scales like a...potato?

We finally finished the leftovers! I love Thanksgiving, but I can only eat turkey and ham for so many days. By yesterday, I was ready to throw in the towel. So for tonight's dinner, I decided we needed to "detox" from all that heavy eating.

And what better way to do that than through fish?

I was looking for a recipe that not only looked fancy, but also something that would be fun to make. When I came across this potato-crusted fish, I knew that I had hit the jackpot. Whenever I made fish, It was either baked, pan-fried, or steamed. This recipe seemed interesting and easy enough to do. I wasn't too crazy about the refrigeration or the pan frying part though . . .

So, I decided to take a little leeway from the recipe. I started with using frozen fillets straight from the freezer. I read this tip a long time ago, which saved me on having to thaw the fish before being able to use it. Then, instead of pan frying, I decided to bake these suckers to cut down hands-on time. Also on the plus side, I would be able to cook all the fish in one go. Huzzah!

Another thing I changed was adding more ingredients to the mustard mixture. Tarragon sounded lovely, as well as parsley and citrus zest. To cut down on the fishiness of packaged fillets, I thought it would be a great idea to cook them on sliced citrus wedges and some parsley.

The result? A lovely flavored fish filet that has an incredible herby and citrusy flavor! The potatoes aren't potato-chip crispy, but has enough crunch around the edges to make them irresistible. I also like the fact that the citrus slices helped to avoid the fish from sticking to the pan. Served with a salad, this was the perfect meal to have after Thanksgiving leftovers!

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Potato-Crusted Fish
(adapted from Live. Laugh. Cook.)

2 to 3 frozen fish filets (like salmon, tilapia, cod, flounder, etc . . .)
1 to 2 red potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Dijon or favorite mustard
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
zest from one lemon or orange
salt and pepper

handful flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon or orange, sliced

 
Preheat oven to 450F degrees.

Combine mustard, butter, olive oil, garlic, minced parsley, tarragon, and zest into a paste. Season with some salt and pepper then set aside.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, lay down two slices of citrus for every fish fillet used. Layer with a few sprigs of parsley.

Take a frozen filet and cover the bottom of the fish with some of the mustard mixture. Place on top of the parsley and citrus slices. After that, brush the top of the filet with additional mustard mixture then repeat process for the remaining fillets.

Take the potatoes and toss in the leftover mustard mixture and add olive oil to moisten, if necessary. Working one fillet at a time, arrange the potato slices in an overlapping pattern to cover the fish. Season lightly with salt and pepper then bake for 30 minutes or until the fish is done and the potatoes are crispy and tender.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

orange with a hint of spice.

I've been juicing lately. As a result, there's a whole bunch of fruits and vegetables clogging the counter and waiting to be used. One such fruit are some navel oranges that I got on sale. I went a little crazy and got a little too much...sales on fruit here in Guam is something that I try to take advantage of. I just went a little overboard this time around...

So, what to do? Cook with it, of course! That's where this recipe comes in. I've made orange chicken before but I kind of wanted to do something a little different, flavor-wise. What struck me as interesting was the use of cumin and coriander. Cumin? Coriander? With orange?? I gotta try this!

Obviously I made some changes to what I had on hand. Navel for blood oranges. Chicken thighs for chicken breast. Also, dried rosemary as opposed to fresh. But what I ended up with did not disappoint! The spices gave the orange chicken a hint of exoticness which complimented the sweet orange sauce. The added zest I threw in also really kicked up the yummy orange flavor. I do, however, wished that I had fresh rosemary...my dried herb was starting to lose it's potency. To round out the meal, I paired this with some sauteed green beans and some creamy mashed potatoes. Yummy! Definitely worth making and hopefully again very soon!

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Spice Crusted Chicken with Blood Orange Maple Glaze
(from Simply Scratch)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp toasted and freshly ground cumin
1 tbsp toasted and freshly ground coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp light olive oil
2 medium shallots, sliced
3/4 cup blood orange juice, strained {about 4 blood oranges}
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup maple Syrup
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl; combine the cumin, coriander and kosher salt. Season both sides of four chicken breasts using all of the spices in the bowl.

Add the two tablespoons of butter and olive oil to a large 12-inch oven-safe skillet and heat over medium-medium/high heat.

Once hot add the chicken in {top side down} and cook for 4-5 minutes or until a nice crust forms and it is easy to turn the chicken. If the chicken sticks, it needs more time.

Once the crust has formed, flip and slide the whole pan into your preheated oven. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes. Once the chicken is fully cooked, use tongs to transfer the chicken to a clean plate and tent with tin foil to keep warm

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add in the sliced shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally until they're soft and translucent. Next, pour in the blood orange juice, chicken broth and maple syrup. Add in the rosemary and black pepper and simmer until reduce by half to 75 % and a thick glaze remains... about 8-10 minutes.

Taste and season with kosher salt to taste {if needed} and add the chicken back it to warm up a tad more, then spoon the glaze over top of the chicken and serve.

something fishy goin' on...

I don't know what it is that makes making dinner so difficult. Maybe it's the fact that there's so much possibility and that i could really make *anything* I want. Either way, I always struggle when it comes to dinner time.

Back when me and my husband were dating, dinner was fun for me to do. I think it was less stressful because the hubby used to cook more often then. For every four to five times that I cooked, he would cook once. Now, not so much. I've mentioned on more than one occasion that I would *love* for him to cook, but so far no luck. Here's hoping...

So in an effort to reduce my anxiety when I'm in the kitchen, I tend to pin a lot of recipes and make mental notes to remember ones that would most likely be made in the near future. I also have a handful of cookbooks that I really like, especially my Cooking Light cookbook. It's an older version but I found that I've actually made several of the recipes written inside. It's been a trusty companion when I'm lost in the kitchen.

I grabbed for the cookbook today, in fact. Flipping through the pages and remembering what I had in my pantry, I was thinking of doing chicken (my favorite protein). But then, I was in the seafood section and saw this recipe for flounder. Well, I didn't have any flounder...but I did have tilapia in the freezer. And frozen peas should be a good substitute for snow peas, right?

Well, that started the juices flowing and then pretty soon dinner was happily being made. I did a few substitutions to work with the ingredients that I had on hand--but that's pretty usual with the way I cook things. Also, when I made the butter, I thought that some spices needed to play just to make it a bit more interesting. Also, the same with the rice. Of course, I *do* have a rice cooker...so making the rice was just putting things in a pot and pushing a button. I decided to add the directions anyway...you never know. :P

So what did it taste like? Pretty good, actually! I'm not sure if making it as is would have been better...but I like that it ended up being a herby, savory dish that was still light despite the fact that it's got a rice side dish. Hubby liked it, so this is getting added to the "make-again" recipe pile. God knows, I need more of those. And now...what to make tomorrow?? :/

 

Confetti Tilapia Packets with Orange-Tarragon Butter
(adapted from MyRecipes.com/Cooking Light)

1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp water
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets (1/4 inch thick)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp Orange-Tarragon Butter

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place peas, carrots, bell pepper, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes.

Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Cut 4 (15 x 12-inch) squares of parchment paper. Fold each square in half. Open folded parchment paper; place 1 fillet near fold on each square. Top each fillet with one-fourth of carrot mixture; crumble or spread 1 tablespoon Orange-Tarragon Butter over carrot mixture. Fold paper; seal edges with narrow folds. Place packets on a large baking sheet. Repeat for remaining fillets.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Place 1 packet on each of 4 plates; cut open, and serve immediately. Garnish with orange wedges, if desired.

 

Orange-Tarragon Butter
(adapted from MyRecipes.com/Cooking Light)

1/4 cup butter, softened
2-3 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp grated orange rind
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir with a spoon until blended. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

 

Citrus-Herb Rice
(adapted from Fine Cooking)

1 cup long-grain white rice
1 3/4 cups water
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp orange zest
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

Rinse the rice in a few changes of cold water. Drain the rice well in a sieve.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine 1-3/4 cups water, the rice, butter, onion powder, and tarragon. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover. (If you have an electric stove, use two burners: bring the rice to a boil on a hot burner and then immediately slide it to a burner set on low to continue cooking at a slow simmer.) Cook at a gentle simmer until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 12 minutes (it's okay to lift the lid to make sure the rice is fully cooked and the water is absorbed—just replace the lid quickly).

Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, undisturbed with the lid on, for at least 5 minutes and for as long as 30 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the rice gently with a fork and stir in orange zest. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, and serve with a sprinkle of dried tarragon on top.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

abundant avocados.

ah, avocados. i was on an avocado kick and recently went to my nearest grocery to get some. i was super lucky that day...they were on sale, two for a dollar! yaaay! needless to say, i went a little crazy and bought about ten avocados. ten! after about a couple of days, i realized that i was eating less than i thought i would be. luckily for me, i have roommates that like avocados and helped me put away some. i had about four avocados left and i was wondering if i could do something else creative with it besides putting it as a topper on something. enter sweet avocado quick bread!

this bread bakes up beautifully. a nice golden crust with a nice moist olive green inside. you can definitely taste the avocado but it was delicious with the hint of cinnamon and vanilla. next time, when i do have some orange zest, i'll definitely add it in for that "fresh flavor". :)

 

Sweet Avocado Quick Bread
(from CC Recipe)

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all-spice (didn't have any, so skipped this and about doubled the cinnamon)
1 avocado, mashed (I use Haas avocados) (used 2 large avocados)
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp orange zest (didn't have any so i subbed vanilla paste, about 1 1/2 tsp)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Generously grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. (didn't do this...lined the pan with parchment paper for easy clean-up instead. >:D)

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and all-spice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend thoroughly.

3. Remove the avocado from the skin and remove pit, place avocado in a separate bowl, and mash the avocado. Beat together the egg and avocado. Stir in the buttermilk and orange zest.

4. Add to the dry ingredients and blend well. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

recipe in pictures: soda bread

ah, soda bread. this was such an easy recipe to do. about the only hard thing was waiting for the dried fruit to soak up the liquer and then waiting for it to bake. used this recipe but used whatever liquor i had in the kitchen (it was an herb-based one) and dried mixed fruit that was lying in a bag begging to be used up. verdict? nice and moist and almost reminiscent of bisquick in taste. brought half of the loaf over to my sister's house and her and her boyfriend really liked it. yay for sharing! :D

 
Irish Soda Bread with Whiskey Soaked Raisins and Whiskey Butter Syrup
(from What's Baking in the Barbershop?!)

For bread:
4 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for raisins)
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter (cut into 1/2" pieces)
1 and 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 large or extra large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1 cup dried raisins
1/3 to 1/2 cup whiskey

For whiskey butter sauce:
remaining whiskey-raisin liquid after raisins have been soaked in it
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

For Bread:
Combine the raisins and whiskey in a small, shallow bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit for at least six hours or overnight (I let mine sit overnight). When ready to make the bread, drain the raisins from the liquid (but SAVE the liquid for the whiskey butter syrup!).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Add the butter, and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour mixture. With a fork, lightly beat together the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest (if using; it's okay to omit the orange zest). With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the liquids to the flour/butter mixture until well-incorporated. Toss the raisins (that have been removed from the whiskey-raisin liquid) with one tablespoon of flour to coat them. Then add them into the dough. The dough will be rather wet.

Using a well-floured board, knead the dough several times, and form into a circle (you can make one large loaf, if you'd like - or two smaller loaves like I did this time - or you can make scones like I did in this blog post). Place the loaf or loaves on prepared baking sheet, and lightly form an X in the center with a knife. If making one large loaf, bake for 45 to 55 minutes. If making two smaller loaves, check on the loaves after about 30 minutes.

When the loaf is done, a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf will come out clean. Also, if you tap on the side of the bread, it should sound hollow. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the whiskey butter syrup:
Add the remaining whiskey-raisin liquid to a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once it's simmering, add the two tablespoons of butter. Turn the heat down to medium low and mix until the butter is fully melted. The mixture may begin to foam, and when it does, use a spoon to skim the foam off the top. Drizzle the remaining whiskey butter syrup on a slice of your freshly baked soda bread.

almonds and figs.

just a quick breakfast using figs and marzipan. had bought some green figs from trader joes and had marzipan laying around. what to do? pancakes, of course! used this recipe as a base but added vanilla bean paste, almond extract, seven grain cereal and subbed whole wheat instead of plain. while the pancakes was cooking in the pan, i added sliced fresh figs to it and they caramelized nicely when they got flipped over. for the topping, i used light sour cream and mixed in some avocado honey in it to boot. so it turned into "seven grain whole wheat pancakes with honey cointreau sour cream sauce"...or something along those lines. heck, all i know is that it was delicious! XD here's the original recipe:

 
Marzipan Pancakes
(from Tea, Cake, and Sandwiches)

1 1/3 cups Plain flour
1 cup Ground Almonds
11/2 tsp Baking powder
3/4 cup Marzipan, coarsely grated
3 Eggs, separated
1/3 cup Sugar
2 cups Buttermilk
1 pinch Salt

Beat the egg-whites until you have soft peaks forming, then put them aside until later. Mix the flour, almonds, baking powder, egg-yolks, sugar, buttermilk, and salt. Then mix in 1/4 of the egg-whites and once they're properly mixed in, fold in the rest of the egg-whites and the marzipan. Heat some butter in a pan and watch them turn into sheer amazingness while they're frying away :)

 
Orange Yoghurt Cream
(from Tea, Cake, and Sandwiches)

Zest of 1 orange
4 tbsp Yoghurt
2 tsp Cointreau
2 tsp Agave syrup
Some whipped cream (I didn't add any but I think that might just do the job so add about 3 tbsp)

Mix everything together. If you're using the whipped cream I would fold it into the mix at the end.

poulet a l'orange...kind of.

well, i intentionally wanted to make gordon ramsay's sticky lemon chicken but i didn't have lemon....i had navel oranges. soooo, i did an orange chicken instead and made a side of sesame asparagus to go along with it. :D

when i go to bevmo to go shopping, i head straight to the minis and decide what liquor i can use in my cooking. i had actually bought a cointreau mini, which is an orange liqueur, a week ago and thought, great! this will go nicely with the recipe i was supposed to follow. it basically remained the same except i took out the water and subbed oj, and lemon juice for lots of orange zest, and cut the thyme in half. i let that sit for ten minutes while i prepped and cooked the chicken.

after that, it was making the glaze syrupy and tossing the chicken in it then making the asparagus side. so what did it taste like? like panda express without the breading but ten times better! XD i'm looking forward to making this again and maybe playing with different citruses and fruits. and i was surprised how well the thyme worked with the oranges...it would probably have been better if the thyme was fresh: the little bitty dry leaves slightly poked you in the mouth when you chewed, lol. also, one thing i think was missing was some sort of starch...maybe a rice dish? i don't know. but it was still pretty awesome. thank you mr. ramsay for this wonderful base recipe! now, all i have to do is see if i can make his other dishes! :D

 

Sticky Lemon Chicken
(from Gordon Ramsey and Food.com)

1 lb chicken leg/thighs, about 8-10
salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 to 4 tbsp honey
1 head garlic, each clove sliced in half
1 whole lemon, Sliced
1/4 to 1/3 cup water
1 tbsp thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley or 2 tbsp dried parsley

1 .In a large skillet pan, add the oil to Med/High Heat. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for about 5-6 minutes, turning each piece.

2. Add the garlic cloves, soy sauce, and honey to the pan, making sure to get all the chicken in the sauces. Coninue to cook for a 5 minutes.

3. Add the water and lay the slices of lemon on top of the chicken in the pan. Put a lid on the pan and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes.

4. Season the chicken with thyme and parlsey. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

 

Sesame Asparagus
(from Delicious Dishes)

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, cut on diagonal into 2-9nch-long pieces
4 teaspoons sesame seeds

Stir soy sauce and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Heat oil in heavy large skillet. Add garlic and stir 15 seconds. Add asparagus and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and toss until asparagus is coated, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Serves 4-6