Comments

With the change in the blog, comments can no longer be made on each individual recipe, unless you find it in the archives section....So, I have made this Post and will keep it current so that any one can make a comment here, about anything they see in the blog.

Happy cooking.

German Potato Salad

One of the many recipes that I cherish from my childhood. (and the beginnings of my love for bacon)
Tip: these are far from healthy. I will include a low fat version later.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb boiled and cubed red Potatoes with skin still on
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled Bacon
1/4 cup diced Kosher Dill Pickles
1/4 cup diced white Onions
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup Mayonaise
2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil( or use drippings from Bacon)
1/4 cup white Vinegar(or juice from pickle jar)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large mixing bowl combine potatoes, oil, mayo and vinegar and mix by hand.
Once well blended, add remaining ingredients and continue to mix by hand until thoroughly blended.

This side dish goes great with pinics-burgers-pot luck dinner parties.

Tasty Rice

Side dishes are sometimes as important as the main dish, and should always be tied in with flavor or contrasting texture.  Vegetables are always a great option for side dishes, but if you want a well balanced meal, you should have a main dish-protien,  vegetables and a starch.

Ingredients:

1 cup Jasmine White Rice
3 cups water
1 cube Chicken Boullion
1 Pinch Chinese 5 Spice
Juice from 1/2 medium Lemon

Method:

In a 3 qt. sauce pan bring the water, boullion, Lemon juice and 5 spice to a boil using medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, add the Rice to the water and cover.  Jasmine Rice requires frequent stirring or the rice on the bottem will burn, and the rice on top will be uncooked. Continue to cook and stir until all water is absorbed and Rice has reached desired consistency.

Tip:
Chinese 5 spice is very pungeunt and powerful, so a pinch is really all you need. 
This side dish accompanies Fish, Pork and Chicken extremely well.

Quick Breakfast

Sometimes 10 minutes is all we have,  as we are getting ready for work, to eat breakfast. This recipe literally takes about 5 minutes of prep and 5 minutes cooking time. p.s.   and it's healthy!

Healthy Breakfast

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 Tbsp finely chopped red onions
4 Tbsp rough chopped Baby Bella Mushrooms
1 Tbsp finely chopped Cilantro
1 slice Pepper Jack sandwich cheese
1/2 oz Bleu Cheese dressing
2 slices Whole Wheat toast
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs and bleu cheese dressing. Whip mixture thoroughly until eggs and dressing are well blended.
Preheat a 6" Teflon coated frying pan, and add the Olive oil to heat. Add mushrooms, onions and cilantro to lightly saute.
Pour egg mixture over veggies mix and let sit on medium heat for about 2 minutes.  Lay the slice of cheese on top of the eggs then scramble the mixture.
Cook until eggs are completely cooked and cheese is melted through out mixture.

Place one piece of toast on a plate, then cover with egg mixture, then cover with second piece of toast.

No salt or pepper is needed as flavor comes from the cheese and dressing.

Enjoy!!!

Swai with Peach Salsa

Some people, myself included, have been searching a lifetime for that fish that doesn’t taste or smell like FISH.
I have found the best option to date.

Tilapia was high on my list for this because of its very light texture and light fishy flavor. But, the health world says Tilapia is not really good for you due to the amounts of Mercury and other toxins that are absorbed into the fish from their environment.

So the search goes on…and lo and behold….SWAI, or Basa, or Vietnamese catfish, or White Roughy. It is called many things by many different cultures that use it. This fish is so light it will take any seasonings you throw at it and come out tasting exactly like the seasoning. Fluffy, flaky and oh so tasty. It is not the highest in omega-3’s and not the lowest in toxins. But it is safe to eat 2-3 times a week, and frankly, that is all the fish I can eat.

So here is one recipe from this past week:

1 Swai filet (about 6 oz)
Zest from 1 medium lemon
1 medium peach-peeled, seeded and diced
¼ cup Jalapenos-seeded and diced
¼ cup red onions-diced
¼ cup Cilantro-finely chopped
2 tsps Brown Sugar
2 Dashes of salt
2 Dashes of pepper
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of cinnamon
2 cups precooked white rice(preferably Jasmine rice---great flavor)

Method:

In a separate container, combine diced peaches, jalapenos, onions, cilantro
Garlic powder, cinnamon, brown sugar and 1 dash each of salt and pepper. Stir with wooden spoon until
Thoroughly mixed.

Preheat 10” frying pan to Medium heat.
Spoon Peach salsa mixture into the pan to cover a space large enough to lay the fish on top of.
Season the fish on both side with remaining dashes of pepper and salt.
Lay fish on top of peach mixture in frying pan. Cover fish with remaining peach mixture.
Continue to cook fish on each side for about 3-4 minutes at medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low
For about 1 minute per side.

Plating:

Place ½ cup of precooked rice on one side of plate. Place ½ of fish on other side of plate.
Pour peach mixture over rice and fish.

Makes two full meals.