A feast - Surf and Turf with other Goodies

So yesterday it seemed like everything was on sale. There was lobster at my shoprite for 3.61 a pound! I couldn't believe it so I had to stock up. I got these massive 3 1/2 pound lobsters. Guys, it was bigger than me. The guys working the seafood counter steamed those suckers until they where ready for me to crack open. Then, a week before filet migon was on sale too. Mom did that deal so I don't remember the details but go Fairway (A rockin' supermarket) in Clifton NJ). Then, I decided to make mashed potatoes with idaho potatoes and garlic w/ a side of creamed spinach.

So here, I can't give you the recipe for creamed spinach since....er....it's from a box! I cheated. haha. But I'll tell you how I made the filet migon and the potatoes. Obviously, shoprite knows how to steam. However, I have boiled lobster before. It's pretty easy.

Boiled Lobster:

Fill a large pot w/ water and bring to boil. Once at a boil put the lobsters in and let cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Let lobsters sit in the pot for a few minutes, about 1-2 when done with the burner off. Then take out and put on a large plate (like the green one shown) and let cook. Once pretty cooled, or just enough for you to touch then start crackin'!

Easy Filet Migon:

I tend to pan fry a lot of meats. Especially right now since the oven in my house is broken. Sad for us! O well. I salt the steaks with sea salt first, maybe some fresh black ground pepper. So what I simply do is put the meat in a low, deep sauté pan and put the suckers on high for 2 minutes on each side or until the outside is crispy. Than i cover the meat on medium low heat for about 3 minutes and check every 3 minutes until I'm into the doneness. Serve.

Idaho Mashed Potatoes with an Italian Touch:

Take about 8 medium, washed idaho potatoes and cut into sections by 3 to 4. Place in a bowl w/ 1/4 cup water and cover with a microwave cover or a damp paper towel and let cook for 20 minutes in the microwave. In the meantime, take some crushed, roughly chopped garlic (about 4 gloves) and some freshly ground black pepper with sea salt and add to a large pot w/ 1/2 cup olive oil and 4 tbsp butter. Let garlic get browned, stirring and flipping it occasionally. Add cooked microwaved potatoes. Add 1 cup of milk. I used 1 percent. Then mash up with a potato masher or let cook for 10 minutes and then let cook for 5 before adding to food processor. The masher or the processor choice just depends on how lumpy you want your dish to be. Keep adding salt and pepper and/or taste to check for how you prefer this to be spiced. Serve.

Email I sent my dear friend: Thought it might be useful.

Whole Fish, baked/broiled:

I like to do a couple of different versions of this for different fish. I'll show you what I do with Tilapia, Rainbow, Black Sea bass, and Snapper. 

Tilapia with a Cajun Flare:

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp Sea salt or Kosher salt 

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp White Pepper or Red Pepper flakes (your choice, red for a bit ex. heat)

6 cloves of crushed and minced fresh Garlic or 1/2 cup Garlic Powder

1 sliced up sweet or yellow onion

1 lemon, thickly sliced

1 tilapia whole fish, gutted and cleaned and placed on a baking pan with tin foil over it 

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tbsp butter (substitute is fine too)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix Salt and different kinds of Peppers in a bowl. Sprinkle over fish top. Rub oil on the top with spices until totally mixed up.

Stuff the cavity of the fish with the garlic, onion, lemon, and butter (softened is preferred so you can spread it everywhere).

Put into oven, covered with another layer of foil and let cook for about 30 minutes. 

Serve and enjoy.

Goes well with: Brown rice or whole wheat noodles (spinach ones are great) Veggies that are nice with this are sweet potato fries. 

Rainbow Trout and Sea Bass:

I happen to do these very similarly to the same. I have a spicy way of doing this and a sweet way but because I prefer spicy and think you will too I am going to give you the spicy. If you want sweet, message me. 

Ingredients: 

1 tsp Iodized Salt

1/4 cup chili paste or chili sauce if you don't have chili paste

2 tbsp coconut milk (optional, I havent done that one but it seems like a good plan)

3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 

1/2 cup Sesame oil

2 tbsp butter (substitute if fine too, although in this one I prefer the real deal)

1sea bass or rainbow trout, gutted and cleaned

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix salt, chili paste, oil, coconut milk if you are using it, garlic cloves, and butter together to a paste. 

Brush fish top with paste and the cavity.

Put into oven, covered with another layer of foil and let cook for 30 minutes. 

Serve and enjoy.

Goes well with: Glass noodles or rice noodles and for the Veggie I'd go with something like bitter melon if you like that dear, since I know you go for bitter stuff, bok choy, or a salad with fresh ginger dressing.

Snapper: 

For this I don't go crazy with fancy ingredients. But if you want to give it a try, since I know you like truffle oil/ mushrooms you could try to use about 1/8 tsp on it for experimentation. I have not donet his though because I hate truffle oil but I know it would probably good. Call it, a woman's intuition. 

Ingredients:

Any salt you desire, 1/8 tsp (very important not to over salt)

1/2 cup white wine (floral tasting ones would be fab with this. But really, any kind of cheap wine is good)

5 tbsp Paprika

2 tbsp White Pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

If you have it -3 tbsp adobo seasoning

1 orange, peeled (no zest) and sliced thickly

1 snapper, gutted and cleaned

Directions:

Mix together paprika, white pepper, and salt in a bowl and sprinkle on top of fish.

Place in a large sauté pan and add olive oil and white wine.

Stuff cavity with orange slices.

Cook on medium high until the white starts to bubble for 5 minutes.

Cook on low for 25-30 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy

Goes well with: Baked potato, cauliflower with mushrooms and garlic, and orzo with butter. 

Sweet Veal Sausage and Peppers:
My dad's Aunt Helen (who was the real deal Sicilian, I mean little gold hoops, curly hair, and the cross with a hilarious sense of humor but real kick-ass) used to say I made this better than she did. My dad says never in her life has she said that anyone made a better dish than she did. So, I am proud of this one. Usually have "Casino" on in the background while I make it for extra-inspiration. That or, a favorite of mine, "Goodfellas."

Ingredients:
Sweet Italian Veal Sausage (If veal is not for you, sweet or hot pork sausage will be fine)
4 Red Bell Peppers, sliced thinly (mandolin's are God for this, just keep hold of your fingers)
2 Sweet Vidalia Onions
Homemade Gravy, I.e. Tomato sauce
1 Aluminum tray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the sweet sausage into a saute pan and punch a few holes in it with a fork. Let the sausage brown up in the pan on medium high heat until the sausage is fully cooked and nice and crispy on the outside. Take out of pan and let cool. Meanwhile, get rid of those drippings out of the pan and clean up.
Meanwhile, use that mandolin or the second best thing - your hands with a thin, sharp knife - and slice up the bell peppers lengthwise and then in half.
Take the onions and slice those with the mandolin as well, thinly too or use those hands again and mince into medium sized pieces.
When the sausage is cooled, cut it up into medium sized or bite sized slices.
Add sausage, peppers, onions, and enough sauce to make the sausage lightly covered. Do not add the whole batch of sauce, it will be too much. You can always add but it's hard to take away.
Let cook in oven for 40 minutes, serve, and stuff your face.

Recipe 2

This was just fabulous! I could eat this spread all day, with bread and crackers, on chicken or beef, or just as it is. 


Artichoke Spread:


2 large fresh artichoke hearts
1 spanish onion
8 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup aged whole asiago cheese
1 cup fire roasted peppers (jared)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
white pepper
black pepper
sea salt

Heat olive oil in medium sized sautee pan on medium heat for about 2 minutes or until oil is hot. Slice onion on mandolin on second level. Throw in onions and whole cloves of garlic with spices. Cook on medium high heat for 15 minutes and check on it every few minutes. When crisp and soft turn off heat. Slice hearts in 4 big pieces and add peppers without jar's liquid and cheese which should be cut into cubes. Let garlic/onion mixture cool for 10 minutes before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth and serve.

Recipe 1

This was a really yummy dinner that my family really enjoyed. Goes real well with white wine. The taste of the mushrooms with cauliflower will melt in your mouth. And then their's that kick- just some real rock n' roll.


Julia's Cauliflower:


1 Head Cauliflower
10 Large Shitake Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp White Pepper
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Ground Garlic

Wash mushrooms and cauliflower. Remove stems from mushrooms and core cauliflower. Slice mushrooms. Use second level of a mandolin and slice cauliflower. Heat up olive oil and melt butter. Add the breadcrumbs and cook on high for 2-3 minutes or until it is starting to brown. Sautee breadcrumbs/give a toss. Throw in cauliflower and mushrooms in the pan. Add spices. Let the goodness cook on medium heat for 20 minutes with cover on. Check on it after 10 minutes. Toss again, serve, ENJOY!

This blog is based on my ideas and experiments concerning food and taste. I am fascinated by which ingredients work and why, and how I can make the simple stuff blow us away. So, my recipes will be here and I will add tips and questions to each one. Thanks much for lookin'.