Crispy Pan Fried Haddock with Sprouts

I loved making this because it basically cooked itself. The salad requires a bit more prep but it's worth it. Enjoy.

For the salad:
Get your bowl ready with a generous spritz of olive oil, a shot of balsamic and red wine vinegar, 2 minced garlic cloves, a tsp of dry basil and oregano, salt and pepper and zest from one orange.
Next simply add one can drained chic peas, one can drained corn niblets, a diced tomato, a giant handful of fresh baby spinach, some chopped basil leaves, finely sliced red onion, and some diced feta cheese. Mix well and voila... You can add more salt and pepper if needed.

For the fish:
The key to a crispy coating is to first get your frying pan nice and hot with a generous coating of olive oil.
Next, leave it alone on medium high heat for about 8 minutes.

Season your fish with salt and pepper and coat with a light dusting of flour and panko bread crumbs then add to pan. Flip over after 5 minutes or so for another 4 minutes. Remove and spritz with fresh lemon and top with some fresh onion sprouts!
Done and ready to impress.


Moolicious

Borsht, Just Like Baba's

Here's a tribute to Pollacks everywhere. My mom and cha cha have been giving me tips on how to make an authentic beet soup. I took some of their ideas, added a few of my own and came up with a yummy version. Enjoy!!!

For some time saving, you'll need a food processor for slicing or grating the beets, onions and carrots. It won't get your hands and kitchen messy!


Needs: 
1 can sliced beets and juice
half a large red onion
3 medium fresh beets, peeled
2 medium carrots
5 cloves garlic
Handful of fresh green beans, cut into bite sized pieces
Handful of fresh dill sprigs
Spices: salt, pepper, 1 tsp each fennel seeds, garlic powder, coriander, ginger.
Liquids: 2 cups chicken/veggie stock, 3 cups water (or more if desired). 

Step 1: Puree the can of beets with a handful of dill and 3 cloves of garlic, set aside in a small bowl.
Step 2: Heat up some olive oil in a large soup pot
Step 3: Slice the onion, add to the pot and saute until softened
Step 4: Slice 2 beets and shred the last one and the two carrots, add to pot and mix in the spices and some chicken stock and water.
Step 5: Bring to a simmer and add the pureed beet mix and remaining whole garlic cloves (you'll remove these before serving)
Step 6: Add the green beans and cook through
Step 7: Allow to simmer on low for a while (I did about 30 minutes)
Step 8: Get ready to eat...add some more s & p if you wish and serve in soup bowls with a nice dollop of sour cream!


Moolicious!

Sweet Potato Fish Soup

Soup's on! This winter, we ate a lot of healthy soups and now that summer is here, I want to continue on with the tradition. I think soups are a great way to stay in shape throughout the cold seasons and when summer arrives, ideally you want to have that, "ahhh, I can continue working out and eating well without worrying about getting into shape all over again" feeling. So, here goes. Happy Summer and Happy Birthday Dad.

Get all of your ingredients ready:
- Peel and dice one small white onion, 6-7 cloves of garlic, 2 chopped scallions, garlic baguette, and one large yam. Get 2 cups chicken or veggie stock ready. Set aside.
- Prep spices: about a tsp of each: oregano, basil, fennel, caraway seed, crushed coriander.
- Clean two large pieces of fresh tilapia and about 12 large shrimp. Set the tilapia on a baking tray, season with salt and pepper and bake at 425 for about 15 minutes or so. Set aside.

1. In your large soup pot, heat up olive oil and a small spritz of sesame oil. Saute onion and garlic for a couple minutes then add diced sweet potatoe. Saute until softened, about 5 more minutes.

2. Add stock and all spices, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoe cooks.

3.  Next, blend with a hand held blender so that you have a nice, smooth pureed soup. You may want to add some agua (about 1 cup or so... taste and see if you need more salt).

4.  Allow to simmer 5 minutes, and add the shrimp and a handful of chopped scallions. Cook the shrimp until pink.

5. Now for assembly, place a piece of the baked tilapia in your stew bowl, with chunks of garlic baguette and ladle the puree over the top. Top with fresh arugula and a lemon for some pizazz.


Moolicious!

Mediterranean Potato Salad

Summer is finally here! Time to start busting out the BBQed everything, trying new things, sunbathing, reading, swimming, traveling, and making salads, of course. Here's a simple way to impress a crowd minus the traditional creamy mayo dressing. Enjoy.
1. Cut in same sizes and then bowl one small bag (about 2 cups) small mini potatoes in lightly salted water for about 12 minutes.

2. While that's happening, make your dressing and other fixings. Add the following to a medium sized salad bowl:
- 2 tbsps olive oil, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, juice from half a lime, 1 heaping tsp black olive tapenade, 2 tsps garlic paste (or jarred garlic), and yes, the secret ingredient- about 5 anchovies minced, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, dash of fennel seed, salt and pepper.  Mix well, then add some extras: Dice up 3 stalks of celery, mince 1 small shallot, 2 cloves garlic, finely minced and add to bowl. Finally, add a handful of prepared coleslaw (you can find in your salad section) and some celery leaves.

3.  When the taters are done, add them to the bowl and mix while hot so all the flavors can absorb. Mix well and allow to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours.


Moolicious!

Cauliflower-Potatoe Mash

HI!

I made this by accident the other day. It's a slight take on bangers and mash...You know how you get a cauliflower on sale and then you're stuck with it for two weeks? how much more raw veg and dip can you take??? Well, here's a tasty way to use it all up.

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook half a head of cauliflower, chopped in pieces and two medium potatoes, chopped to roughly the same size. Boil about 12 minutes and drain and keep all veg in the pot. Add a pat of butter, 2 fresh basil leaves, a handful of fresh parsley, salt and pepper and a splash of milk. Mix with a hand blender until smooth.

It's that easy.

I served it with boiled asparagus, and chorizo sausages with a side salad.

Moolicious!

Buffa's Birthday Pizza with Sweet Onions

Happy Birthday Buffa!
This pizza pie is for you (even though we ate all of it). It has simple ingredients that come together for a pizza party in your mouth. The sauce here is caramelized onions, spread all over the top. The dough recipe is a new one, but it came out great. You can half it and make two thin crusts, but I used all of it for one and it was doughy and fluffy.... Enjoy.

The toppings you'll need:
- Caramelize 2 onions in a pan- 20-30 minutes, deglaze with a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
- Cook 6 slices of bacon, then chop
- Goat cheese
- Fresh mozarella/bocconcini, sliced
- Chopped, fresh parsley
- Handful of fresh arugula
- Olive oil, salt, pepper.

For the dough:
- In the morning prep your dough.
- In a large bowl, put 1 and 1/2 cup warm to hot water. Sprinkle with 1 tsp pizza yeast and a tbsp olive oil, and a dash of sea salt. Wait 5 minutes until foamy.
- Next add 1 cup all purpose flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Let sit for 5 minutes and add another 2 cups of flour. Now you judge, maybe you need more... but keep using your spoon to stir/mix, until it doesn't stick to the bowl anymore. No kneading needed!
- Allow dough to rest in an oiled bowl for the day.
- Two hours before dinner, punch it down, and roll it out on a floured surface.
- Place it on a long baking tray and brush with good olive oil.
- Slide it in the oven and let it rise again- two hours.

Assemble and bake!
- Preheat oven to 450. Nice and hot.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove add all toppings except arugula and parsley. - Be sure to spread your onions on like you would a sauce.
- Bake for another 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the pizza and top with arugula and parsley.
- Drizzle olive oil on top, cut and serve!



Moo-frickin' licious.

Lemon and Cranberry Cake with Pina Colada Frosting

This cake is a nice twist on lemon loaf. It's quite similar, actually, but the cranberries and frosting give it a little more zing. Enjoy.

You can also use a whisk for this, so no need to clean all sorts of electric equipment.

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, whisk together 5 tbsps salted, softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar, a drop of pure vanilla extract, zest of a lemon. Add 3 small eggs to this and mix well.

In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp each baking soda and baking powder and 1/3 cup fresh cranberries.

In a measuring cup, put 1/4 cup milk and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice.

Now, mix together ingredients in 3 batches, milk/flour alternating.

Pour in loaf dish and bake for 40minutes.

Remove and brush loaf with mixture of 1-1 tbsp sugar and lemon juice, on all sides.

For the icing:

Mix together 1 cup icing sugar, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, spritz of lemon, 3 tbsps unsalted butter, a sprinkle of vanilla extract and a few drops of yellow food color.

You can judge the consistency and add more amounts of each, depending how you like it.

Spread on cake once it has cooled.

Moolicious!!!

Filet Mignon with Herbed Egg Noodles and Asparagus

Here's my favorite Valentine's day dinner. It really takes about 15 minutes to come together, so you have more time to snuggle and share a romantic dessert ;)

1. Allow two nice filet mignons to sit at room temperature, season with sea salt and pepper.

2. Prep your pots. One large pot with water for pasta and asparagus and a frying pan with oil for your shrimp and use the same pot for your mignons.

3. Clean and chop the ends off your asparagus, set aside.

4. Chop 3 nice cloves of garlic.

5. Prep a large serving bowl for the shrimp-pasta. In the bowl, put a couple tbsps olive oil, dry parsley, basil, oregano, a dash of red pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice and some of the chopped garlic, and a few pats of butter.

6. Heat up water and your frying pan, cook garlic and shrimp in the oil and put in large bowl, then in the same pan, heat up oil and put filets in, 2 mins on each side, if you like it rare.

7. Cook asparagus and noodles together. I used a package of fettuccine egg noodles...they take about 6 minutes. Put noodles over the shrimp and mix. Add Romano cheese. Done.

8. Assemble your plates and eat!!!!!

Moolicious!

Comfy Chicken Pot Tartlets

Here is a healthy, romantic spin on chicken pot pie...for you and your lover to enjoy on Valentine's Day. Skip the cream and use a can of evaporated milk...yum.

You'll need:

- 12 small tart shells

- 4-5 large boneless skinless chicken thighs

- some cornstarch ...maybe a tbsp

- 1 sliced shallot and one minced clove of garlic

- 1 medium diced carrot

- 5-6 sliced mushrooms

-1/4 cup peas

- herbs/spices....dash of thyme, dry basil, dry parsley, cayanne pepper, salt and pepper

-1 can evaporated milk.

1. Bake tarts at 425 for about 12 minutes, remove and allow to cool.

2. In a large pot, heat up some oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until well done and golden brown. Remove and allow to cool.

3. Drain some of the fat, next saute the shallot and garlic and diced carrot for about 6 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.

4.Sprinkle in cornstarch and let it absorb into the oil and veggies, then add a splash of water and your can of milk. Let it thicken.

5. When chicken has cooled, chop it in bite sized pieces and add to the pot with the herbs/spices.

6. Remove from heat, add frozen peas.

7. When mixture has cooled, spoon it in tarts, top with some Romano cheese and bake for 15 minutes or so.

Cool and enjoy!

Moolicious!

Pumpkin 'n Quinoa Oatmeal Cookies

I wanted to try quinoa in a healthy cookie but I didn't have all of the ingredients. I needed a mashed banana and some apple sauce but I didn't have any...but ah ha, I did have canned pumpkin purée, so that's what I used and they turned out amazing...oh and über healthy.

In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups oats, 1 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 3/4 cups brown sugar and 1/4 cup finely shredded coconut and a pinch of salt and a handful of chocolate chips.

In a large bowl, mix together 2 eggs, a tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup canola oil and about 1/2 cup pumpkin.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the dry with the wet, form into equal mounds, push down slightly with your palm, form with about 2 tbsps for each and bake for about 15 minutes. Lucky for Moo, I had some left over pumpkin to make some pumpkin pie tartlets.

Moolicious!!!

Sweet Potato 'n Stuff Soup

Since the New Year started, we have been fueling up on veggies.

Here is an awesome soup recipe that you don't have to feel guilty about.

So, you heat up some oil in a large soup pot and add one minced onion, a small carrot and your spices...a dash of cumin, turmeric, cayenne, coriander, salt and pepper.
Next, sauté barley, split peas and wild rice (totaling 1 cup combined) for a few minutes. Next add about 4-5 cups water/chicken broth combo. Allow barley blend to cook and add 1 large sweet potato, cut green beans and red pepper and a handful of small pasta noodles if you wish.
Allow to simmer for about 15more minutes and before serving, wilt in some fresh spinach, a few fresh tarragon sprigs and some chives.

Moolicious!!!!

Mashed Potato Plouxie-Pie

Stefanie inspired me to make mashed potatoes and this Shepherd's Pie was the end result. It is not a huge serving, so think of a smaller baking dish (square?) instead of a lasagna dish. If you want to feed a family, just double up.
When I think meat and potatoes, I think Polish...so, I put my own spin on this old classic. It must be in my genes. You can serve this with a side of dill pickles....enjoy.

For the meat layer:

Heat up some olive oil in a pan, fry up a small onion and garlic for a few minutes and add a package of lean ground beef. As it is cooking, season with a sprinkle of cumin, cayenne pepper, fennel, salt and pepper. When done, place in a medium baking dish, then top with a handful of frozen corn and peas (Stefanie is not a fan of peas...so you can leave these out)

For the potatoes- the star of the show:

Peal and chop about 5-6 smallish potatoes evenly and place in a pot with water and a tbsp of sea salt. Boil until tender...drain.

In the hot pot, put a tbsp butter, and a tbsp jarred or fresh horseradish, a splash of milk, add the potatoes and about 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, mash and mix. Are you thinking pierogie????

Finally, taste and see whether you need salt, pepper etc and mix in a handful chopped chives.

Assemble. Add the potatoes to the meat and spread evenly, top with a dash of paprika and cayenne and top with a bit more cheddar cheese. The beauty of all this is that you can prep in the morning and bake off for supper time.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for about 30 minutes.

Moolicious!