Baking Halibut With Orange Juice And Mustard

I saw something similar to this done on a TV show once, so today when I fumbled through an almost empty freezer and found a package of halibut, it sort of came back to me...sort of!!

What was that cooking sauce?  It had some orange juice and some fancy mustard in it is all I remembered, so I had to improvise!  Believe it or not, it worked!

I thawed the halibut by placing it in a resealable plastic bag in cold water.  In about 15 minutes it was soft to the touch, but hard toward the middle, which was good enough for me!  I was hungry!

All the while, my wife pealed some Yukon Gold potatoes and I cut them into quarters and eighths for baking.  She salted and peppered the potatoes and put them into a 350 oven for about 35 minutes.

I went to the computer and posted some Fine Art America photos, while she found a can of green beans and prepared to fry them; shaking salt and some hot and spicy pepper flakes over them.  

In a small bowl, I mixed up a tablespoon of some Grey Poupon, honey, pineapple preserves (orange marmalade might have been more appropriate, but I used what was at hand), soy sauce, and orange juice, with a couple of strong shakes of black pepper!  No salt was added because the soy contains plenty!  I used this mixture to baste both sides of my halibut.

At the appropriate time I basted the fish (both sides), and placed it in a 350 degree oven.  I arranged the fish on a metal rack, sitting in a large pan to catch the drippings.  In 8 minutes, I removed the fish and turned it over, basting the upper side once more.  I put it back in the oven for 10 minutes, this time turning it up to 375.

When the timer went off, I turned on the broiler for 3 minutes.  The top of the fish will begin to rapidly bubble about half way through this period, so you can watch it until it gets as dark as you like it.

The fish was thoroughly cooked and flaky once on our plates.  I surrounded the fish with the potatoes and beans, and we really enjoyed a quiet Sunday afternoon meal.

Cooking Steak In A Skillet

So, like most of you, the rain has pushed me indoors this summer; curtailing my grilling!

I wanted a nice juicy New York Strip yesterday, but alas, it rained, yet again, on my grilling parade!

No more will I suffer, or do without my steak.  Like the fancy chefs on TV I managed to pull off a perfect steak on and in my electric stove!

The big fat potato had to cook for over an hour.  I didn't have to pick out the largest specimen they had, but I wanted enough to satisfy both wife and me.  

That done, I begin to saute the medium size pieces of baby Bella portabella mushrooms and onions in butter, some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

I put about 2 teaspoons of real butter in an iron skillet and got it up to high heat.  I forked in the salted, peppered, and garlic powdered steaks, fitting the round side of the strips comfortably into the rounded sides of the skillet.

I browned each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until a pleasing brown appears on each steak.

I then popped the skillet into a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes for medium rare, or 20 minutes for well done.

My wife prepared the potato by halving the huge spud, cutting them into sectioned pieces, salting and peppering them, spreading on some butter, then layering on some cheese and sour cream.

I placed a steak on each plate and smothered them with the mushrooms and onions.

This is the way you do it when your grill is being rained on!  As a matter of fact, I my not crank it up again all summer!

My Mexican Omelette

We were out on a road-trip a couple of Sunday's ago, and stopped, again, at the Golden Girls Restaurant,  2211 North Charles G. Sievers Blvd., Clinton, TN.

We have eaten there before, and it has always been a pleasing experience.  It needs a little modernizing, but I guess that's the appeal to us.  The day we were there they had suffered a little wind damage and there was a blue tarp over a section of the roof.

This trip Judy ordered okra, pinto beans, the chicken and dumplings, with fried cornbread!  I chose the "Mexican Omelette" ( or omelet), and it was spectacular!  They put whole jalapenos in theirs, and man was it hot!  But, I love hot!

So, this past Sunday morning I made my version for our granddaughter, and she was wild about it!  Of course, I served it with cheesy grits, which she also loves.

The prep takes a little while, but usually while the coffee is brewing and the biscuits are cooking you can have it done and ready to pour the eggs.

I mixed some chopped honey-ham, some Paul Newman's Salsa, some canned mushrooms (chopped), onions, yellow bell pepper, and diced jalapenos in a small frying pan and sauteed them in a little butter.  

I had already prepared the cheesy grits (Quick Grits with lots of Velveeta cheese and butter!), and coffee was brewing.  I also cooked my bacon, 2 strips per person, in the microwave.  Usually about a minute per slice, but until it's crisp.

I mixed up some eggs in a bowl, usually one egg per person, and added a little salt and pepper.

In a medium hot skillet, pour in enough egg to form a thin layer on the entire bottom of a medium pan.  The mixture should be thoroughly whipped.  If you leave some white unmixed, it will separate when you try and turn it.

When you can tell the mixture is completely cooked on the bottom side, gently squirm your spatula underneath and over to the center.  Then gently raise it up and flip it over.  The opposite side should cook quickly.  

Remove the egg and place it on a plate.  Spread the cooked ingredients in a line across the egg, sprinkle on some mild cheddar cheese, lay on two strips of bacon, and then close the edges of the egg over the mixture.  Spoon some more salsa down the length of the omelet, plop on a biscuit or the grits on the side (not both...too many carbs), and serve the plate.

It will put a smile on your face!

BTW, the jalapenos make coffee taste even better!  Try it!

Gordon Ramsey Would Be Proud!

Actually, ol' Gordo might not be so proud.  I made Risotto last night.  It seems to be his main appetizer dish on his cooking shows, and I have only found one restaurant locally that offers it.  I've always wanted to try risotto, especially with shrimp or lobster, but haven't lucked up on it as yet.

So, I saw this box of Lundberg Risotto in the store a few weeks ago, and I bought it and put it away, thinking it was a time consuming process to prepare.  I found it last night and was shocked at how easy it is to prepare!  It made me wonder why and how all those potential "chefs" got kicked off his show/s!  

All you do is saute the rice-like risotto buds (okay, so it is a rice) in a teaspoon of olive oil for a couple of minutes, pour in 2 cups of water, and the contents of a seasoning pouch, (conveniently included in the box), and bring to a boil.  Then you simply reduce the heat to medium, stir occasionally, and start cooking your vegetables and "protein", as Chef Ramsey would say.

I chose fish as my protein, some halibut I'd had in the freezer just about as long as I'd had the risotto!  My only mistake was starting the risotto about 15 minutes too early.  That would have gotten me kicked out of the kitchen for sure.  At least if I'd been cooking for the great and powerful Gordo!  If you can't bring all the order to the table at the same time, then you have to throw it all away and start over!  Not me...not with the cost of food these days, and the hordes that are starving!

So, I had to bake my halibut a bit longer than planned, since it was frozen.  I cooked the unbreaded fish for 20 minutes at 350, flipped it and cooked it 10 minutes more, then quickly blackened it slightly under the broiler.  Probably a bit too long, but I sure didn't want to get kicked out of the kitchen (or my home) for serving raw fish!

I sauteed some frozen mixed vegetables in butter!  Yep, I read that article in Time's mag on "butter and fat".  I wanted the real McCoy...none of that fake stuff!

I seasoned the vegetables with a little sea salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash Seasoning!  They were yummy too!

I kept the risotto warm, and truthfully they were a little firm, not that nice liquid state you see Gordo do on TV, but great tasting nonetheless!

I do better next time...I promise!  Can I stay another week?

I seasoned the halibut with table salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a hearty sprinkle of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning!

I plated the wonderful smelling food and placed it in front of my wife, my other discerning chef and chief critic!  She and I both thought it was a great meal, and I'm sure you will too!

Get in there...real men can cook real food! 

Jambalaya Made Simple!

When I grocery shop, and I do very often, I'm always looking for something simple that I (us men) can cook.  This week I wanted some good'ol Louisiana cooking, like I used to get when I was stationed at Biloxi back in the 60s.

Suddenly, I spotted this big can of Simple Suppers, made by Margaret Homes, on the shelf.  I grabbed it and read, "Just add meat!"...man, that's for me, I almost said out loud! 

And, it is that simple!  

I cut up the kielbasa I'd been saving, browned it in some olive oil and garlic, and whalah, it was ready for the can of jambalaya!

I almost didn't have time for my Crown libation it was so quick and easy!

We had some leftover cornbread, and together it was delicious!

One some complaint "Margret", it was a touch too salty!  Maybe folks should consider adding a pinch of sugar to cut that down a notch.

Next time... 

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Bacon Wrapped, Walnut and Spinach Chicken

I got this recipe from Rachael Ray. You know I have to try it, if it involves BACON! 

Well, I'm not a chef, or a Rachael Ray, so I gave it my best shot.  She wasn't clear down toward the end of her recipe that the last few ingredients were part of a fancy salad*, so I mistakenly put some vinegar and onion in the stuff mix!

However, I think it turned out well, but I did have to drizzle honey over the top to dampen the vinegar a bit!  However, the rest inside was fine, but I do not like celery cooked or watercress, so I left that out completely.

That all being said, here are the ingredients for my attempt.  I should point out that Rachael's recipe was for 6 chicken breasts, and I only used 3, but I did attempt to put more stuffing inside each of mine.  Use her ingredients if you want to cook 6, or freeze 3 for later.

Ingredients: 

• 4 ounces walnuts (about 3/4 cup), toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped 
• 1 brick Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese (8 ounces), softened 
• 1 box chopped frozen spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and well-drained 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• Salt and pepper (Don't forget this step before stuffing is added to the fillet.  I did and had to salt and pepper midway through the oven cooking.  Not as good as before!)
• Freshly grated nutmeg 
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, breasts butterflied to open them up like a book 
• 1/3 pound thinly sliced smoky bacon or speck  (Thinly sliced may work better than my thick sliced, but I liked it though it didn't brown the way I wanted it.)
• 1/4 tablespoon olive or canola oil, divided 
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 crisp apple, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 

Preparation 

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. 

Combine the walnuts with the soft cheese, spinach, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and divide the cheese mixture among the breasts. 

Close the chicken breasts over the filling. Wrap the chicken with bacon or speck, slightly overlapping the slices. 

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon oil and lightly brown the chicken on all sides. 

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15-20 (This depends on how thin your breasts are.  Watch and adjust.) minutes to cook through. 

*Here is where I messed up!  The following directions are for a salad.  I served mine with potato salad instead. 

While the chicken is in the oven, whisk up the lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon, honey (I'll put the honey inside next time.) and the remaining olive oil. Combine the apple, celery, onion and greens with dressing and season with salt and pepper. 

Serve the stuffed chicken with the salad (or potato salad) alongside. 

Despite a couple of mistakes, it was delicious!

White Clam Sauce Over Noodles

I was looking for something quick and easy this afternoon, so I scoured the "lazy Susans" for anything I thought would satisfy my taste buds.  I came upon a can of Progresso White Clam Sauce that quite frankly had been under there for about a year, and I still can't remember why I bought it.  However, now I'm glad I did!

The can shows it served over pasta, so I looked overhead and found half a box of Barilla Plus Rotini noodles and a package of No Yokes noodles.  I added a handful of the No Yokes to the 1/2 box of Rotini and started the water boiling!  I was on my way.

I looked at the photo on the clam sauce can and thought it needed a little something else.  I had a package of "Fajita veggies" in the refrigerator, so I sauteed the onions and peppers while the can of sauce heated in a pan over low heat.  Once the sauce bubbled, I added the veggies and mixed thoroughly.

After the pasta cooked, about 10 minutes, I drained and salted and peppered it.  I then added a portion to two medium sized bowls, poured the hot sauce over the noodles.

I had some cheese and garlic bread left over from a spaghetti supper we had a few nights earlier, so I reheated two slices and added them to the rim of the bowls.

Men, I've been telling you all these years through this blog, that real men can cook, and this meal should be proof enough!  You just have to get in the kitchen and try it.  Besides, if you cook you can have your favorite libation as you work, and your wife is then obligated to clean up!

It took so little to make this and man it was good!

I think next time I will kick it up a notch by sprinkling in some crushed red pepper flakes, but it was tasty as it was!

Not the best shot, but trust me...good!

Oh yes, I almost forgot the dessert!  We warmed up two "Brownie Pillow Cookies" I had bought at the Fresh Market in Farragut, TN.  Wow, they are so soft, gooey, and sweet!  I ate them so fast that I forgot how good they were with milk!  Too late...all gone!