Fiesta Fiesta!

This salmon recipe is actually inspired by a margarita-filled “Fiesta Friday” night in which I actually attempted to “save” my brother’s chicken from getting dry as he cooked it. Being my brilliant self, I decided to add some of the salsa that was on the table into the pan when he wasn’t looking… this method has become a staple with my family-- adding just the right amount of acid, spice, juiciness, and a hint of sweetness (I love to use mango salsa for the combination of spicy and sweet). This may actually be the easiest recipe that takes no more than 20 minutes from start to finish whether you use salmon or chicken and always comes out juicy and delicious. Serve it with a super refreshing Fiesta Salad and you’ve got a winner.*If you are going to make the fiesta salad—read that recipe first! (it is immediately following the directions for the salmon).

My honey would also like to let you all know that this meal would go very well with a crisp, chilled wine such as Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc!

What you need for 2 servings

2 filets of salmon 6-8 ounces each

One container of your favorite salsa

1 to 2 limes depending on juiciness

Heat a skillet large enough for both salmon filets (but not so large that they are drastically far apart, you want the salsa to make a nice bubbly hot tub around the salmon) to medium high heat. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of the pan and sear the top side of the salmon. Flip the salmon and add salsa to cover each piece as well as the lime juice. Cover the pan with a lid and change the heat to low. 

This is when the glorious hot tub begins! The salmon should take about 10-12 more minutes to cook fully through as it bubbles away in the zesty tomato and lime bath. Check the salmon with a fork in the thickest part of the filet, it should flake easily and be opaque.

For the Fiesta Salad:

2 ears of corn, removed from cob

2 avocados, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, diced

2 limes

Salt and pepper

If you would like to serve the salad with the salmon dish (or any dish really!) the first thing to do is steam the corn—super easy just do it right in the microwave with a lid cracked in one corner and a little water drizzled in the container for 6 minutes. Then let them cool so you can handle them to cut the corn off the cob.

In the meantime, dice the rest of the vegetables—do the avocados last so they don’t brown. To easily cut an avocado into small cubes just score the flesh right inside of the skin and then scoop out the pieces. 

Put all of the veggies into a bowl and squeeze the lime juice on top with salt and pepper to taste. You could add olive oil if you like, but the natural flavors are really so delicious that I choose to let them stand out all by themselves.

So healthy! So easy!

Yummy-sta!

Any dutiful Greek grandchild knows that it would be a travesty to not eat every single plate of food your little old Yiayia (that’s Greek for grandma) puts in front of you. She sometimes is the greatest enforcer of getting children to try new foods—because if you don’t you will be shrouded with a cloud of Greek Yiayia guilt storm. With this recipe, a Yiayia could magically get you to eat right out of a vegetable serving dish. Yemista (yeh-mee-stah) is the Greek word for stuffed vegetables filled with a rice mixture that sizzle in a savory hot tub of juiciness in the oven.  You can choose just about any vegetable you like that will stand up in the oven, I used tomatoes as well as peppers (tomatoes happen to be my childhood favorite). If you do use peppers try to find those that are short and fat so that they can stand up. You can also choose whatever kind of rice you like-regular white, rice pilaf, wild rice, etc. I used wild rice because my honey and I both love the flavor and texture! You could eat these as a side dish or have more than one as a meal in itself.
You could also certainly make this a vegetarian meal by omitting the meat, equally as delicious--you could even substitute with other sauteed veggies like zucchini or eggplant.

This recipe yields 4 stuffed vegetables:

4 assorted vegetables (I made 2 tomatoes and 2 peppers)

One half onion-diced

2 tsp dried mint

One box of your chosen rice

1 pound of ground turkey or chicken (awesomely lean and equally delicious and your honey will never know it’s not ground beef)

4 thin pads of butter

You will need a little tomato sauce—I make big batches of my own and freeze up little portions of it but you can use a good quality store-bought or a can of tomato puree

First, slice the very top off (but save it! You need it for later!) and hollow out the vegetables making sure to leave a pretty sizable layer on the inside to keep the rice mixture moist and to not puncture it all the way through. If you are hollowing a tomato, make sure to keep the pulp from the inside because it will be going into the rice. For the peppers, slice the top and make sure to remove all of the seeds and as much of the ribs as possible (ribs= white flesh along the crevices of the inner pepper).

Next, dice the onion into small pieces and add a little olive oil to the same pot you’ll be cooking the rice in. Set the pot on low heat and add the onions—you want to cook them low and slow, not going for a real caramelization here. However, you still want them to become soft and translucent.

While the onions slowly melt down take the pulp of your tomatoes and chop them into about the same dice as your onions and add them in with a dash of salt and pepper and a little sprinkle of dried mint.

Next, add in the meat and the rest of the dried mint, salt, and pepper with the tomatoes and onions until it is fully cooked through (the same way you would for tacos or Bolognese).  Then add in the rice, coating it with the meat and veggie mixture.

Note: it is important to purposely leave the rice a little undercooked because it is going to continue to cook in the oven.

Following the package directions, add about ¼ cup less water than the directions call for, cook the rice along with the meat, onions, and tomatoes.

In the meantime, in a small sauce pot, warm up about ¾ cup of sauce mixed with ½ cup of water so that it is not as thick.

Once the rice mixture has absorbed almost all of the water, taste the rice. You want it a bit undercooked but not totally crunchy—if you feel it is too crunchy add a little more water and let it cook until tender.

After the rice is finished, add about half a cup of the sauce and stir until combined. Sprinkle a little olive oil over the bottom of a baking dish that will hold all 4 of your veggie containers without touching each other.

Fill each veggie container to the top with rice mixture then top with a little sauce, a pad of butter (reeeeally thin, less than a tablespoon) and then place the top of the vegetable back on.

Once they are placed in the pan, drizzle a little olive oil on top to create a nice browning effect while they are in the oven. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (half way through open the tops of each vegetable and add a little water) until the rice is just fully cooked and the vegetable is soft and browned from the oven.

Delish! My babe and I ate them with lamb chops (sort of a Greek inspired meal) and he raved about them! Time to go make them for your special someone!

Lemon Dijon Flounder

It’s easy to think of lemon as a traditional accompaniment to fish. But when lemon gets paired with Dijon mustard, it’s a match made in savory heaven! This recipe takes flounder from belly flop to an entrée that is sure to make a splash! (Oh how corny!) This recipe could really work well on just about any white fish like cod or tilapia, as well as on salmon so get creative! You’ll see that I made what seems to be feast, but flounder pieces are SO thin that each person could really have two pieces. You may also be wondering why I’ve cooked up so many portions when this blog is about cooking for that “someone special”… it’s because someone special doesn’t always have to be your honey! It could be your family, your friends, or you! This flounder recipe literally takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and is absolutely divine! I served it with mixed sautéed veggies but you could pair it with any sides you like—rice pilaf, string beans, salad… get crazy!

This recipe is for 4 servings:

Note: if you are using a bigger/thicker piece of fish (say salmon or cod) you will only need 4 pieces

8 flounder filets

2 tbsp of Dijon mustard (whichever is your favorite variety, I love a real grainy stone ground)

3 to 4 tbsp of butter

Zest of half a lemon

Juice of half a lemon

2 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped for garnish

Salt and Pepper

First things first- let the butter come to room temperature. This will allow the mixture to become like a paste that you can slather all over your fish filets. If you really just can’t wait to get your taste buds into this pool of lemon mustard buttery goodness (or you just don’t have time to sit around and watch butter go from a solid cold stick so a creamy bar of guilty pleasure) you can always microwave it 10 seconds at a time until you reach the desired consistency. DON’T melt it all the way! You want to be able to work it with your hands and spread it onto the fish (almost as if you were spreading cream cheese on a bagel).

Combine the first 4 ingredients, and a dash of pepper in a bowl and whisk or mix together to form the coating for your fish (that eventually becomes the delicious steamy sauce as it cooks up and melts in the oven!)

Lay a piece of aluminum foil on a sheet try or baking dish and lay out your pieces of fish, giving them a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then slather each filet with an equal amount of your mustard mixture and pop them in the hot tub (ok oven) at 350 for about 10 minutes (probably even less). This time may vary depending on your oven; check in on them about 5 minutes through. You will know they are ready when they become completely opaque and are flaky and tender when you prod them with a fork. Once you take them out of the oven, sprinkle your chopped thyme over the top of each piece. Thyme has a great earthy/lemony flavor to it and it takes the fish to a whole new level.

You can serve the fish right from pan to plate—or for a really nice preparation, place the fish filets on a platter and pour the sauce in the pan over top, then sprinkle with thyme.

Bursting Blueberry Granola Pancakes

With the weekend comes cravings for insanely delicious breakfast foods that are also usually insanely detrimental to our waistlines. Here’s a great recipe for a breakfast classic packed with protein, fiber, and antioxidants to keep you satisfied longer. These pancakes are inspired by one of my favorite brunch spots in Savannah, GA with blueberry “crunchcakes” on their menu. These crunchcakes are packed with delicious granola and studded with warm bursting blueberries. Last weekend (after the 2-for special on blueberries at the supermarket) I decided it would be the perfect time to recreate them for my man to go along with our Berry Smoothies! I use store bought pancake mix to save time (because Saturdays are about relaxing of course!)  Here’s the recipe for 6-9 pancakes:

Follow the box directions for 6 -9 pancakes and mix the batter according to package directions. Be careful not to over mix.. . over mixing=dense heavy pancakes! And no one wants to feel like they need to take a nap right after they finish chewing their last bite of food.

This is where most people would think to add the blueberries, BUT! I find that when you add them in the pancake mix you end up with some pancakes that are loaded and some that just don’t reach the pancake-to-blueberry-quota (and let’s face it, I won’t even eat a chocolate chip cookie that doesn’t have at least 5 chocolate chips showing on top!). So what I like to do is mix the batter and poor it on the griddle, just like you would to make normal pancakes, and then add the blueberries and granola on top. There are two reasons why I think this is exceptionally delicious:

1.       You can control the amount of blueberries that will become warm and bursting with flavor in your pancakes.

2.       The granola (that is already sweetened with naturally delicious honey) actually gets to make contact with the griddle and create a little extra carmelization from the honey! YUM!

I use my favorite brand of granola, the vanilla and almond flavor, with whole almonds in it! (Always a treat to get some of those almonds into the pancakes as well!)

Preheat your griddle on medium-low heat and lightly grease it (my trick here is to just pull the paper back on a stick of butter and just zig-zag the end across the hot griddle to give you just enough butter and nothing more).

Pour your batter on, and then drop your granola and blueberries on—as rustically or artistically as you like.

The rules are the same here as they are for regular pancakes, when you see the bubbles-flip! That’s all it takes to make delicious blueberry granola pancakes!

For a little extra fancy shmancy-ness (and a healthier alternative to processed syrup) serve with honey instead!

My Babe's Berry Smoothie

I love when I can find 2-for specials on delicious produce at the supermarket. Last week mine had a great 2 for special on blueberries! This of course inevitably means that we end up with way more blueberries than we know what to do with and have to get creative. Saturday morning seemed like the ultimate time to enjoy some blueberry granola pancakes (recipe to follow) and these Triple Berry Smoothies filled with rewarding antioxidants and calcium to get your day going! But all your honey will realize is that they are insanely delicious! Serve them in nice tall pint glasses, sprinkle a few blueberries on top, and enjoy!

What you need for 2 smoothies:

½ pint of blueberries
4 small yogurts—2 strawberry and 2 raspberry
½ cup of skim milk
2 glasses full of ice (you can use the glasses you will be serving them in)

In the blender combine the first three ingredients and mix until the blueberries are completely blended and look like delicious little specks of blue confetti throughout the yogurt mixture.
At this point, if you think you and your sweetie may want your smoothie a little sweeter you can add one tablespoon of honey for just the right touch!
You can now add the ice and blend to your desired consistency. I like my smoothies on the creamier side (more of a milkshake-like texture) so I blended until the ice was almost completely liquefied.

Top with a few blueberries and voila! Delicious Berry Smoothies for you and your Babe!