Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca)

Ooooh, boy. What a mix of deliciously tangy catfish with fresh vegetables and sweet coconut milk. Each bite was impressively flavorful.

It was so nice out today that I didn't get started cooking till it was dark out, just because I wanted to sit outside and bask in the sun I rarely get to enjoy at work.

Then I got to chop up vegetables, drink wine, listen to The Mountain Goats, and hang out with my lovely boyfriend--so I didn't necessarily neeeed the fish stew to make my day, but I welcomed it anyhow. I have a generous spirit.

Once those on Dice/Slice Row had been dispensed of, I tossed the fish pieces with lime juice, olive oil, half the minced garlic, salt and pepper, then set them aside.

I heated up two tablespoons of olive oil in my Dutch oven, setting it over medium-high heat. Once the oil was heated, I added the remaining garlic, the large diced onion, and half the diced green pepper. I cooked these until they were tender and translucent (about four minutes.)

Then I added the diced tomato, cooking it down for five minutes. As it began to mush, I poured in the coconut milk, wine, and vegetable oil. The mixture came to a boil, at which point I added the fish and cooked it for about six to eight minutes.

I then added remaining veggies (sliced tomato, sliced onion, and other half of the green pepper) and stirred to combine. I covered the oven and let it cook for another five minutes--don't reduce the heat!

I then removed the lid, stirred in the cilantro and basil, and seasoned the dish (after tasting) with salt and pepper.

Ladled it over rice, snapped some pretty pictures, and then sat down to enjoy the stew with the latest episode of Homeland. Perfect.

Brazilian Fish Stew
Serves 3 - 4.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless catfish fillets, cut into 2-in. pieces
2 large tomatoes, one diced and one thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil (one for fish, two for cooking)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/2 cup basil, minced
Salt
Pepper
2 cups white rice, cooked

Jambalaya with Cajun Roasted Chicken and Sausage

Time again to share the best aspect of Louisiana culture with "all y'all."

I'm so glad the weather's starting to take a turn toward bearable, because I've missed boots and warm comfort foods and light jackets and all that. Also, I do hate to wilt.

We made this delicious jambalaya last weekend because I'd picked up chicken, sausage, and file powder at the farmers' market and I needed to put them to good use. With the help of my illustrious sous-chef Kayla (who likes to dice things while she drinks--a very useful quality I look for in friendships), I was able to enjoy this during my wonderful work-less weekend.



(Side salad: I'm having difficulty making it through the writing of this post without Seinfeld's Newman gushing "JAMBALAYA!"  in my head. Not completely painful, but a bit distracting...)

First I needed to cook the chicken. I preheated my oven to 325 degrees. Then I mixed together Tony Chachere's seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. I rinsed my chicken and patted it dry, then rubbed it with olive oil and the spice mixture.

I put the chicken in my trusty cast-iron skillet and arranged the onion slices around it, then drizzled oil over the pan.

I put the skillet in the oven and let it roast for two hours, re-oiling it halfway through.

Once the chicken was done cooking (it should be at an internal temperature of 180 degrees), I removed the skillet from the oven and  let the chicken rest for ten minutes before cutting into it. As for the broth and onions, I reserved them for the jambalaya.

After the aforementioned ten minutes, I carved into the chicken, slicing the procured meat into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, Kayla arrived and helpfully chopped up all the ingredients that needed chopping and added new playlists to my Spotify (after we went to get amazing corn dip), so obviously she was very good company.

In my Dutch oven, I heated up a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and added the sausage slices. I didn't use any seasoning here, because this sausage is to die for and I don't believe in messing with perfection. But if you are dealing with less-than-heavenly sausage, please sprinkle a little cayenne or Tony's in there! Treat. Yo. Self.

I sauteed the sausage until it was cook through, then set it aside with the chicken. I added fresh oil to the Dutch oven, then added in the peppers, onion, celery, and garlic and cooked them about five minutes, till they were translucent.

Then I stirred in the crushed tomatoes, crushed red pepper, freshly ground black pepper, salt, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and file powder. To all this magical, well-seasoned, tomato-iness, I added the meat. I made sure the mixture was well-combined and then let it cook for about ten minutes.

Not the prettiest picture, but take my word that it all ended up more than OK.

Finally it was time to add the rice and the chicken stock (part of which I gleaned from the roast chicken, the rest supplied by store-bought broth), which can be a bit stubborn when it comes to cooking (unlike yours truly, who has never been bull-headed in her life, especially not in the kitchen.)

I brought everything to a boil, then let it simmer (covered) for about 25 - 30 minutes, until the liquid was gone and the rice completely cooked.

Then we scraped the pot clean.

Cajun Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken, 2 - 3 lbs.
2 teaspoons Tony Chachere's seasoning
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil

Jambalaya

Cajun Roasted Chicken
10 oz. Cajun sausage (such as andouille), sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 16-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon file powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
10 oz. uncooked rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (part of which you can get from the cooked chicken)

Grilled Whole Chicken Stuffed with Sausage, Greens, and Peppers

Y'all.

I went to the farmers' market yesterday and watched a cooking demonstration in which the brilliant, confident chef stuffed up her chicken with a sausage mixture and then grilled the whole bird up. The presentation just made me so happy and inspired that I had to rush home and turn my market bounty into a damn good dinner.

I (or rather my cousin Wade) heated up one side of the grill to medium-high, leaving the other side unheated so we could perpetrate some indirect grilling. This method allows you to semi-slow-cook the fowl beast into tender perfection without burning the outside first.

Then I removed the innards of the bird and rinsed it out, then set it aside.

For the stuffing, I heated up two tablespoons of olive oil in my skillet till shimmering. I tossed on the peppers and sliced sausage and let them sizzle for 3 - 5 minutes.

Then I added the greens and let them wilt (as they are wont to do). I kept adding chopped greens until I'd gotten a fair amount in the mix. I also added a bit of Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's if you can get it.)

I took the mixture off heat once all the greens had wilted, the sausage had cooked, and the peppers had grown tender.

I rubbed the chicken with olive oil and oregano.

Then I opened him up and stuffed him!

I probably had too much fun with this part.

For the stuffing, I used the sausage mixture and intermittently added garlic chevre. I packed the stuffing in there tightly.

Then I put it on the grill!

We closed the grill and let it cook for 30-40 minutes on the unlit side of the grill. It was able to get lots of good heat and browning this way.

Then we flipped the bird (unintentional!) and let it cook covered for another 30 minutes.

We took the chicken off the grill and let it rest for ten minutes before carving it.

Amaaazing!

Grilled Whole Chicken Stuffed with Sausage, Greens, and Peppers
1 whole chicken (mine was a bitty one, just 2 lbs., but I'd recommend 4 or 5 lbs.)
2 - 3 cups sliced Cajun sausage
3 small red and/or yellow sweet peppers, diced
3 handfuls mixed greens, chopped
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons oregano

Chilled Avocado Soup with Chipotle Shrimp

Lucie wept, for there was no more deliciousness left to conquer.

Just kidding! I've seen fire and I've seen rain, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep finding new amazing recipes and cuisines and dishes to dive into. I've been on a health kick recently, which has actually expanded my horizons in terms of cooking. I've made fresh produce a necessity each day and am trying to do a lot less red meat.

So here's where we've arrived tonight!

I was honestly a little nervous about this, because I haven't done any chilled soups before and I worried if I'd actually enjoy the final product. But let me tell you, my fears were assuaged and back again. If this soup founded an organization dedicated to leaking controversial documents, I'd call it Julian Assuage.

First I prepped my lovely fresh produce.

I then filled my food processor with the avocado, veggie broth, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. I pureed the mixture and then poured it into a bowl, which I then covered and placed in the refrigerator to chill.

For the lime cream, I stirred together the sour cream, more chopped cilantro, black pepper and lime zest. This too went into the fridge to hang out, relax, or--in other words--chill.

You see? This lime cream is obviously in need of some R&R.

Then I got on with the hot portion of the meal. I spiced my shrimp with cumin, salt and pepper and set them aside while I heated up the skillet (spritzed with a little olive oil spray) to medium-high.

I added the shrimp to the skillet and sauteed them for two minutes before flipping the little guys over and adding onion, garlic, and corn.

After another couple of minutes, I stirred in the chipotle chile and adobo sauce and fresh lime juice.

I let everything cook through another few minutes, until the shrimp were bright pink and the vegetables tender.

To serve, I first ladled the chilled soup into a bowl, followed by a dollop of lime cream, then a heap of the shrimp mixture. Cilantro to garnish!

Chilled Avocado Soup with Chipotle Shrimp (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 8.

Soup:
1 slimcado (or two avocados), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Lime cream:
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 teaspoons lime zest
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Chipotle shrimp:
12 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tablespoon cumin
Kosher salt
Ground pepper
2 ears corn, shucked
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (finely chop chile, use 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce)
1 tablespoon lime juice
Cilantro, to garnish

Shrimp and Sausage Polenta

My boyfriend doesn't dig shrimp the way most Louisiana folk do, so I don't end up dealing with these shellfish too often. Therefore, on these few and far-between occasions, I like to make sure I do it up big.

I had some delicious stone-ground polenta grits that I picked up at the farmers' market a while back. All they needed for dressing up were some choice meats and veggies!

First I seasoned my shrimp with sweet paprika, Worcestershire, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper. 

I then set the shrimp aside and heated up two tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. I used sunflower oil, because I've been trying to be a bit healthier lately, but your mileage may vary of course. Then I added asparagus, onion, garlic, and corn and cooked them for about 8 minutes (once the onions were translucent and all was tender.)

At this point, I stirred in the crushed tomatoes, sour cream, vegetable broth, and hot sauce. I brought the mixture to a boil and then turned it down to simmer for ten minutes.

During this time I spritzed a 12-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil spray, turned the heat up to medium-high, and added the shrimp and sausage in, stirring it frequently till the sausage browned and the shrimp turned bright pink.

I then added the meats to the tomato mixture and wiped out the skillet.

I returned the cleaned skillet to the burner, setting the heat to medium, and added the polenta.

 It toasted for a minute or two before I poured and stirred in hot water. Then I lowered the heat and let the grits cook until the water had evaporated.

Once the water went on its merry way, I placed a dollop (or two or six) of grits in a bowl and ladled the shrimp, sausage, tomato extravaganza on top.

Shrimp and Sausage Polenta
Serves 3.

50 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
12 oz. sausage, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oil
Olive oil spray
14 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 dash hot sauce
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable stock
3/4 cup polenta grits
3 cups hot water

Maple-Glazed Pork Chops

Quick post tonight! It's been way too long since I blogged, but I've got some neat ideas of what to write about here next. They linger above me tantalizingly, like a mobile above a baby or anything that vaguely dangles above my cats. Just waiting on payday, and then I'll dig in--(ha ha ha.)

Tonight, though, I thawed these pork chops found in my freezer and hunted about for a simple yet delicious pampering for them. Ultimately I chose a spiced maple glaze and a pan-searing, oven-roasting method, inspired by a Cook's Illustrated recipe.

First, I preheated the oven to 325.

In a small bowl, I mixed together the maple syrup, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and cider-vinegar.

I set the bowl aside and then heated two tablespoons of sunflower oil over medium-high in a heavy-bottomed skillet. I sprinkled my chops with salt and pepper, and then added them to the skillet once the oil had just begun to smoke.

The chops browned quickly, taking about 2 - 3 minutes on each side. I used my tongs to make sure the edges became well-browned too. Once everything was nicely Snooki-ed up, I took the chops out of the pan and laid them to rest on a conveniently proximal plate.

Then I lowered the heat under the skillet to medium and added the bowl of maple madness. It immediately bubbled up and I waited till the sweet foresty aroma reached my nose before I moved the skillet off heat and returned the chops.

I turned the chops over a few times until they were fully coated in the syrup mixture, and then I placed the skillet in the oven for 35 minutes. Twice during this time period, I reached into the oven (first opening the door) to turn the porkchops over and recoat them in the glaze.

Then I removed the skillet from the oven and removed the porkchops, letting them rest for 15 minutes to retain optimum temperature. Ideally, they come out of the oven at 135 degrees and end up at 145. Don't poison yer-selves, ya hear?

Meanwhile, I let the maple syrup gel slightly in the skillet for five minutes before pouring it over the meat. After fifteen minutes, I sliced and served (with a side of steamed broccoli tossed in a garlic vinaigrette, to balance things out.)

Maple-Glazed Pork Chops

2 pork chops (each a little less than 1/2-lb)
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Serves 2.

Blueberry Pie

Nothing like a long day at work to make you crave pie! I wanted something summery, sweet, and fresh to tickle my palate, and this concoction slid with easy grace into my heart.

I love Cook's Illustrated recipes for the background information and notes they give on their choices throughout the cooking process. It's enormously educational and has the added benefit of making me feel like a scientist. (Does Bill Nye have cookbooks?)

The crust came first. I placed salt, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of the flour in the bowl of my food processor and combined them with a few quick pulses. Then I removed the butter and shortening from the freezer, where I'd placed them several minutes previously to get cold. I cut a stick and a half of butter into 1/4-inch pieces and scooped out 1/2 cup of shortening and quartered that.

I added these to the flour mixture and processed for 15 - 20 seconds until the dough was smooth, at which point I poured another cup of flour into the bowl and pulsed it into Sameness. Using a rubber spatula, I scooped the dough (which at this point should be smooth and tacky, but not overly sticky) into a medium bowl. There I sprinkled it with 1/4 cup vodka and then a 1/4 cup water. After all the liquid was added, I molded the dough with my hands, kneading it together until the water was fully incorporated. Then I divided the dough in two and formed each half into a 4-inch disk. The disks were then wrapped in plastic and placed in the refrigerator for thirty minutes.

I took out one of the disks and rolling it out on a floured work surface, pressing and spreading it till it was about 12 inches in diameter. Then I carefully transferred the base into my pie pan, allowing for at least a 1-inch overhang (though I did not achieve quite this all the way around.)

Then the time had dawned to construct the fabulous filling. I emptied three cups of berries into a medium saucepan and set the heat to medium.

The berries cooked for about 8-9 minutes. All the while, I used a potato masher to press down and juice the little buggers.

Once the juice had reduced and started to thicken, I took the berries off heat. In a medium bowl, I combined the other three cups of berries, grated apple, lemon zest, lemon juice, tapioca, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Then I poured in the cooked berries and their juices and stirred it all well to combine.

I set the oven to 400 and placed a rimmed pan on the lowest rack of the oven to heat up, and then I removed the pie pan from the refrigerator and slowly filled it with aromatic goodness.

Then I removed the other disk of dough from the refrigerator and rolled it out circularly into a 11-inch diameter. I took my tablespoon and--hollow-side down--pressed it into the middle of the circle, turning it slightly and pressing down again until I had a full circle cut-out. I removed the flat circle and repeated the process six times in a circle around the original cut-out, making each no less than 1.5 inches from the edge.

I scattered butter pieces over the filling of the pie, and then I draped the now-perforated circle loosely over my rolling pin and laid it out over the top of the pie pan. I pressed the bottom of a fork around the edges of the pie to seal the borders and create ridges in the crust.

I should have brushed the pie with the egg wash at this point, but I completely forgot. Still delicious! But I'll remember the next time. Even took out the egg and everything...

I placed the pie on the heated pan in the oven and cooked it for thirty minutes, at which time I lowered the temperature to 350 and cooked it for another 30-40 minutes until the crust was a golden-brown

Mid-bake. I couldn't  resist.

.Then once it had achieved the desired hue, I put the pie on a cooling rack and placed it in the refrigerator for about an hour, until it had cooled to room temperature.

There you have it! Pie...oh, my.

Blueberry Pie (from Cook's Illustrated)


Crust
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (and more for work surface)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold (1 1/2 sticks), chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cold, divided into 4 pieces
1/4 cup vodka (for texture, don't substitute)
1/4 cup water


Filling
6 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen and thawed)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca, ground
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated, wrung dry in dish towel
1 pinch table salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces


1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash