Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Tequila Lime Fish Tacos with Slaw and Chipotle Mayo

I said I was getting my buns back in the kitchen this week and I wasn't kidding.  The posts are already piling up on me and it's only Wednesday morning!  What good news for you right?  Let's just cross our fingers that I don't get distracted from a new recipe and forget about the ones that I've already done...because I tend to do that...often.



When it comes to Fish Tacos...the options are quite literally endless.

Which makes it an incredibly fun dish to play around with.  You can go in any direction your heart desires.  Haddock, Halibut, Tilapia, Salmon, Cod...Fried, Pan Seared, Grilled...The sauces...The toppings...The combinations could go on and on.

And of course everyone has created the *best* fish taco combination EVER.  So, I'm not going to claim that.  Because their are more than a few that I happen to really love.  --Mango and avocado salsa with salmon, Blackened fish with a creamy sauce of sorts, Perfectly grilled halibut with bean salsa and a healthy dose of avocado spread...Once again the list could go on and on.

But there is definitely a key to this recipe that puts it up on the top of my list.  The red cabbage slaw.  This stuff is the bee's knees.  And I don't use that term lightly.  Luckily you're going to end up with a bit more than needed for your tacos.  So please liberally add it to everything you eat until it disappears.  That's what I've been doing.  And it's heavenly.

Even though I'm in love with the slaw, the fish, sriracha mayo, and marinade aren't far behind.  I especially love the use of the marinade.  It always hurts my heart a little to throw a big bag of delicious marinade away.  In this case there is no need to waste.

Ugh.  Is it lunchtime yet?  My stomach is rumbling at the thought of these things.



Adapted from Use Real Butter via Good Fish by Becky Selengut

Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
red cabbage slaw (see below)
tequila lime marinade (see below)
sriracha mayo (see below)
1 lb. flaky white fish, I used Haddock
1 tablespoon high-heat oil
corn or flour tortillas
sliced avocado
extra limes for squeezing

red cabbage slaw:
3/4 lb. red cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
1 apple, cored and grated
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
3/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste

tequila lime marinade:
1 lime, zest and juice (about 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
2 tablespoons tequila
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 small jalapenos, halved, seeded, cored, and sliced
1 small red onion, cut into thin half moons
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

sriracha mayo:
1/4 cup mayo
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Directions:
To make the slaw- Place the red cabbage in a colander and rinse thoroughly with water.  Squeeze all of the liquid out and let sit in the colander while you mix the other ingredients.  In a large bowl mix the grated apple, mustard seeds, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil together.  Give the cabbage another good squeeze and mix in with the rest of the ingredients.  Season the slaw to taste with salt. Set aside.
To make the sriracha mayo- Combine everything in a small bowl and stir with a spoon until combined. Set aside.
To make the marinade- Combine everything in a gallon ziploc bag and mix it all up.
To make the fish- Place the fish in the ziploc bag and seal.  Let the fish sit for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat in a large pan.  Remove the fish from the marinade and place in the pan.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until the fish is lightly browned and flaky.  Remove the fish to a plate and add the marinade to the pan.  Cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes or until the liquid has bubbled off and the onions and peppers are charred.
To serve- Warm your tortillas (I like to do it over the open flame on my gas stove) and prepare each taco with a bit of fish, sriracha mayo, avocado slices, charred onions and peppers, and the red cabbage slaw.  And don't forget to serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top!














Monday, July 29, 2013

Meal Plan Monday

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of fun.

First a trip to Missouri for my big sister's wedding "reception".

Then a few days in Boston with my sweet pal Ashley from The Uniqueness of Being.

And to top it all off...The Newport Folk Festival.







I promise I didn't sell my soul to have this kind of fun.  I just happen to be pretty lucky.

But after all of this fun...I need to take a major trip to the grocery store and get my buns in the kitchen.  It's been far too long since I've made a meal.  So this week is all about being in the kitchen and getting some healthy food in my body.  I'm craving it.  And I promise I'm actually going to share some recipes this week!

Happy Monday everyone!



Pinto Bean and Summer Squash Salad with Green Dressing



Salmon with Sriracha and Lime
-from Self Magazine via Gwenyth Paltrow



Baked Falafel Salad



Spicy Bean and Sweet Potato Burrito



Panzanella with Artichokes, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Olives



Grilled Kale Salad with Beets, Figs, and Ricotta



Korean Kimchi Wraps

Monday, July 15, 2013

Meal Plan Monday - A Mexican Party!

This weekend I'll be traveling home for the finale of a very special event...one that I've never really talked about or shared on here...

My gorgeous sister's wedding in Mexico!

With the timing of the wedding being right before finals I never got the chance to share wedding details.  So I figured today's Meal Plan Monday would be the perfect time to share some of the recipes I have my eyes on to make for this weekend's little "reception" as well as some of the pictures from the wedding day.

WARNING: This post is photo heavy.  But I tried to keep it under control.  I promise.

Out of the ridiculous amount of photos, I decided to only share pictures from the wedding day itself as a way to not bore you by the time you reached photo collage #435.



The wedding day started out just as any big day should.  With amazing, out of this world food.  That morning just me and Codi (my amazing big sis) headed away from the resort to a small little place called La Cueva del Chango.  The scenery was breathtaking and just what we needed to relax before the big day.  I ordered orange/carrot/papaya juice and Codi jumped on the mimosa train to ease the nerves.  We opened a few presents and tried to soak everything in as we waited on our food.  To be honest I don't even know what I ordered...it was a special of some sort.  It involved eggs, peppers, chaya, avocado, a bowl of black beans, and fresh warm tortillas.  It was amazing.  Perfect.  Just what we needed.  And of course...we went back the next morning.



As soon as we returned from breakfast it was time to start getting ready.  And then the nerves really started to kick in...for both of us.  But Dad being the superhero that he is, diligently brought drinks to the room as needed.  We took our time primping, taking pictures, and doing the very girly "fan your face and try not to cry" thing (as you can see Codi getting ready to do on the left) as we waited for the photographer to arrive.



After the photographer had taken a few solo shots of Codi in the room we were informed that it was go time.  The walk from the room to the gazebo was the longest/most nerve wracking walk I've ever experienced.  Codi was nervous, which seemed to rub off on me.  But as soon as we hit the gazebo nervousness turned into emotion.  And me being the slightly unemotional being that I am...turned into a big blubbering mess.  But a happy blubbering mess is okay.  Especially if your big sis is behind you doing the exact same thing.  That's my rule of thumb anyway.



As soon as Dad handed Codi off, the tears turned into big big smiles.  The ceremony was short but beautiful and couldn't have been any more perfect for Codi and Curt.  To be honest it's all a bit of a blur due to the emotional high but I've never seen my sis so darn happy.



Immediately after the ceremony everyone grabbed a drink and headed to the beach for some photos, laughs, and hugs.  It was the perfect end to an even more perfect wedding.

And it was easily one of the most exciting moments I've ever been apart of and I still couldn't be any happier for them. {I can't wait to squeeze you both this weekend!}



And now for the food.  I would love to hear some votes on which of the following I should make OR any other party food suggestions you may have!  Have a great week everyone!



Pico de Gallo



Guacamole
-from GI 365



Spinach, Manchego, Raisin, and Hazelnut Mini Empanadas



Elote Fritters



Enchilada Stuffed Mushrooms



Cheesy Chorizo and Caramelized Onion Dip



Mexican Grilled Corn




Bang Bang Chicken Kabobs



Chipotle Lime Shrimp



Smoky Watermelon-Jalapeno Margarita



Michelada

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Homemade Pickles

I've already told you about the over consumption of cheese-hotdogs and macaroni and cheese by my dad and I during our summers at the lake.  But what I didn't tell you is that between those meals...we ate a significant amount of peanuts, green olives, and pickles.

Anyone in my family will vouch for me.  These are a few of my dad's favorite things.  And guess what.  They've turned into some of my favorite things. 

Or at least the green olives and pickles. 

But this wasn't just a lake thing.  On nights that no one was really up for dinner, mom and I would head to the kitchen to prepare the "Bell" cheese and pickle plate of deliciousness.  It's contents always included green olives, pickles (both sweet and dill), cheese, crackers, baby corn, some sort of fruit, and any other random thing we had on hand.  It's kind of like the Missouri version of an antipasti plate.  And I love it.

While I love all of the above things, the love for pickles is pretty deep.  Both sides of the family did some pretty mean pickling back in the day.  And I have sneakily gotten my hands on several of those recipes.  They're beautifully handwritten and just waiting to be used.

But I haven't gotten to them quite yet. 

I went for these pickles in the Flour, Too cookbook A) Because I love it. B) Because I trust everything Joanne Chang writes. C) Because there is no "canning" involved. D) Because simplicity is wonderful.

I mean come on.  Have you ever wanted to make pickles but didn't really want to go through the whole canning process?  Of course you have.  Especially if they produce pickles like these.

At first they were a little heavy on the fennel/black licorice taste but that died down significantly as they chilled.  I was also a little worried that there were far too many cucumber slices for the amount of brine.  But don't worry about this either!  Just keep pushing them into the brine and all will workout.

They are heavenly.  And simple.  It's summer.  You need these.



Adapted from Flour, Too Cookbook

Makes: 1 1/2 Quarts
Prep Time:
3 hours 30 minutes
Cooling Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 11 hours 30 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
4 English Cucumbers, cut crosswise into rounds 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons pickling spice
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Directions:

  1. Put the cucumber rounds in a large container with a lid.  In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and vinegar.  Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil until the sugar dissolves.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the salt, pickling spice, mustard seeds, celery seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric, pepper, cloves, and cayenne.  Pour the brine over the cucumbers and set aside to cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
  2. When pickles have cooled to room temperature, cover and refrigerate them.  The pickles are ready to serve after they have chilled for at least 8 hours.  They may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.




















Monday, July 8, 2013

Meal Plan Monday

Over the last month or so my sweet mother has been testing out a new way of eating.  Because of some issues with food and a constant sick feeling, she decided to take things into her own hands and figure out what was going on.  It's not a "diet" because those aren't real and for the most part don't work.  It's a new way of life and it's been eye opening for her.

The whole idea is to cut out gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, soy, and sugar out of her diet for 21 days.  And then one by one she adds them back in to determine what it is that's been causing her so many darn problems.

*Side note-Before she started this she could NOT eat raw vegetables or lettuce, something that the doctors told her was a texture issue.  However, now that she is on this....lettuce and raw vegetables?  Totally fine.

This isn't any easy thing to do.  But she's been an absolute champ about it.  She's discovering all sorts of new foods and new ways to put wonderful things into her body.  And I couldn't be more happy/proud about it.  She's making a huge leap.  One that her body needs.

So, in support I'm going to attempt it with her.  My reasons for starting it are far different than hers however.  I don't necessarily think that I have any allergies to those seven things.  But this is a way for me to find new foods and new combinations that I wouldn't have discovered without cutting a few things out.  And of course it's a way to help her.  Not just in moral support when we are both having a major chocolate craving but to find and test possible recipes for her since my schedule is a bit less chaotic than hers.

All of the recipes below are (loosely) without gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, soy, and sugar.  Some of them have a sprinkling of cheese or some other minor ingredient that just needs to be tossed aside.  Even if you're not in this for the long haul, try a recipe or two and let me know what you think!

OH.  And happy Monday.



A Salad of White Peaches and Asparagus
from - The Year in Food



Paprika Shrimp and Sausage Quinoa Paella



Grilled Vegetable Stack with Lemon Hummus



Apricot, Kale, and Quinoa Salad



Cauliflower Puree with Roasted Chickpeas



Salmon Skewers with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce



Moroccan Quinoa Salad

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...