I’m always on the lookout to add more seafood recipes to my repertoire. It’s sooooo good for you, but the Husby is picky (no salmon, no scallops, no fishy-tasting fish) and making a seafood dish typically means I have to make a different meal for the Fruitaholic. The original recipe I received for the swap called for flounder, a fish I’d never had. I was intrigued albeit a bit nervous that it could be one of the fishier fish but I was determined to try it.
Note my disappointment when Whole Foods didn’t carry it. Luckily, they have a great fishmonger who chatted with me about my preparation intentions and suggested a similar fish, sole (another I’d never tried). She assured me it was a mild whitefish – something I know the Husby would eat. I could just tell him it was tilapia if he questioned it. The only other thing holding me back was his hatred of capers, but I just made sure to de-caper-ify his portion. Oh well, that just meant more capers for me (note: upon being served, he told me he could have just picked the capers off. I always create more work for myself.)!
After poaching the fish, I removed it from the pan and let the remaining sauce reduce for a few minutes before pouring it over our plates. It was awesomely tangy and I might have eaten half of a demi-baguette trying to savor every last drop. Even the Fruitaholic took a few bites! In my book, that’s a winning dish!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Large Shallot, finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. Capers, drained
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/4 Dry White Wine
- 3/4 Cup Chicken Stock
- 3/4 Lb. Sole Fillets (or 6-8oz other white fish)
- 1 Lemon, thinly sliced
- Handful Seafood Herb Blend (or flat leaf parsley), chopped
- Crusty bread, for mopping
Instructions
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the capers, Worcestershire sauce and wine to the pan. Cook for one minute, then stir in the stock.
Arrange the fish in the skillet and scatter with lemon slices. Poach the fish for 10-12 minutes, until firm and opaque.
Remove fish from skillet and transfer to serving plates (deep plates or shallow bowls are suggested). Let the sauce reduce 3-5 minutes, then pour over the fish. Garnish with herbs and serve with crusty bread.
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/poached-sole/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
Fried chicken is one of my ultimate comfort foods. It’s so outrageously bad for you but so deliciously good. I’m constantly searching for a worthy substitute that won’t clog my arteries. I’d seen this one in an issue of Cooking Light but never got around to making it so I was pretty thrilled to get it for this week’s swap.
While fried chicken this was not, the toasted panko gave it a crispness that many other oven-fried recipes lack. And the buttermilk helped keep the chicken nice and juicy. I think I must’ve skimped on the rosemary because I was expecting there to be more of a pronounced flavor but it remained nice and light. It was easy to prepare and the short list of ingredients was a plus in my book. And for just about 300 calories per cutlet? Your arteries will thank you.
Walnut and Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken.
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Panko
- 1/4 cup Buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1/3 Cup Walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
- 3/4 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, minced
- 4 Chicken Cutlets
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange a wire rack on top of it.
Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko and, stirring constantly, cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the panko crumbs.
Whisk together the buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix together the panko, walnuts, cheese, rosemary and salt and pepper.
Coat the chicken in the buttermilk mixture then dredge through the panko mixture, being sure to coat evenly. Place the chicken on the wire rack and bake 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/walnut-and-rosemary-oven-fried-chicken/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
As a mom of two, life is often quite hectic. The Fruitaholic is on Spring Break this week and the Husby is working so in order to keep from killing each other, I’ve made sure that we stayed super busy. So busy, in fact, that I completely forgot about this week’s swap until Sarah posted a reminder. With what felt like every minute of every day scheduled and no vacation in sight, I had little time nor motivation to cozy up in the kitchen so I picked something I knew would be super quick and easy to make in what little time I found myself with.
Fortunately, these energy bites fit perfectly into our busy lifestyle. Most days we’re rushing out the door to get the Fruitaholic to school on time, which means I barely have time to put on clean clothes let alone eat anything for breakfast. Lunch is pretty much the same: The Fruitaholic eats at school and I run errands with the Baby Burrito while he’s there so I inevitably end up running through a drive-thru before our next activity.
But tossing a couple of these into my bag before we leave for the day is about as quick and easy as it gets. And it definitely doesn’t hurt that they’re really good and infinitely adaptable. I’m going to try chopped almonds and dates in the next batch.
Jen, I totally owe you a ‘real’ recipe since I took the easy way out but I’m glad that I found something new to help ease the craziness of my life right now!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Coconut Flakes
- 1 Cup Rolled Oats
- 1/3 Cup Ground Flaxseed
- 1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
- 1/3 Cup Honey
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
Instructions
Add the coconut flakes to a skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, 4-5 minutes.
Add the oats, toasted coconut, flaxseed and chocolate chips to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Stir, then add the peanut butter, honey and vanilla and mix until well combined. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Using a cookie scoop, form the mixture into balls. Store the bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Source -
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/no-bake-energy-bites/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
Since marrying into an Irish family, St. Patrick’s Day (or Amateur Day, as the Husby calls it) has become a big deal for me, food wise at least. We started this morning with green pancakes, bangers and eggs and had all intentions of making corned beef and cabbage for dinner. But our BFFs PSquared are moving tomorrow so we wanted to spend one last night with them before they go. We are devastated that they’re leaving but they’ll only be an hour and a half away. We will miss them like crazy but we’ll still see each other – it’ll just take more planning.
Since I knew I wouldn’t be having my traditional meal (don’t worry, it’s currently cooking away in the crockpot for later), I wanted to do something in the Irish spirit. Then, magically, this recipe arrived in my inbox via Martha the Great. It was meant to be.
The flavor in these bad boys was outstanding. The coffee grounds in the batter paired with the whiskey in the glaze made my tastebuds dance. The flavors were both definitely prominent but not overwhelming in the way that whiskey usually gives me the shivers when I taste it.
In other news, the Baby Burrito turned 5 months old. How the hell did that happen? It was only yesterday when she was brand new!
Ingredients
For the Blondies:
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
- 2 Sticks Butter, melted
- 2 Cups Brown Sugar, packed
- 3 Tbsp. Ground Coffee
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
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For the Glaze:
- 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp. Irish Whiskey (I used Jameson)
- 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Pour the melted butter into a bowl. Add the brown sugar, ground coffee and salt. Mix to combine, then stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Spread the batter into the baking pan and sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for 27-30 minutes (the shorter the baking time, the chewier the blondie). Allow to cool completely.
To make the glaze, whisk together the butter and whiskey. Add the powdered sugar and stir until the glaze is thick but still liquid. Drizzle the glaze over the blondies using either a spoon or a plastic bag with a small hole snipped out of one corner. Allow the glaze to set for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Keep the blondies at room temperature up to 2 days.
Source -
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/irish-coffee-blondies/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
