Baked Cod

One of my favorite baked fish dishes

  1. Bunch scallions, green and white parts separated
  2. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  3. Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  4. 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless cod fillets 
  5. 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
  6. 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  7. ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
  8. ⅔ cup finely chopped Persian or English (hothouse) cucumber
  9. 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or mint
  10. 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
  11. 1 garlic clove, finely grated or mashed to a paste
  12.  Red-pepper flakes
  13.  Flaky sea salt, for serving
  1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mince enough of the scallion greens to equal 2 tablespoons and reserve. Halve remaining scallion whites and greens lengthwise to make ribbons. Place scallion ribbons in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt; set aside. 
  2. Season cod with salt and pepper, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle cod with a little oil, soy sauce and fish sauce. Transfer to the oven and roast, 2 minutes. Add scallion ribbons to the baking sheet, spreading them out in one layer around the fish, and roast until the fish is opaque in the center and golden at the edges, and scallions are browned in spots, 6 to 10 minutes.
  3. While fish roasts, make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with 1 tablespoon minced scallion greens, the yogurt, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. To serve, arrange cod and scallions on serving plates and squeeze lemon over the top. Dollop yogurt sauce over with cod and garnish with remaining scallion greens, red-pepper flakes, more black pepper, and sea salt, if you like.

Do: use a lot of sauce

Don’t: overcook the fish

Dry wings

Best wings ever.

Ingredients:

  • Chicken party package (comes with wings and drummies) can get at Safeway 
  • Dry seasoning of choice
    • Basic – Salt & Pepper
    • Other – paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin)
  • Olive oil
  • Oven temp – 400
  • Cooking time – total 35-40 min

 

  1. Remove wings from package and dry with paper towel and place on cookie sheet with paper towel under and on top.  Let sit in fridge for a bit to get nice and dry
  2. Take out and blot again with paper towel
  3. Put in bowl with and coat very lightly with olive oil
  4. Add seasoning and rub in good and let sit for a bit (30 min or so then add a bit more if desired)
  5. Preheat oven to 400
  6. Place foil on bottom of a large baking sheet for grease to drip and ease clean up
  7. Get cooling rack and place on baking sheet and place wings and drummies on the rack (top side up)  a bit above bottom of baking sheet
  8. Bake for 20 min then flip
  9. Bake for 10 min more
  10. Broil for 2-3 min (make sure the rack isn’t too close to the broiler or will burn…watch closely)
  11. Flip and boil for 2-3 min on the original side

Since these are basic, ideally you use several dipping sauces: Like BBQ, Ranch and Buffalo.

 

Chachalaca (tequila drink)

The Chachalaca is a simple classic Mexican marathoner drink. Originated on the beaches of the Riviera Maya, this drink is considered the healthiest of all cocktails. Its not actually called a chachalaca… thats a grapefruit drink

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Julio 70, or any premium white tequila
  • Small soda water can or bottle, ideally a 10 oz’er
  • 1/2 lime
  • Cocktail ice
  • Salt
  1. Salt rim of tall cocktail glass (use lime edge for adherence)
  2. Fill tall cocktail glass with ice
  3. Add tequila
  4. Add 1/2 of a large lime

Enjoy!

Pad thai

here is the shit 

ingredients

  • 8 oz pad thai noodles
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 serrano chile
  • 1/4 cup canola oil (lose the gun)
  • 3 large shallots thinly sliced
  • 3-4 garlic cloves minced
  • 12 oz medium to large shrimp
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 4 scallions (thinly sliced)
  • Chopped cilantro for serving
  • 2 tbsp asian fish sauce

Process: (not the 76’ers)

  1. Put the noodles in a large bowl and cover with very hot water. Let soak until just pliable, about 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a colander and drain, shaking and tossing the noodles once or twice.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and chile. Set aside 
  3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2’ish tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.Add the garlic, cook for 1 min so as not to burn
  4. Add the pad thai noodles and stir-fry until heated through, about 2 minutes.
  5. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until a touch under-cooked 
  6. Pile the noodles and shrimp to one side of the pan (away from you) and add a tablespoon of oil to the empty side of the skillet to cook the eggs in.  Add the eggs and cook to 50-75% done. At this point you are cooking the eggs in a small corner of the skillet at a major slant so as not to get the oil into the other stuff
  7. Add the scallions and toss everything together, keeping the eggs relatively intact.
  8. Add the fish sauce mixture and lightly stir-fry until the noodles are evenly coated, 1-2 minutes.
  9. Top w cilantro and a splash of lime
will get back to you on do’s and dont’s

Legendary healthy chicken soup

Healthy chicken soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade. Make sure its hardy (or salt it up later)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 serrano, diced
  • 1 (14-ounce can) whole tomatos, drained
  • 2 cup shredded cooked chicken breast. Approx 2-3 breasts
  • Cilantro
  • 1 Lime
  • 1 avocado
  • Sourdough or other nice bread like olive bread
  • Creme fraiche

Process:

  1. Season three chicken breast with classic garlic salt overnight (or not and do in real time)
  2. And the next day….par boil chicken to a bit underdone
  3. Hand shred the chicken and set aside
  4. Saute onion, garlic and Serrano. First do the onion and Serrano and then the garlic for the last 60 seconds (so it doesn’t burn). 
  5. Concurrently bring the chicken stock to a simmer
  6. Add the onion, garlic and chile, and simmer 15 minutes.
  7. Add the tomatoes, and simmer for another five+ minutes. Taste and adjust salt (if needed) 
  8. Serving
    1. In up to 4 small bowls put a small handful of shredded chicken
    2. Ladle in a helping of broth
    3. Top each bowl with half an avocado (sliced restaurant style )
    4. Place a dollop of creme fraiche on top of the avocado
    5. Sprinkle diced cilantro and a squeeze of lime in bowl 
  9. Add a slice of toasted sourdough

done.

Cod in butter sauce

Great Cod recipe, takes 10 minutes.

Ingredients
Fish:
1 1/2 lbs fresh cod fillets
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white dry wine
6 oz cherry tomatoes
herbs chopped (cilantro or parsley)
Seasoning:
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp chili powder

  • In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the seasoning. Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic and chili powder. 
  • Season cod on all sides.
  • In a skillet over med heat, add the broth, wine and cherry tomatoes, cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes start to burst and release juices.
  • Add butter, cook until butter melts, stirring the sauce.
  • Once butter melts add the cod. Cook over medium/high heat 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping halfway through the cooking. (DON’T over cook the cod.)
  • Pour sauce over cod. Add fresh chopped herbs and serve.

Pub Style Chicken Curry (The way the English do it – adapted from Candace Sampson)

  • 2 Large bone in Chicken Breasts
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Olive oil and a dollop of butter
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 3 Carrots – Quartered and diced
  • 4 Cloves of garlic – minced
  • 2″ piece of Ginger – minced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes – or to taste
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp mild yellow curry powder
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1/2 Tsp Tumeric
  • 1/2 Tsp Cumin
  • 2 C Chicken Stock
  • 1 C Heavy whipping Cream
  • 1 Tbsp Sweet Mango Chutney

Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and cook for 1/2 hour.  They won’t be completely cooked through. Shred once the chicken has cooled.
  2. Heat olive olive oil and butter in a sauce pan.  Add the onions, carrots, garlic, red pepper flakes and ginger.  Season with salt and pepper, Saute for about 5 min.
  3. Stir in tomato paste.
  4. Add curry powder, flour, Tumeric and Cumin and stir to coat the vegetables
  5. Add the chicken and stir
  6. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add in cream and once it returns to the boil turn it down to a low simmer for about 1/2 hour.  Stir occasionally.
  7. Stir in Chutney just before serving.  I typically add a couple of tablespoons but you can also have on the side.
  8. Taste and add salt if needed.
  9. Serve over Basmati rice and if you’re lucky to have some Naan bread it’s great for dipping.
  10. And if you’re really lucky and you have a curry tree, fry up some leaves until crispy and sprinkle over the top.  So delicious!

 

 

Lemon Pasta

Amazing pasta recipe.. all about technique. 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lemon, zest entire lemon
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 1-2 tsp of chili flakes (yer call…we do 1) 
  • Chicken stock concentrate (1/2?)
  • 3 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil
  • butter

Process:

  1. Boil large pot of salted water and cook spaghetti to al dente
  2. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain
  3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in original pot
  4. Add garlic, half the lemon zest and a pinch of chili flakes
  5. Cook, stir until fragrant, about a minute. 
  6. Stir in 1/2 cup of reserves pasta water, stock concentrate and juice from half the lemon and simmer until thickened, about 2-3 mins and take off heat
  7. Add spaghetti, sour cream and 1 tbsp butter and toss. 
  8. Add half the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper and mix in
  9. Divide into bowls and serve with the rest of the chili flakes and Parmesan. 

DO: use additional pasta water at end coating if it seems dry

DONT: overcook pasta 

Sister Love’s Travelling Salvation Corn (grilled Mexican corn)

This is an old recipe from 1600’s Mexico….or maybe, 2010 US’ Merica……

Many people get it wrong out of the gate and boil their corn or grill it in the husk, which is more of a tourist trap move. This here is the shizzle. butter….fire….salt

Ingredients:

  • Fresh white corn or if you cant find, good young yellow corn
  • Salt 
  • Butter (alot)
  • A grill

Process:

  1. Shuck the corn. Do it well. Take off the husks and then get all those hairs off. I did thousands in my youth, a useful hint. Hold and turn after you husk. 
  2. Heat grill to medium’ish
  3. Melt a little butter in a dish off on the edge of you grill.. 
  4. Lightly butter the corn with a brush, let any extra butter drip off if you have the patience, nobody does. 
  5. Set corn on heat and turn every couple of minutes. If it doesn’t start to get nicely charred kernels add a bit more butter, but put on the non-flame side so it has time to settle into the corn otherwise it will get nasty. 
  6. Butter….grill….turn….. until it looks like the movies.
  7. THEN… this is key
  8. Put corn on the upper part of the grill, add butter again with the brush and salt on all sides. Let is sit for a good 5-10 minutes

BOOOOM