Posted By Lindsay on November 7, 2007
Fish tacos are one of those hit or miss type of meals. We’ve tried them in the past but have never been completely satisfied with the outcome. This time, however, we scored big time. I don’t think I’ve had a better fish taco… ever.
Bear with me with this recipe. It was one of those a little off this and a little of that… we actually made this twice because we forgot what we did the first time around. Whoops. So feel free to adjust the quantities and spices in the recipe, it’s very rough to begin with! Just think of the whole thing as “to taste!”
Next time we might actually try adding some cornmeal to the flour mixture, just to lighten it up a bit. But the coating definitely gives the fish a pretty golden brown crust that makes for delicious tacos!
Spicy Lime Fish Tacos
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
For Sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon honey
For Fish:
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup flour
2 4-6oz. mahi mahi fillets, sliced into 1/2 thick pieces
vegetable oil
1 cup cabbage, any color, shredded
Small flour tortillas
Chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and sliced green onions for garnish.
Directions
Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
In a shallow dish, stir together lime juice, honey, and spices. Add fish slices and toss to coat. Let marinate for 10-15 minutes.
You can season your flour with more spice if you’d like, though I couldn’t say if it actually added any more flavor to the fish itself.
Take fish out of marinade and lightly toss in flour. Shake off excess.
Heat a few tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add coated fish pieces and cook until golden and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side (will vary depending on how you sliced your fish).
Heat tortillas in a small pan until warm and bubbly. Keep in a warm oven until ready to serve. Top with fish, cabbage, cilantro, green onion, and yogurt sauce. Enjoy!
Posted By Lindsay on November 3, 2007
Silly me bought a mondo can of pumpkin to make last week’s Pumpkin Praline Pie. So needless to say I had a lot leftover, and who’s to throw out perfectly good pumpkin?
So I found this little gem of a recipe. Let’s just say that I have two more mondo cans of pumpkin waiting in the pantry, destined for more of these cookies.
There is something about the texture of these that is wonderful. They are lighter and fluffier than any cookie I’ve had before. The pumpkin flavor is subtle, not overpowering, and divine when combined with chocolate.
If you’re a pumpkin lover, you HAVE to make these cookies. Even if you’re not a pumpkin lover, after these, you just might become one!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 5 dozen. Recipe from Food Network.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.
Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.
Posted By Lindsay on November 3, 2007
Taylor sure got a treat this week: steak and pork in the same week. Very unusual in our kitchen. Maybe because I’ve always been biased against pork, and steak (at least the good pieces) are too expensive to eat on a regular basis. This is the reason you’ll always see more lentils and tofu on our plates than meat. That is, except for this week.
Taylor’s verdict: this is good. I shall not sway your opinion of this one way or another by saying what I thought of it. If you like pork, this is a great fall dish that’ll have your kitchen smelling delicious for the next few hours.
Pork Chops with Toasted Spice Rub and Apple Dressing
Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Michael Chiarello.
Ingredients
For Honey Roasted Apple Sauce:
12 apples, Gravenstein or McIntosh
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
1/3 cup honey
For Spice Rub:
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup pure California chili powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 (12-ounce) center-cut pork chops
Gray salt
2 tablespoons Toasted Spice Rub, recipe follows
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup Honey Roasted Apple Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Make apple sauce: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler, remove the core and cut into 1-inch chunks, place in a large bowl. Heat a large skillet or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter. When the butter begins to brown, add lemon juice, then add the apples and salt. Cook until the apples just begin to color, about 4 minutes. Stir in the honey. Roast the apples in the oven until soft and lightly caramelized, about 12 minutes. Fork mash for a chunky version or puree in food processor for a smoother sauce. Set aside.
Make spice rub: Toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small, heavy pan over medium heat. When the fennel begins to turn light brown, add the red pepper flakes, and toss several times. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool.
Put in a blender with the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon and blend until the spices are evenly ground. If you have a small spice mill or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Keep the spice mix in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.
Note: If you have an exhaust fan over your stove, turn it on before you start toasting the spices. Be careful not to inhale the fumes once you add the red pepper flakes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and toasted spice rub.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and sear the pork chops until golden brown, about 4 minutes on 1side and 1 minute on the other side. Place pork chops on baking sheet. Remove excess oil from skillet.
Bake the chops until just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a serving platter.
Over medium heat, add the wine to the skillet, stir, and reduce to 1 to 2 tablespoons; add the apple sauce and bring to a simmer. Spoon over each chop.
Posted By Lindsay on November 3, 2007
If you watched the Next Food Network Star, this recipe is from Amy, the show’s winner. While I think that the sauce from our Burgundy Steak Salad is a bit richer, this is a good and fairly simple way to make a good steak.
The potatoes are fun too… thwak them with a rolling pin and drown them in olive oil and thyme. Mmmmm.
Grilled Flank Steak with Shallot and Red Wine Sauce with Cracked Potatoes
Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Amy Finley.
Ingredients
For Potatoes:
12 small-medium Yukon potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 clove garlic, sliced
4 shallots, sliced in thin rings
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2 pound) piece flank steak
1 tablespoon cold butter, in small chunks
Directions
Make potatoes: Using the rolling pin or a heavy pan, gently smack the potatoes, 1 potato at a time, until the skin begins to split, exposing the interior of the raw potato.
Over low heat, add the olive oil to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the potatoes and thyme sprigs and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pan and allow to cook, undisturbed, shaking the pan every 5 minutes or so, until the bottoms of the potatoes are browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. (Check occasionally to make sure the potatoes aren’t browning too quickly and adjust heat accordingly.) Turn the potatoes to their second side, replace the lid, and continue cooking undisturbed a further 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook a further 2 to 3 minutes, for the condensation to evaporate. Remove the thyme sprigs and add the sliced garlic and chopped fresh thyme and cook until the garlic is caramelized and chewy, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.
For steak: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the shallots in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the broth and reduce by half. Check for seasoning, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm on low heat.
Brush the flank steak on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place on the center of grill and sear 5 to 8 minutes per side for rare to medium rare, testing by pressing the meat with a finger: The spongier the meat feels, the rarer it is cooked. Remove from the grill and allow to rest, very loosely tented with aluminum foil, 5 to 10 minutes, to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat. Slice the flank steak on the diagonal and place on a large platter. Finish the sauce by swirling in the chunks of cold butter, then top the steak with some of the sauce and serve the rest on the side.
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