Winter Holiday Blueberry White Chocolate Pavlova…..a festive blueberry dessert for the holidays!

The US High Bush Blueberry Council challenged me to make a blueberry recipe for Christmas.  Have been intrigued with the idea of making a Pavlova for a very long time because of my love for meringue cookies at Christmas time so I thought–how about adding some lovely blueberries and one of my favorite holiday treats, Meyer lemon to the mix–my wonderful friends from the West and South send me them in the mail–that means the world to me.  This is an impressive yet very very easy dessert that you can make ahead of time and assemble when you are ready to serve.  Although it takes some time, it is not active time so you can get a lot of other holiday “business” taken care of while it cooks and rests.

Ingredients:

5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/8th teaspoon salt
1 cup plus two tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 oz chopped white chocolate
1 cups frozen High Bush blueberries
2 Meyer lemons (or regular lemons) zested & juiced
Sweetened whipped cream
Confectioner’s sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

Draw a 9” circle on a piece of parchment paper with a pencil (I used a small plate), turn the paper over and place on a baking sheet.  Set aside.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (save the yolks for making shortbread cookies for Santa!) and beat the whites and salt on high speed until the mixture is stiff and holds a firm peak.

With the mixer on high, slowly pour in the sugar and beat until whites are thick and glossy.

By hand, fold in vanilla extract, vinegar, cornstarch and white chocolate until mixture is well blended and streak free.

Spoon mixture on to the prepared baking sheet in a circle and form a peak in the center.

Mixture will be very thick, like marshmallow cream.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours.  Turn off oven and allow pavlova to sit in the oven until oven is cool.

Meanwhile, combine blueberries, Meyer lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan.  Over low heat, simmer blueberries until they are bright red and syrupy, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add remaining two tablespoons sugar to mixture and continue to simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.  Taste blueberry syrup and add a bit more sugar if necessary as tartness varies in both blueberries and Meyer lemons.  Set syrup aside to cool

When ready for dessert, gently carve the top few inches off of the top of the pavlova (a serrated steak knife works well).

Fill the center with the blueberry mixture, drizzling some over the edge of the pavlova.  Top blueberries with whipped cream and place cut out top over whipped cream and crown with a bit more berries.

Your friends and family will be so impressed!  This dessert is light and sweet yet satisfying and is a great way to incorporate nutrient rich blueberries in to the dead of Winter!

For more fabulous blueberry recipes, go to littlebluedynamos.com

Happy Holidays!

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Healthy Holiday Whole Grain Molasses Rolls….there’s no way you can eat just one! and a GIVEAWAY!!!

Admit it, resistance to these rolls would be futile!  But that’s ok when these delicious rolls are made from hearty and healthy whole grain flours and products from Hodgson Mill!  I have been challenged by this wonderful company, Hodgson Mill,  to create a holiday recipe for their blogger contest entitled “Have A Grain Holiday” so instead of making cookies or cake, a pie or something sweet, made rolls.

Now don’t get all worked up and say “But I can’t bake bread, never mind rolls!  They are too hard…and I don’t know how to use yeast!”  Well guess what….below are step by step instruction with photos to go with them to make these delicious treats…….so relax and give it a try!

These are much more than dinner rolls.  Slightly sweet with a touch of molasses, these rolls are perfect for a celebratory dinner,  hot out of the oven,  for the holiday buffet (no one will know or care that they are eating healthy whole grains),  for lunch for using up leftover turkey or slices or holiday roast in a sandwich and the next day for a light breakfast–see what I made for myself this morning below!  Also super fabulous for a holiday brunch with a little maple butter (softened butter mixed with a few tablespoons pure maple syrup) served right next to them….the possibilities are endless!   They are sitting on my kitchen counter, all wrapped up, as I baked them yesterday….what do you think…..try making little French toast with them on Wednesday when I have time for a proper breakfast?  How about bread pudding end of the week if they last that long, which is highly unlikely as my Mom says they reminder her of her Mother’s oatmeal rolls growing up!

So without further delay, here’s the recipe and step by step how to guide:

First, assemble your ingredients:

2 cups cold water
1 cup old fashioned oats, plus one tablespoon for sprinkling
1/3 cup warm (100-110 degrees F)
1 package Hodgson Mill Yeast (great for whole grains!)
1/3 cup molasses
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour
2-3 cups Hodgson Mill All Purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk for brushing (optional if keeping recipe veg/vegan)

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil and add oats.

Cook and stir for 2 minute until oats are softened.

Remove from the heat; cool to lukewarm (I put mine outside for a quick cool down as it was 34 degrees!)

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with a drop of the molasses.

Allow to become foamy and active in a warm place, about 10 minutes.

To the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, in a food processor with the plastic kneading blade attached or in a large bowl, add the oat mixture, olive oil, molasses, salt and Hodgeson Mill Whole Wheat Flour and 1 1/2 cups of the Hodgeson Mill white flour; beat until smooth.

Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Continue to beat/process slowly until surface of dough is soft and elastic adding more flour little by little until dough is no longer sticky.

Knead about 3-4 minutes on low speed or turn dough on to a floured surface and knead by hand until ball of dough is smooth and elastic, about 7-9 minutes.

Place dough in a large bowl that has been lightly coated with cooking spray or additional olive oil (or just wash out the one you were using before) cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1.5 hours.  This picture is of the dough before it has doubled in size….it literally does double in size–just be sure it is in a warm spot, out of drafts or the yeast will not be happy.

When doubled in size, punch dough down and allow to rest, covered for 10 minutes.

Spray or butter two 9” x 13” casserole dishes (preferably clear glass so you can see what is going on when they are baking) and set aside.

Shape dough into 30-two inch balls.

Tops of rolls will be smooth if you flatten the ball, and then pull the edges together like a purse, placing the gathered sided down in the prepared pan, 15 to a pan.

This is what the bottom of the roll will look like:

And this is the top of the roll:

Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (you can preheat the oven and put them on top, that would work) until doubled, about 45 minutes.   Brush tops of risen rolls lightly with milk and sprinkle with oats–this part is optional if you are making them vegetarian/vegan.

This is what they look like before the rise in the pan:

And this is what they look like after the rise:

See how they are touching and have again nearly doubled in size?

Bake at 350° in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. If you have an instant read thermometer and are nervous that they are not cooked through, the internal temperature of the roll in the middle of the pan needs to be about 195 degrees F and they will be perfect.

Yield: 30 rolls
This is what I had for breakfast…..toasted oatmeal rolls with goat cheese and holiday spiced pear and cranberry jam….so delicious!  These rolls also make excellent egg sandwiches with cheese and bacon.

And what about using them for the leftover roast or turkey sandwiches I mentioned earlier?  How about a beef and horseradish sauce sandwich with lettuce and cheddar?  Oh yes….that’s the ticket!

So, just when you thought this blog post couldn’t get more delicious or interesting, there’s more!  Hodgson Mill is sponsoring a sweepstakes on their blog–the winner gets a great prize package filled with a ton of their wholesome baking ingredients and they are giving away 50–yes 50 of them so your chances are really good.  And they are drawing the winners on the 10th of December, just in time for holiday baking!  Here’s the link:

http://www.hodgsonmill.com/win-a-grain-holiday/

But wait, there’s more!  Last but not least, I am offering $25.00 worth of Hodgson Mill products to give away too!  Simply comment below before Friday, November 30th at 9:00 what you would make with delicious whole grain Hodgson Mill products, share my giveaway on Facebook and/or Tweet it for more entries and you might just win!  I will have the fabulous Lily draw the name out of a hat as usual!  And because the people at Hodgson Mill are in the holiday spirit, here’s the link to a printable $1.00 off coupon too!

http://www.hodgsonmill.com/grain-holiday-coupon/

Good luck to all and please, let me know if you make these yummy rolls!

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Summer Splendor Balsamic Blueberry & Pork Salad… a colorful taste of Summer!

Hi Friends!  Get ready for a barrage of blueberry recipes coming at you.  I am participating a blueberry recipe contest for bloggers and have been creating some really fun dishes using this delicious and really nutritious fruit.

This recipe is great because not only does it use lots of blueberries, but when the salad is all put together, you have an explosion of color on your plate.   You might think that making your own marinade and salad dressing is challenging, but believe me, read through the recipe, gather your ingredients and try it.  I would love to know what you think.  So without further delay, here’s my recipe:

Summer Splendor Balsamic Blueberry & Pork Salad with Double Duty Blueberry Vinaigrette

For the Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3-4 teaspoons honey, to taste
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
Zest of one lemon
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons white wine
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, combine shallot, mustard, honey, blueberries, lemon zest and juice, white wine and basil.  Pulse until combined and basil is finely chopped.  Drizzle in olive and canola oil until emulsified and dressing is bright in color.

Season with salt and pepper to taste–the mixture will be bright blueish pink and look delicious!   Pour one half of the dressing in to a zip top bag and set aside.  Reserve remaining dressing and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Salad:

1 1/4-1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cleaned
2 cups fresh bluberries, divided
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-10 oz bag mixed baby greens
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

Place pork tenderloin in zip top bag that contains half of the blueberry vinaigrette and shake to coat.  Refrigerate pork for at least 2 but up to 6 hours.

In the meantime, about a half hour before serving, take pork out of the refrigerator, keeping it in the marinade, and allow to come to room temperature before grilling.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups blueberries, balsamic vinegar and sugar and bring to a simmer.  Cook until most of the blueberries have burst, about 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium high.  Remove pork from blueberry marinade, pat dry and discard marinade–yes, the pork will be a bit pink.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Place tenderloin on the center of the grill, cover and cook 12-15 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F.

Remove pork from the grill to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing in to 1/2” slices.

Toss salad greens with goat cheese, tomatoes and desired amount of blueberry vinaigrette and serve on one large platter or individual serving plates.  Top greens with sliced pork tenderloin, spoon balsamic blueberries over pork and sprinkle remaining fresh blueberries over salad.  Enjoy!  Serves 3

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Recipes from Saturday’s food demo at the Cape Ann Chamber Home & Business Expo

Good afternoon friends!

Thank you all so much for coming out to see our food demos at the Expo on Saturday.  It meant a lot to have you there and I am so glad that both Lily and I made lots of samples to hand out–you guys were hungry!

So here is the recipe I promised you all.   Remember, if you and your family are not fans of a particular ingredient, feel free to substitute or opt not to add whatever it is.  Just as long as you like pasta, cheese and some spices and some type of veggies you will be ok!

Please feel free to email me with any questions and I will happily help you!  And if you make either of these, please let us know what you think.

Kid Friendly Southwestern Mac & Cheese 

4 tablespoon canola or olive oil, divided
1 cup diced red, green, yellow bell peppers (use whatever you like)
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon sweet chili powder
1 tablespoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
1 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen defrosted is fine)
1 cup drained rinsed canned black beans
2-14.5 oz boxes Pasta Plus (yellow, purple or green box) Pasta
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups 1% milk
3 cups shredded reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
1 cup crushed reduced fat tortilla chips
Salt & pepper to taste

In a medium skillet over medium, heat one tablespoon of canola oil until shimmering.  Add peppers and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add spices and toss or stir to coat, cooking for a few more minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in corn and black beans.  Set aside.

In a large pot, cook pasta in well salted water.  Drain, toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, combine remaining 3 tablespoons of oil with flour and whisk over medium heat until lightly browned.  Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a low boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to low and slow incorporate all of the shredded cheese.  Stir until smooth and creamy.  Add white pepper and check seasoning of sauce–add salt and pepper to taste.

Add cooked pasta and vegetables to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.  Stir in chopped cilantro and top with crushed tortilla chip crumbs (if ready to serve).   Serve immediately or transfer to an oven safe dish, wrap tightly and freeze.  Enjoy!

And now for Lily’s fabulous:

Chocolate Strawberry Goodness Pie

One package chocolate graham crackers (about 10 crackers), crushed to yield about 1 1/2 cups
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
l-large box instant chocolate fudge pudding (uses 2 1/2 cups milk to make the whole box)
2 1/2 cups 1% milk
8 oz (one cup) semisweet chocolate
5 whole strawberries plus 2 cups chopped
Whipped cream 

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in the food processor or in a large bowl and mix well until combined.   Press into 9” pie plate.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Cool completely.
Combine pudding mix and milk and whisk until combined.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave and stir until smooth and creamy.  Paint the cooled crust with the melted chocolate and dip the whole strawberries in the chocolate to coat.  Set berries aside on parchment paper to harden and cool.

When ready to assemble pie, spread sliced strawberries over chocolate coating on pie crust.  Spoon prepared pudding over strawberries and smooth.

Decorate pie as desired and garnish with chocolate covered strawberries and whipped cream.

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A batch of corn chowder for Lily

As it often happens, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season ends with my girl sniffling and blowing her nose, wrapped on the couch in quilts and this year was no exception.  When I asked her what she would like for dinner she said corn chowder so I figured the least I could do to make her feel better is whip up a batch.  So here is the end result:

Corn Chowder for Lily

8 cups chicken broth
3 pounds potatoes, washed and diced
8 oz bacon, diced
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4-15 oz cans corn, drained
2-15.25 oz cans creamed corn
1/2 gallon 2% or whole milk
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup Wondra flour (optional)
White pepper to taste
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, bring diced potatoes to boil in chicken stock.  Allow to cook until fork tender but not soft.  Be sure to check doneness after about 7 minutes.

Set yourself up a colander with a bowl or pan underneath to catch the chicken broth when you drain the potatoes.  Drain potatoes and set them and the cooking broth aside.

In the Dutch oven render the bacon over medium low heat until the meat is crispy.  Remove the meaty bits with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

Increase heat to medium and add the onion, celery and thyme and season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Sprinkle in the flour and allow vegetables to cook down until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add drained corn to pan and stir to combine.  Cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the reserved chicken broth and the creamed corn to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Add the milk (you don’t have to add all of it) and the heavy cream.

At this point you can slowly whisk in the Wondra flour by sprinkling it slowly in to the liquid, whisking constantly.  The Wondra flour will give the chowder a lovely “velvety” consistency–I learned this little trick from Gail “ The Chowder Lady” Matthews.

Bring the chowder to serving temperature, add some white pepper if you want to and re-season with salt and pepper and use the crispy bacon as garnish in individual bowls or just put it back into the pot and stir.

And look at that–Lily is feeling better–I think the soup helped!

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Multi Marx Mushroom Mac & Cheese–Delicious, Comforting and yes, good for you!

Once in a while an offer comes along that is too good to refuse.   I have lots of foodie friends who keep me connected when there are contests and giveaways to enter, especially when there is free food involved.  To that end, Marx Foods (http://marxfoods.com/) offered food bloggers 5 wonderful sample packs of their dried mushrooms if they agreed to participate in their Blogger Mushroom Recipe Challenge (http://marxfood.com/mushroom-recipe-challenge/).

You know me, never one to back down from a challenge so this is what I came up with, bearing in mind four things:

1.  Lil and I have a crazy life lately–like that is something new, right?–and having something I can freeze part of to eat at a later date works for us

2.  The weather is getting cooler at night and some comfort food was on my agenda to make anyway

3.  I had lots of odds and ends of cheese in the fridge that needed to be used

4.  I have sneaky ways of making comfort foods much healthier than the traditional version but still very very delicious!  I love a good mac and cheese but adding the reconstituted dried mushrooms and a bit of the mushroom “broth” gave this classic a whole new dimension of deliciousness!  And not one person can tell that I slipped in the high fiber pasta for the traditional

Multi Marx Mushroom Mac & Cheese!

1/2 cup dried Marx Porcini Mushrooms

1/2 cup dried Marx Black Trumpet Mushrooms

2 cups low fat milk

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 pounds light or reduced fat cheese, cut in to small cubes or shredded–I had about four ounces Muenster, mozzarella, a bunch of sharp cheddar and American in the fridge so that’s what I used, all light or reduced fat versions except the Muenster

2 -one pound boxes pasta–I used one box of Pasta Plus (the pasta in the yellow box) and then I found a new type of pasta–it is in a green box and it is multi colored–orange/tan/green veggie pasta with a full serving of veggies in every serving and full of vitamins and fiber but you can use regular pasta too!

1- 6 oz package fresh sliced crimini mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt  & pepper to taste

Place dried Marx mushrooms in separate small bowls or cups.  Cover mushrooms with boiling water and set aside to reconstitute while you are getting everything else organized.

In a large pan, whisk together milk and flour.  Bring to a low boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally–mixture will thicken slightly:

In a large pot cook pasta in well salted boiling water–drain when cooked to al dente and set aside–be sure to read package directions as the whole grain pasta cooks differently than traditional.   When drained, pour pasta in to a large bowl and set aside.

Drain dried mushrooms through a fine sieve, reserving liquid.  Pat dry, chop and set aside-these are the black trumpet mushrooms.

When milk and flour mixture is at a low boil, reduce heat to medium low and slowly stir in cheese, a little at a time until melted.  Add more cheese and continue until sauce is thick and velvety.  Whisk a few tablespoons of the mushroom liquid in to the cheese sauce to spread that rich mushroom flavor all throughout the dish.  I froze the rest of the mushroom “broth” and can’t wait to use it the next time I make soup.

In the meantime, in another pan melt butter in a large saute pan and brown mushrooms over medium low heat.   Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

When all of the cheese is incorporated in to the sauce, pour over cooked pasta and mix well.  Add all mushrooms and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I divided this batch up into three casserole dishes, put crumbs on two, wrapped them well and froze them.  At this point you can add seasoned and buttered cracker or bread crumbs over the top if you wish.  We ate the rest very happily two dinners in a row without the crumbs–delicious!

And there you have it–rich, delicious, earthy, comforting, nutritious, easy, cheesy and YUMMY!

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Hearty (and healthy) Southwestern Fire Roasted Tomato Soup and a Le Creuset contest

Good Morning Friends:

I have a contest entry in the LeCreuset True Memories contest and need your support–here’s the link to the post and for those of you who noticed how cool it is the AM and started thinking that a nice pot of soup might be nice in the near future, here’s the recipe for the soup I referred to in the entry–If you would be so kind as to go and vote for my entry, in return I give you this delicious and healthy soup recipe~:

http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?qsi=48792157

Hearty Southwestern Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
4 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
2 teaspoon chili powder, divided
8 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons jarred or homemade roasted garlic
3-14.5 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
2-14.5 oz cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1-14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
1-14.5 oz box whole wheat or high fiber white pasta
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to taste plus additional salt for pasta water
Reduced fat sour cream (optional)
Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

On the stovetop in a large Dutch, combine onions and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Cook slowly over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and beginning to caramelize, about 15 minutes.  Add roasted garlic, red and green peppers and 2 teaspoons cumin and cook until peppers are softened, about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

With an immersion or conventional blender, puree cooked vegetable mixture until smooth.  Return puree to the pan and add chicken broth, Diced Tomatoes, Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes and Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies and stir to combine.  Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

While soup is simmering, sprinkle remaining cumin and chili powder over chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper.  Saute chicken with one tablespoon olive oil until cooked through, about 10 minutes, depending on thickness of breasts.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes and cut into cubes.

Meanwhile, in another large pot filled with salted boiling water, cook entire box of pasta according to package instructions.  Drain and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.

After soup is simmered, add diced chicken, pasta and fresh cilantro.  Reheat if necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Top individual servings with one tablespoon sour cream and fresh cilantro springs, if desired.

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A very simple indoor or outdoor Cod recipe…and some summer sides to go with it…YUM!

How about a lovely recipe for cod?  That gorgeous fish caught right off Gloucester?   This is a good one because it will work with pretty much any firm fleshed white fish–have done it with striper also.

The day we shot this episode of Inspired Cooking, All About Cod, it was about 100 degrees (no exaggeration) and humid.  So we got all set up to film outside and grill the fish and veggies on my grill but something was awry.  I couldn’t get the grill to work.  I tried, my camera guy tried, but not being one to mess with propane (and realizing the AC was on the house and it would be much cooler) we took the show inside and got set up.  So, the long and the short of this story is that you can do this recipe both outside or inside if you have a grill pan.  I have a cast iron grill pan that I love and grills/sears fish perfectly–if you don’t have one, consider picking one up–they are terrific!

Grilled Cod with a parsley lemon crust:

2-3 cups panko bread crumbs

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3-4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2-3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing fish

2-3 pounds fresh Gloucester Cod loin (the thick part from the head end of the fish–save the smaller tail pieces for chowder or to fry up with a little seasoned flour and cornmeal crumb–they freeze well!), cut in to 6-8 oz portions

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, combine crumbs, lemon zest and juice, parsley and olive oil, just enough to make the crumbs stick together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Brush cod with a generous coating of olive oil and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and set aside

Preheat outdoor grill to medium or indoor grill pan to medium high.  If you are inside, turn on your broiler to low and move the oven rack to the middle position.  Place your cast iron or other grill pan on the burner to heat.  If using cast iron and you are unsure if the pan is seasoned enough, rub it with a paper towel soaked with olive oil just to ensure the fish doesn’t stick.  if you are outside, it wouldn’t hurt to brush the grates of your outdoor grill with a little oil as well,  just to be sure.

Cook fish in preheated pan about 4-5 minutes until browned on one side.  The thing with fish is when it is ready to flip it will tell you so by loosening its grip on the pan or the grill grate.  Just don’t mess with it.  Let the heat of the pan/grill do what it needs to do.  When you are ready to flip, grab tongs and a fish turner/ metal spatula and flip the fish.

Remove the pan from the stove (if indoors).  With your hand press as many crumbs as you like on to the fish to coat the top.  If you are outdoors, close the cover of the grill and give the fish a few more minutes too cook through (about 3-4) and for the crumbs to crisp.  If indoors, place the entire pan in the oven under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until crumbs are browned and fish is cooked through–do not leave the stove–the crumbs can go from gorgeous to burned very quickly.

And that’s it for the fish.

But wait, there’s more……….the fish is so simple I wanted to serve two easy sides to go with it.  For the asparagus, simply trim the spears of the woody end, toss with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake or grill for 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus, shaking the pan once to flip them around.  That’s it!

Now, for the delicious tomato salad.  Grab some tomatoes from your back yard or the Farmer’s Market and cut them in half if they are small or in bite sized pieces if larger, about two cups.   In a small bowl, combine a few tablespoons of olive oil, a few tablespoons of balsamic or flavored vinegar, whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (I had a little oregano, basil and parsley) and chop them up to make one to two tablespoons chopped.  Add in some crumbled blue or goat cheese (or whatever you have on hand) stir, season with salt and pepper, and voila!  You have the perfect summer meal!

As always, feel free to leave ma a comment with questions and let me know how this comes out if you make it.  Thanks and enjoy.

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My friend Shannon’s blog and her giveaway~check it out!

If you have a sec and are interested in food blogs, be sure to check out my friend Shannon’s blog,  “The Messy Apron.”  Not only is Shannon a peach, she is a very talented cook who has a real affinity and love for Persian cooking.   Persian cooking is a subject I know nothing about but it intrigues me–all of those yummy spices and grains–YUM!

She is also offering a giveaway of a salad cookbook and veggie cutter.  Be sure to sign up for a chance to win!

Here is the link to her blog:

http://www.themessyapron.com/2010/03/its-salad-time-give-way.html

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Who would like a new fish recipe and to show me some hometown support?

Gorton’s is sponsoring a recipe contest using their frozen grilled products so naturally, I entered.  Yesterday I was thrilled to find out that I was a finalist in the contest but now I need some hometown support to win! The person who gets the most votes wins a HUGE Pottery Barn gift certificate and boy could Lily and I use some updates in our little apartment.

Here is there recipe, photo and the link to vote.  Easy Easy voting!  Just click the link and then fill in the words in the white box to cast your vote.    You can vote daily until the end of April (yikes, a long time, I know) but if you could I would so appreciate it!

Here is the voting link:  http://www.gortons.com/grilled-details.php?id=425&page=

And here is the recipe for “Taste of Mexico Tortilla Crusted Tilapia Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette”

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt & pepper to taste

For the Fish:

1 egg white
1/4 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups reduced fat tortilla chip crumbs
1-6.3 oz Gorton’s Roasted Garlic & Butter Grilled Tilapia
2 tablespoons canola oil
5 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cleaned and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime wheels for garnish, if desired

First, prepare the dressing.  Combine lime juice, vinegar, agave nectar, cumin and cilantro in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  While whisking, slowly drizzle in oil and whisk until well blended.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.*

In a shallow dish such as a pie plate, whisk together egg white and skim milk.  Set aside.  Pour crushed tortilla chips into another shallow dish and season with freshly ground pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Remove Gorton’s Roasted Garlic & Butter Grilled Tilapia from pouch and place in a microwave safe dish.  Using the defrost setting on the microwave, defrost the fillets.  Do not allow fillets to cook.

Heat canola oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Gently coat fillets with milk and egg mixture then gently press fillets in to crushed tortilla chips.  If fillets separate be sure to coat all sides of the fish with the crumb mixture.  Gently place crusted fish in hot oil and cook for about 4-5 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side until crumbs are lightly browned and fish is cooked through.

In the meantime, divide salad greens, sliced tomatoes, avocado and bell peppers between two serving plates.  When fish is cooked, place fillets on top of greens on each plate and drizzle fish and greens with desired amount of cilantro lime vinaigrette.   Garnish with lime if desired.  Enjoy!

*Store bought cilantro lime vinaigrette may be substituted for convenience

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