I was in a pinch for a quick dinner and had to muddle my way through serving frozen fish (I know, I know, but that is all I had thawed out). I had a Rachel Ray recipe for fresh fish which took the bacon and made a mixture out of the drippings with bread crumbs and chopped tomatoes which didn't go over very well with my husband (too much stuff on top of the fish). So, I improvised and made up my own!
2 frozen talipia filet's
2 dashed of bread crumbs (store bought or very dried out fresh works the best)
2 slices of bacon
1/2 onion chopped very fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
olive oil
1 T butter
1 egg, beaten
Cajun seasoning or rub
parsley paste (in your fresh herb/frozen isle)
1. Render the bacon in a skillet.
2. Meanwhile, rinse fish and pat dry. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning on one side of fish. Brush egg on top of fish and sprinkle with bread crumbs until just soaked through. Do not repeat for second side.
3. Remove the bacon from the skillet and set aside for later. Add the onions and garlic cooking until starting to brown. You can add a little olive oil if needed.
4. Nestle the fish, spice side down with the onions. Spice the second side brushing with egg and top with breadcrumbs.
5. Cook for 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 3 minutes or until the fish flakes.
6. Remove fish from skillet. Add the butter, parsley pasted and chopped up bacon cooked earlier. Scrap the bottom of the pan to blend.
7. Top the fish with drippings and serve.
Might be good to twist some lemon or lime on top.
Family Factor: well liked!
Stomach Factor: mild unless you are sensitive to bacon drippings
Time Factor: made in under 20 minutes...very quick for even a week night!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Some Comfort Food!
There are just times where you crave something meaty and downright comforting. Whether it was a long day at work, rainy weekend or just need a good pick me up, comfort food does something good for you well being and maybe even to your soul.
This recipe is only takes 20 minutes to prepare, but takes an hour and a half to cook. So, it may not be the best to cook on a week night unless you have someone to pop it in the oven for you!
From Comfort Food
Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce
4 red peppers
1 T oil
1 leek, thinly sliced (or onion)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
14oz ground beef
2 15.5oz cans of crushed or diced tomatoes
1 C beef stock
1/4 brown rice
1 potato cut into small pieces
2 T tomato paste
1/4 C chopped parsley
1/4 C chopped basil
1/4 C red wine
1/2 t sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 C fresh breadcrumbs
1 T butter, melted
2 t finely chopped parsley
1. Sliced off the tops of the red peppers and remove all seed and membranes. Save the lids to the peppers. Cut a thin slice off the bottom so the base sits flat.
2. Heat oil in pan, add leek and garlic and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes until leek is just soft. Add the beef and cook until browned all over.
3. Add one can of tomatoes, the stock, rice, potato and half the tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the mixture is thick. Stir in herbs and season.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Spoon the mixture into the red peppers and put them in a shallow ovenproof dish. Heat the remaining can of tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar and bay leaf in a small pan, season to taste and then spoon around the red peppers.
5. Sprinkle the red pepper with bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Put the lids of the red peppers in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp on top. Put the lids on the peppers and serve.
If you don't use all the filling, it freezes really well. I used it to make omelets on Sunday morning.
Family Factor: well liked...definitely comfort food!
Stomach Factor: can be a little sensitive with all the tomatoes!
Time Factor: you can make head and then cook to make on a weeknight.
This recipe is only takes 20 minutes to prepare, but takes an hour and a half to cook. So, it may not be the best to cook on a week night unless you have someone to pop it in the oven for you!
From Comfort Food
Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce
4 red peppers
1 T oil
1 leek, thinly sliced (or onion)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
14oz ground beef
2 15.5oz cans of crushed or diced tomatoes
1 C beef stock
1/4 brown rice
1 potato cut into small pieces
2 T tomato paste
1/4 C chopped parsley
1/4 C chopped basil
1/4 C red wine
1/2 t sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 C fresh breadcrumbs
1 T butter, melted
2 t finely chopped parsley
1. Sliced off the tops of the red peppers and remove all seed and membranes. Save the lids to the peppers. Cut a thin slice off the bottom so the base sits flat.
2. Heat oil in pan, add leek and garlic and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes until leek is just soft. Add the beef and cook until browned all over.
3. Add one can of tomatoes, the stock, rice, potato and half the tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the mixture is thick. Stir in herbs and season.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Spoon the mixture into the red peppers and put them in a shallow ovenproof dish. Heat the remaining can of tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar and bay leaf in a small pan, season to taste and then spoon around the red peppers.
5. Sprinkle the red pepper with bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Put the lids of the red peppers in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp on top. Put the lids on the peppers and serve.
If you don't use all the filling, it freezes really well. I used it to make omelets on Sunday morning.
Family Factor: well liked...definitely comfort food!
Stomach Factor: can be a little sensitive with all the tomatoes!
Time Factor: you can make head and then cook to make on a weeknight.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Happy St. Patty's Day!
Corned beef and cabbage was one of those foods that I didn't care for until I was 20 something. Little did I know it was a brisket cooked in vinegar instead of the typical BBQ sauce. What I found amazing going through this un-corned beef recipe is that the beets made the corned beef pink, not the cooking temperature. So, here's to you my Irish friends! Check out the second recipe for the leftovers...
From Martha Stewart's Living:
Un-corned Beef and Cabbage
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T sugar
3 bay leaves
2 t cinnamon
2 t ground coriander
2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves
4 garlic clove, minced
3 T cider vinegar
1 T stone-ground mustard
Mix the above to make a paste.
1 brisket about 7lbs
1 beer
1 C OJ
1 onion sliced
3 beets trimmed, washed, peeled and sliced
1 head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1. Rub paste over brisket. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Cover and refrigerate over night.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Combine OJ and beer. Top brisket with onion and surround with beets. Pour 1/2 liquid over brisket. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, basting occasionally, until tender, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
3. After 2 hours, add cabbage and carrots and the rest of the liquid. Season with salt. Re-cover and continue to bake another hour.
4. Slice brisket and return to liquid and serve with veggies.
Reuben Sandwich
Toss left over cabbage and carrots with 4 T cider vinegar and 1/2 t coarse salt. Spread butter on outside of 2 slices of rye bread. Spread Russian dressing (1/2 C may + 2 T chili sauce) on insides, top with 1 slice of cheese. Make the sandwich with left over sliced un-corned beef and cabbage. Heat on griddle over medium-high heat until cheese melts about 3 minutes per side.
Family Factor: Loved it!...and no leftovers went wasted (double smiles!)
Stomach Factor: surprisingly mild
Time Factor: cooking time was good for a rainy Sunday, but only took 20 minutes to put together
From Martha Stewart's Living:
Un-corned Beef and Cabbage
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T sugar
3 bay leaves
2 t cinnamon
2 t ground coriander
2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves
4 garlic clove, minced
3 T cider vinegar
1 T stone-ground mustard
Mix the above to make a paste.
1 brisket about 7lbs
1 beer
1 C OJ
1 onion sliced
3 beets trimmed, washed, peeled and sliced
1 head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1. Rub paste over brisket. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Cover and refrigerate over night.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Combine OJ and beer. Top brisket with onion and surround with beets. Pour 1/2 liquid over brisket. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, basting occasionally, until tender, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
3. After 2 hours, add cabbage and carrots and the rest of the liquid. Season with salt. Re-cover and continue to bake another hour.
4. Slice brisket and return to liquid and serve with veggies.
Reuben Sandwich
Toss left over cabbage and carrots with 4 T cider vinegar and 1/2 t coarse salt. Spread butter on outside of 2 slices of rye bread. Spread Russian dressing (1/2 C may + 2 T chili sauce) on insides, top with 1 slice of cheese. Make the sandwich with left over sliced un-corned beef and cabbage. Heat on griddle over medium-high heat until cheese melts about 3 minutes per side.
Family Factor: Loved it!...and no leftovers went wasted (double smiles!)
Stomach Factor: surprisingly mild
Time Factor: cooking time was good for a rainy Sunday, but only took 20 minutes to put together
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Bring on the Tacos!
Tacos have been ingrained in me at a very young age. I remember it was a quick, easy meal for my mom but I remember having them on Friday nights. When my sister and I lived together after college, we still made it the same way our mom did...probably the only meal we ever 'cooked'. :-)
I was glad to see the recent trend towards taco bars. A place that served a beer/glass of wine and a taco would be high on my list! Seriously! The only thing I'm not convinced of in this recent trend is to put things like spaghetti and meatballs in a taco, but the thought got me digging. I've always wanted to find a good fish taco recipe (still crave them from the west coast). I didn't come across any that is easy to do mid-week, but I did come across this BBQ one that sounded really interesting so I had to give it a try.
From Better Homes and Garden Cook Book:
Beef and Cabbage Wraps (aka BBQ Tacos)
8 8in flour tortillas
12oz lean ground beef
1/2 C chopped onion (1 medium)
2 C packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1 C frozen corn kernels
1/2 C bottled BBQ sauce
1. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil and heat in oven at 350 for 10 minutes....or just wrap them in damp paper towel and through them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
2. For the filling, in a large skillet cook the meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off the fat. Stir cabbage mix and corn into mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender, stirring once. Stir in BBQ sauce and heat through.
3. Spoon 1/3 cup of filling into center of tortilla and roll them up!
Family Factor: surprisingly, Sean did like these (not something I thought we would enjoy)
Stomach Factor: depends on the heat of your BBQ sauce
Time Factor: really easy to get on the table for a week night
I was glad to see the recent trend towards taco bars. A place that served a beer/glass of wine and a taco would be high on my list! Seriously! The only thing I'm not convinced of in this recent trend is to put things like spaghetti and meatballs in a taco, but the thought got me digging. I've always wanted to find a good fish taco recipe (still crave them from the west coast). I didn't come across any that is easy to do mid-week, but I did come across this BBQ one that sounded really interesting so I had to give it a try.
From Better Homes and Garden Cook Book:
Beef and Cabbage Wraps (aka BBQ Tacos)
8 8in flour tortillas
12oz lean ground beef
1/2 C chopped onion (1 medium)
2 C packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1 C frozen corn kernels
1/2 C bottled BBQ sauce
1. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil and heat in oven at 350 for 10 minutes....or just wrap them in damp paper towel and through them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
2. For the filling, in a large skillet cook the meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off the fat. Stir cabbage mix and corn into mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender, stirring once. Stir in BBQ sauce and heat through.
3. Spoon 1/3 cup of filling into center of tortilla and roll them up!
Family Factor: surprisingly, Sean did like these (not something I thought we would enjoy)
Stomach Factor: depends on the heat of your BBQ sauce
Time Factor: really easy to get on the table for a week night
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