Red Snapper

My father has been determined to get me to eat fish since I was a kid. Other than shrimp, calamari, and the occasional crab (all fried, thank you very much), I avoid fish. Tastes too fishy. Considering I don't like the taste of fish, it kind of rules out most types of fish. Last weekend, my dad was visiting, and he cooked tilapia and red snapper for me. Both prepared the same exact way. The tilapia...way too fishy. Took one bite, and yeah, that was it for me. The red snapper, on the other hand, was actually pretty good. I recreated it tonight for dinner...with my father on the phone, walking me through it step-by-step. Other than the crap wontons, this was the first time I've ever made fish. Then again, that canned crab was pre-cooked, so yeah, first time. Thank you, Dad!

1 red snapper fillet
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Panko (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon parsley
1 small tomato, chopped

Preheat the oven to broil. Heat a pan under medium heat. Add butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted, add the red snapper, meat side down. Cook until the meat starts to turn white. Then flip. Continue to cook until the skin begins to brown.

In a small bowl, combine the panko and parsley. Then top the fish with the panko. Broil until the panko starts to brown. Remove and then top with the tomatoes. Bake for another couple of minutes until the tomatoes are hot. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Potato, Onion, and Thyme Frittata

Last weekend when my father was in town visiting, he gave me a new pan (he shares my love of cooking). This pan is quite fun since it is a cheft toss, meaning the side opposite of the handle is deeper than the other side. This makes it super easy to toss veggies and whatnot. With it being Sunday morning and I was actually home with time to cook a decent breakfast, I decided I needed to cook something I could toss and use up some of the fresh eggs I got at the farmers market yesterday. A frittata was what followed. Quite yummy if I may say so myself!

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thinly
3 small dutch potatoes, chopped small
Salt and pepper
4 eggs, scrambled
2 tablespoons thyme

Boil the chopped potatoes in water for about 7 minutes until they are very soft. Drain.

Preheat the oven under broil.

Heat your awesome pan over medium-high heat and cook 1 tablespoon oil and onions a few minutes until they soften (do not allow to brown). Add the potatoes and cook until lightly browned (about another five minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, scramble the eggs and add in the thyme. Add the potato and onion mixture to the bowl and combine.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan and heat under medium heat. Add the egg and potato mixture to the pan. Cook until the edges are set.

Then place the pan (make sure it's oven safe) into the oven and broil until the top is set. Do not allow to brown or burn. This takes about 3-4 minutes.

I garnished it with some chives. Serve and enjoy!

Proscuitto Sandwiches

Welcome back to blogging! Life + work = crazy = Lauren really missing sleep = no blogging. That pretty much sums up what's been going on. A couple of weeks ago (or is it a few weeks now??) I made a bunch of food for my church's prom. Yup, my church has prom and yes, I dressed up. :-) There were about 35-40 people or so there, so I got to cook in my church's industrial kitchen...I must have one of these...and it seemed to be a success!


1/2 cup water
1/8 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup small onion, sliced very thinly
Italian bread, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
Olive oil for brushing
1 large apple, thinly sliced
6 ounces Gouda, thinly sliced
Dijon mustard
1/2 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced


In small saucepan, bring water, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and onion to a boil. Cook for about three minutes. Let sit in the liquid and return to room temperature.

Lightly brush the sliced bread rounds with olive oil and toast in the oven until lightly browned.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread a small amount of mustard, top with slice of gouda, apple, and some onions. Wrap with the prosciutto.

Hint: After slicing the apple, let sit in lemon water to prevent browning. This is good especially if you're making these ahead!

Pancakes!

Something about weekends makes me want to make bigger breakfasts. Maybe it's the fact that I actually have more time in the morning to make something rather than just grabbing the closest bagel.


1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk * If you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk. Let stand for about ten minutes before using.

Combing all the ingredients and mix until smooth. In a large saute pan, spray with cooking spray and heat under medium heat. Pour the about two tablespoons of batter into the pan. I always like to add a little cinnamon to them at this point. More flavor! Serve when golden brown on each side.

Cinnamon Rolls

When I was a kid, I had a violin teacher. Each winter, I got to have a sleepover at her house. Right after dinner, we would put together the the cinnamon rolls. Then as soon as we'd get up, we'd bake them. I practically stared at the oven until they were ready. Since we're experiencing some below freezing temperatures again, I thought this would be appropriate.

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon milk for brushing

Filling
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup raisins

In a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour and the yeast. In a saucepan, heat and stir the milk, 1/3 cup butter, granulated sugar, and salt until warm and butter just melts(do not boil). Then add to the flour mixture and add the eggs. Beat with electric mixture for a few minutes.

Knead the rest of the flour into the dough and then place in greased bowl to rise for about an hour and a half.

Meanwhile prepare the filling. Combine 1/4 cup flour, cinnamon, butter, and raisins.

Punch the dough down and let sit for about ten minutes. Roll out into a rectangle. Sprinkle the filling on top and roll. Then slice, about 2-3 inches thick. Place in a greased baking pan. Raise again for another hour and a half (or overnight).

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. While still hot, brush with the milk. If you want extra sweetness, mix a little bit of water with some powdered sugar and drizzle on top.

Devilled Eggs

My friend Carrie has the absolute best devilled egg recipe. Every since she gave me the recipe a couple of years ago, I have made these about once a week. I may have a problem.

6 eggs, hardboiled and cooled to room temperature
2 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 capfulls vinegar
salt to taste

Slice the eggs in half and spoon the yolks into a bowl. Add the mayo, hot sauce, vinegar, and salt. Combine well, until smooth. Scoop back into the egg halves and serve. (I added a caper to each one for extra flavor.)

Bean Salad

I've disappeared recently, mainly due to my laptop getting infected with a virus. Make that a virus that downloaded 51 other viruses. Yeah, fantastic. Now that I got my computer back, I have spent a ton of time on it. So much for me breaking my addiction to the internet. Does anyone really need to check their email at least 5 times an hour?

Here's a very simple recipe that goes over very well with crowds!


1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients and let stand for about an hour to defrost.