So . . . we've decided to make Sunday "fish day" and we've been systematically trying whatever varieties can be had in the Rocky Mountains. So far tilapia and cod haven't been hits, but everyone approves of flounder, salmon, shrimp, and swordfish. It's pretty much all poached so far 'cause it's so foolproof, but one of these days I'll branch out. I promise.
This has gone on long enough that I feel the need to record the experiments so I can remember what worked and what didn't, and what better place than the family food blog? So here's what we did this week:
This week's fish was flounder, poached in olive oil with a little Caribbean Calypso seasoning. It worked great--the seasoning has kind of a lemony flavor that (of course) makes it a natural for fish.
On the side we had Artichoke Orzo Pilaf. I made it like the link says, except that I sauteed the leeks and orzo in browned butter instead of oil. Yum! The artichokes were great--they really brightened up the dish. The leeks were fine but not special in this one, so next time I'd probably use regular onion or shallots because they're cheaper out here.
We also roasted some cauliflower in the toaster oven--it was fine, but I didn't do any sauce or special seasonings, so it was kinda boring. But good for us, I guess. ;)
If you're following along, all this adds up to a dinner of white food.* We usually have more color, but this felt like comfort food. Also, I managed to time things so that everything was pretty much done at the right time so everything was at it's best. Go me!
*Except for the olives--the kids wanted to do olive fingers.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Shrimp and Cilantro
We made Moroccan shrimps. We put them over millet and that part wasn't that great, but the shrimps were great. Next time we'll just have them with salad or something. They're not spicy, but they have a nice bright flavor. One pound of shrimp is maybe 40 regular sized ones, so think of how many shrimp you want and judge your servings from that.
1 pound medium shrimp, deveined and peeled, tail on
16 cilantro sprigs
5 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon (I cheated and just squirted in some lemon juice)
Sea salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Food process everything but the shrimp until it looks saucy, then put it in a large-ish bowl with your shrimps. Toss them together, then spread them out on a large baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Even after peeling my own easy-peel frozen shrimp it was a pretty quick dish to make. We totally bought our shrimp frozen because we don't live in shrimp country, but those of you near oceans can probably do better than that. ;)
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Poached Fish
I'm learning how to oil poach fish because I've lost all meat-cooking talent I ever had and poaching sounded very forgiving. I pretty much did this but with dried thyme--fresh would have worked way better, I think. We couldn't really taste the herbs.
But the poaching part was easy and the fish turned out really moist. And even though it was totally cooked in oil it didn't feel too greasy. And it's so low temp it doesn't heat up the kitchen much at all, so it's a great summer cooking method. We shall definitely experiment further. We're thinking rosemary would be an interesting flavor to try. The kids weren't sold on tilapia but they love salmon and shrimp so I think I can get them sold on poached something . . .
Thoughts and feelings on poaching, anyone? Flavor ideas? Side dish suggestions?
But the poaching part was easy and the fish turned out really moist. And even though it was totally cooked in oil it didn't feel too greasy. And it's so low temp it doesn't heat up the kitchen much at all, so it's a great summer cooking method. We shall definitely experiment further. We're thinking rosemary would be an interesting flavor to try. The kids weren't sold on tilapia but they love salmon and shrimp so I think I can get them sold on poached something . . .
Thoughts and feelings on poaching, anyone? Flavor ideas? Side dish suggestions?
 |
| Not our fish. Stole the picture from the NY Times. |
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Southwest Rice and Bean Salad
Not the catchiest name, but it's descriptive. :) I've been looking for more cold recipes for the hot, hot summer and this one's a nice one.
1 cup short/medium grain rice (uncooked)
1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or one 15-oz can, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 Tbs lime juice, divided
1 medium bell pepper (red or yellow for sweetness), diced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic
2 1/2 Tbs olive oil
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chunky salsa, whichever you like
1. Cook the rice.
2. While the rice is cooking, toss the pinto beans, bell pepper, and tomatoes in a big bowl with about half the lime juice.
3. In a small bowl, press the garlic and whisk together with the oil and the rest of the lime juice, season with salt and pepper if you want, then pour it on your beans 'n' veggies.
4. Add a bunch of cilantro. Stir everything.
5. When the rice is done, rinse it with cold water to cool it off, shake out all the water you can, and add it to everything else. Add the salsa, stir and serve.
It makes a decent amount of food--enough for two adults and three kids to have plenty. They also say you can fill it out with some corn, avocados, and/or pumpkin seeds to make it a heftier meal. I think pumpkins seeds, especially, would be a great addition. We'll have to work on that.
Of course, the spice factor depends on what kind of salsa you're into. It's not really spicy besides that. We used a medium fire-roasted salsa and liked it, and most of us put a little extra on top after serving.
1 cup short/medium grain rice (uncooked)
1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or one 15-oz can, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 Tbs lime juice, divided
1 medium bell pepper (red or yellow for sweetness), diced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic
2 1/2 Tbs olive oil
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chunky salsa, whichever you like
1. Cook the rice.
2. While the rice is cooking, toss the pinto beans, bell pepper, and tomatoes in a big bowl with about half the lime juice.
3. In a small bowl, press the garlic and whisk together with the oil and the rest of the lime juice, season with salt and pepper if you want, then pour it on your beans 'n' veggies.
4. Add a bunch of cilantro. Stir everything.
5. When the rice is done, rinse it with cold water to cool it off, shake out all the water you can, and add it to everything else. Add the salsa, stir and serve.
It makes a decent amount of food--enough for two adults and three kids to have plenty. They also say you can fill it out with some corn, avocados, and/or pumpkin seeds to make it a heftier meal. I think pumpkins seeds, especially, would be a great addition. We'll have to work on that.
Of course, the spice factor depends on what kind of salsa you're into. It's not really spicy besides that. We used a medium fire-roasted salsa and liked it, and most of us put a little extra on top after serving.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Pasta Caprese
Looks like I never put this one up, probably because it's really easy and I kind of assume everyone knows how to make it. But it's great to do while tomatoes are in season so I'm putting it up anyway. Here goes:
5 large tomatoes,small dice (except I usually use 1-2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes--makes it sweeter)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (go ahead and break out the good stuff--adds to the flavor)
1 tsp or so balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (mandolin works pretty well--you can cheat with jarred garlic, makes the dish more mellow)
salt and black pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper (or chipotle powder for funsies)
1 lb penne or farfalle pasta
1/2 lb mozzarella, cut into small cubes
15 or so fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded (yes, you have to go fresh here)
1. In a large bowl (large enough for your finished dish) whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add garlic and tomatoes (if you use cherry tomatoes, cut them all in half) and toss together.
2. Let that all marinate while you boil your pasta and cut your cheese and basil.
3. Drain pasta, add it to tomato mixture, and stir in the basil and cheese. The heat from the pasta will melt the cheese slightly. Check for salt and pepper and serve warm.
5 large tomatoes,small dice (except I usually use 1-2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes--makes it sweeter)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (go ahead and break out the good stuff--adds to the flavor)
1 tsp or so balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (mandolin works pretty well--you can cheat with jarred garlic, makes the dish more mellow)
salt and black pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper (or chipotle powder for funsies)
1 lb penne or farfalle pasta
1/2 lb mozzarella, cut into small cubes
15 or so fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded (yes, you have to go fresh here)
1. In a large bowl (large enough for your finished dish) whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add garlic and tomatoes (if you use cherry tomatoes, cut them all in half) and toss together.
2. Let that all marinate while you boil your pasta and cut your cheese and basil.
3. Drain pasta, add it to tomato mixture, and stir in the basil and cheese. The heat from the pasta will melt the cheese slightly. Check for salt and pepper and serve warm.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Not edible but kitchen-related
Hello! It has been about a thousand years since I have posted and we have had the some recipe for clam chowder up for at least a month so someone seriously needed to post something :) This post is not about edibles but rather about kitchen things that have some pretty awesome applications outside of the kitchen.
Over the last few years I have become increasingly fascinated with home-remedies for things with specific emphasis on non-toxic and cheap fixes. Having been a graduate student up until a couple of short weeks ago, the cheap factor has been really important to me. Through a lot of putzing around on the internet, experimentation, and more focused research I have found a few things that have just totally blown my mind so I thought I'd share.
Baking Soda:
1. So I am pretty sure everyone has heard a million different things about baking soda but there are a couple of more obscure ones I want to personally attest to. I recently tried a tip about using baking soda to wash hair. Sounds really weird but it actually works. I don't know if anyone else has this problem but I occasionally get an itchy scalp. This is not a malady that is common enough to merit dandruff shampoo or anything like that but I have tried of a few different things to fix it. It is largely related to living without air conditioning (both at middle school and at home) and therefore having a constant (albeit low) level of sweat...ew. So I did some research about scalp exfoliants and they all sounded scary. I had visions of hair falling out in chunks after the follicle was scratched to pieces by sharp little pieces of sugar or walnut but then I read about some lady using baking soda. It sounded significantly less scary so I gave it a try and lo and behold! No mas itchy scalp. In fact, my scalp was immediately as clean as it would be if I were bald. Basically you just wet your hair, slap some baking soda on it, rub it in, work it around, and then rinse. Shampoo and condition as usual and enjoy a happy scalp! :)
2. Shoes. I work on my feet as a teacher and my dress shoes don't always involve socks. Shoes without socks inevitably smell. Solution? Chuck some baking soda in there and leave it in overnight. Shake it out in the morning and don't worry about the remaining power because it makes your feetsies not smell either. Go forth and enjoy dryer feet to boot :)
3. Brushing teeth. Duh. I recently started dipping my toothbrush and toothpaste in baking soda when I brush and my mouth is now quite happy. Good times. Happy gums.
4. Facial exfoliant. Yup. Baking soda actually works as a mild but effective facial exfoliant that actually also has some antibacterial properties. It makes your skin nicely soft too. You can use it anywhere else as well actually. It's kinda a miracle substance like that.
Vinegar:
1. Hair again. So this is much less obscure than the baking soda thing but is still pretty cool. Recently there have been cider vinegar shampoos and things coming out on the market and they are capitalizing on an extremely old remedy: the cider vinegar rinse. Cider vinegar, when properly diluted, gently strips away product buildup and other crap from your hair and also cleanses and sterilizes the scalp. Evidently one of the main causes of dandruff and general scalp itchiness is a buildup of yeast on the scalp. This happens especially when the hair isn't washed every day (long hair actually shouldn't be), during hot weather, and in humidity...so basically if you are me :) Combine two tablespoons cider vinegar with one cup of cold water and pour it over your hair at the end of your shower. Don't rinse it out. When your hair dries the smell will be completely gone. I have been doing this for over two weeks now and my hair is happy. The scalp benefits are really what I do it for though, it helps to prevent grossness. The thoughts behind using cider vinegar instead of white vinegar have something to do with its acidity. Some people laud using organic unfiltered cider vinegar because it has the "mother of vinegar" in it which has all kinds of happy bacteria in it. I am not so concerned with that.
So there you go. Weird home remedy personal hygiene tips from the littlest sib.
END
Over the last few years I have become increasingly fascinated with home-remedies for things with specific emphasis on non-toxic and cheap fixes. Having been a graduate student up until a couple of short weeks ago, the cheap factor has been really important to me. Through a lot of putzing around on the internet, experimentation, and more focused research I have found a few things that have just totally blown my mind so I thought I'd share.
Baking Soda:
1. So I am pretty sure everyone has heard a million different things about baking soda but there are a couple of more obscure ones I want to personally attest to. I recently tried a tip about using baking soda to wash hair. Sounds really weird but it actually works. I don't know if anyone else has this problem but I occasionally get an itchy scalp. This is not a malady that is common enough to merit dandruff shampoo or anything like that but I have tried of a few different things to fix it. It is largely related to living without air conditioning (both at middle school and at home) and therefore having a constant (albeit low) level of sweat...ew. So I did some research about scalp exfoliants and they all sounded scary. I had visions of hair falling out in chunks after the follicle was scratched to pieces by sharp little pieces of sugar or walnut but then I read about some lady using baking soda. It sounded significantly less scary so I gave it a try and lo and behold! No mas itchy scalp. In fact, my scalp was immediately as clean as it would be if I were bald. Basically you just wet your hair, slap some baking soda on it, rub it in, work it around, and then rinse. Shampoo and condition as usual and enjoy a happy scalp! :)
2. Shoes. I work on my feet as a teacher and my dress shoes don't always involve socks. Shoes without socks inevitably smell. Solution? Chuck some baking soda in there and leave it in overnight. Shake it out in the morning and don't worry about the remaining power because it makes your feetsies not smell either. Go forth and enjoy dryer feet to boot :)
3. Brushing teeth. Duh. I recently started dipping my toothbrush and toothpaste in baking soda when I brush and my mouth is now quite happy. Good times. Happy gums.
4. Facial exfoliant. Yup. Baking soda actually works as a mild but effective facial exfoliant that actually also has some antibacterial properties. It makes your skin nicely soft too. You can use it anywhere else as well actually. It's kinda a miracle substance like that.
Vinegar:
1. Hair again. So this is much less obscure than the baking soda thing but is still pretty cool. Recently there have been cider vinegar shampoos and things coming out on the market and they are capitalizing on an extremely old remedy: the cider vinegar rinse. Cider vinegar, when properly diluted, gently strips away product buildup and other crap from your hair and also cleanses and sterilizes the scalp. Evidently one of the main causes of dandruff and general scalp itchiness is a buildup of yeast on the scalp. This happens especially when the hair isn't washed every day (long hair actually shouldn't be), during hot weather, and in humidity...so basically if you are me :) Combine two tablespoons cider vinegar with one cup of cold water and pour it over your hair at the end of your shower. Don't rinse it out. When your hair dries the smell will be completely gone. I have been doing this for over two weeks now and my hair is happy. The scalp benefits are really what I do it for though, it helps to prevent grossness. The thoughts behind using cider vinegar instead of white vinegar have something to do with its acidity. Some people laud using organic unfiltered cider vinegar because it has the "mother of vinegar" in it which has all kinds of happy bacteria in it. I am not so concerned with that.
So there you go. Weird home remedy personal hygiene tips from the littlest sib.
END
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Clam Chowder
A slow cooker clam chowder recipe, slightly modified from this one, and annotated.
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
2 medium white onions
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup flour
3 6.5 ounce cans chopped clams
2.5 cups white wine for cooking
3 medium-large white potatoes
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 cups half and half
1 cup cream
1. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks (half inch to one inch cubes). Set aside.
2. Chop onions. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Mince the garlic or squeeze it through a garlic press. Open the cans of clams, drain clam juice into a measuring cup, set clams aside (refrigerate).
3. In a wok or large skillet fry the bacon until it greases the pan. Add onion, sautee until onion is soft. Add garlic, sautee until the garlic smells nice.
4. Reduce heat to medium or so and slowly stir in the flour. Fry until everything is coated.
5. Pour in clam juice and wine. Stir until everything is blended.
6. Pour all this into the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, chicken bouillon, marjoram, celery seed, and pepper. Stir.
7. Cook on low for 7 hours.
8. Add clams, half and half, and cream.
9. Cook on high for another 30 minutes.
Most slow cooker clam chowder recipes I've seen call for cream of mushroom soup. The Boston snob in me is shocked. This tastes more like what we remember. The wine especially adds a wonderful tang to the taste. This went perfectly with oyster crackers (natch) and a crusty sourdough bread.
Notes: Of course fresh clams would probably taste better than canned; in that case you'd want to buy bottled clam juice to use, and I unfortunately don't know how much because I forgot to notice how much juice was in 3 cans of clams. Also, a fourth can of clams wouldn't go amiss. As for the wine, the cooking wine we used had salt added; if you're using a normal white wine (i.e., made for drinking) you'll want to add salt to the recipe to compensate. Finally, next time we might try reducing the liquid to make the broth just a little thicker - but what to cut back on? Clam juice? Wine? Half and half?
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
2 medium white onions
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup flour
3 6.5 ounce cans chopped clams
2.5 cups white wine for cooking
3 medium-large white potatoes
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 cups half and half
1 cup cream
1. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks (half inch to one inch cubes). Set aside.
2. Chop onions. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Mince the garlic or squeeze it through a garlic press. Open the cans of clams, drain clam juice into a measuring cup, set clams aside (refrigerate).
3. In a wok or large skillet fry the bacon until it greases the pan. Add onion, sautee until onion is soft. Add garlic, sautee until the garlic smells nice.
4. Reduce heat to medium or so and slowly stir in the flour. Fry until everything is coated.
5. Pour in clam juice and wine. Stir until everything is blended.
6. Pour all this into the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, chicken bouillon, marjoram, celery seed, and pepper. Stir.
7. Cook on low for 7 hours.
8. Add clams, half and half, and cream.
9. Cook on high for another 30 minutes.
Most slow cooker clam chowder recipes I've seen call for cream of mushroom soup. The Boston snob in me is shocked. This tastes more like what we remember. The wine especially adds a wonderful tang to the taste. This went perfectly with oyster crackers (natch) and a crusty sourdough bread.
Notes: Of course fresh clams would probably taste better than canned; in that case you'd want to buy bottled clam juice to use, and I unfortunately don't know how much because I forgot to notice how much juice was in 3 cans of clams. Also, a fourth can of clams wouldn't go amiss. As for the wine, the cooking wine we used had salt added; if you're using a normal white wine (i.e., made for drinking) you'll want to add salt to the recipe to compensate. Finally, next time we might try reducing the liquid to make the broth just a little thicker - but what to cut back on? Clam juice? Wine? Half and half?
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