For the Freezer

If you are like me (and the rest of America), you hate those nights when you are looking in your fridge and say "What's for dinner?"

I try to thwart those pesky thoughts with menu planning the week before. There are still times when we have plans and I don't have time to prepare that night's meal. Or, I just simply don't want to cook that night's meal!

So, what is one to do when they are stumped? Reach in the freezer for a quick, tasty dinner!

I grew up on frozen pizzas, boxed mac and cheese and I swear I could have turned into a chicken nugget. I think that speaks for most American kids, unfortunately. We want the best for our kids of course, but sometimes we need a break and it's just "easier" to let someone do the work for us. I'm going to show you how easy it really is to prepare some freezer favorites. With a little prep and time, you can stock up for a few weeks and will feel so good about what you will be feeding your family.

First, let's start with fish sticks

Ingredients:
The amounts will depend on just how much you want to make, but here is what I used.

2 1/2 lbs of white fish (I used haddock)
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Paprika
Cayenne
Spray for pans

I start by creating "sticks" out of the fish.

I was able to get 24 pieces, not too shabby.

Dredge the fish sticks in the flour and shake off the excess. Put on a cookie sheet and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

I use Panko breadcrumbs, because they create the perfect crunch.

Mix together the spices, salt and pepper with the Panko. Now get your stations ready. Essentially, you are creating a very efficient assembly line.

See my pretty little set up? First you have the chilled floured fish. Next the egg whites that have been lightly whipped. Then the breadcrumb mixture (I don't put all of them in the bowl, after awhile they get too soggy. Just replenish as needed). Then I use a sprayed cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. This will help to get the fish get crispy evenly. If you don't have cooling racks, I would spray foil and just frequently turn in the oven, to ensure even browning.

Dip fish in the egg white. Roll in breadcrumbs. Place on rack. Repeat. It's that simple.

Place them in a 400 degree oven and cook for about 15 minutes or until they start browning and flake nicely.

And now, the chicken "nuggets".

Ingredients(again this will depend on how much you want to make):
1/4 cup of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of Mayo
1 1/2- 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs

Same sort of set up as before. Dip in the liquid, shake off excess and roll in breadcrumbs. This time I just place it on sprayed foil.

I made both chicken tenders and nuggets, just because!

Now, here's a little tip. Use tongs. It creates less of a mess. But, if you are in a hurry and want to work with more than one piece at a time, use your fingers. Beware of the claw!

Pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until they are no longer pink inside and juices run clear.

Wait until they are fully cooled and put them in a freezer bag. If you have a lot, I would either separate them with layers of wax paper or just use more bags. Then just reheat like you would store bought freezer foods. Enjoy!

All Good Things- The night I made crab cakes from Heaven

One night, my husband and I were watching America's Test Kitchen. This episode was about crab and how to make the perfect crab cake. That sparked a craving. I haven't had a good crab cake in a long time. Most restaurants serve crab cakes that are mostly filled with breadcrumbs and not a whole lot of crab. I wanted to take a stab at ATK's version, with a little twist of my own. But I didn't want to stop there, I wanted to make the buns and an aioli to top it. This was going to be the ultimate crab cake.

Before I begin, my eyes glance at a sign that has become a fixture in our kitchen. It may seem sappy, but this rings true for the love in our little family. We have gone through our share of struggles, but no matter what, we will hang on to that deep love and respect we have for one another.

First I started with the buns. I had mentioned that a book I often refer to is The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila. Once again, I turned to her for her expertise. http://www.eatingfromthegroundup.com/2009/09/brioche-hamburger-buns-and-passing-the-love-updated/

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
3 tbsp milk
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
3 large eggs
3 3/4 cups of flour plus some for covering work surface
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp unsalted room temperature butter
If you'd like toppings you can use poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt etc

In a measuring cup I add the warm water, milk and sugar, mix and let it stand for 5 minutes. Let it get all foamy on top.

I had a little oops, which turned out to be great. This differs from the original recipe, but I liked the outcome. I beat 3 eggs instead of 2. If you want to try it my oops way, just know you will need a fourth egg for the egg wash later.

I weigh my flour and add the salt. Then I add the butter in pats and use my fingers to gently mix into the flour.

Add the eggs and the yeast to the flour and mix well with hands until a dough forms. On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes until the dough is pliable and can form a nice smooth ball.

I rub a little olive oil on the bowl I put the dough into so it won't stick. Cover with plastic and let it rise for 2 hours.

Then I go to work on the aioli. This is just "fancy" mayo.

Ingredients:
1 Egg
1 roasted bell pepper
1 roasted jalapeno
1 head of roasted garlic
salt
pepper
cayenne
lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 tbsp mayo
3 tbsp Dijon Mustard
Safflower oil

Cut the top off the garlic head so you can see the cloves inside. Rub with olive oil and cover in foil. Leave the peppers whole, wash them and rub with olive oil. Roast at 350 degrees. The peppers take about 30 mins until blistered. Keep turning to let them blister evenly. The garlic takes about 45-50 mins. Once peppers are done, put them in a paper bag for 10 mins to steam and cool enough for you to remove skin, stems, ribs and seeds. Take garlic out of foil to cool and then just squeeze the cloves out.

In a food processor, put all the ingredients in except the oil. I just eyeball the spices. Again, I like stuff spicy, so I do a lot of cayenne. Pulse until combined. Then slowly feed the oil through the tube as the mixture blends. Unfortunately had another oops : (
The safflower oil came out a little too fast, so my aioli was too thin. I then added some Dijon and mayo to thicken it up. Still thin, so it's more like a sauce then a mayo. But still tasted amazing. I put it in a airtight container and put it in a fridge.

Now the dough is ready for the next step. Split it into 8 sections of dough and form into a ball. Put on parchment lined cookie sheet. Cover with clean dish cloth and let it rise another hour or so.

Time for the crab cakes.
Ingredients:

1 can good quality jumbo lump crab
4 oz shrimp peeled and deveined
1/2 bell pepper seeded and chopped
1 whole onion minced
1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
black pepper
heavy cream
milk
lemon juice

I went to the local fish market and got a can of good quality lump crabmeat. I pick through it to look for any shell. One trick America's Test Kitchen taught me was to soak the crab in milk and put in the fridge while working with the other components.

I also got unbelievable shrimp that is used for a binder (another ATK trick). These might have been too good to use for this purpose, but I couldn't pass on these babies!

The bread is ready to go in the oven. I heat it up to 400 degrees. I place a cheap foil pan filled with water on the oven floor (this helps to steam the bread). Mix together one egg and a little water. Brush on bread and top with any toppings you like. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden on top.

Take 1/2 of the panko and toast in a pan. The other half needs to be crushed a little finer. I just put it in a plastic bag and using a rolling pin to crush them. Take all the panko and put into a big bowl. Wipe out the pan and add a little olive oil.  Add in onion and bell pepper. Add salt, a little lemon juice and pepper and let saute for about 5 minutes. Add that to the panko bowl. In a food processor add your peeled and deveined shrimp. Pulse a few times. Then while the blade is on, slowly pour in some cream. It will create a mousse. Add that to the bowl. Now drain the milk from the crab and add that to the bowl. Mix well until all combined. Create patties. Add oil to a large pan and a few patties at a time. Let them develop a nice crust on each side.

Now that all the pieces of the puzzle are done, time to assemble. I was dying to try this out.

If there was ever a recipe where you could taste the love that was put in it, this would be it. When I asked how it was, my husband couldn't even form a sentence. He sat there happily eating with a smile on his face. That was the biggest pat on the back I could receive.

Something's Fishy

Growing up, I hated fish. I thought it was too well...fishy. Looking back, my dislike of fish must have been a horror to my Portuguese family. Most holidays included fish, unless your Nana (like mine) would do anything to get you to eat and supply you with Elio's pizza or Kraft macaroni and cheese. It wasn't until a plate of what looked like fried chicken, had me whistling a different tune. My father called it "chicken fish" and I believed him. Yeah, I was a pretty gullible child.

It took me years to learn to appreciate the many preparations of seafood. Now, if I had a choice between a niece piece of grilled fish or a steak? I'd choose the fish.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go to Whole Foods. My friends and family know that a trip to a grocery store is like a spa day for me. I leisurely stroll through the aisles, compare prices in my head and grab inspiration from fresh ingredients. I'm a real hoot, huh?

When shopping for fish, don't be afraid to talk to your fish monger (I just like saying that word). For instance, I know that my local Shaw's gets their fish delivery on Tuesday. I have them take the fish out of the case and smell it. Fresh fish should smell like salt water, if you smell anything else, you don't know how old it is. Take a look at the color, it should be bright (but be careful of it being too bright, as some companies inject dye). And it shouldn't be slimy, wet, but not slimy. Here is a beautiful piece of Coho salmon.

I decided to simply roast it along with other random veggies I had left in the fridge.

I slice the salmon into 3 almost equal portions, lay them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

I chop my cauliflower and carrots, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley and add that to a foiled lined baking sheet.

I pop those into a 400 degree oven and cook the fish for about 10 minutes. While that's cooking I make a sauce to brush on the salmon. It's fresh lemon juice, Grey Poupon Dijon mustard, fresh rosemary and thyme. Just eyeball the ingredients and taste to alter. Mix well.

I then begin making my other side dish of Israeli couscous. I love this stuff! It's chewy, yet delicate and makes a great accompaniment for lots of light dishes. I decided to make this with pumpkin seeds and a touch of lemon juice. Follow the ratios for broth to couscous on the box/bag.

I toast the pumpkin seeds for a couple of minutes and remove them from the pan. Then I add in minced onion with a little bit of oil and saute for 3 minutes. I add in the couscous and toast for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly so not to burn. Then I add in my chicken broth and couple of tbsp of lemon juice, bring down to low and cover. Simmer until all the liquid has absorbed.

Remove fish after 10 minutes and brush on your sauce. Put back in oven for another 10 minutes.

Check the veggies and turn pan if needed so they roast evenly. They will roast for about 25 minutes. Want to get a kid to eat their veggies? Roast them. It brings out the natural sweetness and it's soooo good.

When everything is out of the oven and off the heat, I add the pumpkin the seeds back into the couscous and plate. This was one healthy and delicious meal!

Who doesn't love one pot meals? Quinoa and Shrimp Paella

In my house, we LOVE big flavors. Under seasoned food, is up there on my list of pet peeves. Even if we just do sea salt, black pepper and hot chili flakes (which is in almost every one of our dishes), that can go a long way. We are raising our son to appreciate bold flavors as well. At six months old and ready for solid food, we would blend him curries (not spicy) and added cinnamon and vanilla to his fruit compotes. Now at three years old, one of his biggest loves is Frank's Red Hot! Just a dab or two, so he doesn't burn his little palate. But like the commercial says, he puts that *$%@ on everything.

I wanted to make paella, but instead of using rice, I used quinoa. To me, it's a power food. It's a complete protein, so if you are trying to do more meatless dishes but worried you aren't getting enough protein, this baby alone solves that problem. I use quinoa quite a bit, for the health purposes as well as to break from the rut of pasta and rice.

The ingredients(shrimp and peas not shown):

1 cup (or two if you'd like extra) of quinoa
2 cups (or 4 if doubling or just follow quinoa pkg instructions) of chicken or veggie broth)
1 large onion diced
1 lb of frozen shrimp (I peel mine and devein it)
1 bell pepper
1 jalapeno (optional)
1 small bag frozen petite peas
6 cloves finely minced garlic
Couple pinches of Old Bay or other Seafood seasoning
1 or 2 Bay leaves
Couple of threads of saffron
Couple of pinches of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Red chili flakes if desired.
1 tbsp of olive oil

First, I let the shrimp defrost in a bowl of cold water.

And it's like my cat knows I'm working with seafood, because he comes running. And also, he cannot resist running water. Any suggestions on getting (and keeping) cats off counters?

Then I begin chopping my veggies. If using jalapeno, but don't want a ton of heat, cut it in half and remove the seed and ribs. Also, wash your hands after. I have gotten a seed stuck under a nail before and let me tell you, it stings!

Little tip for getting the most out of your bell pepper. A lot of people, (I use to be a guilty party) end up wasting a good amount of the pepper by chopping the ends off. Cut the pepper in half vertically and then just carefully trim around the edge to remove the top/stem and then you can pull out the ribs.

I must say, I love that my husband can grow pretty much anything in our garden. Having homegrown garlic all year is just awesome. We are a garlic loving family.

Now, time for the shrimp. I prefer to get the shell on shrimp and not the already cooked kind. If you are squeamish, you may want to look away. I'm going to show you how to devein and butterfly shrimp. First, follow the curve of the back of shrimp with your knife. You will see a black line. That's the digestive tract. Simply remove and rinse. And now you  have your cleaned, butterfly shrimp.

As mentioned before, we try to waste as little as we can in the kitchen (and everywhere else too). We have a compost pile that will become rich soil for the garden and chickens that thoroughly enjoy most of our scraps. A favorite for them is shrimp shells!

I put the shrimp in the bowl and sprinkle on some Old Bay seasoning and put it in the fridge while I finish chopping the veggies.

My OCD at work

I heat the olive oil in a large pan and add in my veggies. Add in my paprika, salt, pepper and chili flakes. I cook them down for about 5 mins at a medium heat. Give the quinoa a good rinse under cold water (I use a very small strainer). This will get rid of any bitterness caused by the saponin. Add the quinoa to the pan with the veggies and toast for about 2 mins.

Put the saffron in your broth, add to the pan and give it a good stir and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf. Cover and turn down the heat to low. This will cook for about 15-17 mins. I take this time to join in on the game my little guy is playing on my phone.

Now I top the quinoa with the shrimp and frozen peas. Cover again and cook until shrimp is pink and no longer translucent. Remove bay leaf.

The aroma of saffron, garlic and onion will make your house smell like Spain without having to take out your passport. When a 3 year old gives you a thumbs up and eats all his veggies, you know you've got a winner.