Oysters & A Birthday

This isn't actually a recipe post, more of a look-at-these-unbelievably-beautiful-pictures post of our somewhat recent visit to Wadmalaw Island, SC for my Grandmother's 95th birthday party. That was March 31st, so I'm only five months late on getting this up.

I'm hoping that posting pictures is the gateway to getting back into posting recipes. We'll see. Hope you enjoy!

Freshly harvested oysters. They were steamed under wet burlap on a metal plate, over a pit fire.

Jacob even got into the action - a proclaimed "non-oyster-eater." He's changed his title to "non-oyster-eater-except-when eating-them-at-Uncle-Lincoln's-house."

I believe at this point Amber was in search of the tiniest oyster award.

Happy birthday! 95 years and still rocking. Ps - That cake is a homemade one by Aunt Tracy - DELICIOUS fresh strawberry cake.

The scene of the roast. What an unbelievable view. There honestly aren't too many simpler pleasures than shucking fresh oysters shared with family during a Wadmalaw sunset.

Salmon Cakes with Lime-Aioli

Ok, so I'm going to start with a disclaimer or two. This is my first real post since sometime in January (bad Elizabeth). I fell off the blogging wagon in pursuit of a ridiculous amount of marketing work the past few months. Good for the bank, not so good for general sanity and / or blogging. That being said:

Disclaimer 1 - This is not a real recipe per se, more of a technique. Good for anyone who likes to (or would like to) explore with flavors in the kitchen. I'd like to give exact measurements, but, that takes more time than I have had lately. So what I've done is said exactly what I've put in these particular cakes, but you can apply this to any seafood (hello crab) and use any fillings (bell peppers, celery, spices, etc) that you have on hand.

Disclaimer 2 -  When I decided to photograph this meal for blogging, I was moving at a leisurely pace setting up. Once I started to prep though, Jacob announced that we only had 45 minutes before we had to start playing an iTunes movie that we had rented before it expired and disappeared along with our $4.99. While the meal doesn't take long to make, it does when you stop every 30 seconds to photograph your latest slice or dice. Long story short: I'm terribly embarrassed by the size of my red onion dice. Almost to the point of not publishing the photos, but, you do what you gotta do. (PS, the movie was Django and I really really liked it. Violent, yes, but very well written / produced. Proper suspense.)

I consider "cakes" of any sort a way to clean out the pantry. If you have onions / bell peppers / garlic / herbs / cheese - anything that could possibly be used in the cake and that you want to get rid of - mix it in and throw it in hot oil. It'll taste good. This particular night, I had frozen sockeye salmon, a nearly finished rind of Parmesan, garlic and red onions. Also pictured above is an egg (for binding the cakes) and a mixture of fresh herbs.

So on the left, you can see my salmon, herbs, onions, garlic and cheese, all mixed together. To bind any type of cake, you simply need to add an egg and some bread crumbs, which I did in the photo on the right. You can see how easily it "packs" down once you've added the binders. At this point you should be able to spoon out little handfuls and form patties, like below.

Let's pretend that those onion pieces aren't way too large. It does help to have a much smaller dice, as any large, hard chunks (like mine) will serve as a breaking point for your cakes making them more difficult to handle.

Your oil should be hot when you add your cakes, so you sear them and develop a nice crunchy crust. If you put the cakes into lukewarm oil, the oil will just absorb up into the cake. 1 - Not pretty, 2 - Not tasty. 

And what's a seafood cake without a sauce? This quick "cheaters" aïoli is delicious and takes hardly any time to whip up. And talk about customizable! An aïoli is just a garlic-mayonnaise. I've added lime here to kick it up, but add in anything you like. Lemon, herbs, spices - all fantastic.

The final product! There is just something about a cake that seems so decadent to me. Maybe because it's typically so expensive at restaurants, or maybe because you normally only get one or two? Nice thing about making them yourself - you can make them for very little money, and you can have as many as you want! (Not that you should overeat by any means. Just saying.)

These cakes are a very light / fresh tasting entree, especially paired with a simple watercress salad. The main flavor notes came from the salmon and the fresh herbs, which are natural flavor-buddies. Mixed with the sweet red onion, the overall cake has a slightly rich, slightly sweet taste. Topped with a fresh zingy and spicy aioli, the cakes are an overall great treat.

Salmon Cakes with Lime Aïoli

Makes about 9-10 medium sized cakes

Cakes

12 oz (two filets) uncooked salmon (or crab, shrimp, etc)

1 small red onion, diced

3 cloves of garlics, diced

A handful of herbs, diced (I used fresh dill, basil, thyme, chives, parsley)
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup panko / bread crumbs to start

Shred your salmon, and put into a large bowl with all the ingredients, stopping before the egg. Season with salt and pepper. Mix together until everything is well-mixed.

(Tip: If you have a hard time knowing how much salt and pepper to add, season each ingredient before mixing in. Ex: Season the salmon filets as you normally would, then shred and add to the bowl. Season the onions lightly as if you were going to sauté them, then add into the bowl, and so on.)

Add the beaten egg and panko, and mix lightly. You’re looking for a mixture that is sticky, and can be formed together. If it’s not packing together when you push it together, you can add another half or whole egg. If it’s too wet from the egg, add more panko.

Form the patties to your size liking. If you go for the size I have pictured, you should be able to get about 9-10 cakes out of the mix. At this point, you can either go ahead and pan-fry or cover and refrigerate them.

When you’re ready to cook them, coat the bottom of a pan with ¼” of a neutral high-heat oil, like canola, grapeseed or peanut and put the pan over medium heat. Give it a few minutes to heat up. To test the oil, you can dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil – after a few seconds, it should start to bubble around the spoon. No spoon? Go ahead and put in a leftover bit of onion or mix, it should bubble and sizzle within 1-2 seconds.

Place your cakes into the pan, making sure not to crowd them. More than likely you’ll end up doing 2 batches. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes, then check one by lifting and edge and peaking under. If you’ve achieved a solid golden-brown crust, flip away. A few more minutes on the other side and you’re done! Remove the cakes from the pan and place on some paper towels to drain the excess grease.

Lime Aïoli

1-2 cloves fresh garlic (1 for mild taste, 2 for a spicier, bolder taste)

1½-2 T fresh lime juice (to taste)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar (optional)

pinch of cayenne (optional)

Peel and paste your garlic (if you don’t know how to paste garlic, click here). Mix with the lime juice, mayonnaise and salt; using a whisk works best. Give the mixture a taste. If it’s bland, add a little more salt. Stores often sell lemons and limes that aren’t quite ripe yet, and have a bitter tang, so if the flavor is too bitter from the lime juice you can add a pinch of sugar to help balance the flavors. And if you like a little heat, add a good pinch of cayenne. Mix well, and serve over or next to your cakes. I also like to sprinkle some smoked paprika over top the final product, to add a pop of color to the final plate.

Pasting Garlic

Most any time you eat or serve garlic raw (salad dressings, aiolis, etc) you'll want to "paste" it,  to prevent your diners from crunching on a piece of garlic. Peel the cloves by giving them a good whack with the flat side of your knife (carefully!). Once peeled, finely mince (#2). Add a pinch of salt to the minced garlic and (#3) use the flat edge of your knife to crush the garlic while pulling your knife towards you. Repeat until garlic is transparent (#4).

As you paste the garlic, you'll hear the garlic "crunch" of it under your knife - much better on the cutting board than in your mouth.

Walnut Crusted Corvina

My husband and I recently went out to dinner at our local Carrabba's - I had just purchased a new dress and wanted to wear it out on the town. He had a gift card to Carrabba's, so off we went. Admittedly, I was over-dressed (the waitress even asked me where I was going that I needed to be all dressed up...um, here?), but hey, a date night is a date night. 

For dinner I ordered their Hazelnut-Crusted Tilapia, with a lemon-butter sauce and fresh basil and tomatoes. The dish was very good, but lacked real crunch in the crust, and the toppings were far too few for the size filet presented.  

Needless to say, that meal was the inspiration behind this almost-exactly-the-same dish. I used a combination of seasoned walnuts and panko for the topping, broiled until golden brown and crisp. Then I generously applied fresh basil, tomatoes and the light lemon-butter sauce, so every bite was the perfect balance of crispy, bright and clean.

The start of a great sauce! Here you can see I used an onion, even though below in the recipe I call for a shallot. The shallot is milder and sweeter, but in a crunch (like I was) a white or yellow onion will work. For the white wine, I used a sauvingnon blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. The Marlborough area is known world-wide for producing some of the best white wines; this 2011 Starborough was very good at about $11.

If only it were healthier / socially acceptable to just drink sauce as your meal.

Toasting nuts brings out their flavor exponentially. You can see here I toasted them in olive oil; the oil helps bind the panko and walnuts together, and helps create the beautiful golden brown color when baked.

After processing the panko and walnuts together, the final mixture should have a similar texture as pictured.

This is corvina - a cousin of grouper that is very mild and sweet. It was on sale the day I chose to make this dish, but still isn't the cheapest choice. Any white, flaky fish would work, including tilapia. Tilapia is much more affordable, and much more widely available.

Make sure to apply the crust in an even, thin layer.

The final product! I served with oven roasted brussel sprouts (delicious).

Walnut Crusted Corvina with Lemon-Butter Sauce, Basil & Tomatoes

2 Corvina filets (any white, flaky fish will do)

2 T olive oil

Salt & pepper

Garlic powder

Walnut & panko topping (recipe follows)

Lemon-butter cream sauce (recipe follows)

Handful of fresh basil, cut into thin strips

1 ripe tomato, thinly sliced

Preheat your broiler. Heat oil over medium-high heat in an oven-safe pan. Season one side of your fish with salt, pepper and garlic powder. When the oil is hot, put the fish in the pan, seasoning-side down. Let the fish sit and cook – don’t push it around the pan. Season the exposed side. When the fish is halfway cooked (about 2-4 minutes, depending on thickness), carefully turn the fish over. Add the walnut and panko topping in an even layer over the fish. Move the pan to the oven, and broil until the fish is cooked through and the topping is a golden brown (2-3 minutes). Carefully plate the fish, and garnish with the lemon-butter sauce, basil and tomatoes.

Walnut Topping

¾ c walnuts, toasted

1 T olive oil

½ c panko

Salt & pepper to taste

Toast the walnuts in a pan on medium heat in the oil, until warmed through and fragrant. In a food processor blend all of the ingredients until walnuts are the small size as the panko.

Lemon-Butter Cream Sauce

4 T butter (salted)

Shallot

Juice of half of a lemon (approximately 1T)

1/3 c white wine

Bay leaf

Salt & pepper to taste

Splash cream

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in the minced shallot, and cook until translucent. Add lemon juice, white wine, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let the mixture reduce by half. Whisk in a splash of cream.

The sauce should be light and buttery. Strain and serve.

Lemon-Cayenne Tea for Colds

Today's topic / recipe is all about colds. Cold and flu season is once again upon us, although it's really hard to believe here in Florida (it's 76 degrees outside right now).

Preventing a cold
I'm sure everyone has their way of preventing a cold, whether it's an obsession with Lysol and antibacterial hand-gels, or popping zinc pills every time a sniffle is witnessed. Personally, I prefer to end my day with a nice hot mug of lemon tea, with honey and cayenne pepper added. Not only is it delicious and soothing, one cup packs a walloping amount of vitamin C and other incredibly beneficial antioxidants. This is undoubtedly "the little mugful that could." All together, the ingredients work together to strengthen your immune system, cleanse your digestive track, reduce inflammation and hydrate your body.

Helping fight a cold
And if you already have a cold? Help your body fight it with this tea each morning and evening. Dayquil, Nyquil and the like help you by lessening and masking the symptoms of a cold - not by fighting it. This tea on the other hand replenishes your body to help you recover more quickly. Naturally. And tastily. 

This is as simple as it gets!

Lemon, Honey & Cayenne Tea
I don't know if this can technically be called "tea," being as no tea leaves are involved. Oh well.

Water
Fresh Lemon Juice, preferably organic
Honey, preferably natural
Cayenne Pepper

Heat a mugful of water to a nice hot sipping temperature. Then add in a bit of honey (1-2 t), the juice of half a lemon and a dash of cayenne (easy does it!). Stir together with a spoon until the honey is completely dissolved. Some of the cayenne may float on the top, making your first few sips surprisingly spicy. Don't leave the cayenne out though, it's an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, Magnesium and Iron.

The honey and the lemon should balance each other. If it's too tangy, add more honey. Too sweet, add more juice.

Enjoy!

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/201/2#ixzz2DRsQpZAP

Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Magnesium and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Vitamin B6 and Manganese.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/201/2#ixzz2DRsQpZAP

Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Magnesium and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Vitamin B6 and Manganese.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/201/2#ixzz2DRsQpZAP

The Ultimate Citrus-Herb Salad Dressing

A note about homemade dressings
I remember when I was younger watching an episode of Rachel Ray's Thirty Minute Meals, before I had even started to explore in the kitchen. As usual, she made her own salad dressing and encouraged viewers to make homemade dressings as well. I remember thinking "yeah right," at the impracticality of making dressings versus buying one. Oh, how things change. I haven't purchased a bottle of salad dressing in years (and yes, I do eat a lot of salad).

To me, the best part about making your own salad dressings it that you get to control the acidity levels. If I've made a rich, slow-roasted dish I'm going to want a punchier acidic dressing to balance it. If I've made a more acidic dish, I can take the exact same dressing and alter it to be more light and mellow.

So please - start making your own dressings! It's addicting, loads healthier and much more flavorful.

Citrus-Herb (Bonefish) Dressing
If you've ever been to the Bonefish Grill and had their house salad, I'm sure you noticed the killer citrus-y dressing they use. This is my take on their dressing. It has a bigger citrus kick and a bit more warmth from the extra garlic. Try it, alter it, and make it how you like it.

I just added this photo because I think it's beautiful. It doesn't get better than garlic, citrus and herbs!

I use the zest of both lemon and lime. If you're new to zesting, make sure not to zest the white pith under the skin. It'll add a bitter taste to your dressing. You just want to take the top, colorful layer of skin.

When using garlic in a salad dressing, you'll want to "paste" it, as to prevent your diners from chewing on crunchy pieces of garlic. Peel the cloves by giving them a good whack with your knife (carefully!), then finely mince. Add a pinch of salt to the minced garlic and (#3) use the flat edge of your knife to crush the garlic while pulling your knife towards you. Repeat until garlic is transparent (#4).

Here you can see all the "dry" components. Pasted garlic, lemon & lime zest, fresh cilantro and parsley, sugar and coarse-grain dijion mustard. The mustard is your emulsifier, and will hold the dressing together after you incorporate the oil. I use coarse grain because I love the look of the tiny globes in the dressing. Regular dijon works just as well; there is no taste difference between the two.

Here's the final dressing. You can see the flecks of acid suspended in the oil, and the beautiful little specks of the coarse grain dijon floating around. Give the dressing a taste, and adjust to your liking.

This is my husband's favorite salad to have the dressing with, especially after a workout. Protein and fiber packed, and more flavor than you can wag your finger at. Spicy pan-seared shrimp, black beans, avocado, red onion and toasted walnuts on arugula.  And yes, those crunchy salad strips. If you're going to add them, try and buy a natural or organic brand. Always make a conscious effort to avoid preservatives.

 

Citrus-Herb Salad Dressing

1 t fresh garlic (1-2 cloves), pasted

Zest of half a lemon

Zest of half a lime

1 T fresh minced parsley

1 T fresh minced cilantro

1 T Dijon mustard

¼ cup sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Juice of half a lime

Salt & Pepper, good pinch of each

1/3 - 2/3 cup of a light oil (I prefer Grapeseed oil)

Mix all of the ingredients together up through the salt and pepper. I take a quick taste here to check the balance between the sugar and the citrus juice, and the level of seasoning. Slowly whisk in your oil (about 1/3 cup) until the mixture emulsifies. Taste. Keep slowly incorporating additional oil and tasting until you achieve the balance you’re looking for. It should be bright, fresh and light on your palette.

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I encourage anyone who doesn’t cook by taste, to start learning how. It’s simply all about learning how to make the slightest adjustments to take a dish to the next level.

Too citrusy? Add sugar. You want the perfect combo of sweet & sour.

Too strong? Add oil. The dressing should be light and fresh tasting, not heavy.

Kind of bland? Add a pinch of salt and additional squeeze of lemon.

Not emulsifying? Whisk faster. (Ha)

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Let me know below how it goes!

Broiled Chicken Thighs with a Balsamic Garlic-Butter

This is an incredibly easy and flavorful meal, and one you can have on the table in under 30 minutes. The reason it packs such a flavorful punch in such a short period of time is owed entirely to the use of fresh, natural quality ingredients.

Chicken thighs - Thighs are a very flavorful cut due to their fat content, and they stand up well to the quick cooking of the broiler.

Aged balsamic vinegar - Always buy aged balsamic vinegar, preferably 4 years or older. As it ages, most often in oak barrels, it becomes much more complex, full-bodied and sweet. 

Fresh produce - Don't expect massive flavor contributions from dried herbs, pre-minced garlic and pre-ground black pepper. The fresh ingredients include so many more flavorful oils, extracted just before you incorporate them into your dish.

The pictured balsamic vinegar is only about $2-3 more than an non-aged balsamic at general grocery stores, but has an exceptionally more complex and sweet taste. Make sure to invest in a bottle, you won't regret it. For this recipe I used rosemary, but you can easily switch it out for thyme. Both have deep and earthy flavors. I encourage you to grow your own organic herbs - most are extremely low maintenance (especially rosemary).

You may have a hard time pulling your face away from the sauce after you add the garlic and herbs to your melted butter. The smell is incredible. They should make candles that smell like that.

You can see the sauce turns a nice nutty brown after the balsamic vinegar is added. For this photoshoot, I used skinless bone-in thighs, but any thighs will work. To make sure the chicken cooks evenly, turn every 5-8 minutes and baste with the pan jucies and sauce.

This dish falls on the richer side, so pairing it with a nice slightly acidic salad works very well. For this lunch, I tossed arugula in a fresh balsamic vinaigrette, and topped it with fresh tomatoes. I seasoned the tomatoes with sea salt, cracked black pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Even my husband, who doesn't normally like sliced tomatoes, gobbled them up with this meal.

Beautiful, crisp and juicy chicken thighs. So quick and easy!

I hope you try and enjoy this recipe! If you do, please let me know what you think of it!

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Broiled Chicken Thighs with a Balsamic Garlic-Butter

Serves 4

4 chicken thighs

4 T natural salted butter

2-3 T fresh garlic, minced (about 4-5 cloves)

1 T fresh rosemary or thyme, minced

Coarse kosher or sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

3 T aged balsamic vinegar

Pre-heat your broiler on high. Melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When melted, add in garlic, herbs and a large pinch (about 1/2 t) of both your salt and pepper. Let them meld for a minute, then whisk in your balsamic vinegar.

Place your chicken thighs in an oven-safe pan or casserole dish – something that has sides to keep the sauce from falling out. Spoon about half of the sauce over your thighs, and broil. Depending on whether you use bone-in or boneless, your thighs should take about 15-20 minutes. Every 5-8 minutes, pull the pan out, turn the chicken over and baste with the pan juices and sauce. When the chicken is almost cooked through, turn right side up and cover with remaining sauce from your original batch. Make sure the garlic and herbs decorate the top of the chicken – they’ll get nice and crisp in the last few minutes.

To tell if your chicken is done, pierce with a sharp knife to the middle. If the juices are clear, you’re ready.

Serve with a slightly acidic salad or side.