Mahi Mahi Tacos

Tonight we made Grilled Mahi Mahi tacos with Baja Cabbage Slaw.  Dinner was gooood tonight.

The recipe for both the Tacos and the Slaw were from those included with our co-op produce bag last week.  We were not disappointed!

Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos

Marinated Mahi Mahi Tacos

I didn't have cilantro or jalapeños for the fish marinade, so I adapted the recipe by using dried parsley and about a Tablespoon of siracha sauce.  It doesn't say it in the recipe, but I assumed that you mixed the onion/vinegar mixture and the oil/spices mixture together for the marinade.  We grilled the fish instead of cooking it in the pan.

Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos

Baja Cabbage Slaw

We topped the tacos with the Baja slaw.  I used at least twice as much Tabasco than called for, and I made my own quick mayonnaise with the help of the magic bullet blender (it worked great!).

Pinterest.

Oh hey, look!  A blog!  Hmmm...I should probably cross out "daily" from my header, huh?

Pinterest.  My favorite thing to use it for is food pictures, of course, which I pin to a board with the claims that I will make these things.  Amazingly, I did make a few pinned recipes, so I thought I'd share them all in one spot.

Bean and Kale Soup

This was really good!  I could eat this every day.

Here's the pinned recipe: Tuscan Style Bean and Kale Soup

I didn't have fresh tomatoes, so I used a can of tomatoes w/ green chiles (Rotel), which gave a Mexican flair to the Italian-ish dish.  I also used chicken stock instead of vegetable.

Yummy for the Tummy.

Sweet Potato Skewers with Cilantro Sauce

This recipe made me realize that I do NOT have the patience it takes to make one's own mayonnaise.  I am a mustard girl, so I don't usually keep mayo or miracle whip or anything of the sort in my fridge, so when this recipe for a jalapeño/cilantro aioli caught my eye, I decided it must be done with homemade mayonnaise.  I was so almost there, but after dripping 90% of the oil into the egg mixture drop by drop, I got a little impatient and rushed it....and promptly ruined it.  Ooooh colloids, why must you be so difficult?  So, after momentarily losing my will to cook (and a few choice cuss words), I decided to wing it and create a yogurt sauce instead.  It was good, but thinner than I would have liked.

Here's the recipe I pinned: Roasted Sweet Potato Skewers with Jalapeño-Cilantro Aioli

Mac & Cheese-style Cauliflower

Cauliflower = Potentially Boring OR a way to make me eat too much ranch dressing.

Homestyle Mac and Cheese Style Cauliflower = solution to the above.  

Cause eating too much cheese is so much better than ranch dressing.

I used a local Chipotle Cheddar Cheese for this.  It really was pretty good, but yes, it is still Cauliflower.  But it's Cauliflower covered with CHEESE.

Here's the original: Mac & Cheese Style Cauliflower

Eggplant Kebabs.

Eggplant Kebabs

Grilled Eggplant Kebabs

• Eggplant, sliced to about 1/2"-3/4" thick
• Grape Tomatoes
• (Onions) - We didn't use any tonight, but I think I would next time...mmm...grilled onions
• Olive Oil
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Salt and Pepper
• Tahini Sauce

1. Soak the Eggplant in a saltwater bath for about 10-15 minutes
2. Skewer your Eggplant and Tomatoes (if you double skewer, it makes it easier to flip)
3. Season with Salt, Pepper, Cumin, and a little bit of Cinnamon (I rubbed on the spices, then added the spices to olive oil and we brushed that on right before and during grilling)
4. Grill about 4-5 minutes per side on high direct heat, or until fork tender with some nice charring
5. We served ours with Rice and Tahini Dressing

Tahini Sauce

• Equal Parts Tahini and Water
• Season with Garlic, Salt, and Lemon Juice
• (I threw it all in the food processor...easy peasy)

Frittata.

Frittata with Sausage, Spinach, Mushrooms, Cheese

• Ground Sausage, about 1/2 lb
• Fresh Spinach, a handful...or whatever looks good to you
• Onion, chopped, about 1/4 medium-sized onion
• Mushrooms, sliced, about 1/4 lb
• Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses, grated (I didn't measure...just make it as cheesy as you want!)
• Eggs, I used 6
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the Broiler and move the oven rack up closer to it - about 4-6" from broiler
2. Brown the sausage in an oven-safe skillet
3. Add the onion, mushrooms, continue to cook until onions translucent
4. Add the spinach just until a little wilty
5. Beat Eggs together in a bowl, add salt, pepper, grated cheeses
6. Fold eggs into sausage and vegetables in skillet, cook just until bottom is set
7. Move skillet to oven and broil until eggs are set and beginning to brown
8. Slice and Eat.  Yum!

Frittata in Skillet

Pork Tenderloin.

Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples, Blue Cheese, Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

• Pork Tenderloin
• Salt and Pepper

• Apples, Peeled, Cored, Diced (I used 2)
• Pecans, Chopped (I used about 1/4 cup)
• Butter 

• Honey (I used about 1 Tablespoon)
• Mustard (about 1 Tablespoon)
• Vinegar (1-2 Tablespoons)
• Olive Oil (2-3 Tablespoons)

• Fresh Spinach
• Bleu Cheese Crumbles

1. Season the Tenderloin with Salt and Pepper
2. Cook at 425-450 until it reaches at least 145 degrees internal temperature
3. Let the meat rest for a few minutes before slicing
4. Saute apples and pecan in a few tablespoons of butter over medium heat until apples are tender and beginning to brown on the edges
5. Whisk together the honey, mustard, olive oil and vinegar for a quick dressing
6. Add Sliced Tenderloin, Bleu Cheese, and Sauteed Apple mixture to fresh spinach greens and top with Vinaigrette

Crispy Polenta and Mushrooms.

Crispy Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

Mark = greatness.

Yesterday, I had planned for us to have crispy polenta with sautéed mushrooms on top as part of a meatless meal (Fridays in Lent, baby).  I was going to be at work until 6pm, so I asked Mark if he'd be willing to make the Polenta so it was set and ready for the skillet when I got home.  He was a bit nervous about it, but I assured him it was as easy as making grits and to just look up a recipe online and he'd be fine.

I expected to come home to need to fry the polenta pieces and sauté the mushrooms...and in a hurry too, because we were going to the Opera at 7:30.

I came home to this:

Appetizer Plate

And this:

Salad with Dates, Grapefruit, Pine nuts, and homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette

And Mark, upon looking up a recipe to see how to make the polenta, saw that it was paired with a yummy sounding Mushroom Ragout, and realized we actually had everything for it in the kitchen, and so I actually came home to him dredging the polenta pieces, ready to fry them himself.

Polenta ready for the skillet

And the Mushroom Ragout he made....fantastic.  It rivaled the crispy polenta with shiitakes made at our favorite Italian place in Little Rock, AR: Vesuvio Bistro.

10 million points for Mark.

Crispy Polenta with Mushroom Ragout
(Mark used milk instead of cream in the sauce.  And you could use vegetable stock instead of chicken to make it totally vegetarian.  And you can also grill polenta instead of frying!)

Black Bean Enchiladas.

Black Bean Enchiladas with Sweet Potato Sauce

For some reason, black beans, blue cheese, and sweet potatoes make an excellent combination.

For these bad boys:

1. Add a thin layer of the sauce to the bottom of a Pyrex
2. Roll up the black bean mixture with a few blue cheese crumbles in flour tortillas and add them on top of the sauce

3. Add a layer of the sauce on top
4. Crumble a little bit more Blue Cheese on top (a little goes a long way)

5. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until all is heated through

Filling

• Black Beans (I used two cans; drained one)
• Rotel (1 can)
• 1/4 - 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 3 - 4 cloves Garlic, chopped

1. Saute Onion and Garlic until tender in a saucepan
2. Add Black Beans and Rotel to saucepan and heat to let flavors combine

Sweet Potato Sauce

• Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Chili Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Salt
• Butter
• Dairy (Milk, Cream, or Yogurt)
• Water (for thinning)

1. Cook Sweet Potatoes until tender (I boiled and drained mine, but I bet roasted would rock)
2. Puree the potatoes in a food processor, or use an immersion blender (or just mash up really well with a fork)
3. Season with Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Salt (just keep tasting!)
4. Add a little Butter (a few Tablespoons)
5. Add some dairy to begin to thin it while adding a little richness
6. Thin it the rest of the way down with water (at least as thin as applesauce)

Flour Tortillas

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Oil
• 2/3 cup Warm Water

1. Mix all the ingredients into a soft dough
2. Divide into 15 - 20 small balls of dough
3. Roll very thin (as thin as you can), then peel off and put in hot, dry skillet
4. Heat on each side until golden brown spots appear

Chicken Meatball Sandwiches.

Chipotle Chicken Meatball Sandwiches
with Apple Lime Chutney and Brie Cheese

Mark is the greatest husband for many, many, reasons, but one of them is that he is always game to eat whatever I make.  And while he is very easy to please, it is still extremely nice when he proclaims something as a "Top Ten" meal.  Tonight's Chipotle Chicken Meatball Sandwiches were honored with an exuberant Top Ten label,  so I am a happy girl on this Fat Tuesday!

I know, I know...Chipotle Flavoring again.  But we had Chipotle flavored chicken sausage that we needed to cook, so I went with it anyway.

Chipotle Chicken Meatballs
Brie Cheese
Apple Lime Chutney (I guess it's Chutney.  What makes something chutney?  Chutney is a weird word.)
Toast
And a good ol' Toothpick

Meatballs
[So, since I made my meatballs from Chipotle-flavored chicken sausage, I didn't have to add too much.  But I did look around and found some lovely-looking recipes for making Chicken Meatballs (Here's one) using plain ground chicken and the wonderful Chipotles in Adobo Sauce of which we are so fond.]

• 1lb Chipotle Chicken Sausage
• 3/4 cup Plain Breadcrumbs
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 3 Tbsps Shredded Romano Cheese
• Salt and Pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients well
2. Roll up your meatballs - I used about 2 Tablespoons of mixture per meatball
3. Cook at 400 for approximately 20 minutes or until they reach an internal temp of 165-170

Apple Lime Chutney

• 2 Apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1/2 Lime, Juice and Zest
• 1/4 medium-sized Red Onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar (this depends on how sweet/tart your apple is...just taste!)
• Salt - just a pinch or two
• 1-2 Tablespoons Butter

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat
2. Add the Onions and Apples
3. Add Brown Sugar, Lime Juice and Zest
4. Sauté until tender

Tomato Soup.

Tomato Soup

• Onion (I used about 1/4 of a medium sized red onion)
• Garlic (I was always taught at least 1 clove per person)
• Grape Tomatoes (About 1/2 pint)
• Salt and Pepper
• Chicken or Vegetable Broth (1 cup)
• Milk (3/4 cup)
• Butter (a couple of Tablespoons)
• Sugar (a pinch, only if needed)

1. Saute the onion and garlic until in butter or olive oil until the onions begin to get translucent 
2. Add the Grape tomatoes whole
3. Continue to heat until the tomatoes burst and wither (if you get impatient you can help them along with a little smashing)
4. Add salt and pepper
5. Add the chicken stock, and then blend with an immersion blender
6. Taste it - adjust the salt and pepper; if needed add a pinch of sugar
7. Stir in the milk (or cream!)
8. If it tastes a little flat, add a teeny bit of butter...it works wonders

Grilled Chipotle Cheddar Sandwiches

I served it with Grilled Cheese, but to spice things up, I spread on a thin layer of Chipotle yumminess.
I just blended the contents of a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce and added it inside with thick chunks of local cheddar.

Brie Burgers.

Brie Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Blackberry Sauce

Two things of which you really can't have enough:

A - Caramelized Onions

B - Brie Cheese

This burger involves both.  

Also good as sliders!

Here's all it is:

• Hamburger Buns (obviously) -I use this recipe: Homemade Hamburger Buns
• Burgers (even more obviously) seasoned and cooked to your liking (I season mine with Worcestershire, Cavender's, and Salt and Pepper)
• Caramelized Onions
• Blackberry Sauce
• Generous Chunks of Brie Cheese (keep at room temperature and put on the hot burgers immediately off the grill/pan so it gets nice and melty)

Caramelized Onions

• Onions, sliced - At least 1 onion for every 3-4 Burgers...no really.
• Butter or Oil (just a few Tablespoons)

1. Slowly sauté your sliced onions in butter or oil over medium-low heat until they become soft and deep golden brown (This can take around 20 - 45 minutes...but so worth it)
2. If your onions start to look too dry or begin sticking to the pan, just add in a little more butter or oil

Blackberry Sauce

• Blackberry preserves (or any fruit that sounds good: I also recommend Plum or Raspberry)
• Horseradish
• Prepared Mustard 

1. Start with a generous helping of your Preserves.  At least 1/2 cup for 4-5 burgers
2. Stir in, about 1/2 T at a time, the mustard and horseradish
3. This is really all about preference, so just keep tasting and adding until it's spicy/mustardy/sweet enough for you (You can also adjust the flavor by adding salt or lemon juice if needed)
4. Heat the sauce on the stovetop (or even in the microwave) to get a nice saucy consistency that will drip out the sides of your burger as you eat it.  No really...this is important.

This was the main event for Valentine's Day.  And we served them with salad and Twice-Baked Chipotle Sweet Potatoes.  Oh man...it was a gooood meal.

Maple Bourbon.

Last night was Ham Steaks with Maple Bourbon Sauce, with Potato Soup (with local cheese) and roasted green beans.

I found this recipe for a Maple Bourbon Sauce, and decided that it might make for some yummy Ham Steak.  I just brushed it on both sides of my ham while it was cooking in the skillet.  I liked it a lot.  I feel like I would use it again on pork chops, or even chicken.  

Chicken.

Roasted chicken breasts with mushroom sauce, with a salad a la Mark that contained mixed greens, pear, dates, pecans, and for the dressing just a drizzle of oil and a squeeze of orange juice.

Roasted Chicken Breasts

• 2 bone-in chicken breasts
• Olive oil, salt, pepper

1. Heat the oven to 450
2. Pat your chicken breasts dry, then rub on olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper
3. Heat a skillet on high heat for a few minutes
4. Add your chicken breast-side down to the dry skillet
5. Let it sizzle for about 3 or 4 minutes, and then flip them over and transfer your skillet to the oven (um...unless it's not oven-safe; then put it in a pyrex or something)
6. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temp of 165-170
7. Mine took about 20 minutes, but depending on how big the pieces are, you might check them at 15
8. Let them rest for about 5 minutes before digging in

Mushroom Sauce

• Mushrooms, sliced (I had about a 1/2lb)
• Salt and Pepper
• Butter
• Flour
• Chicken Stock, White Wine, or if you cook them in the chicken skillet, you can get away with plain ol' water
• I also highly recommend garlic, but I was out, so skipped it last night

1. As soon as you take the finished chicken out of the skillet to rest, add your sliced mushrooms to begin to sauté in the same pan
2. If you need more fat in the pan, just add a little butter or olive oil
3. Once the mushrooms are as tender as you'd like them, scootch them over to one side of the pan
4. Melt a couple of Tablespoons of butter on the empty side of the pan, then whisk in a spoonful of flour
5. As soon as you have a paste, whisk in your liquid - wine/stock, etc. (I added about a cup)
6. Once it's smooth, stir in the mushrooms and allow it to slightly thicken
7. Pour it over your chicken breasts and eat

Tilapia Tacos.

Tilapia Tacos with Sautéed Zucchini

I originally wanted to make blackened Tilapia sliders for dinner, but alas, we had no milk for my bread recipe.  So, since flour tortillas are so super quick, it was time for Tilapia Tacos.

Flour Tortillas

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Oil
• 2/3 cup Warm Water

1. Mix all the ingredients into a soft dough
2. Divide into 15 - 20 small balls of dough
3. Roll very thin (as thin as you can), then peel off and put in hot, dry skillet
4. Heat on each side until golden brown spots appear

Tilapia

• Cumin
• Chili Powder
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Lightly coat both sides of fish with spices
2. Heat a small amt. of olive oil in a skillet
3. Cook Fish 2-3 minutes on each side over medium-high heat, or until fish is white and flaky
4. We broke it up and served it in the tortillas with guacamole, a squeeze of lime, and mixed greens

Eggplant.

Eggplant Parmesan

Yum.  Eggplant Parmesan (Sort of).

I cut my eggplant into 3/4" slices and salted them for about 30 minutes to remove the excess water.  After brushing off the salt and giving them a good squeeze (that part was therapeutic, somehow), I dredged the slices in flour, then egg, then grated parmesan (actually it was Romano), and then flour (with salt and pepper).  Then pan fried them in olive oil until golden brown.  We served it on fresh pasta with a simple tomato sauce and topped it with more parmesan (I mean Romano.)

Burning.

Burn a Hole in your Esophagus Chili

Mark had made jerky several weeks ago, and using his "Barbecue Bible," found a recipe for a Chipotle Adobo marinade for the meat.  It was really good, so when we had some stew meat from naturalfarms, we decided to make a steaky chili with some of the same chipotle adobo flavors.

Jalapeño, Red Onion, Garlic

We started pretty simply, with chopping a pepper, an onion, and a few cloves of garlic.  Then browned the meat, added our spices and veggies, and once the meat was cooked through and the vegetables were getting tender, we added the beans and sauces.  One of the sauces was blended chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  It's a delicious, smoky flavor...but it's made out of smoked jalapeños.  I don't think we considered just how hot it might make our chili.  Holy Moly, the flavor was great, but let me just say, the fresh jalapeño might not have been needed.

• Beef Stew Meat, or cut-up Steak (about 1 lb)
• Oregano
• Cumin
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, chopped, ribs and seeds removed
• Orange Zest (about 1/2 an orange)
• Orange Juice (1/2 an orange)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• Red Wine Vinegar (just a splash or two)
• 1/2 can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, blended (or you could chop the peppers)
• 1/2 cup of Tomato Sauce
• Lots of milk (to drink to ease the burning)

1. Brown the steak in your chili pot, and add salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin
2. Add jalapeño (really, this jalapeño is probably overkill), onion, and garlic
3. Once vegetables are beginning to get tender, add the zest and juice, stir around for another minute
4. Lower the heat a bit, and add the beans and liquids
5. Let it simmer for as long as you're willing....then eat!  

Say goodbye to all feeling on your tongue.

Pasta with Peppers and Sausage.

Pasta with Peppers and Sausage

• Turkey Link Sausages (I used 5)
• 1/4 - 1/2 an onion, sliced
• Sweet Peppers, Sliced, with seeds and ribs removed (I used about 5 or 6)
• 2-3 cloves of Garlic, chopped
• Butter
• Flour
• White Wine (or chicken/vegetable stock)
• Grated Romano Cheese

1. I cooked Turkey Link Sausages in the skillet then removed and sliced them up.
2. I then sautéed onion, garlic, and sweet peppers, until tender, and added the sausage back in.
3. Roux time! In one side of the pan, I added a couple of tablespoons of butter, and as soon as it melted, I whisked in a T of flour. As soon as I had a paste formed, I whisked in some white wine, stirred everything around to coat, and let the sauce thicken up a bit.
4. Once the pasta was cooked al dente and drained, I tossed everything together, and served it in bowls with grated Romano on top.

Sweet Peppers, Onion, Turkey Sausage Links, Garlic, Romano Cheese

Fresh Pasta