EatPood

A Message from CrossFit Vatican City (not really)

This post is for my fellow RC CrossFitters. If you aren’t Catholic, feel free to ignore me. Feel free to ignore me even if you are Catholic.  I won't hold it against you.

We’re deep into the Lenten season. This is the 3rd Friday, and so I thought I’d tell you about what I’m eating on Fridays. In my Whole30 adventure, I’ve been relying on meat, heavily, for protein. However, the whole no-meat-on-Friday-thing throws a hitch in my giddy-up! I tried to prepare better this week.

I’ve got smoked salmon from Joe’s. Yum-yum-yumtastic. I know I’ve already told you this, but Joe and Robin smoke their salmon right there at their store on the corner of Brooks and Quarrier Streets! I had some today for breakfast with left over golden beet salad.

 
I picked up a few cans of tuna in olive oil. This is the good stuff. It’s from the Azores. Hey, Cliff, I want to go there. Hint hint hint…

 
 
Try the tuna on a salad with avocados and hard-boiled eggs.

And speaking of hard-boiled eggs, I picked up a handy dandy Cuisinart Egg Cooker. I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I cannot boil an egg properly. We no longer have to fight to part our boiled eggs from their shells.

 
Have a great weekend!

Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth?

Cue the dramatic music.  Dim the lights.  Roll the camera.  Action! 

I keep preaching.  I keep talking.  I keep telling you all about locally grown meats, eggs, fruits and veggies readily available to you my, CrossFit WV family, through the Monroe Buyers Club.  No one listens to me.  Nevertheless, I forge on because I care about you.  Honestly, truly, deeply. 

Cut!  Enough of my sad story and on to the recipe...

Recently, the Monroe Farm Market added Wilson Mill Farms to their growers. This means locally grown trout is among the products available. This fish is certified naturally grown, which is basically a grass roots version of organic. I bought a whole bunch and tried out the following recipe. This dish came together quickly and if I do say so, qualified as a success here in the Spring Road test kitchen.

Trout with Red Cabbage and Chipotle Slaw

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise*
• 4 tablespoons (or more) fresh lime juice plus lime wedges (for serving)
• 3 teaspoons (or more) minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 boneless trout fillets with skin
• 4 tablespoons canned, full fat coconut milk
• ½ lb thinly sliced red cabbage (about 4 cups)
• 2 cups matchstick-size strips peeled jicama (or carrots)
• 1/2 cup (packed) plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup unsalted natural pepitas (pumpkin seeds; optional)

Whisk mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 3 teaspoons chipotles, and cumin in large bowl to blend.

Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread some of the chipotle mayonnaise over flesh side of trout fillets.

 
 
Whisk coconut milk into remaining chipotle mayonnaise in bowl. Put the cabbage, jicama (or carrots), and 1/2 cup cilantro and toss to coat with some of the remaining chipotle dressing, if desired. Season slaw generously with salt and pepper. Reserve any remaining chipotle dressing to serve with the fish.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. I used my cast iron skillet. Add trout, flesh side down, and cook until deep golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn fish fillets over and cook until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes.

 
Place 1 fish fillet on each of 4 plates. Spoon slaw alongside; sprinkle slaw with pepitas, if desired. Sprinkle fish with 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve with lime wedges and any remaining chipotle dressing.

 
Do you like the blurry photo?  My family sits around waiting for me to photograph our food before we start eating.  They're very patient, but I was rushing to take the picture so we could chow down.  It shows!!! 

A few notes... I forgot buy jicama so I ended up using carrots in the slaw. I had pepitas but I forgot to use them! No worries, though. The entire family approved this dish, even the littlest, pickiest member.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

*Ok, so I made my own mayonnaise, again, but I didn’t follow the recipe I posted a while back. This time I used grapeseed oil. Some of the mayo went into the chipotle dressing and the remainder into a dairy free ranch dressing. I’ll share that recipe in a later post. If you’re dying to know how I made my mayo, let me know.

 

Chow Down

How are you feeling? Are you with me? Are you having any hallucinations about cheese or diet coke? Snap out of it and pay attention!

Here’s the recipe for tonight’s dinner. You shan’t use the cream. Instead, you shall employ the new love of my life, coconut milk. Unsweetened, full fat coconut milk from a can. Learn to love this creamy, tropical goodness, and it will be your close friend as we wend our way through the Challenge.

I made this dish for New Year’s Eve. For a double recipe, I used 2 lbs of salmon and one pound of peeled, deveined shrimp. If you decide to include shrimp, add the shrimp about 10 minutes after adding the salmon. If you can find arctic char around here, good for you! Otherwise, go to Joe’s and get salmon. Ask Joe or Robin to remove the skin. Tell them I sent you. Those guys are my homeys.

Arctic Char Chowder
 1.5 pounds Arctic Char (or wild salmon). Thicker fillets are easier to cut into cubes.
 1/4 cup butter
 1/2 cup chopped onion
 1/2 cup chopped carrots
 1/2 cup chopped celery
 1-2 cups vegetable broth
 28-ounce can crushed tomato (no salt added)
 1/2 tsp thyme
 1 whole bay leaf
 salt and pepper to taste
 1/2 cup heavy cream or COCONUT MILK (optional)

Cut the fish into 3/4 inch cubes and salt and pepper lightly.

 
 
Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.

 
 
Add the broth, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf.

 
Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the fish and cream.

 
Mix to incorporate cream and then simmer, covered or uncovered, for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf. Adjust the seasoning if needed and if you have any fresh herbs on hand add a bit for extra flavor. I used fresh thyme in the broth and then added more later.

 
Recipe from Mark's Daily Apple .

Slammin' Salmon

Pretend that it’s a cool, crisp Fall day. Maybe 50-55 degrees. Like it ought to be in late October. Now go make this soup. It’s the bomb dot com. Who knew that canned salmon could be so yummy?

Salmon Chowder
3 slices bacon, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1t dried dill or 1T chopped fresh dill
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8t cayenne pepper or less or none, whatev
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1.5 to 2 C small cauliflower florets
1.5 C chicken broth
1, 7.5-oz can red salmon separated into chunks, reserve juices for soup
1, 14-oz can full fat coconut milk
Extra dill for garnish

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, until bacon fat is rendered. Add onion, celery, dill, bay leaf, black pepper and cayenne pepper and cook until the bacon is barely crispy.

Add the cauliflower and chicken broth and simmer until the veggies are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Add salmon chunks and reserved juices and simmer a few more minutes to heat through.

 
 
Stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a slow boil and then simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

 
Serve soup very warm in pre-warmed bowls (ha!), garnished with dill.

 
Recipe from the Primal Blueprint Cookbook. The recipe says to use cauliflower or finely chopped, peeled turnips. I’ve had it with freaking turnips so I didn’t list them in the ingredients.

Here's to You, Mr. Robinson...

I was lazy last week and only got one little recipe posted. I am filled with great regret about it, for sure. To make it up to you, here’s an easy, yet delicious, recipe to throw on the grill during these gloriously golden Fall days. Thanks, Mark!

Coach Mark’s Spicy Grilled Salmon Steaks

1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 tbs. minced onion
½ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. Kosher or sea salt
1 tbs. olive oil
2 salmon steaks

In a bowl, stir together all ingredients (except the salmon, of course) until it forms a stiff paste.

 
Pat the paste on both sides of the salmon.

 

You can grill it on an outdoor grill about 3-4 minutes each side, or cook it on the stove over moderately high heat in a skillet for the same amount of time per side.

 

Check out these peeps - they're drunk with gluttony and enjoyment.

 

Farewell to Summer...

Tomorrow marks the end of summer. Capital Market still has fresh, local tomatoes, green beans, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, etc. Get you some of these beauties before the Market is overrun with pumpkins and foddershock. You can pair your local veggies with a not-so-local piece of fish to make a stunning Grilled Tuna Nicoise Platter. I’m also throwing in a bonus – Blackberry Ginger Mocktail – because I’m nice like that.

Grilled Tuna Nicoise Platter
8, 1-inch thick fresh tuna steaks (about 4 lbs)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
¾ lb haricots verts (or stringless green beans such as Blue Lake), stems removed and blanched
2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half
½ lb good black olives, pitted
1 bunch arugula or whatever greens you like
1 can anchovies (optional, I opted not)

Vinaigrette
3 T champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
½ t Dijon mustard
½ t kosher salt
¼ t freshly ground pepper
10 T olive oil (this = 5 fl. oz.)

Preheat your grill. Brush tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill each side for only 1.5 to 2 minutes. The center should be raw like sushi or the tuna will be tough and dry. Arrange the tuna, beans, tomatoes eggs, olives, greens and anchovies on a large flat platter.

 
For vinaigrette, combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Drizzle over some of the fish and veggies and serve the rest in a cruet on the side.
Serves 8. You may want to bump up the fish portion size. This recipe originally had a yummy French potato salad as part of the platter, but we don’t eat that. Do we?

 

Blackberry Ginger Mocktail
1 T minced fresh ginger root
1-2 T fresh lime juice
½ C blackberries
Sparkling water

For 1 drink: In a cocktail shaker, muddle ginger, lime juice and blackberries until blackberries are completely broken up. If you aren’t a professional bartender and don’t have a muddler, pound the berries with the handle of a wooden spoon.

 

Add ice and shake. Strain into a glass. Top with sparkling water.  Enjoy mocktail with cute husband and beautiful friend!  (Hey - people dine at Maison Kinney at their own risk!)

 

I don’t have any of the bartending supplies so I did my muddling in a large measuring cup; strained the mixture into a glass with ice with a regular old strainer; and topped it all off with sparkling water. This is a bit laborious, especially if you're making several drinks, but it tastes good.

Onions... A Love Story in Two Parts

Part I - Fish Tacos

I’m having a late summer love affair with onions. Last week, I finally made the fish tacos I’ve hankered for all summer long. Joe sold me some catfish (the best buy in the place), and it was great. Fish tacos need accompaniments so we had Baja cream, peach salsa and wait for it... Pickled Onions!

The Fish
Season boneless catfish fillets on both sides by drizzling with olive oil and then sprinkling with salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce and chile powder. Cook on a preheated grill pan (or aluminum foil) on your grill about 6 minutes total or until fish reaches desired degree of doneness.

The Baja Cream
Mix 1/2C mayo with 1/2C sour cream, 2T fresh lime juice, 1t finely grated lime peel and a pinch of salt.

The Peach Salsa
Cut two peaches into small dice. Don’t bother to peel. Stir in 1 jalapeno, finely chopped with seed and ribs removed, juice of one lime, salt and pepper. If you have some cilantro, chop some and put that in too.

The Pickled Onions
1 large red onion, halved lengthwise and cut thinly crosswise
5 whole small jalapenos
2C seasoned rice vinegar
3T fresh lime juice
1T kosher salt

Place onions and jalapenos in a medium-sized, heat proof bowl. Mix vinegar, lime juice and salt in small saucepan. Bring liquid just up to boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour over onion and jalapenos. Let stand at room temp at least one hour and up to 8 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead.) Cover and refrigerate. I don’t eat the jalapenos, but if that’s your thing, you go for it!

The Taco
Pile fish, onions, salsa, and cream on a big leaf of Romaine lettuce, and take a little bite out of heaven. Sigh…

The Leftovers
When I picked up the catfish, I also got a pound of smoked salmon. Joe and Robin smoke their own salmon right there in their store in downtown Charleston. It’s fan-freaking-tastic. We ate some with Baja cream and pickled onions, and I wept with joy.

P.S. My camera’s on the fritz. Sorry for the blurry Blackberry photo!

 

Grilled Salmon Salad

 

2lbs fresh salmon fillets, skin on
olive oil for grilling
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1C, small-diced celery (about 3 stalks)
1/2C small-diced red onion
2T minced fresh dill (or 1T dried)
2T capers, drained
2T raspberry vinegar (substitute white wine vinegar)
2T olive oil
1/2t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the grill.

Cut salmon fillets crosswise into 4 inch wide slices. Rub salmon pieces with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush cooking surface with oil to prevent fish from sticking. Cook fish on grill for 5-7 min on each side, until they are rare. Remove to a plate; wrap with plastic; and chill in fridge until cold and very firm.

When the fillets are cold, remove any skin that hasn't come off during grilling. Break fish into very large flakes and place in a bowl. Add any juice that has collected on bottom of plate.

Add celery, red onions, dill, capers, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

Marinated Grilled Salmon
1/3C soy sauce
1t grated lemon rind
1/4C fresh lemon juice
2T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2t Dijon mustard
2t sesame oil
1T minced fresh herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme - whatever you have)
2# salmon fillets, skin on
Assorted veggies for grilling, such as bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms

Whisk together first 7 ingredients.

Cut salmon into 1.5 to 2 inch cubes. Marinate for about 1 hour in fridge. Cut up the vegetables, marinate with the fish for as long as possible.

You can skewer the fish and veggies or use a grill basket. It's easier to use a grill basket. Grill the veggies first and set aside. Then grill the salmon for about 10 minutes for salmon that is rare inside. Grill longer if you like your fish well done.

Serves 4-6.

Alternative Fish: mako shark, monkfish, swordfish or tuna.

Recipe from "Fish" by Mark Bittman.

back in business

Now that I’ve shaken off my sugar coma, here’s that fish recipe I mentioned a couple of days ago.

grilled mahi-mahi (or similar) with pineapple salsa

the fish
Get thee to the fishmonger and procure some fish that will hold up on the grill, in whatever amount you want. We have been digging mahi-mahi around here lately. Ask the fishmonger to skin the fish and cut it into reasonably sized portions, say 8 ounces. Massage your fish lovingly with a little olive oil then sprinkle with kosher salt and (you know it) FRESH GROUND pepper.

Grill the fish for about 5 minutes per side or until it reaches your desired degree of done-ness. Let it rest a few minutes before serving. (Your fish will be tired after all that.)

 

the salsa
2 cups minced fresh pineapple
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2-3 T minced fresh mint
2T fresh lime juice
1/4t kosher salt
1/4t cumin
cayenne to taste

Mix it all up in bowl. Salsa keeps a long time in the fridge.

Spoon some salsa over the fish and eat.

Note:  A normal-sized portion of fish is about 6 ounces.  When deciding on how big to portion your fish remember that you are a CrossFitter, and you won't be eating any grains with your meal.  Hence, my recommendation of 8 ounces fish per person.