Peruvian-ish Halibut

I moved to Seattle from DC almost 3 years ago, and the food I miss most - hands down - is Peruvian chicken. Specifically from Pollo Rico. Specifically specifically quarter dark meat, extra green sauce, fries, coleslaw, with a Sprite, eaten cross legged while sitting on the floor in front of my coffee table on a Sunday afternoon POTENTIALLY suffering from being over-served the evening before. (It's happened). Who's with me?!?

You think this would be a recipe for Peruvian chicken, right? It's not. We recently won the friends of friends of friends lottery and got a bunch of freshly frozen halibut, spot prawns, and dungeness crab from a family who goes on a yearly Alaskan fishing trip. They haul in so much fish that somehow even we get a piece of it - trickle down fishenomics. I was looking up different halibut recipes, but I just kept thinking about how I really wanted to eat it with this green sauce. So I made a few adjustments to my favorite Peruvian-style roast chicken marinade, threw the fish in, whipped up the green sauce, and hoped for the best!

Thankfully it was delicious - you should make it too!

You is kind, you is smart, you is important

You'll need:
For the fish:
 3 T extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 2 limes
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 T kosher salt
2 t paprika
1 T cumin
1 t dried oregano
1 t sugar
1-2 lbs halibut (cod or swordfish would work, too)

For the green sauce:
 [Note - the original recipe calls for sour cream and mayonnaise, but I use all Greek yogurt and it is still super delicious]
2 or 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded (I keep about half of the seeds)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 t salt
2 T extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 F, and place rack in the center. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a blender/food processor and blend until smooth. Pour over your halibut. Simple enough. You think I could've remembered to take a picture before putting it in the oven, amirite?

Epic food blogger styled photo

 Note that fish doesn't need to be (and really shouldn't be) marinated for a long time, like beef or chicken. I think it would be ok if the fish was marinated for about 30 minutes or so, but if you go much longer the lime juice might start "cooking" the fish. 

Cook the halibut for about 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. This hunk-o-halibut took about 20 minutes. 

While the fish is a-bakin, combine all of the green sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer sauce to a bowl and allow it to thicken up in the fridge while you wait for the fish to bake. 

After the fish is done, allow to rest for about 10 minutes. I don't know if this is necessary, but I just did it. 

See? Peruvian-ish!

I served mine alongside some roasted root veggies and steamed broc, and went nuts with the green sauce.

So nice I posted this picture twice

Not-Boring Kale Caesar

Kale salads kind of suck. No, seriously - they kind of suck. They're always the same (walnuts, cranberries, goat cheese), they're always weirdly chewy, and I usually only order them out of guilt. "Yes I'll have a jug of wine, the mozzarella sticks, and the..uh..kale salad. Thanks."

Well, ladies and gents, have I got news for you. THIS kale salad is seriously delicious and seriously not boring. In fact, it might be too much to handle for people who can't really do spice. You've been warned!

This is my version of Shutterbean's Smokey Kale Caesar Salad. I changed the ingredients a bit and eliminated all of the cheese. It's definitely good with the cheese - it's just that I didn't really notice the difference when I left it out, which means I can eat more cheese in the form of mozzarella sticks at a different time.

My biggest regret is not making the croutons when I photographed this. If you make this, dear God MAKE THE CROUTONS, PLEASE for me.

You'll need:
2 bunches of curly kale, chopped (about 10 cups)
 1 lemon, juiced

 For the dressing:
1 T red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 anchovy filets, chopped (don't be a wimp - just do this)
1 1/2 t dried chipotle chili powder
1 1/2 t smoked paprika
1 egg yolk (like I said...don't be a wimp)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil 
1/4 c Greek yogurt

Mix vinegar, juice from 1 lemon, garlic, anchovies, chipotle chili powder, and smoked paprika in a bowl. Add olive oil, egg yolk, and Greek yogurt, and mix with an immersion blender until well incorporated*. It will be really thick - don't worry. Add salt and pepper to taste.

*There's a good chance you have way too much dressing now. I haven't fixed that glitch yet.

Put the chopped kale in a giant bowl and squeeze the remaining lemon juice. "Massage" the kale with your hands. The acid + your massage really helps the kale loosen up and not be as chewy and uptight. Next, add the dressing a bit at a time and mix it with your hands - about half of the dressing should do. Toss in the croutons before serving, and love life!

I wish there were croutons on  you

For the croutons:
Half loaf of good bread
Olive oil
Salt
Dried herbs (think rosemary, basil, oregano, etc.)
Garlic powder 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Tear bread into pieces (about an inch) and place on baking sheet. Add a good drizzle of olive oil, and toss with the bread until evenly coated. Season with a good amount of salt, dried herbs, and garlic powder. Place baking tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes - stir crouts around, and bake for another 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chimichurri Flank Steak

My boyfriend is a sauce man. I'd say an extreme sauce man. One time when we were at a baseball game he got THIS much ketchup with garlic fries: 
 

Slightly unreasonable

Love of the sauce is what prompted us to start making chimichurri. I've tried a few recipes and this one from Bon Appetit is my favorite. There are a few changes in my version below, which I'd say is even better than the original! #brag

I like to use flank steak, but you could put this sauce on anything - chicken, fish, veggies, or eggs if you're crazy. 

You'll need:
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 t kosher salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (I removed 1/2 of the seeds)
1/2 c minced fresh cilantro
1/4 c minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 c minced fresh mint
2 T minced fresh oregano
3/4 c extra-virgin olive oil

Combine vinegar, salt, garlic, shallot, and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Let stand for about 10 minutes while you chop up all those fresh herbs. Throw those herbs in there, and then use a fork to whisk in the oil. Remove 1/2 c or so of the sauce to a small bowl, season with some additional salt, and put aside for a sauce. 

Take your flank steak and stab it all over with a fork. DISCLAIMER: I don't know if this really does anything - growing up we always had to stab meats excessively before marinating, so I wanted to keep the tradition alive. Cover the steak all over with the ch-ch-ch-chimichurri and let it marinate for 3 hours to overnight. 

Hello, beautiful!

When you're ready to rumble, set your oven to broil and move a rack to the top of the oven. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the steak in the center. Broil on each side for 5 minutes. When done, allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes. This part is important! And hard! 

Slice that bad boy against the grain and serve with the reserved extra sauce. So good! So fresh! So saucy!

I paired this with a smoky kale caesar, which I'll post soon!

Asian-ish Lettuce Wraps

 Ah, Asian-ish lettuce wraps. These come together super quick and are great for a weeknight dinner. I usually end up making these a lot during Bachelor/Bachelorette season, because I can mindlessly chop while watching 24 year old nannies chase love. I toss the fixins in a tupperware so everything comes together even quicker the next day. Additional bonuses include:
1. You only need one pan
2. You can add a bunch of extra veggies or none at all
3. You don't HAVE to watch the Bachelor to make these
4. This is another adapted HungryMom recipe, so you know it's good
5. This is healthyish, so you might lose 3 lbs
 

Thank you, Chris Harrison!

You'll need:
1-2 T coconut, sesame, olive oil - whatever you have 
1 lb ground turkey or chicken (sometimes I go crazy and use half and half)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 inch knob of ginger, minced
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped  
1-2 cups assorted chopped veggies (think carrots, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms...let your imagination run WILD)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1 tsp chili-garlic sauce (Sambal Oelek or sriracha both work!)

to serve:
1/4 c fresh cilantro
lime wedges
Romaine hearts

 I don't have pictures of the process because it all just happened so fast. 

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the 2 Tbsp of oil and bring to temp, then add ground turkey and let brown for a few minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and the rest of the chopped veggies and continue to stir for another 5 minutes or so, until meat is cooked through and veggies are cooked to desired level. 
Sauce time! Heyo! Add in the soy sauce, hoisin, and chili-garlic sauce and stir to combine. Throw in the drained, chopped water chestnuts and some salt (for kicks). Ok, you're done! Serve these up on romaine leaves and top with fresh cilantro, lime juice, and more sriracha.
 

Neeeki, do you assept this lettuce wrap?

Ambitious Meatballs

For some reason, I got the idea that on New Years Eve this year I really needed to make meatballs. Does that make me a thousand years old? Yes - I think yes. However I was not deterred - I forged on, and I made the hell out of these meatballs. 

This recipe is adapted from my girl Ina. Next time, I will definitely prep/roll the meatballs a day in advance, and cook the next day. This took...a really long time. 

You'll need:
For zee meatballs
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 Tbs minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
vegetable oil
olive oil

For zee sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup red wine (whatever you're drinking as you make this)
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt (to taste)

In a large bowl, place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, parm, salt, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water. Lightly combine with your hands, and then form the mixture into 2 inch meatballs. I made 20 meatballs. Twenty!

Heat equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Once the oil is hot, carefully add meatballs (in batches) and brown them well on all sides over medium heat - about 10 minutes. Don't crowd them! Don't do it!

Untz untz

When done, remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan. I had to switch to a larger pot for the sauce, so I transferred the drippings into a larger sauce pan. ANYWAY - heat the olive oil in the same pan - add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent (5-10 minutes). THEN - knock the pan on the floor. 

WHYYYYY

Take a deep breath, regroup. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, and then add the wine and cook on high heat until almost all of the liquid evaporates - about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, dried herbs, crushed red pepper, and salt. Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (until the meatballs are cooked through). SMELLS GOOD RIGHT NOW.

I kept dumping on spices until it looked like this

I served over fresh linguine (bonus - cooks in 3 minutes) with fresh parm and torn basil. Check it out:

KISS ME AT MIDNIGHT

What you can't see is the mountain of cheesy garlic bread on the table. Diet starts Monday!!!!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

I lived at my friend Emily's parents' house for a period of time when I was poor. I had my own room in a beautiful house within walking distance to the Clarendon metro. I paid no rent and had no chores. I was a parasite from July 2009-April 2010. I am 99% sure the reason they let me stay is because every once in a while I would make this soup.

This soup - IS THE BEST. This is my spin on my sister Karen's recipe (posted 5 years ago tomorrow!), who adapted it from this Cooking Light recipe. It's bright, tangy, spicy, delicious, and more or less healthy. The ingredient list might be a little foreign (and long), but once you stock up on the ingredients they'll last forever in the pantry. The whole pot comes together in less than 30 minutes (if you're a fast chopper!).

Make this soup. Make it! Now! Do it!

You'll need:
2 tsp red curry paste (more if you like heat!)
1 thinly sliced small onion (white or yellow)
4 cloves chopped garlic 
1 inch knob peeled, minced ginger
2 diced chicken breasts
1.5 tsp ground curry powder
1.5 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander 
6 cups (1 carton) chicken broth
14 oz can of light coconut milk
3-4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 small can bamboo shoots
1 handful pad thai noodles
2 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl fish sauce
1 lime
1 handful chopped cilantro
crushed red pepper 

Heat oil (I use coconut) over medium-high heat in a large soup pan. Add red curry paste and let it "bloom" for a minute before adding onion, garlic, ginger, chicken, and the ground spices. Let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It'll look something like this:

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, pour in a can of light coconut milk. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

I thought if I poured this from up high it would make for a cooler picture. IT WORKED

After your soup is done a-simmerin, add in the spinach, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and pad thai noodles. Allow a few minutes to wilt/soften/cook. 

Wilt! Soften! Cook!

Finally, add in the sugar, fish sauce, lime, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Give that baby a stir. Now eat!

You're just too good to be true...can't take my eyes off of you...

In the beginning

I have a cooking blog. 

After 2+ years of thinking about it, talking about it, New Year's resolutioning it, and procrastinating it, I finally made one!  It took about 2 minutes.

As of right now I don't know how to make it look good. Did you know there are only 8 font choices? Am I really a "Georgia" person? Is this real life?

I keep forgetting to take pictures of what I make, and the pictures I do have are from my phone. Visually...not so great. But fear not - THE FOOD TASTES GOOD. 

Hope you like it!