Fish tacos with cilantro lime slaw January 31, 2010

Fish tacos are something I’ve never really tried before.  Earlier this week I had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants – Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza.  I decided to try something different and had the Grilled Shrimp Tacos.  It had an interesting flavor, and made me want to try other varieties of fish tacos.  I searched the internet, and didn’t really see anything that struck me, but I did see lots of ideas.  The cilantro lime dressing is essentially a homemade mayonnaise.  If you prefer, you can add the cilantro and lime juice to purchased mayonnaise. 

 

Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Serves 4

Fish and Marinade:

1 lb halibut

1 teaspoon oil

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 teaspoons taco seasoning 1 tsp fish seasoning (I used Old Bay’s).

1.  Stir all ingredients except for the fish, until well mixed.  Marinade the fish in this for 20 minutes.
2. Bake the fish on a cookie sheet at 450 until the fish is cooked through.  Approx. 15 minutes.

 

Cilantro Lime Slaw:

1egg yolk

1/8 tsp salt

¼ tsp cracked pepper

2 tsp lime juice

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup chopped cilantro

½ small head of napa cabbage, shredded

1. Beat egg yolk, lime juice, salt and pepper until foamy.
2. SLOWLYadd the oil into the egg mixture.  I use a squeeze bottle, and literally add the oil drop by drop.  The mixture will eventually become a light yellow creamy mix.
3. Add the chopped cilantro, and beat for an additional minute.
4. Combine dressing with cabbage.

 

To Serve:

8 small warm tortillas

Chopped cilantro

1 avocado, thinly sliced.

Spread slaw on tortilla, top with fish, garnish with avocado and cilantro.

Source: Laura original

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies January 31, 2010

Two things happened to me this week.  I went to the doctor this week.  I have a love hate relationship with that woman.  She’s an excellent dr.  I’m so glad I go to her.  On the flip side, she wants all of her patients to be healthy.  She has a diet plan.  I want to follow it.  It’s very strict.  I can’t force myself to follow it.  I’ve decided to just start making better choices, food wise, and see where that takes me. 

I said two things happened to me this week.  The other one is I got a Kitchenaid Artisian Stand Mixer.  I love that thing.  I went with the Empire Red.  It makes me happy when I look at it.  I wanted to use it today.  I was in the search of something that could be somewhat healthy.  I finally found a recipe for cookies that uses whole wheat flour and oatmeal.  I can see a lot of modifications with this recipe.  Perhaps raisens or craisns.  Maybe some peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips. 

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: 

3/4 cup shortening or softened butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions: 

1. Cream butters, honey and sugars in a large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, stirring until smooth.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and oats. Add to creamed mixture and stir to make a thick cookie dough. Add chocolate chips, mixing with hands if necessary.

3. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheets. Press to flatten tops. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until cookies are browned and cooked to your liking.

Yield 3-4 dozen.

Source: Adapted from:http://www.tammysrecipes.com/whole_wheat_chocolate_chip_oatmeal_cookies

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce January 31, 2010

I’m starting to try out new ingredients, and expand my cooking expertise.  Mushrooms are something I’ve never really eaten.  I didn’t like them growing up.  The thought of eating a fungus was revolting.  I hated it when people would put mushrooms in spaghetti sauces.  I detested fresh mushrooms in salads.  Basically, I never came across a mushroom I actually liked. 

I stayed with my friend Wendi for a few days after a recent surgery.  She cooked an amazing risotto for dinner, and you know what?  It had mushrooms.  I set out to make a similar dish, and had purchased several types of mushrooms.  The recipe I used was not noteworthy, so I’ll keep on the lookout another one.  In the meantime, I had tons of leftover mushrooms, and needed to use them up.  My first thought was to make a chicken marsala.  I’ve never attempted chicken marsala before, and a quick google search showed I was missing ingredients for that.    Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of this before I started chowing down.  I’ll get one next time I make this dish. This meal came together rather quickly, and will definitely become part of my regular meal rotation.

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

For the sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 ½ cups chopped mushrooms

¾ cup dry white wine

½ chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried minced onions (I didn’t have fresh onions on hand, but would probably chop 1/3 of a whole onion).

¼ cup cream

1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the chicken

2 chicken breasts

½ cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

To make the chicken:

1. Mix the Italian seasoning with the bread crumbs.
2. Coat the chicken with the seasoned bread crumbs.
3. In a medium-high heated pan, heat the olive oil, and then cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes on each side, or until the juices are clear.

To make the sauce:

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the oil, and heat for one minute, then add the garlic and mushrooms.  If you’re using fresh onions, put them in now.  Sautee until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the wine and chicken, and dried minced onions.  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until liquid has reduced until about half.
3. Add cream to the sauce and stir in.
4. Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of cold water.  Add to sauce to thicken.

Source: Laura original

Berry Banana Oatmeal Brulee January 22, 2010

Of all the dishes to start a blog with, why would someone start with a bowl of oatmeal?  Because this oatmeal is awesome!!!

My early morning meeting today was cancelled, and ’tax time’ doesn’t get into full swing for a few more weeks.  I figured I could try something a little more complex than my yogurt and cream filled coffee for breakfast, while still being healthy.  One thing I’m trying to do more of is not buy foods that I can make.  I used to love to eat oatmeal packets, until I realized how unhealthy they were for me.

Preparing the oatmeal with milk, in addition to water, creates a creamier flavor.  Between the maple syrup and the fruit, this has the right amount of sweetness, without being too much for a morning meal.

I don’t have a kitchen torch, so I carmalized this in the broiler.  It happens quick, so if you’re doing it this way, be sure to keep a close eye on it.

This recipe is for one serving:

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup oatmeal

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 banana – thinly sliced

2 strawberries – thinly sliced

2 tablespoons blueberries

granulated sugar – for carmelizing the fruit

1.  Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Add the oats, reduce to medium, and cook for 5 minutes, stiring occassionally.  Remove from heat, and stir in the honey and vanilla.

2. While the oatmeal is cooking, warm your serving bowls in a manner that is safe for them.  Put the oatmeal in the bowl, and top with the banana, strawberries, and blueberries.  Sprinkle some granulated sugar on top, so that it creates a thin layer.

3. Turn the over broiler on, and put the rack on the top shelf, closest to the element.  Watch closely, as the sugar browns quickly, and you don’t want to burn the food.

Source: inspired by Annie’s Eats

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