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TRUST ME…Tastes even better than it looks.

Two things pictured: a greek shrimp orzo and marinaded/grilled halibut. I originally went to the grocery store for swordfish steaks, instead I came home with 2 halibut fillets ($35, pretty expensive in my opinion but definitely worth every penny). This was my first time cooking halibut and will not be my last.

The Orzo is pretty simple: Orzo Pasta, cucumber, green onions, olives, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, shrimp, white wine vinegar, dill, and mint.

Marinade for the halibut fillets was the sauce I was going to use for the original Swordfish idea but it works on pretty much any fish…

Indonesian Grilled Halibut

Makes 6 Servings

You Will Need:

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Canola or Peanut Oil, plus extra for brushing on the grill
2 Tsp. Grated Lemon Zest (2 lemons)
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice, Freshly Squeezed
1/4 Cup Ginger Root, Minced
2 Tbsp. Garlic (4 cloves), Minced
2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard (I used the Wegmans Whole Grain…So Good!)
6 (8-ounce) Halibut Fillets (Or 1” Swordfish Steaks)
Kosher Salt

Preparation:

Combine the soy sauce, canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger root, garlic, and mustard in a bowl. Pour half the sauce in a low flat dish that’s just large enough to hold the fillets in one layer. Place the halibut on top of the sauce and spread the remaining sauce on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Thirty minutes before you’re ready to serve, build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.

When the coals are medium-hot, brush the cooking grate with oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Remove the fish from the marinade, allowing some of the ginger to cling to the fish, and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the fish generously on both sides with salt and place it over the coals. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, just until it’s no longer pink in the middle. Place on a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Recipe Via: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Photo by me.

Summer freshness! The best part of summer cooking is fresh from the garden veggies. The second best part is being able to grill just about anything…

Grilled Eggplant & Zucchini Parmesan

I don’t have an exact recipe for this baby. I have seen this done before and just kind of went with the flow. I sliced some fresh veggies from our garden, eggplant and zucchini, then threw on some olive oil and S&P to grill them. After they got some beautiful grill marks, I grabbed some basil from the garden and took everything to the kitchen for some of my mother’s homemade sauce (even I don’t have my grandfather’s recipe so nothing to share for that! haha). I alternated eggplant & zucchini with layers of sauce, basil and fresh mozzarella in between each. After they will stacked, I placed them back on the grill just to melt the cheese. And we ate them immediately!

Photo taken by me.

I still haven’t been here myself but a couple weeks ago Collin and my father went to the Blackthorn in Buffalo. Guy is one of my favorites and I thought this photo Collin snapped was fun!

Photo taken by Collin

I’ve been on a mango salsa kick for the past week. If you enjoy mangos, this recipe is delicious and it’s great in many different applications: on top of fish, in chicken lettuce wraps, on top of pork, in rice, etc etc.

Mango Salsa

You Will Need:

• 1 Ripe Mango, Peeled, Pitted and Diced
• 1/2 Medium Red Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1 Jalapeno Chile, Minced (Include Ribs and Seeds for More Spice!)
• 1 Small Cucumber, Peeled and Diced (About 1 Cup)
• 3 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro Leaves, Chopped
• 3 Tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice
• Salt and Pepper, To Taste

(**I didn’t have any cucumber when I made this recipe and it was still delicious!)

Preparation is easy, just combine all the ingredients. Like most dips and salsas, it’s always more delicious the next day so make a day ahead for the best flavor. If the recipe ends up being too hot, you can add avocado to tone it down.

Recipe Via: Simply Recipes

Breakfast in Bed.

Superbowl Sunday, I had woken up pretty early and decided (even though I was still very tired) to try a new recipe. So I made this breakfast for Collin and my parents. I referenced a recipe I found on Martha Stewart’s site but I added more spices and 86ed the bacon because I was not ready to leave the house. Overall, a delicious little breakfast.

Original Recipe:

Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups

You Will Need:

• 3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Melted
• 8 Slices White or Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread
• 6 Slices of Bacon
• 6 Large Eggs
• Coarse Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

**Okay, so I added Garlic Powder to the Bread before the Egg. After cracking the egg, I also added a pinch of Paprika. After taking the cups out of the oven, I garnished with green onions!

Recipe Via: Martha Stewart

Served with a fresh blueberry muffin and turkey sauage.

Photo Taken by Collin.

This is the soup Collin and I made last weekend while I was in Cleveland. I know Lobster Bisque is typically blended but we didn’t have one on hand, still delicious. We bought most of the ingredients fresh from Cleveland’s West Side Market (Which is the place I’ll miss most since Collin is moving to Buffalo with me!) We made some other slight variations to the recipe (used scallions instead of parsley, added cheese, baked the lobster instead of grilling…etc) Here is the original:

Lobster Bisque

You Will Need:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 4-6 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Chopped
• 1 Stalk Celery, Finely Chopped
• 1 Small Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1 Medium Tomato, Diced
• 1 1/2 – 1 3/4-Pound Lobster
• 2 Cups Whole Milk
• 1 Cup Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Fish Stock or Clam Juice
• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
• 1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. 

Preheat a grill. Lay the lobster on its back on a cutting board. Make an incision down the center of the tail almost to the tip, without cutting through the shell; split apart the tail. Grill the lobster for 15 to 18 minutes, shell-side down, with the lid closed. Transfer the lobster from the grill back to a cutting board and remove the meat and tomalley. Discard the shell and set aside the meat.

Bring the milk, tomato sauce, cream, stock, and butter to a boil in the saucepan with the vegetables. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the lobster meat and tomalley and the parsley and pepper. Cover and simmer over the lowest possible heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until hot. Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls.

**We bought extra lobster (Chopped up one lobster and put it into the soup and split the other lobster tail in half - One side in each bowl for garnish….along with homemade crutons, cheese, and scallions)

Recipe Via: FoodGawker

Photo Taken by Me!

OR a soup that’s more healthy…

Creamy Broccoli Soup

You Will Need:

• 1 Head of Broccoli (1 Pound), Cut Into Florets, Stems Thinly Sliced
• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, Diced
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced
• 1-15 Oz. Can Cannellini Beans, Drained
• 2-1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
• 1 Tbsp. Pine Nuts, Toasted
• Shaved Parmesan, For Garnish

Preparation:

Steam broccoli florets and stems until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup florets for garnish.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add beans and stock and bring mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat and add broccoli; puree in batches in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with broccoli florets, toasted pine nuts, and shaved Parmesan. Serve Immediately.

Recipe Via: Whole Living

Even though it’s technically “winter” (in Buffalo), we have NO SNOW!! But I’ve been pretending we do, so I can make some winter-friendly recipes. Last weekend, Collin and I made a delicious Lobster Bisque! (I’ll post later). To continue to trend, I’m thinking some kind of soup this weekend as well.

This is one possibility….

Cheddar Bacon Ale Soup

(Serves 6)

You Will Need:

• 6 Thick-Cut Bacon Slices, Cut into 1/2 or 1 Inch Pieces
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 Large Onion, Diced
• 2 Celery Stalks, Diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Pale-Ale
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Cups Whole Milk
• 2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1-1/4 Lb. Sharp Cheddar, Shredded
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
• Croutons (Optional, For Garnish)

Preparation:

Set a large saucepan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot.

Add the butter and give it a minute to melt, then mix in the onion, carrots and celery. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic, cooking just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently (you’re just trying to get the raw flour flavor cooked off). Add the beer and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a thick paste, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce, milk and chicken broth until smooth. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the soup come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to continue simmering for 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat under the pot and puree the soup with an immersion blender (or, if you don’t have one, in a traditional blender - you’ll probably want to do it in 2 batches.)

Set the pan over medium-low heat and, stirring constantly, add the cheese a little at a time. Be careful not to allow the soup to boil. Continue until you’ve added all of the cheese and the soup is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with the bacon and croutons. 

Recipe Via: Williams-Sonoma

I’m not sure why, but this recipe says Christmas to me. I see these “cheese balls” in the grocery store especially around holidays but they creep me out, like they keep trying to sell the same ones every season and no one ever buys them. haha (I worked in a dairy department for years so that didn’t help either) But making a home-made one would be yummy.

Fisher Nutty Bacon Cheese Ball

You Will Need:

• 1 Package Cream Cheese (8 oz.)
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 2 Cups Shredded Shard Cheddar
• 1/4 Cup Blue Cheese, Crumbled
• 1/4 Cup Green Onions, Finely Minced
• 1 Jar Pimento, Diced
• 3/4 Cup Pecans, Divided (But Any Nut Will Do! I’ve Been Craving Sliced Almonds)
• Salt and Pepper, To Taste
• 1/4 Cup Parsley, Minced
• 1 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds

Preparation:

Place cream cheese in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to Speed Two and mix 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to Speed Two and gradually add milk, mixing until well blended about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Add cheeses, onions, pimientos, half of the bacon and half the pecans. Turn to Speed 4 and beat until well blended, about another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap. Form into a ball and wrap tightly. Refrigerate (or freeze) at least 2 hours.

Combine the remaining bacon and remaining pecans, parsley and poppy seeds in a pie plate. Then, remove the plastic wrap and roll the cheese ball lightly in the bacon/nut mixture until evenly coated. Wrap it back up in plastic wrap and refrigerate again until ready to use.

Recipe Via: Paula Deen