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Posts Tagged ‘The Food You Crave’

This weeks recipe for CEimB was picked by Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen.  If you visit her blog, don’t go there hungry. Her posts will make you drool. 

As indicated in the post title, we all made this recipe using a delicious fish, Halibut.  It is mild in taste, flaky, yet firm and moist when cooked correctly.  It is also on my list of fish that should only be eaten 6 or less times a month due to their “moderate” mercury content.  Halibut is an expensive fish so I can’t imagine indulging too often anyway.  An interesting fact about this fish is that it is on a “sustainability” list and almost all the Halibut we purchase on the East coast is brought in from the Pacific. 

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Ted and Teddy's version with brown rice

This recipe can be found on page 232 of “The Food You Crave” by Ellie Krieger.  You can also get it off the foodnetwork.   Our opinion of this recipe, and we had 3 taste testers, Ted, Teddy, and yours truly were very much the same:  the fish was moist and delicious but the flavor was lacking. I must have missed something because this is my sister’s comment “Here’s the halibut dinner for this week, we loved it.  Sue”  Her photo is at the end of the blog.

Super moist
Super moist

My recommendation if doing this again is at the bottom of this post.  But…here’s my story.

First, let me introduce you to my “gadget” of the night. I found this at the back of my cupboard when making the Spring Rolls the other day. It’s amazing what I can find in the back of my cupboards. It’s similar to finding that $50.00 bill you hide in your wallet “just in case”…you know..the one you put there about 10 years ago?!?  This gadget, actually it’s a tool rather than a gadget, comes with a wooden cutting board that has an indented surface. You put the herb in the middle and simply rock the super sharp blades back and forth. Easy chopping.

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Ingredient changes…. I didn’t use canola oil, I used olive oil. I didn’t have the shallot so I used 1/2 an onion. No cilantro, only fresh flat leaf parsley. 

Time changes.  The only time difference was with the fish. The Halibut were 2 very large fillets and I had to let them cook 12 minutes.

My fish tales….When in South Carolina last week, I went to my favorite fresh fish store, Murrell’s Inlet Seafood. I was told it was no problem shipping to NY and the fish would certainly keep for months since it was fresh and NOT previously frozen.  Apparently you can freeze fish and defrost ONLY ONE TIME. Do not freeze, defrost and refreeze.  No good. So in this event, I believed the fish person and was going to order a whooping 4 lbs of Halibut. But the guy on the phone pooh-poohed me and was ready to hang up saying “it’ll cost more to ship”.  I could tell by the tone of his voice he thought “silly woman. wasting my time”.  Since his tone kind of annoyed me (not the word I would like to use but to be courteous…) I ordered several pounds of different fish, 4 lbs of which were Halibut.  It arrived today and was packaged perfectly. I used 2 fillets for our dinner, Susan wanted one, so I am left will one fillet of Halibut along with the rest of the “catch” tucked away in my freezer. 

Why I was not thrilled with this recipeFirst, I didn’t enjoy the spinach. It needed “something”.  Next time, I would saute the spinach with a little garlic, salt and pepper. But I was curious how such a simple method, using the microwave to cook spinach would prove out.  Second, the sauce didn’t have that sweetness I so enjoy with my curry. Typically, raisins are added to my curry dishes and I REALLY wish I had included them tonight. There wasn’t enough flavor imparted into the fish.  Luckily the natural flavor of the fish carried this dish home.

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Joanne's dish - no rice

Thanks to Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen for picking this recipe because it gave us a chance to enjoy a lovely piece of Halibut and also, now I have 20 lbs of fish in my freezer that I can’t wait to use.  Rainbowlike fish:10702Was I a sucker or what?!

 

Sue's Version of this weeks CEimB

Sue's Version of this weeks CEimB

Reminder:  Check out the Give Away for some Bob’s Red Mill GF Products.
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I changed the name. GUILTY!  This weeks CEimB is cooking up “Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous”.  I chose Quinoa instead of the couscous 1. because I had Quinoa and, 2. we are not couscous fans.

From the Food You Crave, Page 205

From the Food You Crave, Page 205

It was picked by Marthe at Culinary Delights.  Make sure to visit her site and get the REAL recipe. 

As for the Quinoa, lets first get the pronunciation right…say “Keen-Wa”.   That’s right.  I was saying “QwinOA” for the longest time. 

The Incas refer to Quinoa as the mother grain.  It contains more high quality protein than any other grain.  It stands alone as a complete protein grain.  It contains no gluten.  It is easy to digest. The flavor is light and nutty and is easy to prepare. 

Cooked Quinoa

Cooked Quinoa

Ingredients for the Apple Crumbles version of tonights Balsamic Chicken (and Quorn) with Baby Spinach and Quinoa

  • 3 TBS Olive oil
  • 3 Boneless chicken breasts (Joanne used 2 Quorn Cutlets)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 8 oz Baby Spinach
  • 2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Veggie Broth
  • 3 Chopped Vine Ripe tomatoes
  • 2 TBS Tomato Paste (added this)
  • 1 cup uncooked Quinoa

To cook the Quinoa:  Place 1 cup dry in 2 cups water in a 1 1/2  qt.saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until water is absorbed (about 15 min).  The red color becomes translucent. The germ ring will be visible along the outside edge of the grain.

I followed the rest of the recipe from “The Food You Crave”, page 205 for both Ted’s chicken version and Joanne’s “Quorn” version.  I did add 1 TBS to each version of tomato paste.

Ted's Balsamic Chicken with Baby spinach

Ted's Balsamic Chicken with Baby spinach

 

 

The meatless version using Quorn

The meatless version using Quorn

The results:

Ted thought the chicken had very little flavor.  The flavor of the sauce carried this dish.  It was vibrant and bursting with flavor from the sweet “kick” of balsamic coupled with the tomatoes. 

More flavor could be added to the chicken by cooking it about 3 minutes per side then adding it back to the sauce for 5 minutes, at a simmer.  It would absorb the flavors as it finished cooking.
 

We still thought this was an enjoyable meal so a round of applause is offered to Marthe. Clapping cat:9293    Good pick!

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