Quick & Easy - Seared Tuna Salad with Tangy Sesame Dressing

It was a very important time in our household last week - Russell was going to be "cashing in" months of studying & preparation to take the MCAT.  That test is not only hard because of its content, but it's also hard because it takes hours; @ least they have removed the writing section.  So on the eve of the exam, he wanted a meal that would load him up with brain- & body-boosting nutrients so he could go into the test center in tip top form.  I wasn't sure what to make but Russell suggested tuna since it's full of Omega-3 fatty acid, it's tasty, & really quick to prepare.  With that as my guide, I decided to take the rest of the meal in an Asian direction; & instead of making our usual white rice to go with the fish, I went with a hearty, bright-tasting salad.

There are some kooky ingredients that might require a trip to the store...
     2 8-ounce sushi-grade tuna filets
     0.13 cup low sodium soy sauce
     1.5 teaspoons mirin
     1.5 teaspoons honey
     1.5 teaspoons sesame oil
     3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
     1 cup cucumber, sliced into semi-circles
     1 avocado, sliced
     0.25 cup tangy sesame dressing*

Dinner will be ready in a flash...
     In a wide dish, mix together the soy sauce, mirin, honey, & sesame oil
     Generously coat each tuna filet in the marinade
     Heat a skillet until it is very hot & sear the filets for 30 seconds on each side
     Let the filets rest for 1 minute before cutting it into thin slices
     In a large mixing bowl, combine the romaine lettuce & cucumber & toss with the sesame dressing
     Place the sliced avocado on top of the salad once it has been plated & then place the tuna on top

Makes 2 servings

This meal was super light & it was filled with a whole bunch of good-for-you nutrients.  The salad by itself is fantastic & the zippy taste is great for waking up the palate, especially on those days when the weather is hot & you feel all "bleh."

I am not a huge fan of mayo but I do love me some Japanese mayonnaise.  Before you say they are the same thing, let me assure you that they are not!  Japanese mayonnaise is more yellow in color & it tastes a lot richer than regular mayo.  Plus, it comes in this squeeze bottle with a baby printed on it & it has a star-shaped opening for decorative dispensing!  If you are really against using mayo or if you just don't have any on hand, try substituting it with dijon mustard & halve the amount of rice vinegar.  I am also contemplating making the dressing using a bit of avocado next time, but that would require the usage of my mini blender.

I didn't slice my tuna into thin pieces because it was getting torn apart by the knife & that would not make an appetizing photo.  I know that to get a tender piece of steak, I am supposed to cut "across the grain", but what about slicing tuna?  I tried to go along with the segmentation on the filet but that also did not go well...Russell's plate looked like it had been "inspected" by Sheldon before dinner was ready.

* To make the tangy sesame dressing, vigorously whisk together 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, 1 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tablespoons rice vinegar, 0.5 tablespoons soy sauce, 0.5 teaspoon sugar, 0.25 teaspoon mirin, 0.25 teaspoon sesame oil, & a pinch of salt.

Quick & Easy - Chinese-style Steamed Hake

If you are Chinese or if you have been to any banquet-style Chinese dinners, you probably have seen this dish: a fish sitting on a plate, under some green stuff,  over some soy sauce & oil, & it still had its head, tail, fins, & skin all in tact.  This was - & still is - one of my favorite ways of eating fish.  When I was a kid, my dad would scrape off the skin & portion out a perfect filet along the "back" half of the fish & put it in my bowl.  I would also always get both of the cheeks...@ least I would when we were eating @ home.  Now that I have moved out on my own, the opportunity to have steamed fish is rare.  And even though it is a pretty easy dish to make, I couldn't possibly finish a whole fish by myself...ourselves.  There has got to be a different way, right?

I was getting ready to make dinner one night - pan-seared Hake filets with salt & pepper - when it came to me.  Why not steam the filets as if it was a whole fish?  I mean, filet  is just fish minus the bones & stuff.  With the sudden inspiration & a really strong craving for steamed fish, I went to work.

It only takes a few essential ingredients from the fridge/cupboard...
     6 ounces Hake filet (or any other meaty white fish)
     3 tablespoons green onion, cut finely on the bias
     3 tablespoons ginger, cut into thin strips
     0.25 cup low sodium soy sauce
     0.5 tablespoon sugar
     0.25 cup canola oil

It's practically set it & forget it...
     Remove as much moisture from the fish filets as possible
     Place the filets into a heat-proof dish & sprinkle the green onion & ginger evenly over the top
     Steam the filets for 7 minutes or until the meat flakes apart easily
     Heat the soy sauce & dissolve the sugar in it
     Heat the canola oil in a pan for about 2 minutes
     Once the fish is done, carefully drain the liquid from the dish
     Pour the hot oil and then the soy sauce over the fish

   






















Makes 3 servings

The end result was a little bit overcooked (I did 10 minutes) but the flavor was just as I remember it.  I put sugar in the soy sauce was because (1) that's how my Mama does it & (2) it cuts down the sourness that soy sauce can have after it has been heated.  I know most people also put cilantro on the fish but I didn't have any & I absolutely detest cilantro (unless it's in something);  but in all honesty, I didn't think it made the dish "worse off".  When drizzling the hot oil over the fish, it is going to create some sizzle but that's totally normal; just stay away from the splatter.  A little insider's tip: take some of the green onion, ginger, & a few big spoonfuls of the sauce & mix it thoroughly into a bowl of rice; that in itself is a whole other meal.

Weekend Dinner - Shrimp & Asparagus Capellini with Garlic Olive Oil Butter Dressing

Per usual, the Boyfriend & I had no plans for dinner & had nothing ready to cook in the house.  Being the creative one, he blurts out: "how about capellini in a garlic butter sauce with shrimp & asparagus?"  I was totally surprised this came out of his mouth because he hates shrimp!  But hey, who am I do deny him of shrimp?  So we went out, got the ingredients, came home, & I got right to work executing his vision.

In the reusable grocery bag...
     6 ounces of capellini or angel hair pasta
     1 pound of shrimp (~24) , shelled & deveined
     1 bunch of asparagus, sliced on the diagonal
     4 cloves garlic, finely minced
     2 tablespoons butter
     0.25 cup olive oil
     Red pepper flakes, salt, & black pepper to taste

Ready.  Get set.  Go...
     Keep the shrimp in a bowl of salted iced water in the fridge for a few hours
     In a small sauce pan & blanche the asparagus for 3 minutes, set aside
     Cook the pasta to 1 minute less than the package instructions, drain well
     In a pan, melt butter with half the olive oil over low heat
     Sauté the red pepper flakes & the garlic until they are lightly browned
     Over medium-high heat, cook the shrimp until they are just turning pink
     Add in the asparagus & stir everything together
     Add in the cooked pasta & toss until all the ingredients are well incorporated

   






















I don't buy shrimps often because, like I keep saying, the Boyfriend doesn't eat it; so I have no clue what I should look for or where I should go.  The ones I used I got from the Chinese supermarket & they were a little bit mushy & more shrimpy than the ones Mom gets from the regular supermarket or Costco.  These shrimps came with shells & veins which was a giant pain to take care of.  One really good & quick way to devein shrimps is to stick a toothpick under the flesh/vein & gently wiggle the whole GI tract out.  Because it is so easy to overcook shrimp, I recommend cooking the pasta ahead so it is ready to go when the sauce is ready.  I didn't really like butter because it added a funny taste to the sauce; I think it would be OK to replace that with more olive oil.  I know asparagus is not exactly a winter vegetable, but what would be a good substitute?

Quick & Easy - Lemon Butter Salmon

It's hard to keep a full fridge & freezer when 50% of your household in on a restricted diet.  As a result, our freezer was left with only steaks & ribs for a good number of weeks.  Now that we're back to 100% eating capacity, first thing was load up @ Costco & second thing was to eat something that didn't live on land for the first time in 6 weeks!  I found this recipe on Pinterest - as I always do - but it seems to originate from a fishing website...in Scotland.

It just takes a handful of stuff that's probably already in the kitchen...
     2 salmon filets, about 6oz each
     2 tablespoons unsalted butter
     1 lemon, zest & juice
     Salt & pepper to taste

And it's just a few quick steps before heading into the oven...
     Rinse & dry the salmon filets really well
     Melt the butter in the microwave (30 seconds is plenty)
     Let the butter cool slightly & mix it with the lemon zest, lemon juice, & salt/pepper
     Make a tray with foil by folding up the edges so it just fits the 2 filets
     Pour the lemon butter evenly over the filets
     Bake at 400F for 7 minutes

If you don't like too much lemon with your fish, use half the amount of zest & juice.  I used the amount of the full recipe because the Boyfriend isn't really a fan of the finned oceanic species.  I finished up the meal with some roasted Brussels sprouts which were also super easy to make & tasted really great with the bright citrusy flavors of the fish.

Weekend Dinner - Tuna Casserole

I wasn't exposed to my first casserole dish until I moved to the United States @ age 12; I think it was a green bean casserole that time.  I didn't understand why people would want to throw a bunch of stuff into a glass plate & then stick it into the oven for an hour.  Dude, it's beans!  They cook in like 10 minutes!  And why the heck would you cook beans with cream soup?!?  The concept of a casserole befuddled me & I wasn't exposed to it again until a couple of years ago the Boyfriend made me tuna casserole.  While still confused about the whole deal, I was hooked.

We don't make this dish very often since he doesn't really like canned tuna, but we do it sometimes when we want something that we can make a big batch of in very little time & not have to stand over it as it is cooking (maybe that's the motivation behind a casserole?).

The ingredients are simple...

     3 cups medium shell pasta

     10 ounces canned tuna in water, drain & flake

     1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

     3/4 cup water

     11/2 cup frozen vegetables

     Salt & pepper to taste

The steps are even simpler...

     Cook the shell pasta according to the instructions on the package

     In a baking dish, combine tuna, Cream of Mushroom soup, water, salt & pepper

     Once the pasta is cooked, drain it & add it to the baking dish

     Add in the frozen vegetables & mix everything together

     Bake at 350F for 1 hour, uncovered

And there it is.  A great way to add some texture to this otherwise soft dish is to crunch up some potato chips & add it on top; I particularly like using barbecue flavored chips. The top of the pasta gets a little dry from the oven which makes me think I should cover the dish for most of the hour.  But would that make the dish more soupy?  Or maybe I should use more water? 

Quick & Easy - Linguine with Tomato, Spinach, & Lobster Tail

We have pasta about once a week nowadays and so I've been browsing for inspiration all over the place.  I found this recipe on Pinterest but it wouldn't quite work the way it was since the Boyfriend doesn't eat shrimp.  As luck would have it, lobster tails were on sale @ Safeway so I thought, why not?

My version has quite a list of ingredients...
     1/3 package of linguine
     8 oz lobster tail
     3 small tomatoes, seeded & diced
     3 cups baby spinach
     3 cloves garlic, minced
     1 small shallot, finely diced
     zest of 1 lemon
     1 tablespoon lemon juice
     1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
     1/4 teaspoon salt & black pepper
     1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
     Parmesan (optional)

Before doing anything else, prep the lobster tails...
     Remove the lobster tails from their shells
     Rinse the tails to get rid of any gunk that might be left over
     Rub the tails with salt & rinse them thoroughly
     Place tails into a bowl of ice water & keep in the fridge until ready to use

Now onto the actual dish...
     Start cooking the pasta according to the instructions on the package (-1 min)
     Over low heat, sauté the shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, & lemon zest in oil
     Add in the tomatoes, season with salt & pepper, & continue to cook for 3 minutes
     Remove the lobster tails from the ice water & cut them into big chunks
     Add in the lobster meat & immediately reduce the heat to low
     Drain the pasta and add it to the pan of sauce; add in spinach and gently wilt them
     Remove from heat as soon as the lobster tails turn pink & toss in the lemon juice

And there it is!  I served the pasta with a bit of grated Parmesan on top for a little bit more salt.  Overall the dish was really light but had a lot of flavor & the lobster tail worked out really well.  I don't know if I will be making this dish this way all the time since the 2 tiny lobster tails cost $10 while on sale, but I can see myself making this again perhaps using crab meat, chicken, or just keeping it meatless.

Weekend Dinner - Cajun'esque Panko Crusted Cod

I am a huge salt'water fish lover; but the Boyfriend...not so much.  So to get him to not only eat but actually enjoy some fish, I had to get a little creative.  I found the original recipe on Group Recipes which used Halibut but I don't see why I couldn't experiment with cod instead.  The end result was really, really, spicy so I am reducing the amount of peppers used in the recipe that follows.


To make this recipe, you'll have to get...
     2 medium cod filets
     3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
     1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
     1/4 teaspoon salt
     1/4 teaspoon black pepper
     3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
     1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning*
     3 tablespoons olive oil

And then all you have to do is...
     Thoroughly dry the filets making sure all the liquid is out
     In a plate, combine the flour with the cayenne pepper
     In another plate, combine the panko & the Cajun seasoning
     Dredge the filets in the olive, the flour, & then the panko (you have to press hard)
     Put the filets onto a foil-lined cookie sheet & bake at 350F for 15 minutes

The fish comes out really moist & perfectly cooked with a crispy crust on top.  The bottom crust was a little soggy but that's to be expected as it sat touching another surface completely.  What can I do to get that bottom crust crispy too?!?  We had our filets with some rice & veggies but you can eat it with pasta or even with a little bit of a cucumber salad which can help alleviate some of the heat.

* Homemade Cajun seasoning: combine in a bowl: 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, & 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Quick & Easy - Not Really Asian Style Grilled Salmon

I was looking for a new way to make salmon for dinner & remembered really liking the way the Boyfriend's aunt had made it during her July 4th barbecue.  Unfortunately, I couldn't recall the recipe that she told me so I looked up "Asian style salmon" on Google.  After much searching, I still couldn't find the recipe so I just went with this one from Food Network.

To make 2 servings, it's going to take...
     2 salmon filets
     1 tablespoon of dijon mustard (I only had spicy brown)
     11/2 tablespoons of soy sauce
     3 tablespoons of olive oil
     1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Once you've gathered all the ingredients...
     In a bowl, mixed together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, & garlic
     Marinate the filets in a shallow dish with half the sauce (~20 minutes)
     Sear or grill the filets until they are cooked (4-6 minutes)
     Spoon remaining sauce over the filets after they come out of the pan or grill

And there you go.  It didn't really taste "Asian" but I don't really know what "Asian" is supposed to taste like.  I used the time the fish was marinating to prepare my vegetables.  When I sautéed the beans, I used the olive oil from the marinate to sweat the shallots & then a tablespoon of the sauce as seasoning.

7x7 Big Eats 2012 - Hog Island Oyster Co.

Location:     1 Ferry Building #11-1, San Francisco, California 94111
Date:            Saturday, June 2nd.
Food:           1 dozen Sweetwater oysters
Price:           $24.00
Comments:  There is this rule to only eat oysters in months that has the letter r but as
                    long as they are selling them, I'l going to buy them.  These were meaty,
                    sweet, sea watery, & the metallic after taste just lingers in your mouth.
                    The only thing that I would have liked different was ice on the plate; they
                    make a huge difference in enhancing the flavor & texture of the oysters.

Quick & Easy - Seared Mahi Mahi

Since I get home pretty late from work, I can't really do anything fancy with dinner.  That's why I love fish - it can be really simple & yet delicious.

Getting things going...

     Defrost a fish filet of your choice.  I used mahi mahi because there is a grocery store near my parents' that sells them all portioned and frozen.

     Once the fish is all defrosted, used paper towels so soak up as much moisture as possible.  Having excess water is bad news later.

     Sprinkle generously with salt & pepper (& maybe some chipotle powder too).

     In a sautee pan, heat up some oil over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot, place the filet skin side up.

     Watch the filet intermittently, once it has turned opaque halfway up, flip it over.

     Continue cooking till the whole filet looks opaque and it slightly firm to the touch.

That is all there is too it.  You can eat the filet with rice, pasta, or vegetables.  I really like the Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers® vegetables because I can microwave them while I am searing the fish.  The whole meal took only 10 minutes from start to finish; it is easy, healthy, & mmm-mmm-good.