[steakhouse rice]

Serves 2 as a side dish (but we’re talking 2 hungry people, because Ben and I couldn’t eat it all – but it makes good leftovers too).

Ingredients:
2 cups beef or chicken stock or canned broth
1 cup uncooked long grain converted white rice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup diced white onion
3 to 4 mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
Bring the stock to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan.  Add the rice, stir, cover and reduce to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. 
When the rice has cooked for about 10 minutes, (with 10 remaining…), heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  (Note: use a large skillet – read ahead). 
When the oil is hot, add the onion and mushroom to the pan.  Saute for 5 minutes..  When the rice is done, add it to the skillet and turn the heat to medium/low.  Add the frozen peas, chili powder and salt.  Stir and heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve with grilled steak or chicken.

[beer battered fish tacos]

Batter: 

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/3 cup beer

2 tsp canola oil (or more if needed, we use a huge skillet, so I do one batch of fish with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, but only a thin layer)

Fish:

8 ounces tilapia, cut crosswuse into 1-inch wide strips

Sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp hot sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tsp garlic, chopped

1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 

Freshly ground black pepper

Milk to thin sauce

Tacos:

8 flour tortillas

1/2 head of green cabbage or lettuce, shredded

Shredded Cheese

Limes (for squeezing on tacos)

Directions:

Combine flour, cumin, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl.  Whisk in beer to create batter.

Coat tilapia pieces in the batter.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Letting excess batter drip back into the bowl, add the fish to the pan; cook until crispy and golden, 2-4 minutes per side.  As they're done, place them on a plate with a paper towel to drain the oil.  

In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients, except the milk.  After the sauce is combined, add the milk slowly until desired consistency.  (It should be kind of thin so you can easily drizzle it in your taco).

Heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds.  Arrange tacos as you'd like, combining fish, sauce, lettuce/cabbage, shredded cheese, lime juice.

[asian broiled salmon]

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Asian Grilled Salmon

This recipe feeds four.  We take enough salmon to feed 2 and halve the marinade.  

Directions
1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)

For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
 

Set oven to broil.  While the oven is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Place salmon on something with sides (like a platter), drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
 

Place salmon on a foil covered baking sheet that is ok for the broiler.  Place the salmon skin side up on the foil; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and broil for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.
 

Remove salmon from the oven and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Cover with foil and allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve.

[chicken piccata]

I made this thanks to leftover ingredients in the house, and it's now a family favorite.  We don't usually have lemons sitting around, but I always keep lemon juice in the fridge - I substitute the bottled stuff.

Ingredients:

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1/2 Tbsp water

3/4 cup bread crumbs (Italian Seasoned or Plain with some Italian Seasonings (basil, oregano, thyme) thrown in)

Olive Oil

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

1/3 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/2 cup dry white wine

Chopped fresh parley (not crucial - I always leave it out)

Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper in a shallow plate.  In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 Tbsp of water together.  Place the bread crumbs on a third plate.  Dip each chicken breast in the flour - shake off the excess - and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.  

Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned.  Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5-10 minutes while you make the sauce.

Sauce:

Wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel.  Over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes.  Off the heat, add the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and swirl to combine.  (Adjust seasoning to taste - should be tart).  

Serve 1 chicken breast on each plate and spoon the sauce over each breast.  Garnish with parsley (again, only if you've got it - it's not a deal breaker).

[shrimp tacos]

These are so good...

1 lb medium shrimp: peeled, deveined and tails removed

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp chile powder

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lime

Warm flour tortillas

Shredded Lettuce or Cabbage

Shredded Cheese (we use Colby Jack)

Sauce:

combine and reserve for serving - the amounts really depend on your taste - but is a must

2-3 large spoonfuls of Mayo 

A few shakes of Chipotle

Splash of milk to thin.

Shrimp:
In a large bowl combine the garlic, cumin, chile, pepper and salt.  Mix and add shrimp.  Stir until all shrimp are covered.  Cover bowl with saran wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.  

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Once the oil is ready - add the shrimp and saute until pink (about 5-8 minutes).  Remove the skillet from the heat and then add the lime juice.  Stir shrimp and serve on tortillas with dollop or two of sauce, lettuce (or cabbage) and cheese.