S T E A M E D  T I L A P I A 
w/ G I N G E R + S C A L L I O N

Heyoooo! Happy April~! 

My absolute #1 month because of so many reasons. Todd & I have birthdays in April (10th & 11th), adorable flower buds pop out of the ground, winter SHOULD be over! The list goes on..

Can you believe it.. we are already a WHOLE quarter in to the year! 2016.. where's it all going!?

Speaking of a "whole" I have been diving into cooking more with whole fish. I recently scored a good deal on whole tilapia & was dying to prepare them. I knew exactly what to make: one of my all time favorite & the über classic ginger + scallion mix!

If tilapia is not your thing this would work well with any other light, white fish (think cod, red snapper, haddock). The sauce really plays well on the fluffy, fish meat!

Since there are only a few ingredients make sure to grab the best of the best. Also, put on your tough girl/ boy chef hat with this. There were some moments where I was reminded at how gnarly preparing a whole fish is! As with everything.. practice [:

Ingredients:

Whole tilapia (1 to 3)

1 large Ginger root

1 bunch Scallions

1/2 cup Canola oil

1/2 cup Soy for seafood

(or soy sauce + sugar)

gut, de-fin, de-gill, score!

julienne into thin, matchstick slivers 

Directions:

1. First! It's all about the *mise en place*. This is the prep before you begin to get into the art of cooking! Wash ginger & scallion. Peel your ginger & chop ends off of scallions. Now, patiently cut into thin strips. This is how you julienne! Doing this gives the ingredients a more delicate touch to the dish. Note: add scallions to cold water to keep it fresh!

2. To prepare the fish remove guts & gills if they haven't been removed already. Trim off fins leaving just the tail intact. Don't like the look of the head?? Chop it off! Things get real intense & bloody when preparing fish- so if you don't like the dissection go ahead & use a filet- I won't judge you!

sweet action shot caught by todd!

1 down 2 more to go!

3. The style I steamed the fish in was "en papillote" which is a fancy French term for "in parchment". If you have a steamer, use that! Have a wide pan with room for a plate to steam in? Do it up. I basically took parchment & created a pouch where I put ALL the ingredients in & popped in an oven at 400º for 20 minutes! Easy peasy. Check out the full instructions on how to fold the pouch here from Bon Apetit! 

Leave half of ginger, scallions, & soy sauce mix to fry in a pan while your fish steams! 

Stuff the cavity! Pile it all in thurrrr

4. Enclose the fish with the parchment paper. Trust me, this takes practice! Start from the bottom and keep folding each fold together until you reach the top. Steam!

5. Place in a serving platter & top with the stirfried ginger & scallions. Serve with white rice!

J A M E S O N & G I N G E R
G L A Z E D  W I N G S
+ T E M P U R A  S H I S H I T O
P E P P E R S

A double feature! A double down! A Dubsmash! 

Pardon my excitement, everyone. These both came out mind blowingly good- so I got a little pumped when I saw them again.

Superbowl 50! What a game, amiright?! Just kidding- I don't think I even watched 2 minutes of the game-- I was focused on drinking, cooking & hosting. Aside from these two things I also made beef barbacoa taquitos that I didn't have one bite of because they were gone in seconds.

If you really know me, you will know that Jameson Irish Whiskey is my all-time favorite hard liquor. Jameson & ginger with a lime all day! I even concocted a Jeannie-son & Ginger Martini at Blue Taleh when I was a full-time drink slinger.

These wings were the perfect amount of sticky & I can say they are the best wings I've ever made. The key is to really get a nice charring on the skin.. mmm.

The tempura shishito peppers were something Todd & I had in Phoenix, AZ at Squid Ink Sushi Bar. There were bonito flakes (dried fish) on top of the ones we had but I was out so I opted for Korean chile threads! 

I've been buying a lot of random spices online lately- check out Spice Jungle & Beanilla if you are just the slightest bit intrigued.They instantly make any dish look freaking fancy as fuuuuhh. 

So here goes! Please let me know in the comments below.. if you like it, watched Bey perform, drink Jameson, are a wings or drums kinda person, or whatever else! I want more comments! 

Please, just to know I'm not talking to myself here. Or you know what? So what if I'm talking to myself.. either way- comment & make me smile [:

Ingredients:


For Jameson & Ginger Wings

2 dozen Wings + drums
2 cups JAMESON
1 ginger root peeled & minced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain ol' white sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
Sesame seeds & scallions for garnish

For Tempura Shishito Peppers
1 bag Shishito Peppers (~20 peppers)
1 cup flour
1 cup water
Oil for frying
Any dipping sauce you want

Directions:

For Jameson & Ginger Wings
1. Mix whiskey, brown + white sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic & hoisin sauce together in a bowl. 
2. Rinse your wings & drums- add HALF of the sauce. Marinate them suckers for a day if you can! Or however long you can really..

3. Preheat the oven for 400°. Line a large baking sheet or two with aluminum foil & spread the chicken all out in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes on one side & flip to bake for another 20 minutes. 

4. While the chicken is cooking take the other half of your sauce mix & put in a sauce pot to caramelize. Start at high heat & once it boils bring it medium. As the liquid begins to evaporate bring it to a steady simmer. This literally took me the entire time the chicken baked! If the sauce doesn't thicken add cornstarch (a little bit at a time!)

4. Put the broiler on high & transfer the chicken to the top rack to get a nice, dark charring! This is seriously key. 

5. Once the chicken is done cooking add to a platter & drizzle the glaze all over. Toss it up!

6. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds & chopped scallions on top to serve.

For Tempura Shishito Peppers

1. Rinse peppers well & make a slit lengthwise in every pepper. This ensures there is no popping in your hot pan full of oil! Also, if you are scared of the heat- don't make these! Kidding.. take some seeds out (I did not do this because I'm not a pussy).

2. Speaking of hot pan full of oil.. fill a pan/ wok about 1" deep with your fav frying oil.

3. Mix flour & water together. If you like a thicker tempura, add more flour (think pancake batter).. if you like a thinner tempura add more water!

4. Holding the stem of one pepper at a time, dip into your batter & drop into your oil to FRY BABY FRY!!

5. Easy.. so so so goddamn easy. Flip them after a minute or so & fry for another minute. The last thing to do is garnish with chile threads (god, I love chile threads) & serve with a little dipping sauce! I opted for a dumpling sauce mixed with spicy ponzo. Maybe I'll do a spicy mayo next?

So! Do you think you will make these? Let me know if you do & I'll love you FOREVER.

N O N G S H I M  U D O N
B O W L  R E V I E W
(+ chicago eats)

Today a freak blizzard ripped & roared through northern New England with absolutely NO FUCKS given! Driving home though was seriously magical! It's wild how serene & gorgeous it looks after the snowfall.

Anyway! I must admit how bad I've been at keeping this blog up to date. I'm the worst I know.. I've been really busy, sorta. Recently, I took a trip out to Chicago to visit my charming cousin Angela & we seriously ate like (truffle) pigs. We shamelessly inhaled:

• the deepest DEEP DISH PIZZA at Lou Malnati's mmm...!
• really good fries & cocktails at the Game Room at the Chicago Athletic Association
• craft cocktails, fancy nuts & deviled eggs at a speakeasy called The Violet Hour
• an out-of-this-goddamn-world italian dinner at Balena *dreams*
• a small scoop of cookie dough ice cream at Insomnia Cookies
• an espresso filled donut & coffee w/ soy at Firecakes Donuts
• a spicy mezcal bloody mary from The Little Goat while waiting for..
• the BEST freaking burger with fries + a duck egg at Au Cheval
• avocado toast (I made this!) while thinking of where to eat next
• a late night, comforting bowl of ramen at ANI
• a chicago dog DUH!!! at Portillo's
• the most satisfying hot pu'erh tea at David's TEA
• absurdly filling & tantalizing fried chicken + mac & cheese at The VIG

 

You can bet your goddamn bottom dollar I came home & could not fit into ANY of my pants!! I feel like a cow... yes, still.. even after 2 weeks!! What an unforgettable trip with her & my fur-nephew Pierre :]

Aside from the trip I haven't cooked up anything too blog-worthy lately.. Or if I did I'm too hangry so I don't take pictures! I promise I'll post something soon though (I have an idea already!) 

Okay! So, this post not only is covering what I ate in Chicago but a review of this Nongshim Udon Noodle Bowl! I've reviewed another product of theirs in the past-- check it out >> here <<.

First off, I bought this big, bad, bowl at my local Market Basket for around ~$4. Not bad, but I could also buy 4 of my favorite Shin Cups with that! The bowl itself is huge. Serving size said 2 (but I ate this almost entirely in just one sitting) & the sodium content is so bad I won't dare post it! 

The udon noodles themselves were really nice! I was surprised how well they kept together being an off the shelf & not refridgerated product. The directions said to add hot water to the noodles & then drain. The lid had these preforations which was pretty neat! After that add more hot water & the broth base + dehydrated veggies (which has seaweed, tempura flakes, fish cakes & other oddities). 

Flavor wise- not bad! There was a weird flavor that lingered on my tongue though. This isn't a spicy soup so I was kind of itching to grab the Sriracha bottle but refrained. This certainly is a nice, quick emergency lunch (I stock up on instant noodz for this reason) & I enjoyed the whole "being-in-a-bowl" aspect to it.

Would I buy it again? Probably not. There was just so much & the fact that it wasn't a spicy broth made me feel pretty MEH about it.. Shin Cup ALL THE WAY.

Nongshim Udon Bowl

S P I C Y
S H A K S H U K A

Happy New Year!! Cheers to 2016 & for all the wonderful, exciting things to happen to each & every one of us. The future is mad bright, y'all!

I was recently featured on the Lodge Cast Iron's Instagram for my Shakshuka last winter (yay!!) & after seeing the sexy, saucy, spiciness I knew I had to make it again. 

This recipe is adapted by one I found online here from the New York Times >> Shakshuka. The difference between this & my recipe is that instead of having hot sauce I actually use Thai Chili Peppers in it! Muy picante y muy delicioso!

I've used other cheeses besides feta too, in case you are a feta hater- so don't be afraid to try out your fav cheeses! This is seriously the easiest, crowd pleasing dish you could make for brunch so go & make it!

Ingredients:

1 Can Whole Plum Tomatoes (chopped with shears in the can)

1 Large Bell Pepper, seeded & chopped

1 Large Onion chopped

4 Garlic cloves minced

1 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese *plain or herb!

Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)

6 Eggs

~4-6 Thai Chili Peppers

Salt & Pepper

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Cayenne

Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Get a cast iron skillet! Heat to medium high heat & add olive oil. 

2. Sautée roughly sliced/ chopped onions & bell peppers + thai chili peppers until translucent & tender~ 12-18 minutes. 

3. Add (organic) garlic! I got this little guy at the indoor farmer's market at Mill No.5 from Mill City Grows!  *If you are in the Lowell, MA area you have to check it out! 

4. Once garlic becomes insanely aromatic toss in your cumin, smoked paprika & cayenne! 

5. Add the coarsely chopped tomatoes (open/ remove lid, take kitchen shears & snip away at the tomatoes!) & sauce.. Season with salt & pepper!

6. Stir in crumbled feta cheese (save some for garnish!) and let simmer for a few minutes.

7. With your slotted spoon make little nests inside the shakshuka & crack in your eggs!

8. Cook for a few minutes & turn on your broiler to HIGH- pop 'er in to set the eggs. This takes maybe a minute or 2- any longer & you WILL overcook your eggs! If you find the yolk is covered by the egg whites just cook enough & peel back the film.

9. Top with more feta, chilis + cilantro for a fresh pop of color & flavor.

Serve with crusty bread & champagne [;

Cheers to you! Yeah.. YOU!! 

Thanks for reading & please let me know if you end up making this or any other recipes on my blog! 

C H I C K E N

P I C C A T A

W/ S U N  D R I E D

T O M A T O E S

Hey hey hey! Merry belated Christmas to all you folks out there! 

Todd & I are so thankful/ blessed to have had such a good time with all our friends + families this month. It's been nonstop drinking & eating this entire month; our bellies are bigger than ever!

Of the many gifts we got this year I have to say our favorites had to be the edible ones. A culinary enthusiast/ cousin of Todd's has been studying in the islands of Malta & brought smuggled back some savory treats for us that I am wildly obsessed with! 

What'd we get? Well we scored basil infused cold pressed olive oil (heavy breathing), sea salted capers (heavier breathing), & TONS of sun dried tomatoes (heaviest breathing).. mmmhmmm ^_____^

Capers instantly make me think piccata- so I figured let's make a ginormous thing for the week! I've made this dish before but added a secret ingredient that I think really helped smooth out the tart, saltiness that you get from the lemons & capers. 

See if you can guess what it is!

Ingredients:
1lb Chicken breasts
Flour for dredging
Olive oil
4 tbsp Butter
Salt & Pepper
Adobo
2-3 tbsp Capers
2-3 tbsp Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 cups Chicken broth
2 Lemons
1/2 cup Almond milk
1 package Capellini or Angel Hair Pasta

Directions:

1. Prep the chicken! With a long enough piece of plastic wrap put one piece of chicken in the middle & tenderize! Don't have a meat tenderizer? Use a bottle of wine or Jameson- because that's something I always have around ;)

2. Once all chicken has been flattened out to your desired thickness cut in half. Salt & pepper (& adobo)! 
3. Put a scoop of flour into a bowl & dredge chicken in flour. This helps them fry up & brown real nicely.

4. Get your skillet to medium heat & add 2 tbsp of butter & around 2-4tbsp of olive oil. Mix around & add your chicken pieces! Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side (check thicker pieces). 

5. Remove chicken once all cooked & keep covered on a plate. 
6. Rinse the salt off your capers! This really makes a difference in assuring your dish is not TOO salty*

7. Add to the skillet chicken broth (I made this with 2 cups water & 2tbsp Knorr's), rinsed capers, sliced sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice + slices, remaining butter & almond milk! You can of course use cream to make this creamier but I didn't have any & think this is healthier (; Simmer for a few minutes!

8. Get a pot of water boiling now! Since the cappelini (or angel hair) pasta is so thin this cooks in just 3 minutes. 

9. Turn off the heat for your skillet sauce & add cooked/ drained pasta. Toss around to coat. The pasta will soak up the sauce- so this is where you should taste! Need more broth? Add some! Need more lemony flavor? Squeeze it in! Salt & pepper if you want.

10. Once you have your pasta all coated top with your chicken, add more lemon slices & garnish with parsley! 

Serve & enjoy! 

Hope you all have a safe & faaaaaabulous New Year! 

Oh & my resolution? Host more breakfast/ brunch/ lunch/ dinner parties! ♥