Syrup On A Fish

Maple glazed group for two, ladies and gentlemen-that's today's recipe!

A Sunday at Harris Teeter could not produce fresh Grouper Filet so I had to settle for Corvina Filet instead. The guy behind the fish counter told me that this was the closest thing to Grouper, but he kind of explained in a way that said "I'm going to tell you this is the closest thing to Grouper, but I really don't know, but I really don't want to go ask somebody, so I'm hoping that you just cook your fish and it turns out tasty anyways." I took the risk with the Corvina.

My version was tasty, but I recommend doing your best to find fresh Grouper first! The following is my dad's recipe:

What you'll need:
-2/3 Ib of Grouper Filet
-2 tablespoons maple syrup
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-Salt & Pepper
-Fresh Sage julienned (be generous with the Sage)

Clean fish thoroughly. Salt and pepper fish and rub on sage, maple syrup and 1 table spoon of oil. Marinade for 1 hour.

Heat 2 table spoons of oil in pan and sear fish 3-4 minutes on each side. Pour any left over liquid in the pan during the last 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serve with a nice glass of bubbly and a couple sides. We went simple with some couscous and a salad, but dad provided a great suggestion by using baked sweet potato and garlic string beans for the sides. If you'd like to make the garlic string beans, just get 2 servings of blanched string beans, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 almond slivers, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Mix all ingredients in a frying pan and heat through on high heat. Enjoy!

This One Goes Out To You, Veggies

When I was a kid, I never had a problem with eating vegetables, and then I tried string beans from the school cafeteria...

I would compare the taste of said string beans to what I imagine it would taste like to eat rubber bands coated in nail polish remover. They smelled like medical instruments. My reaction pretty much went something like this:

After this experience, I came to the realization that not everyone knows how to cook vegetables the right way. Now I have made it a mission to prove to the world (and children like the above) that veggies can taste delicious! So dad sent me this recipe for eggplant parm. I don't even like eggplant and I LOVED this dish. So veggie haters, give it a try anyways; I can promise you'll be pleasantly surprised.

What you'll need:
-2 medium sized eggplants (the large ones tend to get very bitter)
-8 oz. of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
-1/4 cup of grated parmesan reggiano
-Homemade marinara (see below)

Begin by thinly slicing the eggplant into 1/8" slices; thin slices is going to be the key to this recipe. Lay out the slices on a paper towel and sprinkle salt on them. Once you have salted all slices, let the eggplant sit for about 30 mins or more to release their moisture.

While you're waiting on your eggplant, you can get started on the homemade marinara sauce:

What you'll need:
-1 16 oz. can of Muir Glen whole plum tomatoes
-1/2 chopped onion
-3 cloves of crushed garlic
-1 teaspoon of raw sugar
-1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
-1/2 a beef buillon cube

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until it's translucent. Cut the plum tomatoes up before putting them into the pan. Add the liquid from the container. Then, add all the other ingredients and stir. Cover the mixture and cook for about 20 mins on a low temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and finish crushing the tomatoes with an immersion blender if you own one. I just used a fork...I'm not advanced enough for an immersion blender yet. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper and your marinara should be set! The homemade marinara is so worth it-I was licking my plate clean to say the least.

The onions should probably be cut smaller than this, but it still tasted awesome!

By now your eggplant should be ready. You will be able to see the droplets of moisture on top of each slice like the following:

Begin heating a frying pan on medium heat with canola oil glazing the bottom, about 1/4". Canola oil is preferred, but olive oil will work as well. Place your slices of eggplant onto the pan and fry until they are golden brown. 

Pancakes?

You'll want to have a plate with a couple paper towels on it ready so you can transfer the slices once you are done. The paper towels will absorb the excess oil.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Once you have fried all your slices, you'll be ready to prepare your dish. Spread 3 tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of the pan. 

Yes, it's really only that much.

Start layering the eggplant, followed by the cheese. The order should be: eggplant, mozarella, parmesan reggiano, repeat. Continue this process until you have used up all the eggplant, and be generous with the cheese for the last layer!

Bake this dish for 15 mins, and finish under the broiler for a couple mins to lightly brown the cheese. In Italian, this dish is called melanzane parmeggiano. My dad and I were lucky enough to try this dish first hand prepared by my Sicilian Aunt Teresa in Sciacca, Sicily. While you're waiting for your dish to bake, here's a little history from dad:

"Sicily is a country that was invaded by countless cultures over 10,000 years and with each inhabitant was left a piece of culture that influenced the foods they eat today. Most of the island is used for farming and citrus fruits top the list of fresh produce. Olive trees and grape vines also dot the landscape as well as cattle, sheep and poultry farms. We visited a friend's farm and I was overwhelmed by the size of the broccoli heads growing in their fields. The tempered climate and fertile soil help to produce these larger than life fruits and vegetables that have only heightened the taste rather than diminished. My Aunt and Uncle made several dishes each day so that we could experience the taste of their local cuisines during our short 4 day stay. One of the dishes we were treated to was the eggplant parmesan, similar to our traditional parmesan only by name. The dish used very thinly sliced, fried eggplant with fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese dotted with fresh marinara. The sweetness of the eggplant and the creaminess of the fresh mozzarella is what makes this dish so delicious."

View from Sciacca

Once you have finished, you can add the rest of the sauce to the top and serve fresh with a salad or other appetizing side!

OMGEEZZZ...this picture does zero justice to how good this actually turned out.

Buon appetito!

Wok and Roll

Have you ever had to clean a Wok properly? Apparently I bought the proper type of Wok; however, they are kind of a pain to clean because you have to make sure you get the lacquers off before you can even use the thing. I followed the directions on my Wok: heat 1/4 cup cooking oil in the wok until it starts smoking...then, scrub your wok with steel wool using a wooden spoon while it's heating over the stove:

My God, I'm artsy.

Appetizing...I know.

Everything was going fine and dandy until I lifted my wok, proud as ever to find...

ABOH???!!!

GAH. I'm still trying to get this off my stove. What is it? Great question. I'm still figuring that out...

My advice? Check the bottom of your wok when you start heating it to make sure this isn't occurring underneath...and conclusively, if you're going to purchase a proper wok, don't say I didn't warn you.

But let's be for real...you're not here to listen to me vent about my wok debacle; you're here for the deliciousness! Last night's recipe-Chicken Stir Fry!

What you'll need:
-1 boneless, skinless chicken breast...or 2 breasts depending on how much chicken you want and what size the breasts are
-1/4 of a red bell pepper, diced
-4 cloves of garlic
-3 scallions, sliced on a bias
-1 carrot julienned
-1 small zucchini julienned
-Some asparagus cut up into 1" pieces
-1 small bag of Udon noodles cooked

If you don't have a wok, a regular pan will do. Before you even start cooking, portion out all your vegetables ahead of time; the prep work takes about as long, if not longer than the cooking itself.

Asparagus, zucchini, scallions, garlic, carrots, red bell pepper

Now, I'm one of those people that's an absolute freak about cleaning chicken for fear I will get poisoned or something. Everyone knows how to clean chicken, but my ritual is to wash it in cold water, then cut it up into long strips (you'll want it sliced thin for this recipe), and lastly dip it in lemon juice. The lemon juice is supposed to eliminate bacteria with it's acidity-I'm not entirely sure how much of that is true, but it helps me sleep knowing that I've "properly" cleaned the chicken.

Start heating your wok with about a tablespoon of oil. Once your chicken is cleaned and sliced you can throw it into the wok and start cooking it at medium temperature. Dad says to add one piece at a time so that they don't stick together. I just threw 'em all in and then separated them with my tongs. 

Bam!

As they are cooking, season with salt and pepper. Please feel free to get a handful of the salt/pepper at this point and pull an Emeril Lagasse, yelling "BAM!" When they are done, separate them onto a clean plate.

Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the now empty wok and throw in your carrots and asparagus, stirring for about 2 mins. Add the bell pepper, garlic, and noodles to the wok and cook for 1 min. Add the remaining ingredients and stir fry for 1 min. Take that plate of chicken you put aside and add that to the wok, along with about a tablespoon of soy sauce. I personally like a little more soy sauce (2 tablespoons), so feel free to add as much as you would like. 

Stir fry so that everything is mixed together and lastly, add sesame seeds! (You can yell "BAM!" when you throw those in too...it will make your guests think you're more legit.)

Le finished product!

Dad says: "Can you feel the love? This dish will warm your soul and keep you healthy!"
I say: "Bring on the soy sauce."