Cod Veracruz

Okay, Red Kitchen Recipes food blog, you have made me gain about 5 pounds.  I know it has to be your fault!  I mean, I actually deep fried something!  Just so I could explore shrimp tempura!  That's the first time I've deep fried anything since my early twenties!  So the solution is I have to get back to Clean Eating, which Tosca Reno describes as lean eating and green eating!  This is no fad diet where you have to give up anything good for you.  Long ago, I chose to give up most processed food, all white sugar, white flour, and white rice.  I became an obsessive compulsive label reader when I read Skinny Bitch.  And this doesn't mean that all your food is boring.  Look at that picture.  Does any of that look boring or bland?

But wait!  That's not all!  This recipe is very easy!  You bake your fish in a parchment bag while you saute your veracruz sauce.  I used Archer Farms Wild - Caught Alaskan Cod Fillets.  Earlier when I mentioned that eating clean involves eating green, it's because I've been reading thoroughly about eating sustainable fish in several different, very important chef books.  The Atlantic is currently overfished, so I avoid any fish from there.  Also, I've read that farm - raised fish are swimming in and eating in questionable waters, so I avoid those as well.  Each fillet of cod has 20 grams of protein and 0 fat! 

I first became interested in the veracuz style of fish when I was having lunch at Little Rock's River Market at The Flying Fish with Kristi, one of my favorite girls.  They had the offering on their menu, and Kristi asked if I knew what it was.  At the time, I didn't.  So I researched it.  Typically a veracruz sauce consists of olives, tomatoes, lemon or lime juice, and maybe capers or jalapenos.  Every recipe always has several variations.  So join me as I get back to eating lean, eating green, and eating locally when possible.  I wonder if Thomas Friedman needs to update his book The World is Flat.  Inside, he has his top 10 reasons why the world is flat.  Of course, outsourcing is among the top 10.  However, my own suspicions have me buying tacos from the American Homegrown truck rather than the cheaper truck that may be sending their earnings out of the country, to the sum of 20 million dollars as one newspaper reported.  If only that income had stayed within our own country...

Ingredients:

• 4 Wild - Caught Alaskan Cod Fillets (about 4 oz. each)
• 1 package of grape tomatoes, each sliced in half
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced, or pressed through a garlic press
• 1 white onion, diced
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 2 tbsp Spanish/manzanilla olives, each sliced in half
• Juice of 1 lime or lemon
• 1 cup of white wine
• 1 tbsp butter, unsalted (use real butter!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Season the cod fillets with course kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and powdered garlic.  Place inside a parchment bag and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
2. Heat a large pan over medium high heat.  Add a tbsp of butter.  When melted, add the diced onion and stir until soft.
3. Add the minced or pressed garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds, careful not to burn.
4. Add the white wine.  Let the alcohol cook out, about 5 - 7 minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced.
5. Add the capers, olives, tomatoes, and lemon or lime juice.
6. Allow the sauce to simmer, then top the cod with it.

Steamed Pork Buns a la Momofuku

Ever since I cracked open the book Momofuku by David Chang, I've been thinking about making the steamed pork buns that he is famous for making in his eatery Noodle Bar in New York's East Village.  I'm inspired by his spirit and his attitude.  If I had my own place, I would also have a backbone and a voice that I would never fail to use amidst any criticism.  It reminds me of a friend I have in the corporate world where you have to just smile and nod despite the rediculously unrealistic demands they make.  Express discontent?  Await your backlash by upper management.  Voice any problems you've encountered?  They'll look at you like they hadn't heard a word you said.  The look says just conform and don't expect change.  No corporate BS anywhere near this guy.  I love that Chang continued to do things his way, no matter what the critics said.  No matter how closely he came to failing.  He brought in $500,000 his first year in that 27 seat noodle bar that served ramen and became famous for pork buns.  Even considering New York's cost of living, that seems pretty profitable to me.

Momofuku pork buns are made with what you see above - pork belly.  I believe I've read along the way that he prefers the Berkshire breed of pork, to be specific.  Pork belly is seasoned and cured to make bacon.  You won't be able to walk into any store to find pork belly like you can bacon.  I found my pork belly at K Oriental in West Little Rock.  On the weekends, they receive shipments of the fresh stuff.  That's when I go.  This was the thickest cut I could find.  It was about five dollars for a pound and a half or so.

I also roasted a pork loin as a leaner option for dinner guests.  The fat was mainly on the outside, and I trimmed it before I served it.  I followed the brine recipe for both the pork belly and the pork loin.  They were mouthwateringly delicious!

I love my meat thermometer.  Once I inserted the tip into the middle of the loin, I could check back to see when it reached the medium temperature of 145 - 155 per USDA recommendation at about an hour and thirty three minutes of cooking.

That's a coincidence.  Many things happen in threes.  I actually noted that in a book that I've been reading lately.  The Lucky One.  Things happen to him in threes.  Also in this recipe, you need three bowls.  The dough will rise three times.

This recipe makes sixteen buns.  I knew that I would have to ask my neighbors over to help eat.  The recipe also says that you can freeze some before you steam them, though.

You want to roll the dough out into an oval shape.  I don't work with dough much, but I think I came pretty close.

  I learned from another blogger site to stick a chopstick along the center, then fold over to make the "sock monkey" shape.

Steam the buns, then add a little bit of hoisin sauce, which is like a sweetish Asian barbecue sauce.  Then add your meat, whether you choose the flavorful, slightly fatty pork belly or the leaner yet still flavorful pork loin.  The cucumbers and scallions add freshness and crunch.  Yummmm thank you David Chang!  I hope to visit one of his four restaurants, if not all, the next time I visit NYC!

Click here for the full recipe from Epicurious.  Then click here for the recipe from his book.  Yes, they're different.  The first recipe uses cake flour, and the second uses bread flour.  I am not a baker, so I don't know how much of a difference that makes.  This man is such a mystery!

Panko Shrimp Tempura with Prosciutto

I was craving some crunchy shrimp, so I bought a box of shrimp tempura mix from the grocery store with the intention of using panko bread crumbs to make it even crispier.  Then I thought about what it would be like to wrap the shrimp in prosciutto before I battered it, then fried it.  I can tell you this.  I loved it!  But after this experiement, I 've decided that I better go back to lean proteins and steamed veggies!  Our neighborhood pool opens next Saturday!!

The thing that I offer to you on my blog is the knowledge base that I've gained from my countless hours of research on other web sites and other cookbooks, especially those belonging to renowned celebrity chefs.  I'm a bit obsessed with their techniques and overall knowledge.  I haven't been classically trained in a culinary school, but I've read the cookbooks of almost all of the Iron Chefs from Michael Symon to Bobby Flay to Morimoto himself.

One of the things I've learned about deep frying (perhaps a Paula Deen cookbook?) not sure where, but in many of the books, the temperature needs to stay at about 350 degrees.  When my husband Jereme cooks on our gas range, he turns the heat up and down constantly to maintain the temperature he needs to cook food throughout without burning the outside before the inside is cooked.

In my first endeavor to deep fry since I last burned something in my early twenties, I decided to use an electric skillet that has the temperature control built in.  It worked beautifully!  The shrimp are delicious eaten alone or with a sweet chili sauce.  Kroger Marketplace offers three or four different brands of the sauce.  You can also find the sauce at Whole Foods and The Fresh Market.  Can you tell I'm a West Little Rock Foodie?

I also experimented with just coating the shrimp in egg and then panko.  They were actually just as good, and cutting out the tempura step actually made it less of a hassle. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of tempura mix
• 1 Pound of 16 - 20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail intact
• 8 Slices of prosciutto, cut in half
• 1 Cup of panko bread crumbs
• Canola oil (enough to fill to about 2 inches)

Directions:

1. Prepare the tempura batter per package instructions.
2. Heat an electric skillet with one to two inches of oil to 350 degrees.
3. Wrap one slice of prosciutto around a piece of shrimp.
4. Dip into the tempura batter then into the panko then into the pan.
5. You can fit about 5 pieces in the pan at a time to leave enough room around each piece.
6. Flip when the shrimp begin to brown.  Shrimp will be cooked in 3 - 5 minutes.  Watch closely, but be careful not to let the oil spatter on you!  The less water in your shrimp, the less spattering you'll have.  (Dry the tails well before you cook them.)
7. Drain on a paper towel.

Panko Shrimp:

To make the shrimp without the prosciutto or tempura, you can dredge the entire piece of shrimp in flour.  This helps prevent splattering!  Then dip into a dish of beaten egg, then coat with panko.  Then go back to step 5 and 6.

Meatless Jap Chae

I've made this dish before with beef and glass noodles, but I found that the glass  noodles didn't really hold the sauce as well as sweet potato noodles.  I decided to make it again with the more traditional Korean noodles, and decided that I liked the chewy, thicker texture of these noodles even better.

I found these noodles at K Oriental, a Korean store located in West Little Rock.  Inside, the noodles are bound in 3 separate bundles.  For this recipe, I used one bundle of noodles. 

 The earthy flavor of shitake mushrooms compliments this dish well.  I rinsed mine in a salad spinner, then spun the mushrooms until really, really dry.

Next, I prepared the sauce.  I added 6 tbsp of organic, low sodium tamari (or you can use any other version of soy sauce), 1 tbsp of turbinado suger (you can use any other version if you don't have this sugar), and and 2 tbsp of chopped green onion.

Start with a small amount of canola oil or stir fry oil, then add vegetables.  Stir to mix.  You need a pretty big pan or a wok.  Also, add the noodles to boiling water for 5 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water.

Add the noodles, then the sauce last, and mix well.  You will have your meatless jap chae that is delicious and filling.  The noodles abosorb the sauce really well, so each bite you take is full of flavor!

Ingredients:

• 1 Bundle of Dangmyeon sweet potato noodles
• 1 Package of fresh shitake mushrooms
• 1 Bunch of spinach or baby bok choy
• 1 Carrot, julienned
• 1 Onion
• 6 Tbsp organic low sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp turbinado sugar or natural sugar
• 2 Tbsp chopped green onions
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Add a small amount of oil to a pan.  When hot, add the onions and stir until soft.
2. Add all the other vegetables.  Continue to stir over medium high heat.
3. Make the sauce by mixing the tamari with sugar and green onions.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the noodles and cook 5 minutes.  Drain, rinse the noodles, and add the noodles to the vegetable mixture.
5. Add the sauce, stir fry until well mixed.  Top with the sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Go Red Luncheon

Last week was quite eventful for me.  Monday started with the annual Go Red For Women luncheon that I normally attend with my friends from one of the radio stations that I sell.  I've worked in radio advertising sales for about the last 3 years, so this was my third year to attend with B98 as the sponsor.  Our lunch included some lean roast beef stuffed with slightly creamy orzo pasta on a bed of lettuce greens with some balsamic dressing.  All delicious!

The luncheons are always inspirational.  Heart disease victims tell their stories of survival, and I'm always moved to be more fit, more aware, and to be as healthy as I can to prevent this number one killer from affecting me.  When I sold Altace, an ace inhibitor, a cardiologist came to speak to my sales force of 1000 people.  He said look to your left, and to your right.  That's how many people will be affected by heart disease.  Fifty percent...

I love the mission.  In the past, we've attended the luncheons at the Statehouse Convention Center.  This year, it took place at the Peabody Hotel Grand Ball Room.

The Peabody Hotel is known for the ducks who reside along the rooftop and in the lobby.  I thought it was super cute that the butter was carved into the shape of a duck!

I've always enjoyed attending these luncheons with my friends at the radio station.  Since I knew that I would be leaving, I wondered if this would be my last luncheon, or if maybe one of the girls would save me a place at the table next year.  As I thought about what I would miss when I left, I knew that events like these would be among them.

Whoever gets my seat next year, be sure to spend that $10 gift card to Macy's before it expires!

The desserts at events like these are always pretty little works of art.  Here is the Sugar Free Roasted Banana Panna Cotta.  I had one bite because I'm not a huge fan of sweets, but Christina loved hers...

Did I mention that I'm not a huge fan of sweets?  Okay, I ate half of this Neapolitan Cheesecake.  It was soooo good!

Here I am with my group of friends/co-workers who attended the luncheon together.  I'm the one holding the silver mask!  On Friday morning, I gave my two week notice to my day job.  In sales, it's common for your manager to offer to let you leave and still get paid with the courtesy of the two week notice.  In fact, many people hope for it.  So I'm officially retired from sales.  The rewards, the trips, and the bonuses were amazing! (Well, that was from my pharmaceutical sales job anyway.) 

I do know that it was my job at Cumulus Media where I was given the most support with Red Kitchen Recipes.  If everything happens for a reason, then I absolutely believe that the boost into the blogging world was the greatest thing that happened to me while at Cumulus (formerly Citadel).  Thanks to all of my friends there who follow my blog, and thanks for the help and support.  Good luck to you all!  Stay in touch with me on Facebook! XOXO

Pineapple Salsa

Only three more weeks of school left for the kids, and everyone in the cul de sac is making summer plans.  Our neighbors The Kims have their pool finished, with more to be done with the landscaping, full outdoor kitchen, and entertainment center.  So far, the flagstone, fountains, and fire are fabulous.  We are enjoying every minute of it that we can.  Yesterday, everyone in the circle gathered there for some swimming and backyard barbecure.  I asked Peter if I could bring anything over, and he said that some cheese dip or salsa would be great.  So I threw together some pineapple salsa!

Ingredients:

• Pineapple, diced
• 1 Red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1/4 cup of cilantro, lightly chopped
• Juice of one lime or lemon
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced
• A few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce
• Salt and pepper to your liking

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Chocolate Chip Waffles

I've always enjoyed making waffles in hotels.  In the pharmaceutical industry, beginning reps are usually required to be sequestered together for weeks somewhere near the company's home office to train dilligently on clinical trials, disease states, detailing, sales force automation, product benefits, black box warnings, pipelines, adverse reactions, package inserts, pharma guidelines, compliance issues, and the 2 minute hallway visit with a physician.  If you've seen Love and Other Drugs, you've gotta know that guy's work life was identical to what mine was for 5 and a half years.  I stayed in a lot of hotels during those years, and I always loved making waffles there.  So I bought my own waffle maker for home.

I learned that the flippable waffle maker helps to spread the batter evenly.  We've found that somewhere between 3/4 cup and 1 cup is how much batter you need to fill the waffle maker.

You can probably go shorter or longer.  We've found that 4 minutes is about how long we like for our waffles to cook.  Love the timer!

To make chocolate chip waffles just like ours, get some store - bought waffle mix.  Krusteaz is our favorite brand!  Mix in a handful of chocolate chips.  Then, cook as shown above.

Steamed Lobster Tail

The Fresh Market sometimes has great meat and seafood specials!  I caught a great sale one day and grabbed a lobster tail to take home.  After Gianna's birthday sleepover, I decided that I deserved it.  One of the other Baker moms agreed.  Sleepovers somehow can drain a mother!  Add to that the stress of birthday details:  balloons, flowers, plates, napkins, cake, kid - friendly food...not to mention a soccer game the next morning.

The great thing about the two tray bamboo steamers is that you can cook two different things at one time!  Not to mention the health benefits of not having to use oil.  You can use banana leaves or parchment paper to line your steamer.  This will make cleanup easier, the food won't stick to the bamboo, and also won't taste like bamboo either.

You can use a large Dutch oven to hold the bamboo steamer, or you can also use any large pan that will hold about 12 ounces of steaming liquid.

Ingredients:

• 1 lobster tail
• Additional seafood if desired (I had wild Alaskan cod)
• Lemon pepper
• Fresh garlic, thinly sliced
• Fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 Meyer lemon
• 1 12 oz. bottle of beer

Directions:

1. Run a skewer throught the length of the lobster tail to prevent curling, and to promote even cooking.
2. Line the bamboo trays with parchment paper of banana leaves.
3. Season the cod with lemon pepper.  (Thanks Neil!!) 
4. Pour the beer into the Dutch oven, and bring up to a boil over high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic.
5. When the boiling begins, place the cod on top, then the lobster tail, then the lid.
6. Continue to steam over high heat for 10 minutes.  Turn heat off, and wait for the steam to die down. 
7. When cooled, remove the skewer from the lobster tail and cut the underside of the tail with a pair of kitchen shears.  Use a fork to eaily pull the meat right out.  Squeeze the meyer lemon juice on top and enjoy!