Pork & Zucchini Faux Pho

Pork & Zucchini Faux Pho.... Are you a lover of Pho? Of Udon & Ramen? Do steaming bowls of wonton soup and slippery noodles just really send you over the deep end? Well, me too. Total weakness right here, Asian soups.

But sometimes I have the craving on a Tuesday night when I'm trying to be "good" and go the low carb route and so for that, we have the spiralizer. Yep it's back. I finally whisked the thing out from deep in the appliance cabinet and brought it back to life after a few month hiatus.

This wasn't a meal I was planning actually but had a lot to do with what I grabbed last weekend. We stopped at a local farmers market where one farmer was selling the most gorgeous orangey yellow squash and plump zucchini and I grabbed a few for the week, taken with their beauty. Fast forward a few hours to my normal trek to Mariano's for the rest of the week's groceries and in the Natural & Organic section I found my long lost pal the Happy Pho kit. I swear they got rid of it for a while and since this seemed like a lucky find I picked up a box of the stuff just to have on hand.

As the week carried on and I found myself with a pork chop, zucchini & squash and as I thought of what to make, Pho came to mind. So on Tuesday I put my pork chop in a Ziploc bag with some teriyaki marinade to amp up the flavor for Wednesday. I also had some time Tuesday night to do my spirazling which also went in a bag in the fridge until I was ready to use it.

On Wednesday it made for a pretty easy time of throwing it together. I simply followed the directions on the kit, boil 4 cups of stock with the seasoning packet provided. Dump in your extras (noodles, protein, additional veggies) and let it simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot.

While the stock was boiling I sliced my pork chop into thin pieces and got them nice and crispy in a hot pan, they only take a couple minutes to cook on each side and right before tossing them in my boiling soup I added a small spoonful of Hoisin sauce, just for some extra flavor. I tossed them right in with my veggie "noodles" and broth and let the flavors meld for a few minutes. Sadly I didn't have any other fresh herbs on hand and I was fresh out of limes, but a big squeeze of  lemon juice did the trick.

Simmering broth & seasoning

Right after adding the Hoisin

This meal, minus the prepping of the veggies, took about 10 minutes. The longest part is waiting for the 4 cups to boil. This meal is great, I've mentioned Happy Pho on here before but I think last time I used the mushroom pack but this time I went for Zesty Ginger which was fabulous and the ingredients include: Organic Star Anise, organic saigon cinnamon, ginger, black cardamon, and spring onion. Dahlish! Enjoy!

Let it simmer a few minutes

The good stuff, pre ladling the broth atop

Ingredients you can feel good about

Tribute to Owen's Fish Camp & Old Bay Cod with Kale

Tribute to Owen's Fish Camp & Old Bay Cod with Kale...I have to start this post with some background. I was recently in Sarasota FL on a work trip and I had one of the most memorable meals of my life. Okay, I know this is clearly memorable right now because it was only 3 weeks ago, but I feel quite sure this is being filed in a special part of my brain as "fantastic meals to remember forever" and will be there 15 years from now. Anywho, I was tipped off by a coworker about this hidden gem and boy was I glad. The place is called Owen's Fish Camp and it is located in a little old house, almost down a back alley covered with trees in a quiet part of downtown Sarasota.

Besides the fact that the decor is adorable and homey, the menu options were almost too much to bare. I was sad to be dining alone and thus unable to order one of everything and share with a crowd - I WILL be back and let me tell you I'll be back with a group so I can do just that. I took recommendations from the waitress and went with the Grilled Caesar to start (I can't get enough grilled romaine, that's a fact) which came with crispy little shrimp. For the main course I also took her recommendation to try their famous "Naked Fish". Here you could choose your fish and how it's cooked up along with two sides. I went with the option which she deemed "similar to grouper but even better" and chose blackened. Side note, every time I come down here for work I get blackened grouper at multiple meals, that is an absolute fav. I also went with her recommendations for sides, the collard greens and the garlic pasta.

The meal came and it took all of my might not to finish every last bite on that plate. The fish was exactly what she said, similar to grouper but even better - blackened to perfection. It had a little kick and came with a drizzle of lemon caper sauce atop which added the perfect bit of acidity. The sides were also unparalleled. The pasta, while extremely simple was a perfect starch - angel hair dressed in olive oil and crispy garlic nuzzled right next to the star of the show - the collards. I truly can't describe it, but my mouth is watering thinking about them. When I probed her after the meal, the waitress said that the collards are cooked in a mixture of bacon, vinegar, and cholula. Honestly perfection.

I finished the meal off with key lime pie smothered in homemade whipped cream (a serious weakness) and then drove back to the hotel wishing I was staying another night to come back for more.

Anyways, last night I had that meal on my mind and while I knew I would NEVER be able to recreate even one iota of that delectable experience, I made my own mild little version.

I sprinkled a fat piece of cod with old bay seasoning, lemon juice and olive oil before wrapping it in a foil packet and popping it in the oven for 20 min at 400 degrees.

At that point my little red potatoes had been roasting in there for about 25 minutes (they need a total of about 45 minutes) until they are golden and Dahlicious.

Lastly I served it up with kale which I sauteed in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, a dash of old bay seasoning, and a sprinkle of red wine vinegar.

It was healthful and satisfying but it was no Owen's that's for sure. One day maybe I can hone in on my blackening skills and even learn that collards recipe... but until then I'll need to schedule more work trips down to Sarasota!

Chorizo & White Fish Stoup

Chorizo & White Fish Stoup... it seems like as Sunday approaches each week I have a minor internal (sometimes external meaning I complain to my roommate) that I have NO idea how in the world I will come up with 4 dinners that week. And then, somehow, a menu comes together. I'd say 3 out of 4 are usually just mash ups of our favorite go- to's and usually one is unique. This week, laying in bed wide awake early Sunday AM I started thinking of what my unique item could be and I don't know where the thought flew in from but suddenly in my head I saw "chorizo and fish stoup!" (FYI a Stoup is what Rachel Ray calls a lovely dish which is neither a soup or a stew but rather... a stoup!). And so I did a quick Google search to see if such a thing made sense outside of my little head and sure enough it seemed like there were plenty of other folks on the world wide web who had in fact had the same epiphany.

After reading a few of those recipe's I knew the general gist of how I'd go about it. And then I suddenly remembered the Swanson's Mexican Tortilla Soup Broth that is to die for.

What I used:

• 1/2 lb of ground chorizo from the butcher (you could also buy chorizo in a casing and cut into small pieces)
• 1 lb white fish (I used cod and had the butcher cut it into hunks for the soup)
• 1 box Swanson's Mexican Tortilla Soup Broth
• 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes (I used ones with garlic, onion, basil for a little extra flavor)
• 1/2 diced yellow onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 hand fulls of chopped Kale
• 3 diced celery stalks
• Juice of a lime
• Bay leaves
• Avocado (garnish)

How to:

In my lovely le creuset I browned the chorizo in olive oil. Now this chorizo was heavily seasoned with dark spices like paprika I assume so it was  a little hard to tell when it was cooked through (browned) but I sort of guessed from texture - it took 5-8 minutes I'd say.

Once the meat was browned I remove the chorizo and let it rest in a bowl while I added a little more olive oil, the onion, garlic, and celery. I cooked the veggies until they were translucent - this was also a great way to get up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Next I added my kale and let it slowly wilt into the already aromatic mixture of diced veggies. A pinch of salt and pepper were added.

Next I added back in the cooked chorizo and 3/4 of the can of diced tomatoes. I gave it a big stir and added the lime and bay leaves. I added the entire box of stock and brought it to a simmer for about 30 minutes.

Right before serving drop in your lovely chunks of white fish, if the soup is simmering it will only take about 3-5 minutes for the fish to be cooked through.

I served it up with a wedge of lime and hunks of avocado on top. You could also use some fresh herbs like cilantro or green onion - or even something cooling like sour cream!

The stew/soup was so Dahlicious, a tad spicy but in a flavorful way... not a burn your mouth way. Hope everyone like's this twist on your regular Mexican tortilla soup!

Picnic in the Park: Meatloaf

Picnic in the Park: Meatloaf... For those of you that live in a cold weather thriving metropolis you know how precious your outdoor summer time is. Dining al fresco isn't something we can enjoy all year round, and outdoor patios, balconies large enough for a table and chairs, and beaches aren't always at your disposal so sometimes you have to improvise. Last night was one of those nights, and we ventured about 5 blocks from our place to enjoy an early dinner in the park - picnic style.

I had already planned to make meatloaf, mushrooms, broccoli, and corn on Thursday earlier this week - then when we thought of the picnic idea I started thinking about the logistics (the engineer in me) - how to carry it, how to serve it, how to EAT it. I resolved to cook everything and even cut things up beforehand, put them in 3 separate tupper ware, and bring sturdy paper plates, napkins, as well as some regular silverware and serving spoons.

The Meal:
Meatloaf:
I use the same technique as these turkey meatballs - the secret is whisking 1 egg in a large bowl and adding about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs then let it stand for a few minutes until it becomes a paste. After that mix in your meat and whatever seasoning and voila - your loaf is ready to be baked! Last night I also slathered a bit of BBQ sauce on top before popping my 1.5lbs of ground chuck in the oven at 375 for about 35 minutes.

whisk 1 egg

add breadcrumbs - I use panko

mix into a paste

meatloaf pre bake

Sides:
While that was cooking I steamed up two lovely corns on the cob and carefully sliced off the kernels. My roomie doesn't like eating it off the cob so on his behalf I did a little dirty work before to make it easier at the picnic (actually not much work involved in slicing corn off the cob :-)). Also for the corn instead of grilling or boiling it, I wrapped each cleaned cob in a damp paper towel, placed them on a plate and popped them in the microwave for 4-5 minutes.Perfectly steamed.

corn wrapped in damp paper towels to steam

Next I sauteed a bunch of broccoli florets in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I got them nice and charred on some edges then steamed them through. YUM.

Lastly, I sauteed a bunch of sliced baby bella's in olive oil, salt, and pepper over high heat until they were dark golden and tender.

Serving:
The broccoli was scooped into a large glass tupperware and the corn followed suit in a smaller plastic one. For the main dish I cut the meatloaf into slices and loaded it into my largest glass tupperware, then topped it off with the sauteed mushrooms. I packed the tupperware in a plastic grocery bag, the silverware and napkins in a ziplock. Then I put it all in my lovely new Trader Joe's bag, handed the quilt to the big man and headed out for our picnic!

It was a delightful night and we look forward to doing it again soon! How do you eat home cooked meals outside in a big city?? Would love ideas!

Salmon & Coconut Broccoli

Salmon & Coconut Broccoli.... This meal was not something crazy innovative or different, but let's be honest if you're trying to make healthful meals in 30-45 minutes 4 nights a week we just can't be that creative all the time. But sometimes it's nice to spice things up in easy minimalistic ways, even if its just to feel like you aren't in a rut.

So Monday night instead of the normal routine of sauteing broccoli in grape seed oil and a tiny splash of water to steam... I steamed the broccoli in coconut milk and lime! Just a little twist, but added a fun element to the meal.

The salmon was done in a foil pouch in the  oven with the new handy dandy lettuce (or in this case spinach)  which keeps it very moist, almost like it's poached. Also served this meal up with sauteed yellow bell pepper and zucchini and all a top Trader Joe's Jasmine White Rice. I sprinkled some fresh chopped green onions over the salmon and voila!

coconut milk bubbling before adding the broccoli

Enjoy!

Bell Pepper Taco Shells

Bell Pepper Taco Shells... I don't know why I haven't ever thought of this before, but it was quite genius. So we all know stuffed bell peppers right? They usually include a bell pepper with the top (stem part) cut off and then they're filled with ground meat and rice etc. Well this week I started thinking that sounded like a yummy idea but I wanted a Mexican twist. So I decided to eliminate the rice and use taco seasonings to make a beef taco filling for my stuffed peppers.

But then the more I thought about it, and once I saw the long oval like red peppers at the market this week I figured, why don't i cut them longways and make them like taco shells? Well guess what, it worked beautifully and here is what I can report out:

What I used:

• 2 long red bell peppers (cut in half, de-seeded and rinsed)
• 1-1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 can of rotel original (tomatoe with peppers)
• Shredded Cheese
• Avocado 
• Salsa

After cutting the bell peppers in half I drizzled them with a tiny olive oil and popped them in the oven skin side down on a baking sheet and 350 for about 10 minutes while I cooked my ground beef. 

To flavor the beef, I browned it first, then removed as much of the excess oil as possible. Once removed I added a packet for taco seasoning and half the can of rotel. This adds a nice chunky tomatoyness to the mixture and a bit of liquid which you lose when you remove the oil/fat. 

Once the beef was all browned and Dahlicious I ladled it into the bell pepper taco shells, sprinkled with cheese and popped in the broiled for a minute or two until the cheese was melted. I served them with fresh salsa and a perfectly rive avocado - Dahlish!!

They were easy to fork and knife or pick right up like a taco... and best of all, very guilt free. You could make this even "better" for you by replacing the ground beef with turkey for a very low fat/cal option.

Enjoy!