Monthly Archives: July 2014

For those nights you just really can’t deal

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Listen up here, I know this title may be shocking to some of you as this is a blog about recipes, but we all have those moments that we are just too tired or bored with our go-to meals that we need a little help from the outsiders. Below are some suggestions for the times where we can’t be bothered with grocery lists, grocery store lines, and just the whole thinking of how and what to make.

Blue Apron First batter up is, Blue Apron – Their claim to fame is: “A better way to cook. Fresh ingredients, great recipes  delivered weekly to your home”.

PlatedOur second contender (by the way this is in no specific order, definitely not in terms of preference either) is Plated – which is similar to the above in that they want you to: “Cook something extraordinary tonight. Chef-designed recipes & fresh ingredients delivered to your door”.

Fresh 20Last is this little gem that I referenced in my weeknight dinner recipe. It somehow got buried in the rambling of my blog post, Fresh 20 – means shopping for 20 Ingredients in 20 Minutes to prep the entire week’s meals. It takes an hour at the start of your week to save you valuable time during busy weeknights.

I don’t want to hear any of you ever sigh and say “I just can’t”. Good food doesn’t have to be a pain in the butt. Get your A game on and check out one of these sites to help you eat well with minimal effort.

Happy Eating, XO.

But first, let me eat a (fish) taco

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Fish tacos are one of my absolute favorite summer meals (with a margarita, of course). I mean, you can’t go wrong with burgers and hot dogs, but fish tacos are the real treat. I first had them at a seafood restaurant in East Hampton with our friend Tara. At the time, I only ate salmon and these were made with Mahi Mahi. I was skeptical.  But once I took my first bite it was heaven!

Just like our crabby cakes, I always thought fish tacos would be too daunting to make – would I overcook the fish?! Would the sauce come out just right?! Well it turns out they were much easier to make than I thought. We’ve been doing a lot of grilling this summer and we started running out of new options so I figured, “what the hell?”.

Fish

  • 4 fillets of Mahi Mahi
  • 1 tbsp chili pepper
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • A pinch of salt
  • 4 soft tortillas

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp of mayo (Helmann’s, not Miracle Whip)
  • 1 cup of red cabbage, thinly chopped
  • 1/2 of a lime

Salsa

  • 2 cups of finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 red onion finely chopped (I used my multi-chopper for these)
  • 1/2 tomato finely chopped
  • 1/2 of a lime
  • (You could also add corn for a sweeter taste.)

Season the Mahi Mahi with the chili pepper, cayenne and salt, and grill for 15 minutes – approximately 7-8 minutes on each side. While the fish is grilling, in a small bowl mix together the cilantro, onion, tomato and lime juice. In a separate bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayo, cabbage and lime juice. When the fish is just about done, warm the tortillas on the grill. Layer the fish, sauce and salsa in the tortilla and enjoy!

 

Fish Tacos

 

 

You can jam along to this song while you’re cooking – “But first, let me eat a taco.”

Happy Eating, XO.

Foodie Fav: Veggie & The Beast

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This is the first summer I’m attempting to grow an herb garden. (I say attempt because it could still all go down hill.). In it, I have chives, basil, cilantro, and peppermint, and by some act of God, I haven’t killed any of them yet. If I haven’t mentioned this already, I have a black thumb. I can barely keep a fake tree alive…

Well, I’m getting to a point where I have too many herbs and I can’t use them fast enough. I started researching some simple, “whip-it-together” recipes that I can use these herbs in and came across this fantastic food blog – Veggie & The Beast, and their literal “whip-it” style recipe. I made this for a BBQ last weekend and it was a hit. It’s so delish and refreshing, and the basil from my garden was the perfect topping.

Whipped Basil Ricotta

  • 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
  • ¾ cup fresh basil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • 5 ounces cream cheese, softened

Strawberry Balsamic Crostini

  • 1 (15-ounce) whole wheat baguette
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ pound strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • ¼ cup basil, sliced or chopped
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  1. Place the ricotta and ¾ cup basil in a food processor, and process until smooth. There may be some small pieces of basil left, but the color of the ricotta should be a light green. Add salt and cream cheese, and pulse a few times until the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt if you’d like.
  2. Pour the balsamic into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, until it has reduced by half. Set aside to cool while you get the other ingredients ready (it will thicken slightly in this time)
  3. Preheat oven to 350.
  4. Slice the baguette into ¼-inch slices. Brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle the top of the bread with salt.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden.
  6. Slice or chop the additional ¼ cup fresh basil leaves for garnish.
  7. Let the baked bread cool for 5 minutes, then spoon on the basil ricotta, top with strawberries and additional sliced basil, and finish with a drizzle of the balsamic glaze.

 

 whipped-basil-ricotta-and-strawberry-crostini