Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce, Japanese Carrot Dressing

This is one of our favorite meals. I made this for my family while in California and my aunt hasn't stopped making it since! Good for a quick weeknight meal, or even nice enough for company. You can make the sauce ahead of time so you're not too harried while the fish is broiling. Just set it to the back of the stove and gently rewarm before serving if necessary.
Look for never frozen, fresh tilapia that's US farm-raised. Natural, if you can get it...no added hormones, etc. It's only about 2 bucks more per pound and in my book, totally worth it. The salad, albeit of Japanese influence, was a great compliment to the coconut-curry sauce.


Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce: (Cooking Light)

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided (I actually use a lighter blend of canola and sesame)
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions (they look pretty cut on the bias)
1 teaspoon curry powder (use hot or mild)
2 teaspoons red curry paste (or more if you're daring)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons soy sauce (the recipe calls for low-sodium which I didn't have, just adjust the salt down)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (I subbed agave nectar)
~1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk (this dish is crazy good with whole fat coconut milk, but well...it's reaaaaally fattening. :-) I did go back to using the lite this time, but sometimes I use a half and half mix. Buy a can of regular and a can of lite, mix the two, and freeze the rest in 1/2 cup measures for future use.)
2 tablespoons or more, chopped fresh cilantro
4 (6-ounce) farm-raised natural tilapia fillets (I just used 2 really big filets, we have extra sauce and rice for lunch the next day)
Cooking spray
hot cooked brown basmati rice
lime wedges

Preheat broiler.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar (agave), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.

Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes (I flipped our large 8oz filets over at 6 minutes, and broiled for an additional 3 minutes for a perfectly done, moist fish) or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet, 1/2 cup sauce, 3/4 cup rice, and 1 lime wedge)

CALORIES 506 (30% from fat); FAT 17.1g (sat 5.9g,mono 6g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN 29g; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 616mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 2.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 56.6g



Japanese Ginger-Carrot Dressing:

We love this dressing that's always served at our favorite sushi restaurant. I found this recipe online and it's really, really good. I tend to use more carrots than called for...about a fistful of baby-sized carrots, but I'll type up as written and you do as you like. If it's a little too thick with the extra carrots just add a small amount of water to thin. I used orange juice last night and it just changed the flavor too much. It should be fairly thick. Just dollop a good amount in the center of your salad and scoop some up with each bite. Delish!
All of these ingredients can be increased to your taste of course.

1 small carrot (or more)
1 Tbs mirin (orig. recipe calls for 2, just add one then taste)
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
couple drops dark sesame oil
1 Tbs prepared mustard (not French's)
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger root

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Well covered, it keeps in the fridge for about a week.

Steak Salad with "Salsa"

Well...that's the last time I follow Central Market's reheating instructions blindly. Tasty, but way overdone steak! Grrrr.

This recipe assumes that you might have gotten 10 bucks of "free" (gotta spend 40 to use the coupon!) food from Central Market's chef case. Faced with a number of goodnesses and no plan, I selected some basics...sliced flank steak, cooked rare so it could be reheated and some green beans almondine. I pulled from my pantry and fridge chickpeas, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, roasted fresh corn, chopped basil and lemon and they came together to make an Italianesque salsa to top the steak with. The whole works was laid on a bed of arugula and baby spinach simply tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
You really don't need a recipe for this after I just mentioned all the ingredients...but just for the sake of wasting more time before having to go to the gym, here it is anyway.


Steak Salad:

chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used ~2/3 of a can)
corn from one large cob, roasted
chopped roasted red pepper, or in my case piquillo pepper since I had an open bottle
~6 large basil leaves, chopped
1 tomato chopped
lemon juice to taste
a couple glugs of olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
arugula, baby spinach, or a combo
cooked flank steak, sliced

Combine chickpeas through salt and pepper and set aside to perk. Actually, I added to the chopped tomatoes to the salsa at the last minute, but whatever.


Cook your steak if you don't happen to have any already cooked steak hanging around your fridge. Put a big pile of greens on each plate, and toss with a little more lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay the steak on the greens and top with salsa.

Salmon en Papillote with Orange and Fennel

We had this a few nights ago...an alternative to the first salmon en papillote I made. It's an infinitely variable recipe.

Salmon en Papillote with Orange and Fennel:
amounts are for each individual packet

olive oil
1 ea 5 – 6 oz salmon fillet section
1/4 of a fennel bulb, core removed, sliced very thin
thinly sliced shallot
3 thin slices of fresh orange
~1 Tbs fresh orange juice
~1-2 tsp dry vermouth (or white wine)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter (could use less, or sub with olive oil)
salt
ground black pepper
fennel fronds
parchment

Heat oven to 375F with baking sheet inside. Prepare parchment by folding a long sheet in half crosswise and scissor out a piece that looks like half a heart or, when you unfold it, a valentine. As the food inside cooks, the fat top will puff perfectly while the skinny end captures the juices.

Mix juice with the white wine.

Dab on a little olive oil in the center of one half of the parchment. Position a pile of fennel on the oiled section and then lay the salmon on top. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Dot with pieces of butter and top with a few thin slices of shallot. Place thyme on salmon and layer orange slices on top. Sprinkle fennel fronds on top of orange. Starting at the top of the heart, fold edges of parchment, sealing edges securely with narrow folds leaving a small opening at the pointed end. Use a stapler if the paper seems to be coming undone.

When ready to cook, pour vermouth and orange juice mixture into the opening in the parchment then twist the end tip to secure tightly. Place bundle on a baking sheet and cook for 11 -12 minutes. Serves 1.

I took the salmon out of the packet and served over brown rice this time. Or, just eat it out of the packet.


Steamed Asparagus with Tarragon Shallot Vinaigrette:

Since I'd cut into the shallot and had plenty left over, I decided to use it in a simple vinaigrette for the asparagus. We have tarragon growing on our deck, and I thought it would complement the fennel in the salmon. I really think the asparagus was my favorite part of the meal. :-)

minced shallot
fresh chopped tarragon
a little whole grain mustard
white wine vinegar (I used a Pinot Grigio vinegar that was really nice)
salt and black pepper
a dab of agave nectar
not too much olive oil...just enough to emulsify everything and mellow the dressing a bit.

There aren't any amounts given, but you don't need to make too much for one bundle of asparagus, steamed.
While your asparagus is steaming, mix the shallot through the agave, then add oil slowly while stirring to emulsify.
Toss whole warm asparagus spears in dressing to coat.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad Sandwiches on Rosemary Foccacia Bread

I served this great sammie with a simple green salad for our dinner tonight. I think it would be equally good made with chicken in lieu of the tuna fish.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad:

The original recipe from the Whole Foods Cookbook calls for 24 oz of tuna...I scaled the recipe back for us to have dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. Just use whatever amount of any of the ingredients you like. It's all subjective to taste anyhow.

* 18 oz chunk light tuna in water, drained well
* the better part of a can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained
* 1/3-1/2 cup chopped roasted red or Piquillo peppers
* ~1/2 cup sliced Greek olives
* ~2-3 Tbs red onion, finely minced
* 2-3 Tbs fresh Italian parsley, minced
* 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
* 1 large clove garlic, minced
* mayonnaise to your taste (I used about 1/4-1/3 cup)
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the tuna, artichoke hearts, red pepper, olives, onion, parsley, basil, garlic, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together well. Serve on bread, atop a green salad or in lettuce cups.


Spelt Focaccia:

This is moist and delicious with a nice tender crumb. Easy peasy too! This from a chickie that has no idea how to make bread. :-)
The original recipe was found on Cook Anything's blog. Check there for much lovelier photos of this foccacia.

300 grams wholegrain spelt flour (sorry...I don't have a cup measure on this)
1 teaspoon Sucanat (or sugar)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh rosemary
garlic powder
red pepper flakes
grated Parmesan

To make the Topping:
Strip the rosemary from the stalk and place in a small bowl with red pepper flakes to taste, about 1-2 Tbs grated Parm., a shake of garlic powder and fresh ground black pepper. Add about 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil and mix.

To make the Focaccia:
In a large bowl, sift in the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Make a little well in the center and slowly incorporate the water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. You want the mixture to come together and lose most of it's stickiness (but honestly, mine stayed pretty sticky). Transfer to a spelt floured board and knead very briefly (10-20 seconds at most) to form a smooth ball. Place this in an oiled bowl and rub more oil on the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap - leave in a warm place to double in size (took about 30-40 min). Just a quick note...see all those little holes in the surface of the foccacia? Not the dimples, but the wee holes. I think I let it rise a little too long on the sheet before getting it into the oven, but it really didn't make a lick of difference in the quality of the bread. It was way better this time in fact than the last time I made it.

When doubled, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and using your hands push the dough to form a rough oblong shape (I made more of a rectangle this time, but the oblong is good for dipping in soups). Put this on a tray, dimple the surface with your fingertips then cover the top evenly with the rosemary topping. Place this in a warm place to rise again, covered with plastic for about 30-45 minutes. Make sure the dough is well oiled by the topping before covering with plastic, so it doesn't stick and deflate your dough.

Preheat the oven to 400 - sprinkle the bread with kosher salt and cook for 20-25 minutes (I took mine out at 18 and it was perfect...I spread it out a little thinner than usual though) or until the bread is golden and feels cooked through.

Cool on a wire rack.

If you made a thicker foccacia, you can slice it in half for sammies, or if you made it thinner, just use one layer per side of your sammie. This was so delicious!

Italian Sausage Pizza

Sorry I haven't posted in the last few days. We've been eating out of the freezer, so nothing new. Last night I thawed a whole wheat cornmeal dough ball left from making the Ginger BBQ Pizza and the remaining Italian sausage from the stuffed acorn squash to make an Italian sausage pizza.

I didn't allow the dough enough time to come to room temp and rise properly though. Hence, our wee yeasty friends were a mite sluggish. I'll just say that it was no great loss, we just had more of a (dense) cracker crust this time round. If you're thawing out dough, make sure to let it sit on your counter for a gooooood while. Even though it had completely thawed in the fridge overnight, two hours on the counter still wasn't even close to being enough time.

I made a pizza sauce using no-salt added diced tomatoes (liquid and all), a dash of garlic and onion powder, a pinch of Italian herbs (or herbes de Provence), a pinch of red pepper flakes, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a smidge of agave nectar. Cooked down and then buzzed with a stick blender in the pot to make a nice thick sauce. I will add that I'd originally started with a can of Italian herbage-afied tomato sauce and regular tomato paste. This mixture was sooooo salty I could hardly taste any tomato! I could only imagine how bad it would be after cooking it down further. I dumped almost all of it out of the pot and then started again, retaining ~1/4+ cup of the original mixture, then adding the other ingredients from above.
Much better! I like to keep no-salt added tomato products in my pantry so that I can better control the amount of salt going into our dishes. I like salt, but when you're also adding pancetta, Parm, canned beans, etc. to a dish it tends to get too salty for my tastes.

The rest of the pizza consisted of 1 1/2 links of Italian turkey sausage (probably about 8 oz., squeezed from the casing and cooked up in a skillet with a little olive oil), sliced Mozzerella cheese, and thinly sliced red onion. I topped the whole pizza with freshly grated Parmesan after it came out of the oven.

I'd waited too long already for the dough to warm/rise (read: erin's blood sugar was dropping and she was getting pissed off) that we were so hungry by the time the pizza was done, we devoured the whole thing with no green salad in sight. I ate way more than I should of and had the tummy ache to prove it. Although, The Monster will contend it had more to do with the bag of carob chips I polished off post-pizza, while anxiously watching a Survivor challenge. ;-)

Jicama, Red Cabbage and Red Pepper Slaw

When The Monster and I were coming home from running errands this weekend, I noticed a fruit seller on the side of the road. More importantly, I noticed that he had some really nice looking jicama! So, off we pulled and I found a lovely one with our name on it. I haven't bought a jicama in ages, but one of my favorite snacks as a kid was sliced jicama doused in lime, chili powder and cilantro. I had a slaw planned for sometime this week so had a the red cabbage in the fridge for that, the red peppers sounded like a good thing to toss in, and the dressing...that was going to have to have lime juice, chili powder and cilantro. It looks like it will be delicious with our leftover amended stuffed acorn squash from last night.

Jicama, Red Cabbage and Red Pepper Slaw:

Slaw:
~1/2 large jicama, peeled and sliced however you want
red cabbage, sliced thinly
most of a red pepper, sliced
~1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
a couple green onions

Dressing:
juice of 2-3 limes
a good shaking of chili powder (really just to your tastes)
a good pinch of kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
a couple squeezes of agave nectar (or honey)
a wee bit of light olive oil

Slice all your veggies, make the dressing and combine the two. Toss until combined and then let it sit in the fridge for about an hour...it gets better if it sits even longer. I ate the rest of the slaw with added chickpeas and baby spinach for lunch the next day. Oh, and added a shot of Tabasco sauce too!

Acorn Squash with Brown Rice and Turkey Sausage

We liked this dish, but found that it was a little too healthy! It really needed a little more moisture, and just a touch of cheese. I'd already added some butter to the original version and cooked my rice in vegetable broth, but found it still needed something. Since we had 4 halves and only ate 2 tonight, I removed the filling from the remaining 2 and added some grated Parmesan and some chicken broth. I restuffed the shells and we'll see how it works out tomorrow night when we have the leftovers. I've rewritten the recipe accordingly.
We had a lovely arugula salad with this tonight.

Update: This was soooo much better with added broth and a little Parmesan the second night we had it. A keeper as rewritten.


Acorn Squash with Brown Rice and Turkey Sausage:
(Adapted from Good Housekeeping via Cullinary in the Desert)

2 acorn squash, each cut lengthwise.
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown (cooked in chicken broth or vegetable broth)
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs butter
~1/4+ cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
~1/3-1/2 cup chicken or veggie broth (enough to make the stuffing mixture looser and moist)
Preheat oven to 400.
Halve the squash lengthwise and place cut side down in a baking dish. Fill the dish with ~1/4" of water and place in oven for ~25-30 minutes. When fork tender remove from water and scoop out the seeds.

When cool enough to handle scoop out the squash leaving 1/4" of flesh in the shell. Place scooped out squash in a bowl and mash with the butter. Add the cooked rice to the squash and add ~1/3-1/2 cup of broth, the Parmesan cheese and the parsley, mixing to combine.

Preheat oven to 375

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break up the sausage, until browned. Remove the sausage adding to squash mixture bowl. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add the onions, red bell pepper, garlic, salt and black pepper. Cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to the squash mixture. Mix all until well combined.

Evenly divide the sausage mixture between the squash shells. Place on a large baking sheet lined with foil and bake until thoroughly warmed through, about 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.