Tilapia and everything-else-in-the-fridge Stew

Hearty fish stew, perfect for this cold, rainy California weather.

You can substitute the stew with any other vegetable you have, but this is what I used:

4 servings


Ingredients

2 tilapia, cubed
2 garlic cloves
6-7 okra, chopped
1 cup cubed kabocha (japanese squash, looks like a small green pumpkin)
1/2 cup black eye peas
1/2 cup stewed tomatoes
1/2 of a lemon
3 cups chicken stock

Cooking

Sauteed garlic in olive oil
Add kabocha and let it brown a little
Add stewed tomatoes
Add chicken stock
Add black eye peas
Bring to a boil
Then turn heat down to medium and simmer for 20 minutes
Put tilapia and okra in and turn off stove.
Squeeze half of lemon juice right before serving.

Serve with crusty garlic bread

1 stick salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Parsley

Spread garlic butter onto sliced baguettes, put in the oven bake 375 degree for 5-10 minutes.

YUMZ!

My mom's ketchup shrimp

Growing up, mom used to make this dish pretty often and my favorite part of eating it was the de-shelling of the shrimp. My fingers would get all messy and covered in this garlicky, sweet and sour reddish sauce. It was indeed finger lickin' good!

Mom's way was just lots of garlic and prawns with their shells on.

Since "the hub" doesn't eat shrimp, when I do cook it, I tend to put tofu and vegetable to make it a one pot dish. Also, I used de-shell shrimp this time because I got the wrong ones!

Ingredients
Ketchup (I use Trader Joe ketchup as there's no high fructose corn syrup or preservatives)
Chopped garlic (as much as you like!)
White distilled vinegar
Brown sugar

Cooking

For prawns with shells intact (marinade prawns in a drizzle of soy sauce for 10 minutes)

Heat vegetable oil till slightly smoking
Put shrimp in and toss until shells get slightly brown
Put shrimp aside
Heat up more oil and add chopped garlic
Squeeze in ketchup (about 3 - 4 big squeeze)
Dash of Vinegar
Teaspoon brown sugar
Add some water to make sauce
Stir, taste and add more condiments to achieve a sweet sour balance
When sauce is ready, add slightly cooked shrimp and toss

For de-shell prawns (marinade in drizzle of soy sauce and sugar for 10 minutes)

Heat oil and toss in garlic
Add ketchup, vinegar and sugar mixture
Add some water to dilute
Add shrimp (with tofu an vegetable if you're planning to add these)

Serve over rice, enjoy!

Panko crusted Wild Sockeye and barley vegetable medley

I love salmon and would like to eat more salmon, but I also like flavor and I find most salmon recipe ...tasty, but only when you're eating the top half of the fish. After that it's just hunks of lovely, salmon-y flesh. Which is not a bad thing, but if you would like to eat salmon 2 to 3 times a week then it becomes a problem.

I've tried the typical miso with ginger and brown sugar paste (which I promise to post in the future), putting it in soup, etc. But oh man, this panko and parmesan crusted salmon is something I would eat twice a week! It's full of flavor  and easy peasy to make. We had salmon with barley and vegetable tossed with oilve oil and soy sauce. Dinner was ready in a jiffy and it was perfect.

Ingredients
2 Salmon steaks
1 egg
1 cup Panko (Japanes bread crumb found in most Asian and Specialty stores)
Parmesan (shredded, about 1/2 cup)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

1 cup Barley (follow package instruction for cooking)
Brocoli and red pepper (chopped to small pieces)
1 clove garlic

Cooking
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Wash salmon steaks and pat dry with paper towel
Spread panko crumbs and shredded cheese on wide, shallow plate
Sprinkle sea salt and ground pepper
Dib salmon steak in beaten egg and then on bread crumbs (make sure to do both sides)
Lay salmon on baking tray
Bake for 10 minutes (crumbs will brown)
Turn off oven but leave salmon in for another 5 to 10 mins

Sauteed garlic clove in olive oil
Put in broccoli and red peppers
Sprinkle sea salt and ground pepper
When vegetables look almost ready, quickly stir in cooked, drained barley
Pour everything into a bowl
Drizzle more oilve oil or flax seed oil and soy sauce to taste

Serve!

Cornish Game Hen Tandoori

I love cornish game hen! It taste just like chicken only much smaller. This simple and bursting with flavor recipe is a friend's favorite for chicken skewers. Her recipe actually calls for more ingredients like minced garlic and ginger. Add those if you like but here's my modified version which taste just as yummy:

Ingredients:
2 cornish game hen (cut into halves)
2 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp tumeric powder
2 tbsp seasoned salt
1 cup plain greek yogurt or plain yogurt

Pinch of ground pepper

PUT EVERYTHING IN A ZIPLOC BAG  (better to put all the ingredients before chicken and you might need 2 ziploc bags if the chicken are slightly bigger than usual)

Massage marinade all over chicken

Let it sit overnight in the fridge or toss them in the freezer for next time

Cooking:

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Bake for 20 minutes

Reduce oven to 325 degree

Bake another 25 minutes

When chicken juice runs clear, change to BROIL HIGH for 7 minutes or until skin turn brown and crispy

Let chicken sit for 10 minutes. Serve with brown rice or my favorite couscous and millet, and grilled zucchini and squash. 

Super easy, quick, healthy and taste delish!

PS. Take out your frozen game hen tandoori in the morning so it will be ready for the oven in the evening.

Flax seed oil with soy sauce

One of the simplest sauce combination and such a crowd pleaser. All you need is Organic Flax Seed oil and regular soy sauce. We normally use Kikkoman brand soy sauce. You can get flaxseed oil from your local health or gourmet store, Trader Joe's or WholeFoods. Just drizzle flax seed oil onto a small dipping bowl followed by your choice of soy sauce. The result is an unexpected buttery, egg-y tastiness. Heaven.


If you have a toddler who won't eat his vegetables, be prepared to be blown away the next time you serve this combo. In this photo, I have blanched brocollini and sugar snap peas. If you're concern about soy sauce for your munchkins, substitute with braggs liquid aminos, a certified non-gmo protein concentrate. Taste the same. And better for health.


For meat eaters, you have to try it. Once again, just drizzle flax seed oil straight from the bottle, from the fridge onto your perfectly grilled steak or chicken and add soy sauce. Trust me. You've never tasted meat like this. 

Such simple recipes is what I am dedicated to sharing on this blog. Enjoy! And please don't forget to leave your comments :)