Alright, so there is roasted chicken, roasted rosemary potatoes, and some green beans that are still forthcoming. Preparing for Monday had to take precedence. Sad, I know. Alas, we are subject to having to do the responsible thing. So, there is that. I will hope to get that in soon.

Coming up for tonight….”Working my way back to the grill with that burning love inside.”

Steak, homemade roasted bell peppers, and a vegetable with a license to kill.

It will be a great one! Stay tuned!

One of the best things about a perfect Sunday morning is a great breakfast. It is a great way to enjoy any weekend. This pancake recipe is one of our favorite breakfast options,  it is super simple, customizable, and comes together quickly. 

I make a few adjustments to this recipe that make it work for us. I also have one little special ingredient that I will talk about later, which is a must in pancakes or french toast. Yes, I will cover that as well.  As always, make any changes that work for you. Food should be something that can be approachable no matter what you like or dislike.

The recipe has been adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or 1 cup
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs

Directions: Makes 16 3-inch pancakes

Whisk together in a large bowl the following items:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Combine in another bowl:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
(1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Mix the liquid quickly into the dry ingredients. Grease a skillet lightly with butter or oil and do so as needed between batches. The heat is correct when a few drops of cold water on the skillet bounce and sputter, not boiling or evaporating. Use 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface on the pancake and the edges have browned, turn the cake and cook only until the second side is done.

Changes I make to the original recipe:

For me, these pancakes don’t need the suggested 3 tbsp of sugar. Usually once syrup is applied that can address the sweetness/sugar requirements for this recipe.

I like vanilla, but I’m more of a savory breakfast guy — so, I don’t think vanilla is needed here. But, if you want it, or that works for your family, then do it.

The amount of buttermilk is also adjusted as a result of the effect of being at sea level rather than an a higher elevation. I use 1 cup versus the 1 1/2 cups that is called for. If your batter looks too thick, you can always add a little more milk.

Okay, now, make sure no one is looking over your shoulder because I’m about to reveal my secret ingredient…ready?

Lemon zest. Yes, lemon zest. First of all, there is nothing more fragrant than freshly grated lemon zest. Think of what happens when you peel an orange and you get an intense flavor that wafts through the air. We are applying max flavor to these pancakes, which gives them a really pleasant citrus note.

You may want to add this tool to your kitchen collection. I use this tool all the time for grating hard cheese, shaving chocolate, and zesting fruit  — it is called a microplane grater and it is awesome. Have you ever seen a cooking show where the host is finishing up a pasta dish and suddenly it starts snowing cheese? Yup, that is the microplane grater. You can find one in practically any store with a kitchen section. If you want more information then I would recommend looking it up on Google.

OK, less typing, more cooking. Picture time!

Everyone in the pool at the pre-mix party.

Stirred, not shaken. Don’t overwork this batter, just make sure everything is incorporated together.

Butter makes pancakes better. If you have a cast iron pan, then use it. If not a heavy bottomed, non-stick pan will do nicely.

Two practically perfect pancakes.

Here is my breakfast. What are you having? OK, just kidding! Here is the finished product. Of course, bacon is optional, and eggs make a great substitute for bacon, truly the options are endless.

Here is another photo finish.

By the way did I mention that left over pancakes make a great toast substitute, sandwich bread, or just a great snack?  Maybe a breakfast sandwich? 😉  If you have a few left, I highly recommend it! Use your toaster to warm the pancakes through and re-crisp the edges if they get a little mushy from being in the fridge.

Here is  a little tease for what will be on the menu for this evening…

Tonight is a classic but super simple roasted chicken. After this you won’t ever look at a store bought rotisserie chicken the same again! The skin is seasoned and crispy, the meat is flavorful and moist, and this is something that you can put on the dinner table any night of the week. It is a perfect Sunday night dinner option that we will pair with some rosemary roasted red potatoes. What could be better?  Pair this with a good glass of wine, a beer, or any drink, and this will become a Table Fare showstopper.

Oh, I may have another breakfast post that will be forthcoming as well. 🙂

Ok, so we are going backwards here for a minute. As part of the Friday Conundrum I had decided to marinate some Halibut. As soon as I sat down on the couch after getting the fish marinating, I promptly fell asleep. Then, I couldn’t decide what to make as indicated by my previous post.

Fast forward to a few hours ago and it was time to use the Halibut.  Oh, before we get to that, because the marinade had citrus in it I pulled the fish out after a few hours to make sure I didn’t end up with ceviche. The recipe for the marinade is included below, it is part of a marinade that we usually use for sea bass.

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic minced. Use more or less if you like.

We had about a 1 1/2 lb Halibut steak, but certainly you can use less.

Okay, here is the good news. This fish cooks up amazing and it looks awesome! Here is the proof.

Here is the fish right before it went into the pan. I dried it off with a paper towel to draw out the excess moisture to help achieve that great color. Also, hit it with a little salt and pepper right before it goes in the pan to help add more flavor as the halibut cooks.

I use butter and a little oil here to get this fish going. Again, channel your inner Julia Child if you think you need more butter. Typically I use about 3 tsp of oil and a small pat of butter. Okay, ready for more?

I suspect you know how we achieved this color. Lets review, don’t touch it!! Let it go (sorry for the Frozen reference). Leave it in the pan and let it get some color. I think I flipped it once and then got both edges.

Decided we needed a little green, nothing fancy really. There are a number of ways to cook asparagus. Ours is covered with water about 2/3 of the way up and salted heavily, which will help flavor the asparagus as they get tender. To check them you should be able to pierce them with a fork. You want a little resistance, otherwise the asparagus will be soft and mushy. OK, drain off the water and finish with a little oil, salt, and pepper.

This is your finished product.

• English Muffin, any bread will do if English muffins aren’t your thing. 
• Sausage, you can always use chicken sausage or a substitute a meat option of your choice.
• Eggs, I like scrambled eggs, but an over easy or fried egg would take this to another level.
• Cheese, in my opinion cheddar is better but any cheese will do. You could also go with a pepper jack, a smoked cheese, or mozzarella.  I prefer slicing it off the block myself, but do what makes sense for you.

Ready!

Sorry McBurger King, our is better!

So, here we are, it is Friday night and I can’t decide what to talk about. Originally, I was going to talk about marinated halibut, marinades in general, and an easy rice recipe. Although these all sounded good and things we will be sure to cover. I found that I was inspired by the weather to find something different to talk about. Even though I can make this recipe all year round, it of course is best served when it’s cold and blustery outside.

Tonight, we are going to be making Apple and Butternut Squash Soup.

If the alarm bells are going off about how you can make this recipe, don’t worry. I know so many times soup recipes seem complicated and for some reason, really intimidating. This is the exact reason that I created this blog — to take that intimidation out of recipes so all food can be approachable no matter the skill level. Second, this recipe is so easy, takes very little time, and is darn easy.

Here is your payoff.

Although this is simple soup it packs a ton a flavor! In addition, this is something you will keep in your bag of tricks for when you want to cook for your family or have guests coming over for a dinner party.

How do we make it? Just like this.

We make a few adjustments, but do what suits your tastes the best.

Our big adjustment is using 1/4 tsp versus 1/2 tsp of cumin. As you may know from experience, cumin, while great, can be very, very overpowering and can take over a dish. We made that mistake once with a different butternut squash recipe. Remember, you can always add more, but it doesn’t really work the other way around.

We also use a little less cayenne too. Some people are sensitive to spice/heat levels, so know your audience.

Here are a few more photos to give you an idea. By a few photos, I mean 3. Yes, that is all you need.

Here is the apple, butternut squash, garlic, and onion spending a little quality time together.

This is same picture as above after the liquid has been added. In case chicken broth isn’t your thing, no problem — you can always use turkey, vegetable, or any other broth that fits your needs. Also, I recommend using low sodium broth instead of the full salt versions. The reasons are pretty clear, but by the time you add all the broth with the full sodium your soup could be overly salted. Also, on that same note, for those who want to know what goes in our food, this is a great way to control how much goes in it.

After a spin in your favorite blender, food processor, or you can use a stick blender if you prefer, your soup is ready to go! I like to give the soup a little more time on the heat, so I put it back on the stove to make sure it is warmed through after its trip through the blender.

This is a filling soup that easily can be a meal, but it could always use a little crusty bread, a grilled cheese, or some roasted nuts (homemade of course). Don’t worry, we’ll get to all those recipes too.

Lastly, the recipe says to garnish with creme fraiche and chives. Truthfully, while this can be a nice touch for presentation, this soup doesn’t need it.

`Nuff Said!

Remove the leafy, green bits and cut the stem so it sits flat on the tin foil. This will make it much easier to wrangle.

Time to practice being Picasso on your cauliflower canvas. Quick review, this is seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic salt, and a bit of dried thyme.

After 45-60 minutes you have arrived at your destination. The best way to know if it is done is to just pierce the cauliflower with a knife. If the blade passes through easily, then success! If not, let it go a little more. Tip: If you think it is almost done, but you don’t want to over cook it, just shut the oven off and leave it in till you are ready to serve. This does two things, you keep in the heat so it can cook and if it has to sit while you finish any other parts of your dinner it will still be hot.

A couple of things to keep in mind:

You could easily serve this a main course. Granted, the one we got was small but with a big enough head you could easily feed two people. Think about serving a nice salad with this as an accompaniment.

Once you open the cauliflower you may have to adjust the seasoning when you are ready to serve as the middle of the cauliflower could be bland.

Again, Cauliflower is infamous for being bland, so season liberally.

There are a ton of variations on this that you can do. In fact, ours uses freshly grated Parmesan cheese with about 15 minutes left to cook. Don’t worry it won’t burn, but just keep an eye on it.

Here are a couple of recipe links to help inspire you when making this
dish.

http://simmerandboil.cookinglight.com/2015/03/02/whole-roasted-cauliflower-recipe/

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/8821/Forget-florets–roast-the-whole-damn-cauliflower.htm

Yes, I said it, Bacon of the Sea. Read my text, this isn’t the Chicken of the Sea. Alright, hear me out on this. When we first heard about this we were casually visiting with our fish monger and looking at the usual options, salmon, halibut, tilapia, and the rest of the usual suspects. It was clear that we weren’t excited about any of these options that day.

Finally, one of the fish mongers, a friend of ours, says, “You have to try Cobia.” Of course we both thought he had forgotten how to speak, but he went on to explain. “It is a firm white fish that has a good amount of oil, and it is dense, so it can stand up to some seasoning.”

Seeing that he had piqued our interest, he continued: “I think of it like a cross between tuna and the richness of salmon.”  He went on to explain that Cobia has enough density and body that even with just salt, pepper, medium heat, and a little patience, we would be eating “the bacon of the sea.”

That was it, we were sold and walked away with our first Cobia. Needless to say, we have been back a handful of times since then to buy this amazing fish. You will see why by the time this post is over!

Below is a link from NOAA about Cobia if you want to learn more about this fish.

http://www.fishwatch.gov/seafood_profiles/species/cobia/species_pages/cobia.htm

Okay, the rules for cooking this fish are pretty simple:

Season a little heavier than you would for an average white fish (see photo below for a better idea on seasoning). Apply any seasonings you like on fish. For our purposes we used salt, pepper, dried basil and dried oregano.

Resist the urge to flip, shake or turn the fish. Do you see a pattern here? We want caramelization — nay, we need it to get the most out of this fish.
Little to no oil is required for this cooking application. I try to use a little just to help the fish get started.

I mean, seriously, could it be much easier?

I suppose now I should actually put down the computer and cook the fish, huh?

Let’s do this!

Here is a Cobia fillet: although we typically get a loin piece to share.

Cobia seasoned with salt and pepper

Cobia seasoned after adding basil and oregano.

A bit of oil in the pan. Remember,  you only need just over a quarter sized amount of oil to get this fish going.

Fish on! Yes, I went there.

First Flip. This is what we want. We will get more color on this fish shortly.

Here is a side view of the Cobia. This gives you a good chance to see what we are after.

Again, we are achieving massive flavor here. Remember, your patience will pay off.

Here is a finished plate with green beans, a potato with sour cream, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Oh, yeah, we will get to that too. 🙂

Just like that you are done and ready to enjoy! You can use a slice of lemon if you want, but I strongly recommend you taste the fish first before you add anything else.

Cooking Cobia should take between 8-12 minutes. Keep in mind, the size and shape will either help or hamper the cook time. You know when the fish is done when it turns white and slightly opaque in the middle. But you don’t want to overcook it either, so the fish should be moist and glistening on the inside. Even if the fillet is a little under, that’s OK because you will get a little carryover heat after you have removed the fish from the pan.

Because this is a rich, flavorful fish it is important to think about what you are serving with it. While serving green beans and potatoes is OK, this fish needs some contrasting flavors that come to the party.  For that reason, a salad with a dressing that is vinegar based (balsamic, red wine, Italian, etc.), or a salsa with some fruit or something that is a little spicy would work well. Anything that will give you a burst of freshness would fit the bill. I could list more ideas, but I plan on covering some sides/dressings going forward that will work well here or for any meal.

Enjoy your Bacon of The Sea!

That’s right, I’m grillin’ in the rain. For me, grilling is something that I apply all year round and it can be both a time saver and helps minimize the kitchen cleanup more often than not.

So, before we get into what I had on the grill tonight I wanted to talk about what you might have noticed with the last few recipes. If you have seen any of my facebook food photos or you have been the recipient of a food text, you  know I cook a fair bit of meat. Usually there is a protein that is part of every meal that I make whether that be steak, chicken, fish, pork, or turkey. But I had a realization earlier that part of my goal with this blog was to reach beyond what I normally do to continue to share my passion for those who are on this fare journey with me. I realize that I have some people who may be reading this blog who might not be big fans of meat, and I want this to something for everyone. So, I will make it part of my mission to include you all. Fear not, while my brain billows with smoke to create recipes and posts, I am working on ideas to have meatless meal options that I plan to share down the road.

With that in mind, we will get back to the main (side event).

Tonight, on the grill, is……….

Grilled Asparagus.

This is just one of many, many things you can grill that can make a great addition to any meal. Don’t worry, we will get to some of those later.

Did I mention this is so easy? Oh, well it is. A great go-to recipe any time you need a quick veggie
option.

Wait, how do we grill asparagus without losing them all in the slats of the grill? Or without a basket?

Allow me to introduce you to the tinfoil plate. Yup, it is that simple. Really. Even I can be an artist and create beautiful tinfoil plates.

Asparagus seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little butter. Or more butter if you are channeling your inner Julia Child. If so, that is totally OK with me!

Place the foil on the grill at about medium heat, & it will probably take 12-20 minutes. So, enough time to find/refill your beverage.

Here is your finished asparagus. They should be tender but still be a little crisp when you bite into them.

If you need to impart a little more flavor before you serve these, hit them with a little lemon juice. This gives the asparagus a great little zip and allows you to serve them with a lot of different dishes.

In following the theme of the day, here is a super quick easy recipe that is great for any weekday meal. It’s a perfect pairing for steak, chicken, fish, or just it’s own. You could also add these to a salad for a little different flavor profile.

Oven Roasted Baby Carrots:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss them in a bowl with  olive oil, salt, and pepper. Feel free to add any other seasonings you like. You will see what I used in my photos, but the options are endless.
Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until browned and tender. 
 
Simple, right?

I think we are missing something. Hmm……oh, yeah, a couple of snapshots! Don’t worry, these will be a lot easier to follow than my previous recipe 🙂

This is your ingredient list. Simple as that.

Seasoned and prepped carrots. Ready for their “hot” date in the oven!

20-25 minutes later this is what you end up with. You will know they are ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork.

Finished! 🙂

Ready for a awesome twist?

While the carrots are cooking, combine 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp of honey together. With about 5 minutes left,  toss the carrots in that glaze and let them finish cooking in the oven. These are amazing! We did this before at a family party and it was a huge success! So much so that everyone wanted the recipe. Just don’t look away or get distracted topping off your glass, the carrots can burn super quick.

Take that, Weekday Meal Monster!