The competitive cook/entertainer in me hates to share this. It could quite possible be the biggest bang-for-the-buck party food in the universe, given how good it tastes and how beautiful it looks compared to how stupid easy it is to make. But my generous spirit prevails.
(Filter: Actually, I'm so proud of myself for thinking of this one that I need to brag about it. Spirit, shmirit--it's my narcissism prevailing all the way).
So here it is. As a confirmed Trader Joe's groupie, I've relied on my favorite guy to supply me with the ingredients. But they should be easy enough to find if you live in one of the three zip codes without access to him.
Mock Ceviche
1 16 oz. package frozen seafood blend (shrimp, scallops and calamari)
1 12 oz. container fresh salsa
1 small avocado, cut into small dice
Juice of 1 lime
Cook the seafood any way you like. I dry-saute it till it turns opaque, but you could also boil it (hmm, add some beer to the boiling liquid maybe?), steam it, or nuke it (stirring quite often if you use this option to keep the morsels tender). Let it cool completely and then mix in the rest of the ingredients.
That's it. Now that you have all this extra time on your hands, you can think about ways to dress it up. Some options include:
--serving it in a martini glass, with some shredded green whatever or a flurry of chips underneath;
--adding any or all of the following: minced red onion, mango, black beans, cilantro or even green apple;
--serving it in endive spears or on tostadas for your next book club or cookie exchange; or
--eating it out of Tupperware, secure in the knowledge that half the recipe will utterly fill you up for just over 300 calories and hardly any carbs, if that's your thing.
Or go whole hog and break out the chips. Ole!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Buffalo Fish
When I look at this post's title, I envision a piscine mutant swimming around in Lake Springfield (a la The Simpsons). No, there is no new species called "Buffalo Fish," at least not that I'm aware of (although I always find it fascinating that Chilean sea bass was known as "Patagonian toothfish" --which sounds decidedly less appetizing--until about ten years ago). But if you're a sucker for Buffalo wings, like I am, you'll welcome this recipe.
I used to eat Buffalo wings when I was on a diet. Chicken is low fat, right? And the sauce isn't creamy, right? And protein is good, right? Got one out of three there. Although broiled chicken breasts are good diet food, DEEP FRIED CHICKEN WINGS, which is what Buffalo wings are, are not. Buffalo sauce, while not creamy in texture, is made with half hot sauce and half butter. But protein IS good. So when I saw the recipe for Buffalo salmon in Cooking Light, I was intrigued.
But combining my beloved Buffalo flavor profile with my equally beloved salmon just didn't sound right. It's like getting your best friend from college together with best friend from high school--sometimes the things you adore most don't adore each other. I had some frozen cod lounging around and just knew that mild fish would be a terrific foil for the sauce. And I was right. Vinegary and spicy, with just a hint of butter, this preparation is the fix for my Buffalo jones without sending me into the caloric stratosphere.
I'm gonna try this with chicken one of these days, but if you're looking for an unusual preparation for fish that just doesn't taste like diet food, this is a major contender.
Buffalo Cod
serves 3 or 4
1 T butter, melted (I remember reading somewhere that it's important to keep the butter in here and not sub out olive oil or omit the fat. I did taste the butter, and if you figure that it works out to a teaspoon or less per serving, I can't imagine it would do you much harm unless you have the world's most severe dairy allergy. Go on. Live dangerously.)
3 T Frank's hot sauce (the original used at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY)
about 1 lb. cod fillets
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices any type of bread, whirred in processor to make breadcrumbs
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine butter and hot sauce. Place the cod fillets on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the fish with the hot sauce mixture; use about 2/3 of it. Cover the fish with the breadcrumbs, patting them down so they'll stick. Drizzle the remaining hot sauce mixture over the fish and spray the fillets with the cooking spray.
Cook the fish till it's done, about 15-20 minutes. You'll know it's done when it's opaque in the center. If you like, place the fish under the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking. If you want to get really fancy, sprinkle the fish with a little Parmesan cheese before broiling.
I served it with steamed veggies and sweet potatoes, but I know celery sticks, blue cheese dressing, and a cold frosty one would fit the bill too.
Finally, if you're feeling lazy and use dried breadcrumbs or panko, it will make a crispier crust. Don't put this under the broiler--it will get too burnt. I like the mushier topping because it absorbed more sauce, but if you're using breadcrumbs you have on hand, you'll need about 3/4 cup.
I used to eat Buffalo wings when I was on a diet. Chicken is low fat, right? And the sauce isn't creamy, right? And protein is good, right? Got one out of three there. Although broiled chicken breasts are good diet food, DEEP FRIED CHICKEN WINGS, which is what Buffalo wings are, are not. Buffalo sauce, while not creamy in texture, is made with half hot sauce and half butter. But protein IS good. So when I saw the recipe for Buffalo salmon in Cooking Light, I was intrigued.
But combining my beloved Buffalo flavor profile with my equally beloved salmon just didn't sound right. It's like getting your best friend from college together with best friend from high school--sometimes the things you adore most don't adore each other. I had some frozen cod lounging around and just knew that mild fish would be a terrific foil for the sauce. And I was right. Vinegary and spicy, with just a hint of butter, this preparation is the fix for my Buffalo jones without sending me into the caloric stratosphere.
I'm gonna try this with chicken one of these days, but if you're looking for an unusual preparation for fish that just doesn't taste like diet food, this is a major contender.
Buffalo Cod
serves 3 or 4
1 T butter, melted (I remember reading somewhere that it's important to keep the butter in here and not sub out olive oil or omit the fat. I did taste the butter, and if you figure that it works out to a teaspoon or less per serving, I can't imagine it would do you much harm unless you have the world's most severe dairy allergy. Go on. Live dangerously.)
3 T Frank's hot sauce (the original used at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY)
about 1 lb. cod fillets
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices any type of bread, whirred in processor to make breadcrumbs
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine butter and hot sauce. Place the cod fillets on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the fish with the hot sauce mixture; use about 2/3 of it. Cover the fish with the breadcrumbs, patting them down so they'll stick. Drizzle the remaining hot sauce mixture over the fish and spray the fillets with the cooking spray.
Cook the fish till it's done, about 15-20 minutes. You'll know it's done when it's opaque in the center. If you like, place the fish under the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking. If you want to get really fancy, sprinkle the fish with a little Parmesan cheese before broiling.
I served it with steamed veggies and sweet potatoes, but I know celery sticks, blue cheese dressing, and a cold frosty one would fit the bill too.
Finally, if you're feeling lazy and use dried breadcrumbs or panko, it will make a crispier crust. Don't put this under the broiler--it will get too burnt. I like the mushier topping because it absorbed more sauce, but if you're using breadcrumbs you have on hand, you'll need about 3/4 cup.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Do you like Brussels sprouts? I didn't think so. I didn't like them either. I was used to those slimy, stinky things my mom shook out of the Birdseye frozen food box that tasted half like freezer and half like sulfur. Nice. And then Ina Garten rocked my world. Ina, the Barefoot Contessa, advocated roasting veggies in her first cookbook (the best one, in my mind), and all of a sudden, I couldn't get enough Brussels sprouts. The trick here is to roast the hell out of these suckers, and use plenty of salt. Yes, it's okay to use salt on your veggies unless your doctor says not to. It's my uneducated opinion that any harm the salt may do is balanced out by the good of the cruciferous greens. The sprouts will get nice and caramelized, adding a bit of nuttiness to their salty richness. If any of the outer leaves fall off during the roasting process, they will crisp up and become little snackin' chips for you to nibble while getting dinner on the table.
Can you tell that I shake the pan extra hard to encourage leaf droppage?
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
as many brussels sprouts as you want to eat (it's helpful if they're relatively similar in size)
a healthy drizzle of olive oil
salt (I use kosher or sea salt) and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425. Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and place them in a single layer in a heavy duty pan. If the size varies wildly, you can halve the larger ones; put these cut side down in the pan so the flat side can caramelize (yum!). Pour the healthy drizzle of olive oil over the sprouts, pop them in the oven, and shake them occasionally--every ten minutes or so. In about thirty minutes, you'll notice that they will be turning a nice shade of brown in spots, and at this point, you can take them out of the oven, or leave them in a little longer if you like them more well done.
Don't be afraid of the oil. A little goes a long way (it becomes much more liquid when it's hot and will coat the veggies even if it seems like it won't at room temperature), but it adds a wonderful richness that you simply won't get if you go fat-free. And the point here is to eat the veggies and LIKE them, right? Trust me, you'll be a roasting convert from here on in.
Can you tell that I shake the pan extra hard to encourage leaf droppage?
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
as many brussels sprouts as you want to eat (it's helpful if they're relatively similar in size)
a healthy drizzle of olive oil
salt (I use kosher or sea salt) and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425. Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and place them in a single layer in a heavy duty pan. If the size varies wildly, you can halve the larger ones; put these cut side down in the pan so the flat side can caramelize (yum!). Pour the healthy drizzle of olive oil over the sprouts, pop them in the oven, and shake them occasionally--every ten minutes or so. In about thirty minutes, you'll notice that they will be turning a nice shade of brown in spots, and at this point, you can take them out of the oven, or leave them in a little longer if you like them more well done.
Don't be afraid of the oil. A little goes a long way (it becomes much more liquid when it's hot and will coat the veggies even if it seems like it won't at room temperature), but it adds a wonderful richness that you simply won't get if you go fat-free. And the point here is to eat the veggies and LIKE them, right? Trust me, you'll be a roasting convert from here on in.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Pumpkin Custard Cups
Oh, yum. Oh, yum. Oh, yum. That’s all I can say because I just made these for the first time. Not only does my kitchen smell like we just celebrated a major winter holiday, my tummy is happy because 1) I just ate something sweet, delicious, and ever so comforting, and 2) I just ate something high in vitamins, minerals and other sundry nutrients that has a healthy dose of protein and fiber as well, and contains absolutely no refined sugar. And lest I forget, if you make a bakers’ dozen of these, each one contains less than 70 calories.
If that doesn’t make you rush to your oven, one last thing: the ingredients are probably all in your pantry and fridge, so you can throw these together any old time without a special trip to the market and it takes less than five minutes. Literally.
What are you waiting for?
5 T. agave nectar or maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. white pepper
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. egg whites
1 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, which has sugar and spice, as well as some not-so-nice stuff)
1 12 oz. can evaporated skim milk
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and an additional small baking dish (like a 6 oz. ramekin).
Stir spices and salt into agave nectar or syrup and combine well. If you don’t have all of the spices, don’t worry—the cups will be delicious as long as you put in something. I consider the essentials to be the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; the others give it a chai-like bite that’s a little more complex and appealing to my palate, but I’m sure you and your tasters will be just fine with whatever you have on hand at home.
Stir the pumpkin and egg white into the mixture, and then gently stir in the milk, being careful not to make bubbles. When everything is uniformly combined, divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups and the ramekin. Place the pan and ramekin in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. The very center of the custard cups will look a little wobbly when they’re done, but they will continue to cook on residual heat for a while after you take them out of the oven.
Unmold them when they're completely cool. You might have to run a knife or thin spatula around the edges of the custards in muffin tins, but you can leave the thirteenth in the ramekin. That is, if you haven't already eaten it.
If that doesn’t make you rush to your oven, one last thing: the ingredients are probably all in your pantry and fridge, so you can throw these together any old time without a special trip to the market and it takes less than five minutes. Literally.
What are you waiting for?
5 T. agave nectar or maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. white pepper
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. egg whites
1 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, which has sugar and spice, as well as some not-so-nice stuff)
1 12 oz. can evaporated skim milk
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and an additional small baking dish (like a 6 oz. ramekin).
Stir spices and salt into agave nectar or syrup and combine well. If you don’t have all of the spices, don’t worry—the cups will be delicious as long as you put in something. I consider the essentials to be the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; the others give it a chai-like bite that’s a little more complex and appealing to my palate, but I’m sure you and your tasters will be just fine with whatever you have on hand at home.
Stir the pumpkin and egg white into the mixture, and then gently stir in the milk, being careful not to make bubbles. When everything is uniformly combined, divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups and the ramekin. Place the pan and ramekin in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. The very center of the custard cups will look a little wobbly when they’re done, but they will continue to cook on residual heat for a while after you take them out of the oven.
Unmold them when they're completely cool. You might have to run a knife or thin spatula around the edges of the custards in muffin tins, but you can leave the thirteenth in the ramekin. That is, if you haven't already eaten it.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Fish en papillote with pineapple salsa
This went with the Absolut Bananas martinis I made from Dale DeGroff's great cocktail compendium (can't remember the name, but I'll put in a link asap). It was WAY better than I thought it would be, especially since it's so healthy. And the best part is you can prepare it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven when you're ready for dinner. Enjoy!
3 tilapia fillets, about 1" high at thickest portion (about a pound; use any firm, mild, white-fleshed fish and adjust amounts accordingly)
1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4" strips
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped roughly
3 tsp. olive oil
about 15 basil leaves
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Salsa:
1/2 c. fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 c. cucumber, seeded and diced
1/4 c. tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 c. red onion, minced
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
about 1" off the end of a fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (or more if you like it spicier)
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450.
Tear off 3 squares of parchment from your roll (or use aluminum foil) and spray with cooking spray. Layer zucchini strips, then tomatoes, then a piece of fish on each square and drizzle each piece of fish with 1 tsp. olive oil. The oil really does add a lot of flavor even though there's such a small amount, so don't skip this step. Sprinkle each piece of fish with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and then arrange the basil leaves on top. Fold one end of the parchment over to cover the fish and crimp the edges together. Then fold each side in and crimp together to seal. It's okay if the crimping doesn't stay tight; if you fold the edges over several times, it will stay tight enough for the fish to steam, which is what you want.
Put the packets of fish on a cookie sheet and place in the oven (or refrigerate them till you're ready to cook them). While they're cooking, make the salsa by mixing all of the ingredients together in a nonreactive (i.e. glass or ceramic) bowl. If you have them, throw in a handful of black beans for textural and flavor contrast. They are great in this recipe, but it's probably not worth opening the can just for a small amount, so you decide.
The fish takes about 20 minutes to cook. To serve, place each packet on a plate and mound some salsa alongside.
If you want to get really fancy, you can cut the parchment in all kinds of shapes. I've seen hearts for a romantic dinner or even individual fishes if you're having a small dinner party and want to impress your friends. You can get really creative here and still have the fish taste terrific, so go to town.
3 tilapia fillets, about 1" high at thickest portion (about a pound; use any firm, mild, white-fleshed fish and adjust amounts accordingly)
1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4" strips
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped roughly
3 tsp. olive oil
about 15 basil leaves
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Salsa:
1/2 c. fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 c. cucumber, seeded and diced
1/4 c. tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 c. red onion, minced
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
about 1" off the end of a fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (or more if you like it spicier)
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450.
Tear off 3 squares of parchment from your roll (or use aluminum foil) and spray with cooking spray. Layer zucchini strips, then tomatoes, then a piece of fish on each square and drizzle each piece of fish with 1 tsp. olive oil. The oil really does add a lot of flavor even though there's such a small amount, so don't skip this step. Sprinkle each piece of fish with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and then arrange the basil leaves on top. Fold one end of the parchment over to cover the fish and crimp the edges together. Then fold each side in and crimp together to seal. It's okay if the crimping doesn't stay tight; if you fold the edges over several times, it will stay tight enough for the fish to steam, which is what you want.
Put the packets of fish on a cookie sheet and place in the oven (or refrigerate them till you're ready to cook them). While they're cooking, make the salsa by mixing all of the ingredients together in a nonreactive (i.e. glass or ceramic) bowl. If you have them, throw in a handful of black beans for textural and flavor contrast. They are great in this recipe, but it's probably not worth opening the can just for a small amount, so you decide.
The fish takes about 20 minutes to cook. To serve, place each packet on a plate and mound some salsa alongside.
If you want to get really fancy, you can cut the parchment in all kinds of shapes. I've seen hearts for a romantic dinner or even individual fishes if you're having a small dinner party and want to impress your friends. You can get really creative here and still have the fish taste terrific, so go to town.
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