Bahama Penne & Seared Mahi-Mahi

Ingredients:
1 box Dreamfields Penne Rigate
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (1/2-inch pieces), divided
1 cup chopped fresh mango (1/2-inch pieces), divided
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 mahi-mahi or grouper fillets (8 to 10 ounces each)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 small Thai red hot peppers or jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed, drained
Chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

1. For salsa, place lime juice, wine, 1 cup pineapple, 1/2 cup mango, green onions and cilantro in bowl of food processor or blender container. Pulse to coarsely chop and blend.
2. Wash mahi-mahi fillets; pat dry. Place 1/2 cup salsa in glass dish (or food-safe plastic bag); reserve remaining salsa. Add fish; turn to coat with salsa. Refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan.
4. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add peppers and garlic; cook until sizzling, about 1 minute. Remove fish from salsa; pat dry. Place fish in skillet. Cook about 2 minutes until browned; turn and cook 2 minutes to sear on both sides. (Reduce heat if browning too quickly.) Pour reserved salsa around fish. Continue cooking 4 minutes or until cooked through (fish flakes easily when tested with fork). Remove fish from skillet; set aside. Add beans to skillet; cook until sauce is desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
5. Add pasta to skillet; toss to combine. Add remaining pineapple and mango; toss to combine. Place fish on pasta; sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information (1/6 of recipe): 483 calories; 27 g protein; 31 g digestible carbohydrates*; 11 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 55 mg cholesterol; 159 mg sodium; 11 g total dietary fiber.

REF: Dreamfrields Foods

Spring Roll Party

Spread:
creamy peanut butter
hoisen sauce

warm water

Dipping sauce:
soy sauce
lime juice
sriracha sauce
ginger
garlic
honey
serano pepper grated
rice wine vinegar

rice wrapper

Stuffing Extras:
udon noodle
cucumber
radishes
lettuce
cabbage
pea sprouts
avocado
mung bean
mint
basil
lime slices
prawns
chicken

All the sauces are suggested ingredients and to measure them out to your own personal taste. Layout your spring roll stuffing on the table, pass around the sauces, roll and enjoy!

Ref: Marion!


Marion came to visit and hosted an awesome spring roll party! She covered the table with Freezer Paper (so the spring roll wrappers won't stick) and created a beautiful display of options to make your own spring rolls. Such a fun party idea! Beautiful evening with friends, spring rolls and mojitos!

Lobster Tail

Lobster Tail
Originally uploaded by jamileslie

Ingredients

* Lobster Tail
* Marinade of your choice

Directions

Cut open the lobster tail and pull out the meat. Cut away any slimy parts. ( I know, real technical term, right? haha) Cut the tail meat into bite size chucks and toss in a seafood marinade. Let sit for 30 min. Stuff the tail with the marinated meat. Heat grill on medium. Cook on medium for 6 minutes on each side. Tail turns orange when done!

Ref: Mike! :)

Lobster Season has opened and I'm stoked!! Perks of living in San Diego!! Mike has taught me how to hoop for lobsters which is a hilarious game of stuffing a bait box in a special round net, chucking the net overboard and pulling it up a few minutes later with hopes of some fatty lobsters in it! We're going to eat well this winter! :D

This recipe is simple but great. Nothing beats seafood on a grill. And a light marinade doesn't take away from the delicious flavor of the lobster!

Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth
Originally uploaded by jamileslie

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
* 4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
* 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning fish
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning fish
* 2 shallots, sliced into thin rounds
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 pound frozen artichokes, thawed
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Directions

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the halibut and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Cook the fish on the grill pan until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

In a medium saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and stir, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Ladle the artichoke and tomato broth into shallow bowls. Top with the grilled halibut. Serve immediately.


Ref: The Food Network

This was really different, not what I was expecting but an interesting twist to how I normally cook halibut. I dug it. I knew I was playing with fire though since Mike doesn't like tomatoes, but he's such a good sport with my cooking shinanigans!

Baked Halibut Steaks

Originally uploaded by jamileslie

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (6 ounce) halibut steaks
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly grease a shallow baking dish.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir in zucchini, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Remove saucepan from heat and mix in tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper.
3. Arrange halibut steaks in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Spoon equal amounts of the zucchini mixture over each steak. Top with feta cheese.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Ref: All Recipes

It was decent, it has potential, was a little more bland than I was expecting. Just need to play with seasoning more with this one... maybe breading the halibut may not be a bad idea either.

Halibut Chowder

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 1 large onion, finely diced
* 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 6 cups chicken stock
* 1 (8 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, diced
* 2 large carrots, shredded
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 pounds halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and garlic, and continue cooking until the potatoes have softened slightly, about 10 minutes.
2. Pour in the chicken stock, tomatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the milk and cream, season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the halibut. Continue simmering uncovered until the halibut is flaky and no longer translucent in the center, about 10 minutes. Gently stir in the Cheddar cheese and red pepper flakes until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Ref: Allrecipes


I loved it. Exactly what I was craving. It wasn't as thick as I was expecting like a clam chowder, but it was pointed out to me that calorie wise, it's perfect. The 1/2 cup of heavy cream was the only fattening aspect. I used 1% milk too. And low sodium organic chicken stock. Oh and i left out the red pepper flakes, didn't want it to be too spicy for a certain someone's delicate palate. :D I believe it's just a lovely 190 calories per serving and still delicious. Not too many crazy ingredients makes sure you don't lose the flavor of the halibut. Big fan! Granted that 190 calories doesn't include the delicious extra sourdough bread bowl we used the second night we had this for dinner.... hehe

BBQ Halibut Steaks

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (1 pound) halibut steak

Directions

1. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
2. Place butter, brown sugar, garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, and pepper in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Brush fish with brown sugar sauce, and place on grill. Cook for 5 minutes per side, or until fish can be easily flaked with a fork, basting with sauce. Discard remaining basting sauce.

Ref: All Recipes


Just a heads up, it's going to be a halibut recipe marathon. Mike has a ton of halibut just waiting to be cooked up in some fancy schmancy way and I'm more than happy to oblige in helping complete this task of deliciousness. So first up was halibut on the grill, I know, not real exciting but the sauce was! It was really tasty especially if the edges get a little crispy. I definitely recommend marinating it over night. I only did it for an hour but see the potential in a longer marinade time! Oh and the picture is from allrecipes.com. Forgot to take one, oops. :)

Ginger Scallops

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/4 pounds scallops
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. In a medium skillet saute the green onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Stir in the carrots and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the ginger and the wine. Once hot add the cream, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, over high heat until the sauce is reduced by half.

2. Stir in the scallops and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining butter and stir until melted. Serve.

Ref: www.allrecipes.com


Delicious!! The flavors of the butter, wine, green onions and fresh ginger melt together! I will admit I was completely freaked out with the thought of cooking scallops. Never done it before and was worried I'd over cook them and end up with little rubber tires in a great sauce. I'm definitely glad I took the advice of other reviewers and seared the scallops on each side for 1 minute in a separate pan with a little extra virgin olive oil before mixing it into the sauce for an additional minute. I don't think the minute alone in the sauce as stated above would have cooked the scallops enough. So crazy how things turn out when I read and follow directions!! What a concept! :D And the best part about this recipe was how easy it was to make! I know, shocked again about how something so easy can be so yummy!

Puerto Nuevo-Style Lobster Tacos

Ingredients

Tacos

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
• Toasted-Garlic Rice with Fresh Herbs and Lime
• Crunchy Pear Salsa
• Warm flour tortillas
• Lime wedges
• 6 1 1/2-pound live lobsters, rinsed

Toasted-Garlic Rice with Fresh Herbs and Lime

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
• 3 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Crunchy Pear Salsa

• 3 8-ounce firm but ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 large serrano or jalapeño chili with seeds, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)


Directions

Lobster Tacos

Fill very large bowl with ice water. Bring large stockpot of water to boil. Plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into boiling water. Cook 3 minutes (lobsters will not be fully cooked). Using tongs, transfer lobsters to ice water to cool. Repeat procedure twice more with remaining lobsters. Using heavy cleaver or large knife, immediately cut each lobster lengthwise in half. Remove intestinal tract and rinse away green tomalley. Crack claws; remove claw meat. Place claw meat in body cavities.

Preheat broiler. Arrange 6 lobster halves, meat side up, on each of 2 large baking sheets. Brush lobster meat generously with some of melted butter. Broil 1 sheet of lobster halves until meat is just opaque, about 3 minutes. Repeat with second sheet. Arrange lobster halves on platter. Drizzle remaining butter over.

Spoon rice, then lobster meat and salsa onto warm tortillas. Fold up tortillas and serve with lime wedges.

Toasted-Garlic Rice with Fresh Herbs and Lime

Place rice in strainer. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well. Bring broth and lime juice to simmer in medium saucepan.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté until golden and sticky, about 1 minute. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add hot broth mixture and 3/4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook until rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Turn off heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Add herbs and lime peel to rice; fluff with fork. Season with additional salt, if desired.

Ref: www.epicurious.com

Not gonna lie, I had much higher expectations for this. It was good, just not great. And I think we agreed that we could have done without the tortilla and made it more about the lobster. I really liked the rice even though I only used about 2 cloves of garlic instead the of the suggested 12 cloves (holy stinky breath!) and no cilantro... I know, I know.... but a certain someone doesn't care for cilantro.... lol I was super excited about the salsa after the last cantelope salsa came out so terrific, but this one was only ok... Mike also grilled the lobster tails on the grill stuffed with the salsa which I thought was a great twist and possibly the start of a better recipe next time with perhaps a different type of filling....

Open Faced Tuna Sandwiches with Arugula and Sweet Pickle Mayo

Ingredients

Mayonnaise:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup finely diced sweet pickles (about 2 pickles)

Sandwiches:

• 4 (4 to 6-ounce) albacore tuna steaks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil for drizzling, plus 1/4 cup
• 4 teaspoons herbs de Provence
• 4 slices sharp white Cheddar
• 1 (1-pound) loaf ciabatta bread halved horizontally
  
• 2 cups arugula, thinly sliced

Directions

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and sweet pickles until smooth.

For the sandwiches: Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the herbs de Provence. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Place a slice of cheese on each piece of fish during the last minute of grilling. Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom half of the bread with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Cut into 4 pieces, each about 4-inches long and 3-inches wide. Grill, cut side down, for 30 seconds to 1 minute until toasted and golden.

Spread the grilled bread with the sweet pickle mayonnaise. Place a tuna steak on top. Top with the arugula and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Ref: www.FoodNetwork.com

Loved it. Hands down a fantastic sandwich! I was running low on extra virgin olive oil so I had to skimp a tad, but it still came out great. I'm sure using the recommended amount of olive oil would have only added to the flavor. Never really used arugula before, but it's a GREAT flavor with the fish. The only thing that we did differently was cooking the tuna steaks well. Still good but I'd still like to try it a little more rare. I was pleasantly surprised with the sweet pickle mayo. I'm generally a dill pickle girl and still may try it will dill later but the sweet ones were delicious!

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Avocado-Melon Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 small avocado, diced
• 1 cup 1/3-inch cubes cantaloupe
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel

• 4 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets (each about 1 inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning

Directions:

Oil grill rack. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Toss first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season salsa generously with salt and pepper.

Brush fish with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread seasoning in dish. Dredge fish in seasoning, turning to coat. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with salsa.

Wine: 2007 Amador Cellars Zinfandel ( LOVED it!)
Rich and complex with supple layers of black cherry, plum, raspberry and vanilla followed by warm clove and nutmeg spices on the finish.
www.amadorcellars.com

Ref: epicurious.com

Cantaloupe in salsa never occurred to me. Then again if even half of these recipes "occurred" to me, I wouldn't be domestically challenged and would be a happy, famous, chubby chef off living the dream somewhere... haha. Anyways, this was a crazy flavor combination between the jerk seasoning on the fish, to the salty, sweet, sour flavors of that delicious salsa! I've been really good lately at following directions (at least in cooking, lol) because I think the key to the salsa is the proportions of each ingredient. So yea, follow the directions. lol. Also I snagged that photo from epicurious. Totally forgot to take a picture of mine last night. But I promise it looked the same! :D

Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

Ingredients

• 12 slices applewood smoked bacon or other thick-cut bacon
• 12 (U-10 size) sea scallops
• 2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 12 (6-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in warm water for about 30 minutes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the bacon strips on the parchment paper and bake until just beginning to get golden around the edges but still very pliable, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Season the scallops on all sides with the Essence and salt. Wrap each scallop in 1 piece of the bacon, securing it through the center with a bamboo skewer. Repeat with the remaining scallops.

When the grill is hot, brush the grates lightly with oil, then place the scallops on the grill and cook, turning frequently, until just cooked through about 7 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Garnish each scallop with a dab of the butter and serve immediately.

Ref: Food Network

I interpreted "season the scallop on all sides" as "roll the scallop in it". Yea don't do that. Too intense and you lose the flavor of the scallop, so yes, SPRINKLE in a better word to use. haha! Great flavors though. Also it was decided that the bacon strips could be cut in half. But overall, quite delicious! And thank you Mike for taking on grill duty. Cooking scallops scare me... I'm still afraid I'll turn them into rubber.... :D

Planked Salmon with Spice Rub

Ingredients:
Rub

• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 tsp course salt
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Salmon

• 4 - 6oz salmon filets
• 1 cedar grilling plank, soaked
• honey for drizzling

Asparagus

• grape seed oil
• chopped garlic
• salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium low heat, about 350 degrees
In a small mixing bowl, combine rub ingredients
Rub salmon with desired amount of rub and set aside
Place soaked plank on pre-heated grill, close lid and heat for 3 min
Using tongs, turn plank over and place the salmon on the heated side of the plank
Close lid and grill for 12-15 min or until desired.
Remove planked salmon from grill and drizzle with honey

For the asparagus, I tossed it with the grape seed oil, garlic and pepper and let it marinate for a few hours, then I just put them on the grill till done.

Wine:
2008 Spiral Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
(Trader Joe's recommendation)


Ref: Fire & Flavor
www.FireAndFlavor.com

This was super easy. I'm always shocked when something this easy comes out so delicious. I guess that's my being "domestically challenged" again. HA. Anyways, I bought the cedar planks from Ralphs for $7.50 for two. That seemed kinda high for a stupid piece of wood. So after doing some googling, it's nothing more than untreated cedar so I'm going to check out Home Depot later and see the price difference. Especially since after this dish, I'll definitely be grilling on a plank more often! Note, UNTREATED cedar. I take no responsibility if you get high off fumes from treated cedar. haha! It's a great flavor and I plan on trying some other meats on a plank later on, so check back. I just may have a recipe floating around that's Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp and Scallops on a plank... Hungry now aren't ya? :D

Green Tea-Poached Salmon with Salsa

Ingredients:
For the Salmon

• 3 sprigs of fresh basil
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs of fresh cilantro
• 1 medium lemon, juice and zest
• 2T fresh ginger roots
• 2c strong green tea brewed
• 2- 4oz salmon steaks
• 1 c baby greens

For the Salsa

• 1/2 mango peeled and chopped
• 1 ripe apricot, pitted and chopped
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1T fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1t lemon zest
• 1T lemon juice
• 1T crystallized ginger, minced
• salt to taste

Directions
Gently tie the basil, thyme, and cilantro stems with a white cotton string. (herb bouquet)
In saute pan bring the herb bouquet, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh ginger, and tea to a simmer.
Add the salmon filets and poach for 7 minutes or until opaque
Remove pan from heat and let salmon cool down in the poaching liquid

Salsa
Transfer all salsa ingredients to a bowl.
Hand toss the fruit and season with salt


Baby greens
I used baby bok choy, lightly stir fried in grapeseed oil with a splash of lemon juice and 1t of lemon zest. I also tossed in some roasted garlic I picked up from the La Jolla farmers market


Rest each salmon filet on a bed of baby greens, top with salsa!

Wine:
Ponte's 2008 Chardonnay
(Coconut, marshmallow, green apple, vanilla)
www.pontewinery.com



Ref: Fork Me, Spoon Me Cookbook
(fyi, this cookbook is rad not only for the hilarious "sensual" writing style, but she uses herbs and spices together that I would have never thought to use.)


Ok, not gonna lie, I had a heck of a time tying those herbs together! I'm sure it was amusing to watch. lol Anyways, I did get lazy and didn't measure out the zest and lemon juice to specifications because I only bought 1 lemon instead of 2 (Read the freaking recipe, right? ha!), so I think it was supposed to be a little more citrusy than it was. Still yummy, but I dig citrus and fish so I highly recommend not pulling a "jami" and follow the directions. :D I'm also going to admit that I had NO idea what "poaching salmon" was and I did google it because I was confused. Little did I know, just follow the directions for cooking the salmon and that style is "poaching". wooooo.

I really liked the salsa even though I only used mango because I could not find fresh apricots after 3 stores. Yes that's right THREE stores. Way too much effort for 1 stinkin piece of fruit. So I made due without. The crystallized ginger was an awesome and different "kick" to the salsa.