Lemon Ginger Tilapia

As I was getting ready for bed last night I started thinking about what I wanted to cook today.

Yes, that is what keeps me up at night, what to eat tomorrow, the next day, next week.  And yes, everyone at my local grocery store knows me.  I didn't realize that was weird until Peaches got embarrassed at the Deli manager asking "what are you cooking today?", then the produce manager telling me that the skin on the kiwis he always sees me buying "can also be eaten." LOL.  Needless to say we detoured to avoid the seafood counter and yet a another chance encounter.  The look on my sisters face was confirmation that it is not normal for the local purveyors to take such an interest in what I'm buying every week, ok almost every day.

Anyway back to my story, as I was thinking up something to cook I decided to make Tilapia, and to use the minced ginger I used the other day in the Ginger Chili Chicken.  I've been loving ginger flavor lately, but I wanted to try something outside of how I usually use it.  So I decided on Lemon-Ginger Tilapia.  It may not sound very appetizing, especially if you're not into citrus, but the lemon isn't really that strong, and its more sweet than citrus, I was focusing on making the flavor into a caramelized glaze.

I used brown sugar, fresh sqeezed lemon juice, minced ginger, chopped garlic, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste.  I didn't take measurements but I can say that for two pieces of fish I had less than a 1/4 cup of glaze.

 

I simply placed the filets on a non-stick pan, topped with glaze and broiled for 10 minutes.  You can leave it in longer if you want it to be a little crispy. 

 

 

If you're looking for something light this is great, but be sure to make large portions.  Whenever I eat on the healthy side I need twice as much food, but it could be argued that I have an over-eating problem, so don't follow my ill-advised recommendation. 

 

ENJOY!!

 

Jerk Mussels

Yes, you read right.  Not authentic jerk made in a pit or on a grill, but true to the jerk flavor.  

The idea for this dish came from two places.  Earlier this year at Revel Resort in Atlantic City we had the pleasure of dining at Mussel Pot right in the hotel, unbelievable experience.  We ordered a style simmered in a thick creamy sauce with sliced potatoes mixed in.  It was pretty damn good.  

About a month ago in Philly we stopped in for lunch at Nodding Head Brewery and while I didn't order the mussels on the menu I was impressed with the selection, one of which was Jerk flavored.  So I decided to combine the two ideas and throw some potatoes in my Jerk Mussel pot since I looovve potatoes. LOL

The flavor was on point, I used jerk seasoning, ginger, ground allspice, onions and thyme, and a couple other things I instinctively throw in any West Indian dish I cook.

I'm also happy I used the potatoes because I'm not sure how I would have liked the sauce as much with bread which is usually what mussels are served with.

This was what I ended up ordering at Nodding Head, Citrus Salmon, was really good food for a brewery.  They also had a macaroni and cheese appetizer which was unreasonably small in portion size, I could have eaten three of them myself.  Pretty damn good!!

Thanks for stopping by, any ideas what I should Jerk next?

Ginger Chili Chicken

I've been so busy I haven't been able to cook as much as I'd like to, even as I type I have homework I should address, but there's always tomorrow : )  I've cooked a few things, but nothing blog-worthy, that I haven't already posted.  

I've come to a conclusion about why I love Asian style food so much.  It's usually relatively healthy, doesn't require much salt, really easy to experiment with and quick to make.  

This sweet and spicy chicken came about because I was looking for something spicy to eat and couldn't decide on anything specific, so I pulled some ingredients around the kitchen and took a chance.  I know I rarely put measurements for recipes but its hard considering I'm usually only making one or two portions.  Also I'm usually just guessing the amounts I use, I'm not big on strictly following recipes unless I'm baking which is kind of necessary.  If you're trying any recipes out, just add in small amounts and taste as you go along.

To start I pulled some minced ginger, chili sauce, chili oil, mirin and honey.

I seasoned a couple sliced raw chicken breasts with seasoned salt, Chinese five spice and crushed red pepper.  If you're not big on spice you can omit this because the chili oil and chili sauce are pretty hot on their own.

I sliced some onions, white mushrooms, and snow peas, but you can use whatever you like to stir-fry with.

First saute onions and ginger in the chili oil until softened and browned, add chicken and cook until browned on all sides, but don't overcook, the vegetables will still need time.

Add chili sauce, mirin, and honey to taste, keep in mind that the mirin is a somewhat sweet flavor, but different from honey.

Next I stirred in the veggies and turned the heat to low medium and covered to allow them to cook, just a few minutes unless you want them really soft.  I ended up finishing the dish with a splash of soy sauce (not pictured) to thin the sauce.

This turned out to be exactly what I wanted, the ginger, chili sauce and crushed red pepper required a tall glass of water, and a spoonful of rice LOL. I almost choked, but I liked it.  

Thanks for stopping bye ; )

Quick Chicken Fried Rice

If you can't tell by now I really love Asian food, all kinds, Thai, Korean, Japanese.  As much as I love the flavors, I haven't been able to eat in Chinese restaurants in almost 8 years.  The combination of bad experiences and plain poor quality food has made me really reluctant to eat Chinese food that's not homemade.  Luckily I have Diane to whip me up Chinese food, but I never really ask.

One day over summer she snapped her fingers and the yummiest fried rice I've had in a while appeared right in front of Justin, and he sure made me beg for the couple bites I got LOL.  I take PART blame for how greedy he is.  So I decided to give Diane's fried rice a try, but I tweaked it to suit my taste.  Di uses fried egg, but I'm not too crazy about eggs so I just skipped them.

To start I had these on hand to add little by little so it didn't get too salty.

Also, day-old white rice works really well, I think because it breaks up well without getting mushy the way fresh rice might.

I chopped up some roasted chicken, if I didn't have some I'd just saute some chopped chicken breast.

You can't really tell but I'm using green beans instead of scallions, onions, and carrots.

Apologies, I didn't get very good pics of the steps in between, so here goes, 

First I sauteed the onions in the sesame oil until almost clear, then added carrots for a few more minutes.  Once soft I threw in the chicken and cooked rice.

I added the soy sauce first, then oyster sauce tasting as I went along to make sure I was getting the flavor I wanted.  Last I added the green beans, they were already cooked, and I wanted them to maintain their color since I had no scallions to add.  

Just mix well and be sure the white rice isn't stuck together.  You can modify this any way you'd prefer, next time I'll make veggie fried rice, This is one of the dishes I don't need meat in.

YUM!!

Breakfast for Dinner?

Steak and Eggs…

Chicken and Waffles…

Sometimes you just need some breakfast for dinner ha!!

Can't get to your favorite restaurant?

After craving food from one of my favorite places I gave in and tried to recreate my favorite drink and appetizer.  

Tostones con Pollo  is so easy to make and customize however you like.  Vegetarians can do it without meat at all or with seafood, and if you want something heavier I've had something similar with shredded pork on top.  I'm down for tostones topped with anything, especially if it involves a good sauce.

I made these with Goya's tostones from the grocer's freezer section, then topped with with heavily seasoned chicken sauteed with onions and red pepper.  I missed the mushrooms, but the rain outside was too crazy for me to venture out lol.

After laying out the tostones, I topped with chicken, then with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.  Place the oven-safe dish in the broiler or oven. just enough to melt the cheese, then top with salsa before serving.  I skipped the salsa because I really don't like tomatoes, I tolerate them HA!

The White Satin Martini was also super easy for me to recreate.  Just mixed some light coconut milk, lime juice, ground ginger, triple sec, and coconut rum.  You can variate that in any way you like, I put extra ginger because it makes it a little spicy, and so yummy.  If you like a sweeter drink you can add some sugar or liquid sweetener but the alcohol should sweeten it enough.

If you're near a Bahama Breeze have a drink for me, if not let me know how it goes recreating your favorite restaurant treats!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Shrimp in Coconut Sauce

Inspired by some miscellaneous Goya products hanging around my pantry, surprisingly curbed my appetite for Spanish food.

It's amazing what a little Saźon does for a meal.

There's no yellow tint on the picture, the sauce is pale orange and the rice is saffron flavored.

If you want to try this recipe out:

*Sautee diced onion in olive oil until see through

*add garlic, scallions and sazon packet for a few more minutes

*add chicken broth and tomato sauce, let boil for 5 minutes

*add coconut milk, boil another few minutes until sauce is thickened

*add veggies (optional)

*add shrimp (I recommend using the larger shrimp with the tails still on)

Enjoy!!

Cookie Chronicles!!

*Certified Sugarholic*

Luckily I've mastered the art of cutting a recipe down to make just a few cookies.

But I still have enough to share LOL

Chocolate Chip with Almonds

Nutella Almond Cookies

Callaloo and Crab

One summer when I was about fourteen there was an illegal outdoor market that sprung up on the corner of Snyder and Brooklyn Avenues in BK.  My family and I must have made it out there at least three times a week for any variety of fruits and prepared foods.  

Among the most memorable street delicacies that summer were Corn Soup and Callaloo & Crab.  At the time neither really interested me, especially since my childhood memories of Callaloo were painful at best.  Not sure what possessed Cheryl to try to force me to eat the slimy okra mush when I was arguably the pickiest eater as a child.  "Mix it with rice" she would say, how about YOU mix it with rice on YOUR plate!!

Moving on... I've since come to the conclusion that Callaloo can't be all that bad since I'm pretty sure that summer I witness my mother and cousin Precious (that's not her name) huddled over one large Styrofoam cup of Callaloo & Crab like it was their last meal.  Crunching and cracking as I wondered what the big deal was.

Needless to say, I can now appreciate their constant craving of this dish.  The crab adds such a fragrant salt to the greens, and with a little pepper, Mmmmm!!

Glad I made extra!

Thanks for stopping by...

Berries and Sweet Cream

A couple years ago one of my friends told me about the Berries and cream dessert at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.  I think we may have actually had it there once but we had just finished a long day of drinking so I'm not sure how we even got to dinner.  

Anyway, I tried this for the first time following a recipe to the T and using strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, but I recently decided Blackberries are my favorite and I switch up the measurements based on my mood.  I also sometimes soak the berries in white rum while the cream is boiling, if its for dessert.  

Anyone who's tried this cream can tell you how addictive it is, think I made it for Ena and Leila once and they pretty much cleaned up the bowl LOL.  

It's really easy to make and only takes about ten minutes.  

First you boil 2 parts heavy cream (I used almond milk), 1 part sugar, 1 Tablespoon flour.

Then add 1/2 part butter and stir for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add a teaspoon vanilla.

Serve Warm, try not to eat it all at once.

White Pizza My Way!!

I had no intention on cooking again today since I have leftovers from lunch, however, I needed an added incentive to stay up for Sons of Anarchy HA!

I love white pizzas, not the biggest fan of red sauce in general, so I decided to create something.

To start I sauteed some garlic, red onion and a slice of bacon together for about 8 minutes, until things started to brown.

Then I added spinach in batches since they wilt down to practically nothing but start out overflowing the pot.  

Sidebar: The popping of these pastry cans is the second scariest thing to me in the kitchen.  The scariest thing is bacon grease popping out of the pan, hence the deep pan lol.

Everyone who knows me knows I'm scared of my own shadow, no secret!!

Be sure to sqeeze the excess liquid from the spinach or the pizza will be soggy!

10-15 minutes at 400 degrees and...

...Voila

Would have been good with a salad but I'm too lazy and SOA is starting.  Gotta go bye!

TTYL

Something Healthy, ...Finally

Herb Chicken Pasta

I've been promising to post something healthy, healthier at least LOL.  It's not that I don't cook healthy usually, its just more fun cooking with butter and sugar ya know?!

Anyway this meal was pretty easy to prepare, I would have grilled the chicken (rosemary marinated) but it was kinda cloudy, didn't want to get stuck in the rain so I sauteed.

Then I used whole grain this spaghetti and any veggies I had on hand which happened to be red peppers, spinach and green beans.  Once the chicken cooked I mixed the veggies in with the cooked pasta just to get them partially cooked, wanted them to stay crisp.

For sauce I added Italian herbs, lemon juice, white wine, and a little chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste.

I love one-dish meals like this, very quick and simple, chicken can be omitted altogether or replaced with shrimp.  Its very light, I made a salad with it also.

Thanks for tuning in!

Chicken Kiev

Guess who's bizzack??

...In the kitchen that is LOL...

After two weeks of schoolwork and travelling I finally have time to cook a real meal again.  As a special shout out to my followers over in Russia I decided to make something traditional over there.  

I didn't realize Chicken Kiev was Russian, ...or Ukrainian, but I do recall trying this dish when I was around ten and having a hard time keeping the stuffing in.  Luckily I've since learned that recipes are just a guideline, sometimes you have to find your own way to make a dish work.

I'm happy with the turnout, next time I'll probably use skewers instead of toothpicks to hold it together, toothpicks were a pain to get out with all the breading.  

I added spinach to the stuffing since I used dry herbs to get a bright green center, and I made some warm potato salad to go with it.  I know, potatoes again, but I love them : )

Feel free to comment with any requests

Thanks for stopping in!!

City Food Tour - Philly Edition

With one day to spare in a busy weekend I decided a food tour would be a great way to try a lot of food, see a lot of sites and familiarize myself with the city in just a few hours.  We saw some pretty interesting things, hope you like!

I'll spare you all the charming history of Joe's Pizza, but if you've ever used a garlic roll to scoop up the last bit of sauce on your plate you'll appreciate this.  It's like a Sicilian slice minus the cheese.  The sauce was really spicy and tart, and the dough was thick with a really nice crispy outside.

The name Tomato Pie had me worried, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Stop #2 was at one of Philly's famous soft pretzel factories, which wouldn't allow me to take any pictures but it was a pretty neat assembly line going in there.  This turned out to be one "carb-y" day, but the pretzel was good, not like a NY pretzel, much more chewy and softer outside.  I hate mustard, but they offered three options ranging in spice, I opted for the medium, it wasn't completely gross.

Philadelphia natives are said to consume soft pretzels for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and this shop alone makes over 5,000 a day which was a shock to me. 

The third stop on the tour suggested one of Philly's best cheese steaks, but I'm not sure I agree...

Apparently an authentic cheese steak has to have Cheez Whiz, not happy about that, but I tried it.  I still prefer provolone on a cheese steak.  Sissy had a chicken cheese steak, too dry for my taste and they don't really season the meat on cheese steaks so...

Oh yea, the bottom right pic is a plate of huge zepollis they had in the window at Zio's, I knew we were on our way to dessert so I didn't indulge, plus I've never had zepollis that weren't fresh out of the oil, but they looked GOOD!

We stopped in at Del Frisco's Double Eagle  to snap a couple shots, this is the bank vault in the basement that guests can actually dine in, it was cool, like being in the vault in Ocean's Eleven LOL

This wine room is right in the middle of the restaurant with a huge spiral staircase inside, holds up to 

2,000 bottles ; )

This was the stop that I was most anticipating, its really a huge indoor market where local vendors sell all kinds of cool things, like homemade soaps and lotions, baked goods, fresh produce, and raw seafood.  

The first booth was a chocolatier who specializes in making some odd shaped chocolates, the anatomically correct organs were some of the weirdest I saw.

The chocolate covered pretzels were yummy, but by this time the carbs were catching up to me lol

Final Vendor

This cake truffle from the Flying Monkey was the perfect ending to the tour.  The owner utilizes the top portion of fresh cakes (usually gets cut off to make it flat) mixes it with butter and sugar and forms little cake balls, then dips them in dark or white chocolate.

Imagine the most moist brownie you've ever had, this is 10 times better HA!!