Jun 13

Frozen Fish to Baked Fish with an Italian Bread Crumb Crust

It is only proper that I continue to post on my love affair with baking individually frozen fish filets for dinner. Baking fish filets typically represents one if not two meals a week at home. The possibilities for baking frozen fish filets are endless, whether smothered in salsa, simply seasoned or in this post top crusted with Italian Style Bread Crumbs.

Fish Filet Crusted with Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Italian Style Bread Crumb Crusted Fish Filet

This recipe is easy to make, minimal effort required and easy top clean up after the meal.

Frozen Fish Filets Seasoned with Olive Oil, Salt & Black Pepper

Frozen Fish Filets Seasoned with Olive Oil, Salt & Black Pepper

Fish Filets Top Crusted with Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Fish Filets Top Crusted with Italian Style Bread Crumbs, Ready for the Oven

Baked Fish in Casserole Dish, Crusted with Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Baked Fish in Casserole Dish, Top Crusted with Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Total time: 30 min
Ingredients:

  • 4 – 5 Frozen Fish Filets (your personal choice of the fish)
  • 1 – 1 1/2 Cups of Italian Style Bread Crumbs (Difficult to determine since I just sprinkle the bread crumbs until I believe that the fish filets have been properly coated)
  • 3 – 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
  • 2 – 3 Pinches of Salt (optional)
  • Fresh Ground Black Pepper
  • 9 inch x 12 inch Pyrex Casserole Dish

 

Instructions:

  1. Start with oven preheated 450 Degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Drizzle half of the Olive Oil into the Pyrex Casserole Dish.
  3. Place the Frozen Fish Filets in the Pyrex Casserole Dish. The size of the Filets will determine if you are able to place 4 – 5 filets. You can always use a second oven shallow casserole dish
  4. Drizzle the remaining Olive Oil over the Filets.
  5. Sprinkle the Salt over the Fish Filets (optional).
  6. Season fish filets with Black Pepper. I use fresh coarse cracked pepper (4 – 5 cranks of the pepper mill per filet).
  7. Coat the fish filets with the Italian Style Bread Crumbs until you have evenly covered the tops of the filets. I typically sift / sprinkle the bread crumbs directly from the container onto the fish..
  8. Place the uncovered Pyrex Casserole Dish on the middle rack in the oven and baked for 25 minutes.
  9. When 25 minutes have passed, remove the Pyrex Casserole Dish from the oven and serve.

The fish is exceptionally light and so flavorful with the Italian Style Bread Crumbs, Salt and Black Pepper providing a complimentary savory element to the sweetness of the fish. I always serve the this fish with steamed vegetables (Broccoli or Broccolini) and a side of creamy Risotto or Parmesan Grits.

There are many meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, but many require constant attention for that period of time and leave you exhausted before even sitting down to eat. This is not one of those meals. Enjoy.

Jun 12

Stuffed Jalapenos Poppers

I first tried stuffed jalapeños poppers when I worked for an American company back in Scotland and I have missed them since. Apart from pickled, sliced jalapeños in jars, jalapeños aren’t that easy to find in bulk in Britain. I was amazed that you could get a pound of fresh jalapeños for about $1 in the supermarkets here is Texas. So started my quest to make my own version of jalapeños poppers.

Most jalapeños poppers are dipped in batter or breadcrumbs and deep fried, similar to chile rellenos, the Mexican dish from which they are probably derived from. Since I don’t own a deep fryer, I looked at how I could make something just as tasty without the frying. I settled on just stuffing the chillies and baking in them in the oven.

The first step in the process is to hollow out the inside of the jalapeño. The easiest way I have found, it to cut off the stalk end, and then using a filleting knife, or long, narrow bladed knife cut out the insides and discard. Jalapeños are only about 2500 on the Scolville scale, which is pretty mild, but occasionally, depending on the growing conditions, they can be pretty hot. It is common mistake thinking that the seeds of a chili pepper are the hottest part, but in fact the placenta (the white ribs) is the hottest part, and the seeds are only hot because they have been in contact with ribs. Depending on how hot you want your jalapeños poppers, depends on how careful you are in removing the white ribs.

Coring a jalapeno

Coring a jalapeno

Ingredients

  • 24 fresh jalapeños
  • 8oz (235g) of cream cheese e.g.Philadelphia
  • bunch of cilantro (fresh coriander), chopped
  • juice from a lime
  • 4oz (115g) of corn kernels (optional)
  • 1 tsp of garlic powder
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cut off the stalk end of the jalapeños, remove the insides and discard. Mix together the cream cheese, lime juice, cilantro, garlic powder, corn and then season to taste. Using a small spoon, stuff the mixture into each jalapeños, using the handle to help stuff it to the bottom. Place the chillies, end up into a wire grate or a specialized jalapeño grill rack. Bake in a 200C (400F) oven for 25-35 mins. Enjoy hot or cold, on their own, or with a dipping sauce such as ranch.

Jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese

Jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese

Stuffed Jalapenos Poppers Alternatives

  • Wrap them in bacon
  • Cook on the barbeque, but be careful not to burn them
  • Deep dry them. Cut the jalapeños in half, but leave the steam attached, remove the ribs, fill each half with a cream cheese, join back together, dip them in an egg wash and then breadcrumbs to cook. Deep fry until golden brown.
  • Make ‘armadillo eggs’. Take a section of jalapeño, topped with cream cheese and then wrap in sausage meat. The end result looks very similar to a Scotch egg.

 

 

Jun 12

Rice Vermicelli, East Meets West in the Middle

I really do not know who, where and why Rice Vermicelli was first “discovered”. I like to think that it was some poor mother making a simple stew for her family and had not enough rice, but some remaining vermicelli (thin spaghetti) and combined the two with butter / ghee. Rice Vermicelli is the traditional bed of starch in which most stews, with the exception of Molokia are served with in the Middle East. The combination of the rice with the short narrow pieces of pasta provides a light and fluffy bed in which to top the stew. The semi-hardness of the rice combined with the softness of the vermicelli creates a pleasing contrast of texture with each bite.

Rice Vermicelli

Lebanese Style Rice Vermicelli

Vermicelli

Vermicelli

Follow the instructions below and you will have no problem making Rice Vermicelli.

 Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup of White Rice
  • 2 Tablespoons of Salted Butter
  • ½ Cup of Vermicelli
  • 1 ½ Cups of Water
  • Pinch of Salt

Steps:

  1. Rinse rice and soak it with hot water and salt for 30 minutes.
  2. Drain the water from the rice, rinse again and allow the rice to drain.
  3. In a pot melt the butter and sauté the vermicelli until it becomes golden brown. It must be stirred constantly so it does not burn. Trust me, it will burn if you are not paying attention.
  4. Add the drained rice to the vermicelli and sauté the two for a minute.
  5. Add the water, pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
  6. Once it has begun to boil, reduce the heat to Low, cover the pot and cook for 15 -20 minutes.
  7. Remove from the heat and allow the Rice Vermicelli to rest in the covered pot for another 5 minutes.

Tip:

Do not stir the Rice Vermicelli while it is cooking

When serving, fluff the Rice Vermicelli with a fork to make it light and fluffy.

Rice Vermicelli is a perfect partner to most stews and provides a nice alternative to plain steamed white rice. Although, I use Rice Vermicelli with stews, I do not see why you could not use this dish as a bed in which to placed your grilled kabobs or kafta / kofteh with vegetables.

Lebanese Bemyeh Stew

Lebanese Bemyeh Stew Served with Rice Vermicelli

 

Jun 10

Cheesy Grits or is it Parmesan Polenta?

Cup of Quick Grits

One Cup of Quick Grits

Grits, Polenta, Mush, Pap are just a few of the names associated with ground corn that has been boiled for a varying degree of time in a liquid (water, broth or even milk). The final result, whether completely smooth and creamy or still having some texture remaining is a result of personal choice, time and to some degree the type of ground corn used. I will leave the debate of what is Grits versus what is Polenta to the “purists”. Personally, I love both and use Grits at home out of convenience. For me, Grits provide a perfect background to incorporate a variety of flavors and aromas to a side dish.

One of the great characteristics of cooking with ground corn is the ability to absorb large amounts of water not unlike Arborio Rice used to make Risotto. This allows for ingredients with high water content; mushrooms and diced tomatoes to be added at a late stage of the cooking and not impact the desired consistency of the final dish. For me, this provides an endless variety of options when cooking with Grits.

Recently I was baking fish topped with Italian bread crumbs and was looking for a side dish to complement the fish. I knew I wanted to have the salty sharpness of a hard grated Italian cheese, but I was also looking to add an ingredient would provide some contrast to the grated cheese blended with the cooked grits. Diced tomatoes appeared to be the answer I was seeking.

Italian Style Cheesy Grits

Grits with Grated Italian Romano and Diced Tomatoes in a Pot

 

Cheesy Grits (Grated Romano Cheese and Diced Tomatoes)

Close Up View of Grits with Romano Cheese, Diced Tomatoes and Black Pepper

Ingredients:

  • 4 Cups of Water
  • 1 Large Tomato Bouillon Cube with Chicken Flavor (any bouillon cube flavor would work well)
  • 1 Cup of Quick Grits
  • 1/2 Cup of Diced Tomatoes (drained and packed tight – the remaining liquid and diced tomatoes went into a Ziploc bag and into the freezer for future in a Puttanesca style Italian sauce or for use in a Stock)
  • 3/4 Cup of Grated Italian Cheese (Romano)
  • Fresh Coarse Cracked Black Pepper (10+ Cranks)

Instructions:

  1. Add the bouillon cube to the water and bring to a boil.
  2. Add the Quick Grits, reduce the heat to Medium and stir frequently for 5 – 7 minutes.
  3. Add the Diced Tomatoes, Grated Cheese and Black Pepper, then thoroughly mix.
  4. Turn off the heat and allow the grits to set and cool for a few minutes.

One of the great things about Grits is that once they have been cooked and removed from the heat, they are quick to become firm enough / set that they do not run all over the plate. The combination of the saltiness of the cheese combine with the acidity of the diced tomatoes was exactly what I was looking to achieve. Since the diced tomatoes were added at the very end of cooking, they still retained their own texture and provided these little burst of flavor with each bite of the Grits.

Grits with Grated Romano Cheese and Diced Tomatoes

Italian Style Grits, or is it Polenta?

One of these days I will perform a comparison between Grits and Polenta, following the same exact instructions for both, but for the moment, I am content with the versatility of Grits as a side dish.

Jun 09

Lebanese Bemyeh Stew

When one thinks of Lebanese or Middle Eastern food, the first thing that comes to mind are the favorites; Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Shawarma, Kibbe, Falafel and Kabobs. The truth is that food from the Middle East is much more diverse, with significant influences throughout the centuries by many different cultures.

Stews and one pot meals served with rice, rice vermicelli, Bulgur wheat or couscous are more typical representations of meals served throughout the Middle East and North Africa. One of my favorites is a stew made with meat and bemyeh (baby whole okra). Before you say no to okra, consider this, most people do not know how to properly use and cook okra in a dish. Too often the wrong type of okra is used and cooked for too long creating a meal that is unfortunately described as “slimy” and / or stringy.

Lebanese Bemyeh Stew

Lebanese Bemyeh Stew (Okra and Meat)

For this meal and all other meals and dishes that I cook using okra, I always use whole baby okra that can typically be found in the frozen food section of your local, Middle Eastern or Asian grocery store. Lebanese cooking is rich with flavors, using a wide range of spices and herbs, but the actual process of preparing is typically very simple.

Bag of Frozen Okra

Bag of Frozen Okra

Ingredients:

  • 1 Lbs. of Stew Meat (Beef or Lamb), Cut to desired size
  • 2 Lbs. of Small Whole Okra (Fresh or Frozen)
  • 1 Chopped Onion
  • 10 Chopped Garlic Cloves (not Minced, not Sliced)
  • 1 Tablespoon of Tomato Paste
  • 3 – 4 Chopped Tomatoes
  • ¼ Cup of Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon of Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon of Ground Allspice
  • ¼ Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon (optional, but you really should include)
  • 1 Teaspoon of Chili Paste (Sambal)
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 -4 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
  • Water

Preparation:

  1. Heat vegetable oil in a pot and sauté the chopped onion, diced garlic and meat until the meat changes color.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, chili paste and spices (ground black pepper, allspice and cinnamon)
  3. Add water to just cover the ingredients in the pot, place a lid on the pot and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes. The meat should be tender. If not tender, cook for another 15 minutes.
  4. Taste and add salt as needed.
  5. Wash the okra (if fresh), and gently stir mix the okra into the stew.
  6. If needed, add more water to just cover the ingredients.
  7. Lower the heat to medium-low with the pot uncovered until the stew thickens.
  8. Taste again and add additional salt as needed.

Although best served with Rice Vermicelli, Lebanese Okra and Meat Stew also goes well with steamed white rice. The result is for a stew that is tender, with the okra remaining whole and no one flavor standing above the others.