sweet 'n' savory TWO

Fish Taco - a feast wrapped in tortilla

After wanting to make fish tacos at home for a while, we've finally managed to get all the ingredients we need to make it this weekend.  Our version of fish tacos are made with beer-battered fried fish, fresh tomato salsa, honey-lime cabbage slaw and chipotle sour cream!  Crunchy fried fish topped with freshly made condiments that are refreshing and burst with flavors - this is as good as it gets!!

Honey-lime Slaw

• Freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 TBS
• Honey, 2 TBS
• Green cabbage, 3 cups, thinly shredded
• Red onion, 1/4 cup, minced
• Jalapeños, 2 TBS, minced
• Cilantro, 1/4 cup, chopped
• Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp

1. Whisk lime juice and honey together and mix well.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl. Marinate for at least an hour before serving.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

• Tomatoes, 4 medium round, diced
• White onion, 1 small, minced
• Jalapeños, 1 large (or more if desirable), minced (stemmed & seeded)
• Cilantro, 1/2 cup, chopped
• Freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 TBS
• Garlic, 2 large cloves, minced
• Kosher salt, 1 tsp

1. Combine all ingridents in a big bowl and mix well.

Chipotle Sour Cream

• Sour cream, 1/2 cup
• Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 large (seeded), minced (plus some adobo sauce to taste if desirable)
• A splash of freshly squeezed lime juice to taste (optional)

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Beer Battered Fried Fish

• Rice flour, 1 cup
• Kosher salt, 2 tsp
• Black pepper, 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Beer, 1 cup (not dark)
• Fish fillets (cod or halibut), 1 lb, cut into 3- by 1-inch strips
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. Heat 2 inch oil in a deep pan or heavy pot over high heat until reaches 375°F.
2. In a bowl whisk beer, rice flour, salt & pepper together until mix well.
3. Dredge fish strips in batter to coat completely, letting excess drip off.  Fry fish in batches, turning once or twice, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.  Serve warm.

Assemble fish tacos by filling each warm tortilla with 2 fish strips, then top with salsa, cabbage slaw, and Chipotle Sour Cream. 

 

Asian style grilled shrimp, corn and spinach salad

 

• Soy sauce, 1/4 cup
• Asian sesame oil, 2 TBS
• Fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup
• Honey, 1 TBS
• Grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp
• Green onion, 2, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Olive oil, 1/2 cup
• Butter, melt, 1/2 cup
• Large shrimp, 1 LB, peeled and deveined
• Corn, 4 ears
• Baby spinach leaves, 6 oz., cleaned

1. Whisk the first 8 ingredients together and mix until well incorporated.  Save 1/4 cup of marinade for later. 
2. Add butter to the remaining marinade and microwave/cook until butter melt.  Mix well.  Add to shrimps and marinade in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, grill corns and apply about 2 TBS of the reserved marinade to corns generously as flavoring.
4. Add remaining 2 TBS of marinade to spinach as dressing and mix. 
5. Grill shrimps until cooked.  Serve warm with grilled corns and spinach salad.

Marinade for Jerk Chicken

Adapted from Jerk Chicken recipe from Epicurious

• Scallions, 3, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• Small onion, 1, chopped (or shallots)
• Fresh habanero chile, 2, stemmed and seeded (more or less as you desire)
• Fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup
• Soy sauce, 2 TBS
• Olive oil, 3 TBS
• Kosher salt, 2 TBS
• Brown sugar, 1/4 cup packed
• Fresh thyme leaves, 1 TBS
• Ground allspice, 1 tsp
• Black pepper, 2 tsp
• Freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 tsp
• Ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp
• 1 whole chicken, cut up, or 4 chicken quarters, cut up

1. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until well incorporated.
2. Marinade chicken overnight in refrigerator.  Grill chicken parts until cooked.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Korean-style Marinade for Grilled Beef Short Ribs (kalbi kui)

• Soy Sauce, 1/2 cup
• Mirin, 1/4 cup
• Dark Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup
• Rice vinegar, 2 TBS
• Sesame oil, 2 TBS
• Minced garlic, 2 TBS
• Large green onion (or two small ones), julienned
• Ginger, minced, 1 TBS
• Dried chili pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp 
• Beef short ribs, 3 lbs

1. Whisk all ingredients but ribs until well incorporated.
2. Marinade beef short ribs overnight.  Grill until cooked.  Serve warm.

Lemony marinade for grilled seafood

• Freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup
• Olive oil, 1/2 cup
• Fresh Oregano, julienned, 1 TBS
• Garlic, 4 cloves, minced
• Kosher salt, 1 tsp
• Black pepper, 1/4 tsp or to taste

1. Whisk all ingredients together until well incorporate.
2. Marinate squid in marinade for an hour.  Add shrimps to marinade 15 minutes before ready for grill. (Leaving shrimps in marinade too long may change their texture). 
3. Grill until ingredients are cooked.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Homemade Potato Chips

Potato chips are so easy to make at home - the best thing is that you get to season it to your liking!  We prefer regular baking potatoes to Yukon Gold because the former doesn't brown as easily as the later (sweet potato chips taste good too!)

Instructions:

1. Slice potato thinly (mandolin slicer does the job well!).
2. Rinse potato slices two to three times to wash off some starch.  Drain.
3. Pat potato slices dry with paper towels.
4. Heat oil in a pot until 350F degree.
5. Cook enough potato slices (enough to form a single layer but not overcrowded) in hot oil until slightly browned.  Remove potato chips from oil, drain.
6. Season potato chips while hot.  Serve immediately (they can last a day or two but will get soggy easily.  Of course, they taste the best fresh!

homemade potato & sweet potato chips

Potato chips are so easy to make at home - the best thing is that you get to season it to your liking!  We prefer regular baking potatoes to Yukon Gold because the former doesn't brown as easily as the later (sweet potato chips taste good too!)

Instructions:

1. Slice potato thinly (mandolin slicer does the job well!).
2. Rinse potato slices two to three times to wash off some starch.  Drain.
3. Pat potato slices dry with paper towels.
4. Heat oil in a pot until 350F degree.
5. Cook enough potato slices (enough to form a single layer but not overcrowded) in hot oil until slightly browned.  Remove potato chips from oil, drain.
6. Season potato chips while hot.  Serve immediately (they can last a day or two but will get soggy easily.  Of course, they taste the best fresh!

homemade potato & sweet potato chips

Spicy Peanut Sauce

This is a very versatile dipping sauce for vegetables, satay, spring rolls and wraps.  B and I love to parboil vegetables, particularly sugar snap peas and green beans, to go with this dipping sauce. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon, fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Saute garlic, chili pepper flakes and ginger in oil in a pan till fragrant. (Don't burn the garlic.)
2. Add peanut butter, hoisin sauce, sugar, water, chipotle, soy sauce to pan and whisk until well incorporated over medium heat.
3. Simmer for few minutes until sauce turns thick.  Remove from heat and serve with whatever you like.

This is a very versatile dipping sauce for vegetables, satay, spring rolls and wraps.  B and I love to parboil vegetables, particularly sugar snap peas and green beans, to go with this dipping sauce. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon, fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Saute garlic, chili pepper flakes and ginger in oil in a pan till fragrant. (Don't burn the garlic.)
2. Add peanut butter, hoisin sauce, sugar, water, chipotle, soy sauce to pan and whisk until well incorporated over medium heat.
3. Simmer for few minutes until sauce turns thick.  Remove from heat and serve with whatever you like.