Tapas Night: Garlic Whiskey Shrimp, Patatas Bravas (Potatoes with Garlic), Garlic Mushrooms, White Wine Snap Peas

Yay for Tapas! I'm a huge fan of these Spanish dishes that are so great for sharing and sampling. I'm one of those people who goes to a restaurant and wants to try 5 things... and Tapas gives me just that chance. However, when you are cooking for two it gets a little more difficult since you can't buy in small enough amounts always. To compensate this meal features just 4 tapas items but in larger quantities than you would find at a restaurant.

I chose to feature 4 dishes here made up of shrimp, potatoes, mushrooms, and snap pears. However, you should feel free to mix and match. The beauty of tapas is being able to have a mish-mash of items, as if you're at your own mini-buffet. So if you have other favorites but some of these sound good put them together. This is especially great when you have company over since tapas lets you offer a variety. If someone's a picky eater they simply eat the other dishes!

Time: 30 minutes (pieces are less but you can't do it all at once!)
Difficulty: easy

Patatas Bravas
Time: 15 minutes
Patatas Bravas are typically deep fried potatoes served with a spicy garlic sauce. They're one of the most common and traditional dishes you'll find at tapas restaurants and they are absolutely delicious. However, you'll see below that I make them significantly healthier, tossing deep frying for pan sauteing, and also lighten up a bit on the spice factor although I keep the garlic portion strong.

Ingredients
2 lb potato cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil (divided 2 and 1)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced (divided 2 and 2)
3 tbsp onion, diced
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup fat free mayo

The ingredients above are for the potatoes themselves as well as the sauce, but we'll start with the potatoes. Wash your potatoes and cut them into 1 inch cubes. I leave the skin on but you can peel them first if you prefer. Put them in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil the potatoes for 2 minutes so they are crisp-soft. Drain them well.

Heat the butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Heat for 45 seconds as it gets foamy and swirl the pan to coat it entirely. Add the drained potato to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir only occasionally, 2-3 times throughout the time, so the potato can get browned and crisp. Add the salt, pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Stir well and saute for another 2 minutes. Eat them immediately when they're hot! (See sauce below to time correctly.)

As the potatoes are cooking you'll want to get the sauce ready so you can eat immediately. Heat your remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a different pan. Add the onion and other 2 minced garlic cloves. Stir frequently and cook for 5-7 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent. Turn the heat off and add the Thyme and paprika. Then remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the ketchup and mayo. You can add a sprinkle of salt and pepper as well to taste. Serve with the potatoes as a sauce.

White Wine-Garlic Snap Peas and Mushrooms
Time: 15 minutes
I actually prepared the snap peas and mushrooms in the same fashion so I will put them together here in the recipe. You can choose to make them separately or together. While the mushrooms are the more traditional dish, I wanted to add some veggies so I tossed in snap peas as well. Here they are prepared together.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 cup snap peas, washed and ends trimmed
6 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup white wine

That's right - a short list of ingredients. Wash your mushrooms and snap peas and cut them appropriately. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium to medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then immediately add the mushrooms and snap peas, stirring well. Continue to stir fairly often and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the white wine and stir well. Cook for another 5 or so minutes or until the mushrooms and snap peas are soft and a bit of the wine has cooked off. Serve immediately.

Garlic-Whiskey Shrimp
Time: 10 minutes
This is an approximation of the famous garlic shrimp recipe properly referred to as gambas al ajillo but you'll see that I make a few substitutions! To be fair, I didn't intend to use whiskey but realized I did not have cognac or sherry after already starting to cook. Feel free to be more authentic by subbing those back in instead.

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2-3 oz whiskey (sub cognac or sherry)
1 tsp lemon juice

I start by removing the tails from my shrimp but you could also cook them with the tails on if you prefer.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute, stirring the entire time. Add more pepper if you like your shrimp spicier than I do.

Raise the heat to medium high and add the shrimp, paprika, whiskey, and lemon juice. Stir frequently and saute for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and curl up tight. Remove from heat and eat immediately. This tastes especially well when served with fresh baguette.

Parmesan Baked Haddock with Charred Corn Succotash

In a throwback to some spiced up basics, tonight featured good ol' Haddock prepared with Parmesan and a crispness along with corn succotash, dressed up with some unusual additions, and finally one of my personal favorites, beer bread. Remember, though, that you can always mix and match to create your favorite.

While Haddock is often marginalized as a less sexy fish, with its common appearance and rather simply preparation usually, keep in mind that when prepared in an interesting manner it turns into an interesting fish. Do not be afraid to truly experiment and stray away from the classics you might associate with this staple. This recipe is very simple, mostly utilizing Parmesan and bread crumbs, but it adds a savory flavor and a crunch that works extremely well together.

Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Parmesan Baked Haddock
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp dried Thyme
1 lb Haddock, cut into fillets if not already that way
2 tbs melted butter/fake butter

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. This is actually the longest part of this recipe!

Mix the milk and salt in a bowl or shallow dish. In a separate bowl or shallow dish mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Thyme. Coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Take each fillet (if your Haddock is one large piece you'll want to cut it down to manageable pieces of about 1/4 lb each) and submerge it in the milk. Then dredge both sides in the bread crumb mixture, making sure it is fully coated. Place the fillets in the glass baking dish.

Drizzle the melted butter/fake butter over the fish. Sprinkle any remaining Parmesan mixture over the top.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

Charred Corn Succotash
Time: 15 minutes
This is a fun way to mix it up with corn. Love corn but sad you can't get fresh corn on the cob in the winter? We do, too! But after a while we sometimes get tired of simple frozen corn kernels. This recipe allows you to take that staple and make it more exciting, providing some fun variety and an added nutrition bonus.

Ingredients
1 can organic soy beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp olive oil
4 cups corn kernels (canned or frozen)
3/4 cup onion, diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Drain and rinse your soy beans. I used white organic soy beans but you can substitute shelled edamame or blanched fava beans if you prefer.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Give it a minute to heat and then add the corn, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir fairly frequently and cook for about 7-8 minutes or until the onion and corn begin to brown and char a bit. Add the beans and scallion and cook for another 2 minutes. You're done!

Cajun-Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia with Moroccan Flatbreads

In a quest to continue the Moroccan theme (okay, the recipes are spilling over a bit each month) tonight features some freshly made Moroccan flatbreads. These traditional breads are a bit spicy but make a great snack on their own or a nice accompaniment to a meal. You can experiment with the spices inside as well as the amount of onion you pack into a bread to vary the spice level.

I serve the flatbreads with a non-Moroccan entree and vegetable. In fact, the fish is crusted in cornmeal and Cajun spice, giving it a crispness that matches the texture of the breads while providing a contrasting flavor. Finally, I rounded out the dinner with my Broccoli-Cheese soup. I felt the creaminess of the soup would help to calm any feverish tongues after the various spices in this meal!

Time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Medium

Moroccan Flatbreads
Time: 1.5 hours
I tend to give breads higher marks for difficulty since they involve more steps and paying attention, but the truth is that as long as you follow a recipe you will not have any problems. It just means staying organized - starting in time for your meal to finish when you want it, measuring out ingredients since in baking measurements DO matter, and paying attention to the time to ensure your dough gets the proper rising time rather than too little or too much. And that is just the case with this one. It's only scary if you let it be scary, so stay calm and let's get the recipe started!

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. yeast
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 c. onion, diced
1.5 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. canola oil
(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

Dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup warm water and then let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, add the flour and the salt. Stir until it is well-blended and smooth. At this point it should be a dough.

Put some flour on a counter-top, flour your hands, and turn the dough out onto the surface you prepared. Knead for five minutes and then form a ball out of the dough and put your bowl upside down over it. Let the dough rise for 15 minutes.

Uncover the dough and knead for another 5 minutes. Divide the dough equally into 8 pieces and roll each of them into a nice ball. Put them on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat the balls with cooking spray and then cover them with plastic wrap. Let them rise for another 30 minutes.

While those are rising combine the onion, olive oil, paprika, cumin, and red pepper in a bowl. Mix well to make sure the spices and oil are evenly coating the onion.

When the 30 minutes of wait time is up take a single ball out of the plastic wrap, keeping the rest covered so they do not dry out. Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 6.5" circle. The dough will be quite thin at this point. Put about 2 tbsp of the onion mixture into the center (you want to ensure you have enough for all of your dough circles so adjust accordingly if you think you will run out too early.) Fold the two long sides into the middle over the onion so that their round edges overlap and completely cover the onion. Fold a short side up over the top so it's seam is on the same side of the flatbread as the long seams. Fold the other short side UNDER the dough so its seam is opposite. Set this flatbread aside and repeat with the rest.

Now, add 1/2 tsp of your canola oil to a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot add 4 of the flatbreads. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes and then flip them. Let them cook another 3-4 minutes. They should now be browned and crisped. If not, cook a little longer, flipping as needed. Remove from the pan and use your last 1/2 tsp of canola oil to cook the other 4 flatbreads the same way.

Cajun-Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia
Time: 20 minutes
Now it's time for the fish! This is the easy part, however. In fact, this entree comes together very quickly and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand, making it great to prepare some night when you are throwing together dinner last minute.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 tbsp. Cajun spice
1 lb. Tilapia
1 tsp. olive oil

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a pan over medium to medium high heat.

Mix your cornmeal and cajun in a shallow bowl. Take each fillet of Tilapia and dredge it in the mixture on both sides. It should be well covered. Shake very lightly to remove excess. Place each fillet carefully into your pan.

Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping halfway through. Your tilapia should be cooked all of the way through and the cajun-cornmeal mix should form almost a crust on the outside of the fish.

Eat immediately. For an extra flair serve with a fresh lemon wedge that can be squeezed over the fillets.

Mahi-mahi with Pineapple Chutney and Turnip-Parsnip Gratin

Mmmmmmmmm...... I love pineapple. I really, really do. The sweetness combined with a bit of citrus and the general juiciness of the fruit is just unbeatable. And did you know it packs a giant wallop of Vitamin C as well as a decent dose of fiber. Now, unfortunately, it's also a fruit high in sugar so you probably don't want to eat a half dozen pineapples a day, but served as a chutney over fish is great for you.

The pineapple works especially well with the Mahi in this recipe. Mahi is a tougher, firmer fish with a relatively mild taste. The pineapple melds perfectly, providing a sweetness and lightness that perfectly balances the meal. In this meal I served the fish with Cajun Fingerling Potatoes and a Turnip-Parsnip Gratin. Turnips? Parsnips? I promise you - as someone who wasn't sure I really wanted to eat either of those I truly enjoyed this meal. And my boyfriend, not known for his love of vegetables, liked it so much he ate all of the leftovers when I wasn't even home the next day. Remember, whenever you serve something with melted Brie it is bound to taste delicious.

Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Medium

Turnip-Parsnip Gratin
Time: 45 minutes
Let's get started with the vegetables since they'll take a little bit longer to cook. But remember, this meal is actually quite delicious and neither turnips nor parsnips turn out to be nearly as scary as I had guessed!

 

Ingredients:
3 cups sliced peeled turnip
3 cups sliced peeled parsnip
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup fat free chicken or vegetable broth
1.5 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup shredded Brie cheese
1 tbsp fake butter
1/3 cup panko
(this recipe is based upon one from Cooking Light)

It can actually take a decent amount of time to wash, peel, and slice your turnips and parsnips so I would start with that right away. If you can convince a friend or a significant other to be your sous chef this is the time to rope them into the cooking process! When you're done with the cutting preheat your oven to 400.

Put the turnips and parsnips in a large pan and add 5-6 cups of water or enough to fully cover and float them a bit. Bring the vegetable mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Your vegetables should be crisp-tender at this point. Drain them. Grease a glass baking dish and layer your vegetables in the dish. Set it aside for later.

Combine the milk, broth, flour, and pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer. Whisk constantly and cook for 3-5 minutes. (This is an excellent job for your sous chef again.) Add the grated cheese and whisk just until it is melted. Remove immediately from heat as the cheese melts.

Pour the cheese mixture over your vegetables, making sure it slips down into the cracks and nicely coats the turnips and parsnips, not just hovering on top.

Heat your fake butter in a small pan over medium high heat. When it is melted add your panko and stir constantly while cooking for 2-3 minutes. This will toast the panko and make it extra crispy. Sprinkle the panko evenly over the top of your gratin.

Put the dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. It should be bubbly and golden brown when coming out of the oven. Enjoy while hot!

Mahi-mahi with Pineapple Chutney
Time: 25 minutes
Are you ready for the main course? This is simple to make and absolutely delicious. You can whip this together without a lot of preparation. And the best part? You can always sample the rum used in the recipe to make sure it's still fresh as you cook!

Ingredients:
1.5 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups red onion, diced
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup gold rum
3 cups fresh pineapple, chopped into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
1.5 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb Mahi-mahi
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (or no msg fake salt)
(this recipe is based upon one from Cooking Light)

Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Stir regularly to keep from burning and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onion starts to wilt. Add the rum and cook for 30 seconds, stirring the entire time. Then add the pineapple, brown sugar, and lime juice. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should thicken during this time. When the fifteen minutes are up remove from the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro.

Once you get your chutney boiling you can turn your attention to the fish itself. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp of vegetable oil (yes, I usually use olive oil but you want to match the chutney in this case) and then when it gets hot add the fish. Sprinkle the top side of the fish with 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook 2 minutes. Flip the fish and sprinkle the remaining two 1/4 teaspoons on this side. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 5 minutes or until your fish is done. When the fish has about 1 minute of cooking time left pour the chutney over the fish in the grill pan. Let it cook for the remaining minute and serve immediately.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ah yes, a casserole. I have to admit it's not a dish you see coming from me very often. But in an effort to explore different types of cooking and, perhaps more importantly, to save some money I decided to turn to the casserole for a night.

Not only will this meal keep your bank account in check, but it also is pretty easy to prepare and provides a lot of leftovers. I made a casserole in a large, 9x13 glass pan for just two of us but then took some to work for the next several days. And whenever I can take leftovers to work it makes me happy. Healthier and cheaper lunches all at once! This becomes even better when it's raining outside.....

Since we had some pasta and protein already I was just missing veggies from this meal. I served this with my Pesto Caesar Salad that I absolutely adore. This meal is versatile enough, however, to go well with nearly any vegetable.

Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Tuna Noodle Casserole
This is a great dish when you have some leftover veggies that you're looking to make use of, are craving good ol' canned tuna fish, or are short on time or money (or both.) I was looking to save while also trying new things and this turned out to be a rather tasty attempt at something simple yet different.

Ingredients:
bag of egg noodles (cooked)
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup carrot, chopped
2 tbsp all purpose flower
2 3/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup fat free cream cheese
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup peas
3/4 cup grated parmesan
2 cans tuna
(this recipe is based upon a recipe from Cooking Light)

First of all, make sure to only buy dolphin safe Tuna. We want to make sure that we're not killing dolphins needlessly in our quest for some canned Tuna! Look for the well-known dolphin symbol on the can. You'll also want to buy Tuna packed in water, as opposed to oil. This cuts down significantly on un-needed fat and calories.

If your noodles aren't prepared, boil some water and get them cooking. You'll also want to preheat your broiler.

Heat your oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and the carrot and saute for about 5 minutes or until the carrot is tender. Stir fairly often to keep your veggies from burning. Stir in the flour. (This will help thicken the sauce.) Then, add the milk. Stir with a whisk (being careful not to scratch the pan) for 5-6 minutes. The milk should thicken slightly.

Stir in your cream cheese, mustard, and pepper. Stir well and make sure the cream cheese has melted and is evenly distributed in your mixture. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the noodles and peas and stir them in well. Then, remove your pan from the heat and turn off the stove. Add the tuna and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir well to fully mix everything. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish coated in cooking spray. Sprinkle the final 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese on top and broil for 3 minutes. It should be bubbly and hot with a golden hue to the cheese on top.

Shrimp Stir-Fry

And I officially declare February to be Asian month! Get ready for some stir fry because it is coming your way below - and probably more varieties to come as the weeks pass by. Stir fry just has so many options available and is endlessly easy to make - a perfect meal to whip together on a week night that includes veggies, protein, and usually some delicious noodles or rice.

This post starts us off with a fairly straightforward stir fry that uses shrimp as the protein but is also full of veggies. The sauce and veggies are ones you'd see fairly often in such dishes, starting you off with a more traditional meal. Feel free to experiment though with all of the recipes coming your way. Play with proteins - substituting tofu or scallops for shrimp - and feel free, as always, to add or subtract your favorite/least favorite veggies. Let us know in the comments if you find something really great so we can try it too.

Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Shrimp Stir-Fry
Ingredients:
2 tsp sesame oil
4 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
2 tbsp low-salt teriyaki sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1 can straw mushrooms
1 can baby corn
3/4 cup snap peas
3/4 cup broccoli
1/2 cup green onions
1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 package cellophane noodles
2 tsp sesame seeds

Now that might look like a lot of ingredients, but I really promise you it is not! Now to get started follow the directions on your cellophane noodles to prepare them. This may simply involve soaking them in very hot water but make sure to follow the directions to get your noodles ready.

Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a wok over medium high heat. In a separate bowl combine 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and sugar. Mix well with a whisk until it is decently blended.

Set the sauce blend aside. Put green onion, snap peas, and broccoli in to the pan when the oil is hot. Stir regularly to keep from burning and stir-fry them for 3-4 minutes or until they start to get soft and change in color. Add the straw mushrooms and baby corn. Pour on your remaining 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce, and 1 tbsp rice vinegar. Mix well so the sauce coats the stir-fry ingredients and cook another 2 minutes.

Toss in your shrimp. Stir fry for about 4-5 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and curled up tight meaning they are cooked all of the way through. Dump in your prepared (hopefully soft) noodles and pour the sauce blend you had set aside over everything. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Toss well and make sure everything is well-coated. Heat for another 1-2 minutes and then eat immediately.