Fresh Fish Tacos (made at home)

Inspired by the trend of tasty tacos at some of our favorite restaurants, I decided to try my hand at making them at home. We're having a beef-free week - after documenting our meals we realized that we were eating red meat a little too frequently. The hot item in the food world right now is fish tacos. The dish incorporates a few of our favorite ingredients: avocados, cilantro, lime, and fresh fish. I opted for a pan friend (not breaded and fried) version to keep it on the lighter side.

We are also trying to stick to a stricter budget for food, so the fish choice was based on the lowest price at the store that day - cod fillet. For the two of us (no leftovers) we got 1/2 pound of cod fillet (on the thick side). I decided to wing it and make up my own recipe instead of looking one up.

This was great with the cod - the hubby decided that the recipe would be tasty with salmon or mahi mahi (and fresh tuna if it ever went on sale). For the wrapper we used a small corn tortilla that had more flavor and was easier to manage than a giant burrito sized flour tortilla. Topping included a quick pickled cabbage, diced avocado, fresh tomato salsa, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.

This was a quick meal. While the fish was marinating I chopped veggies for the salsa and the black beans. The beans were started, salsa and avocado prepared, and then all that was left was cooking the fish and warming up the tortillas. I only wish that we had some margaritas to enjoy with the meal...there's always next time.

Here are some photos and recipes. I didn't write down measurements as I cooked, this is my guess at what I did!

Fresh Fish Tacos
1/2 pound fresh cod fillet, cut into 2 inch cubes
About 1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
2 dashes of green Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper (just a sprinkle of each)

Put half the olive oil into a bowl with the smashed garlic clove and jalapeno
Put the cut fish into the bowl
Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, Tabasco, and salt and pepper
Put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes (or as long as you need to prep the other components)

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat (on a 1-10 dial, I used 5)
Remove fish from the marinade and put into the skillet
Cook for 4 minutes on the first side
Flip, and cook for 2 minutes on the other side
When the fish is cooked through, use a fork to break up the big pieces (it will flake along the grain)

Serve with warmed corn tortillas and the following toppings

Quick 'pickled' Slaw
I cheated and used a prepared coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots). Use only enough for this meal. The idea is to get a nice tangy slaw to play off the salsa and avocado flavors. You could try any vinegar you have (in the next post on turkey tacos, I used red wine vinegar)

Coleslaw mix (or chopped green cabbage)
About 3-4 tablespoons or so of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Toss cabbage well with the oil and vinegar
Season with salt and pepper
Keep in the refrigerator until just before serving

Tomato Salsa
2 plum or roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/4 of a white onion, diced
A small handful of chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Mix well and chill

Black Beans and Red Pepper

1 can black beans, drained
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/4 onion, diced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a small pot over medium heat
Add in red pepper, garlic, jalapeno, and onion
Cook for about 5 minutes, until just softened (don't burn the garlic!)
Add in beans
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer
Simmer until the rest of the meal is ready

Other Toppings
Diced avocado (squeeze lime juice over it)
Lime wedges for a squeeze over the whole taco
Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

Long Weekend...Time for Breakfast!

I've got a few posts to catch up on from the long weekend. While I'm busy working on those, here are a few ideas for your next weekend breakfast at home. Brew your favorite coffee, get the paper (or put on a good movie) and whip up one of these quick recipes! Cheaper and faster than your favorite diner.

Breakfast Idea #1 - Honey Nut Waffles with Banana

Waffle mix
1 to 1.5 tbsp. of honey (we keep Jiffy baking mix around the house)
2 tbsp. of chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla (or vanilla extract)
A sprinkle of cinnamon
1 banana, peeled and sliced into quarter-sized rounds

Prepare your favorite waffle mix according to the directions on the box
Gently mix in the honey, walnuts, vanilla, and cinnamon
Preheat your waffle iron
Pour in about 1/4 cup of the waffle batter
Place 3-4 banana slice on top of the batter and close
Cook according to your waffle iron directions

Keep waffles in a 200 degree oven until you are done cooking all of the batter
Serve with honey or maple syrup

Makes 6-7 waffles depending on the size of your waffle iron. You can also make pancakes this way - just prepare your batter according to the pancake recipe on your mix.

Breakfast Idea #2 - Goat Cheese Omelet

I had some leftover goat cheese from the Farmer's Market on Friday. I decided to make a nice omelet and throw in the goat cheese. The trick to getting this nice and fluffy is to whisk the eggs really well, and then not to disturb them in the non-stick skillet. Just lift the edges and let the uncooked eggs run underneath. When it looks just about set, either flip it or use a large spatula to gently flip it over. Turn of the heat and top with the goat cheese. After about a minute, fold it in half and slide out onto your plate. Better (and less greasy) than any omelet you'll get at your favorite breakfast joint.

Sunday Night Pizza Night

It's not delivery....it's homemade! For less time and less money we had a delicious pizza night to cap off our weekend.
Somehow we haven't made this in a while - it used to be a frequent addition in our menus. Last week I was watching a cooking show (can't remember who) and they were giving tips on how to make pizza. What I did take from the show was to use cornmeal on the counter to make sure the dough doesn't stick and to just push the dough with your fingertips (no rolling pin or fancy tossing).

This was a quick and easy dish. I'll break down the cost of the ingredients below. Some are pantry items and some are items that I bought just for the pizza. If I only used a portion of a package I adjusted the cost accordingly.

I like the crust a little crispy so that the piece stands on its on when you pick it up. To achieve this, I put my dough on a pizza stone and precook it for about 5 minutes before putting any toppings on. This keeps it from getting soggy.

We had a nice green salad alongside our pizza with goat cheese, portobello mushrooms, and diced tomatoes (no sauce).

Homemade Pizza
Pantry Items:
Fresh basil from our new plant
Olive oil
Cornmeal
Salad Dressing
Salt and Pepper

Items Purchased Just for Pizza:
$2.00 - Whole wheat pizza dough
$2.25 - Half a small log of fresh goat cheese
$1.50 - 1 portobello mushroom (from a pack of 6)
$1.00 - 2 plum tomatoes
$.15 - 1 clove of garlic

Items Purchased for Salad:
$2.50 - Salad mix
$.75 - A few slices of vidalia onion

Total: $10.15

Preheat oven to 425 or 450 degrees

Dice portobello mushrooms into small pieces
Mince garlic
In a small skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat
Add in garlic and mushrooms and saute until just softened - 3-4 minutes
Remove from the heat and set aside

Cut open the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds
Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and set aside

Tear a few leaves of basil into small pieces and set aside

Put a piece of wax paper on the counter and put down a light dusting of cornmeal
Put the dough on top and use your fingertips to push the dough out until desired thickness
Transfer to a pizza stone or baking sheet (be sure to put a little cornmeal on the stone first)
Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven

Drizzle a little olive oil on top of the pizza dough
Sprinkle tomatoes and mushrooms evenly on top of the pizza
Crumble goat cheese evenly on top
Sprinkle half the basil on top of the pizza

Bake for approximately 15 minutes (or longer for crispier crust)
Remove from oven, top with the remaining basil
Cut and enjoy!

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto...from scratch!

Inspired by the new basil plant that I bought over the weekend and some leftover sun-dried tomatoes from the couscous salad last week, tonight's dinner was penne pasta with homemade sun-dried tomato pesto. Instead of searching for a recipe to try - I made this one up! It was delicious and would be great on a baguette as an appetizer or on a sandwich with mozzarella. Yum!


I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but bread is my favorite food (followed closely by cheese). So what better to go with pasta than more carbs! I made biscuits (Jiffy mix) but for a special twist I added about 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter. I can't believe I haven't tried this before. The lemon gave it a nice fresh, bright taste and tied in with the lemon in the pesto.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

8-10 leaves of fresh basil
7-8 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
About 1 tbsp. lemon zest
2 cloves of garlic
About 1/4 cup of olive oil

Add basil, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and garlic to a food processor
Put the lid on and begin to pulse
As you are pulsing slowly pour in the olive oil through the hole in the lid
Continue pulsing until you get a consistent texture

I mixed in some grated Parmesan cheese after pulsing it in the food processor

Quick note: traditional pesto calls for toasted pine nuts. I didn't have any on hand so I just skipped them. I was planning to add in walnuts for another flavor, but I totally forgot too add them in.

Cook pasta according to instructions on the package
Drain and return to the warm pot
Add pesto and toss until well combined
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve!

Summary:
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Food processor, pasta pot, colander, serving dishes and utensils.

Passover Eats - Part 4: Roasted Beets and Asparagus

Passover also rules out one of our stand-by veggies, green beans. So the natural green choice is asparagus. Instead of just a boring steamed asparagus, I found a Mario Batali recipe online for roasted beets and asparagus. His recipe called for a frisee salad - I left that out (too fussy) To make it more colorful (and less messy), I bought some golden beets instead of the traditional red. This was an easy recipe and just requires some time in the oven.

Roasted Beets and Asparagus
5 golden beets
14 spears of asparagus
2 tbsp. olive oil + 4 tbsp. of olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Spread kosher salt on a baking sheet (covering the sheet)
Place unpeeled beets on the baking sheet
Put in the oven for 45 minutes
While the beets are cooking, cut the woody ends off of the asparagus
When the 45 minutes are up, open the oven and place the asparagus around the beets (on top of the salt)
Return to the oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes
Remove from the oven and place the asparagus on a platter
Drizzle 2 tbsp. of olive oil over the asparagus + a pinch of the salt from the baking sheet
Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces
Let the beets cool for about 5 minutes and then peel
I cut them into halves, and then half moon shapes
Place in bowl and toss with the balsamic vinegar and 4 tbsp. olive oil
Season with pepper

Arrange asparagus and beets on a serving platter and enjoy! I served this dish at room temperature. It was delicious!

Summary:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour (non-active)
Baking sheet, platter, bowl, measuring cups, tongs, serving utensils

Thai Tim's Green Curry Chicken

Tonight's menu was inspired by a nagging request for chicken curry from one our loyal fans (you can sort of make him out in the photo). So Tim - here is a delicious chicken curry recipe for you! I know you were thinking red curry, but this was light, tasty, with just a little kick.

One of my favorite dishes to order at Thai restaurants is Green Curry (with either tofu or chicken). It is usually packed with green peas, green beans, bamboo shoots, green peppers, and sometimes Thai eggplant. I omitted my least favorite veggies and came up with tonight's dish. Instead of rice, I used rice noodles that we had in the pantry.

I used a store bought green curry paste, you could always buy another type of paste and switch the veggies for your own variation. I used the suggested cooking method on the curry paste container and tweaked it a little.

Thai Tim's Green Curry Chicken
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 baby bella (or white) mushrooms, cut into thin slices
1 13.5 ounce can of light coconut milk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. green curry paste (add more if you want it really spicy)
Handful of chopped parsley (or cilantro)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat
Add vegetable oil and curry paste and stir well, heat for about 30 seconds
Add diced chicken and stir, coating the pieces well
Add the can of coconut milk and stir
Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add all of the veggies and stir, cover with lid (or foil) and cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies are cooked and chicken is done
Stir in chopped parsley

Cook the rice noodles according to the package (boil for about 8 minutes)

Put a serving of noodles on the plate, top with a scoop of chicken, veggies, and sauce and enjoy!

Summary:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Pasta pot, large skillet, spoons, cutting board and knife, serving dishes and utensils

Rice Noodles with Sesame-Ginger Flank Steak

New night, new cuisine! Some of our favorite meals out are Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese cuisine. With another night of hockey on Saturday, we decided to dine in and make our own version. This was budget-friendly and not too unhealthy.

I used to subscribe to Cooking Light and have a lot of recipes that I saved, but never got around to making. Flipping through my binder of recipes, I came across this one for Rice Noodles with Sesame-Ginger Flank Steak. The flavors were delicious - fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and toasted sesame seeds. We had a lot of the ingredients on hand, just had to pick up some veggies, rice noodles, and a fresh container of sesame seeds. We didn't have and sesame oil on hand, so I substituted with vegetable oil. You could easily substitute tofu for the steak to make it vegetarian.

We bought some salmon fresh rolls from the sushi counter at the grocery store. They came with a delicious peanut dipping sauce. The rolls have rice noodles, cabbage, mint, shredded carrot, and sushi salmon all wrapped in rice paper. You'll find these on the menu at most Thai and Vietnamese restaurants with either tofu or shrimp instead of the salmon.

This is definitely a keeper! It was great the next day for lunch. More photos in the album to the right.

Wiener Schnitzel!

We usually go to the store and check out the weekly specials before we decide what will be on the menu. Tonight's inspiration was veal cutlets. They are quick cooking and can be made in a variety of ways. My grandmother makes delicious breaded veal cutlets (or chops) and serves them with spaghetti. This is my quick version - and I think it rivals any veal entree you can order at a restaurant! It was definitely more budget friendly.

The veal has a basic flour, egg, and breadcrumb coating. It's quickly pan-friend and just needs a little lemon for a kick. On the side I made a quick homemade tomato sauce to serve with spaghetti. I got the veal ready to go in the pan first, then started the pasta water and sauce at the same time. Once those were going, I started cooking the veal.

If you were feeling adventurous, you could turn this basic breaded cutlet into veal parmesan your favorite veal entree. Enjoy!

Breaded Veal Cutlets
Serves 2
2 veal cutlets
About 1/2 cup flour
1 egg + splash of water, beaten
About a 1/2 cup of italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
Lemon wedges

Heat about 1 - 1.5 inches of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (about 6 on my stove)
Take out 3 shallow bowls and set up on counter next to the skillet
In the first bowl (farthest from the stove), put in flour
In the next bowl, put in the egg and water and lightly beat
In the bowl closest to the stove, put in the breadcrumbs
Take the veal cutlet, coat both sides in flour and shake off excess
Dip in the egg, coating both sides
Dip in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides
Repeat for the second veal chop
Put veal cutlets into the hot oil, and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove and put on paper towels to drain excess oil
Serve with lemon wedges


Quick Tomato Sauce
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
A few squirts of tomato paste (from a tube)
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
A few shakes of dried basil and dried parsley
About 1 tsp. of sugar
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp. olive oil

Heat a large skillet over medium heat
Add diced onion and minced garlic, cook until onions are softened, 5-8 minutes
Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper, and stir
Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the rest of the meal is ready (about 5-10 minutes)

Summary:
Prep Time - 10 minutes
Cook Time - 10-15 minutes
2 large skillets, 1 pasta pot, 3 shallow bowls, spoons, cutting board and knives

Brisket Party!

Leftover brisket - part two! Brisket makes a great hearty dinner for company - especially on a freezing winter night. We had some dinner guests over to enjoy the last of the 5 lb. brisket. Mix in a few side dishes, salad, bread, and dessert for a full meal! Wines were expertly selected by the wine expert at http://vintage78.blogspot.com.

First course:
Baby greens salad with carrots, cucumber, red peppers, and black olives. Served with either a lemon tarragon vinaigrette or balsamic dressing.

Wine pairing: Chardonnay from Spring Lake Estates in the Niagara area (NY)

Main course:
Barbecue Brisket: Cooked brisket heated up in smoky BBQ sauce. Heated at 250 degrees for about 30-45 minutes until nice and tender and falling apart.

Pumpkin Cornbread: Followed the corn muffin mix recipe, adding in about 1/2 cup canned pumpkin and a tbsp. of sugar. Baked according to directions on the box. This was really moist and a very pretty golden color.

Smoky Baked Beans: Delicious! These were so good - we ate every last bit of them (well, there were no leftovers from anything else either....). I used a little help with a recipe I found online: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-fantasy/sweet-and-smoky-baked-beans-recipe/index.html. I swapped out a few ingredients - turkey bacon for the bacon and red peppers for the green. For the cooking method, I cooked them on the stove top for the 10-15 minutes, then let them cool and put them in the refrigerator. Before dinner I heated them up in the oven alongside the brisket.

Wine: Pinot Noir from Warm Lakes in the Niagara (NY) area.

Dessert:
Individual cherry cobbler pies. These were easy and fun to make and very tasty! I bought pre-made miniature pie crusts from the grocery store. Brushed them with egg whites and baked for 5 minutes. Then I filled them with canned cherry pie filling. For the top, I made a mixture of flour, oats, brown sugar and butter. Bake for 15-20 minutes and instant dessert!

There were NO leftovers at all. This is definitely a keeper!

Brisket!

Tonight's brisket was delicious. It's a pretty reasonably priced cut of meat, so we picked up a nice 5 lb. brisket on Sunday. With a few hours in the oven on Sunday afternoon, and a quick warm up tonight - dinner was ready!

I used a recipe from Kosher by Design - a great cookbook - for BBQ brisket. Instead of a sweet and sour sauce, this used beer and chili sauce. Using what was leftover in the fridge, I used a Budweiser American Ale. The recipe calls for celery and onions as the veggies. Flavorings include garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley. It cooks for 3 hours the first time, then gets refrigerated overnight. On the day you want to eat it, reheat it with sauce for about 20 minutes and serve! If you want the recipe - email me and I can get it to you. Or check out the photo gallery on the right for a picture of the ingredient list.

On the side, I made a quick mashed parsnips (instead of potatoes). They are made the same way - boil for about 12 minutes, drain, then mash with milk and seasonings.

I'm looking forward to this week's leftovers!

Braised Short Ribs, Take 2

Tonight I finished up the short ribs that I started yesterday. They were delicious. We had a dinner guest and didn't think he wanted to eat after 8 p.m. - so I seared and braised the short ribs last night (about 2 hours) and then finished them up with an hour on the stove tonight.

Instead of a fancy sauce like the first try this time I kept it simple. I used beef broth, onions, parsnips, a mix of herbs, salt and pepper. On the side we had mashed potatoes and parsnips (to carry over the flavor from the short ribs). The ribs came out very tender and full of flavor. Our guest proclaimed, "That's good cooking Doris." The mashed potato and parsnip side dish was also full of flavor, including the same herbs as the short ribs. More photos are in the Food Photos album on the right.

Basic Braised Beef Short Ribs
Beef short ribs
3-5 parsnips, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup beef broth
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp. herb mix (thyme, parsley, etc.)
Salt and pepper

For cooking details, see the original Short Ribs post, using the ingredients above.

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips
Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
Parsnips, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup milk
Salt
Pepper
Herb mix (same as above)

Place potatoes and parsnips in a large pot.
Fill with cold water, enough to cover by 1 inch.
Bring to a boil, and boil for 12 minutes.
Drain and return to pot.
Add milk and mash with potato masher until desired consistency.
Enjoy!

Summary
Prep Time - 15 minutes
Cook Time - Active time: 20 minutes; Passive - 3 hours (ribs)
1 large dutch oven with cover, 1 baking sheet, 1 large pot, potato masher, chopping board and knife

Restaurant Meals at Home

On New Year's Eve, we had a fantastic dinner out with friends. I had Guiness braised short ribs. It got me thinking that I don't order this enough. When we went to BJ's (like Sam's or Costco) after the holiday, we noticed that they had beef short ribs in the meat case and decided to try it ourselves!

I looked at a few recipes and decided to make my own combination. It was surprisingly easy - just 1 pot, 1 casserole dish and a cutting board and knife for prep. Here's what I came up with:

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
Beef Short Ribs
Carrots (chopped
Onion (chopped
Fresh Cranberries (I would leave these out next time
1 bottle dry red wine
Beef broth
Salt, pepper
Bay leaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large heavy pot, heat oil. Sear ribs in small batches on all sides and set aside in a casserole dish/pan.
In the pot, add veggies and brown for appx 10 minutes.
Add in wine, about 1 cup of beef broth and bring to a boil.
Add in the short ribs and a few bay leaves
Cover and cook in the 350 degree oven for about 2 hours, until ribs are tender. Remove ribs from pot and set aside in a casserole dish.
Place pot over medium high heat and cook until sauce is thickened.

We had it with a cous cous blend. You could do mashed potatoes, rice, or any good starchy side dish.

We will definitely make this again - but with different combinations of veggies, a different liquid (next time beer), and some different spices. We had about 4lbs. of ribs. I think we had at least four meals out of it - great value for the price!