Crispy Fish Sandwich

No, not fried. But, yes, still crispy and delicious! A fillet-o-fish sandwich that's absolutely good for you! With a dose of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in the fish (and there's more good-for-you fat in that avocado), luscious sliced tomato, crunch green leaves, and a whole wheat bun, this is a lunch or dinner that with keep you full and fit! Once again, it's Panko breadcrumbs to the rescue, allowing this dish to baked, but still maintain that crispy exterior.

We tried cod for the first time and were pleasantly surprised! It has a mild flavor and meaty texture. It was perfect for this sandwich! Halibut is about twice as expensive, so cod is a great option for saving some cash.

INGREDIENTS
2 4-oz. cod or halibut fillets, patted dry
salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg, whisked
1/4 cup milk
approx. 1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
approx. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 whole wheat sandwich rolls (I used these onion rolls), toasted
romaine or butter (Boston ) lettuce
tomato, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 avocado, sliced

Lemon Herb Mayonnaise:
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
fresh herbs (such as basil and chives), chopped (to taste)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place it in the oven to preheat as well.

2. Set up a breading station by placing the breadcrumbs, egg, and flour in three separate shallow dishes. Add the milk to the egg and whisk to combine. Season fish with salt and pepper on both sides. First dredge in the flour, then dip in the egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs. Set on a plate until ready to bake.

3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully place the fish on the sheet. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 15-30 minutes (baking times will vary widely based on the size and type of fish), until fish flakes easily with a fork.

4. To prepare the mayonnaise, stir to combine mayo, lemon juice, and herbs in a small bowl. Adjust according to taste. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5. When the fish is done, remove it from the oven. Spread mayonnaise on the top and bottom of each roll. First, place a bed of lettuce on the bottom of the roll. Next, place a slice of tomato, and season with salt and pepper. Place fish directly over the tomato. Top with avocado slices, and the other half of the bun. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

(Adapted from Food Network)

Shrimp Fried Rice

I made shrimp fried rice and it worked! I even used brown rice with no difficulty! I owe my success to Jaden of Steamy Kitchen who spares no detail in explaining how to achieve fantastic fried rice. I thought about not even bothering to post the recipe myself, and instead link you directly to her site, but I've decided to do both. I made a few slight changes to the ingredients but I followed her directions exactly. If you are considering making this recipe, please follow this link to read her rules for the best fried rice. And then stick to them. Unless, of course, you're already a pro with a wok, and then I feel embarrassed because I'm such a novice. I'm still elated that I had my rice dancing in the skillet, and the eggs cooked to perfection, and that my husband kept mouthing "this is so good!" in between forkfuls of tender shrimp and rice!

I thought the flavor was very very good. But I was craving a little more kick. Nothing that I presume garlic couldn't solve. So next time I'll add a few cloves and see what happens. I just realized I might need to enroll in some sort of garlic addiction recovery program. I can't make a recipe anymore without throwing some in. It seems wrong not too!

I can't emphasize enough- strictly adhere to the instructions on the method of cooking. If you do, your fried rice will work like a charm. You'll masterfully replicate the Chinese takeout favorite. My second piece of advise would be to prep all of your ingredients before you begin. There's no time to chop and measure once you start frying. In a hot wok, things cook fast, and you'll become flustered and most likely ruin the recipe. So be ready to go with your ingredients lined up next to your stove. This goes for any form of stir-frying- if you are prepared you have a much better chance of success! 

INGREDIENTS
 8 oz. small uncooked shrimp
1/4 tsp salt (or 1/2 tsp. kosher salt)
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
4 cups leftover cooked brown rice, grains separated well (I recommend using day-old par-boiled brown rice, the grains are much less sticky)
3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted (I used 1/2 cup frozen peas and about 1/2 cup freshly grated carrot)
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce + 1 tsp. extra to taste
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

DIRECTIONS (direct from Steamy Kitchen)
1. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper and cornstarch. Let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature. Heat a wok or large sauté pan on high heat. When the pan is hot enough for a bead of water to instantly sizzle and evaporate, add just 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat pan.

2. Add the shrimp, quickly spreading out around the cooking surface area so that they are not overlapping. Let fry, untouched for 30 seconds. Flip over and let the other side fry for 30 seconds, or until about 80% cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.

3. Turn the heat to medium, let the pan heat up again. Add the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the pan into the same plate as the cooked shrimp.

4. Use paper towels to wipe the same wok or sauté pan clean and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the green onions and fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of wok.

5. Drizzle the soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked eggs, shrimp and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all of the ingredients. Let everything heat back up again, until the rice grains are so hot they practically dance! Taste and add an additional 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if needed.

Serves 2-4.

(Adapted from Simply Recipes and Steamy Kitchen)

Curried Cashew, Pear, and Grape Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

I'm catching up on what was supposed to be yesterday's post. You see, the day got away from me because I was cooking a feast. Around Thanksgiving, I bought a turkey that I never got to cook (we spent the holiday with my family). By the time January rolled around I was ready for another turkey dinner. (Truthfully, I could eat oven-roasted turkey every week. It's one of my favorite meals ever!) So I spent all of Sunday afternoon hopping around my tiny kitchen, basting a bird, concocting the stuffing, peeling potatoes, rolling out pastry, and steaming vegetables. It was an excuse to try out a bunch of Thanksgiving recipes I've been drooling over for months. And afterwards I was exhausted... but I was happy. Because it was so good!

All of those recipes, well, they're coming soon! (Sorry, I'm such a tease!) I'm quite excited about today's yesterday's post, though, because this salad is spectacular! And different than any other I've made. The curried cashews make it unique- a careful balance of spicy and sweet. It's difficult not to eat them all before they make it to the salad bowl! The vinaigrette is something new too. Dustin and I are not usually honey mustard fans. But this dressing is different. Instead of mayonnaise, it is vinegar-based, and I loved it! Put it all together- the lettuce, pears, grapes, curried cashews, and tangy honey mustard vinaigrette- and you have a beautiful salad with an intriguing combination of flavors!

INGREDIENTS
6 oz. mixed greens (I used both romaine and classic mixed greens)
1 Bartlett of Bosc pear, thinly sliced
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved

Curried Cashews:
1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashew halves
1 tsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp. white wine/white balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Toast cashews in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, until browned. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, rosemary, curry powder, brown sugar, salt, and red pepper. Add cashews and shake to coat. Cool.

2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk to combine vinegar, Dijon, and honey in a small bowl. While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Toss greens with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Top with pears, grapes, and curried cashews. Drizzle with extra vinaigrette if desired.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork with Sweet Vinegar Sauce

I've published several pulled pork recipes by now. I can't really recommend one over the others, because each is deserving, each is different. But this spice-rubbed tender pork with a sweet vinegar sauce is a new favorite! I found the recipe in a new issue of Cooking Light (Sadly, my subscription expired. BUT they publish all of the new issue recipes online every month, so I'm not deprived!). I drastically changed the cooking method of this pork roast, because I didn't want to sit at home all afternoon and watch the oven. I wanted to shop!! So I used my slow cooker. The original recipe required basting the meat every hour with a vinegar sauce. This part probably isn't necessary when using a crock pot because the meat stays extremely moist, but I managed a quick baste every so often throughout the course of the afternoon.

In under 5 hours I had tender succulent pulled pork. It practically fell apart on the plate. I tossed the finished pork with a little bit of the barbecue sauce, and reserved the rest to serve on top at the table. We piled the pork high on yummy onion buns and finished the meal off with homemade potato salad (up next!).

If you're interested in slow-roasting your pork in the oven, visit this link to the original recipe. Note that I halved all of the ingredients but the sauce. If you plan on making the full recipe (from the Cooking Light web site), I suggest doubling the sauce. It just wasn't enough to make us happy!

INGREDIENTS
Pork:
1  Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 1/2  tsp.  smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp.  chili powder
1/2  tsp. salt
1 tsp.  ground cumin
1/2 tsp.  freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp.  ground chipotle chile pepper
1  (2 1/2 lb.)  pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed of fat (mine still had the bone in, but the original recipe recommended boneless)
1/2 cup water
1/4  cup  apple cider vinegar
1/6  cup  ketchup

Sauce:
3/4  cup  apple cider vinegar
1/2  cup  ketchup
3  Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2  tsp. smoked paprika
1  tsp. chili powder

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, combine spices for rub (brown sugar through ground chipotle pepper). Rub spices over the entire surface of the pork.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar and ketchup. Set aside.

3. Place pork in slow cooker. Pour in 1/2 cup water. Turn on high and cook for 4-6 hours, basting every so often with the vinegar and ketchup mixture, until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bone (if your pork has a bone). When finished, remove the pork to a plate or cutting board and shred, removing any fat or gristle.

4. To prepare the sauce, combine the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

5. Toss the pork with a little bit of the sauce. Serve on buns (optional) with extra sauce.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

Onion Rolls

Onion rolls are the perfect accompaniment to barbecue. Pork, chicken, turkey- pick your protein, it'll taste good slathered in barbecue sauce and sandwiched between these buns. Onion rolls have been on my to-bake list for quite some time. And I finally found a recipe that suits my tastes. This one, developed by Coconut & Lime, incorporates real onion specks throughout the dough. The onion's presence was sweet and mild. I really liked the recipe, but decided that next time I'll use a bit more onion for a stronger flavor (and have already adjusted the recipe). With a good amount of whole wheat flour, these rolls are surprisingly healthy! For an extra touch, try sprinkling dried onion flakes on top before baking.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
2 tsp. organic cane sugar
4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour + extra for kneading (I might use bread flour next time and see how it affects the texture)

Onions:
1 cup onion, finely diced
2 tsp. butter

Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water

Toppings:
dried onion flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine water or milk in a glass bowl. Heat on stove or in microwave to 100-110 F. Stir in sugar. Pour yeast on top and let sit 10 minutes, until frothy.

2. Meanwhile, saute onion in butter over medium heat until soft but not browned. Cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together  3 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, and salt. Pour in yeast mixture, melted butter, and cooked onions. Stir until dough forms and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, adding the remaining 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and any extra flour needed, for 5-10 minutes, until smooth. Cover, and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust your fingers with flour before forming the dough into 12 evenly sized balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet equal distance apart. Cover, and let rise another hour, or until doubled in size.

6. Preheat oven to 375 F.

7. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp. water. Gently brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle with dried onion, caraway, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds (optional).

8. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown (the rolls will sounds hollow when tapped).
 Cool on a wire rack. The rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days or frozen for several weeks.

Makes 12 rolls.

(Adapted from Coconut & Lime)

White Chocolate, Cranberry, and Macadamia Nut Cookies

Today is A Hint of Honey's first Birthday! We made through a full year! I meant to celebrate today with cake, but the cake I baked didn't turn out as grand as I'd hoped. I made a towering-tall red velvet cake. It was pretty with fluffy white frosting and a deep scarlet middle. It tasted much like I imagined red velvet cake would (it was my first try), but I just wasn't thrilled with the result. It seemed a little dry and the frosting wasn't the perfect match. Maybe it was the recipe, probably it was me. Anyhow, today we'll be without a birthday cake. So instead, I have a different treat to share with you: white chocolate, cranberry, and macadamia nut cookies. Still worth celebrating!

I feel obliged to make some soft of birthday speech. A toast to a full year of memorable meals, delectable desserts, mounds of dishes, and millions of messes. To food-spattered cookbooks (and computers and cameras), frustrating photo shoots, and friends and family who shared it all with me. To Dustin, for his patience and encouragement. To my readers, for making this so much fun! Happy 1!

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or line two large baking sheets.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add sugars and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and beat until just blended. Stir in the chocolate, cranberries, and macadamia nuts with a spatula.

4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Baked in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or frozen for several weeks.

 Makes 48 cookies.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna

After a year of cooking and writing about it, you'd think I'd feel like an expert in the kitchen. But it's quite the opposite. The more I learn, the further I step into the culinary world, the more inadequate I feel. I'm taking baby steps. I have small victories every day, but there is so much I don't know. I can roast vegetables, most of the time I can bake bread (yeast is unpredictable at best), I can toss together a sensational salad and whisk up a tasty vinaigrette. I've finally figured out how to bake a succulent and moist chicken breast. And I can make a mean pizza. These are a few of my triumphs!

At the same time, I'm horrible at decorating cakes (at least they're edible!), my boiled eggs are never just right, I have definitely not mastered the technique of stir-fry, and I mess up (and make massive messes) all the time. Can I share a secret with you? We all do. We all screw up in the kitchen. From beginner cook to expert chef (I fall nearer the first), everyone fails miserably at times. There's no way you can get from one to the other without making mistakes. Part of developing your skills is taking risks, and nurturing your creativity. Luckily, I've learned to sometimes enjoy my failures. It motivates me to become better, to learn more.

And what's the fun in cooking if you always stick to the book, never inject your own flavors and personality into dishes? Following recipes exactly is a great place to start, but once your confidence buds, start experimenting. You're bound to ruin a few recipes. Get over it. I used to get highly emotional about a dinner that Dustin didn't like or a pan of rolls that didn't rise. It doesn't make me a bad person. It doesn't make me undeserving to be blogging. Now I use that frustration as the fire that keeps me going. And let me tell you, it feels so good when you finally get it right. When you create a meal that makes you happy. Because really that's what matters.

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (or frozen, thawed, drained and chopped)
16 oz. frozen chopped spinach (or fresh, cooked, chopped and the excess water squeezed out)
28 oz. tomato pasta sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package no boil whole wheat lasagna noodles
3-4 cups mozzarella, shredded
4-6 oz. herb and garlic feta, crumbled

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for several minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until onion is tender. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichokes and spinach; reduce heat, cover, and simmer several minutes. Stir in the pasta sauce and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/4 of the sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce (no overlapping). Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering, sauce, noodles, and mozzarella 2 more times. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling on top. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minute before serving.

Serves 8.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Turkey Swiss and Tomato Grilled Sandwich, Revisited

I hadn't made these grilled turkey cheese and tomato melts since March when I first introduced them to you. I like revisiting my old recipes. Usually I've forgotten how good they are! Sometimes I make minor changes if I feel it would improve upon the recipe, but for the most part, I'm really happy with my early work!

3/5/09: The creamy mayo-mustard spread with crunchy diced onion is what sets this sandwich apart from an ordinary turkey and tomato melt. It was quick and comforting as a late-night dinner, served with sweet potato chips and mini dills. It was one of those rare meals where Dustin and I sat in complete silence, concentrating more on gulping down hurried mouthfuls than on conversing with each other. We were hungry, and this sandwich delivered. It is ooey, gooey, buttery grilled cheese bliss!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

4 slices whole wheat bread
4 oz. roast turkey breast, thinly sliced
4 slices tomato
salt and pepper, to taste
2 slices Swiss cheese (We love Jarlsberg!)

butter, softened (or you can use olive oil or cooking spray)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, stir together the red onion, thyme, mayonnaise and mustard. Spread some of this mixture onto one side of each slice of bread. Spread butter on the other side of the slices of bread.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat (or a panini press). Place 2 slices of the bread into the skillet with the butter side down. On each slice of bread, layer half of the sliced turkey, then 2 slices of tomato (sprinkled with salt and pepper), and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Place remaining slices of bread over the top with the butter side up. When the bottoms of the sandwiches are golden brown, flip over, and cook until golden on the other side. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

(Adapted from All Recipes)