Easy Fish Stew

Ever wonder what to do with the el cheapo can of jack mackerel you see on the grocery aisle shoved in between the tuna and salmon? It can be used to create a delicious fish stew! It's easy-peezey-lemon squeezey and a tasty bang for your buck.

Fish Stew
(serves 4-6)

ingredients:
2 cans Mackerel
2 medium Onions (chopped)
1 to 2 cups Celery (chopped)
32 oz. Stock (chicken or veg---or use 1/2 stock 1/2 water
1 can Tomato Paste (I use only 2/3 can)
1-2 Tbsp Lemon juice
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Parsely (chopped)
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Salt/Pepper (to taste)
Red Pepper (cajun seasoning--optional--to taste)
Dried Jalapenos (optional --to taste)

directions:
Drain mackerel, break fish apart, and set aside in a bowl(I remove some of the less attractive bits of skin and bone, but I'm not militant about it). Heat olive oil in a pot and saute onions and celery for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stock. A full can of tomato paste can be used, but I usually just use 2/3 of the can (it all depends on how tomato-ee you like it). Use two cans of stock (32 0z) or just use 1 can stock and 1 can water. Bring pot to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring as needed. Add fish and return pot to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. While simmering, add lemon juice and seasonings. Stir occasionally and add water if needed.

Serve over rice or with crackers or bread.

Chef Buck Bloopers

The kitchen is not a serious place.

Pear Salad (redneck style)

This is a classic country dish, and by country, I mean the spot where you park your double-wide trailer.

ingredients:
1 Can pear halves
Mayonnaise
Cheddar cheese (shredded)

Bust open a can and plate your pears (you can serve them on a bed of lettuce if you're feeling ritzy). Spoon a dollop of mayonnaise onto each pear half and then sprinkle with cheese. Voilà!
If it's a special occasion, such as a birthday, wedding, or completion of terms of parole, adding a maraschino cherry atop each pear will make a nice touch.

If your trailer is actually a house, then you might want to upgrade your pear salad.

ingredients:

lettuce (not iceberg--never iceberg, ever)
3 Fresh pears
2 Tlbs Mayonnaise (or yogurt)
3/4 c. Crumbled blue cheese
3/4 c. Chopped walnuts

Dice pears and toss with mayonnaise then spoon onto lettuce. Sprinkle with blue cheese and walnuts. DO NOT add maraschino cherries, but raisins CAN be added, if desired.

Bon appetite!

Jasmine Cafe

This past weekend we stumbled upon a terrific restaurant in downtown Tallahassee, Florida. Jasmine Cafe bills itself as "Downtown Sushi", but it's much more. Great sandwiches, salads, stirfry, noodle dishes, AND sushi.
Great service, too.
The Asian Style Crabcake appetizer was delicious and hearty...it's going to be hard to go back and NOT order the crabcakes. All of the dishes we sampled were fantastic and plentiful at extremely reasonable prices. If you're looking for Asian eats in Tallahassee, Florida, I'd definitely give them a try. Map and menus can be found at
http://www.jasmine-cafe.com/

Poached Egg w/ Smoked Salmon and Spinach Salad

For a special breakfast treat, give this tasty combo a try. It’ll be like that glorious trip to Paris you’ve always dreamed of taking and then never did! This fancy-pants breakfast is easy to prepare and tastes great --you’ll think you’re living it up with the Rockefeller’s (except you’ll probably have to do your own dishes).

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
½ cup fennel bulb (sliced thin)
1 tsp onion (minced)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbls lemon juice
2 Tbls olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4 eggs
1 Tbls white vinegar
4oz smoked salmon
1 tomato (sliced)
And fancy-pants bread for toast

Instructions:
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, onion, zest, salt, and pepper…mix well. Add spinach and fennel and toss. Divide salmon onto two plates and top each portion with spinach salad.
To poach eggs, add a pinch of salt and 1 Tbls of vinegar to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Break each egg into a cup and gently drop into the water…take care not to break the yolk! Poach eggs for 90 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon. Arrange eggs on the salad and serve with tomato garnish and toast.

The runny yolk tastes great on this dish! But if you’re not a fan…poach eggs until the yolks are firm, or simply hard boil eggs and arrange over the dish in slices.

Bon appetite!

Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Ingredients:
1lb. brussels sprouts (washed, trimmed, quartered)
diced onion (to taste --I like 2-3 green onions or 1/2 reg. onion)
2-4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Wash, trim, and quarter 1 lb. of brussels sprouts. Heat 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil on high heat (cooking on high is key, because you want to sear the edges of the brussels sprouts). Add sprouts to hot oil before the oil smokes and burns, then stir frequently while still allowing edges to darken. Sear 4-5 minutes --reduce heat if necessary during this process, but not too much. After sprouts are seared, reduce to medium heat and add onions, garlic, salt, and pepper (I prefer a little red pepper, but black is fine). Stir ingredients together and then add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and allow to cook approx. 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest. I like to sprinkle green onion tops over as a garnish. This is a great dish to serve with brown rice or cous cous.

Remember, the key to delicious brussels sprouts (like most vegetables) is to NOT overcook them. Let me know what you think, and feel free to experiment--I've thought of adding red or finger-hot peppers to the recipe, but haven't gotten around to it yet; I love this dish too much as it is for right now...
bon appetite!