Chicken Tikka Masala

Does anyone else feel intimidated when trying a new cuisine? I had never made Indian food before and tried it for the first time on a group of about 10 people. It could have gone horribly wrong, I know. It's the first rule of cooking for a group of people, to not cook a new recipe -I should know better. But thank goodness, this recipe was so easy, it turned out just fine.

Actually, it's a good thing that "fundamental" rule has never actually turned out to be true, because just about every time I cook for a group of people, I cook something new. I don't think I have made the same recipe twice in over a year. It keeps my mouth from getting bored, I guess.

By the way, if any of your are looking for a way to clear your head and help get in touch with your body in an attempt to eat intuitively, I highly suggest trying a bikram yoga class. I just started going last week and really feel much more in tune with my body's nutritional needs afterwards. I suppose clearing your mind, meditating, or doing any mind-body focused activity would help with getting in touch with that kind of thing, but I have found the past few days extremely satisfying when analyzing my emotional, fullness, and hunger levels.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from Alton Brown

Serves 5-6

• 2 tablespoons garam masala*, divided
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon toasted, ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger*
• 1 medium serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Cooked rice for serving

*If you are serving to kids or those who don't like very spicy things, you can halve both or either the amount of garam masala and of the ginger, that way you get the flavor, but not really a "kick"*

Combine 1 tablespoon of the garam masala, 1 teaspoon of the salt, cumin, coriander, and pepper in a 1-gallon resealable bag. Seal and shake the bag to combine. Add the chicken and shake to coat. Add the yogurt to the bag, seal and squish to coat. Refrigerate the bag in a leak proof container for 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium-high. Add the onion and remaining teaspoon of salt, and cook until the onion is browned around the edges, 11 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, ginger and chile. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions have softened and browned completely, approximately 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of garam masala and stir several times to coat.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have reduced slightly and deepened in color, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bag, leaving as much yogurt on the meat as possible, and spoon into a large skillet that has been coated with cooking spray or oil over medium heat (you may have to do this in batches to fit all of the chicken in). Cook until the yogurt has slightly charred and the chicken is cooked all the way through, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Add the lamb and coconut milk to the tomato mixture and stir to combine and heat through. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with cilantro, serve over rice.

Christmas Dinner 2011

Christmas Dinner Menu (from top left, clockwise)
Twice baked potatoes
Yorkshire pudding
Creamed spinach
Cranberry fruit gel
Rib roast
Asparagus
And for dessert, not pictured, Boston cream pie (recipe to come soon)

One of my favorite holiday recipes of all time is my family's cranberry gel. It has oranges in it, which I love. It tastes so much better than the caned stuff. Just know before you make it, it is more like a jell-o salad almost -it is not a cranberry sauce. But boy is it yummy. My sister preferred the cranberry gel over the from-scratch boston cream pie we had for dessert, actually (though everyone else helped themselves to seconds and even thirds of the boston cream pie).

Harvey Cranberry Gel
1 (6oz) raspberry gelatin mix (or two 3oz)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (or use fresh, sliced/chopped oranges, if you prefer)
1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

In a large, pretty bowl that you wish to serve your cranberry gel in*, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, then add cold water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Fold remaining ingredients into chilled gelatin and chill in fridge until firm (2-3 hours).

*you can always prepare this in a large, normal bowl, then pour into a lightly greased mold or 8x11 dish after folding in the remaining ingredients

Apricot Slow Cooker Pork

• After having gone to two Christmas parties two nights in a row that both had AMAZING food, it was pretty hard to figure out how to make a dinner that would at least try to stand up to what I had been eating. I made this roast for friends tonight and I'd say it fit the bill. I served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and green beans, with a homemade vanilla pudding pie for dessert. The combination of sweet pork and apricots, with the thyme added in was very nice to have on a chilly evening. Add hot chocolate and a Christmas movie, as well as a drive around the neighborhood to see the lights on the houses and I am a happy girl.

• Apricot Slow Cooker Pork
  Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
• 1 boneless pork loin roast, about 2 ½ lb.
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 cups dried apricots
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 
  
  On a plate, stir together the flour, the ½ tsp. salt and the ¼ tsp. pepper. Turn the pork in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
  
  
  In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the pork and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  
  
  Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat in the pan. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom.
  
  
  Transfer the pork to a slow cooker and pour in the broth mixture. Add the apricots, orange juice and thyme. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the pork is very tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 140°F.
  
  
  Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apricots to a bowl. Using a large, shallow spoon or a ladle, skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid. Strain the juices into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and concentrated, about 10 minutes. Stir the mustard into the sauce and add the apricots. Season with salt and pepper.
  
  
  Cut the pork loin across the grain into thin slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve immediately with the sauce and apricots. Serves 4 to 6.

Turkey and Leek Risotto

It just snowed for the first time this year. I honestly really wasn't paying that much attention, as I was running late for class and more excited that I had just dropped off some white bean soup and lemon pie for a sick friend, but seeing snow in the air is always nice, no matter how distracted I am.

I hope your December is going smoothly and your Christmas shopping is complete -unless you are one of those crazies who actually finds pleasure in spending the entire morning hunting for a parking spot at the mall, only to be elbowed every 3 seconds in the overcrowded mall while searching for that "perfect gift" that never seems to appear. 

Can you tell I don't like crowds and am a notoriously bad gift-giver?

Because I am absolutely horrible at picking out gifts, I have decided to keep it simple this year. I ordered spices from Penzey's and self-sealable tea bags on Amazon and put together homemade mulling spices. Who doesn't want homemade mulling spices? Everyone can use them. You simply put cider or wine in a pot on the stove, add the bag of spices, and you're good! Here's to hoping I actually do an alright job with gifts this year. And yes, everyone on my list is getting mulling spices, no matter how special (or not special) they are to me. Maybe that's the sign of bad gift giving again... oops.

Turkey and Leek RisottoPerfect for the leftover turkey from thanksgiving and the leftover leeks that were not used up for a fish bouillabaisse last week.

Serves 6. Adapted from Cooking Light

• 5 ½ cups chicken broth 
• 1 tablespoon butter, divided
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 3 large)
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
• ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 ½ cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey (light and dark meat)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried fresh sage
• ⅓ cup grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek to pan; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Place leek mixture in a a bowl and set aside. Melt remaining 2 teaspoons butter and remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add shallots to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in ½ cup stock and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of the stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 28 minutes total).

Stir herb, turkey and leeks into the rice; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, pecorino Romano cheese, and pepper. Serve.

Pumpkin Pasta

I just spent 4 days in Washington, DC gorging myself on all of the yummy food the city had to offer (um, Teaism's salty oat cookies are ah-mazing, and I was very happy with their muesli for breakfast after a 5 mile run!). I thought I would throw this recipe up in time for Thanksgiving as a fun twist on the traditional baked mac n cheese. I love this recipe. It's everything good about thanksgiving: pumpkin and sage and carbs and cheese! Honestly, I will cut up some turkey and mix it into pumpkin sauce if I have some leftover from Thanksgiving so that it really is the perfect Thanksgiving mac n cheese.


Pumpkin Baked Penne

serves about 4. Adapted from How Sweet Eats

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup cream cheese

2/3 cup milk

1/2 pound whole wheat penne

1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped, plust more for garnish

crumbed bacon, if desired

Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add butter and onion. Whisk continuously until the butter browns and small brown bits appear in the pan. Immediately whisk in flour and chopped sage leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk, cream cheese, and pumpkin, then mix until until combined. I chose to keep my “sauce” in a thicker state, but if you’d like it thinned out a bit more, add additional milk. At this point, taste and see if you’d like any additional salt or spices – this will most likely depend on how seasoned your squash was. I added another small pinch of salt.

Add pasta to an 8 or 9-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over top, then use a spoon to fold the sauce into the penne, coating it completely. Top with shredded cheeses. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Garnish with crumbled bacon and sage leaves if desired.

Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup

The beautiful fall leaves have gone away and the naked trees make the weather feel colder, so a hot soup sounded perfect. I even got to learn about ham hocks to make this. Ok, so I did not learn much, but apparently the ham hocks I found were cured and sealed so that they could sit out for weeks at room temperature... kinda scary. Despite the slightly disturbing, long-lasting meat, this soup did not last long at all. I did not even feel the need to add salt to it because of the saltiness of the ham.

Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup

• Serves 8. Adapted from Food Network
• 1 pound navy beans, picked over, rinsed and drained
• 10 sprigs parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 quart of cold water
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 4 medium carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 
  

Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes; remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for one hour. Drain and reserve. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven combine the beans, herb bundle, hocks, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic with the water and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so the soup cooks at a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans and hock are completely tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

Turn off the heat and remove the hocks. Cool slightly. Remove the meat from the hocks, discarding the bones, fat, and skin. Cut the meat into small cubes. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Heat the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper.

Pour into heated bowls and serve.

Black Bean and Spinach Lasagna

 

Lately, I have been looking for meatless entrees, especially ones that use beans because beans are so cheap when you buy them dry in bags. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it, even it sounded pretty weird. Don't let the combination of black beans and spinach/pasta scare you away. This was really good, to the point that I actually was sad I had to eat out the other day instead of being able to eat these left overs.


Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna
from Southern Living


2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, divided
• 2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or cook your own)
• 1 (2-pound, 13-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 9 precooked lasagna noodles
• Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

• Stir together first 5 ingredients and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; set aside.
• Mash beans with a potato masher or fork in a large bowl; stir in pasta sauce and cumin. Spread one-third of bean mixture on bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
• Layer with 3 noodles, half of spinach mixture, and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; repeat layers. Spread with one-third bean mixture; top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining bean mixture.
• Bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour; uncover and top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Garnish, if desired.
  
  *You can halve this, using 5-6 lasagna noodles and in a 8x8 pan.

Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

• Rainy, slightly chilly days just say "it's time for fall foods!" and I definitely listen to those voices when they tell me to make such things as pumpkin mousse with candied pecans (someday I will put that recipe up) and roasted red pepper soup.
• It was the perfect day for such fall treats because I was having a Reading Party. What is a Reading Party? Well, it's when someone like me needs accountability and motivation to read 400 pages about the Cold War, so I invite friends over to sit with me and read while I read. It's really fantastic.
• One of my friends brought over some red peppers that were begging to be used and also mentioned he likes cream scones, so after the soup was done, we put together some scones real quick. Mousse, soup, scones, yay.
• Honestly, the food was the best 3 hour break in a 12 hour day of reading that I could have asked for. It was delicious and I got to be in the kitchen with friends! Perfection =).
• 
  
• Roasted Red Pepper Bisque
  Adapted from Cooking Light
• 1 1/2 pounds red bell peppers (3 large), roasted and peeled
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• Dash of ground red pepper
• Pepper to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup cooked long-grain rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream or milk
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

• Chop bell peppers; set aside. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned. Stir in bell peppers, tomato paste, and next 5 ingredients (tomato paste through garlic); cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in rice, water, and broth, scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Place broth mixture in a food processor or blender (you may have to do this in batches); process until smooth. Return puree to pan, and stir in 1/2 cup. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle bisque into bowls; top with cilantro.

Herbs de Provence Pork Roast

So guess what was on sale at the grocery and what spice mix I have been just dying to use? Yup, pork roast and herbs de provence! This roast is simple and so moist. For an awesome lunch, I put a bag of frozen vegetables and potatoes in the microwave and paired it with the leftovers. Yum.

Herbs de Provence Pork Roast
From Sandra Lee on Food Network

• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 2 ½ pounds pork loin roast, rinsed and patted dry
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together herbs de Provence, onion powder, light brown sugar, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Place the pork roast in a shallow roasting pan or baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and then rub with the herb mixture.

Place roast in oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Roast for 30 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. (Roast will continue to cook up to 170 degrees F out of the oven.) Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Easy Red Beans (and Cornbread!)

Do you listen to any NPR or PRX or such? If you don't, I highly recommend you stop what you are doing and go do some exploring of some seriously good stuff. Earlier this week I was listening to Snap Judgement (one of my new favorites) and the host was telling a story that involved him eating red beans when he was a kid. I just couldn't get the thought of red beans out of my head after listening to the show, so I decided to make some. I think this is one of my new favorite dinners. It took just half an hour to come together and all of it was made from scratch (well, the beans were canned, but that's it).

Easy Red Beans

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

6-8oz kielbasa, sliced into bite size coins

1 (15oz) can of red beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Oregano to taste

Thyme to taste

Cornbread, for serving (recipe in post below)

Place first four ingredients into a skillet (make sure you put a little oil in the bottom of the skillet) over medium heat and cook until onions are soft (about 7 minutes). Add the rest of the ingredients and cook 3 more minutes. Serve with corn bread.

Cherry Pork

So this recipe was supposed to go up during cherry week a while back, but I got distracted with going out of town. I brought this pork to a girls' night and served it with couscous and everyone really liked it (the pork was so tender!). However, I didn't have enough time to eat all of the leftovers before going to Florida, so my very smart roomie popped the meat in the freezer.

I am so glad she did! I wasn't completely convinced of this recipe's merit until, after defrosting the meat and sauce, I tried it again with a salad for a side. Man, I am so glad I didn't pass this over. I will definitely be making it again. Maybe the sauce just gets better after a day or so. I know that's how my saffron sauce is (recipe will come in a bit for that).

Anyway, if you are hankering for a new way to use those fresh cherries of the summer, here's a good meal.

Cherry Pork with Rice

Serves 2-3
Adapted from the Seattle Times

*Feel free to double or triple this

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound
½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup pitted Bing cherries (see note)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch bits
1 cup brown rice, cooked (the sauce tastes so good mixed with the rice!)
Salads for a side

1. Cut the pork tenderloin into medallion-size pieces. Sprinkle the rounds with the salt and pepper.

2. Put the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot, cook the pork, turning once, until the surface of each piece is golden brown, about 7 minutes altogether.

3. Use tongs or a fork to transfer the pork to a plate. Toss the cherries in the oil left behind in the pan. Pour the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar over the cherries and turn the heat to high.

4. When the broth has boiled down to about half its original volume and the cherries are tender, about 5 minutes, return the pork to the pan, along with any juices that have collected on the plate.

5. Reheat the pork in the sauce for a minute, then transfer it to serving plates. Swirl the butter into the pan juices and pour some of the sauce over the pork, but save most of the sauce and cherries to pour over the brown rice that you have made to serve as side. Serve pork medallions with the rice with the sauce and a nice salad.

Note: When fresh cherries are out of season, use frozen whole cherries, which are available year-round. If doing so, add them to the boiling sauce after it has halved in volume.

Portobello "Burgers"

I have been intrigued by the idea of a portobello burger for a while, so while I was home in Florida (and buying groceries with my mom's budget), I decided to go for it. It was a meatless, delicious meal and I definitely recommend it if you have errands to run in the evening or something, since, as long as you can get home for about 10 minutes to put the marinade together, you can go out and do something for 2 hours or so before you put in about 20 minutes to actually "cook" everything. Yay for fairly quick and easy meals.

Fyi, I am toying with the idea of reigning my grocery budget in to a mere $25 a week. I know, it's depressing, but that's kind of what happens when grad school barges in and takes all my money. So the recipes from here on out might be meatless more often and involve a lot of rice, beans, frozen veggies, and whatever happens to be on sale. That could be exciting or kind of a bummer, depending on your attitude and current situation. I'll let you know how it goes. Maybe the blog will become "Eating on $25 a Week." That may not sound like a small amount, but to me it is!

Simple Portobello "Burgers"

4 English muffins, toasted (I use whole wheat)

4 portobello mushroom caps

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 thick slices of smoked gouda cheese

1 small red onion

1 medium tomato, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

Lettuce for garnish

½ cup balsamic vinegar

for mushroom marinade:

⅓ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cooking sherry

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

Two hours before serving, combine the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish and add mushrooms. Let them lay on their top side in the marinade, and spoon some marinade into the bottom-up side to let it soak. Marinate for two hours.

Come back to the kitchen about 20 minutes before serving and heat the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, then turn off heat and set aside to thicken.

Slice red onion into rings and add ½ tablespoon olive oil into a large skillet on medium heat. Add onions and let soften and caramelize for 10-12 minutes. Set aside once finished, leaving the skillet on. Add the marinated mushrooms to the skillet top side up. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 4 more. Turn back over, add a slice of gouda on top, and turn off heat.

Top English muffin with a portobello cap, onion rings, tomato, avocado, and butter lettuce. I recommend a light sprinkle of salt and pepper on the tomato and avocado for flavor. Finish with a drizzle of syrupy balsamic and serve.

And just so you know, adding bacon to this is not a bad idea.

This is wonderful to serve with baked carrot fries or sweet potato fries.

Florida+Me=Seafood for dinner!

Growing up, I lived a mere 45 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean, but somehow seafood never had much of a hold on me, that is, until I moved to Kentucky. Now when I come home, all I can think about is how I "need" to eat seafood.

The only bummer is that my dad and sister are not big fans of it, so I try to make seafood dishes that are easy for both of them to adapt to their liking. Fish tacos are great because they use white fish (pleasing my dad) and you can easily substitute beans or chicken for the fish (making my sister happy).

If you prefer, you can marinade your fish and shrimp in a citrus mix or anything you like (tequila?), but I never feel like marinades add much flavor when you consider how much work and time goes into them.

Anyway, hope you are enjoying your summer. I am loving Orlando and being so close to the beach. I went up to Daytona last night with a new friend and enjoyed a mahi mahi sandwich while watching the ocean -something close to heaven on earth. The only thing that would make it better is if I find a morning yoga class on the beach (but this is my vacation and I am not about to get up early).

Fish frying up.

Simple Fish and Shrimp Tacos Serves about 6

2 lbs. shrimp*, peeled and de-veined, un-tailed, sliced in half if they are too large to fit inside a taco
1.5 lbs. fish (cod, tilapia, catfish, flounder – any white flaky fish you like), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

20-25 corn tortillas, warmed
Lime wedges, for garnish (do not skip! A squeeze of fresh lime is essential for a good fish and shrimp taco)
Avocado wedges, for garnish
Pico de gallo, for garnish
Sour cream or plain greek yogurt, for garnish.

*I buy frozen, pre-cooked shrimp, so if you are like me, the only thing you need to do is to thaw your shrimp according to the directions on the package and take off the tails.

To make the breading for the fish, combine the panko, flour, salt, chili powder, and pepper. Whisk to combine.

Prepare two large skillets: one for the shrimp and one for the fish. Heat each over medium-high heat with a little oil to keep them from burning.

Dip the fish in the breading, then add to the hot oil in the pan, frying in batches for 2 minutes or so on each side, until golden and cooked through. Remove the cooked fish from the pan with a slotted spatula and set on another plate, then cover with foil to keep warm.

For the shrimp, cook them (in batches, depending on how big your skillet is) over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, until pink and cooked through (they will probably curl up). Place them on another plate and cover with foil until ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve, heat your tortillas in the oven or in a skillet so they are no longer completely soft, fill with the shrimp and/or fish, and top with your favorite toppings and be sure to serve with margaritas.

CousCous with Roasted Bell Peppers, Turmeric and Mango Sausage, Cherry Tomatoes

Yum, a big bowl of couscous. What isn't to love about that?

Summer makes me want simple and light dishes that rely on the boldness of just a few, high-quality ingredients. Though, I have to admit, I am in the mood for light dishes almost every day, so maybe summer just makes me want simple and bold dishes.

My roomie roasting peppers. Yep, she's that awesome.

Indian Infused CousCous

2 cups cooked couscous

2 Turmeric Mango sausages from whole foods

2 roasted red peppers, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup onion, finely minced

1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Place a fry pan or grill pan over medium heat and cook sausages. Add garlic and onion if using a fry pan, until softened/fragrant (it is easier to use a separate pan for the onion and garlic if using a grill pan for the sausage). Cut sausages into bite-size coins. Toss together all ingredients and enjoy!

Dollar Burgers!

Whole Foods had $1 burgers (Raw, 6oz, pre-formed patties). My roomie and I just barely got some, since there were limited quantities. We were so excited for good quality meat that we decided to go simple and just enjoy the meat itself. Going simple to us means only adding a few things to the burgers: bacon and pepper. I am sure that a bit of onion would also be yummy next time.

Bacon and Pepper Burgers

2 6oz raw burgers/ground beef (good quality beef)

4 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped/crumbled

1 tablespoon, or more, of freshly ground black pepper

Dash of salt

Asiago cheese, for slicing up and putting on the burger

Burger buns (I use whole wheat english muffins), lettuce, tomatoes, condiments

Mix the first 4 ingredients, form into burgers, grill to your preference.

Assemble burger however your heart desires, just make sure to include the Asiago.

Enjoy.

Blackened Salmon

Ok, I splurged. My grocery bill is a ridiculously large portion of my budget as it is, but this week it has definitely gone overboard. The salmon at Whole Foods was just so beautiful, I couldn't resist it. I wanted to do something simple with it so that I could really appreciate the taste of wild caught salmon. To let it shine, I chose cheesey polenta with swiss chard (from my pastor's garden) as the side.

1 tablespoon of blackened seasoning

2 6oz fillets of salmon

Sprinkle blackened seasoning evenly over fillets.

Cook salmon in 1 tablespoon hot oil in same nonstick skillet over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes on each side or just until fish begins to flake with a fork. Remove from pan onto serving plates.

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

I refuse to eat any more fast food for the rest of my life. Well, kind of.

If it weren't so impossible to avoid (especially when driving 13.5 hours from KY to FL), I would totally stick to that declaration. At any rate, I did not eat much fast food before, but after working in fast food for a mere 3 months, just for the summer, I am definitely no more inclined to become one of the millions of Americans who regularly consume pounds of deep fried potatoes and gallons of soda pop.

Ok, sorry to rant. The reason I brought fast food up is because the above picture is of the leftovers of buffalo chicken mac n cheese that I ate for lunch at work instead of eating the $7 worth of free fast food that is made available to me.

Green beans are a great side for this, by the way =).

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

serves 4-6

1 pound pasta (I used shell pasta from a local pasta company)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

11/2 cups milk

1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese (half of an 8oz brick) + more for topping

1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (a third of an 8oz brick) + more for topping

2/3 cup buffalo wing sauce

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

for garnish: ¾ cup chopped green onions, ½ cup fresh cilantro, ½ cup gorgonzola cheese, additional buffalo wing sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a medium or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until milk thickens. Add in grated cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Grease a baking dish (9 x 13 is fine, ir even a 4-inch deep dish). Add pasta and chicken to the cheese sauce over and mix throughly until everything is coated. Spoon or pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately top with gorgonzola, green onions and/or cilantro. Drizzle with extra buffalo wing sauce, if desired.

Carribean Rice and "Peas"

One bowl meals are possibly my favorite kind of meals. Only one kind of utensil is required, very few dishes are dirtied, and you get tons of different flavors and textures and nutrients in every bite. It makes yumminess and good-for-you easy and efficient, what's not to love?

This was easy to put together, though it did take an hour and a half or so. So if you don't mind eating a little later than usual, I would definitely recommend this. It feeds about 4-6, depending on how hungry you (it could probably feed 7 of me, actually).

Caribbean Rice and Peas

Adapted from Food Network

16 ounces frozen black-eyed peas, thawed

Salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces turkey kielbasa (or other smoked sausage, thinly sliced)

1 large bunch scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated

3 small ribs celery, diced

5 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped

2 teaspoons jerk seasoning

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice

3 bay leaves

4 cups stemmed and chopped collard greens

Combine the black-eyed peas, 3 1/2 cups water and a pinch of salt in a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the kielbasa and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the scallion whites, celery, garlic, jalapeno, jerk seasoning and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the vegetables brown, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste turns brick red, about 2 more minutes. Add the rice, bay leaves and the black-eyed peas with their liquid to the skillet and bring to a boil; do not stir.

Add the collards; cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer undisturbed until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes; set aside for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Just before serving, add the scallion greens and fluff with a fork.