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.

Cherry Vanilla Almond Sorbet: Fresh Flavor, No Dairy

I had a bunch of leftover cherries and decided to make some homemade sorbet. In order to do this, I modified a recipe I had for mango sorbet.

First, pit 2 cups of cherries and freeze them until frozen solid. Meanwhile, make a vanilla simple syrup by combining 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, and half a vanilla bean. Bring this mixture to a boil on medium heat, stirring to dissolve. Once it comes up to a boil, put it on low and let it simmer until smooth, about a minute. Take it off the heat and cool it completely. Remove the vanilla bean from the syrup. For extra vanilla flavor, split the vanilla bean after removing it and scrape the seeds into the syrup.

Next, put cherries, 2 cups ice, syrup, and 1/2 cup almond liqueur in a blender. Blend this mixture until it's smooth and slushy. Pour this into Tupperware containers and freeze it until frozen solid.

Will and I both found this delicious. I was considering adding chopped almonds the next time I made it, but once I tasted it, I realized it didn't need it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fettuccine With Grilled Vegetables: Good, But I Made a Mistake

Since it's summer, I decided it would be time to grill some vegetables. This recipe is a good one, but I made a mistake that made it taste less than great. I will explain below.

First, chop up an eggplant and a bell pepper and skewer the pieces in a pattern along with eight ounces of crimini mushrooms. Set this aside.

Combine half a cup of dry white wine, a quarter cup of water, a Tablespoon of arrowroot, tarragon, and dried basil. Put this on high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook a minute or two longer and remove from the heat. Brush the skewers with the sauce you just made and cover the rest to keep it warm.

Put the skewers on a heated grill and cook until it's browned on all sides. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to the package directions.

Once everything is ready, put the pasta on a plate, toss the sauce you set aside with the pasta, add the vegetables, and top with grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

The mistake I made was in tossing the pasta in the sauce too soon; needless to say, the pasta absorbed the sauce and glombed together. I added olive oil to help un-stick the pasta, but that made it taste really funky because evidently, the sauce I used mixed with the vegan pasta I used and the olive oil resulted in an odd flavor. However, other than that, it was decent enough for my liking.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers: Small Changes, Big Difference

I found out that I have a duodenal ulcer, which means that cooking has been a little bit complicated. Needless to say, I've been having a heck of a time finding food that doesn't hurt to eat in the end. Luckily, a little innovation goes a long way with me, and I won't let an ulcer keep me down.

I stuffed the peppers like in my last post (thawed frozen spinach, 2 ounces of Neufchatel cheese cooked rice, salt, and mozzarella cheese on top), but I omitted the tomatoes and Parmesan cheese from the filling. I cooked them the same way all the same (35-40 minutes on 375).

Again, Will loved them. Better yet, they didn't bother my stomach at all, so I now know I can make this when my ulcer is irritated.

Chicken Marsala: Classic, But So Tasty

I haven't made this in almost a year, and I'm glad I did, because I found out that this is one of Will's favorite chicken recipes out of my culinary repertoire.

First, brown a half pound of sliced mushrooms in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Meanwhile, pound out two chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness and bread by dipping them in two eggs followed by a mixture of flour and seasoned salt.

Once the mushrooms are done, put them on a plate and set them aside. Using the same pan as you cooked the mushrooms, brown the breasts until they are no longer pink in the center and set them aside.

Return the mushrooms to the pan and add about a half cup of marsala wine; cook this until it reduces down to a glossy state.

Put one breast on each plate and spoon the sauce and mushrooms over the top and serve. I served this with blanched asparagus and Will's famous mashed potatoes, but any vegetable and starch will work just fine.

Will told me that out of all the chicken dishes I make and have made, this is by far his favorite. I love this because of how low maintenance it really is and how easy it is. I will have to remember to make it more often for him.

Not a big fan of meat? This works pretty well with tofu as well; just don't bread it.

Potato Leek Soup: Delicious and Easy

A former friend of mine made a potato leek soup with kielbasa. I loved the concept and decided to make it meatless.

First, wash and cut up five potatoes and one leek, put it into a pan, and cover it with coconut milk and water and add seasoned salt to taste; add less than you think because it will get stronger as it simmers. Let this simmer for an hour or until the leeks are tender and clear and the potatoes practically fall apart.

This was fantastic; Will didn't use as many crackers as he normally does, which I would say is a pretty big win for me. It was more flavorful than said former friend because I added more seasoning and had a richer flavor because I let it simmer longer and added the coconut milk sooner.

Penne with Gorgonzola and Asparagus Sauce: Easy, Quick, and Tasty

Asparagus is one vegetable that's in season, so I thought, why not make a pasta or something with it? This turned out surprisingly well and has now added some variety to our menu.

First, make a blue cheese sauce using cream and about five ounces of gorgonzola; once the cheese has melted and the sauce is thickened, add chopped asparagus pieces. Cook this until the asparagus is tender and heated through. Meanwhile, cook and drain the pasta. Place the pasta in a bowl and pour the sauce over; serve immediately.

Will loved this dish; he went back for at least thirds. The asparagus really mellows out the gorgonzola in a way that every other vegetable I've cooked in gorgonzola sauce has not. I think next time that I'll cross two recipes together and make this with asparagus and walnuts to add some extra protein and good fats to this recipe.

Butternut Squash Risotto: Easy, Meatless Meal

I think I've said this before, but Will and I love risottos. The only problem we have with them is, they can be really fatty. This dish solves the problem and, better yet, it can easily be made vegetarian and vegan with one simple change.
First, take two cups of cubed butternut squash and combine it with two and a half cups of water. Bring this mixture to a boil, lower the temperature and let it simmer for five minutes, then take it off the heat and let it stand for five minutes. Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend this mixture until smooth.
Add three and a half cups of chicken or vegetable stock to your squash mixture; bring it to a simmer, then lower the heat to low. Set aside a quarter cup of the mixture. Heat a pan and add a Tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Add two cups arborio rice to the pan with the heated oil and toss, stirring constantly until the rice is coated. Add one cup of butternut squash, two and a half cups of the squash mixture, and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Once the rice has just about soaked up all the stock, stirring constantly, add the remainder of the squash mixture, one cup at a time, until the rice has soaked it all up, stirring constantly. Once all the squash mixture is gone, stir in the final quarter cup of the squash mixture and sprinkle ground time and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Will and I loved this very much. We did end up with a lot of leftover squash, though, since butternut squash are huge, so I will be making a butternut squash and apple soup later this week. As I said before, this can easily be made vegetarian and vegan by simply using vegetable stock instead of chicken.

Aloo Gobi: A Mistake Worked Out Okay

I decided to make aloo Gobi this week. Unfortunately, the culinary gods didn't seem to want to cooperate. My cauliflower wound up freezing and my turmeric mysteriously disappeared. Despite these setbacks, the dish came out quite successful.
Prepare the aloo Gobi like in my previous post, except omit the turmeric and you basically have what I made. The cauliflower greens were too badly damaged from the freeze to do anything but throw away, but that's not much of a loss because Will doesn't like cauliflower greens anyway.
Will and I both enjoyed it. While the dish was more of a russet than the golden yellow that aloo Gobi usually is, the loss of turmeric didn't take away from the flavor. Needless to say, though, turmeric is on my shopping list for the next time I go out.

Cream of Tomato Soup: Will's Favorite Meal

Will mentioned craving my cream of tomato soup, so I made sure to put it on our menu for the month so he could enjoy it in case my basil doesn't survive the winter. This meal is so cheap, about $3 for a meal that serves two if it's just the soup and four if it's served with sandwiches, that I made sure to buy enough ingredients for us to have it twice.
First, stick one can of diced roasted tomatoes in a blender with 8 oz of cream cheese, half a cup of 1% milk, and two handfuls of chopped basil. Season to taste with seasoned salt and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture into a saucepan, scraping the sides of the pan. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until the soup is heated through.
If I had bread, I would have made grilled cheese and marmite sandwiches to go with this. I plan on making focaccia anyway, so I will likely make some sandwich bread as well, once I have my kitchen spotless again. I need to call a plumber before that happens, though, because our kitchen sink is so badly clogged that they don't make snakes long enough for domestic types to buy. Luckily we got most of our dishes done and our dishwasher has a pots and pans cycle. The soup, however, made up for that; Will had several helpings of it. Unfortunately he stress eats and his work has been more stressful than usual, so that explains his helpings.

Fettuccine With Chicken and Onion Cream Sauce: Time Consuming, But Worth It

I had a meeting yesterday and, while I normally don't make dinner on meeting nights, I had to because we didn't have any leftovers.
First, you heat your oil and saute a clove of minced garlic on medium low until it starts to color; I know the temptation will be strong to turn up the heat, but trust me that if you do you risk burning your garlic. Add your chicken breasts, raise the heat to medium, and cook the chicken until it's cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cut into slices. Reduce the heat to medium low and add a diced onion; cook it until it's soft. Add a teaspoon of chicken base and half a cup of water; bring to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes. Add a cup and a half of cream, a quarter cup of milk, a half a cup of Parmesan cheese, and six scallions sliced on the bias including the green part; mix well. Let this simmer on medium, stirring frequently, until thickened. Meanwhile, cook your fettuccine according to the package directions. To serve, put your fettuccine on a plate, place a few slices of chicken on it, and spoon a bit of sauce on top.
I served boiled baby artichokes with tarragon-lemon butter on the side. To make this, all you do is trim your artichokes with a pair of kitchen shears so that all the spiky parts are removed and trim the stem and the loosest leaves. Put these in a pan of salted boiling water and cook for fifteen minutes or until tender; if you use globe, or standard size, artichokes, double the time you cook them. To make the tarragon-lemon butter, put half a Tablespoon butter, the juice of half a lemon, and a couple pinches of tarragon in a glass pinch bowl and microwave until melted. To eat, dip your artichoke leaves in the butter.
Will and I really liked this, and only half an artichoke and a little of the fettuccine was left over. I will definitely make this again because it turned out so well.

Chile Rellenos Con Guacamole: Easy and Tasty

This recipe marked a few firsts for me. It was my first time roasting and peeling chilies and also my first time making rellenos that weren't baked. All in all, this was a good experience and proof positive that homemade doesn't have to be back breaking labor; it can be pretty easy.
First, roast and peel four Anaheim chilies. This is as simple as heating your broiler, putting your chilies on a baking sheet, and leaving them under the broiler until the skins are blistered. Then stick them in a plastic bag and let them steam for fifteen minutes. Finally take them out and peel them. Once all of them are peeled, cut as small a slit as you can, leaving the stem on, and remove all the seeds. Stick them in a bowl of salted water and let them sit for half an hour.
Meanwhile, make your vinaigrette by combining four Tablespoons oil, two Tablespoons white vinegar, paprika, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley; mix well. Make your guacamole by slicing two or three peeled avocados, mashing them with a fork, and adding fresh diced tomatoes, cumin, lime or lemon juice, and salt to taste. Usually when I make guacamole I use lemon juice, but since I have a lime tree with fresh limes less than fifty feet from my back door, I used limes.
By this time your chilies should be ready. Drain them, rinse them, and drain them again. Stick two chilies on each plate, fill them with the guacamole, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Will immediately smelled the vinaigrette, but said that the one bite he did try was not vinegary thanks to the guacamole. Sadly, his stomach was rather bilious from eating leftover curry so he decided not to chance it. I loved it, but forgot that the chilies I purchased were from Hatch, New Mexico. For the record, mild chilies from New Mexico are about the same as medium chilies from California. I am so glad my local supermarket had them due to the Hatch chili festival being this weekend, and that I didn't buy the hot ones!

Taco Salad: Experimented With Some Success

We haven't had taco salad in a couple months, so I decided to make it. This time, I added a few extra bits to try and make it a bit more special. Parts of it worked, while I would change a few things the next time I make this. I know most people will tell you that taco salad is the worst thing to order on the menu at a Mexican restaurant, but just bear with me and you'll see that in this case, homemade is the better route in this case.
First of all, ditch the chalupa (this is the fried tortilla bowl most taco salads come in; it's deep fried, which means excess fat that will kill a diet in its tracks if you're not careful). Your waistline will thank you. Second, most restaurants use iceberg lettuce in their taco salads. Not only is it very low in fiber, the only nutritional value that you can derive from it is water, so you're much better off going with a dark, leafy green like Romaine lettuce. Finally, use a lot of vegetables. Tomatoes are pretty standard, as are avocados, and some members of my family will even use canned peas.
One of the two biggest changes I made in comparison to last time was I added canned jalapeno slices to my ground beef this time. It added a nice zing to the meat; the problem was it was too spicy for my liking, which is a rarity. The other big change was we made our own refried beans, which is to say, we pureed some canned pinto beans and fried them in grapeseed oil with spices and cheese. There were a couple smaller changes, like the fact that I added cotija cheese to the cheese mix and used low fat Greek yogurt as a topping on the salad itself to help cut the heat.
Will and I both agreed that the beans were great, but the beef needed fewer jalapenos. Now I know for future reference and am glad I took the risk and tried something new.

Tomatillo Chicken: Pure Deliciousness

I must admit that I've never worked with tomatillos before, but after this experience, I will definitely work with them again.
First, start your broiler. Put your chicken breasts into a broiler or roasting pan. Once your broiler is good and hot, stick your chicken breasts in the oven about four inches from the broiler. Meanwhile, cook a chopped onion in oil until it's tender. Add six husked and chopped tomatillos and six chopped pickled jalapeno slices. By this time, you should need to turn over your chicken. Add a clove of minced garlic to the pan with your onions and stir. Add some cumin, salt, and pepper, and turn the heat to low. Meanwhile, slice some provolone cheese to put on the chicken breasts once they are cooked through. Once that happens, put the provolone slices on the breasts and cook until melted. To serve, put your tomatillo mixture over some piping hot cooked rice, and serve the chicken breast next to or on top of that. Serve with vegetables of your choice.
This was a pretty simple recipe that turned out fabulous. Will was afraid of it being too spicy for his liking, but he wound up loving it.