parsley. Dredge each piece in the cornmeal mixture on both sides. Heat the oil in a large skillet, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the two larger pieces and cook for 3 minutes. Add the smaller pieces and and flip the larger pieces. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes then flip the smaller pieces, cook everything for another 1 1/2 minutes. In case that was confusing, the larger pieces cook for 3 minutes on each side, and the smaller pieces cook for about 1 1/2 minutes each side. Serve and enjoy.

Happy Eating.

Salt Baked Branzino

I have been progressing on my quest to cook and eat more fish quite nicely. Today I have for you a Salt Baked Branzino. I actually have eaten a lot of Branzino, it's one of my mom's favorites and she grills them whole all the time. I decided to bake mine in a salt dome, which is something I have always wanted to do. It looks and sounds impressive and tastes wonderful and it is very easy to do. The hardest part in getting the fillets out of the whole fish after they cook. Some of the pieces turned out nicely, but some fell apart. Be gentle, is the best advice I can give, it's a delicate fish. And while you are eating the fish, be careful for little bones that might be left. I realize this doesn't sound like a really winning endorsement but I assure you the fish is absolutely delicious and worth the little extra effort! I served the delicious fish with simple roasted Brussels sprouts (one of my favorites!) and some leftover corn bread that I had made for my ribs night. Enjoy!



Salt Baked Branzino:
1 14.5 oz container of unrefined sea salt, fine crystals
2 egg whites, possibly more
2 1 lb whole branzinos, cleaned
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 lemons, plus more for serving
1 tsp of pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the fish and pat dry. Place the fish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season inside the slits of the fish with peeper, and stuff each one with 3 sprigs of thyme. Cut one lemon into 6 thin slices and reserve ends for juice. Place 3 lemon slices on the inside of each fish, over the thyme. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish. Mix salt with egg whites, one at a time, until the mixture looks like wet sand. Divide the salt between the two fish and cover the fish with salt, packing it down slightly. Bake fish until the sand has a slightly golden tint, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and crack the salt to remove fish. Check the fish for doneness, and if they aren't cooked through return to the oven (without the salt is fine) for a few minutes. When the fish are cooked, remove the lemon and thyme for the fish. Cut off the head and the tail and open the fish from the slit. Gently lift fish away from the bone and serve with a piece of fresh lemon for squeezing. (adapted from Epicurious)

The fish stuffed and ready for their salt dome:



Salted, baked, and ready to be cracked and served:



Brussels Sprouts:
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 lb of brussel sprouts
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 425. These can really be cooked at any temperature, I started them at 425, then lowered the oven to 400 when I put the fish in. Cut the ends off the Brussels sprouts and wash them. In a large casserole dish toss the Brussels sprouts with salt pepper and olive oil. Cook the sprouts on the top rack until they are tender and browned in spots, about 35 minutes, but will vary by temperature.

Happy Eating.

Pan Seared Swordfish

Part of my blog-a-versery goals for this year was more fish to makes it's way here. This goes amazingly with one of my New Year's resolution, which is to eat more fish. Hmmm... Cook more fish, eat more fish, that definitely goes well together. So far I have been doing very well with the eating more fish, and I am moving along nicely with the cooking more fish. Today I have this delicious swordfish steak for you. Swordfish is a great "beginner" fish, it has a very mild flavor and it cooks similarly to a steak. It is great for grilling, broiling or pan searing. I pan seared mine very simply, and served it with roasted potatoes, onions and turnips. Eating the side reminded me of the cold and how much longer there is left in winter, but the fish tasted very fresh and summery. I think the plate definitely reflects my weather attitude, that is if it is going to insist on being this cold, I would like some more snow, but otherwise bring on the warm weather! Either way, this swordfish is delicious and great if you are not a big fish lover. If you are a fish lover (like me) stay tuned because I have a more "advanced" dinner coming up.



Pan Seared Swordfish:
1 lb sword fish steak, about 1 inch thick
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 lemon
1/2 lime
1 shallot
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper, squeeze with the lime juice, and the juice of half the lemon. When the pan is hot, place fish in the pan and cook for 2 minutes, lower heat to medium and cook an additional 3 minutes. Meanwhile dice the shallots and the garlic and add them to the pan. Flip the fish and cook for 5 minutes. Cut the fish into 2 steaks for serving. Serve with a lemon wedge from the reserved lemon half.



Roasted Potatoes, Onions, and Turnips:
1/2 lb of red potatoes
1 large turnip, peeled
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of chili powder
2 tbsp of olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the potatoes, turnip, and onion into large bite size pieces. Lightly grease a small casserole dish and put veggies in it. Mince the garlic. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and chili powder to the dish and toss together. Sprinkle with olive oil and toss until everything is coated. Bake until potatoes are tender on the inside and crisp on the outside, about 35 minutes, depending on the cut of your veggies.

Happy Eating.

Ready, Set, Blog!

When I first read this first challenge, the very wide question, "What defines you as a food blogger?" my mind immediately set off in a million different directions, spinning completely out of control. What defines me, Am I a home chef? A foodie? A kid playing house? Someone with a little too much free time? Well, I guess I am a little bit of all of those things. Simply, I am a girl who loves food and loves sharing (I learned my kindergarten lessons well). So, while I cannot physically feed you all, and believe me I wish I could, I can share my creations, my recipes, and my meals with you. I could write you a novel on how much I love food, and how much joy this blog brings me, and maybe you would start to understand why I cook, why I blog, what makes me as a food blogger, and why I want to be the next Food Blogging Star. But instead I want to show you, so allow me to invite you to dinner...



Trout with Crispy Shallots:
1 lb of trout fillets, 3-4 fillets
1 lemon, plus additional lemon for serving if desired.
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 medium shallot
2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt, pepper

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Slice and separate shallots so that they form small rings. Cut a few slices out of the center of the lemon, and quarter the rest for juicing. Put the shallots and the lemon slices in the oil. While they are in, salt and pepper the trout on the non-skin side, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper each (or to taste), Squeeze the lemon juice over the trout. Put in the pan skin side down (the shallots should already be a bit crispy at this point). Cook for 4 minutes then flip over, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve with fresh lemon and the crispy shallots from the pan.




Truffled Asparagus:
1 bunch fresh asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh goat cheese
1 egg
salt, pepper
A few fresh shavings of Parmesan cheese
1-2 tsp of truffle oil

Pre-heat oven to 400. Salt and pepper asparagus and drizzle with the olive oil. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the asparagus are tender and the ends are crispy. Poach the egg: In a small sauce pan, boil some water and then reduce to a simmer, crack an egg into the water. Maintain a constant simmer and cook egg for a few minutes until the white is set. Top asparagus with the goat cheese, then the egg, then the fresh Parmesan.



Quiona
1 cup red quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup of white wine
2 medium shallots
1/4 cup of dried fruit, I used raisins and apricots
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt, pepper

Heat the olive oil in a small pan, over medium-low heat. Dice the shallots and add to the oil. When they begin to stick add the white wine and the fruit, allow to simmer until the wine is reduced and almost evaporated. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper broth to taste. Add the quiona, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook covered until the visible liquid is gone and the grains look split, about 30 minutes (My box of quinoa says it cooks in 15 minutes, but it does not, not even close). In a small pan toast the pine nuts over medium heat, stiring frequently. This could also be done in an oven, just be careful not to burn them. Stir pine nuts into quinoa.



Happy Eating.

Family Secrets

So as promised a post about Gefilte Fish. So for those of you who don't know, gefitle fish is a traditional Passover dish made from carp. It is served at just about every Sedar, but it is rarely made from scratch, because it is labor intense and smelly, but it tastes so much better when it is. My family has always made there own fish. My dad and my aunt tell stories about when the fish used to live in the bathtub for 3 days, before my nanny made it, and how they loved it because they didn't have to shower.

My first fish memory is from when I was about 5. My nanny (grandma) took me with her to buy the fish, back when you could pick the specific live fish you wanted (now you just say how many pounds you need). The fish were all swimming in the tank and my nanny picked the one she wanted. The fish monger put it on the counter, and wham, a hammer to it's head. They put it up on the scale to weigh it and it started flopping all over the place. The monger then chased it around the behind the counter area holding some kind of blunt object until finally... SMACK, and then it flopped no more. My nanny grabbed my arm, very hard and whispered in my ear, "that is how you know you have a good fish."

So, my aunt (pictured here with me, and we are both wearing very fashionable hand sewn (by my nanny) aprons) inherited this recipe, right and responsibility from her mother, and it extends back at least another generation still. And now, it is being passed on to me. My aunt has this giant binder of family recipes, hand written by her, my grandmother, and my great grandmother, with notes added each year about what worked, what didn't, etc. The binder is truly something to behold.

So now, fish making...

Let's start at the beginning. First you make a fish stock from the bones and head.


Then you grind the fish up in small batches, with some other ingredients (think fish meat balls)

Then you form the gefilte fish and you cook them in the stock.

Then you take the fish skin.

And cover the fish in the pot.

Now it's done cooking.

Tad-ah!

And that my friends, is how you get gefilte fish. Well cooking it, like eating it is certainly an acquired taste.

Happy Eating