I need something a little perky and fresh to help me through these cloudy days. This is a recipe I keep coming back to because it tastes great and it's pretty good for you, too. Although I might prefer the tilapia with black bean mango salsa, that one requires fresh tomatillos and mangos, which are hard to come by and keep on hand. I almost always have cabbage and a lime on hand, plus tilapia in the freezer, so it doesn't require extra shopping. I've found the cilantro is such a small amount that it's ok if I leave it out.
This slaw recipe is tangy and salty and it's kind of addicting. Even Clay, who generally dislikes coleslaw, really likes this one.
(adapted from Fine Cooking 96)
Blackened Tilapia with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
serves 2
1/2 small clove garlic
kosher salt
1 med. lime
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
about 2-3 cups cabbage or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (I use my mandoline)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
two 5-oz tilapia fillets, cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
Mince or finely grate the garlic, zest and juice the lime, mix with garlic and mayonnaise. Toss in the cabbage, scallions, cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, and several grinds of pepper. Sprinkle the spice rub all over the tilapia.
Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Cook the tilapia on both sides until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes total for the small pieces and 5 minutes for the large. Transfer to a plate. Toss the slaw and add more lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve the tilapia with the slaw.
I like to serve it with warmed corn tortillas.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Mexican Beans and Greens
I love this recipe. It's hearty, healthy, and just so yummy! This comes from Rick Bayless's "Everyday Mexican" and has become a regular staple in our home. I'm surprised that I haven't posted this one yet, because we have it more often than any other recipe I can think of. I brought it to a potluck last night and got more food compliments from men than I ever have.
In the past I've used the pork chorizo from Walmart (the only place I could regularly find it), which has a fine grind and is a little weirdly pasty, but has a good strong flavor once it's mixed into the beans. Last night I used some chorizo from Costco (which I snatched up when I saw they had it because it looked really good). It's more like the texture of italian sausage, and the flavors are a little less strong than the other brand, but it's quite lovely. I added a little smoked paprika to the pot to add another layer of flavor to make up for it being less strong. I've wanted to try it with soyrizo, but haven't found it lately.
Now, I use these amounts really as just general guidelines and I never measure anymore with this recipe. I use whatever greens I have around: bagged spinach in the winter, kale in the fall, chard and beet greens in the summer.
I usually use dried black beans that I cook myself, but have occasionally used canned beans as called for in the recipe. For the dried black beans, I love to use my pressure cooker: I just rinse them, put in about twice as much water as beans, add about a tablespoon of salt, a couple cloves of garlic, and a couple tablespoons of dried onion flakes, (occasionally some epazote or avocado leaf), pop on the lid, bring it to pressure for about 6 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit for a few hours. This is usually enough to cook them, which I figure saves a lot of gas over the slow stovetop method I used to use. If I'm in a hurry, I leave it at pressure for 20 and do a quick release, check to make sure they're done, and bring them back up to pressure if I need to cook them more. If you have a crockpot, it works to cook them on low all day, or if you're doing it on the stove you should probably soak them overnight first, then cook them for 2-3 hours on the stove. (A word about soaking: it's not necessary, but it does speed up the cooking time and usually helps the beans cook more evenly without bursting, so I'd recommend it for when you're doing bean salads - for this recipe it doesn't matter). I put the extra beans in 2-3 cup containers in the freezer so I can use them anytime like canned beans.
Did I mention it freezes quite well with or without the greens?
In the past I've used the pork chorizo from Walmart (the only place I could regularly find it), which has a fine grind and is a little weirdly pasty, but has a good strong flavor once it's mixed into the beans. Last night I used some chorizo from Costco (which I snatched up when I saw they had it because it looked really good). It's more like the texture of italian sausage, and the flavors are a little less strong than the other brand, but it's quite lovely. I added a little smoked paprika to the pot to add another layer of flavor to make up for it being less strong. I've wanted to try it with soyrizo, but haven't found it lately.
Now, I use these amounts really as just general guidelines and I never measure anymore with this recipe. I use whatever greens I have around: bagged spinach in the winter, kale in the fall, chard and beet greens in the summer.
I usually use dried black beans that I cook myself, but have occasionally used canned beans as called for in the recipe. For the dried black beans, I love to use my pressure cooker: I just rinse them, put in about twice as much water as beans, add about a tablespoon of salt, a couple cloves of garlic, and a couple tablespoons of dried onion flakes, (occasionally some epazote or avocado leaf), pop on the lid, bring it to pressure for about 6 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit for a few hours. This is usually enough to cook them, which I figure saves a lot of gas over the slow stovetop method I used to use. If I'm in a hurry, I leave it at pressure for 20 and do a quick release, check to make sure they're done, and bring them back up to pressure if I need to cook them more. If you have a crockpot, it works to cook them on low all day, or if you're doing it on the stove you should probably soak them overnight first, then cook them for 2-3 hours on the stove. (A word about soaking: it's not necessary, but it does speed up the cooking time and usually helps the beans cook more evenly without bursting, so I'd recommend it for when you're doing bean salads - for this recipe it doesn't matter). I put the extra beans in 2-3 cup containers in the freezer so I can use them anytime like canned beans.
Mexican Beans and Greens
8 to 12 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, casing removed
10 ounces cleaned young spinach (about 10 cups) OR one 12-ounce bunch Swiss chard, thick lower stems cut off, leaves sliced crosswise into ½ inch strips (about 8 cups)
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (1 is usually enough for us, so if you don't like things spicy, start with 1/2)
Salt
½ cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese such as feta or goat cheese
½ cup chopped green onions or thin-sliced red onion, for garnish
In a medium-large heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven), cook the chorizo over medium heat, stirring regularly and breaking up clumps, until lightly browned and thoroughly done, about 8 to 10 minutes.
While the chorizo is cooking, place the spinach or Swiss chard in a microwaveable bowl, cover with plastic wrap, poke a few holes in the top and microwave on high until completely wilted, usually about 2 minutes for spinach, 3 minutes or so for Swiss chard. Uncover the bowl and set aside. (Sometimes I cook the spinach right in the bag, and if I'm using kale, I add it as soon as I add the beans because it has to cook for a long time to get tender)
When the chorizo is ready, add the beans, chopped chipotles, and 1 ½ cups water. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Taste and season with salt, usually about ½ teaspoon, depending on the saltiness of the chorizo and beans. Add the wilted greens and let the mixture return to a boil.
Ladle into bowls and serve, passing the cheese and onion for each person to add.
Sometimes I add less water or let it cook down more so that it's thicker, more of a taco filling than a soupy chili. We always eat it with warmed corn tortillas. Some fresh cilantro can be nice on top, too, if you have it.Did I mention it freezes quite well with or without the greens?
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Bagels
I've been wanting to try to make bagels for years now, and inspired by this post from Marzipan Mom, I decided to give it a go. The first round I didn't take pictures; they tasted great and had a good chew, but they were kind of flat and just didn't look right. This round I must have used a lot more flour and the pictures looked great, but the flavor didn't have as much depth and they just tasted kind of dry. I think next time around I would not add quite so much flour (I was really fighting to knead in the last bits - maybe I counted wrong), and I would try to allow the dough more time to develop some flavor. Although I was pleased to turn out such lovely bagels, it was enough work that we decided we just need to buy good bagels more often.
P.S. As a side note, I just posted photos for the morels, in case any of you were waiting with baited breath.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
morels!
I'm not sure what's better about hunting morels - eating them or walking in the woods. Morels are nearly impossible to find commercially, but in the spring you can find these flavorful mushrooms in the damp woods (often near elm trees). They're easy to identify and are not easily confused with any toxic mushrooms, so they're a fairly safe bet for inexperienced mushroom hunters like ourselves.
C, whose friend took him morel hunting a couple
of years ago, scouted out a good location, then took Z and her friend L one Saturday, then took me again the next week. We got to eat a batch of this simple morel pasta each time.I tried to keep it simple so that the rich earthy flavor of the morels dominates the dish. The leeks and asparagus came from our garden. I just eyeballed everything, so the amounts here are just estimates. When I made it a couple of years ago, I didn't add any alcohol, and I didn't have as many morels, so I stretched them with regular mushrooms. There's really no substitute for morels, but this pasta would probably be good with other kinds of mushrooms, but you'd need to use more because their flavor is not as intense.
Morel Pasta1 Tbs. butter
1/4-1/2 cup leeks, chopped
a handful of asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces (optional)
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. dry vermouth, dry white wine, or sherry
1/2 lb. pasta, cooked
1 lb. fresh morels, cleaned and chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
Start the pasta water boiling while you prepare the ingredients. About the same time that you throw in the pasta, start cooking the sauce. Saute leeks in 1 Tbs. butter. After a couple of minutes, stir in the asparagus. When those are almost done, add the garlic and cook another minute, then add the morels and cook until they release most of their juices. Add the vermouth and cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated, then stir in the cream, salt to taste, and stir it into the cooked pasta. Serve!
I've finally posted some of the photos, but it turns out I don't have shots of the hunt in the woods - those are on Z's friend's camera. Sorry!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Chicken Veracruzana
I'm surprised I haven't posted this recipe yet. It smells heavenly while it's cooking. It's fairly quick to assemble if you use skinless chicken thighs. This time I'm actually using the chicken quarters with skin on, and it took much longer to peel off the skin and cut off the extra fat. I would prefer to use the boneless skinless thighs again next time. I like to serve it with warmed corn tortillas and a side salad. We have the leftovers in tacos or on tostadas.
Chicken Veracruzana (from Rick Bayless's Mexican Everyday)
1 lbs (4 medium) red-skin boiling or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in wedges
6 (3 lbs. total) chicken leg and thigh quarters, skin pulled off
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire roasted), drained
4-6 canned pickled jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or pressed
2 Tbs. Worchestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
salt
1/4-1/2 cup coarsely chopped green olives
1/4 c. roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Spread the potatoes over the bottom of a slow-cooker and top with the chicken. In a medium bowl, mix together the tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, Worcestershire, thyme, cloves, cinnamon and a scant 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Pour evenly over the chicken. Set the lid in place and slow-cook on high for 6 hours (the dish can hold on the warm setting for another 4 hours or so).
Carefully transfer a portion of chicken and potatoes to each of six dinner plates, leaving as much sauce behind as possible. Mix the olives and parsley into the sauce, then taste and season with more salt if needed and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Chicken Veracruzana (from Rick Bayless's Mexican Everyday)
1 lbs (4 medium) red-skin boiling or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in wedges
6 (3 lbs. total) chicken leg and thigh quarters, skin pulled off
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire roasted), drained
4-6 canned pickled jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or pressed
2 Tbs. Worchestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
salt
1/4-1/2 cup coarsely chopped green olives
1/4 c. roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Spread the potatoes over the bottom of a slow-cooker and top with the chicken. In a medium bowl, mix together the tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, Worcestershire, thyme, cloves, cinnamon and a scant 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Pour evenly over the chicken. Set the lid in place and slow-cook on high for 6 hours (the dish can hold on the warm setting for another 4 hours or so).
Carefully transfer a portion of chicken and potatoes to each of six dinner plates, leaving as much sauce behind as possible. Mix the olives and parsley into the sauce, then taste and season with more salt if needed and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Thai Tilapia and Banana Curry
It's been almost 2 months since I posted - what's up with that? Boring meals, spring break, and fighting to get past the sluggishness and depression of late winter, I guess. Finally a couple of warm, rain-free days and I'm feeling much more ambitious. Though this recipe doesn't require ambition, just posting about it does. I did try making bagels and mozzarella from scratch (ambitious!), neither of which turned out right, but which I will probably try again. The bagels were tasty but misshapen and flat, and the mozzarella never got stretchy like it's supposed to. I have something more like paneer in the fridge, which I'll probably use for Indian food this week.
Here it is, though, the recipe you've all been waiting for: it's quick and absolutely fabulously delicious! The original recipe from Fine Cooking calls for halibut, but I used tilapia, which worked just fine. I also would add an extra banana next time and take their advice to only lightly pack the cilantro (I was a little too generous with that).
Thai Tilapia and Banana Curry
Here it is, though, the recipe you've all been waiting for: it's quick and absolutely fabulously delicious! The original recipe from Fine Cooking calls for halibut, but I used tilapia, which worked just fine. I also would add an extra banana next time and take their advice to only lightly pack the cilantro (I was a little too generous with that).
Thai Tilapia and Banana Curry
1 cup well-shaken canned coconut milk (not light)
1 Tbs. Thai red curry paste
12 oz. tilapia fillets, about 1-1/2 inches thick, cut into 2 pieces
Kosher salt
1 medium lime, zest finely grated, then halved
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts kept separate)
1 very large underripe or barely ripe banana (or 2 small), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch half-moons
2 Tbs. chopped salted roasted peanuts
1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. Thai red curry paste
12 oz. tilapia fillets, about 1-1/2 inches thick, cut into 2 pieces
Kosher salt
1 medium lime, zest finely grated, then halved
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts kept separate)
1 very large underripe or barely ripe banana (or 2 small), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch half-moons
2 Tbs. chopped salted roasted peanuts
1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
In a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan, whisk the coconut milk and curry paste until smooth.
Sprinkle the fish with 1/2 tsp. salt; then sprinkle with the lime zest. Squeeze a lime half over the fish.
Bring the coconut-curry mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat and then arrange the fillets in the pan. Add the white parts of the scallions, cover the pan, and simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for 2 minutes. Add the bananas and half of the peanuts to the sauce. Sprinkle half of the cilantro over the top. Cover the pan and continue to simmer until the fish flakes easily but is slightly translucent rather than fully opaque at the very center (check with a paring knife), 2 to 4 minutes. Squeeze the remaining lime half over the fish. Top with the scallion greens and the remaining peanuts and cilantro, and serve.
Sprinkle the fish with 1/2 tsp. salt; then sprinkle with the lime zest. Squeeze a lime half over the fish.
Bring the coconut-curry mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat and then arrange the fillets in the pan. Add the white parts of the scallions, cover the pan, and simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for 2 minutes. Add the bananas and half of the peanuts to the sauce. Sprinkle half of the cilantro over the top. Cover the pan and continue to simmer until the fish flakes easily but is slightly translucent rather than fully opaque at the very center (check with a paring knife), 2 to 4 minutes. Squeeze the remaining lime half over the fish. Top with the scallion greens and the remaining peanuts and cilantro, and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with Steamed Jasmine Rice and Gingery Sautéed Carrots.
nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 550; Fat (g): 33; Fat Calories (kcal): 300; Saturated Fat (g): 23; Protein (g): 42; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 4.5; Carbohydrates (g): 28; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3; Sodium (mg): 520; Cholesterol (mg): 55; Fiber (g): 5;
Calories (kcal): 550; Fat (g): 33; Fat Calories (kcal): 300; Saturated Fat (g): 23; Protein (g): 42; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 4.5; Carbohydrates (g): 28; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3; Sodium (mg): 520; Cholesterol (mg): 55; Fiber (g): 5;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 109, pp. 68
December 30, 2010
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Eating down the fridge
I'm going to list some of what we ate this week because sometimes I think it's helpful just to get ideas of what to eat.
I read about this idea of "eating down the fridge" somewhere last year, and though I'd never thought to call it that, it was something I'd tried to do occasionally. The idea is that you don't shop for a week or however long it takes to eat what's in your fridge. Now, I've already confessed that I'm obsessed with food. A part of that obsession is some food hoarding tendencies. So if I combine what I have in the fridge with what I have in the pantry and the freezer, we could theoretically do this for a long time. My current goal is to try to eat most of what we have in the freezers, at least to the point where I'm more aware of what's in them. I've tried keeping lists, but never seem to manage keeping them updated.
This coincides with another current goal of mine, which is to strictly stick to the current iteration of our budget. I'm really good at making budgets, and not so good at following them. Luckily we sometimes have little injections of extra cash in the form of painting (and now pottery) sales that cover the overspending.
Here's our menu from last week:
Sun: Golden Cheddar Cheese soup, Irish soda bread. I should post the recipe for that soup - it was really good (potatoes, carrots, onions, butternut, pureed with boullion, buttermilk and cheese). I prefer biscuits to the soda bread.
Mon: shrimp and scallop linguini, green salad with nectarines, almonds, cranberries, orange segments and goat cheese, pear tart from Whole Foods (Valentine's Day was an exception)
Tues: burritos. Refried beans and corn from the freezer. Whole wheat tortillas, cheese, cabbage, salsa were in the fridge. Tomatoes and avocado purchased for this purpose.
Wed: leftover seafood pasta
Thurs: shredded pork tacos (shredded pork barbacoa from the freezer)
Fri: Ate out with a Living Social Coupon at Tana Ethiopian. It was good, but for the money, I'd rather have Udipi or Green Mango. If you do go there, we all agreed the spicy lentils were the best dish we had. Then we went to see the animated shorts at Regent Square theater (I had a couple of free passes from PCA)
Sat: lunch: Use-it-up/make-it-up pasta (I had some leftover cooked linguini in the fridge that I mixed with sauteed onions, carrots, and celery and other assorted odds and ends in the refrigerator: black olives, calamata olives, a bit of goat cheese, chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Dinner: vegetarian chili from the freezer and homemade cornbread (used powdered buttermilk, since I didn't have fresh)
Sun: Southwest style hamburgers (ground beef and buns from the freezer, topped with chipotle mayo, canned green chiles, avocado, tomato, lettuce and cheddar), oven fries and sweet potato fries, and roasted turnips (I got them from the farmer and have been postponing using them, but they weren't bad this way).
On the possible list for next week:
*pozole (freezer)
*mediterranean lentil salad
*black beans and rice with a little appetizer of shrimp and avocado ceviche to use some of the *shrimp in the freezer from Valentine's day)
*fresh green pea soup with homemade bread
*shrimp pad thai
*leftovers
*chinese stir-fry if there are enough vegetables left in the crisper, with dumplings (freezer) from TJ's
*maybe cheesy hashbrowns with ham (freezer)
*breakfast for dinner
*frittata with the leftover potatoes from the oven fries
I'll just need to buy some cilantro, but I think I have everything else. I will need more bananas and milk for breakfasts. Creepy, huh? And I think I can do a 3rd week, too. TMI?
I read about this idea of "eating down the fridge" somewhere last year, and though I'd never thought to call it that, it was something I'd tried to do occasionally. The idea is that you don't shop for a week or however long it takes to eat what's in your fridge. Now, I've already confessed that I'm obsessed with food. A part of that obsession is some food hoarding tendencies. So if I combine what I have in the fridge with what I have in the pantry and the freezer, we could theoretically do this for a long time. My current goal is to try to eat most of what we have in the freezers, at least to the point where I'm more aware of what's in them. I've tried keeping lists, but never seem to manage keeping them updated.
This coincides with another current goal of mine, which is to strictly stick to the current iteration of our budget. I'm really good at making budgets, and not so good at following them. Luckily we sometimes have little injections of extra cash in the form of painting (and now pottery) sales that cover the overspending.
Here's our menu from last week:
Sun: Golden Cheddar Cheese soup, Irish soda bread. I should post the recipe for that soup - it was really good (potatoes, carrots, onions, butternut, pureed with boullion, buttermilk and cheese). I prefer biscuits to the soda bread.
Mon: shrimp and scallop linguini, green salad with nectarines, almonds, cranberries, orange segments and goat cheese, pear tart from Whole Foods (Valentine's Day was an exception)
Tues: burritos. Refried beans and corn from the freezer. Whole wheat tortillas, cheese, cabbage, salsa were in the fridge. Tomatoes and avocado purchased for this purpose.
Wed: leftover seafood pasta
Thurs: shredded pork tacos (shredded pork barbacoa from the freezer)
Fri: Ate out with a Living Social Coupon at Tana Ethiopian. It was good, but for the money, I'd rather have Udipi or Green Mango. If you do go there, we all agreed the spicy lentils were the best dish we had. Then we went to see the animated shorts at Regent Square theater (I had a couple of free passes from PCA)
Sat: lunch: Use-it-up/make-it-up pasta (I had some leftover cooked linguini in the fridge that I mixed with sauteed onions, carrots, and celery and other assorted odds and ends in the refrigerator: black olives, calamata olives, a bit of goat cheese, chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Dinner: vegetarian chili from the freezer and homemade cornbread (used powdered buttermilk, since I didn't have fresh)
Sun: Southwest style hamburgers (ground beef and buns from the freezer, topped with chipotle mayo, canned green chiles, avocado, tomato, lettuce and cheddar), oven fries and sweet potato fries, and roasted turnips (I got them from the farmer and have been postponing using them, but they weren't bad this way).
On the possible list for next week:
*pozole (freezer)
*mediterranean lentil salad
*black beans and rice with a little appetizer of shrimp and avocado ceviche to use some of the *shrimp in the freezer from Valentine's day)
*fresh green pea soup with homemade bread
*shrimp pad thai
*leftovers
*chinese stir-fry if there are enough vegetables left in the crisper, with dumplings (freezer) from TJ's
*maybe cheesy hashbrowns with ham (freezer)
*breakfast for dinner
*frittata with the leftover potatoes from the oven fries
I'll just need to buy some cilantro, but I think I have everything else. I will need more bananas and milk for breakfasts. Creepy, huh? And I think I can do a 3rd week, too. TMI?
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