Pucker Up: Part 2 of 2 - Sea Scallops with Citrus Butter

As a follow up to last week's lemon post, I wanted to share another recipe that we learned to make as part of our Culinaerie class called: "Pucker Up - Cooking with Lemon." I remain optimistic that Spring is just around the corner and during this time, I like to gravitate toward lighter meals and move away from the heavier soups and stews of winter. This dish really hits all the marks. It's a relatively simple dish with simple ingredients. Sure, there is a little cream and butter involved, but I'm a firm believer that a little fat can really make a dish. We served it with a lemon pepper couscous.

Sea Scallops with Citrus Butter Sauce (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 8-10 scallops
• plain oil for sauteing (I prefer olive oil)
• salt and pepper

Citrus Butter Sauce

• 1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
• juice and zest of one orange, half a lemon and half a lime
• splash of heavy cream
• 4 oz. butter, cubed, cold
• salt and pepper, to taste

Lemon Pepper Couscous

• 1 cup couscous
• zest of one lemon
• juice of one lemon and enough chicken stock to equal 1 cup liquid
• 1 TB butter
• salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Directions:

To cook the scallops, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat a saute pan over high heat, add a thin film of oil.

Saute the scallops, turning once, to brown both sides. Then reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for a minute or two until the scallops are cooking through (opaque and slightly springy). Serve hot with the sauce (recipe below)

To make the citrus butter sauce, zest and juice the citrus fruit and add this to the shallots in a small saucepan. Reduce over high heat until nearly dry. Add a splash of cream.

On and off the heat, add the butter to the pan one chunk at a time, whisking constantly to emulsify.

Place the pan on and off the heat as necessary to melt and incorporate the butter without bringing the sauce to a boil. Adjust the seasoning and keep warm until serving.

To make the couscous, bring the chicken stock/lemon juice mixture to a boil with the butter, salt and pepper. Add zest of lemon to the couscous. Pour boiling liquid over the couscous, cover and let steam for 10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia

Tilapia is the type of fish that by itself, doesn't really have a lot of flavor. It will take on the flavor of the seasoning you place on it, and is a really nice accompanying fish to more dominant ingredients. If you're not into fishy fish, it really is a good option. Or if you're trying to get picky eaters on board with increasing their weekly fish intake.

This dish is a pretty basic marinade and if you're looking for something quick, mildly flavored and simple, it's a good fit. But for me, I need a bit more oomph. Give this light recipe a shot and you be the judge. I served it with a side of squash and zucchini from the farmer's market.

Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-oz.) tilapia filets
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 TB lime juice
• 1 TB brown sugar
• 1 TB olive oil
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• cooking spray

Directions:

Arrange fish in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine orange juice and next 9 ingredients (through garlic); pour over fish. Let stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler and prep your side dish.

Sprinkle fish with paprika; broil 15 minutes. Serve.

When did it become mid-October? A September San Diego Recap

As I wrote in my last entry, I have been doing a fair amount of traveling and eating out, both locally and in other parts of the country. In September I took a trip to San Diego to visit a friend, who knew that he needed to bring it when it came to good food recommendations. Between him and others I knew out on the left coast, I was not disappointed.

Some time has passed and my memory isn't what it used to be, so what I can tell you about San Diego is this. 1) The fish is ridiculous. Fish tacos. Sushi. You name it,it is truly better there than anywhere I've eaten on the east coast. 2) I will eat brussel sprouts when they are cooked well. It helps when there is bacon and cheese involved, but I've eaten them before that way and never enjoyed them as much as I did at the place I ate them in San Diego.

So here's a quick run down of the places I'd recommend you check out when you're in San Diego as well as some food porn to whet your appetite.

South Beach Bar & Grille - This place was recommended by several people for their tacos (pictured in the second photo on the right). I had the mahi mahi and the lobster and just two of these bad boys were enough to fill me up and washed down with a great beer. This is located in Ocean Beach closer to where I was staying and not far from beach. 

Harney Sushi - Hands down some of the best sushi I've ever had. Granted, I have yet to travel to Japan...but if you find yourself in San Diego, head over to the Old City and check this place out. Fabio was a great sushi chef and his recommendations were spot on. From salmon belly to sweet shrimp to the famed tater tot roll, we ate through a ridiculous amount of sushi. Not to mention the edamame sampler and chilled bottle of sake. Go here and get there early, because there's usually a wait.

Bo-Beau Kitchen Bar -  This French restaurant boasts a great cocktail and wine list and what I can consider a small miracle in the preparation of brussel sprouts that I not only ate, but enjoyed. AND they gave me the recipe on how to make them. They were expertly cooked with pancetta, parmesan, and balsamic...and while I enjoyed many other dishes that night,these are the ones that stuck with me. And one of these days, I'll attempt to cook them.

So if you find yourself out on the left coast, check out any one of these spots for a quick bite and if you're like me, so many bites that you'll pass out from a food coma shortly thereafter. Guilty as charged.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo...Tempting Taco Recipes!

If you search taco on my blog, you will probably find more recipes in this category than any other type of food. I love tacos. But of all the tacos I've made, my fish taco with mango avocado salsa ranks supreme. It's easy. Flavorful. And with avocados in season, now is the time for you to make them. I made these again last week and they are simply delicious. I've also included the direct links to two other recipes that I would put in my top 3 taco attempts of all time. With Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, pick up taco fixings along with your tequila. They do go hand in hand.

1) Cumin-spiced Tilapia Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa. Pictured at right. No other explanation needed. It was blurry because I was shaking with hungry anticipation. Seriously.

2) Potato and Chorizo Tacos. Because meat and potatoes are meant to be. Like Romeo and Juliet. Beards and Ironic Hipster Glasses. And me and you.

3) Beer-braised Chicken Tacos with Cabbage Slaw. Something a little less Mexican, but a whole lotta tasty. Diversify your tacos!

So pick up some tortillas and have some fun in the kitchen this weekend!

Oven-Roasted Crispy Kale...Oh and Tilapia!

I've been following into a pattern lately where I may have a weekend of overindulgence (case in point: Easter weekend brunch, but I'll talk more about that later this week), followed by a week when I want to eat light to make up the difference.

So tonight, I revisited an old favorite: Beer Battered Tilapia with a Chile-Mandarin Orange Sauce. This recipe is pretty light on the battering and doesn't come across like an overly fried fish. Or at least that's what I tell myself when I want to "eat light."

To accompany the fish, I made my first crispy kale in the oven. And while some pieces got a bit more brown than I'd like, all in all I was happy with the results. The kale recipe is below.

Oven-Roasted Crispy Kale (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of kale
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 TB toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse kale and pat dry thoroughly. Remove and discard thick ribs and roughly chop leaves. Pat leaves dry again. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until leaves are tender, crisp on edges and slightly browned. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Vietnamese Tilapia with Turmeric and Dill

Last weekend, I traveled to Austin, Texas for several days where I ate my fair share of meat. I'll talk more about that in a blog post later this week, because there's a lot to say.

But when I returned from what I'm now referring to as the "Weekend of the Meat Sweats," I knew I need to offset some of that heavy food. So I resolved to eating fish and vegetables for the week, and decided to try this new recipe that my parents had made a week earlier. It was a good call. Not only was it flavorful, it was nice and light. Which was just what I needed.

Vietnamese Tilapia with Turmeric and Dill (serves 4)

Ingredients:
               

1/4 cup sliced shallots

1 TB chopped fresh dill

1 TB minced garlic

1 TB grated peeled fresh ginger

2 TB fish sauce

1 TB dark sesame oil

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets                              

2 TB peanut oil

Cooking spray                               

4 cups vertically sliced sweet onion

1/2 cup torn fresh dill, divided

4 green onions, cut into (2-inch) pieces

1 TB soy sauce 

2 tsp. sugar

1/4 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, crushed

8 lemon wedges.

Directions:

Combine first eight ingredients, through the black pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add fish; toss to coat. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade and solids. Combine fish and peanut oil in a bowl; toss to coat.

Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, 1/4 cup dill, and green onions; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add soy sauce and sugar; stir-fry 1 minute. Arrange onion mixture on a platter.

Return pan to high heat. Add half of fish to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn fish over; cook 1 minute or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place fish on platter over onion mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining fish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup dill and peanuts. Serve with lemon wedges.

Redux of Costa Rican-Style Tilapia

I've never been to Costa Rica. In fact, I've never been south of Key West, but I hope to rectify that in the near future. So the only thing I have to go on that this dish is in the style of Costa Rican food is that the recipe said so. Regardless of its authenticity, it is a dish that I like to regularly make, especially for a crowd. It's relatively economical, and universally liked. The rice/pineapple/black bean combo is the star of this production, though the fish gives it a bit more substance. Here's the link to the original post/recipe.

And can we just say that my hair has grown crazy long (for me) since that time?



Exhibit A: February 2012, shortly after
 I started my little blogging adventure.

Exhibit B: September 2013, with Jon Wright,
one of my favorite taste testers.

Cajun Cooking: BBQ Shrimp

Last weekend, I took my first cooking class through Living Social. I had signed up for the class with two friends a few months ago and I was looking forward to some hands-on instruction. I had taken another class at Living Social before on pumpkin and bourbon, but it was more educational than instructional. In both instances I came out with some good tips and recipes. I'll share two of them on the blog in this post and another post this weekend, and the other two I'm going to hold on to for a later date. Because I guarantee I'll make them on my own time again.

The instruction was good and energetic and the kitchen was hot. As it should be, in my opinion, if you're trying to emulate the South. I was very lucky to have a friend who lived in DC for awhile who would regularly cook Southern dishes. While I can never begin to compete with her mad kitchen skillz and appreciation for butter, I can at least learn a bit more about what makes her food, and Southern food as a whole, so awesome.

Fortunately they had Abita beer on hand to help keep us cool. I'm a huge fan of their strawberry variety, but I'd settle for the amber in a pinch.

We learned to make four dishes during the class. Tonight I'll share the recipe for BBQ shrimp, and this weekend, the Bananas Foster recipe. So stay tuned. :)

BBQ Shrimp (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 2 TB butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup beer, room temperature
• 1/4 TB Worcestershire sauce
• 8-12 shrimp shrimp-peeled and deveined
• Salt to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, basil, thyme, rosemary, cayenne pepper and paprika. Set aside. 

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes. Season with the spice mixture and continue to cook and stir for a few minutes. Pour in the beer and Worcestershire sauce; simmer until shrimp is cooked through, about 1 more minute. 

Taste and season with salt before serving.

Panko Crusted Fish Tacos with Peach Relish

I love Mexican food, but it's often not the healthiest type of cuisine. However, if you're going to have to pick something on the lighter side, fish tacos are the way to go. This is my second attempt at fish tacos, after a very successful first run last year with my cumin-spiced fish tacos with mango-avocado salsa. That one remains a favorite, but this one is a little less spicy.

Ingredients

 Relish

2 cups finely chopped peeled peach (about 2 medium)

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

2 TB chopped cilantro

1 TB fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

 

Remaining ingredients

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1 pound tilapia, cut into 2-inch strips

Cooking spray

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Directions

To prepare relish, combine first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add fish to bowl, tossing to coat. Place fish in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning once.

Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish and salsa evenly among tortillas.

Salmon with Sriracha Sauce

It's some kind of cruel punishment when you can't spell something you cook with often. This is the case with Sriracha Sauce. I always have a bottle of it in my fridge, I cook with it often, yet I always have to triple check the spelling. A friend of mine has often referred to it as Rooster Sauce (because of the image on the bottle) and I might have to start doing the same. Cock-a-doodle-doo. Have I mentioned I haven't been sleeping well lately? :)

So this is a very simple recipe that I got from SELF magazine, which included a feature on Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook: "It's All Good."  Of course, they indicate in the recipe that you can buy the book to get Gwyneth's personal sriracha sauce recipe, but I'm good with the rooster. This had a nice flavor to it and wasn't overly spicy. I might opt to marinade the salmon in this for a bit before cooking. But I like my food like I like my men...muy caliente.

Salmon with Sriracha Sauce (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• Juice and zest of 1/2 lime
• 1 TB maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 1/4 lbs salmon fillet, skin removed
• 2 TB coarsely chopped cilantro

Directions:
Heat oven to 425°.

In a bowl, whisk together juice, zest, syrup, sriracha and salt.

Place salmon in a baking dish lined with parchment paper; pour lime-maple mixture over top. Roast salmon until cooked through and flaky, 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve.

I served this with asparagus and the orzo spinach salad I made last week. I'm practically making that salad once a week now. It's awesome.

Mustard Salmon with Oven Tomatoes

This post is proof that I don't always succeed in the kitchen. Last weekend, I tried out a bunch of new, light recipes as part of my post-birthday carb detox and to prepare me for a busy week at work where I'd be unlikely to do much cooking after work. As I posted earlier in the week, I made an amazing PB stew. That was the highlight. This was the lowlight. Perhaps I overcooked the tomatoes, or didn't really get a good piece of salmon, but I threw out the leftovers. I just couldn't see eating this again.

Mustard Salmon with Oven Tomatoes (serves 4)

Ingredients:

For Salmon

• 3 TB rosemary leaves, chopped
• 3 TB fresh thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/4 pound salmon fillets without the skin
• 4 TB dijon mustard, grainy variety

For Tomatoes

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/3 panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a 9-inch glass pie plate, combine tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon oil, salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat and then spread into a single layer.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, garlic, remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; rub oil into breadcrumbs with your fingers. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over tomatoes. Bake until breadcrumbs are golden and tomato juices are bubbling around edges, about 30 to 35 minutes.

For the salmon, prepare the grill for direct, medium-heat cooking. Mix the rosemary, thyme and pepper in a small bowl.

Spray the bottom of the fish fillets with cooking spray. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard on the top of each fillet. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the herb mixture on top of each.

Place fish herb-side up on the grate directly over the heat. Cover the grill and cook until the fish flakes when gently scraped with a fork, about 12 minutes. 

Cumin-Spiced Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

Good lord I love good Tex-Mex food. I ate so many different types of meat in tortillas over the Cinco de Mayo weekend, you'd think I was ready to feed on something different. But oh no...when I saw this recipe a few weeks ago, I added it to my queue of things to cook. And given my food has been a bit meat and carb heavy over the past few weeks, I wanted to try something a bit lighter. These tacos fit the bill. They were flavorful, healthy and quick to make after work.

Cumin-Spiced Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa (serves 4, makes 8 tacos)

Ingredients:

1 TB cumin

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound tilapia fillets

1 TB canola oil

1 cup sliced peeled avocado

2/3 cup finely chopped peeled ripe mango

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 TB finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 TB fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Directions:

Place cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, paprika, and black pepper in a spice grinder; process until finely ground. Combine cumin mixture and garlic; rub over fish. Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add fish; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, avocado, and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon red pepper). Stir in jalapeño.

Heat tortillas according to package instructions. Break fish into pieces; divide evenly among tortillas. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons salsa. Fold tortillas in half; serve immediately.

Beer-Battered Tilapia with Red Chile Mandarin Orange Sauce

A few months ago I moved into my new condo but before doing so, I had to get rid of a few items that wouldn't fit into my new place. One of them was a big couch. After dropping the price considerably on Craigslist, I came up with the idea of giving it away for a six-pack of decent beer. I received several offers from group houses who were more than happy to take the couch for this steal of a deal. Unfortunately, I should have shopped around. What I ended up with was a six pack of Michelob Ultra. Not one to waste anything, I've been using it for cooking purposes because you couldn't pay me to drink this for pleasure. And if it's any consolation, I don't think the guys who took my couch and carried it several blocks down the street managed to fit it into their new place as I saw it out on the corner a week later. Guess they should have shopped around as well. I served this with couscous and a spinach salad.

Beer-Battered Tilapia with Red Chile Mandarin Orange Sauce (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2/3 cup beer
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tilapia fillets, about 5 ounces each
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TB fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp red chili paste
• 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 TB chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions:

Heat enough olive oil, to shallow fry the fish, in a large skillet over medium-high heat

In a shallow dish, whisk together 1/2 cup of the flour, beer, egg, and baking powder. Place remaining 1/4 cup flour in a separate shallow dish.


Season both sides of the fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Dredge fish in flour, turn to coat both sides and then shake off excess flour. Dunk fish in beer mixture and turn to coat both sides.


Add fish to hot oil and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until cooked through and opaque. Remove fish from oil. Place on a paper towel lined plate.


While the fish is frying, in a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and chili paste. Add mandarin oranges and cilantro and toss to combine. Serve sauce over fish.

Baked Costa Rican-style Tilapia with Pineapple, Black Beans, and Rice

This week I started a new job and as anyone can tell you, the first week is always information overload and I came home exhausted and unable to put two sentences together, much less dinner. I could have easily just gone to Chipotle for a quick bite, but in my efforts to try and eat a bit healthier this week after bacon overload, I opted to make a light, easy meal. This recipe was one of my favorites from last year. The best part is the sweet rice, which made an excellent lunch the next day.

Baked Costa Rican-style Tilapia with Pineapple, Black Beans, and Rice (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (5 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 cups jarred or homemade tomato salsa
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups diced fresh pineapple

DirectionsCombine the rice and chicken broth in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the garlic, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add the tilapia fillets to the marinade, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Stir together the cooked rice, salsa, beans, pineapple, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the cilantro in a 2 or 3-quart baking dish. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, reserve the marinade, and lay the fish fillets over the rice mixture, overlapping if necessary. Pour the reserved marinade over the fish. Bake until the fish flakes easily, is opaque, and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.