recipe: green rice with mahi mahi

There is actually a reason I did not name this arroz verde… it is because, if I were going to do this as a true verde sauce, in my mind, should probably include some tomitillios, of which this recipe does not include (see my chili verde recipe). It is closer to perhaps a riz vert insomuch as it is built on a base of the color green and is rice based in a Delta cooking style. This version includes steaming the mahi mahi over the top of the cooking the rice. The fish (as well as some of the other ingreds) are interchangeable, as usual, but this was truly inspired by the fact that there were all these pretty colors of green in my fridge to draw from along with the fresh fish I picked up. I have fresh made veggie stock at home that has this great deep green brown color that came from some really nice veggies I had and has a brilliant flavor to help set the base flavors (being it was born out of them), but a fish stock or broth might work well too. I am not a huge okra fan, but it adds to the green, and it helps give the rice a nice, thick, sticky consistency. These are always the best reasons to invent new dishes and always my faves in the way they come out.

Poblano pepper
green bell pepper
yellow onion
garlic
jalapeno pepper
celery
okra
chicory
collard greens
brown rice
cilantro
mahi mahi
fresh cracked pepper (black and white corns if possible) and / or house seasoning
stock pot
veggie stock
butter

Chop all three pepper types, garlic, celery, onion and okra
Combine the veggies in the stock pot over low heat and sweat to combine flavors
While the flavors meld, coarsly chop the cilantro, collard, chicory (and/or other dark leafy greens)
Add a bit of butter to the pot and add the rice. All the rice to become translucent
Add stock to the rice, typically about a 2:1 ration, bring to a boil and back down to a low simmer.
Season with pepper, house seasonings.
Season both sides of the fish filets with house seasoning
Allow the rice to cook 15-20 minutes then add the chopped greens to the pot and mix.
Once the greens are integrated with the rice place the fish filets on top of the rice.
Add any additional liquid necessary at this point, cover and allow the filets to cook through and the rice to finish cooking until it is completely tender.
Remember, the rice should have a sticky and thick consistency around it, it should not be dry and separated.

I serve with a leaf or two of the greens on the play, with the rice then piled partly over and the fillet of fish offset on the rice, maybe a leaf or two of cilantro for good measure.

recipe: the inexpensive one skillet dish

So, in this crappy economy, I am as conscience as ever as to how much things cost. I’ve been cooking on a sublimely tight budget for many years on some tight time lines. I am a strong believer you can cook inexpensively and healthy and quickly given the right understanding. This meal as noted costs about $12 and for a single person would feed them about 3-4 meals or a small family for a night, it cooks in about 30-40 minutes total (prep to table) and is a balance of flavors with healthy elements. The origins of this meal were actually to prove a point to two friends, one who claimed to hate spinach (and other dark leafy greens, where I used collards this time) and another who had a disdain for seafood. Both adored the final version (and both also helped inspire previously variants of a previously noted Mac & Cheese variant also using these elements)

There are plenty of ways to recreate this base dish, including substituting the tuna with ground meat (or I’ve used flounder, cod, catfish and tilapia at different times or even veggie crumble), the collard with other veggies (often, I do a version with mixed frozen veggies, other dark leafy greens also work too), the rice with pasta, etc. The base veggies (onion, celery, peppers as the trinity can be done as the miraquiox replacing the peppers with carrots, shredded work best) should be done slow to let them get soft and sweet as a nice base flavor. The okra will help thicken this into a nice consistency. Personally, I’m not an okra fan, but a friend got me into using it more often, and though other thickeners can be substituted as well, I do prefer the okra in dishes like this because of how they meld into the dish flavor wise. I’ve also done versions of this with cheese and baked it after the initial cook to give it a nice crusty top too. This dish, or variants of it can also be used as a side dish rather than a main casserole type dish, but that’s for you to figure out!

onion
pepper
celery
garlic
chipotle pepper
diced tomato
canned tuna
brown rice
black beans
collard greens
okra
small amount of olive oil
water (or veggie stock)
house seasoning
large skillet

Mix the rice and olive oil in the skillet and begin to saute
Dice the onion, celery, peppers and garlic
As the rice begins to become translucent add the onion, celery, peppers and garlic and over low heat and sweat the veggies until the onions become translucent, the rice begins to lightly toast and the flavors meld
Drain the tomato and tuna and reserve the liquids
Add the tomato, chopped chipolte and chopped okra, seasoning and allow to continue to sweat to combine flavors
Add the water (or stock), re-season as necessary, combine thoroughly cover and simmer over medium heat 3/4 of the recommended cooking time for the rice
As the rice begins to soften almost to the point of serving, add the black beans, collard greens and re-season as necessary, cover and continue to simmer
Combine again and allow to rest for the remaining liquid to thicken and serve

By my calculation, last month’s costs at average for the three different stores in walking distance from my apt in N. NJ the costs are below… It is not necessary to use the entire amount of some of these, but I didn’t prorate the costs for the post based on the amount used and total shopping trip for this recipe was under 38.00. For example, I only used a couple of stalks of the head of celery, 2 chipolte pepper from the can, 1/2 cup brown rice from the bag, 2 tbsp of oil, a few tbsp of the house seasoning, 1/2 bag of the other veggies at most, etc…

onion 1 lb chopped frozen bag 1.50 or 1 yellow fresh for 1.29
pepper 1lb chopped frozen bag 1.50 or 1 bell pepper fresh for 1.29
celery 1.79/head
garlic 1.29 fresh or a 32 oz minced container for 8.99
diced tomato 14.5 oz can 1.20
canned tuna 10 oz can 2.00
brown rice 1.5 lb bag 2.50
black beans 0.50 14.5 oz can
collard greens 1 lb chopped frozen bag 1.50
okra 1 lb chopped frozen bag 1.50
olive oil 750 ml bottle 7.99
chipolte peppers 4.5 oz canned in adobe 2.99
water (free – if you make your own stock, that’s pretty close to free too)
house seasoning 3 oz shouldn’t cost more than 3-4.00 to make

RECIPE: One, two, fisherman’s stews

Boiled on timbers and stirred with a broom”……So, The Doormouse and I have talked Paella recipe’s a few times, and he’s got a great grasp, ok a firm hold on the dish, as for me I’m a big fan of wingin’ things sometimes, this is by no means a paella, but it is what I call a “fisherman’s stew” it came out pretty tasty so I thought I’d share it with you all….I had a few smaller portions of various sea creatures leftover, so I decided to make one bigger portion out of them all, here’s what transpired….

FISHERMAN’S STEW

1 small yellow onion

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

6 stalks of celery

1lb baby carrots

3 medium tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1 can okra (fresh is better & ideal)

1 small can baby clams

1lb 16/20 shrimp

2 4oz pollock loins

2 4oz white fish fillets(I used capensis)

white wine

dark roux*

Chop all your veggies with the exception of the baby carrots, saute in some olive oil with your garlic, now here’s where I get a little random, I just season with out thinking sometimes after years of doing it you learn to just add the shit you think something needs, so I give you this advice start with a little taste and re-add if needed…..anyhow, add some thyme, old bay seasoning, rosemary, sage, crushed red chilies, cracked black peper, and a couple bay leaves give your veggies a good few minutes in the oil, then deglaze with your white wine once your pan is deglazed drop your shrimp in, once they start to turn red, add a little veggie stock, bring to a boil and thicken slightly with the dark roux, then lay your fillets on top of the concoction, and cover and let them steam. Serve with some nice steamed rice or potatoes, some fresh bread and you got yourself some good grubbin’….

*dark roux — equal parts butter and flour cooked until just before the burning point, if you haven’t done this before cook over low to medium heat and pay attention once it starts to brown it goes quick, take it to the point that it smells like burnt popcorn and you’re good to go…

If you want the goods for fisherman’s stew hit up the Doormouse for his paella recipe……

And Big Rob, here’s “a” paella recipe I worked on over the summer. I actually call it casserole poisson a l’acadia because it’s not a true Iberian Paella

I love a lot of fish dishes and this is a mish-mosh of some of my faves, building off the traditional idea of the Portuguese Paella that I hold oh so dear to my heart. One note for those who only had thedish in Spanish-American resturants, the true dish is about the freshness of the seafood and the use of the pan and less necessarily about the dish itself. I have a very nice pan that only is used for a select few meals specifically given as a gift to make this recipe, of which today’s meal was done as a celebration.

Despite my remark earlier about the dish’s forte being in the freshness of the fish, several trips to several stores over the week did not provide all the preferences I would have hoped. I’m not going to give up the shortcuts, but I highly suggest you look for some fresh fish and match spices to them in a meal like this. It’ll be worth the effort.

This dish I named this way because I could. By strict definition creole is white French (of Canadian decent, usually Acadia, but also via modern Quebec) mixed with Iberian (predominantly Spanish although some Portuguese or, of course, French Iberian) -or- French (any origin) mixed with Carribean Islander (typically Haitian, but which, by traditional creole standard usually being mixed with an Iberian, usually Spanish in general, and originated as a French man with a Carribean woman of “color,” though, after the first generation the distinction becomes lost). White creole is rare form these days even among those who study creole heritage, yet oddly enough, by definition being French Canadian and Portuguese would make me, yes, creole. How’s that for a fun stretch??

The crux of the meal is built on the trinity. A throw to the underlying christian heritage holding the region’s will. Where traditional French cooking depends heavily on the mariquois the carrot is replaced as an aromatic in the early steps. The important part of finishing is the high heat on the rice, (it has a special name I cannot recall)

Vadalia Onion
Celery
Poblano pepper
Anaheim pepper
garlic
brown rice
olive oil
prawns (crayfish)
little neck clams
oysters
blue crab (backfin crab)
andouile sausage
bay leaf
rosemary
paprika
coriander
black pepper corns
bourbon
stock (fish, veggie or pork will work, I prefer veggie)
tarragon
kale leafs
extra large skillet, or paella pan

Char both the peppers under the broiler than sweat the charred skins off and dice the flesh
Dice the onion, garlic, celery
place all in the pan with a bit of oil along with the pepper corns and sweat them out
add the chicken brown the thighs and allow to begin to brown
if you prefer add the sausage and all to brown, but remove before adding rice
add the rice and saute until the kernels become translucent
add the bourbon and burn it off over a low flame
add the stock and bring it to a simmer
add the bay leaf, paprika, rosemary and coriander
allow rice to simmer to 25-30 minutes
add the fish based on cooking times, typically crustaceans in their native shells uncracked will take longer than mollusks, and any fish out of its shell (such as gulf shrimp or bay scallops) will take the least time
make sure the last bit of liquid is evaporated or absorbed
cover the last fish with tarragon and kale leaves and bring the heat up to high
allow the bottom rice to begin to crisp along the bottom of the pan and bring up some of the smokey charred flavor

serve family style with the casserole
or for single servings, line the bowl with the steamed kale, then, bring up the bottom of the pan in the serving bowl with rice and a balance of the fish and meat

RECIPE: NYE Special … Bourbon Lime Chicken over Rice

Nearly every year over the last decade I’ve (Eric doormouse) cooked on New Year’s Eve. Sometimes it was a romantic dinner for two for the lady I was with, sometimes it was for a gathering of close friends, I’ve even cooked with family for it (or at least brought around some of the better leftovers from it). I really enjoy cooking, it’s such a creative and relaxing experience and with a nice glass of scotch or wine, some good music and good company there’s really few other ways I would rather spend time… and that’s exactly what inspired this meal. I made some adjustments in transcribing my notes from actually creating this recipe since it was mostly made up as I went along while looking at the ingredents that were brought along by friends. The ingreds were pretty straight forward, so this wasn’t nearly as big a challenge as say, trying to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve contemplating 1) where’s the rock and 2) is that really DC or is it a CGI to maintain the illusion of a once great broadcaster?

chicken (breasts or theighs about 1″ cubed)
onion
garlic
bell pepper
anaheim pepper
celery
limes (zested and juiced)
molassas
brown rice
stock (veggie or chicken)
coffee
bourbon
spinach
black pepper
house seasoning
bay leaf
dried rosemary
olive oil
fry pan
large skillet
medium pot

lightly coat the cubed chicken in black pepper and then marinade for no less than 20 minutes in equal parts lime juice and bourbon
rough chop the onion, both peppers, celery and garlic
in the medium pot place 1/4 of the diced veggies, the rice and a little bit of oil
allow the rice to begin to become translucent and the veggies to soften over medium heat
mix the stock, bourbon and coffee 2:1:1 at aprox 4:1 to the rice (ie: 1/4 cup of rice, 1 cup of liquid) and add the liquid to the rice
bring the rice up to a boil, add the bay leaf and rosemary, cover and allow to simmer until rice softens and is tender
while the rice is cooking, heat the skillet with a little bit of oil
remove the chicken from the marinade and sear it on all sides, do not cook through, remove from heat and set aside covered
in the skillet add the rest of the veggies and lightly saute them
carefully add bourbon to the pan, increase the heat to high, carefully light the alcohol and allow to quickly burn off
add the lime juice and zest, mollassas and the reserved chicken to the pan and allow to simmer over low heat until chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce is reduced by about half (it should come out viscous, not overly thick)
while the meat is finishing cooking place the washed spinach in the fry pan very coated lightly with a bit of oil, the house seasoning (and the leftover parts of the zested & juiced limes)
lightly saute the spinach until the leaves begin to wilt (if you used the lime parts, remove and do not serve them)

I served the rice in the center of the plate with the spinach encircling it and the chicken and sauce spooned over the top.

(note from Jan 1) Because it is good luck to serve pork as part of your New Years festivities, when I reheated this the next day, I used some leftover ham to help set up the rice as I fried it and used some chorizo sausage along with the chicken because there wasn’t a lot of left over chicken and it made for a very nice meal as well, looking back again, a little pork in the rice to begin with and the combo of meats might have even made this even more bold, like a nice andouile sausage, mm mm good