Rosemary Swordfish with North African Corn on the Cob

We have a savory/North African focus again tonight! I cooked up some delectable swordfish flavored with rosemary and fresh oregano and then paired it with cous-cous and spiced corn on the cob. The corn was uniquely spiced with Middle Eastern/North African flavors, which served to complement the fish. Finally, the cous cous was flavored with curry to round out the meal.

This is a very fast meal to prepare yet appears exotic and exciting when presented. Prepare these dishes for yourself or for guests when you do not have a lot of time but want to impress! (Or simply, of course, enjoy a delicious meal yourself.....!)

Rosemary Swordfish
I used a grill pan when preparing this fish to allow the pocketed cooking method that fry pans do not provide. However, feel free to substitute a large fry pan if you do not have a grilling one!

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add two cloves of minced garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Before putting the swordfish in the pan, sprinkle one side with black pepper and rosemary. Cut up fresh oregano and put on top of fish. Place fish in pan with the spiced side down. Add the same spices (black pepper, rosemary, and fresh oregano) onto the top of the fish when it is in the pan. Pour some white wine over the top of the fish onto the pan. Add some more spice if needed! I used about 1/4 cup of wine at most.

Cook the fish for 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness of your swordfish and then flip it over. You'll want to flip when the change in color (as it cooks) is just over halfway up the sides of the fish. Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until done. Test by cutting the fish in half with your spatula. Hint: If it does not cut easily, it's probably not done!

North African Corn on the Cob
The delicious spices added to the fresh corn on the cob provides an exciting twist to a staple summer vegetable. And best of all? This recipe takes just a few minutes! You can see from the link that you are simply melting some butter and adding some spice! I used fake butter to increase the health of this vegetable and ignored the ginger since I am not a huge fan. This worked out very well!

And, as normal, I simply used the microwave for the corn. 2.5 minutes per cob! Just wrap in wax paper. This is far simpler than boiling and, as far as I can judge, produces the same results.

Enjoy your meal when it's hot!

Margarita Fish Tacos with Herbed Bread-Stuffed Tomatoes

Yes, it is true, I have blogged about fish tacos once before. But these ones are made differently! I promise! In fact, it almost tastes like a different meal since the fish is approached from an entirely different direction. The other post lightly breaded the fish and mixed in a bit of pepper before baking it. This one is made on the stove in a margarita sauce.

And then, of course, the accompaniments are different. To go along with the tequila and fish taco flavors, I made some stuffed tomatoes. Think of them as inside-out bruschetta... Tomatoes with cheese, bread, and spices inside them rather than tomatoes sitting on the bread. Interesting, right? And far healthier since this version emphasizes the tomato rather than the bread. Are you enticed enough to read on yet? Good, let's go!

Margarita Fish Tacos
You can use a variety of fish for this meal, just pick out a firm white fish of some type. I chose to use catfish for this round, but have made delicious fish tacos in the past with grouper, mahi-mahi, halibut, and tilapia as well. Choose whichever looks freshest- you will prepare in the same style no matter which one you choose!

Marinate your fish by placing it in a plastic bag and adding lime juice, tequila, and a splash of cointreau. (That's right - a margarita!) Use about 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice, 1.5-2 tablespoons of tequila, and just about a teaspoon of cointreau. Let the fish marinate for about 20-25 minutes. You actually do NOT want to over-marinate as the citrus in the liquids will actually end up cooking the fish in a ceviche style.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. (Less than 1 teaspoon.) Add two cloves of freshly minced garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Cut the fish into strips that are about 2 inches long and .5 inches wide. Place the fish pieces in the pan over medium heat. Pour on the remaining marinade. Sprinkle on just about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 1.5 teaspoons (roughly) of chipotle. Stir regularly and cook for about 7-8 minutes or until cooked through. Because the pieces are so small the fish should cook quickly.

In the meantime, you should get your sides ready! Go to my past fish tacos recipe referenced above to find a recipe for guacamole if you do not remember how to make it. Cut up some fresh tomatoes and put out some shredded cheese - there are Mexican blends that are sold, but Cheddar or Monterey Jack also work well. Just make sure to buy a low fat or fat free variety! If you would like to put out some salsa as well, that always adds to tacos. You can serve these in a soft or hard shell.

When the fish is cooked through put it out and eat while it's warm. Beware that if you're eating the tacos in a hard shell you might want to shake off any excess liquid as you pick up the fish, or else eat your taco very quickly. It'll soak through and break otherwise!

Herbed Bread-Stuffed Tomatoes
I'm not sure why these struck me as pairing so well with the tacos, but they did work out very well. And were delicious. The recipe, as you will see, is simple to follow. I substituted shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese for the Parmesan. I also use vine tomatoes, my personal favorite, rather than the plum tomatoes for which the recipe called. These worked out very well but I have no doubt that the others do as well!

And, as mentioned above, this really does come out like reverse bruschetta. You'll want to use crisp bread (they have you toast it) crumbled or cut up as bread crumbs and mix that with fresh herbs, the insides of the tomato, some spices, and a touch of olive oil. The recipe suggest you scoop out the inside of the tomato and strain through a sieve. I, however, am a huge tomato fan and could not reconcile myself with throwing good portions of it away. I kept the entire inside, cut it up into small pieces, and never bothered with a sieve. I mixed the entire inside with the rest of the ingredients. This did mean, of course, that my tomatoes were overflowing with mixture. You might want to lessen a little bit of other things to make room, or else just know that you will be piling the filling high!

Eat while they're warm! Leftovers work well too - store covered and air-tight in the fridge and re-heat in the microwave before enjoying.

Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with Moroccan Tomato Salad

At last, I get the chance to once again cook a vegetarian meal! While I absolutely love seafood, I actually am a big fan of vegetarian recipes as well. But, alas, there are others in my household who are 100% meat-etarians... and we only agree on seafood. But, every so often, a vegetable meal comes along again. This time it is a delicious mushroom and spinach pizza which is rounded out by a Moroccan Tomato Salad.

Pizza is fantastic to make for groups since you can top it with anything that you want. I'll explain my method of preparing the spinach and mushroom, but feel free to get creative as you cook. Throw other things in the pan, prepare other vegetables (or meats!) in a similar manner, or just sit back and make a cheese pizza if you prefer.

To add to the vegetable and health content of this meal, you'll also learn how to make a Moroccan Tomato Salad. If you're not a fan of tomatoes, you may as well stop reading now! It's just what it sounds like - a salad made nearly entirely of delicious, ripe tomatoes and seasoned to perfection. So let's get going with this delicious vegetarian spread!

Spinach and Mushroom Pizza
The beauty of pizza is that you can make it as difficult or as simple as you like. There are basically three options for the dough (as you will know from my previous pizza post!) They are: buy the dough already cooked and in a circular shape, buy the dough pre-made but still needing to be rolled out, or make your own dough from scratch. Personally, I recommend one of the last two options.

While I am typically a fan of making everything from scratch, pizza dough is one of the few (along with brownies) where it doesn't necessarily taste better to do so. Using dough that still needs to be rolled out provides essentially the same service. You still have freshly baked dough that tastes exceedingly fresh. I am not going to walk you through making it from scratch, but if you are interested you should look here. You'll see that it even gives you options for customizing your dough! But see how much time you have. Making your own pizza dough means letting it rise, etc, as you would any bread.

I went with the second option, of buying raw dough. At my local supermarket I have two options - whole wheat and regular. While instinct, when being healthful, is to head to the whole wheat, beware! In this case, it actually had more calories and fat without a higher fiber content. Check before buying! And remember - while you can buy pre-cooked dough that is already rolled out, it's just not as good. Honestly.

Pre-heat your oven to whatever the instructions for your dough are. Don't have? 375 is a safe bet. Prepare a pizza pan, preferably a perforated one that makes the crust crispier. Sometimes they require greasing (think Pam) but a lot of the time they actually request cornmeal instead. If there are no directions, go with Pam.

Put a small amount of olive oil in two pans over medium to medium low heat - no more than a teaspoon in each. One of these will be for your toppings and one for the sauce.

For the toppings: Add a clove of minced garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Then add the mushrooms. You can use as many or as few as you want depending how "mushroomy" you like your pizza. I used a lot! Continue to stir the mushrooms frequently to avoid burning or sticking to the pan. When they are nearly done (they should be smaller in size, soft, and wilted) then add the spinach. Remember - what looks like a lot of spinach at the start is almost nothing near the end. I used an entire bag of spinach and wished I had used more! Continue to stir the spinach and mushroom mixture often. The spinach will quickly wilt down to a small amount. Once the spinach is fully wilted your toppings are ready. Remove from the heat and keep them ready for your pizza.

For the sauce: Make sure to prepare your sauce at the same time as you prepare the toppings. Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic depending on your taste and their size. Continue stirring to avoid burning or sticking. Add diced onion; I used roughly 1 cup of diced onion for two pizzas. Stir well and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes. Add two diced tomatoes. Stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. At this point the onion should be soft and translucent; the tomato should be soft and well mixed in the entire mixture with its juices enveloping the onion and garlic. Add 1 small can of tomato sauce and 1 small can of tomato paste. Remember: always use no salt added versions! Stir until the paste is melted and well mixed with the rest to give a smooth sauce. Add basil, oregano, and italian seasoning to taste. Stir and simmer another 2 minutes. You now have your tomato sauce!

Roll out your dough, using enough flour to keep things from sticking. Place the pizza on the pizza pan. Do not worry if it's not a perfect circle - mine are always only approximate. Add sauce, leaving about an inch all the way around at the edge for the crust. You'll regret it later if you don't! Add the topping evenly across the pizza. Sprinkle with cheese. I used part-skim low-fat mozzarella which is always good, but feel free to mix it up. You can use fresh mozzarella balls, a mixture of mozzarella and parmesan, or even something different like asiago.

Bake according to the dough's instructions. If there are no instructions, start at 10 minutes and check on the pizza. When it is fully cooked the cheese will be melted, the crust will begin to look slightly golden, and you should hear a slight hollow sound when you tap your knuckles on the crust.

Enjoy! Leftover pizza is great for lunch the next day.

Moroccan Tomato Salad
I love tomatoes! Really! Truly! As a kid, when we went to restaurants, all I wanted was a plate of plain tomato cut up and shrimp cocktail. Let's just say that I was a unique 5 year-old.

This simple salad is very fast to make but tastes best when refrigerated for an hour or two before eating to allow the tomatoes to soak up the sauce. It's based on some Moroccan ideas but is simplified here. If you are not a fan of tomato, I'm guessing this dish is not for you since that is largely the only ingredient. However, if you too are a fan, dive right in. This unique salad satisfies immediately and provides a new flavor to tomatoes that you've most likely never tried before.

Cut up a bunch of tomatoes in wedges and place in a bowl. I used 4-5 tomatoes in my salad for 2-3 people. Tear up a handful of fresh basil leaves and add those. If you do not have fresh you can use the spice, but it won't turn out quite as well! Liberally sprinkle the tomatoes with red wine vinegar. You'll want to use enough to coat the tomatoes and pool a bit in the bottom when they are well tossed. Sprinkle a little, toss, and see how it goes. I probably used several tablespoons. Pour on some very light olive oil. You'll want to use high quality olive oil here since you will not be cooking with it. Make sure to use far less oil than vinegar to retain some health! Probably 1/2 as much is plenty to suffice, but you might even start with 1/3 and see how that goes. Toss the mixture well. There should be a little bit of liquid at the bottom of the bowl but not much. Remember - this is salad, NOT soup. If you see a lot pooled than you used too much.

Refrigerate until ready to use - best if it sits for 1-2 hours before serving.

Southwest Arctic Char Caesar Salad with Manchego-Jalapeno Beer Bread

This meal, as you have guessed, was originally meant to be a Southwest Salmon Caesar Salad. Does that sound more normal now? But, alas, when I went to Whole Foods the Char looked amazing and I could not resist. And the spirit of cooking is throwing out the recipe book and playing along!

This salad does a great job of replicating the taste of your favorite caesar salad at a restaurant without anywhere near the same number of calories. And with the freshly prepared arctic char on top, it is plenty filling for an entree and still delicious!

I paired the salad with some freshly made bread - specifically Manchego-Jalapeno Beer Bread. I cannot extol the virtues of Beer Bread enough. If you made the basic version I wrote about a couple months back, you must understand what I am talking about. It is very fast and easy to make and provides a slightly different taste than other breads - just enough to draw your interest. While basic plain beer bread is fabulous, this one spices it up a bit with Manchego cheese and some Jalapenos. But don't worry - read ahead to find out how to make it without being spicy!

Southwest Artic Char Caesar Salad
As I discussed above, this recipe was originally meant to be a Southwest Salmon Caesar. The dressing sounded a little odd to me at first, but I dove right in... and ignored the anchovies. It tasted great. Everything blended together to provide a genuine Caesar taste at far fewer calories than you would get in a restaurant or out of a bottle.

For the fish you'll lightly add some spices and cook in a pan. Keep in mind that while similar in color and taste, Arctic Char is a good deal thinner than Salmon. You will not have to cook it as long on the stove. You can check it the same way you would check Salmon - the middle should be pink all the way through rather than the deeper orange with which you started.

Manchego-Jalapeno Beer Bread
The beauty of beer bread? You dump in some flour, some miscellaneous ingredients, and a bottle of beer. You stir and bake. Forget about yeast, rising, punching down, and struggling to find a place in your house that is 85 degrees Fahrenheit to let your bread rise... and in the dark covered with a towel. Beer bread is simple and quick to make.

Although I am a big fan of original beer bread, this recipe mixes it up with some cheese and spice. For those of you not familiar with Manchego, its mild and tart all at the same time. You won't find it shredded, so buy a chunk of it fresh and pull out your cheese grater. There is nothing like fresh cheese in your freshly made bread!

Not a fan of spicy? Well, neither am I. Believe it or not, jalapenos do not have to be spicy. The secret is to get rid of the pulp and seeds on the inside. The shell of the pepper has flavor but no actual spice. I used one jalapeno after I carefully removed the insides. You can make it mild as I did, spicy using the whole pepper, or anywhere in between by using just a little.

I enjoyed my beer bread plain, but stick on your favorite spread or even just butter if you want a little more flavor.

Enjoy!

Wow!

Since starting this blog I've had visitors from Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Canada, China, India, and Angola. In addition, from the US, there have been visitors from 22 states as well as the District of Columbia.

To date, I've had 1,145 page loads and 649 unique visitors.

Not too shabby for under three months!

But, I want to get better. What do you like? What don't you like? Please comment below with your comments, criticisms, and requests. Spread the word to your friends, visit often, and never hesitate to tell me what else you want to see, or what you would rather not see.

This has been a great experience so far and I look forward to a long existence! Check back tomorrow for Manchego Jalapeno Beer Bread and Artic Char Caesar Salad.

Thank you, everyone. This is truly amazing!

Stir-Fried Noodles with Shrimp and Vegetables and Green Onion Egg Drop Soup

I can't say that I'm experienced in Asian cooking, and wasn't entirely sure how my efforts would turn out, but this meal has quickly moved towards the top of my favorites list. The meal was very easy and fast to make, lighter than expected while still being filling, and absolutely delicious. You could easily make it with tofu, or with no "meat" at all, as well as with the shrimp that I used in this one version. It has plenty of flavor to go around!

To round out the meal I tried my hand at making egg drop soup with a twist - green onions. I have to admit, this was more fun than I originally expected. If you haven't made this before it's very simple to follow and definitely different than any other soup that I have made before. Get excited and give it a try!

Stir-Fried Noodles with Shrimp and Vegetables
Sadly, I do not have a wok. I know... What kind of cook doesn't have a wok? (Feel free to fix this travesty by giving me one.) If you have one, you'll want to use it for this recipe, but if you do not, don't stress! You can use a large fry pan as a substitute. I used my biggest one that is more like the base of a cylinder with vertical sides rather than a smaller one with curved sides. This gave me plenty of space for stir-frying.

First, let's get the noodles out of the way. I used pad-thai style noodles for these which are basically flat rice noodles. These stir fry extremely well, but you can substitute Chinese egg noodles if you prefer. Prepare the noodles according to their instructions. If, like me, you choose the pad-thai style noodles then you'll most likely be soaking them in warm water for about ten minutes. Once they are soaking (or boiling if those are the instructions) you can start with the stir fry. They will be ready by the time you need them!

Put a tablespoon of peanut oil in the pan and heat over medium to medium high heat. Add two cloves of minced garlic and two shallots once the oil is heated. Stir often to keep the garlic and shallots from burning. Let them cook for 3 minutes and then add shrimp. For best results, buy peeled and de-veined shrimp! That way you do not have to do that yourself. You can leave the tails on or pull them off. Personally, I prefer to pull them off before cooking but it is absolutely acceptable to cook the shrimp either way.

Continue to stir the shrimp often; you want to ensure they are getting flipped over as well so they can cook evenly. Right after adding the shrimp, toss in 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms. Make sure they are down to a bite-sized slice! Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup diced green onions. Continue to stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

At this point the shrimp and the mushrooms should be just about done! Shrimp turn pink when done and mushrooms should be soft and wilting. Toss in 2 cups of bean sprouts, 2 cups diced tomato, and 4 tablespoons of chopped basil. Add the noodles. (Note: these should already be cooked.) Pour in roughly 1/4 cup of soy sauce. Make sure to use a low-sodium variety. I prefer dark soy sauce, but you can use either version.

The stir fry should look basically done at this point. The noodles should be lightly coated with a dark sauce. You want to make sure the sauce is enough to cover the vegetables and noodles, but not so much that it is pooling. Toss in a little bit of teriyaki sauce as well for some variety. (Also purchase low-sodium teriyaki sauce.) Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Add more sauce if needed - either soy or teriyaki to taste.

Remove from the stove and enjoy!

Green Onion Egg Drop Soup
This is truly fun to make. Really. And I can't take credit for the recipe. And believe it or not, it's incredibly simple to make as well.

Read through the entire recipe first and be ready to go because it moves quickly. You'll basically throw most of the ingredients in, simmer a bit, and then get to the egg. And this is where it's entertaining. You know how you get those bits of egg in egg drop soup? You drop a beaten egg into simmering broth! And it forms immediately! Instantaneously! It's amazing.

What can I say - it's the simple things in life that amuse me!

So jump on in, stare in amazement at your soup, and chow down on some amazing stir-fry.

Roasted Tilapia with Caramelized Leeks with Roasted Potatoes with Herb Vinaigrette and Parmesan Zucchini-Sticks

Apparently the theme of the day is roasting. The tilapia, potatoes, and zucchini are all prepared in the oven, leaving your stove top relatively clean for once! But, don't worry, we'll still be making a little bit of a mess as we dive on into this delicious cornucopia.

The simply prepared, savory tilapia is complimented by sweet, caramelized leeks that bring out the herbs on the potatoes. Then, to round it all out, the zucchini is prepared with a bit of parmesan style, baked in a style that at restaurants is so often fried. The fun finger food is delicious and adds a bit of calcium and pizazz to a more classic entree and potato side. Prepare this meal when your guests are fans of eating with their fingers!

Roasted Tilapia with Caramelized Leeks
Did I mention I love caramelized vegetables? The most typical version is the onion, which is absolutely delicious. However, you can caramelize many other vegetables as well. Green onions and leeks, close relatives of our friend the Vidalia onion, are both great options for caramelization.

Buy one large bunch of leeks per pound of fish, or two if you realllllllllly love leeks. Cut up the leeks into slices so you have strings and circles of the vegetable. Heat a little bit of butter in a pan (about 1 tsp.) Remember, whenever I say butter I mean fake butter! I only use LITE I Can't Believe It's Not Butter which is at least half the calories of the original substitute. When the butter has melted place the leeks in the pan and keep the heat on medium low. Cook the leeks, stirring frequently to avoid having them burn or stick to the pan.

After about 10 minutes sprinkle some brown sugar on top. You'll want to use about a tablespoon of brown sugar here. Stir well so that the sugar is melted and absorbed. After an additional 10 minutes add a little more brown sugar to taste (and look.) Continue stirring and cooking over medium low heat for another 5-10 minutes. You're leeks should now be lightly browned and well wilted. Not only did you add sugar, but this slow caramelization process brings out the natural sugars as well.

Place your tilapia filets on a baking sheet. Place 1/2 a teaspoon of lemon juice on each filet. Sprinkle with black pepper and red pepper. You can also sprinkle very lightly with fake salt (or real if you must.) Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve with the leeks over the top of the filets.

Roasted Potatoes with Herb Vinaigrette
The herb vinaigrette adds a nice twist to the more old-fashioned and common roasted potato. You'll see this recipe has you roast the potatoes and then pour on the vinaigrette right at the end. I, however, preferred to add 5 minutes of additional roasting time after the vinaigrette was added. Cooking the potatoes with the herbs and sauce allows the flavor to be locked in.

Keep in mind that potatoes take a while to roast. Although the fish entree is listed above you will probably want to get the potatoes going first and then not start the rest of the meal until your finished products will line up. While these potatoes are delicious, they are not quite as enjoyable cold!

Have some leftovers? Re-heat them on the stove and serve them with an omelette for some delicious breakfast potatoes.

Parmesan Zucchini Sticks
Finally, we'll turn our attention to this oft-fried classic. This baked version actually does a great job of approximating the taste and crunch while leaving the vegetable healthy. Beware, however! While it's not awful, this side dish also doesn't keep particularly well. You might want to make just what you can eat in one serving and save any leftovers to be made fresh once again.

You'll see that this recipe also contains instructions to prepare a red pepper dipping sauce. I've made the sticks with it once and without it once. The sauce is absolutely delicious, but I found that it prepared far more than I could ever use. I also ended up enjoying the zucchini sticks so much plain that it seemed silly that I spent the ingredents, time, and effort on a sauce. My suggestion is to make it if you'll have several interested parties, but either scale it back or use leftovers on a sandwich or as a fish/chicken marinade. If it's just you and one other person, though, you might just prefer to skip the sauce and head straight for the sticks.

Bon Appetit!