Today Jan and I were shopping in Pryde's of Westport. We were actually looking for a tablecloth, but being in the store reminded me of this recipe. The owner of the store had the recipe in a local KC magazine a couple of years ago. I made it for Christmas dinner that year and the whole family loved it. The original recipe made a huge batch. I have cut the recipe in half here and it still serves 6-8 people easily.
Pryde's is one of the best kitchen/ cooking stores I have ever been in and their inventory is amazing. If you need it for cooking they have it. It is a one of a kind place and unique in a lot of ways. The building itself is funky, with lots of different levels and little rooms here and there, which makes it fun to look around every corner just to see what is there. If you are ever in KC don't miss the chance to check out Pryde's.
This recipe is a fall-weather -perfect casserole. Adding the apples and cabbage in with the potatoes gives it a unique and flavorful twist. I hope you will give it a try. If you need to serve a crowd, you can just double all ingredients and bake in a larger (10 x 15") casserole.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 - 5 Oz. Package Boursin with Herbs
3 - Lbs. Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and sliced thin
(a mandolin makes this a whole lot easier)
1 - Vidalia Onion, sliced thin and sautéed to golden brown in butter
1 - Granny Smith Apple, Peeled and sliced thin
1/4 head Green Cabbage, sliced thin
1/2 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan
11/2 TBSP Chopped Fresh Parsley
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Butter a deep 9"x13" casserole dish. Stir Heavy Cream and Boursin cheese together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until the cheese is melted. Set aside. Layer half of the potatoes, slightly overlapping in the casserole, Top with half of the onion, cabbage and apple. Season with salt and pepper and pour half of the cream and cheese mixture over the vegetables.
Repeat another layer with the remaining potatoes, onion, cabbage and apples. Season again and pour the remaining cream and Boursin cheese mixture over the top. Top with the bread crumbs and grated parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden brown and tender, about another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Pasta e Fagioli
It is still quite warm in Kansas City, but fall is fast approaching. One of my favorite things to do in the fall is make a hearty soup and have it with a salad and some nice bread for dinner. Accompany that with a glass of really nice wine and it doesn't get any better than that.
Mario Carrate was a food broker in New York city and his father had an Italian restaurant on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. We took Italian cooking classes from Mario way back in the early 80's. All of his recipes were hand written and passed out to the class one by one. It was a hands on class and we got to eat whatever we cooked at the end of class. This recipe for pasta e fagioli, meaning pasta and beans, is one of my favorites from Mario. As with a lot of Italian recipes this dish originated with the working class as an inexpensive one dish meal. It is very tasty and filling.
Ingredients:(Serves 4)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 - 16 Oz. can un-drained cannellini beans
1/4 Lb. dittalini or other short pasta
4 Oz. Pancetta (Italian Bacon) - chopped
1 medium onion - chopped
1 clove garlic - chopped
1 celery stalk - chopped
1 carrot - grated
1 pinch of chopped parsley
1 pinch rosemary - choopped
1 to 11/2 can chicken broth
Preparation:
Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Add the pancetta, onion, garlic, celery, carrot and rosemary. Sauté for about ten minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add the chicken broth and simmer for around 30 minutes. On another burner cook the pasta per package directions. Drain pasta. Add pasta and cannellini beans to broth. If too thick add more chicken broth. Simmer for about ten minutes and serve with grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil on the top of each bowl.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Meat Confusion
As I watch grocery store adds on TV and read them in the newspaper I am continually amazed at all the various names the retailers come up with to make their meat sound better than the next guy's. Last night I saw an add for choice reserve beef. That is a made up marketing label. The one that really gets me is Black Angus Certified as if the type of steer makes any difference as to the quality of the meat.
Here is the real lowdown on meat inspection and quality grading in the United States. Most of this content comes directly from the USDA Website or the NOAA website when we talk about seafood. In this context we will talk about meat being beef, lamb and pork. We will also talk a bit about poultry and seafood. By law, all meat (beef, lamb and pork) sold in the United States is inspected by the federal government for safety. The same is true for poultry. This includes meat produced outside of the US. These inspections are done by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture. These inspections insure that the meat or poultry products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. Since these inspections are required by law, they are paid for by the Federal Government.
The USDA also offers quality grading for meat and poultry. Quality grading takes place after the Federal inspection for safety and is done by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. This grading for quality is voluntary and is therefore paid for by the meat or poultry producer/processor. It is fair to say that almost all meat and poultry sold at retail outlets goes through this quality grading process. Here are the quality grading systems for each type of meat and poultry:
Beef
Beef is graded as a whole carcass in two ways. There is a yield grade which tells the processer the percent of usable lean meat on the carcass. The yield grading is pretty much irrelevant to the consumer. The quality grades which indicate tenderness, juiciness and flavor are what is important to understand. For beef the key indicator of quality is the fat marbling in the meat. The grading system is as follows, going from best to worst in terms of quality. There are eight grades of quality for beef.
Prime: Is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels, though it can be found in some retail stores. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking like grilling, roasting or broiling. Prime represents a very small percentage of all beef produced.
Choice: Is high quality but has less marbling than prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are, like prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and chuck, can also be cooked with dry heat if they are not overcooked. These cuts will be most tender though if braised - meaning cooked with a small amount of liquid in a pan with a tight fitting lid. This is the most common grade of beef found in the average retail store.
Select: Is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only tender cuts like the loin, rib and sirloin should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or braised to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor. You may find select grade in retail outlets, but I do not buy it.
Standard and Commercial Grades: Are frequently sold as ungraded or store brand meat. Avoid them.
Utility, Cutter and Canner grades: Are seldom sold at retail, but are typically used to make ground beef or other processed products.
If you go to a retail store meat counter and ask them for choice quality beef and they do not know what you are talking about, go somewhere else. I have actually run into "butchers" at some chain grocery stores who don't have a clue about the quality grades of meat. They are basically there to sell and wrap what is in the counter.
Veal:
There are five grades of veal. They are Prime, Choice, Good, Standard and Utility. Prime and Choice are more flavorful than the lower grades. Because of the young age of the animals, the meat will be a light grayish-pink, fairly firm, and velvety. The bones are small, soft and quite red. Cuts such as chops can be cooked by the dry heat method.
Lamb:
There are five grades for lamb, Normally only two grades are found at retail- Prime and Choice. Lower grades of lamb- Good, Utility and Cull are seldom marked with the grade. Lamb is produced from animals that are less than a year old. Since the quality of lamb varies according to the age of the animal it is advisable to buy lamb that has been USDA graded as either Prime or Choice. Prime is very high in tenderness, juiciness and flavor. Choice has slightly less marbling than prime, but is still very high quality meat.
Pork:
Pork is not quality graded by the USDA as it is generally produced from young animals that have been fed to produce more uniformly tender meat. Appearance is important in buying fresh pork. Look for cuts that have a relatively small amount of fat over the outside and with meat that is firm and pink in color.
Poultry:
The USDA quality grades for poultry are A, B and C. Grade A is the highest quality and is the only grade likely to be seen at retail outlets. This grade indicates that the poultry is virtually free from defects such as bruises, discolorations, and feathers. Bone-in products have no broken bones. For whole birds and parts with the skin on there are no tears in the skin or exposed flesh that could dry out during cooking. There should also be a good covering of fat under the skin.
Grades B and C are generally used in products that are processed further such as being chopped or ground.
Seafood:
Unlike meat and poultry, seafood is not required to be inspected by the Federal government. Seafood is still largely wild caught and as such would be difficult to regulate. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oversees fisheries management in the United States and the EPA and the USDA also have authority to limit the sale of fish from waters that are deemed to be hazardous, such as in the event of an oil spill. NOAA does offer a voluntary quality inspection program for seafood and as with meat and poultry it is paid for by the producer/processor. The top quality grade for seafood is U.S. Grade A. If you can find a retailer who has graded seafood then use them. There is more variety in seafood and it is the most difficult to transport and maintain of all the meat products, so to some extent you are on your own when buying seafood.
Here are some simple guidelines from the NOAA website. They recommend that you not decide what seafood to buy until you get to the seafood counter. Try to select what appears to be the freshest thing in the counter and then plan your menu around that type of seafood. Here is how to tell if seafood is fresh:
1. When purchasing whole fish or fillets, look for firm flesh. If you press the fish with your finger and it leaves an indentation, it is not the highest quality. Also look for shiny flesh. Dull flesh may mean that the fish is old.
2. Check to make sure there is no darkening around the edges of the fish or brown or yellowish discoloration, especially if these areas appear dry or mushy. If you are still uncertain about how fresh the fish is, ask to have it rinsed under cold water and then smell it. Fresh fish should have no fishy or ammonia smell.
3. Live clams, oysters and mussels may have slightly gaping shells and should close tightly when tapped. If not, the shellfish may be dead and should be discarded. Live crabs and lobsters should show leg movement. Refrigeration may slow down movement, but there should still be some.
Use any fresh seafood within two days of bringing it home. If you elect to use frozen seafood always thaw it in the fridge. Thawing at temperatures above 40 degrees causes excessive drip loss and adversely affects taste, texture and aroma.
I hope this has been helpful in sorting through all of the marketing and adds when it comes to buying meat and seafood. Ask questions and go to another place to buy if you don't get good answers. You will be happier in the long run.
Here is the real lowdown on meat inspection and quality grading in the United States. Most of this content comes directly from the USDA Website or the NOAA website when we talk about seafood. In this context we will talk about meat being beef, lamb and pork. We will also talk a bit about poultry and seafood. By law, all meat (beef, lamb and pork) sold in the United States is inspected by the federal government for safety. The same is true for poultry. This includes meat produced outside of the US. These inspections are done by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture. These inspections insure that the meat or poultry products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. Since these inspections are required by law, they are paid for by the Federal Government.
The USDA also offers quality grading for meat and poultry. Quality grading takes place after the Federal inspection for safety and is done by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. This grading for quality is voluntary and is therefore paid for by the meat or poultry producer/processor. It is fair to say that almost all meat and poultry sold at retail outlets goes through this quality grading process. Here are the quality grading systems for each type of meat and poultry:
Beef
Beef is graded as a whole carcass in two ways. There is a yield grade which tells the processer the percent of usable lean meat on the carcass. The yield grading is pretty much irrelevant to the consumer. The quality grades which indicate tenderness, juiciness and flavor are what is important to understand. For beef the key indicator of quality is the fat marbling in the meat. The grading system is as follows, going from best to worst in terms of quality. There are eight grades of quality for beef.
Prime: Is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels, though it can be found in some retail stores. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking like grilling, roasting or broiling. Prime represents a very small percentage of all beef produced.
Choice: Is high quality but has less marbling than prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are, like prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and chuck, can also be cooked with dry heat if they are not overcooked. These cuts will be most tender though if braised - meaning cooked with a small amount of liquid in a pan with a tight fitting lid. This is the most common grade of beef found in the average retail store.
Select: Is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only tender cuts like the loin, rib and sirloin should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or braised to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor. You may find select grade in retail outlets, but I do not buy it.
Standard and Commercial Grades: Are frequently sold as ungraded or store brand meat. Avoid them.
Utility, Cutter and Canner grades: Are seldom sold at retail, but are typically used to make ground beef or other processed products.
If you go to a retail store meat counter and ask them for choice quality beef and they do not know what you are talking about, go somewhere else. I have actually run into "butchers" at some chain grocery stores who don't have a clue about the quality grades of meat. They are basically there to sell and wrap what is in the counter.
Veal:
There are five grades of veal. They are Prime, Choice, Good, Standard and Utility. Prime and Choice are more flavorful than the lower grades. Because of the young age of the animals, the meat will be a light grayish-pink, fairly firm, and velvety. The bones are small, soft and quite red. Cuts such as chops can be cooked by the dry heat method.
Lamb:
There are five grades for lamb, Normally only two grades are found at retail- Prime and Choice. Lower grades of lamb- Good, Utility and Cull are seldom marked with the grade. Lamb is produced from animals that are less than a year old. Since the quality of lamb varies according to the age of the animal it is advisable to buy lamb that has been USDA graded as either Prime or Choice. Prime is very high in tenderness, juiciness and flavor. Choice has slightly less marbling than prime, but is still very high quality meat.
Pork:
Pork is not quality graded by the USDA as it is generally produced from young animals that have been fed to produce more uniformly tender meat. Appearance is important in buying fresh pork. Look for cuts that have a relatively small amount of fat over the outside and with meat that is firm and pink in color.
Poultry:
The USDA quality grades for poultry are A, B and C. Grade A is the highest quality and is the only grade likely to be seen at retail outlets. This grade indicates that the poultry is virtually free from defects such as bruises, discolorations, and feathers. Bone-in products have no broken bones. For whole birds and parts with the skin on there are no tears in the skin or exposed flesh that could dry out during cooking. There should also be a good covering of fat under the skin.
Grades B and C are generally used in products that are processed further such as being chopped or ground.
Seafood:
Unlike meat and poultry, seafood is not required to be inspected by the Federal government. Seafood is still largely wild caught and as such would be difficult to regulate. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oversees fisheries management in the United States and the EPA and the USDA also have authority to limit the sale of fish from waters that are deemed to be hazardous, such as in the event of an oil spill. NOAA does offer a voluntary quality inspection program for seafood and as with meat and poultry it is paid for by the producer/processor. The top quality grade for seafood is U.S. Grade A. If you can find a retailer who has graded seafood then use them. There is more variety in seafood and it is the most difficult to transport and maintain of all the meat products, so to some extent you are on your own when buying seafood.
Here are some simple guidelines from the NOAA website. They recommend that you not decide what seafood to buy until you get to the seafood counter. Try to select what appears to be the freshest thing in the counter and then plan your menu around that type of seafood. Here is how to tell if seafood is fresh:
1. When purchasing whole fish or fillets, look for firm flesh. If you press the fish with your finger and it leaves an indentation, it is not the highest quality. Also look for shiny flesh. Dull flesh may mean that the fish is old.
2. Check to make sure there is no darkening around the edges of the fish or brown or yellowish discoloration, especially if these areas appear dry or mushy. If you are still uncertain about how fresh the fish is, ask to have it rinsed under cold water and then smell it. Fresh fish should have no fishy or ammonia smell.
3. Live clams, oysters and mussels may have slightly gaping shells and should close tightly when tapped. If not, the shellfish may be dead and should be discarded. Live crabs and lobsters should show leg movement. Refrigeration may slow down movement, but there should still be some.
Use any fresh seafood within two days of bringing it home. If you elect to use frozen seafood always thaw it in the fridge. Thawing at temperatures above 40 degrees causes excessive drip loss and adversely affects taste, texture and aroma.
I hope this has been helpful in sorting through all of the marketing and adds when it comes to buying meat and seafood. Ask questions and go to another place to buy if you don't get good answers. You will be happier in the long run.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Stuffed Baked French Toast
Having brunch out yesterday got me thinking about breakfast recipes. I found this one in my big three ring binder. It is from a church friend in South Carolina, from about ten years ago. Warning !! This is not a low calorie recipe, but it is sinfully good and works great if you are having a crowd for breakfast or brunch. It is easy to make and requires that you put it together the day before you bake and serve it, so you can have it in the fridge before your company comes and pull it out the morning you want to serve. Give it a try. You won't regret it.
Ingredients:
20-24 slices white bread
6 eggs
4 cups half and half
2 tsps. vanilla
1 cup sugar
dash nutmeg
for filling:
16 oz. cream cheese
1 tsps. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
optional: sliced fresh fruit like peaches
Preparation:
Trim crusts from bread. Spray a 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange half of the bread in the baking dish so that the entire bottom is covered. In a separate bowl mix the 6 eggs, half and half, vanilla, and sugar. Pour half of the mixture over the bread. In a separate bowl combine all of the filling ingredients, except the optional fruit. Stir together until creamy. Pour filling over the moistened bread, then layer with the fresh fruit slices if desired. Arrange other half of bread over top of filling and pour the other half of the egg mixture over the top of the bread. Sprinkle the top with a little nutmeg. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with syrup and more fresh fruit.
Ingredients:
20-24 slices white bread
6 eggs
4 cups half and half
2 tsps. vanilla
1 cup sugar
dash nutmeg
for filling:
16 oz. cream cheese
1 tsps. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
optional: sliced fresh fruit like peaches
Preparation:
Trim crusts from bread. Spray a 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange half of the bread in the baking dish so that the entire bottom is covered. In a separate bowl mix the 6 eggs, half and half, vanilla, and sugar. Pour half of the mixture over the bread. In a separate bowl combine all of the filling ingredients, except the optional fruit. Stir together until creamy. Pour filling over the moistened bread, then layer with the fresh fruit slices if desired. Arrange other half of bread over top of filling and pour the other half of the egg mixture over the top of the bread. Sprinkle the top with a little nutmeg. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with syrup and more fresh fruit.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Brunch at the Genessee Royale Bistro
The brunch menu includes some unique and really great items. Here is a sample of a few:
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Biscuit
with a runny egg, griddled ham, cheddar cheese and a smoky
jalapeno honey sauce
Raised Waffles
with fresh berries and a warm Log Cabin syrup
Soft Scrambled Eggs
with smoked pork shoulder, avocado and pickled red onions
And don't forget to try one of the specialty drinks too. Here is a sample of those:
Freshly Squeezed Mimosa
Bacon Bloody Mary
Campari and Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice
The menu is more extensive than what I have shown here , but you get the idea. Not your standard bacon and eggs. Today I went for the Buttermilk fried chicken and biscuit and the Campari and grapefruit juice cocktail.
As you can see in the picture, the food arrived at our table beautifully presented, very hot and it was tasty as always. My dish consisted of a house made biscuit topped with some melted cheddar cheese, two slices of griddle warmed ham, a boneless skinless chicken breast, breaded and fried, and a sunny side up egg. A beautiful sauce of honey and jalapeno topped off the great tasting treat. Not mentioned in the menu, but also on the plate were a little fresh green salad and what may have been the best French fries I have ever eaten. They appeared to have been rolled in sea salt when they were still damp out of the fryer, as they were crispy and salty, just the way a good French fry should be. The cocktail of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and Campari was a treat as well.
Jan had the waffles and fruit. Same as last time. Though she wants to try something else, she swears the waffles are the best she has ever had and she just can't pass them up.
I am going to try to recreate the dish I had this morning and if I am successful you can bet it will show up on Grandpa Cooks. In the meantime, if you are in the Kansas City area give the Genessee Royale Bistro a try. You won't regret it.
Feeling Blessed
I am on the Board of a local charity called Metro Lutheran Ministry. It is a relatively small organization, but with a budget of about $4 million/ year it impacts the lives of many Kansas City families. We provide emergency assistance in the form of rent or utility payments when the eviction notice shows up or the utility company is about to shut off the utilities. We have a program called Learning to Earning, which helps people with job skills, interviewing, resumes and job placement. We have community gardens where inner city folks can grow their own vegetables and we have an orchard with over 100 fruit trees that are available for the community to harvest. We distribute federal commodities to seniors and we run three large food pantries spread around the metropolitan area. On the second Saturday of each month we distribute free produce to qualifying families, some of whom spend the night on the street outside of our warehouse to make sure they have a good spot in the line.
My grandson Wes and I worked at the second Saturday food distribution yesterday. I spend a lot of my time focused on food. I love grocery shopping, cooking, writing about food and most of all eating good food. After spending time Saturday morning sorting, bagging and distributing food to 150 families who can't afford decent food on a regular basis, I was feeling very blessed and just a little guilty. Each family left with a couple of carts full of good fresh produce. Things like potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, clementine's, peppers, and even a watermelon and some good fresh sweet corn. These are things many of us take for granted but the gratitude expressed and the smiling faces of the clients was pretty overwhelming. I think it was a very good lesson for my 11 year old grandson and for me. If you have a good grocery store within easy reach of your home and you have the money to go there pretty much whenever you want you are blessed.
Some of the bagged produce
Monday, August 8, 2016
Chicken Liver Pate'
I keep talking about how much I like appetizers and I really do. I can and sometimes do make a meal of them. This recipe for chicken liver pate' is one that I have had for at least thirty years. It came from a gourmet group that we belonged to years ago in New Fairfield Connecticut. This is not health food, especially if you have high cholesterol, but it is very tasty and usually goes quickly. I like to serve it with toasted rounds of garlic bread or even Triscuit crackers, if I am in a hurry. It goes well with a really heavy red wine, like a big California Cabernet.
Ingredients:
1/4 Lb. butter
1 Lb. chicken livers
1 small onion, chopped
3 small shallots, chopped
1/2 tsps. thyme
1/2 tsps. rosemary
1 bay leaf
12 large fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 tsps. salt
1/8 tsps. pepper
Preparation:
In a large skillet , melt the butter. Add chicken livers, onion and shallots. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about ten minutes. Add Thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and mushrooms. Continue to stir and cook for another five minutes or until livers feel tender. Remove bay leaf and put the remaining mixture into a blender. Add the brandy and salt and pepper. Blend until you have a thick paste texture. Pour into a 2 cup serving dish and chill. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with garlic toast or crackers as mentioned above.
Ingredients:
1/4 Lb. butter
1 Lb. chicken livers
1 small onion, chopped
3 small shallots, chopped
1/2 tsps. thyme
1/2 tsps. rosemary
1 bay leaf
12 large fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 tsps. salt
1/8 tsps. pepper
Preparation:
In a large skillet , melt the butter. Add chicken livers, onion and shallots. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about ten minutes. Add Thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and mushrooms. Continue to stir and cook for another five minutes or until livers feel tender. Remove bay leaf and put the remaining mixture into a blender. Add the brandy and salt and pepper. Blend until you have a thick paste texture. Pour into a 2 cup serving dish and chill. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with garlic toast or crackers as mentioned above.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Grouper Veracruz
After a week in Vail Colorado, we are back home and ready to get back to work at our volunteer jobs and of course putting some new recipes on Grandpa Cooks.
When we were living in South Carolina, one of the local favorites was Grouper. It was readily available in the area and is easy to cook and delicious. If you have a good seafood vendor in your area you should be able to get Grouper. This recipe came from a neighbor in South Carolina who was in our gourmet group. I am not sure where they got the recipe originally, so I can't give credit to the original author. I have had the recipe since about 2002 and have made it a number of times and really like the way the fish comes out. The Spanish inspired sauce keeps the fish nice and moist and tastes delicious. By the way, for you calorie counters, a serving of this fish is only about 260 calories. I hope you will give it a try. If you are not so calorie conscious then serve the fish over rice to capture every bit of the flavorful sauce.
Ingredients: (Serves four)
4 - 6 Oz. grouper fillets, about 3/4" thick
Cooking spray
1 TBSP olive oil
2 Cups chopped onion
1 tsps. ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
3 TBSP fresh orange juice
2 TBSP chopped pitted green olives
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 TBSP capers, drained
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 10 Oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, un-drained
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with the cooking spray and lay the fish into the baking dish and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for three minutes. Add cumin and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add water and all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about three minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Pour sauce over the fish in the baking dish and place in the 400 degree oven. Bake for about twenty minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
When we were living in South Carolina, one of the local favorites was Grouper. It was readily available in the area and is easy to cook and delicious. If you have a good seafood vendor in your area you should be able to get Grouper. This recipe came from a neighbor in South Carolina who was in our gourmet group. I am not sure where they got the recipe originally, so I can't give credit to the original author. I have had the recipe since about 2002 and have made it a number of times and really like the way the fish comes out. The Spanish inspired sauce keeps the fish nice and moist and tastes delicious. By the way, for you calorie counters, a serving of this fish is only about 260 calories. I hope you will give it a try. If you are not so calorie conscious then serve the fish over rice to capture every bit of the flavorful sauce.
Ingredients: (Serves four)
4 - 6 Oz. grouper fillets, about 3/4" thick
Cooking spray
1 TBSP olive oil
2 Cups chopped onion
1 tsps. ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
3 TBSP fresh orange juice
2 TBSP chopped pitted green olives
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 TBSP capers, drained
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 10 Oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, un-drained
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with the cooking spray and lay the fish into the baking dish and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for three minutes. Add cumin and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add water and all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about three minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Pour sauce over the fish in the baking dish and place in the 400 degree oven. Bake for about twenty minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
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