Baked Sea Bass: Super Tasty

I'll preface this by saying that I was a little out of my element this time because I have never cooked sea bass before. However, this recipe was fantastic, and I'm really glad I decided to try it. It's super easy, and best of all, it requires things that are generally found in your home kitchen.

First, heat your oven to 425 degrees F. While it's heating, put your sea bass filets into an ovenproof baking dish. Mix a couple Tablespoons olive oil, three or four cloves garlic (obviously this depends on the size of your garlic and how much you like garlic). Add salt and pepper to taste and mix it well. Brush this mixture onto the fish and bake it for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle a good sized sprig of fresh Italian parsley that has been chopped over the fish and continue baking the fish for another five minutes.

Will and I both loved it. I really could have more evenly distributed the parsley, but other than that, it was pretty fantastic. I would definitely do it again. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of failing to properly salt the risotto I served with it (for the recipe for that, please go to my blog post on risotto) because I used water to make it instead of the stock I normally use, so it kind of created a flavor dissonance. In the future, make sure everything you serve is properly seasoned before serving it.

Chili Rellenos Con Guacamole: A Light, Delightful Summer Meal

So Will and I are back to trying to lose weight again and are looking at meals that are reasonably healthy. I've made this particular recipe before, but decided to make a few changes in order to get a better flavor profile going.

First, roast your poblano peppers. The way to do this is simple. Turn on your broiler, arrange your peppers on a baking sheet, and roast, turning until all sides are blistered. This should only take a total of five minutes. Next, stick them in a plastic bag and leave them alone until they are cool enough to handle. Warning: they will be steamy.

While waiting for your peppers to cool, make your guacamole. Mine is a pretty simple mixture of avocados, 1 clove of garlic per three avocados, salt, pepper, and some form of acid. Normally I use lemon or lime juice, but this time I had to use white wine vinegar. Because vinegar is more acidic than citrus juice, make sure to use a light hand with it.

Once your peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the membrane, which should be easy since you blistered it in the broiler, and remove the seeds. If you don't, you will be in for a fiery mouth. Finally, spoon some of the guacamole into each pepper and serve.

Will thought these were awesome, but might be better with Anaheim peppers because they're spicier. I personally prefer to use poblanos because they are smokier tasting when roasted. This really is a fantastic summer dish and I look forward to making this in the future.

Black Rice Salad: Way Too Much Vinaigrette Used; Please Don't Make the Same Mistake I Did

I decided to make a rice salad to get back on the whole dieting thing after some craziness involving school and work. The good news is, this is my last year as an undergraduate. The bad news is, I have to struggle to get into graduate school. Wish me luck, everyone! Anyway, here's the recipe.

Cook one cup of black rice (also frequently known as Chinese forbidden rice or just forbidden rice) in one and three quarter cups boiling water for 45 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, thaw and drain frozen edamame (also known as shelled soybeans), French cut green beans, and corn.

To make the vinaigrette, combine one third of a cup of white wine vinegar, three Tablespoons grapeseed oil, and one Tablespoon agave nectar. Whisk this mixture to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the rice and vegetables together in the vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

As I said in the title, this had WAY too much vinegar. All I could taste was the acid. Will found it so vinegary that it turned his stomach and he couldn't actually stand to eat it. If I ever make this again, I will cut down the vinaigrette by at least half. Also, if you have stomach problems, make sure to cut down the vinaigrette or else your stomach will complain at you forever.

Taco Pizza: An Effective Use of Leftovers

If you're anything like me, you probably have tons of leftovers when you make taco salad. I always end up making endless burritos with it at best and throwing it away at worst. I ended up thinking, since Will's in Argentina, why not cook something utilizing everything that went into the taco salad and put it on a pizza? It will help extend the amount of time between grocery store trips and save me from wastage.

First, make or buy your favorite pizza dough and roll it out onto a stone. Spread any refried beans onto the raw dough; if you don't have any refried beans left over, use some leftover taco sauce or salsa instead. Next, top the pizza with the leftovers from your pizza; I used leftover ground beef, fresh tomatoes, dried chipotle flakes, and grated sharp Cheddar cheese, but I'm sure anything from avocado to shredded chicken will taste great on this.

Next, put the stone with the pizza on it into a heated 350 degree oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve with a salad.

It was pretty good, but I think I added too many chipotle flakes. Next time, I think I'll add some queso fresco or cotija in addition to the Cheddar to help amp up the flavor profile.

Cauliflower Gruyere Souffle: Labor Intensive, But Tasty

I've made this dish once before, and it's relatively easy and flavorful. However, it requires a lot of dishes, so be prepared with an empty sink and dishwasher before taking on this particular recipe.

First, bring a quart of salted water to a boil. Add a cauliflower head that has been broken into florets; cover and cook for 25 minutes.

Drain the cauliflower and return them to the same pan to dry off any excess water on high heat. If you don't use high heat, the water won't evaporate off, and trust me when I say that cauliflower retains a lot of water, so it may take a while.

Once your cauliflower is nice and dry, add it to a food processor and puree it to a nice, almost mousse like consistency. Set it aside.

Next, combine a quarter cup each of butter and flour to form a roux; do not let this get too brown. Add one and a quarter cup of milk (I used almond milk, so it works out just fine), salt and pepper to taste, and a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. This should take about five minutes. Add four ounces of grated gruyere cheese and whisk it until it's smooth. Add two cups of the cauliflower to the mix and stir.

Now is where things get a bit tricky because you are tempering eggs. This demonstrates one of the proofs that cooking is applied organic chemistry. In order to temper eggs, you have to add about a quarter cup of your hot mixture to four egg yolks, because if you just add the yolks to the hot mixture without tempering them, you'll end up with scrambled solids, and nobody wants that. Once you've whisked the hot mixture into the yolks, add this well-blended mixture to the cauliflower mixture and set this aside.

Take your four egg whites that came from separating the four egg yolks and whip these into soft peaks using a hand mixer. You can do it by hand, but unless you have a strong pair of arms and like to whisk things for ten minutes straight, I recommend using the mixer. Fold the whites into the cauliflower mixture in such a way as to not break down the whites.

Pour this mixture into an ungreased souffle dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour or until brown. Serve this immediately because it will collapse almost as soon as you take it out of the oven.

Will and I liked this dish, but I need to work on getting the cauliflower as dry as I can. I need to remember not to worry about burning the food.

Machaca: Super Easy and So Tasty

When I thought that Will would still be in town, I decided to make as much stuff as I could in my slow cooker. He's out of town now, but I'm still cooking. Here is a fantastic recipe that takes a few minutes to prepare, but cooks all day without having to worry.

First, combine a beef roast, 8 oz of diced green chilies (I used jarred because they give better results), one sliced onion, garlic powder, seasoned salt, two teaspoons beef base, and pepper in a crock pot. Add just enough water to cover the roast (I used six cups); cover, and set your crock pot to cook for ten to twelve hours. When it's done, shred your beef with a pair of forks after draining it, reserving the liquid; the meat should just fall apart at a glance, so minimal effort will be required. Add salsa of your choice (I used 505 medium) and enough of the reserved liquid to achieve the desired consistency. Wrap in a warm burrito and you're done.

This was fantastic. I will definitely do this again, because we always have green chilies and salsa lying around, so all we would need is the beef. I've gotten requests from Will and our friend Erin to freeze it, so we will see if they share my opinion.

Baked Portobello Pizzas: Just as Easy, Just as Flavorful

It's been getting chillier here, and I decided that I should grill one last time. Well, the cold set in further than I expected, so I ended up baking this instead of grilling it.

Just follow the same direction in my other post on portobello pizzas and you'll be fine; just remember to bake them on a baking sheet without browning the gill side until the cheese is melted, the frozen spinach is hot, and the mushrooms are fragrant.

Will and I both loved these. They definitely don't lose any flavor from being baked instead of grilled. The only thing I would suggest is, use a baking sheet with a lip on it because the mushrooms end up leaking liquid all over when they start to get fragrant.

Beef and Chipotle Burritos: Fantastic and Super Easy

I have resolved to use my slow cooker more often in order to properly feed Will and me. We've gotten so busy that it's nearly impossible to do a quick meal every night, so this seems to be a good option for us.

First, get your crock pot ready. Put your London broil in the crock pot, trimmed of all fat, if necessary, along with two chopped chipotle peppers in adobo, a can of diced tomatoes salsa style, one chopped onion, one clove of garlic, one can of drained black beans, and cumin. Set your crock pot to low, and cook for eight to ten hours.

When you get home from your busy day, pull the beef apart using two forks and serve in hot tortillas.

Will and I loved this. When I came home, I thought I had overcooked it because it looked like it had a thick crust on it, but when I started to realize that it was coloring. The beef cut like butter; I could have used two spoons to shred this steak, that's how tender it was. I would strongly recommend this, and if you have kids who don't like spicy food, take out the chipotle or serve it with a little sour cream, as it minimizes the bite from the chipotle.

Chicken With Artichokes: Easy and Delicious

This is another crock pot meal I decided to make in order to help us eat better food without having to wait. Unfortunately, I ended up cutting myself about halfway through, so my husband had to help me finish, but it was worth cutting myself.

First, heat about a Tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add one chopped onion and six garlic cloves; cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.

In a crock pot, combine a third of a cup of tapioca pearls, one sliced bell pepper, the onion mixture, a drained can of artichokes, a teaspoon of crushed rosemary, a teaspoon lemon zest, a half teaspoon of pepper, and one and a half cups of chicken broth. Top with two chicken thighs, and cook on high for four hours or on low for ten hours. Serve with hot rice.

Will and I both liked this. I'm pretty sure he even ate the skin off the chicken, something he never does! This was so simple that I'll definitely do it again.

Indian Spiced Pork with Raita: Really Cheap and Easy, But I would Still Change a Couple Things

I think I've mentioned this before, but I love using Indian spices. This time, I used it on a pork tenderloin, and I have to say that it turned out pretty well.

First, grind up a teaspoon each of coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds in a spice grinder; add a half teaspoon of salt. Brush your tenderloin down with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and rub your spices all over the tenderloin. Let this sit at room temperature for half an hour; meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Cook your tenderloin in the preheated oven for half an hour or until cooked through. Meanwhile, make your raita by combining about 2/3 cup of yogurt with one grated cucumber, a teaspoon of lemon zest, and one minced clove of garlic.

Slice the pork and spoon the raita over the top of the pork; serve with rice.

Will and I both liked it, although I would have used roasted garlic instead of raw garlic in the raita because I forgot just how much I hate raw garlic. Otherwise, it's something easy that I can do again no problem.

Farfalle Casserole: Easy and Cheap

I've had this recipe in my arsenal for years now, but I've never used it before last night. I decided, why not try it? Sadly, I didn't get to try it, but Will appears to have loved it.

First, cook your farfalle according to the package directions. Meanwhile, mix two ounces of alfredo sauce with two and a half cups milk (I used almond milk), a splash of red wine, and a Tablespoon of butter. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and then turn the heat to low. Let the mixture simmer for a minute or two.

Next, add 9 oz trimmed and chopped asparagus, the pasta, and 4 oz of drained sundried tomatoes; mix this well. Pour this into a prepared casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove the casserole from the oven and cover with grated havarti cheese. Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Will liked it, but thought it needed Parmesan cheese and seasoned salt. Next time I make this, I'll try adding that stuff to properly tweak it.

Chicken Tikka: Cheap, Easy, and Really Tasty

I wanted to make something easy and cheap, since now that I'm back in school and working on a very full workload, things are often controlled chaos. I settled on chicken Tikka, since it takes so little actual effort to cook and clean up afterward.

First, create the marinade. Combine chicken tenders cut into pieces, plain yogurt, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, salt, and the juice of half a lemon in a bowl; toss the chicken in the marinade to coat and put it in the refrigerator to marinade.

Put a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Place your chicken on the cooling rack and brush with about a third of a cup of oil. Place this sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven and cook 25 minutes, turning at least once, until cooked through. Serve with chapatis.

Will and I both loved it. It was a fantastic, warming meal, and made great leftovers. I will easily make this again.

Fusilli in Sundried Tomato Sauce: Simple yet Delicious

I had a lot of sundried tomatoes, so I decided to try to find something good to use them in.

First, place three ounces of sundried tomatoes in three cups of water and let it sit at least five minutes. Once it's ready, set aside one third of the tomatoes and process the rest of the tomatoes and the water in a food processor.

Saute a diced onion until the onion is cooked through. Add one minced garlic clove and saute until they just begin to color. Add the reserved tomatoes and the processed tomatoes and simmer ten minutes. Add dried rosemary, seasoned salt, and dried oregano to taste and simmer five minutes; put on low.

Meanwhile, cook fusilli according to the package directions. Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat and toss in ten shredded fresh basil leaves. If you aren't vegan or vegetarian, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Stilton Soup With Dijon Mustard: Easy and Delicious

I wanted something to help me use up some potatoes that were getting a bit old and the stilton cheese that was in my fridge. This was really useful for using both.

In a pan, combine four stalks of roughly chopped celery, one chopped onion, and two Tablespoons of melted butter in a saucepan; cook this for ten minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add a quart of water to the pan along with two cubed potatoes. Simmer this until the potatoes are soft.

Add a teaspoon of dijon mustard (I used pommery, but any will do), a teaspoon of vegetable base, seasoned salt to taste, six fresh sage leaves, and five ounces of stilton cheese. Stir this until the cheese is melted. Once it's melted, use an immersion blender to blend it until smooth. Then stir in a heaping Tablespoon of creme fraiche and it's ready.

Will didn't like the smell of it, but he certainly loved the flavor. Even better, it reheats well, for those of you who like to bring leftovers to work with you.

Braised Chicken in Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce: Easy and Flavorful

I try to make a variety of foods, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I ought to try it. I was rewarded with it too!

First, sprinkle two chicken breasts with seasoned salt and pepper on both sides. Heat about a Tablespoon of oil from oil packed sundried tomatoes on medium high and add the breasts. Cook about four minutes on each side. Add one clove of diced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of dry white wine and 1/2 cup cream as well as half a cup of oil packed sundried tomatoes. Bring this to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through; remove the chicken from the pan. Add three Tablespoons chiffonaded fresh basil, raise the heat, and boil two to three minutes. Taste it at this stage because it gets salty quickly; if it gets too salty, just add more cream and stir it to combine. Put the breasts on plates and spoon the sauce over the breasts.

I found this really easy and super tasty. If you're lactose intolerant or just don't like to use dairy products, it would be simple to replace the cream with stock of some sort and a bit of arrowroot powder to thicken it. I'm sure it would be just as tasty. This could also be easily done with thick cut slabs of tofu instead of chicken and turn out just fine; just be careful if you decide to do this, as tofu spits on a level comparable to bacon.

Vegan Couscous With Curried Vegetables: Easy, Quick, and Tasty

I was looking for a good meatless recipe. Little did I know, I would find a great vegan recipe that is packed with nutrition and loaded with flavor.

First, bring two cups of salted water to a boil. Stir in two cups of couscous and take the pan off the heat. Let it stand for five minutes and fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat a Tablespoon of oil and add two minced cloves of garlic and one finely chopped onion. Cook until slightly browned. Add one thinly sliced zucchini, one can of drained garbanzo beans, and one thinly sliced and quartered eggplant as well as cumin and curry powder. Add the couscous and toss it to coat. Salt it to taste with seasoned salt and remove it from the heat.

Will loved it. I was surprised just how quick it cooked up and loved just how filling it was. I will make this again because it is so cheap and easy; it's perfect for nights that we have meetings.

Splurge Night: Cornflake Fried Chicken

My husband loves fried chicken, but hates KFC's recipe because it has so much pepper in the batter that it hurts his ulcer. I thought that since he just got back from Argentina and we had a bunch of cornflakes lying around, I would make this recipe. It's really very simple and super easy to make.

First, make the cornflake crust by combining two cups of cornflakes, two teaspoons each of Italian seasoning, paprika, cumin, pepper, allspice, and dried onions, and a teaspoon and a half of chipotle flakes. Crush this up until it resembles coarse crumbs and set it aside.

Next, sprinkle two chicken breasts that have been cut into strips with two seasoned salt. Dust the strips with a Tablespoon of flour on each side. Dip the strips into one beaten egg and then coat with the cornflake mixture. Deep fry the strips for five minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.

I served this with french fries. Will loved this, and said he would like to see it served more, if I can. I think we can oblige him to do this, especially since it's so flavorful and easy.

Cheese Stuffed Shells With Marinara Sauce: Easy and Flavorful

This sounded amazing when I looked up the recipe; however, it had no sauce and my husband doesn't like crunchy baked pasta, so I quickly defrosted some of my homemade spaghetti sauce (see my post on spaghetti and meatballs for the recipe) and used that for the sauce.

First, cook your 11 ounce box of large pasta shells according to the package directions; while that's cooking, combine a pound of ricotta, 8 ounces of feta cheese, one egg, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and two cups of spinach. This should make a stiff filling. Add two crushed garlic cloves and seasoned salt to taste.

By now, your shells should be cooked through; drain them and rinse them off with cold water to make them cool enough to handle. Spoon the filling into the shells and arrange them in a glass dish greased with olive oil; pour the spaghetti sauce on top. Bake this in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes, checking at 25 to make sure your sauce doesn't scorch.

Will loved this dish. If I wasn't mistaken, he had two helpings. I loved it, but unfortunately, I still have indigestion from last night, so evidently it didn't love me. I had a ton of shells left over, probably from adding too much cheese filling, so I will make it without the sauce and see what happens.

Lemon Chicken: Quick, Easy, and Tasty

I felt like something light and fresh for dinner last night. I have wanted to use this recipe for years and finally got around to it.

First, start some water boiling for your rice and prepare the rice like you normally would when it comes to a boil. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a skillet on medium-high. Cut your chicken breasts or tenders into bite sized pieces and chop an onion. Saute until the chicken is browned on all sides; add seasoned salt to taste. Once it is, add the juice of one lemon and cook one minute more. Add a cup of white wine and simmer for fifteen minutes.

Next, add frozen vegetables of your choice (I used broccoli and cauliflower, but really, you could use anything green and it would complement the flavors just fine). Once the vegetables are heated through, remove about half a cup of the liquid and add a teaspoon of arrowroot; slowly add this liquid back to the pan; serve over rice once the sauce is thickened.

Will loved it; it was fresh and flavorful, and nothing screams fresh in the summer like lemon. I think for next time that I will make it with oregano added, because oregano adds an extra level of flavor without overpowering the lemon flavor and complements the chicken.

Teriyaki Pork Chops

As I've told just about everyone, I have an ulcer. Because of this, I have to be careful. Luckily, this was perfect. I prefer to make my own teriyaki sauce, but bottled is just fine, too.

To make my teriyaki sauce, combine about a cup of soy sauce, a small can of pineapple juice, about two Tablespoons of crystallized ginger, a pinch of arrowroot powder, and the juice of half a lemon. Cook this on medium-high heat until the sauce has a syrupy consistency. Pour it over the top of your meat, in this case pork chops, and let it marinate at least three hours.

Heat your grill, pour some of the marinade over the top of the pork, and cook until the pork is cooked through, about five minutes per side.

I served this with mashed potatoes I made with cream, unsweetened almond milk, butter, garlic powder, salt, and rosemary, and corn. Will and I both loved the pork chops, and the mashed potatoes were perfect. The meat was marinated just long enough that the fat pretty much dissolved.