A fish so nice they named it twice

Mahi-mahi is such a yummy fish taco fish but I don’t know how else to prepare it other than blacken it. That’s when I went on a quest to find a different, yet easy, way to prepare it. Maj other benefit of this recipe is that it’s crazy high in protein because of the nutty crust (and obvi the fish itself).

So for those of us stuck wearing strapless bridesmaid gowns, this will be a great meal for after a solid arm bandit workout! Tone baby tone, ok I digress… anyway short grocery list + 20 minutes =tasty mahi-mahi! Hope you love it as much as I do. (Ps. feel free to serve w sides and all. I dip my mahi pieces into roasted garlic aioli, pretty much eating them like chicken fingers & honey mustard.)

  • 2 6 oz. mahi-mahi fillets
  • 1/4 cup of macadamia nuts finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. of regular milk or unsweetened coconut milk
  • olive oil & salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In the food processor chop the nuts until it’s the sam consistency as the breadcrumbs, mix the nuts & breadcrumbs. Whisk together the milk & egg. S&P the fish before coating in egg mixture and coat both sides with the nut panko mix. In a skillet with hot oil (medium to high heat) Sear the fish on both sides for about 3 minutes each before placing in oven for 10 minutes (or until firm/cooked).

IMG_0158

Happy Eating, XO.

Baked Coconut Chicken Strips

Hey Guys, being back at work is brutal. I figured a tasty, yet quick post manic Monday dinner would be a clutch move. This is ready in under 30 minutes and will help our guilt of eating like shit over the holidays. A lean protein like chicken is the best way to attempt starting our new years resolutions of eating better or at least detoxing the bad eating & drinking we ended 2015 with. Also, this is baked so its much less fat than frying chicken tenders and still has a boat load of flavor from the coconut. Now that I have convinced you to make this for dinner, get cracking in the kitchen!

  • 1.5-2 lbs. of chicken tenderloins
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • salt & pepper to taste (I sprinkled a little garlic powder as well)
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, then make sure your baking sheet is greased with a tablespoon of olive oil or I use Trader Joe’s coconut oil cooking spray. Then to create your dredging stations do one bowl with the flour and seasonings, the second bowl with the beaten eggs & milk, and last bowl with the panko and coconut. Dip chicken into flour, shake off excess then dip into egg wash, and lastly into coating mixture. Repeat for all pieces and line on baking sheet. You are baking the strips for about 15-18 minutes, if you think your coating is getting too dark while baking, cover with some foil so that the chicken is cooked through but the coconut isn’t charring. You can serve with jarred thai sweet chili chutney, salsa, or even make your own honey & sriracha sauce.

Happy Eating, XO.

 

Back to School :(

Labor day has come and gone, so there is no denying colleges and universities are back in full swing. Just so you know my MBA classes have been started for two weeks already so don’t whine. Anyway, if you are a dorm dweller and are missing the lovely meals prepared for you while you were home or travelling for the summer, this is your post! Not only are these good microwave friendly recipes, but it actually uses and tastes like real food. What, are we still pretending like Easy Mac and Ramen noodles are “Real”? I am pretty sure my box of oreos and popcorn are more “Real”.

Omelet in a mug

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbsp. diced green bell pepper (I have even tossed in leftover ham or turkey that I didn’t want going bad ,but was sick of making sandwiches with. Chop it small.)
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste (you know I even squirted some hot sauce in there for a kick!)
  • Cooking spray

Combine egg, egg whites, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, salt, and ground pepper in a microwave-safe mug coated with non-stick spray. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Return to microwave and cook until eggs are completely set, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve.

Then, I would always crave something hot and sweet after classes. Something that was filling and warm, but also captured my sweet tooth. This is an easy spin on something we all consider as a boring and basic breakfast (ahh triple alliteration, nerd!)

Pumpkin Oatmeal

  • 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup milk, or as needed (depends on how runny or thick you like it)
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon sugar

(Feel free to add nuts and raisins if you need something hearty to hold you over for a while, perhaps a good pre-exam breakfast?)

Mix oats and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once. Add more milk or oats to achieve the desired consistency, and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon sugar. Heat for 20 more seconds and serve.

Hope you enjoy and do submit any of your other dorm room delicacies. I am sure everyone else would love the help!

Submit your recipe/tips to damndelish@gmail.com and receive a FREE tote if yours gets chosen to post. Check out our Instagram to see what the tote looks like. They are super cute and super useful!

Happy Eating, XO.

The Iced Tea Game Changer

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof!” I know you know this song, and if you’re having warmer weather like we are, I’m sure you’re feeling pretty damn happy about it! 

We had our first neighborhood BBQ this weekend and it felt so good to be cooking outside. (Technically, in a room without a roof. Ha!). To get in to the summery spirit, I made some Thai iced tea. I tried this tea a couple months ago and haven’t been able to get it out of my head. Honestly guys, it’s f*king amazing. It’s an iced tea game changer for sure.

Makes enough for a pitcher.

  • 6-7 bags of black tea (add more if you like it stronger)
  • 1 gallon pitcher of water
  • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup whole milk (or half and half if you want it thicker) 
  • 2 tsp star anise
  • 1/2 cup ground tumeric (more or less depending on what you like)**
  • 4 tbsp cardamom (be sure you take out the little black seeds)**

Combine all ingredients and serve over ice.

** You should have both of these spices left over from the goan fish curry, tandoori chicken, simla mirch paneer, etc. And if you don’t, use the leftovers to make those dishes!! **

Thai iced tea

Happy Drinking, XO.

 

 

I <3 You, Cupcakes

It’s no secret by now – I love food, and I especially love baking. So it’s only right this Valentine’s Day I bake some yummy cupcakes! Some people go for chocolate covered strawberries, I go for chocolate on chocolate cupcakes. #NoShame. I bought a chocolate mold a few years ago just for the hell of it (shout out to Michael’s!), and as it turns out it makes perfect little hearts for cupcake toppers!

Chocolate Heart Toppers

  • 1 cup melted white chocolate
  • 2-3 drops of red food coloring (add more or less depending on the color you want)

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 packet chocolate pudding powder (I replaced this with unsweetened cocoa powder bc, let’s be real, you’ll never use unsweetened cocoa for anything after this recipe.)
  • 1⁄8 tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 1⁄2 cup white sugar
  • 2 egg
  • 3⁄4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk

Icing

  • Pillsbury’s frosting in a can = no mess and just as good

Start on the chocolate hearts about an hour before hand so they have time to harden. Melt the white chocolate slowly in a sauce pan. Once it’s liquidy, add in the food coloring. (If it starts to score/harden after it’s already melted add a tiny bit of water to it and it will smooth right out again.) Pour in to the mold and stick in the freezer.

For the cupcakes, do the usual prep work: preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the muffin pan with cupcake liners. Then sift together all of the flour, baking powder & soda, chocolate pudding powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Follow up with the eggs and vanilla. Then slowly add in the flour mixture and milk until completely combined. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Valentine's Day cupcake

Happy Eating (and Valentines Day!), XO