My OOB Inspired Dinner

The week following the crazy Bachelorette Weekend, I had a craving for some more tuna.

*

Inspired by my meal at Yellowfin's in Old Orchard Beach, I decided to try creating my own at home version of the sesame encrusted tuna.

*

The tuna in the grocery store looked and smelled alright...

*

so I went for it and picked up this tuna steak.

*

I sliced the steak into three strips...
*
...and coated them with sesame seeds. Now I am not sure of the actual process, anyone else know if the sesame seeds are supposed to go on before you cook or after?!?! I figured since I was using un-toasted seeds, it couldn't hurt to do it first and then they could pick up the nutty toasted flavor while cooking.
*

My parents had picked up this can of wasabi powder for me a while back. I decided for an accompanying sauce to mix some up in soy sauce.

*

I cooked the tuna in a nonstick pan and ended up varying degrees of doneness. Oops! I think this was mostly the pan's hot spots, since the fish was cut into pretty even chunks. A plus to having such a variety of donenesses is that it allowed me to determine just how well I like my tuna cooked at home ;)

*

For some reason snow peas seemed like the perfect side for this dinner, so I cooked some up in garlic, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and pepper.

*

I was actually very impressed by this creation. It not only tasted great, it left me feeling satisfied and not overly stuffed!

*

The single tuna steak proved to be too much for one person, so I saved the rarest pieces to eat the next day for lunch. I simply microwaved for 30 seconds to remove the chill and enjoyed for the second time!

Looks like I've got another successful fish dish to add to the 'can do' list haha!!

This Jerky's Journey Overseas

Hubs seems settled and getting through the days in his temporary home away from home.

*

Being where they are, he is fortunate enough to access to pretty much anything he needs. I've asked over and over, 'is there anything I can send you?' His reply is always the same and that it is not necessary.

*

Well what fun is this trip away, if I can't send a care package gosh darn it?!?! I mean come on, we've gotta take advantage of the few enjoyable parts, right?!?

*

I tend to be pretty pushy and I am sure it is just my nature...I mean I am in Business Development after all. When Hubs and I go out to dinner I often try to force feed him a taste of my entree (secretly hoping he'll offer me the same). Being pretty darned sure it is because I want him to try it, he resists. You see we can both be very stubborn, but in most cases I know best haha!! Truthfully more times than not, I usually end up disappointed in this standoff and he gets through dinner without sharing.

*

Seeing my opportunity to get in the last word (or rather action here), I went right ahead a put together a package of things Hubs did not need, nor did he ask for. Instead I sent things I thought he might like...I mean really, I knew he would love this and what would he do send it back?!?! Haha, yeah right!

*

Even before Hubs left, I was planning to experiment with and send homemade beef jerky. Hubs really likes the stuff and used to eat a good deal of it back in our younger days ;-)

*

It just so happened that a recent F&W did a piece on a gal who makes and sells beef jerky...lo and behold, they had recipes and instructions to make some beefy deliciousness at home!!
*
SO SIMPLE - slice meat, marinade 6-8 hrs, and cook in over at 200 degrees for 4 hours.
*
The base for this first (of two) marinades was F&W's Spicy Mexican version, which included Pacifico, jalapeno, and some other items that I can't recall off the top of my head (if you're really interested just let me know and I'll post the recipe!). I of course added my own touch and used my go-to seasoning combination of garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, and ground coriander. I figured this would help bring Hubs a taste of home.
*
Now here was my pride and joy. A Korean marinade, much like a cross between Bulgogi and Kalbi. This would beat out any teriyaki jerky you could buy!
*

It took just over a week to get to Hubs. I had wrapped the two kinds separately in plastic wrap, which I then stuck in a freezer bag, which then I stuck in a larger freezer bag.
*
As I packed up the box I threw in magazines, some new t-shirts, gum, candy, instant Korean coffee, sunflower seeds, etc. At the last moment I was hit with paranoia that should this beef jerky become rancid en route, the rest of the contents may pick up that smell...so you know what I did? I placed one dryer sheet on the outsides of the larger freezer bag, hoping that would contain any possible spoiling odors.
*
So there is good news and there is bad news...
*
Good News
The samples I brought into work were a HUGE hit, especially the Korean one
*
Bad News
Some of the Korean jerky sent abroad had white fuzzy stuff growing on it.
*
Good News
Hubs found a few pieces without the furry stuff and tried it (um, yeah can't say I would have been that brave haha!) He said it was good, perfect jerky texture...but 'fresh'.
*
Bad News
The dryer sheets were not such a great idea. The strong smell permeated the jerky giving them a hint of freshness if you know what I mean.
*
Good News
The Mexican variety seemed to have made it and minus the dryer sheet smell would have been fantastic!
*
This was just attempt #1. I now have in my possession a vacuum sealer apparatus!! I am going to try again and super seal this stuff, without the protection of dryer sheets :o)
*
Thank you Hubs for the pics from your home away from home & for the detailed account of how it all tasted/looked. I won't even try to ask on a scale of 1-10 what you thought...we'll save that for a better batch haha!!
*

Also, I am so happy you enjoyed the package...I knew you would haha!!

Tofu'ing it up

I am not sure what I was thinking when I did this...I am a meat lover through and through.
*
I do like tofu, but have only truly enjoyed large amounts of it when simmered in my mother's fabulous kimchi soup!
*
*
*
I've said this many times before but Hubs lives by his idea that 'a meal is not a meal unless there is meat.' While tofu is a healthy protein source for the daily diet, it's not meat and so in my mind was off limits for our houshold...until now.
*
For some reason or other during my first visit to the grocery store following Hubs' departure, I was drawn to the tofu. I may have done this as a way to motivate myself for new adventures, with many experiments and all foods being on limits!
*
My new favorite salad dressing was also discovered during that same shopping trip. It is called Mrs. Talbot's Asian Sesame Vinaigrette. Holy freakin' YUM! It is awesome. I like it so much that I am almost through my first entire bottle of the stuff, which is actually quite a remarkable feat. As I am sure many of you also share in common with us...we are the type that have a variety of dressings that sit on the door of our fridge, with only about two kinds that are ever being emptied and in need of being replenished.
*

I marinated the tofu in a bulgogi type of marinade before grilling.

*

I also had a craving for some grilled scallions...which is weird cause I've never actually had grilled scallions before, but for some reason knew that I wanted them.

*

There you have it, my Asian Inspired Vegetarian Dinner...

really just a salad with grilled tofu.

*

When I told Hubs about this dinner experiment he chuckled and asked how it was...my response was that it was pretty good, but not as good as if it had meat haha!!

*

Can I play COD?

A March Madness side effect of not cooking, has been eating poorly.
*
[DISCLAIMER: I do think there is no harm in eating junk, so long as it is in moderation.]
*
I noticed yesterday my pants were a bit snugger. In all likelihood this has been caused by my increased intake of sports bar accompaniments for frosty tall ones (a byproduct of sooo much hockey going on), gas station burgers (yes, I know...but my station makes great ones!), snacking in place of meals, late night dinners, so on and so forth.
*
Often it only takes one meal to make me feel better about these unwise (but necessary?) choices. Here is my attempt to make things right again.
*
As you know, fish is still something I would never dare say I am great at. After the success of the low-fat chowder, I've got Cod on the brain.
*
In that chowder, the Cod was simmered in broth until cooked through. I really did love the texture, flavor and appearance of the fish. I self-proclaimed it the best fish attempt I've had yet!
*
With Cod on sale this week and waistbands taut, I figured we'd try for a non-fried fish dish.
*

Basic go-to ingredients and seasonings were used to start things off:

Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Parsley Flake, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and Cayenne

*

A drizzle of Olive Oil, 1 can of Diced Tomatoes, and the juice of 1 Lemon.

*

My goal was to recreate the simmering effect for this cod.

I covered the baking dish with foil and placed in a 450 degree oven.

Toward the end of cooking I uncovered, sprinkled on just a touch of grated Parmesan and switched the oven to broil.

*

Since I was focusing on the fish, my sides where simple:

Fresh Spinach cooked up in Olive Oil, Garlic, Red Pepper Flake, Salt and Pepper.

Brown Rice (cooked in chicken stock) seasoned with Garlic Powder, Parsley Flakes, Salt and Pepper.

*

The final plates.

I do think Cod is a great and especially perfect for fish cooking amateurs such as myself. It has a very mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh.

The dinner was good and lite enough for us to enjoy before hockey later in the night.

One thing I did notice was there was not enough salt on the fish, which is very unlike me since I am often guilty of over salting. I guess I was either not paying close enough attention, or Cod just requires a bit more than usual??

Hubs seemed to enjoy it and cleaned his plate, so that's a good thing.

However when asked about the fish, he said his favorite was still the flounder (Flounder-ing Fish Fry), which I think is really due to the fact it was breaded/fried...that magic Hubs combo for blissful food!

********************************************************************************

When I checked out COD online some unexpected results came up. Did you know that there is another meaning for COD out there?

Yup, even before the reliable Wikipedia site was a more common COD search result...Call of Duty. In case you are unaware, this is a video game! I had to scroll through sites for COD a video game before I even got to COD the fish?? Weird!

Don't get me wrong I enjoy an occasional go at Rock Band, Wii sports, loved my original nintendo, and even enjoy from time to time watching Hubs play his xbox...but it does seem strange to me that COD the video game is more popularly searched for than COD the fish.

Soups On: Part IV, Chicken Soup for the...

A little chicken soup is always good...but I have to say that (semi-)homemade chicken soup is da bomb!
*
I have made Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup on occasion, but never, have I ever, tried the traditional chicken noodle, or in this case chicken and rice.
*
During these busy weeks, being home for anything more than sleep has been rare. I've realized rather than stressing about not having time to cook everyday, I need to wise up about what time I do have at home in the kitchen.
*
With this month's time constraints being what they are, it's an official Ms. Homemaker State of Emergency! Time to call upon those faithful one pot meals that last for days.
*

So with this I say, SOUPS ON!!

*
Hubs was feeling a bit under the weather. We are not sure if it was a cold, or a side effect of his small pox vaccine (military requirement). Any who, what do people always tell you to eat when you're sick...CHICKEN SOUP!
*
This Chicken Soup trial run utilizes a few short cuts (which I'll have you know worked marvelously!).
*

From the Store: A Rotisserie Chicken

From the Cupboards: Chicken Broth, Brown Rice, Garlic, Onion, Thyme, Parsley Flakes, Olive Oil, and Salt/Pepper

From the Fridge: Carrots and Celery

Roughly chopped onions and minced garlic in some olive oil.
* I tend to do most of my seasoning early on in the cooking process, convinced that doing this awakens the dry spices and make the savory base of onion/garlic, super flavor packed!

Chicken and thyme always seem to go so well together and of course some salt/pepper.
* In goes some carrots and celery we had left over in the fridge.
*
I've found another use for brown rice!
*
Until recently we were boxed rice people. In many of the directions, you are to begin by toasting the rice in some oil before adding your water, so I figured the rice should be added next.
* MAJOR TIME SAVER #1: In goes some store bought broth.
*MAJOR TIME SAVER #2: Shredded up rotisserie chicken and some cut pieces of grilled chicken thighs we had leftover in the fridge.
* Dried parsley flake and salt/pepper to taste.

Everything was simmered together until the rice has cooked through.
*
There you have it, semi-homemade chicken and rice.
*
Hubs loved it, I love it...and there were plenty of leftovers to enjoy throughout the week!!

******************************************************************

Admittedly I do like much of what we have going on, but I am very seriously missing my time in the kitchen.

I am in need of an all day marathon.

I want one of those nothing to do weekends, where I only leave the house for a trip to the grocery store.

I want to cook, I want to be in the kitchen...

I NEED MY DOSE OF FOOD THERAPY!!!

Mexican-American

Mexican flavors...or rather my American spin on them are household favorites here.

*

All beginning about 4 years ago when I played with a homemade chimichanga recipe, we've let go of buying pre-made taco (or other seasoning packets) and do it up ourselves. That reminds me...while not an experiment or anything new, I do have to share with you all our homemade chimi's...a Hubs favorite!!

*

So I decided to try yet again...try what?!?!

Fish.

*

This was my marinade.

Lime juice, olive oil, tequila, fresh jalapeno, garlic and cilantro.
*

This was my version of a mexican ranch dressing.

Just some Hidden Valley dressed up with sour cream, chipotle powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder and ground coriander.

*

I decided to do a spin on tacos for our salad and used everything we'd put in one, minus the shell/tortilla and meat.
Contains iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pickled jalapeno, and cilantro. I also added an avocado at the last minute just before dressing.
*
Perfect!
*
My brown rice creations continue with brown rice cooked in chicken broth. Once nearly all the broth is absorbed I added a can of corn/pepper mix, fresh tomato, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
*
[ I actually never used this corn/pepper mix before...it just happened to catch my eye that night. You can find it in the store alongside all the other canned vegetables.]
*
The marinated tilapia gets grilled indoors this time. My hope was this would be gentle enough so that my fish wouldn't disintegrate during the cooking process.
*
Mixed feelings, but better!
*

The fully dressed salad.

*

Absolutely fantastic, especially if you find a ripe avocado (it just melts into the dressing)!!
*

The final fish product. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.
*

Oh and that rice...DELICIOUS!!
*

Very happy with this Mexican-American inspired creation.

I feel as though I am getting closer and closer to conquering fish too :O)