Fish Tacos

My brother is flying out to LA for business today. So we've both been scouring the interwebs to find the best place in LA to get fish tacos. We came across a bunch of places that come highly recommended. We checked out the reviews, the menus and picked out a few that he can check out. But while he gets ready for his flight, I'm left craving some fish tacos! I hadn't had lunch yet, and it so happens I had pretty much everything I would need to make some - so I did! And it only took about 20 mins to make, including the fresh salsa.

Fish Tacos

1 fish fillet, (I had Alaskan Pollack) cut in small pieces
2 corn tortillas
lettuce, shredded
fresh salsa (recipe below)

Dredge the fish in flour and pan-fry with a swig of oil.
Warm up the tortillas in the pan.
Assemble the taco: corn tortilla topped with lettuce, salsa, fish.
Double up on the tortillas if you feel the need. A splash of lime is good too.



Salsa

1 tomato, small dice
1/4 onion, finely diced
small piece of green pepper, diced
5-6 slices marinated jalapenos, chopped
coriander, chopped
salt, pepper


Mix
Pour in a bit of the jalapeno marinating liquid to bring it all together.

Enjoy!

Idlis

Idli = South Indian steamed rice cakes. These can me made plain, to be dunked in a spicy "sambar" lentil soup. Or rava idlis, which have spices added to the batter and are usually eaten with a coconut and green chili chutney. I'm not adventurous enough to make these from scratch. That requires planning at least 3 days ahead of time: soaking the rice for 1 day, grinding it into a paste, and letting it ferment for another before it is ready for making idlis. Instead, I revert to these "just add water" Gits mixes - available in most Indian grocery stores. Just follow the directions on the box for a delicious and healthy meal ready in about 25 mins.



I have a fancy idli maker from India, but you can just make these in a flat bottomed container and cut it up in squares.

The chutney to go with it is pretty simple:

Green Chutney


Green chili + fresh coriander + coconut + pinch of salt + dash of sugar
Add enough water to blend.

Bon Appetit!

Mjeddrah - Lebanese Lentil Rice

I made this a while back, but never got around to posting it. But a friend's request has got me digging into my backed up pictures. Good thing I take pictures of pretty much everything I make!
My first time eating mjeddrah was at Layali Beirut in Astoria. Delicious rice, great kebabs and really good hookahs. Here's my version of the rice:

Lebanese Lentil Rice

1 cup lentils
1 cup rice
3 onions, sliced
salt, cumin, chili powder

Start with caramelizing your onions in a generous amount of olive oil. This is a slow process, make sure its on low heat. Add a dash of salt to bring out the moisture. Keep sauteing till it reaches a dark golden color.
Wash the lentils. Remove any floaters. Add enough water to cover the lentils and boil. Cook the lentils half-way till they are al dente.
Reserve half of the caramelized onions.
To the remaining half onions add the rice and saute.
Add the half cooked lentils, salt, cumin & chili powder and stir to evenly mix.
Add 3 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cover.
Cook till rice and lentils are cooked through - add more water if necessary.
Serve with the reserved onions.

I made a quick zucchini side dish to go with the rice -
zucchini + can of tomatoes + salt, cumin, chili flakes, garlic. Saute all. Serve.

Bon Appetit.

Spaghetti Squash

Doesn't seem like winter is going to be over anytime soon. On the bright side, at least I can enjoy winter squashes some more. Today I'm planning on some spaghetti squash. How awesome is it that you can just "fork" a squash into noodles! I've only tried making this once, but I had no idea what to make of it. I still had no idea this time, but I figured I'll treat it just like pasta. Pesto, ricotta and mozzarella. It looks like mush, but tasted pretty good. Garlic toast completes the meal.

Pesto Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash
2 tbs pesto
1 cup ricotta
1 cup shredded mozzarella
chili flakes
salt

Cut squash lengthwise and bake, cut side down, at 375º for about 45 mins
Remove from oven and let cool to touch. Shread the flesh with a fork.


In a saute pan saute the shredded squash, pesto, chili flakes, ricotta.
Mix well.
Top with mozzarella.

Bon Appetit.

Chicken "wings"

Superbowl special. I made boneless chicken breast white meat "wings". They could have used a bit less time in the oven. I might have dried them out a little - but the overall taste was pretty close to hot wings, without the bones.

Chicken "wings"

Chicken breast, cut into about 2 inch long strips
garlic powder
hot sauce
salt, pepper

Mix all and marinate for at least an hour (more if possible)
Bake on an oiled baking sheet at 375º for 20 mins. Flip and bake for 15 more mins, or until cooked all the way through
Meanwhile, in a microwavable bowl take 1 tbs of butter + hot sauce and nuke till butter melts.
Add the baked chicken to the sauce and toss to coat.
Serve with celery sticks.

Go Saints!

Rice & Beans

A nice and easy meal of rice and beans tonight. Black beans, rice and sazon. I added some chicken & shrimp to the mix. Avocados on top.
Bon Appetit!

Breakfast Souffle

I got a giant log of goat cheese at Whole Foods the other day. I had already made a beet salad and a filled pastry, and now I'm looking for more ways to consume my creamy goat cheese. Souffle. I've always wanted to try making a souffle - so today's the day. Apparently its not as hard as I've always thought it would be. Prep time was about 10 mins.

Spinach, Artichoke & Goat Cheese Souffle

3 egg whites
2 yolks
Spinach, chopped
Artichokes, chopped
Goat Cheese, crumbled
salt, pepper

Beat the egg whites till they're fluffy and form peaks. Don't overdo this part.
Mix the chopped spinach, artichokes, salt & pepper into the yolks. Add a dash of water or milk if necessary.
Crumble in the goat cheese and stir.
Fold the mix into the white. Do not stir, fold in. Try not to deflate the fluff.
Pour into buttered ramekins ( I used 2 medium sized pyrex bolws)


Bake at 375º for about 20 mins.

Note: Let it cool a bit before you dig in, or that melting cheese will singe your tongue.

These refrigerate well. So if you make them ahead of time, just nuke them when you're ready to eat.

Bon Apetite