PEPPER AND PARM-CRUSTED SNAPPER WITH TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE

I'd have it again!

This recipe comes from my Rachael Ray magazine.  I saw it the night before, tried to find it online the next day and couldn't remember what it was called, so I ended up finding another recipe and buying the snapper that the other recipe required, and thankfully it was similar enough and I had the remaining ingredients to still make this dish but with snapper (instead of halibut).  Modifications are in RED (and made for two):

For the sauce:

• About 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 large shallot, chopped
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• A few leaves of basil, torn
• Salt and pepper

For the fish:

• About 1/3 cup cornmeal
• 1/8 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Lots of coarse black pepper
• 12 ounces red snapper with skin on
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for frying
• Store-bought balsamic drizzle (or reduce 1/4 cup vinegar with 1 tablespoons brown sugar until syrupy), for topping (I did the reduction and let it simmer on medium low until it reduced in amount and thickened)

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, two turns of the pan, in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil, season with salt and pepper and cook to break down the tomatoes, 10-15 minutes.

Mix the cornmeal with the cheese and black pepper. Add the fish and turn to coat. Heat a thin layer of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut slits with a sharp knife on the skin side so that the fish doesn't curl up in the pan.  Add the fish (skin-side down first) and cook, turning once (after about 5 minutes), until crisp and brown all over, 8-10 minutes.

Top the fish with the tomato sauce and a little Balsamic Drizzle.

The tomatoes breaking down

Sauteeing the fish

It was pretty good.  I liked it more the more bites I took.  It's definitely something different in our book of recipes.  The parmesan-cornmeal crust gave it a nice crunch that held up to the tomato-basil sauce and balsamic reduction.  With it I served sauteed broccoli - sauteed in butter and red onions!  I ended up using a number of pans that night, but it was quick and easy!

GRILLED PORK CHOPS & MIXED HERB CHIMICHURRI w. GREEN BEANS

 

 It was a warm(er) day for grilling, and we had some fresh herbs on hand, so I looked for a recipe and voila!  Delicious grilled pork chops.  However, while I usually blanch and then sautee green beans as a side, I decided I wanted to spend prep time outside with David while he grilled and had this not-so-fantastic idea of roasting my green beans instead, and like a dummy, I just assumed that 30 minutes or so of roasting would do the trick and didn't even look it up.  Yes, they were edible, but no, we did not enjoy them.  Green beans FAIL!

The original recipe for the flavor-filled pork chops, however, is here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/marinated-and-grilled-pork-chops-with-mixed-herb-chimichurri-recipe/index.html

My modifications to the recipe are in RED:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/2 serrano pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 (12-ounce) double-cut pork chops

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, basil, garlic, shallots, cilantro, oregano, parsley, jalapeno and crushed red pepper. Pulse until well blended but do not puree. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Remove 1 cup of the chimichurri sauce from the processor and transfer to a non-reactive bowl, cover with plastic wrap and reserve at room temperature for up to 2 hours. If cooking pork another day, refrigerate sauce and return to room temperature before serving.

Season the pork chops on both sides with the remaining 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and the remaining teaspoon of the black pepper and place in a glass bowl. Add the remaining chimichurri sauce from the processor. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pork chops for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.

The marinade

Marinating the meat!

Brushed off and ready for the grill

 Preheat a grill to medium.


Once the pork chops have finished marinating, remove them from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature for 45 minutes. Brush the excess chimichurri sauce off the chops and set the chops over the hot grill. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes on the first side. Turn the chops over and continue to cook until they are done, another 7 to 8 minutes.

Once cooked through, serve the chops with the crusty bread and pour 1/4 cup of the reserved chimichurri sauce over each chop before serving.

Notes: I used red wine vinegar because we already have about 5 different types of vinegar in our cabinet, and I didn't want to buy another one, but it turned out fine.  I made the marinate the day before and refrigerated it overnight.  Our pork chops marinated for two hours, and taken out for 30 minutes before we put it on the grill.  Instead of serving it with bread like the recipe calls for, we had green beans, which again, I FAILED to make.  Thus, here's my lesson learned on how NOT to make green beans:

They looked so good before I messed them up :(

No longer roasted...

 
Next time, I will either roast them longer than 30 minutes at 375 degrees, blanch them first, or just find a recipe!  They weren't soft enough when the 30 minutes was up, so in an attempt to save them, I added a little water to the pan, covered it up with foil and put them back in the oven to steam a little, and yes, they got softer, but they also got soggy and not roasted like I had wanted them.  They were edible, but definitely not what I was looking for and thus, upset me, and probably prolonged this blog entry!  Lesson learned.  


Besides the green beans fail, the pork chop was delicious, plus any leftover pork chop with the leftover sauce topped a salad wonderfully the next day for lunch!

I love delicious leftovers!

 

 

PERFECT CRISPY POTATOES!

Of course I forgot to picture the done potatoes by themselves - here they are on the side!

I use whatever potatoes I have on hand usually, and honestly, it turns out different every time, but this time it turned out really good!  I don't know if it was the russet potato, or the rinsing of the cubes before I fried them, or maybe they just fried a little longer in the pan, but whether or not they get perfectly crispy, they taste good!  Sometimes their time in the oven also just depends on how long the rest of the meal takes to cook.

The original recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/perfect-crispy-potatoes-recipe/index.html

Modifications in RED (to serve 2):

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 russet potato, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 tablespoon Country Crock spread
  
• Red (Cayenne) Pepper powder
• Garlic Powder
• 1/8 cup parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse potato cubes in water, and pat dry with paper towels.  Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the potato cubes and season with salt and pepper, red pepper powder, and garlic powder to taste. Saute stirring frequently, for 7 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the water, stir, and cover the pan with a lid. Steam the potatoes until the water evaporates, about 3 or 4 more minutes. (Every 1 to 2 minutes, open the lid long enough to stir the potatoes so they don't stick.) Lower the heat to medium, and saute another 3-4 minutes until all traces of water are gone. Toss in the butter and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread the potatoes out on a glass baking dish. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are crisp and browned to your liking, about 20 minutes depending on how dark you want them. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl, toss the potatoes with parsley, and serve.

It's a great go-to potato recipe if you're looking for a side dish or you have leftover potatoes!

Cubed raw potatoes

After being sauteed in the pan, before the baking

FISH TACOS topped with AVOCADO, CORN, TOMATO SALAD!

Fish Tacos served with Perfect Crispy Potatoes (separate blog to follow)

Having bought too much cod for Fish and Chips night, we had about 3/4 of a pound left for us to make fish tacos!  I've looked up a few recipes for fish tacos in the past, but this time I just made it out of whatever we had on hand.  We also had leftover avocado and tomato, so I decided to make the avocado, corn, tomato salad!

Makes 6 tacos

Ingredients - 

Avocado, Corn, Tomato Salad:

• 1/2 avocado, chopped into 1/4" x 1/4" cubes
• 1/2 cup frozen corn (microwave with water as package directs, let it cool)
• 1 small tomato on the vine, chopped 
• Small handful of cilantro, chopped
• 1/8 lime wedge
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1.  Mix together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let chill in the refrigerator.

Avocado, Corn, Tomato Salad mixed together

• 6 ounce cup plain Greek Yogurt (an AWESOME substitute for sour cream!)
• 1 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
• 3/4 pound cod (if it's thick, make two filets, about 1/4 inch thick)
• Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 6 flour tortillas

1. Put the Greek Yogurt in a small bowl and add the Chipotle Chili Powder - place in the refrigerator to chill.
2. Sprinkle the cod with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, on one side.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium size pan over medium-high heat.
4. Place the fish, seasoned side down, in the heated pan and cook for about 4 minutes.  Season the non-seasoned side (which should be face up) with more paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, heat up a small pan and heat the tortillas as directed on the package, keeping the done tortillas wrapped in foil.
6. Flip the fish over and cook the other side for another 4 minutes, until seared, and the fish becomes flaky.
7. Take the fish out of the pan and pull apart into flakes with a fork or tongs.
8. Serve the fish with the tortillas, greek yogurt sauce, and the avocado, corn, tomato salad!  Enjoy!

Step 4 - sauteeing the cod in the pan

The cod flaked apart

Cod as the first layer

Avocado, corn, tomato salad next

Greek Yogurt on top!  Guilt-free!

I was afraid that there were too many elements since I just threw things into it, but it turned out really well and all came together.  I cannot express how much I love using plain Greek Yogurt as a substitute for sour cream!  It's so good for you and has the same cool-the-mouth effect, especially if you add seasoning to it!  I think David and I both agree that this was a great adventure that turned out well.  Let me know if you give it a try!  I highly recommend it.  It also doesn't take too long for a weeknight dinner!

BACON & TOMATO PASTA!

I've made this one several times; it's easy and always so good!

A Guy Fieri recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/bacon-and-tomato-pasta-recipe/index.html

No modifications necessary!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 16 ounces whole wheat spaghetti pasta
• 1 pound thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 cups Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup red wine (not too important which kind - we just choose whatever we want to drink with dinner)
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade (stack the basil leaves flat on top of each other, tightly roll them up together, and cut into thin slivers)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, boil 3 quarts of water, when boiling add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente.
2. In a large saute pan over medium heat, add bacon and saute until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate and remove 3/4 of the bacon fat from the pan. Add extra-virgin olive oil, onions, and red chili flakes. Cook until onions are translucent, add garlic, cook for 2 minutes then add tomatoes. Saute for 5 minutes, then deglaze with wine.
3. Drain pasta and add to the tomato mixture pan. Add basil and bacon. Toss with Parmesan, and add salt and pepper, to taste

The bacon nice and toasty!

Sauteeing the red onion

With the garlic and tomatoes

Deglazing the pan

Serve the bacon tomato pasta with the rest of the red wine! (Our wine for the night)

I wanted to share this recipe since it's so easy to make and it's quick and delicious!  It's very simple, but the flavors are so prominent.  If you love bacon, make this!!  We add a little red pepper and freshly grated parmesan before serving.  We've realized that a fresh block of parmesan lasts a while, so we think it's worth buying to have some freshly grated parmesan on hand!

(Side note: we ate this Wednesday night; Lenten Friday fish meal will be posted in a few days!)

SAUSAGE LASAGNA!

LASAGNA!  Yes, please!  We modified, though, I figure that unless you're short on supplies, it's hard to mess it up!  Serve with a bottle of red wine!

Below is the recipe I used, with my modifications in red.  I gave up beef for Lent, so I only used Italian sausage.  Instead of creating a 9"x13" casserole (since there were lots of other things I wanted to cook/eat this week!) we halved the recipe and made it in an 8"x8" dish.  With a few cuts of the lasagna pasta pieces, it turned out fine. 

The original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/lasagna-al-forno-recipe/index.html

Ingredients (half the original recipe):

• 1/2 pound dried lasagna noodles
• Olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced (didn't halve because we love garlic!)
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 3 ounces tomato paste
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese, (1 container)
• 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups tomato sauce, prepared
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Grated Parmesan and mozzarella, for topping

Directions

1. Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly, coat with olive oil keep them moist and easy to work with.
2. Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Saute over medium heat, onion,garlic and herbs. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.  Brown sausage until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain fat into a small container and discard. Stir in the tomato paste completely. Set aside to cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parsley and oregano. Stir in beaten egg. Add Parmesan, season with salt and pepper.
4. To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of an 8x8-inch pan with a ladle full of tomato sauce. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce (cut off extra length), lining each end with a noodle to form a collar that holds in the corners.  Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the pasta. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the meat, spread to the edges with a spatula. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of tomato sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, meat, cheeses and sauce. Top last layer with noodles, sauce and shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Tent foil over the pan (to prevent cheese from burning) and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, remove foil and cook for 10 minutes more, and set on broil for the last 5 minutes, watching carefully for the cheese to brown.  Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 5 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Dinner was late that night (plan plenty of time for lasagna!), so we shortened the hour that it called for and raised the temperature, after having checked other lasagna recipes.  Like I said, it turned out fine and seems hard to mess up.  The original recipe also didn't call for the foil over the lasagna, but we were scared that the cheese on top would burn, so we tented it and broiled for the last few minutes, which turned out fine (again, David keeping me in check!).  Lastly, it said to let it rest for 30 minutes, but it was fine after 5 minutes of resting.  Ours didn't spill over, but we put foil underneath the pan while it baked in the oven just in case.

Browning the sausage and adding the onion mixture back in

The ricotta mixture

Ready for the oven! 

Served with Texas Toast (no time to make homemade garlic bread!) but still delicious!

We had leftovers for lunch the next day, and it was still delicious!

Changes for next time:

1. Distribute the ricotta and tomato sauce mixture more evenly since it calls for half on the first layer, but there are two more layers after that (though, it all mixes together in the end and still tastes fantastic!).

FISH AND CHIPS!

Would I make it again?  DEFINITELY.  Serve with an ice cold beer.

Before making fish and chips for David's parents (they're from England, I'm sure they're connoisseurs!), I decided that we better give it a try for ourselves first!  Thanks to David, Maritel, DJ, and Aileen for going on this impromptu adventure with me!

Here's the original recipe that I used, but just for the fish (you'll soon find out that FoodNetwork.com is my go-to for recipes):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/fish-and-chips-recipe2/index.html
My modifications (for whatever reason - didn't have something on hand, wanted something simpler, etc.) are in red -

The fish:

• 6 to 8 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (for the batter)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 ounces amber beer (Used RedHook MudSlinger) 
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• +/- 2 teaspoons garlic powder and cayenne pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging the fish)
• 2 pounds cod white flesh fish cut into 4-ounce strips 
• Served with chipotle garlic mayo, garlic mustard mayo, tartar sauce, and malt vinegar (not all mixed together!)

The fries:

3 large russet potatoes

Salt

1. Peel and cut potatoes - then put them in a bowl covered with ice water and refrigerate for 1/2 an hour to rinse off some of the starchiness.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, beer, eggs and half of the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour (had it in the refrigerator for about half an hour)
3. Heat oil in large pot or in an electric deep-fryer to 275 degrees F.
4. Cook the fries for 5 minutes just until they're light in color and soft.  Take them out and let them cool.  Meanwhile, heat the oil to 375 degrees F.
5. Dredge the fish in the all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder 
6. Working in small batches, submerge the fish in the batter and carefully place into the hot oil  (as I've learned watching numerous deep fried establishments on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and the like, holding it halfway into the oil first so that it doesn't sink to the bottom and make the batter stick to the basket is key before dropping it in completely!)
7. Fry the fish until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until golden on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove the fish from the fryer and transfer to a wire rack positioned over a baking pan so that the fish can drain.  Repeat the process for the remainder of the fish.  
8. Next, cook the fries at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes until they look golden brown and crisp.  Salt right after you take them out of the fryer.

We kept the cooked fish in the oven set at 270 degrees, as we previously heard that it would keep the fish crisp and warm, but alas, it got soggier, so David suggested dropping it back in the oil after the fries right before serving for a minute or so and that worked out perfectly!  (He keeps me in check.)

Step 1

The batter before it thickened up in the refrigerator - it should look thicker than this!

Chipotle Garlic Mayo (LOVE Chipotle Chile Powder) on the left and Dijon Mustard Garlic Mayo on the right

Possible changes for next time:

1. Possibly cut the fries more uniformly so they cook to the same crispness - unless you have a crowd who likes the mix!

Let me know how I did on my first blog!  It feels super long and detailed, but I wanted to make sure to note my modifications.  I'm sure I've forgotten other things too, so feel free to ask questions.  I know I definitely forgot to take more pictures in the process; that'll take some learning.  Thanks for reading if you've gotten this far!