Gourmet and Comfort Food Blog by Two Hot Potatoes

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Sea Bass & Coriander Berries with Spring Spinach Sautee

Wednesday May 15th 2013

Doesn’t this just look like heaven…

coriander-plant-garden

My friend has a plot at the Deep Ellum Gardens and these delightfully floral cilantro ‘berries’ (which are actually seeds) are one of the things I miss most about growing cilantro in my garden. I’m so happy Paula invited me to join her there yesterday because this lovely recipe is the result.

Sea-Bass_spring-peas-spinach- 2

When cilantro goes to flower it produces these dainty little white blooms along with these tender little seed pockets (many call them berries). Overlooked by many- but they are actually edible, and oh-so delicious!

Sea-Bass_spring-peas-spinach- 1

I know this dish sounds fancy because it involves exotic garden-grown micro greens- but it seriously couldn’t be a more quick and easy week night meal, and it’s just as delicious without the fancy ‘coriander berries’.

One of my favorite parts turned out to be this impromptu side dish! The sweet crisp sugar snap peas with buttery garlic added an excellent texture and spring-fresh flavor to the otherwise boring spinach. Lately when I’ve been cooking spinach I’ve just been throwing it in at the last minute, off the heat, to help preserve that tender texture and flavor with out wilting it down to a wrinkled soggy mess. Personally- I much prefer it this way.

Sea-Bass_spring-peas-spinach--4

Sea Bass & Coriander Berries with Spring Spinach Sautee

2 Sea Bass Filets

Lemon

Olive Oil

Fresh Coriander Berries (optional)

Sugar Snap Peas

2 cloves garlic

1 bunch spinach

Salt+Pepper to taste

Pat fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy skillet heat oil over medium-high heat and sear fish, skin sides down, about 3 minutes, or until skin is golden. Turn fish over and cook 2 minutes more, or until just cooked through.

In a separate skillet set set to medium heat, warm 1 tbs of olive oil and toss the snap peas in. Cook lightly for just 1-2 minutes, then toss in the thinly sliced garlic. Cook until garlic is just translucent, then remove from heat. With the heat off (but in the same warm skillet) throw in the bunch of fresh spinach to wilt just slightly and warm through.

Plate immediately toping with the seared sea bass. Finish with a spritz of lemon and sprinkling of fresh coriander berries.

PALEO Meatballs

Friday May 10th 2013

I’m planning a wedding right now.

Which means I’m also planing what I want to look like in my wedding dress and more importantly, what I want to look like on the honeymoon…

This is why I’ve joined a Crossfit gym and begun learning about a whole new world of fitness and the Paleo diet. Now I’ve never been one for fad-diets but I had heard so many great things about what your body can do when you push yourself with this.

So I did a 6 week PALEO challenge along side some pretty intense workouts- and I won’t lie to you, it is very difficult to cut out all gluten, grains & dairy eating pretty much nothing but protein and vegetables, but holly cow- it works!

Paleo-Meatballs 5

This was one of my favorite recipes that came out of my 6 week challenge, and they were so good I might consider making meatballs like this from now on.

The trick to making a good meatball (I learned from many of my Italian family friends) is to get the right ratio of meat+breadcrumbs+ parmesan cheese. Well cheese & breadcrumbs are definitely NOT on the PALEO diet, so I improvised.

I found that zucchini and onion worked perfectly to lighten up the dense meat texture, and by using plenty of italian spices and herbs you still get all the flavor!

PALEO Meatballs

1 1/4 Ground Pork

1 1/4 Ground Beef

1 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup grated onion

2-3 garlic cloves minced

2 large eggs

1 tbs Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

—-Sauce

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

2 smashed garlic cloves

Handful of torn basil

Olive oil

Grate the zucchini and onion finely in to a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and let it sit for a minute while you prep the rest. This helps to release some of the water which you’ll need to discard from the vegetables. (otherwise you’ll have a sopping wet mess)

In a large pot warm the smashed garlic cloves in a touch of olive oil to begin releasing the flavor. Then add the can of tomatoes and handful of basil. Keep this simmering at a low-medium heat.

Place the rest of the meatball ingredients in to a large bowl- meat, garlic, eggs, salt and seasoning. Squeeze out the water from the zucchini and onion shreds and add them to the bowl. Get in there with your hands and mix well to combine evenly, then roll in to medium sized balls. This will be a really wet and sticky mixture.

Paleo-Meatballs recipe-2

In a large skillet set to medium heat with about a 1/4 inch of olive oil begin to brown your meatballs. Working in batches brown the meatballs on all sides but don’t cook them all the way through. Transfer the browned balls to the pot of tomato sauce. (Durring this step you might want to go ahead and cook a few off all the way through. You can say it’s because you want to check for seasoning, but really it’s just because they’re delicious and you want a little snack while you’re letting the rest simmer).

Paleo-Meatballs recipe

Once all the meatballs are in your tomato sauce give it a good stir and turn the heat down to low and put a lid on for about 20 minutes, checking on it every few, giving it a stir to make sure nothing is burning on the bottom.

After you’ve let them simmer, pull one out to check for pink-ness in the center. If it’s cooked then serve immediately, garnish with basil if you’d like- or serve with pasta (if you’re not on the paleo diet).

Butter Poached Tilapia & Spring Onions

Monday April 22nd 2013

When I saw this recipe for butter braised spring onions in the May issue of Bon Apetit magazine, my wheels immediately began turning for delicious ways to try this out. It seemed only natural to also butter poach a light flaky fish to complement the tender sweet onions.

It’s recipes like this that make me so thankful for spring. After months of noshing on hearty, heavy root vegetables my tastebuds so yearn for the lighter, tender and crisp (usually green) vegetables.

Year after year, the chives in my herb garden surprise me by springing back to life after spending the winter in a sad,shriveled straw heap. After the last few downpours in Dallas these guys are fuller than ever. I took it as a sign.

chives garden

The sweet spring onions and fresh chives are the star of the recipe here – you could really fill in the blank with any other protein you’d like. I suggest making this side dish as often as you can while these sweet beauties are in season.

butter-poached-tilapia-onions

Butter Poached Tilapia & Spring Onions

6-8 spring onions (root ends trimmed)

5 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

2 Tilapia filets

1/2 cup dry white wine

Salt & Pepper

Lay onions in a large skillet, trimming top of dark greens to fit. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup water to skillet; season with salt. Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer onions until greens are soft and bulbs are almost tender, 10-15 minutes.

butter-poached-onions

Uncover and transfer onions to a plate. Add 1/2 cup white wine and one more tbs butter to the skillet. Add fish filets, sprinkle the top with salt and fresh black pepper (to taste) and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes until fish is almost fully opaque throughout.

Uncover and add the onions back to the skillet, turning onions occasionally, cook until bulbs are completely tender and fish is completely opaque, 3-5 minutes longer.

Plate onions and top with fish. Turn heat to medium-high and reduce cooking liquid down by half, about 1-2 minutes. Add remaining tbs of butter and spoon over the plated fish. Garnish with fresh chives.

Herb and Cheese Chicken Thighs

Thursday March 28th 2013

Out of all the recipes I post I would say about half of them come from Food & Wine, and about a third of them come from Mario Batali. So this potato was super pumped when this month’s Food & Wine was all about Mr. Batali. I love his cookbooks, his restaurants and his terrible orange crocs.

We probably eat chicken thighs about once a week at our house. Luckily, we’re both dark meat people, unless I’m making Thomas Keller’s whole roasted chicken, which I make an exception for. If you never make anything again, make Thomas Keller’s chicken.

This recipe will be a nice addition of the chicken thigh rotation of recipes I have on hand. It wasn’t too complicated, and the skin came out super crispy. I served the thighs over collard greens with bacon & leeks. Perfect combination for a quick weeknight dinner. Also, I halved this recipe since I was only cooking for two, but 16 chicken thighs is probably about right for a family dinner.

Herb-and-Cheese-Filled Chicken Thighs (Food & Wine, Mario Batali)

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (4 1/2 ounces)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Provolone cheese (I used a mixture of provolone, mozzarella and romano)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
16 boneless chicken thighs with skin (about 5 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a medium bowl, combine the fresh bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, Provolone, chopped basil, chopped parsley, lemon zest and rosemary. Set the chicken thighs, skin side down, on a work surface and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mound 1/4 cup of the herb-and-cheese filling on each thigh. Fold the sides of the thighs over the filling to enclose it and tie each chicken thigh in 2 or 3 places with kitchen string. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper

Arrange the stuffed chicken thighs on a large, rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then discard the strings and serve.

Slow Roasted Salmon over Sarah's Salad

Monday March 18th 2013

If you’re like me, you cook salmon often, and prepare it the same way every time. I like a seared outside, a medium rare inside, and a sprinkling of herbs on top.

But this weekend I decided to get super crazy and mix things up. I’m pretty sure I made slow roasted salmon years ago, and I’m not quite sure why I abandoned this full-proof method. The salmon was silky, succulent and cooked to perfection. Plus, the whole house didn’t smell like salmon like it typically does with stove-top cooking.

And I put the salmon on top of one of my favorite salads. It’s not anything super fancy, but it’s a great flavor combination.

Slow Roasted Salmon

2 Six-once salmon filets
Lemon, sliced
Olive oil
Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Preheat to 250F. Brush salmon with olive oil, season with thyme, salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Place sliced lemons in the shallow roasting pan, creating a bed for the salmon.

Cook for 30 minutes. To test for doneness, stick a sharp paring knife in, if it goes in an out very easily, its done. Even if you leave it in the oven for an extra few minutes, don’t worry, it is impossible to overcook the salmon this way.

After cooking, the salmon is going to look almost exactly the same as when you first put it in. Don’t worry, after 30 minutes in the oven it is cooked.

Sarah’s Favorite Salad

Mixed Greens
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers, chopped
Goat Cheese
Bacon
Salt & Pepper
Poppy Seed Dressing
White Balsamic Dresssing

I’m not going to insult anyone by adding directions for a salad. Basically, I combine all the ingredients in a bowl and then add 1/2 Poppy Seed Dressing and 1/2 White Balsamic Dressing. The goat cheese adds a nice creamy texture, and I always season my salad with salt & pepper. It’s amazing what a difference it makes.

Also, I hate greasing up the kitchen by making bacon in the stove. So I like to make a large batch in the oven and then keep it in the fridge for occasions like this.

More Mac n' Cheese

Tuesday February 19th 2013

It’s no secret that we love macaroni and cheese here at Two Hot Potatoes. So far we’ve posted Chef Pierre’s version and a version with bacon. I’m surprised we haven’t posted Martha Stewart’s version yet, as it’s my go-to favorite.

But for today’s installment of mac n’ cheese, we’re featuring the Pioneer Woman’s recipe. Since we’re going to Cabo this weekend, I’ve been trying to cut down on food like this, but I had a break down on Monday night, and all I could think about was mac n’ cheese. When I’m looking for a recipe that’s more indulgent, more caloric, heartier and super satisfying, I usually turn to Pioneer Woman.

I’ll be honest, this recipe was good. But it wasn’t the best. It really depends on what kind of mac n’ cheese lover you are. This version was really, really creamy. So much so that my husband suggested it tasted like half grits half macaroni. I think the next time I make it I’ll adjust the sauce to noodle ratio. Because the flavor was spot-on. Anyone else tried this recipe with success?

Pioneer Woman’s Mac n’ Cheese

4 cups Dried Macaroni
1 whole Egg Beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 pound Cheese, Grated
1 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt as needed.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

What to do with BBQ Leftovers

Wednesday February 13th 2013

Dallas has no shortage of excellent BBQ joints, and if you’re a native Texan like me, you probably frequent these at least once (or many) times a week, who’s counting? Although I have been known to consume my BBQ favs in un-ladylike proportions, I still find myself walking away with Texas-sized leftovers time and again. No complaints here, I’m just consistently challenged with the task of incorporating the meat into something new.

This dish was the happy outcome from my last BBQ binge at Smoke Restaurant. I ordered the Dry Rubbed Pork Spare Ribs. These succulent ribs are so tender, all it takes is one sharp glance, and the meat shudders from the bone. Delicious!

photo, from Smoke website

Served with one heaping portion, I was left with 3 large meaty ribs to take home. This time, instead of re-heating the next day for lunch, or pulling the meat off for some simple tacos I took things a step further and made a little hash, topped with the leftover meat, cheddar, and why not?, a fried egg.

This is one of the best meals I’ve eaten all week (what made it even better was how quick it was to prepare). The creamy egg yolk, succulent bacony-pork and perfect tender on the inside/ crisp on the outside potatoes topped with cheese – YES, PLEASE!

You could easily substitute your leftover barbecue meat of choice in this recipe, but may I suggest sticking to the most tender pork or beef ribs, or beef brisket. Smoke really nails it for me, and my other half is already eager to take me back and order an extra helping of these ribs so we can have more left over this time.

BBQ Hash+recipe

Barbecue (leftover) Hash

1/5 lb of barbecue pork or beef (I used the meat from 3 large pork ribs)

1 large Yukon Gold potato

1/3 white onion

2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbs salt (divided)

1 tbs butter melted

2 eggs

Scallions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Warm up your meat either in the oven or microwave, discard bones and set aside.

Grate the potato using the large holes of a grater and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 tbs salt and set aside while you chop the onion.

Slice the onion in to paper thin strips and mix in the bowl with the shredded potato. By now you should see that a lot of the water from the potato has been released. Squeeze out and discard as much water as you can from the shreds. Drizzle the melted butter on the mixture then divide in two servings and flatten out to make a hash patty.

Bake the potato patty at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes until the top begins to lightly brown. Remove from the oven, flip the patty over and turn the temperature down to 350 to finish cooking for another 15-20 minutes. (you can crisp up the outside of your hashbrown a bit more under the broiler if you’d like)

Plate the hot hash patties immediately once finished cooking, top with the warm meat and shredded cheddar cheese. Quickly fry an egg in oil and crown on top, then garnish with diced scallions and enjoy.

Seafood Gumbo

Tuesday February 5th 2013

Most Super Bowl Sunday food posts would include your typical nachos, wings, pizza or 7-layer dip. And don’t get me wrong, I love those items. And there have been times when I’ve indulged in way too many doritos with 7-layer dip on Super Bowl Sunday. But this particular Sunday was much more low-key. Just the two of us at home with a huge pot of gumbo. I mean, I didn’t want to ignore the heritage of Super Bowl completely.

It’s almost embarrassing that I’ve never to been to New Orleans. It’s so close to Dallas, and such a food-centric city. Plus, I love Cajun food, beignets and oysters. And I LOVE gumbo. I’ve made it a few different ways – using chicken thighs, using oysters, with okra, without okra, vegetable oil roux, duck fat roux.

This particular recipe is based off a number of different recipes I’ve tried, and can easily be adjusted based on what you have around the house.

Seafood Gumbo

2/3 cup of duck fat (I bought mine at Central Market, you can always substitute vegetable oil)
1 cup All Purpose Flour
2 onions (finely chopped)
2 celery ribs (finely chopped)
1 green bell pepper (finely chopped)
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
4 cups broth/stock (chicken or vegetable or seafood stock)
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1.5 cups of okra
1 lb of crab meat
1 lb of peeled & deveined shrimp
3 bay leafs
1/4 cup of worcestshire sauce
1 TBS cayenne pepper
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp sage
2 tsp thyme

Combine duck fat and flour in a dutch oven and cook over low heat stirring constantly until your roux is the color of a dark copper penny. Stir in onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook 10 minutes stirring constantly. Add broth/stock and everything else and keep on low heat for 2-3 hours.

Serve over hot buttered rice.

Winter Squash Soup with Spinach and Bacon

Tuesday January 22nd 2013

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions or resolutions of any kind really. I prefer to do what feels right/best for me at any given moment, and not feel guilty about breaking some impossible promise I made to myself in January – when I most likely had seasonal depression and wasn’t thinking clearly anyway.

However, I have been meaning to join a produce coop, so when Urban Acres had a Groupon I jumped at the chance. I’ve signed up for a half share of organic produce every other week. Not only does this help me eat more locally, but I’m also encouraged to try new recipes with vegetables I would have never picked up at the store. My husband is obviously thrilled with the exciting new vegetable experimentation going on in our house.

Last weekend I picked up my bin to find rainbow chard, turnips, winter squash, potatoes, oranges, apples, spinach and kohlrabi. I obviously had to look the kohlrabi up – recipe coming soon!

I would undoubtedly say our house is not generally a squash house. Unless it’s in a sauce or soup it’s usually a pretty ignored vegetable. But I was inspired to create something we would both like with my cute little pumpkin-like squash (squashes?). Obviously, I turned to Martha for inspiration.

The result? We both loved this soup. It’s hearty and satisfying, and doesn’t taste the least bit healthy – which is always a win in our house. I’ll definitely be making this again.

Winter Squash Soup with Spinach and Kale (based on this recipe by Martha Stewart)

2 whole winter or acorn squash (about two pounds each)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Ground nutmeg
4 strips bacon, 4 ounces, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cups chopped fresh spinach or kale (stems removed)
2 cups chicken broth
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Greek yogurt (optional)

1. Roast the Squash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the whole squash on a rimmed baking sheet; bake, turning occasionally, until very tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 1 hour.

2. Make Squash Puree

When cool enough to handle, halve each squash lengthwise. Scoop out and discard seeds; scrape out flesh from squash halves, and transfer to a food processor (discard skin). Process until smooth. In a medium saucepan, combine squash puree with 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Cook over medium heat until hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with ground nutmeg.

3. Make Soup

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Add onion to fat in pan, and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add squash puree and 2 cups chicken broth (or more if necessary to achieve desired consistency); bring just to a boil. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Serve, garnished with reserved bacon and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Punta de Mita Mexico

Friday January 11th 2013

Last week I had the pleasure of relaxing with friends and soon-to-be family in Punta de Mita Mexico. It’s located on the West coast, just near Puerto Vallarta. We stayed at our friends lovely home on the beach, Casa Papelillos, which if you’re interested, is available to rent year round. Pictures simply do not do this mansion justice; it is absolutely breathtaking!

We were waited on hand and foot by the kindest people. The views, the service, and oh my, the FOOD, everything was top notch! Here are just a few highlights form the trip, but you’ll have to check out my flickr for more soon.

PUNTA+MITA-Mexican-table-setting

PUNTA+MITA-MEXICAN-FOOD

Guerrado, the head chef at Casa Papelillos, quickly became my new best friend. Every day we had a full spread for breakfast, lunch and dinner with multiple courses – every morsel delicious!

PUNTA+MITA-snapper

I have been dreaming of this red snapper dish (pictured above) since we left. In my broken Spanish I pleaded with them for the recipe. All I could gather is that it’s grilled with a special barbeque/ tomato/ chile sauce (I believe using ancho chiles). I’m am going to be experimenting with this one soon, and if I nail it I’ll be sure to share.

PUNTA+MITA-DRINKS

Catching some refreshments in Sayulita.

Sayulita surfers wrapping up for the day.

Sayulita-street+TACOS

Of course no trip to Mexico would be complete with out a few good street tacos. A word to the wise – use the hot sauce sparingly…

Sayulita street-+food

I always make new friends when I travel.

More trip highlights after the jump >>> Read more…

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