Soy Ginger Catfish, February 15, 2016

Oh, dear. My wife and I should probably never make fish for one another. I spit out the tilapia she made and, when I made catfish on Monday, she said it tasted like poison. Maybe she meant "poisson"? Anyway, I thought it was delish and, when we pawned the leftovers off on our middle child and his girlfriend, they loved it. So, I put it down to Jeannene just not liking catfish. I served it with broccoli, jasmine rice, and clementines.

Soy Ginger Catfish

1/2 c. tamari

1/2 c. water

1 tbsp. sake

About an inch of ginger, peeled & grated

1 large shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

4 catfish fillets (you can use any fish you like, though)

Mix everything but the fish well. Add fish and marinate at least half an hour, longer, if possible. Serves 4

Feta Turkey Burgers, October 6, 2015

Tuesday night, I made feta turkey burgers and served them with veggies, yogurt dip, and kettle chips. It was a very simple and very yummy dinner!

Feta Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey breast (chicken is fine, as well as beef)

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Salt & pepper

4 oz. crumbled feta

Pitas

Leaf or romaine lettuce

Sliced kalamata olives

Mix turkey, seasonings, and feta. Form into patties, making sure feta is mostly tucked into the meat, rather than jutting out in big hunks. Cook through until nicely browned, using either a grill, broiler, or skillet coated with cooking spray. Serve in pitas with lettuce and olives. The yogurt dip I made for the veggies turned out to be stellar with the burgers. Serves 4.

Yogurt Dip

1 c. Greek yogurt (0% fat is just dandy for this, but use a fuller fat version if you wish)

1 jalapeño, seeded, deveined, and chopped (add another, if you like spicy)

A big pinch of coriander

A medium pinch of cumin

A wee pinch of ground fennel seeds

1 shallot, chopped

A handful of mint, chopped

A handful of parsley, chopped

Several peanuts, chopped

A splash of key lime juice

A splash of olive oil, if desired

Mix together, either by hand, for a chunkier dip, or in a food processor/blender, for a smooth dip. 

Teriyaki Chicken with Zucchini Salad

Juice in the batter, juice in the batter, we bake pie and nothing's the matter! When I was a kid, one of my very favorite books was Maurice Sendak's "In The Night Kitchen," a magical story about Mickey, who falls out of his bed & his pajamas into the night kitchen, where the bakers are busy making cake for the morning. His adventures in dough (and milk) are marvelous and I always loved chanting, along with my mama, the rhythmic words of the bakers in the night kitchen: "Milk in the batter! Milk in the batter! We bake cake and nothing's the matter!" If you've not seen this book and you'd like to know more, you can learn a bit here and also hear James Gandolfini reading it aloud:http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/06/21/james-gandolfini-reads-maurice-sendak/

Anyway, I've been up in my own night kitchen baking half a dozen key lime pies for my sweetheart's "job well done" reward picnic at her plant tomorrow. What fun! 2 dozen eggs later, the pies are chilling in the fridge now, the Crimson Cup (http://www.crimsoncup.com/about/our-handcrafted-coffee) coffee's all revved up and ready for Jeannene's 3:30 wake-up call, and yet, I am not quite sleepy enough for bed. So, on to tonight's dinner for you! Tonight, we had a dinner that was simple in the extreme. It's also a great one for the grilling season, which is upon us. Today, we welcomed our new grill into the household, a beaut of a Brinkman that can handle 40 burgers, I believe, at one time. Had we the forethought to pick up a canister of propane, we could have initiated it tonight, as this dinner lends itself well to grilling.

I cut a couple skinless, boneless chicken breasts into strips and marinated them in a little more than a quarter cup of teriyaki sauce. My favorite is Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki. I only marinated them about half an hour, but you could soak them much longer for deeper flavor. Then, I put them on a broiler pan I'd coated lightly with cooking spray and broiled them until they were cooked through, about 7 or 8 minutes. This is where the grill could have come in handy. While they were doing their thing, I cooked up a pot of jasmine rice, cooking water seasoned with a little salt and a splash of sesame oil. I also made a deliciously fresh-tasting salad by slicing 4 zucchini into thin ribbons lengthwise (had I a mandoline, they'd've been lots thinner---and probably a great deal more even!), then tossing it with the juice of a lemon, a tablespoon of sesame oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Before serving the chicken, I sprinkled it with some toasted sesame seeds. Easy peasy and quick to pull together, if you remember to throw the chicken in to marinate ahead of time.

Breakfast in Bed Day!

My mom and I found or created a holiday for every day of the year back when I was a teenager. Some of the holidays have changed, but, since the 1980s, January 2nd has been Breakfast in Bed Day for us. This year, I finally tried the crockpot oatmeal recipe I've been hanging onto for the last few years. I never was a big oatmeal fan, reserving my hot cereal love for cream of wheat (which, incidentally, is magnificent with a little apple butter and a handful of walnuts). However, this overnight sensation could make an oatmeal lover out of anyone! It's the perfect consistency and tastes wonderful. It's perfect for breakfast in bed, too, because all you have to do is scoop some up and climb back into bed. I recommend adding some of your favorite nuts and a little cinnamon.

Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Coat your crockpot with cooking spray. Add 2 c. regular oatmeal (or steel-cut oats. Just no instant or quick cook oats.), 1 c. fruit (I used dried cherries & raisins. You can use whatever you like. Apples or peaches would be good.), 4 c. water, and a pinch of salt. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serves 6-8.