Seared Striped Bass with Chorizo Salsa

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This weekend we went over to my parent’s house for dinner. My dad had gone fishing earlier in the day, and came home with a nice sized “rock” as we call them around here, striped bass to the rest of the world. He cleaned it when we were finished with dinner (a gorgeous bushel of steamed #1 blue crabs) and sent us home with a nice sized filet, that I portioned into 4 smaller sized filets.

We get so much gorgeous, fresh seafood around here, I really take it for granted. I already had a menu set for the week, so I decided to make the fish for lunch on Sunday. Usually, I’d fry it an call it a day –  but the filets were so gorgeous, I wanted to do something special. I came up with this dish with what I had on hand, and it really knocked our socks off. I was afraid the salsa would be overpowering, but it wasn’t. The smokey sweetness just played up the flavor of the fish, and it was a nice change of pace from our standard fish fry! Plus, I got to use the pea shoots I’d bought on a whim at Trader Joe’s the week before. They soaked up all the juices from the dish, made for a surprisingly good salad.

If you’re looking for something to do with that abundance of rockfish we’re so lucky to have in our waters right now (or any other substantial white fish – mahi, halibut, etc.) bookmark this recipe! I’m hoping Dad shares some more with us this spring. I’m more than happy to send out a First and Second mate with him!

Striped Bass with Chorizo Salsa

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) striped bass fillets
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
8 ounces chorizo sausage, casing removed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn fish over; cook 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove fish from pan; keep warm.

For the salsa, return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and the chorozio, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook until nice and browned, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, stirring a moment until mixture becomes fragrant. Add the water and balsamic vinegar, turn heat to low, and simmer until tomatoes soften, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Serve sauce with fish over a bed of greens.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light, July 2010

Stuffed Artichokes

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I don’t watch a lot of “trash” TV, but I will admit that “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (and various other sundry cities) is a guilty pleasure of mine. The new season started last night, so to mark the occasion, I made a dish from Teresa Giudice’s second book, Fabulicious. She’s full of herself, talks a lot of smack, and is completely wonky – but hey, what woman on those series of shows honestly isn’t? Surprisingly, the recipes that I’ve tried from her book have been good. A super quick marinara, which I’ve made a couple of times, and will be sharing later this week. And, these stuffed artichokes – which were absolutely delicious. A perfect side dish or light main course for the summer months!

Last weekend I went to see Titanic in 3D with an old friend, the very same friend I saw it with 6 times in the theater. I had to drive 3 hours to get to an IMAX theater (go big or go home – right?), so I took the opportunity to stop by Trader Joe’s on the way home to stock up on pantry staples. Artichokes are in season right now, so I picked up 4 and brought them home. I also picked up one of their artisan red wine salamis – they are so good diced up and topping a Greek salad, or in a pasta salad. Or, in stuffed artichokes.

I followed the recipe, up until the point of cooking method. I decided to bake them, as opposed to cooking them in a dutch oven on the stove top. Some other recipes called for parboiling the artichokes first, but I didn’t bother with that. Just let them bake a little longer. The sauce that forms in the bottom of the baking dish was absolutely delicious. Perfect to scoop up with the artichoke leaves you pull off to eat one by one. Will definitely be making these again, everyone really enjoyed them!

Stuffed Artichokes

4 large artichokes
1 lemon, halved
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
4 oz dry Italian sausage or hard salami, diced small
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (for topping)

Preheat oven to 425. To prep the artichokes, cut off the stems so they sit securely in the baking dish. Trim off and discard 1 inch of leaves from the top of each artichoke. Using kitchen shears, snip off the thorny tips from the remaining leaves. As you work, rub the cut surfaces with the cut side of the lemon half to keep the artichoke from discoloring.

Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, sausage, parsley, Romano cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Working with one artichoke at a time, using your fingers, pack 1/4 of the filling between the outer layers of the tougher leaves, spreading the leaves as best you can. Press and remaining stuffing over the top of the artichoke. Place into baking dish.

Combine the marinara and 1 cup water, and pour into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the artichokes can be pierced easily with a knife.

Remove from oven, and turn on broiler. Top artichokes with Parmesan cheese, and return to the oven to broil for about 1 minute – until cheese is starting to brown.

Transfer each artichoke and some sauce to a bowl and serve warm.

Source: adapted from Fabulicious! by Teresa Giudice

Banana Daiquiris

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When you’re stuck with a bunch of brown bananas at the end of a long week, what’s a girl to do? Some might make banana bread or muffins, which is find and dandy. But, if you’re like me – by Friday you’re ready for a good cocktail. And there isn’t a better way to use up bananas than with a banana daiquiri.

I’m not one for fru-fru umbrella drinks, but I fell in love with the banana daiquiri on our honeymoon, where we were fortunate enough to visit the gorgeous island of St. Thomas. There we took a tour, with a wonderfully charismatic tour guide named Sunny Liston. If you’re ever in his neck of the woods, look him up. You’ll have a blast! One of the best views on the island is from the highest mountain top peak (naturally!) and they have a little shopping area/bar. “The Mountain Top” bar is actually home to the banana daiquiri, where it’s said they first concocted it back in the 40’s. The place burned down a few years ago, but it’s been rebuilt since. Thank God, I don’t think that gorgeous island would be the same without this gorgeous drink in hand.

I’ve thought about the drink from time to time since, and tried to recreate it to no avail. Until, I stumbled upon this recipe from Saveur. Nail on the head, people! Sweet, frothy, and strong. 6 ounces of rum may seem like a lot, but you wouldn’t know it’s there. The ripe bananas + banana liqueur gives it the perfect tropical kick. No fakey tasting banana – ugh, is there anything worse? Next time you have some bananas that are about to end up in the compost pile, make these daiquiris. It’s the next best thing to sitting on a tropical beach!

Banana Daiquiris

6 oz. dark rum
2 tbsp. sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 oz. banana liqueur
2 oz. water
2 very ripe bananas, peeled

Put rum, sugar, lime juice, banana liqueur, water, bananas, and plenty of ice into an electric blender, then purée until smooth and thick. Pour into two tall chilled glasses.

Source: Saveur

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

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We’ve been having pizza night on the regular here. There’s always a new fun twist that I’m coming across in my daily blog reads, and making a note to try. We’ve had weirdo winners in the past, so I’m always anxious to try different topping combinations that wouldn’t normally come to mind. I’d had this chicken ranch pizza from Annie bookmarked for too long, and finally gave it a spin last week when we had some extra chicken hanging out in the fridge.

And, we have another winner! I went ahead and added bacon, simply because I had some of that hanging out in the fridge too. And really, when it comes to bacon – why not?  I loved that that the sauce of the pizza was buttermilk ranch dressing.Kind of white pizza-ish, but far less heavy. I  loved the tomato on top too. Tomato can be so good on pizza, if done right – but can easily turn into a soggy mess if overdone. Will definitely be putting this one into pizza night rotation from now on! A great summer pizza.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

Pizza dough
¼ cup Ranch dressing
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tomato, seeded and diced
2-3 green onions, chopped
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven and a pizza stone to 500° F.  Allow the stone to heat for at least 30 minutes.  In the mean time, cut a round of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone.  (Alternatively, use a pizza peel.)  Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal or semolina flour.  Gently roll out the pizza dough into a large circle, leaving a thicker ring around the edge for the crust.

Spread the Ranch dressing in a thin layer evenly over the unbaked crust.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.  Top with grilled chicken, tomato and green onions.  Sprinkle with shredded cheddar.  Once assembled, carefully transfer the parchment round and pizza to the preheated baking stone and return to the oven.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned.  Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats