Things We've Been Eating

Crispy fish tacos with avocado, coleslaw, and sriracha mayo

 Dinosaur BBQ seasoned tuna steak sandwiches with tomato and sriracha mayo

 Veggie fajitas: onion, pepper, and mushrooms

Fajita toppings!

 Kale salad with avocado, hardboiled egg, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds

Fried Fish & Greens

Mr. Lawyer was making some moves in the kitchen tonight so I just sat back and enjoyed the view. He was recently in New Orleans for business and brought back some "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun Fish Fry mix. While in Reading Terminal we picked up some catfish and a lovely bunch of collard greens. They had mountains of collard greens! Our Southern inspired dinner was delicious. The cornmeal in the seasoning mix added a nice slightly crunchy texture to the catfish. The greens came out surprisingly well! It was also the first time we fried something in our new cast iron pan....I was prepared for disaster.

 No fire yet, just crispy catfish tenders.

 A stockpot full of greens before they cooked down.

Mr. Lawyer even had a say about the Fiesta colors! He chose Scarlett and Lapis because he didn't want his food the same color as the plate. I'll make a Fiesta fan out of him yet....

Spicy Collard Greens

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices bacon (we used 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat instead)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
2. Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.

A Fishing Story

I went on a boat.

I saw a pretty light house.

I caught my first ocean fish!

It was delicious.

The End.

The Boy Cooks!

We've entered the summer season which means I cook very little. I'm exhausted from camp, it's hot, and we're at the shore almost every weekend. I'll make a big batch of something simple, like veggie pasta, leave it in the fridge and announce it's time to fend for yourself!

Sauteed Summer Veggie Pasta

FEND FOR YOURSELF!!!

Luckily Mr. Lawyer did not have to work last Friday so I asked him to surprise me with dinner. While I was off wrangling small children Mr. Lawyer was slaving away in the kitchen to make one heck of a delicious dinner. When I was presented with a divine looking fish fillet I was a little worried. Mr. Lawyer had gone out fishing that morning and I was worried he was trying to poison me with a fish from the Wissahickon Creek. He assured me the fish was purchased from Whole Foods. The original recipe called for walleye which he swapped out for tilapia. The crunch of the pretzels combined with the spiciness of the mustard was perfect. It's definitely a keeper recipe. The Lemonade Butter for the corn was a bit of a let down so feel free to skip it in favor of the traditional butter/salt/pepper.

Pretzel-Crusted Walleye with "Lemonade Butter" Sweet Corn

(From his Field & Stream Magazine)

Ingredients:
4 walleye fillets, about 6 oz. each (He used tilapia)
1/2 stick butter
Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
Scant teaspoon sugar
About 2 cups broken pretzels
1⁄2 cup spicy brown mustard
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
4 ears sweet corn
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Make the lemonade butter: Let the butter sit at room temperature until it’s soft. Transfer to a small bowl and add the lemon zest, juice, and sugar, as well as salt and pepper. Stir with a fork until combined. Transfer the butter to a length of plastic wrap and form it into a cylinder, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Pulse the pretzels in a food processor until they’re the consistency of breadcrumbs. They might be uneven, but that’s O.K.; bigger shards will add crunch. Transfer the pretzels to a plate and salt and pepper generously, stirring with a fork.
3. Set the fillets on another plate and brush both sides of the fish with the mustard. Place the fillets, one at a time, in the pretzel crumbs, pressing down lightly to help the crumbs adhere. Flip to coat the other side, then transfer to a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. In the meantime, place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, use a spatula to carefully transfer the walleye fillets to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until done.
5. While the fish is cooking, add the corn to the boiling water. Boil for about 4 minutes, or slightly longer if the corn is less than perfectly fresh.
6. To serve, place the fish beside the hot corn on a plate. Top each ear of corn with a chunk of the lemonade butter and serve immediately. Serves 4

Tuna Burgers

I hesitate to call these "thai" tuna burgers because the thai flavors (chili and fish sauces) were not that pronounced. The flavor was mostly tuna and onions. It was pretty good. The burgers themselves are a little on the dry side but once you add the ginger-mayo and the peppers it's fine. The peppers do add a nice spot of flavor. The burgers are a bit delicate so they can only be baked. I can see them falling apart on the grill or in a grill pan. It was a very summer inspired dish.

Thai Tuna Burgers

(from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise with olive oil
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (Sriracha sauce)
2 cans (5 ounces) albacore tuna or solid white albacore tuna in water
1/4 cup very thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions

salt and pepper to taste.
small ciabatta buns, halved and toasted
1/3 cup pea shoots or micro greens
2 miniature sweet peppers, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and ginger; transfer 2 Tbsp. to a large bowl. Cover remaining mayonnaise mixture and chill. To the same large bowl add eggs, panko, fish sauce, and Asian chili sauce. Flake tuna and add to bowl. Add celery and green onion and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 10 minutes. With wet hands, shake tuna mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
2. Place tuna patties on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until done.
3. To serve, spread ciabatta halves with remaining mayonnaise mixture. Add a tuna patty to bottom half of each bun, bottom side up. Top with pea shoots or micro-greens, thinly sliced peppers, and top buns. 

Lemony Fish

Yikes! Due to my superb fish fillet flipping skills this dish looked like one hot mess. Instead of fillets I ended up with nuggets. It tasted completely fine. Mr. Lawyer really liked the in your face lemon flavor. I liked the thin crispy bits of fish, they had the best flavor.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Sauce

(From Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons drained brine-packed green peppercorns, lightly crushed (or capers)

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons butter

Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients.

2. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.

3. While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.

4. Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in two teaspoons of butter with a whisk. Serve sauce over fillets. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Cilantro Tilapia

Here comes the first super healthy recipe! It was good but Mr. Lawyer suggested that it didn't need the ginger and he was completely right. I tasted mostly cilantro and sesame with hits of jalapeno. I don't think the ginger added a ton to the recipe. The fish was very moist and there was plenty of extra sauce to drizzle over it (and you know I'm a sauce girl).

Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

(Pinterest Find! Adapted from thekitchn.com)

Ingredients:
1 pound tilapia fillets
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, grated, about 1 tablespoon
1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Scallions, chopped for garnish
Extra cilantro, to garnish
Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Pat the fish dry and place in an 8x8 baking dish.
2. Put the garlic, grated ginger, chopped jalapeño, and cilantro in a small food processor with the white wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whir until blended.
3. Pour the sauce over the fish, rubbing it in a little. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through.
4. Garnish with the additional scallions and cilantro.

Tilapia Scampi

Mr. Lawyer made dinner tonight! He said he wouldn't make it again. It was decent but very mild, no real flavors. We served it up with some broccoli rabe from DiBruno Brothers which overpowered the dish. The gorgonzola cheese spread on bread was amazing!

Tilapia Scampi

(Adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine the butter, lemon juice, and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave in 10-second increments until the butter is completely melted and the garlic has softened, stirring between each session, about 1 minute total.
3. Arrange the tilapia in the bottom of baking dish; pour the butter mixture over the fillets assuring they are all evenly covered. Sprinkle the parsley over the tilapia.
4. Bake in the preheated oven, turning the fillets every 10-15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve on top of pasta.

Super Sea Bass

I'm really loving this fishing thing the boys are doing this summer. I laze around the beach or porch all day and they return with super fresh fish.

From this on Sunday....

To my dinner plate today!!

Creole Sea Bass

(from our kitchen!)

Ingredients:

Sea bass

Olive oil

Creole/Cajun seasoning (we used Tony's)

Directions:
1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Rub seasoning on fish.
2. Put fish in pan and cook about 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness.

Here's the catch: My Hot Fiancé, Sea Bass and Porgy Fish

The only downside to this deal is when Mr. Lawyer turns the light on and harasses me at 4:30/5 in the morning on his way out the door. But this fish is delicious so I can't complain!

Your Defeat Tastes Delicious

Tonight we had our second round of Mr. Lawyer's striped bass. All during dinner he kept muttering things like "this is what you get for fighting so hard" and "your defeat tastes delicious." It was amazing but I might love the cajun seasoning on the grill version better (that's just because I like it spicy!). This recipe had a lighter, lemony taste and the thyme really shined through. I did have some extra thyme branches that I just threw on top while it roasted, it smelled divine!

Herb and Lemon Roasted Striped Bass

(from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

4 (6-ounce) striped bass fillets
1 lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place fish on pan. 

2. Grate lemon rind to measure 1 teaspoon; juice lemon to measure 1 tablespoon. Combine rind, juice, oil, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper; drizzle mixture over fish. 

3. Bake at 425° for 13-15 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.

Camping in Style!

For the holiday weekend we ventured up to the Finger Lakes for some awesome camping that included hitting up the wineries. Best type of camping ever. As per usual, we camp in style!

You wish your camping food looked like this!

Pine-Smoked & Maple-Glazed Wild Salmon

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:

1 to 2 large handfuls green pine needles
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup grade-B maple syrup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons freshly milled black pepper
Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, patted dry
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions:
1. Prepare a medium-high-heat fire, with the flames occasionally licking the grill grate. Let it burn for at least 30 minutes. Whilst the fire heats, soak the pine needles in the bourbon.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the syrup, mustard, and pepper. Season the salmon generously with salt and coat with the glaze.
3. Place a large cast-iron skillet upon the grill grate. Let it heat until very hot. Using tongs or one's own gloved hand, press the needles into the bottom of the skillet, taking care not to drizzle combustible bourbon into the flames, and place the rack on top of the needles. Place the fish on top of the rack and cover the pan. Cook until the fish is just opaque, about 15 minutes for medium. Serve, brushed with additional glaze, if desired.

This is by far the best fish recipe I have had in a long time....maybe ever. We decided it could be replicated by broiling it at home. The bourbon and pine needles was fun but we couldn't taste any flavors from it. The majority of the flavor came form the glaze and man oh man was it yummy. We had salmon AND white fish, both were delicious. Speaking of delicious: those campfire potatoes! The most heavenly thing I have smelled in my whole life was those potatoes and onions cooking mixed in with campfire smoke. My heart is getting all melty just thinking about it. No joke. Most wonderful smell ever (and they tasted good too!)

Campfire Potatoes

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chicken broth
Directions:
1. Place the potatoes and onion on a large piece of heavy-duty foil (about 20 in. x 20 in.); dot with butter.
2. Combine the cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; sprinkle over potatoes.
3. Fold foil up around potatoes and add broth. Seal the edges of foil well. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Care to see the rest of our great Camping Adventure to the Finger Lakes? See more pictures after the jump!

Holy Fresh Fish!

I spent the most marvelous weekend doing just about nothing at the shore. I didn't think about the stack of papers waiting to be graded or making stressful wedding decisions, I was chillin' like a villain. It was perfect: solo beach walks, being a porch bum and catching up on six cooking magazines (I have a problem), painting my toenails, catnapping in the sunshine....all while the boys were out catching dinner!

From this:

 To this:

 And this in a matter of hours!

Doesn't get any more fresh!

 We rubbed the Striped Bass in olive oil, put on a coating of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and threw it on the grill. This seasoning was banging and satisfied my craving for spicy!

Our freshly caught meal was rounded out with my salt-pepper-garlic asparagus and potatoes. This was an easy decision because it requires few ingredients and I can do it with my eyes closed.

We winged dessert with some fresh blueberries heated up in some gin (based off my kid sundae) and served up with shortbread and cool whip.

 We were some thirsty fishermen/porch bums.

 And we ended the day with this:

Perfect.

HOBOS!

Tonight I made a hobo packet and I was super excited about it. In reality I really just like using the word "hobo." Hobo packets are easy: just throw everything together, seal, and bake! Hobo packets are clean: nothing stuck on your baking sheets and our plates were as clean as a whistle! Hobo packets are delicious: yum!
I was using left over beans and corn so my measurements are not exact. I'm sure you could be a tad healthier and get away with only 2 tablespoons of butter (and adjust the spices accordingly).

Hobo Packet Tilapia with Black Beans and Corn

(from my kitchen!)

Ingredients:
2 tilapia fillets
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup black beans
4 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dinosaur BBQ Cajun Foreplay Spice Rub (or whatever you fancy)
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place two sheets of aluminum foil (about 8-12 inches) on a baking sheet. Divide up the corn and beans between the two pieces.
3. Dry fillets and season with salt and pepper (to taste)
4. Mix together butter, garlic and spice rub. Divide the compound butter in half and slather it on your fillets. Place fillets on top of veggies and roll up the foil, sealing it well.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked (depending on the size of your fillets, mine were skinny)

My hobo packet!

I used the word "hobo" 9 times in this post. Woo!

Homemade Fish Sticks!

Tonight I had the palate of a five year, a slightly fancy five year old but not by much. I also haven't been real grocery shopping in forever and a half. I was going to declare a "fend for yourself" night but then I remembered we still had a big bag of frozen tilapia (and some ground turkey, that's it! I should really take advantage of this and clean the freezer). So homemade fish sticks and mac & cheese it was! (Long live Wegman's Spiral Mac & Cheese!!) I went with lemon pepper seasoning because we just had Old Bay Fish Tacos the other week. It was yummy. I saw one recipe that added some parm cheese into the breading, that might be even better! I whipped up some tartar sauce and cocktail sauce for dipping.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

1 large egg, lightly beaten
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup panko
1 tablespoon Lemon-Pepper Seasoning or Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into wide strips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet(s) with aluminum foil; set aside.
2. Place egg in a wide shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine panko, Lemon-Pepper Seasoning or Old Bay, and oil. Dip tilapia into egg, shaking off excess, then into panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes

Tasty Taco Thursday!

Tonight's dinner was inspired by my need to use up some random stuff in my kitchen. I purchased two lovely avocados that needed to be used. Did some quick inspiration searching and decided on fish tacos! I didn't have the required red cabbage but I did have some spicy black beans that I've been putting on my morning salads. The recipe really didn't do anything with the fish other than a standard flour coat and fry. Lame. So I dug up my Honey Lime Tilapia recipe but I didn't have a fresh lime. I marinated it anyway sans lime zest which is the major source of it's flavor but this lack of flavor inspired me to add a good heaping of Old Bay to the flour before throwing it in the pan. I was worried I used too much Old Bay but Mr. Lawyer told me that "there is no such thing." All of these substitutions worked out wonderfully! My only complaint is that I wish I made more!

Avocado and Fish Tacos

(from my kitchen!)

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets, thawed and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2c flour
Old Bay Seasoning, desired amount
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Avocado, diced

Black Beans

Quesadillas
Directions:
1. Mix marinade by combining lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Add fish and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
2. Combine flour and Old Bay in shallow bowl. Remove fish chunks from the marinade and dredge lightly with the flour on both sides.
3. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook fish 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and browned.

4. Serve with avocado and beans all wrapped up in a quesadilla!

Caper Fish!

I needed a recipe for capers since I had half a bottle just chilling in the fridge (leftover from the Tuna Fried Caper Pasta). I had marked this recipe in a magazine ages ago while I still lived in Syracuse. Too many recipes, not enough time!

I'm torn on this recipe. I liked the fish with lemon-wine-butter sauce but I was unimpressed with the pasta and spinach. I thought that part lacked flavor and was just eh. I'm also not sure how much the capers actually added to this dish. In the Tuna Fried Caper Pasta they were essential, in this one they were just there. So I will be keeping the fish/sauce part of this recipe but ditching the pasta and spinach.

I reduced the amount of butter: one tablespoon for the fish, one tablespoon for the sauce. You could probably forgo the fish butter and just lightly fry it in olive oil. It's also important to really season the fish with the Old Bay. I was a little stingy but when you got a bite that had a fair amount on it bam! I also have the reduced sodium Old Bay which does lack some of the flavor punch that the original has.

Piccata-Style Fish Fillets with Thin Pasta and Wilted Spinach

(adapted from Rachael Ray's Magazine)

Ingredients:
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound thin egg pasta or angel hair pasta
4 thin tilapia or snapper fillets
Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
2 lemons
1/4 cup drained capers
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3/4 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and trimmed
A little freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
2. Pat the fish dry and season with salt, pepper and a little Old Bay. On a plate, mix the flour and cornstarch. Coat the fish in the flour mixture.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter (I only did one) and let it foam up, then add the fish fillets and cook, turning once, until golden-brown and firm, 4-6 minutes. Transfer the fillets to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe out the pan and return to the heat. 

4. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to melt. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the wine for another minute. Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel and the juice of 1 lemon. Thinly slice the remaining lemon and stir the slices into the sauce, along with the capers and parsley. Spoon the sliced lemons and half of the butter sauce over the fish.
5. Add the reserved pasta water and the pasta to the skillet. Add the remaining butter sauce and season with salt and pepper; toss. Transfer the pasta to a platter. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the spinach, season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg and cook to wilt. Serve the fish with a little pasta and spinach alongside.

Stupid Sad Smelly Fish

Mr. Lawyer bet me that I wouldn't name this post "Stupid Sad Smelly Fish"....well who wins this one!? It is an apt name anyway because I was randomly in a sad mood even though my day was good, the fish was super smelly and therefore stupid. I've done a few things with frozen tilapia but over all I do not have a lot of experience with cooking fish. Especially fresh fish from the market. Evidently fresh fish is suppose to smell like the sea and not too fishy but it smelled like fish! So obviously I was worried about killing us all with food poisoning or at the very least having to fight for the bathroom. It also made my apartment smell like fishy fish. Gross.

I substituted collard greens for the mustard greens and it was delicious. However I was not impressed with the fish. I thought it was too fishy and didn't pick up any of the other flavors of the dish. Mr. Lawyer gobbled down two fillets and declared it was good. Obviously flounder is not my fish....unless it's fried.

Quick Steamed Flounder with Ginger Garlic Mustard Greens

(adapted from the NY Times)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1-inch-thick slice peeled fresh ginger root, minced
2 small bunches mustard greens, cleaned, stemmed and torn into pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce, more for drizzling
2 flounder fillets, 12 ounces each
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Directions:
1. Heat oils in a very large skillet. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mustard greens, soy sauce and 3 tablespoons water, and sauté until greens start to wilt, 2 minutes longer.
2. Spread greens out in pan. Season flounder with salt and pepper, and place on top of greens. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium, and let fish steam until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. If pan dries out before fish is cooked through, add a little more water, a teaspoon at a time.
3. Uncover pan and transfer fish to serving plates. If greens seem wet, turn heat to high to cook off excess moisture. Serve greens on top of fish, drizzled with a little more sesame oil and soy sauce, if desired.

So to make myself feel better about the stupid sad smelly fish I made some cookies for our maintenance crew and door people who once again fixed a new problem (bathroom light switch) within four hours. Danny, the head maintenance guy (who lived across from us for a year before moving to a different floor) made a point of coming over to me in the lobby to inform me that he took care of everything and replaced the whole switch. It was really sweet that he wanted to let me know. It's also really nice to not have to worry that the light will go off in the middle of your shower. Unfortunately I am currently out of flour and had to cheat a little bit.

One should always have some Betty Crocker in the cupboards for emergencies. 

They are not as delicious as the homemade gingersnaps I made and they don't have the pretty crackly top but they still taste pretty good. 

Fast Fish!

This dish was fast and good. It was a light dish and loaded with veggies. Perfect for detoxing after a week long eating fest! I ended up using my Hendrickson's Sweet Vinegar and Olive Oil salad dressing because we didn't have any Italian (and the last thing I need is another bottle in my fridge!). It added a nice sweetness to it but it would have been interesting to have the zestiness from Italian. I think I'm finally getting the hang of cooking fish and knowing when it's done. This batch was perfectly moist and only semi-mangled.

Fast Fish Skillet

(adapted from Kraft Food & Family)

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets (1 lb.)
1/4 cup Italian Vinaigrette Dressing made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 tablespoon pesto
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise, then crosswise into slices
1 cup grape tomatoes
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil
Directions:
1. Brush fish with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Cook in skillet on medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with fork. Transfer to plate; cover to keep warm.
2. Add remaining dressing, pesto, vegetables and tomatoes to skillet; cook 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Spoon over fish.
3. Top with basil.

There were a ton of veggies! I just dumped everything on one big platter.

Fishy Friday!

I always feel a little giddy when the first thing I hear after the first bite of dinner is "You done good" said in some weird hickish accent. Sometimes it varies and it's "You done it again". That is what this recipe received. Even more amazing is that I actually like it with no major issues (and I am my worst critic!). This fish had a nice light flavor and it was super easy. When I opened the bag the marinade smelled heavenly (I set it up before work this morning). The lime flavor was perfect and reminded me of the many gin and tonics of the summer. The only substitution I made was using agave nectar instead of honey because I accidentally used up my last little bit of honey making that homemade honey mustard sauce. I'm excited to try it again with honey. Normally I don't like the brown or dark bits but that was my favorite part because it resulted in a nice little limey-burst. Served up with some not so healthy carrots and home-made tartar sauce.

Honey Lime Tilapia

(from a lovely life blog)

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets, thawed
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
1. Mix marinade by combining lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Add fish and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
2. Combine flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Remove each fish fillet from the marinade and dredge lightly with the flour on both sides.
3. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook fillets 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and browned.

Homemade tartar sauce: light mayo, relish, and a splash of lemon juice.

Happy 3 Years!

Since Mr. Lawyer is taking me out to a fancy dinner Friday night I decided to make him a special dinner Thursday night. It was pretty decent although a little crispy around the edges. I made marinated tuna steak and served it with my standard yummy baked salt/pepper/garlic asparagus and some rice pilaf. We finished it off with some cappuccino ice cream. I had never had tuna steak before and therefore had never cooked it. I thought the marinade was a bit light, I would have like a more soy or citrusy flavor. However the lightness of the marinade did showcase the fish which was delicious. Best compliment ever: "God you can really do asparagus."

Marinated Tuna Steak

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (4 ounce) tuna steaks
Directions:
1. In a large non-reactive dish, mix together the orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook the tuna steaks for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn and baste with the marinade. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. 

Happy Dinner!