Fish Tacos and the Fixins

This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting with some old high school friends in the ocean-side city of Miami! We spent plenty of time walking up and down CocoWalk and touring the local marina. Of course, sampling the local Cuban cuisine was also a culinary must! However, I also wanted to take advantage of fresh, local fish. Rather than pay exorbitant prices downtown at a local seafood bar, I opted to cook up some fish at home.

A filet of fish often intimidates the home cook, but that's just silly! Fish cooks up just as easily as a piece of chicken and it's often just as versatile. If you're lucky enough to have Tuna or Swordfish readily available, a quick pan-sear will do the fillet delicious justice! Something like Tilapia cooks up nicely in lemon, butter, and parsley. Ultimately, you should determine your dinner menu based on the fresh catch available at your local market.

We had the good fortune of running into a beautiful fillet of Mahi Mahi. This fish is often also referred to as Dolphin fish. Don't let the name alarm you. I can promise you I wasn't munching on your favorite pal, Flipper, this weekend. Mahi Mahi is simply a fish with a misleading name. In any case, Mahi Mahi is a mild, white fish. It's not quite at flaky as a piece of Tilapia, but it's not quite as meaty as a piece of Tuna. You could easily grill up a few fillets or bread and fry pieces for gourmet fish sticks! However, this weekend us girls decided upon fish tacos!

Fish tacos are essentially just a vehicle for delicious salsas and guacamole. I started by chopping up a red pepper, a bit of purple onion, an ear of fresh corn, handful of cilantro, and a couple of mangos. After mixing together the assorted veggies and fruits with some lime juice, you've got yourself a wonderful fresh salsa! I've also substituted the mangos for peaches in the past. Either fruit yields a delicious relish to pile atop fish. At this point, I would have also prepared my homemade guacamole. However, ripe avocados were nonexistent in Miami, so we had to settle for store bought. But I'll be sure to include my guac recipe regardless. One of my girlfriends also threw together a fresh and spicy tomato salsa. She threw together a whole mess of tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapenos in a food processor, and voila! Finally, it came time to cook up the fish. I started by slicing the fresh Mahi Mahi into one inch cubes and seasoned the fish with salt, pepper, and Emeril's Essence. If you don't have Emeril's Essence laying around, look to Food Network for an incredibly simple recipe or use a good Cajun seasoning. I cooked the cubes in a bit of olive oil. While the fish was cooking, I wrapped a stack of flour tortillas in foil and stuck them in the oven to warm.

We served the dinner family style and everyone pieced together their own tacos with all the various fixins. The fish was deliciously flaky and fresh and these salsa were some of the best compliments! I really encourage you to give fish a try, especially during the summer months while vacationing next to beautiful oceans!

Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1.5lb Mahi Mahi, de-boned
• Emeril's Essence
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 10-12 small flour tortillas

Cut fish fillets into one inch cubes. Season liberally on all sides with Essence, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in oven set to 250°F. Cook fish in skillet until fish no longer appears opaque. Test a single cube of fish to see whether it flakes. Serve tacos with various salsas, guacamole, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, or shredded lettuce. 

Serves 4

Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe mangos, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 ear corn
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• juice of one lime

Remove corn kernels from ear of corn using a knife. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Allow to chill for at least thirty minutes before serving. Serve with fish tacos or along side a grill fillet of fish.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• juice of one lime
• 2 tbsp sour cream, optional

Remove flesh of avocados. Using a pastry cutter, mash avocados until smooth. Immediately stir in lime juice. Fold in tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeno. For a spicier dip, include seeds of jalapeno in guacamole. For a rich dip, mix in sour cream. Serve with fish tacos or warm tortilla chips.

Nutella-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

While driving home from work this evening, I literally had the best idea of my life:

Nutella. Stuffed. Peanut Butter. Cookies.

That's right. You read that correctly! Can you honestly think of a better flavor combination? My sister so wisely declared, "That sentence kept getting better and better!" Nutella and peanut butter were a match made in Heaven. Clearly, I had to do something about this. As I didn't have enormous amount of time for an elaborate baking project, I opted to take a short cut. On my way home from work, I dropped by the grocery store and picked up several packages of Pillsbury peanut butter cookie dough. Now ordinarily I would make my cookie dough from scratch. However, after a long Wednesday, store bought certainly suffices. In fact, I find after doctoring up the dough a bit and adding my own special touches, the cookies turn out just as delicious! 

I rolled the dough out onto a floured surface and cut out rounds using a biscuit cutter. I piped nutella onto half of the cookie circles and topped each with another cookie top. Then I decided to sprinkle each cookie with a bit of cinnamon sugar. As a rustic checker pattern usually tops a traditional peanut butter cookie, I thought I'd follow suit with these. I threw the pan in the oven and waited for angels to sing.

My family of five has managed to demolish the entirety of the batch in the time it's taken me to write this post. I'm going to go out on a limb and say my co-workers will enjoy these treats tomorrow as well!

Nutella-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2lbs Pillsbury peanut butter cookie dough
• 1 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• flour for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll cookie dough out 1/8'' thick on a floured surface. Using a round biscuit cutter, cut out cookies. Pipe a small amount of nutella (about the size of a nickel) onto one half of the cookie rounds. Top each cookie with a plain dough circle. Place cookies on greased pan about an inch apart. Mix together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle mixture over each cookie. Using a fork, press a checkerboard pattern onto the top of each cookie. Bake for 9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 10 minutes. 

Makes 40 cookies.

Ham and Goat Cheese Frittata

I needed something tasty, and I needed it fast! After just having gotten back from work, I was tired and ravenous. Two dangerous feelings to mix. My friends and I affectionately refer to this feeling as "hangry."

han·gry

  [hang-gree]

adjective, han·gri·er, han·gri·est.

1.

having a desire, craving, or need for food while becoming exponentially more irritated and angry

I took a scan around the kitchen for any ingredients that could magically turn into dinner. As I had an extraordinary number of eggs, I decided eggs would become the vehicle for my deliciousness. But what to do with them. Omelettes, quiche, scrambles... all viable options. However, today seemed like a frittata kind of day. Frittatas are essentially a quiche minus the crust, so they couldn't be any easier! It is also incredibly easy to toss in any meats, veggies, and cheeses that suit your fancy.

Red bell peppers are quite possibly one of my favorite vegetables, so I thought I would start by throwing a chopped pepper in a large saute along with a small onion and a touch of olive oil. I also had some leftover ham hanging out in my fridge, so I cubed up the meat and tossed it in with the veggies. However, bacon lardons would have been lovely as well. I liberally seasoned the veggies and ham with salt, pepper, and oregano. In a large bowl, I whisked together plenty of eggs, a splash of cream, and of course, salt and pepper. Slowly, I poured the egg mixture over the vegetables and meat. I allowed the eggs to cook until the edges just set. I crumbled goat cheese over top of the eggs and popped the whole pan in the oven for a few minutes and quickly broiled the frittata until the top was brown and bubbly.

I served a tossed salad along side a large slice of the frittata. Honestly, it's hard to make a more delicious meal in under thirty minutes. Recipes like this one are perfect for the end of the week when groceries are scarce and your patience is running thin. Feel free to customize this dish with your favorite vegetables and cheeses! This recipe is a delicious crowd-pleaser!








Ham and Goat Cheese Frittata

Ingredients:

• small onion, chopped
• red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cup ham, cubed
• 10 eggs
• 1/2 cup cream
• 4oz goat cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and peppers. Add ham to pan. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture over the veggies and ham. Cook eggs until the edges have set (about 3 to 4 minutes). Crumble goat cheese evenly over top of eggs. Bake for 7 minutes or until center of frittata is set. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until top is brown.

Serves 4

Office Baby Shower Bites!

So the other day at work, I found myself being volunteered to provide a delicious spread of desserts for my boss' baby shower. I'm hoping that means my baking is appreciated. In any case, we're a pretty close knit team, so I was happy to oblige. Naturally, I began contemplating creative twists on classic treats. I knew the Mother-to-Be is a chocolate lover, so I looked to include an adequate amount of chocolate...

Cheesecake initially came to mind. The dessert couldn't be any easier to make, and cheesecake always seems to be a popular crowd-pleaser. Rather than making a chocolate cheesecake, I thought I might change it up and use a chocolate cookie for the crust. To compliment the chocolate, I decided to infuse the cheesecake batter with flavors of raspberry and orange. Raspberries and oranges always pair nicely with a nice dark chocolate. How could you lose?

Then I decided I would try modifying an old recipe that seemed to go over well at my last pot-luck event. Essentially, a cookie bar is topped with a chocolate, mascarpone frosting and toffee pieces. In an attempt to make a pretty presentation, I though I might try baking cookie dough in mini-muffin tins and piping the chocolaty mixture on top. The secret to this recipe is store bought cookie dough. You are certainly more than welcome to make your own dough, but I find the delicious chocolate mascarpone is the real star of this bite. It also never hurts to have a dessert recipe in your back pocket to pull together quickly.

After crushing up a mess cute little chocolate teddy grahams, I tossed the crumbs with a bit, or perhaps a whole lot, of melted butter and a touch of brown sugar. Using a shot glass, I tapped a spoonful of the crumbs into a couple of cupcake pans and threw the pans in the oven to crisp up the crust. In a bowl, I creamed together several packages of cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and plenty of orange zest. You may want to add more or less orange zest depending on your taste preferences. Never hesitate to taste while preparing your batters. It's kind of the best part of being in the kitchen! After sufficiently tasting and re-tasting, I spooned a healthy amount of the cheesecake batter into each cupcake tin and swirled a bit of raspberry jam across the top. I threw the pan in the oven and waited for delicious goodness!

While waiting for the goodness, I busied myself with the chocolate mascarpone bites. With the help of Pillsbury Break-and-Bake chocolate chip cookie dough, I filled mini-cupcake tins and stuck the pan in the oven. Baking the cookies is a tad tricky. I prefer a chewy cookie, so you must be careful not to over cook the cookie bites. Once you remove the pan from the oven, the center of the cookies will fall. Don't freak out!  These are going to become a perfect vessel for the mascarpone frosting! After beating together mascarpone, melted chocolate and a splash of amaretto, I piped the mixture on top of the cookies. I personally do not find it imperative to break out the fancy piping bags for this sort of recipe. I simply snip off the end of a heavy-duty plastic bag. It makes for easy clean up! I also like to use a tall glass to help me along while filling my make-shift piping bag. Finally, I sprinkled each bite with yummy toffee pieces.

Each of these recipes couldn't be any easier to throw together. You're clearly going to be the talk at the proverbial water-cooler the next time you bring either of these treats into the office!





Raspberry Orange Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 10oz chocolate graham crackers
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 lb cream cheese
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• zest of 2 large oranges
• 1 cup raspberry jam, seedless

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, combine graham crackers, butter, and brown sugar until the mixture resembles wet sand. Spoon about one tablespoon of the graham mixture into each cupcake tin. Tap down the crumbs to form a crust using the bottom of a small glass. Bake the crust for 12 minutes and cool completely. Using a hand mixer, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla and zest, Beat until smooth and creamy. Line a cupcake pan with paper baking cups and spray each cup with baking spray. Fill each cupcake tin with the batter. Spoon about one teaspoon of the raspberry jam and swirl across the top of the cheesecake. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes until the center of the cheesecake is set.

Makes 24 cheesecakes.

Chocolate Mascarpone Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate, melted
• 1 lb mascarpone (can substitute cream cheese)
• 2 tbsp amaretto
• splash of milk
• 2 lbs chocolate chip cookie dough (Break-and-Bake)
• 1/2 cup toffee pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a mini-cupcake pan with paper baking cups and spray each cup with baking spray. Place a cookie dough ball in each cupcake tin. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely. Using a hand mixer, beat together chocolate, cream cheese and amaretto. Gradually add milk until the mixture resembles the consistency of a stiff frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cookie bite. Top each cookie with toffee pieces.

Makes 48 bites.

Take-Me-Back Crepes

About this time a year ago, my girlfriends and I would be heading into downtown Metz, France for a bite to eat. We'd comb through the town scouting around for a tasty looking dinner. But ultimately, we would end up at the doorstep of our favorite local creperie, St. Malo's. Now originally, I knew crepes to contain only the goodness of toppings such as nutella, bananas, and strawberries. However, in France I was introduced to the wonder of the savory crepe. St. Malo's offered an assortment of crepes filled with everything from ham and eggs to cheese and vegetables. During my three months in France, I sampled plenty of savory crepes. These days when I'm reminiscing of my travels and the fantastic food I experienced, I fondly remember the jambon et fromage crêpe, or ham and cheese crepe, I ordered at St. Malo's. A buckwheat crepe was filled with a slice of ham and cheese and topped with a tossed salad. The dinner crepe was light yet filling and incredibly delicious. Naturally, I needed to recreate this recipe and bring a taste of France back home. Obviously, it will never be quite the same, but the dish I created tonight came pretty close.


So there are several pieces of this puzzle in need of assembling. I decided to make the dressing first to allow time for the flavors to meld together. The dressing could not have been any easier. In a food processor, I mixed together vinegar, honey, mayo, Dijon mustard and a touch of minced garlic and onions.






Then I prepared the batter for the wheat crepes. I combined a mixture of wheat and white flour in a bowl. I was sure to whisk out any clumps. You could also sift the flour to ensure a smooth batter. I added milk, eggs, salt, and a bit of melted butter. Also, I opted to add a touch of vanilla just to bring out the inherent sweetness of the wheat. Finally, I pour the batter through a strainer to remove any clumps. Whatever you do, do not neglect this step. I have found that straining the batter is incredibly important and yields a deliciously tender and smoother crepe.

I cut up a mess of cucumbers and tomatoes and tossed with a blend of lettuce Publix likes to call "European." I'm not sure what's so European about it, but I figured it was fitting for the evening!

On a baking sheet lined with foil, I piled thin slices of ham, as well as a piece of smokey Gouda cheese. Ordinarily, a nutty melting cheese such as gruyere might be used, but I opted for the cheaper cheese. I stuck the pan in the oven for several minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the ham to heat through.

In an eight inch crepe pan, I melt a thin pan of butter. If you don't have a crepe pan, you should definitely invest, but in the mean time it won't shame the French too much to use a standard frying pan. Using a ladle, I poured enough batter to thinly cover the surface of the pan. Be sure to swirl the pan immediately to cover the pan entirely. I cooked the crepe for about a minute on each side.

After laying a crepe on a large dinner plate,  I placed the ham mountain in the middle and folded the edges of the crepe over the ham and cheese creating a neat little bundle of joy. I served the crepe topped with a heap of the dressed salad.

I have to tell you, these crepes really take me back. I love the simplicity of this dish, and quite honestly, I don't feel too guilty enjoying it either. The salad compliments the crepe wonderfully. The acidity of the salad dressing cuts through the buttery crepe and cheese. Next time you need a meal to impress, give this one a try. Hopefully you'll bring France to your kitchen!






Take-Me-Back Crepes

Ingredients:

Crepes

• 5 tbsp butter, melted
• 2/3 cup wheat flour
• 1/3 cup white flour
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 

Filling

• 1 lb ham, sliced very thin
• 1/4 lb nutty cheese, sliced thin

Salad Dressing

• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 6 tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp onion, minced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 1 bag mixed greens
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, chopped

In a food processor, combine all salad dressing ingredients. Store mixture in an airtight container for at least an hour.

Whisk together the flours and salt. Slowly add the butter, milk, and vanilla. Gradually incorporate one egg at a time. Pour batter through a strainer to remove any clumps. Set aside in fridge for at least an hour.

Toss mixed greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers with salad dressing and chill. 

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pile ham onto baking sheet, making six stacks. Top each pile of ham with a slice of cheese. Place baking sheet in oven and broil until the cheese is bubbling and the ham has heated through.

Heat crepe pan to medium and grease surface lightly with butter. Ladle enough batter into pan to thinly coat the surface. Cook crepe on each side for about 60 to 90 seconds or until brown. Place cooked crepe on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Lay each crepe on a dinner plate. Place ham and cheese in the middle of the crepe. Fold crepe edges over the ham. Top each crepe with a healthy portion of salad.

Serves 6

Sausage Lasagna Roll-Ups

So if you note the tomatoes on your screen, you might have been able to guess that I really enjoy Italian cuisine. Today I was in the mood to try something a bit more interesting than your standard spaghetti and tomato sauce. I started leafing through cook books and scrolling through Giada recipes. Finally, I decided I'd toy with lasagna. I wanted to incorporate plenty of vegetables and Italian sausage. Rather than layering cheesy filling atop cooked noodles, I thought I might roll up the noodles into cute little bundles of ricotta joy. I prefer the individual rolls for a couple of reasons. First, the presentation is simply cleaner. Trying to cut neat squares out of a pan of lasagna usually results in a mess of ricotta cheese and noodles slopped all over a plate, unless of course you possess lasagna-serving magically powers. I simply wasn't born that lucky, so I tend to gravitate toward the roll-ups. Additionally, the rolls are easy to freeze into small individual portions for a quick dinner a few weeks later. The individual portions particularly appeal to me as a college student. So there you have it. Lasagna Roll Ups > Traditional Lasagna

I began by cooking up some crumbled Italian sausage in just a bit of olive oil. If there is one thing Anne Burrell taught me it's that brown food tastes good! Into that same pan I tossed in handfuls of spinach, garlic, and onions. I thought I might season up the pan with dried oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. In another bowl, I mixed together ricotta cheese, an egg, a mess of shredded mozzarella, and a bunch of fresh basil. In an attempt to squeeze in a few more vegetables, I added a bunch of shredded zucchini. Both the egg and the zucchini help to keep the cheese mixture moist. After the sausage had completely cooked through and the spinach was wilted, I took the pan off the stove and allowed it to cool - unless of course you like scrambled eggs in your lasagna, in which case you should immediately mix it into the cheese. While waiting for the sausage to cool, I boiled the lasagna noodles in salted water. Then I folded the sausage mixture into the ricotta. After saucing the bottom of a baking dish, I began assembling the rolls. I found it handy to use an ice cream scoop when spooning the filling onto the noodles. I managed to squeeze eighteen of these rolls into the pan. Each roll was topped with a healthy spoonful of tomato sauce and a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. At this point, there was nothing to do but patiently wait for bubbly, cheesy goodness rolled up in a pleasant little package.

It's my guarantee that your family and friends will adore this recipe. Granted, it may take a little more effort than your typical spaghetti dish, I would say that your efforts will be rewarded. And remember, this recipe will freeze wonderfully, so do yourself a favor and double the recipe for future use.

Sausage Lasagna Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb Italian sausage
•  1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups spinach
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 lb lasagna noodles
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh basil
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in pan. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into pan. Cook sausage until brown in color. Add onion, garlic, spinach, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Rub oregano between fingers while adding to pan in order to release its oils and flavors. Cook lasagna noodles in salted, boiling water according to package. In a separate bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, zucchini, basil, 1 cup of mozzarella, and pecorino romano. Chiffonade basil before adding to ricotta. Once the sausage has cooked through and the spinach has wilted, remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Fold the sausage mixture into the ricotta blend. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 13x9'' baking dish. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling onto a lasagna noodle. Spread the mixture over the noodle. Carefully roll up the noodle and filling. Place the roll in the sauced pan spiral side down. Repeat several times until every noodle has been filled. Should any of the ricotta, sausage mixture remain, spread on top of the rolls. Spoon tomato sauce over top of the rolls. Top with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 425°F for 45 minutes. Remove foil and allow cheese to bubble and brown.

Serves 6