Cajun Halibut with Praline Sauce over Dirty Rice

I apologize for the unattractive photo of this dish, however, it's not pretty food, so I've done the best I can.  Serve with a simple salad for best results.

Cajun halibut with praline sauce over dirty rice is the best dish my husband has made in a long time, it's the best thing I've eaten in a long time, it's so packed with flavor my mind is going to explode.  And I give full credit to Jesse for finding this recipe when I simply suggested that we have halibut one night for dinner, I don't know where he found it, so I can't give credit, but no one reads this anyway, and we've changed it up a bit.  Tonight we actually used black cod instead of halibut because Whole Foods was sold out, and it was just as good, the only difference being it was slightly lighter than the halibut was, but it cooked in the same amount of time, had almost the same consistency, and retained the flavor just the same...so I say if you don't want to spend the $25 per pound you would with halibut, black cod is just as good, for about half the price...just make sure you get the skin removed, unless you have a very sharp knife at home.

INGREDIENTS
for the dirty rice:
1 link italian sausage, casing removed
1 tbsp. olive oil
light dash of onion powder
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper (I think we use more)
light dash of garlic powder
3/4 cup long grain white rice (Jasmine rice)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste

for the praline sauce:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup sugar (we found it to be really sugary the first time, so we substituted maple syrup, about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup water
4 tbsp butter (we use salted)
1 1/2 ounce (one shot) whiskey

for the fish:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. smoked paprika (we used regular, not smoked)
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 halibut filets (about 6 oz. each)...we actually just share an 8oz fillet between the two of us and it's plenty...I rub it with the same amount of sauce, though, as listed above.

DIRECTIONS

1.  preheat grill to medium-high
2.  To make the dirty rice, crumble the sausage into a skillet or large saucepan over medium-high heat.  cook until starting to brown, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, onion powder, bell pepper and garlic powder.  Cook until just softened, 2-3 minutes more.  Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute.  Mix in the broth.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

*If your'e making this in the rice cooker, which we do, cook the sausage, bell pepper, garlic and onion as above, adding in a little bit of broth.  Then add the rice to the rice cooker and as much chicken broth as you normally would (1 to 1 1/2 ratio), as well as the mixture from the skillet and the salt and cayenne pepper...press cook and voila!  You've got rice.

3.  While the rice is cooking, make the praline sauce.  Toast the pecans in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.  Add in salt, cook 1-2 minutes more, remove from heat and whisk in the butter, whiskey and maple syrup until smooth.  The sauce may thicken upon standing and can be rewarmed over low heat.

4.  To prepare the fish, combine the oil, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk to blend.  Pat the mixture over both sides of the fish.

5.  Oil the grates of the gill.  Grill until the fish is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Serve over dirty rice and topped with warm praline sauce.

This recipe seems complicated and time consuming, but it's not really, and it's worth it anyway.  We've also found that the dirty rice (and everything else) is delicious cold the next day, we've started to make the rice in the morning and fry up an egg to throw on top for breakfast, then we keep the rice in the fridge and eat it all day long as a snack or for lunch or whenever the mood strikes.  So you can make the rice ahead of time then just heat it up when the fish and praline sauce are ready, saving yourself a lot of time in the kitchen.

Pad Thai soup

I'll start out by saying that this is definitely not my recipe, here is the original which I've made 3 times and loved http://domesticfits.com/2012/10/22/pad-thai-soup/.

Tonight I made a few adjustments in the search for more veggies since tomorrow night we are going out for Korean BBQ and we all know that's a delicious meat feast.  I could have left out the chicken entirely from this recipe and been just fine but I'm working on using what's in my fridge and not letting anything go bad, it's my new years resolution if I were to actually have one.

So here's my version:

Ingredients

3 tbs oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cubed chicken breast
one small head of broccoli, chopped
about 4 large kale leaves, finely chopped
pinch of salt
4 cups vegetable broth
4 oz rice noodles (also called pad thai noodles)
3 tbs soy sauce
1/4 tsp sriracha
1 tbs fish sauce (For vegan, use adaptation listed in above post)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
1/4 cup green onions
1 tsp crushed red peppers
Instructions

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the garlic and stir. Add the chicken, cook about 3 minutes.  Add the kale and broccoli and a pinch of salt and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the soy, sriracha and fish sauce, stir to combine and coat everything with delicious flavor.  Add the broth, peanuts and noodles and cook until noodles have softened, about 5 minutes.  I turned the heat up a little to bring the pot to a boil which I believe helped the starch in the noodles come out and thicken the broth.  Serve topped with peanuts, green onions and red chili flakes.

If you need a picture, honestly just look at the one on the other website, because it's way nicer than the photo that I forgot to take tonight.  I loved this soup the first time I made it (following the original recipe of course) and I must say, I was blown away with my revised version and it felt more healthy than the original, which is always a bonus in January.

Sweet Potato Soup

I would not consider myself a person who likes soup, I don't seek it out and I've never found myself uttering the words "oh yeah, I love soup" but it's fall now and even in sunny LA the air has become brisk, wood smoke burns somewhere within smelling distance and eating something warm and comforting sounds like a good idea.  Also we go this new Ninja slow cooker.  I've been raving to my family about it, how amazing it is, all the great accessories it came with, everything a good wifey could every want in a kitchen appliance.  It also came with a cookbook from which we've been basing our meals just to try it out and get some new recipes in the mix.  Last night I made Celery and Sweet Potato Soup with Barley and it was so amazing I even ate soup for lunch today and along with never expressing my joy for soup I never express my joy for leftovers.  I honestly don't even know what possessed me to try this recipe, but I'm glad I did, it's amazing.

What you need: 
1 tbsp olive oil
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1/2 of a white onion, finely chopped 
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup pearl barley, uncooked (I used hulled barley because that's what they had at my farmers market and it was just as delicious as I would imagine pearl barley to be, and more nutritious)

How you do it:
My slow cooker has the ability to saute right in the pot (seriously, do yourself a favor and buy a Ninja) but you can do this first part on the stove then add it to the pot.  So heat the olive oil on high in a pan then add in the celery and onion and cook for about 10 minutes until tender, then add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often.  Now throw this into the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours until everything is fork tender.  DONE!  Was that the easiest thing ever?  

It will look chunky and not very brothy but once in your mouth the soup will taste creamy because the sweet potatoes are soft.  I slathered some salted butter on good bread to enjoy with my soup but it's quite hearty and satisfying on it's own.

REALLY GOOD Veggie Tacos

I LOVE taco night.  I don't, however, always love meat.  So when I convinced Jesse that we should make veggie tacos for dinner and he actually agreed, well I had won the day for sure.  These were so good we both agreed they might even be better than the original beef tacos, which is a huge accomplishment, and you can't go wrong with more vegetables.

Chop up as much of the following as you want (I like everything to be just bigger than a corn kernel):
zucchini
yellow squash
red bell pepper
shallot (I'm really into shallots these days, dice this up much smaller than the rest)
jalapeno (this should also be very small)

Put these into a saute pan with a small can of yellow corn and saute them all together for a while, you know, until they're about half way cooked.  Add in a package of taco seasoning with 3/4 cup water and turn the heat to simmer.  Cook until it all looks done and has a nice saucy consistency.  This is your "meat".

Meanwhile put some taco shells into the oven to heat up.

Chop up a tomato, lettuce and cucumber, open a can of sliced olives, shred your cheese (cheddar and mozzarella for us).

Refried beans are optional, they can go in your tacos, on the side, or as I like them, in between a soft shell and a hard shell for a double decker taco!  Here's how to dress up that can of vegetarian refried beans:  put the beans in a saucepan with about a tablespoon of each: green salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese.  Mix it all up and heat until bubbly.  Way more delicious than a regular can of refried beans.

To assemble the perfect double decker taco:  spread a bit of beans onto a warm flour tortilla (the really small taco sized ones), add just a little bit of shredded cheese then wrap this contraption around a hard shell.  Add in your veggie filling, top with the tomato, cucumber, olives, little more cheese, sour cream, green salsa and top with lettuce.

Of course you can make regular tacos, either hard or soft shell, but I just really like the combo, it's a delicious treat.

Shrimp Tacos with Apple Salsa and Queso Fresco

It's almost that time of year when you can break out the BBQ and start grilling every meal, because most foods are better when grilled.  Luckily for me I live in sunny L.A. and can grill pretty much year round.  Insert dinner:  Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Apple Salsa and Queso Fresco.  Grilly deliciousness.

Clean take the tail shell off of about a pound of peeled and deveined shrimp.  Put them into a ziplock bag with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, the juice of one lime, and about 1/4 tsp each of paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes.  Squish around until all of the shrimp is covered and let stand for about 15 minutes.

Heat the grill to about 350 or so.

Into a large bowl combine the following, all chopped into salsa sized chunks: apple, red onion, jalapeno, red bell pepper, green onions and the juice of half a lime, half a lemon, and a pinch of salt.  Mix well and let sit in the fridge until everything else is done.

When the grill is ready, place each little shrimp directly from the bag to the grill, making sure they don't fall through.  Cook for a couple minutes on each side until pink and opaque.  Remove the shrimp from the grill and replace with soft, fresh corn tortillas (I like La Tortilla Factory).  Grill on each side until heated through.

Assemble!  Tortilla, shrimp, salsa, crumbled queso fresco.  Eat!
I served mine with marinaded cucumbers and carrots.  I love these because they are potent and the vinegar kinda burns your mouth, it's a real treat...Jesse does not agree.

Thinly slice cucumbers, shave carrots, thinly slice some red onion.  Toss these in a bowl with some rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt.  Mix well and let sit for as long as possible.

Veggie Pizza

Okay, you caught me, Jesse and I are on a diet.  It's really more of an eating healthy trend than a diet...except that I can't eat cookies, which feels like torture, which feels like a diet.  Anyway, our goal was to eat all of the things we love, like pizza, but healthier versions of them.  Insert: Veggie Pizza on whole wheat crust (which was way better than I expected).

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (Whole Foods makes a great one)
Mozzarella Cheese
Goat Cheese
Pizza Sauce
Plum
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Broccoli
Red Bell Pepper
Jalapeno
Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to about 425.  Spray a little cooking spray on a baking sheet and stretch out your dough.  Add a little bit of pizza sauce in a thin layer on top of the dough.  Add shredded mozzarella cheese, also just a thin layer on top of the sauce, remember, you're on a diet.

Chop the veggies into very small pieces, about the size of a corn kernel.  If they are too large they will weigh down the pizza and when you pick it up it will flop down and everything will fall off...big pizza fail.

Add all of the veggies, sprinkling them evenly over the pizza, then drop the goat cheese in small clumps over the veggies.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

This pizza is awesome because the plum adds a bit of sweetness, the jalapeno adds a bit of spicy, and the goat cheese adds a lot of delicious.  Jesse was skeptical, but I convinced him after the first bite.

Healthy Vegetable Fried Rice

Healthy, you say?  Why yes, it turns out that every so often I do make a healthy dinner that is blog worthy. Tonight was one of those nights.  My vegetable fried rice is heathy, filling, and goes great with Pork Tenderloin.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves
3 scallions
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
Red Bell Pepper
Canned Corn Kernels
Frozen Shelled Edamame
Extra Firm Tofu
Carrots
Zucchini
Summer Squash
2 Lightly Beaten Eggs
Brown Rice
3 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce

I like to chop everything up at once so it is ready to go.  It is also best to chop all the veggies to about the same size, so I use the corn kernels as my guide.  You can use however much of everything you'd like.  You can gauge how much to use by how much rice you have, since you want to have a nice rice to veggie ratio.

Heat a little bit of vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat.  Add in the chopped garlic, scallions and ginger.  Cook for a minute or so, making sure not to burn the garlic (it will get bitter).

Add just a little more oil and all of the veggies and tofu.  Stir and cook until the veggie are tender but everything is still brightly colored and crisp.

Make a well in the center of the wok and add the eggs.  When the eggs are cooked, stir everything together and add in the rice.  Add in the soy sauce and a splash of worcestershire sauce.  Stir together and cook until the rice is heated through.

I served this tonight with a side of Pork Tenderloin.  I used my standard recipe:
Dump all of the following into a zip lock bag and let marinade in the fridge for 3 days.
Pork Tenderloin (half of one is perfect for 2 people)
Soy Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Orange Juice
Sriracha Sauce
Ginger
Garlic

Cook on a broiler pan for 25-30 minutes at 425.  The temperature at the end should be no higher than 140....135 is best I think.