Of Soccer Losses and Seafood

So this weekend, we had to drive a gazillion miles away to my son's soccer game (thank you , travel soccer schedulers), to the western shore of Chesapeake Bay.  Not to complain or anything, but neither team was even from that area (the other team had to drive an hour to get there as well). How does that make sense? To top it off, the boys lost their game, although they did rally in the second half and ended strong. The bright side is that they lost less badly this time than they did the last time they played this same team, so there's that. I'm a "glass-half-full" kind of gal. ;-)

The upside of the game's location was that it was near some of the best seafood ever, so all was not lost. Wanting to make lemonade out of lemons, we asked if anyone knew of a good seafood place we could hit for lunch on the way home. One of the parents knew of a place in Deale, Maryland and gave us directions. Luckily, we had GPS, because the directions he gave us were less than accurate. Skipper's Pier was kind of out of the way (about 8 miles off of the route we needed to take home), but it was worth it! Right on the water, it was a beautiful day to enjoy fresh seafood and watch boats coming in and out of the docks.

The staff was friendly, and they were able to seat us right away, even if it was inside (there was a 30 minute wait for an outdoor table and we were too hungry for that). We started out with an order of fried pickles that came out piping hot (of course I burned my tongue!) and I had a lovely, if strong, cocktail called a Cape Cod Crush (basically a Cape Cod in a mason jar with lots of ice).

For entrees, my husband and older son went with crab cakes, my youngest ordered a huge seafood platter (enough for two, really) and I got the fish tacos.

It was all delicious. The crab cakes were packed with a ton of crab meat and very little filler, cooked perfectly. I loved my fish tacos, even if they were made with tilapia, rather than a local fish. And Elliot's seafood platter was amazing!! Fried oysters, shrimp, mini-crab cakes and tilapia with french fries, coleslaw, cocktail sauce and remoulade. Like I said, it was enough for two. Had I known, I totally would have shared it with him!

All-in-all, it was a nice afternoon, with gorgeous weather and tasty food, so we'll still put the day in the "win" column. Tell me what your favorite seafood place is!

Sweet-n-Spicy Marinade: Saying Goodbye to Summer

Even though it's officially the last day of summer, we are hanging on to the last remnants of the season here in Northern Virginia, where it could reach the upper 80's today.  We've had some great weather the past week.  Luckily, my friends' gardens are still producing, and I am fortunate that they are generous, because it gives me a chance to use ingredients I wouldn't normally buy. For example, one of them gave me a couple of habaneros. I have never used them before, but I knew they were hot - they have heat, but still have a light, citrus-y flavor.  I thought a sweet and spicy marinade might be good.  I added honey and a little water to keep the heat from getting to be too much, and a little smoked paprika for depth.  I think it's a great combination of heat and sweet.

This marinade was good with chicken (marinated for about 3 hours), but I think it would taste great on shrimp, too.  Maybe even tilapia for fish tacos.  Be careful when marinating seafood, because the acid from the lime will start to cook the fish/shrimp, ceviche-style.

Another note: I would recommend grilling or broiling over pan-frying, just because the honey in the marinade will start to burn on the pan before the meat is done.  Here is a gnarly picture of the pan as I was cooking the chicken:

The chicken itself didn't burn (it tasted awesome) but when the marinade hit the heat, that honey made it really dark.

Sweet-n-Spicy Marinade

Ingredients:

1 habanero pepper (could use jalapeno if that's what you have)
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup water
1/2 bunch of cilantro, stems and leaves, rinsed
1/2 cup olive oil
(you could also add a little soy sauce or salt, if you like)


Cut the pepper in half and remove seeds and ribs inside the pepper (most of the heat of the pepper is held in the ribs, secondarily the seeds).  Drop pepper halves into a blender.  Cut lime into quarters, squeeze juice into blender, then toss the rest of the lime in.  Peel and coarsely chop garlic, add to the blender, along with honey, water, oil and cilantro.  Cover blender and puree all ingredients until nearly smooth (there should still be small bits, and that's okay).  Pour marinade over protein of choice.  I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but shrimp or tilapia would be good (no more than 20 minutes -- the lime juice will start cooking the meat - kind of like ceviche).  Pork would also work. Marinate pork or chicken for about an hour, but a little longer isn't going to hurt, either.




The family liked this one -- even my younger son, who is usually sensitive to spicy stuff.  The flavor of this is not punch-you-in-the-face spicy. It's subtle and light and doesn't linger on your tongue too long.  Hope you like it!

A Simple Salad -- When It's Too Hot To Cook

I know I've posted about it before, but here in Virginia it can get too hot to even think about turning on the stove or oven.  On those nights, I like to do a salad, but it has to be filling enough for my husband and pre-teen (I can't believe I have one of those already!) so they don't feel like they need to eat again an hour later, so making sure there is protein is key. Also, the kale and beans serve to really fill you up!

Here is a salad that hits all the right notes:

Trendy superfood (kale) -- check
Protein (tuna) -- check
Fiber (veggies and beans) -- check
Flavor (Dijon dressing and roasted red pepper) -- check

It's chewy, crunchy, creamy, and tangy, hitting even more of the tastes and textures that make eating enjoyable.  Also, to take a little of the chew and (sometimes) bitterness out of the kale, I have a little trick that you might find useful.  After ripping it into bite-sized pieces, I massage a little olive oil into the leaves and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for a few minutes.  It changes the texture just enough to make the leaves a little more tender -- no heat involved!

The tuna and the Dijon dressing reminds me of my student days when I studies in the South of France, so I will call it:

Provencal Tuna Salad

1 bunch kale
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

1 can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar (6.7 oz) good quality tuna packed in olive oil (I got mine at the Fresh Market)
1 stalk celery, chopped into a small dice
1 roasted red pepper, chopped into a small dice

First, clean and pull the leafy part of the kale off the the stalk, discard the stalks (or save them -- I keep a bag in the freezer and put kale stalks, carrot peels, celery ends and such to make vegetable stock once the bag is full). Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces, put in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil.  Using your hands (cooking can get messy, my friends), rub the olive oil on to the leaves, kind of like giving the kale a massage. I'm not kidding.  After the oil has been (more or less) evenly distributed on the kale leaves, set the bowl aside while you put together the rest of the salad.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, put the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, Dijon mustard and vinegar. Using a fork, whisk the dressing ingredients together until completely combined.  Taste, then add salt and/or pepper to your liking.

[TIP: for a general vinaigrette, the oil to acid ratio is about 3:1, but you can also adjust that ratio to your liking as well -- start with three parts oil to one part vinegar, combine and taste. If it's too acid or sharp tasting, add more oil.  If it's too oily, add a little more acid, which can be vinegar, lemon juice, etc.]

Then, just dump the rest of the ingredients (beans, tuna, chopped celery, chopped bell pepper) into the dressing and carefully combine.

To serve, put some kale in a bowl, then top with some of the tuna-bean mixture:

 

This makes 4-6 servings, depending on how hungry your family is.  I had enough kale left over to make kale chips and have some of the tuna-bean mixture for lunch the next day.  :-) Let me tell you, that even my picky eater liked some of this (he ate the tuna-bean mixture, but didn't like the red bell pepper). He probably would have eaten it if I had used raw bell pepper...and my oldest, who eats almost anything, ate all of his kale first.  I almost cried, I was so proud!

Which brings me to my next point -- this is a really flexible dish.  If you don't have roasted red bell pepper, then don't use it. Sub in an extra stalk of celery, or a raw bell pepper, red onion, whatever.  If you can't find tuna fillets packed in oil (I used Tonnino brand), then use regular tuna, but add a little bit more seasoning (herbes de provence would be good, or oregano). It's your salad; these are just guidelines.  Have fun with it!

Tuna Melt O' My Heart!

What is it about tuna melts?  They are so comforting and delicious, but I rarely make them. Maybe I just sort of forget about them, until I need something for dinner when I haven't planned anything else.  Tuna melts to the rescue! And please don't get on me about the dry mini-carrots. I told you, I didn't have much else, so we had to do with what we had. Deal, people.  My life is not picture perfect.  :-)

I don't usually have English muffins on hand, so that was really the only thing I had to buy specifically for this recipe. If you don't have actual English muffins, you could do this just on regular bread, too.  Same technique will work for both.

Surprisingly, even my picky eater ate two of these, so you might want to try it with your kids (they even at those dry carrots).  Make sure they wait a little for the cheese to cool, otherwise they might burn the tops of their mouths.  Happens to me almost every time!  :-)

For a non-dairy variation, I broiled one without cheese, then added sliced avocado after I took them out of the oven.  It was delicious, and I didn't miss the cheese (much) at all!

And, in case you don't have either of these tools, you really need to get them if you like to eat tuna salad.  The Pampered Chef can opener and can strainer are fabulous!!

Tuna Melts, My Way


2 cans white albacore tuna, packed in water, drained
two big spoonfuls of mayonnaise (approx. 1/3 cup)
1 stalk celery, small (1/4 inch) dice
2 green onions, chopped fine
1 heaping Tbsp sweet relish, or about 5-6 sweet midget gherkins, diced small
a squirt of fresh lemon juice
Salt, pepper (to taste)
3 English muffins, split
butter
6 slices of cheese (I use American because it melts smoother)

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl (or you can just use your own favorite tuna salad recipe). Stir together to completely incorporate (you might have to smash through some of the larger chunks of tuna).

Turn on broiler.  Place English muffins on a rimmed baking sheet.  Butter lightly (you can skip this part and just toast them dry if you want).  Toast muffins under broiler (pan should be about 4-6 inches away from the heat), about 1-2 minutes.  You just want a little color on them so the middle doesn't get too soggy when you put the tuna on it.  Pull the muffins out of the oven.

Top the muffins with the tuna salad, then top with slices of cheese. I cut the squares down a little smaller, because I don't like having the cheese melt over the sides, dripping down and then burning on my pan, but that's just my Type-A quirkiness shining through.

Put the tuna melts back under the broiler for about 2 minutes, but keep an eye on them. You don't want the cheese to burn, just melt (hence the name of the dish).  :-) When the cheese starts to brown and bubble, pull the tuna melts out and serve.

Chowdah!

I've posted before about soups, so it's nothing new to you all that I'm posting another soup recipe.  Chowder, to be specific.  What's the difference between a soup and a chowder? Heck if I know.  Usually if it has fish in it, I call it chowder, otherwise it's soup.  If it's thicker, I call it stew and if it's spicy with meat and beans, I call it chili (although some purists would hang me for adding beans...).  :-)

Most of the time I shop at Wegman's, which is such a fantastic store! I feel sorry for people who don't have one near them.  I really do. Anyway, they have big bags of individually frozen tilapia fillets that I buy because fish is the one thing that my boys will consistently eat.  The only problem is that we always end up with an odd number of fillets left over (like 2 or 3), and it's hard to make a meal for 4 out of that little fish. When that happens, I either go to fish tacos or chowder (chowdah! 'Cause it's just fun to say). 

So tonight I went with chowder.  It's simple enough. I know I say that a lot, but soup really is so forgiving.  I'm going to post the recipe below, but know that all the amounts are approximate (I rarely measure when I make soup and just add things until it looks tasty and tastes the same), and I encourage you to adjust it to your tastes...and what you've got in your fridge.  You can even use different types of fish or seafood. I've made this basic chowder with salmon (even smoked salmon), shrimp, mussels and tilapia.  Personally, I like it best with a lighter fish like tilapia, but it tastes good no matter what you add, really.

In the background of the above picture, you may notice a nearly-empty bottle of something.  It happens to be the very last bits of some homemade hot sauce (not made by me, alas, but my friend, neighbor and fellow food enthusiast, Matt Smith).  Please, let us bow our heads for a moment of silence in recognition of the demise of that oh-so-tasty hot sauce.  I mention this because I love a little hot sauce on my chowdah.  You can see how the sauce lends such a beautiful color to it, not to mention cutting a little of the richness.  I suppose, if you don't have a friend who can make you some homemade stuff, you can get by (as I will now have to do) with tabasco or sriracha, both really good substitutes. 

 

Marna's Fish Chowdah

Ingredients

about 5 small, red potatoes, cut in half (or quarters if large-ish)

1/2 cup water

1 slice bacon, chopped in small pieces (or I just cut a couple of hunks off the end of bacon that I keep in the freezer)

1 medium onion, diced

2 large stalks celery, diced

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 8 oz bottle clam juice

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

2-3 tilapia fillets (about a pound total), thawed, if previously frozen

1 3 oz tin of smoked mussels, drained of oil and rinsed (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup milk

hot sauce (optional)

1. Steam potatoes with 1/2 cup water for 5-6 minutes, using whatever method makes you comfortable. I have a steamer I can use in the microwave, so I usually use that method.  Steaming the potatoes before adding them to the chowder just decreases the cooking time for the soup.

2. While the potatoes steam, heat a 3 qt. saucepan on medium high, then add the bacon and cook until crispy.  Remove from pan, but leave the rendered (melted) fat in the pan.  Add the diced onion and celery to the bacon fat and cook until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir occasionally to keep the onions from burning.

3. In a small cup, mix the cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of the clam juice, until the mixture is completely smooth.  Add the remaining clam juice to the saucepan with the onions and celery. Stir to combine, then add the cornstarch mixture and stir again.  Add the steamed potatoes and the corn, then add enough water to just cover all the veggies.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium low and let the vegetables simmer for 7-10 minutes (until the potatoes are completely cooked through).  The liquid should be bubbly and looking a little thick (that's the cornstarch working its magic).

4. Cut tilapia fillets into bite-sized chunks, then add to the saucepan, then dump in the mussels, if using. Let the whole thing cook until the fish chunks are completely cooked through, about 2-3 minutes (it really doesn't take long).  Taste broth and check for saltiness. Because of the clam juice and bacon, I wait to add any salt until this point.  It often doesn't need much more, if any.  

5. Turn off the heat, add back in the bacon, plus the cream and milk.  Stir to combine.  Taste again and add salt and pepper if it needs it.

Serves about 6