Fish in a Bag

I saw this recipe on foodgawker and thought it would be good because Blake said he would eat fish cooked in a bag. I thought this was pretty fresh and healthy, and I liked that it was easy to cook and clean up, but Blake didn't like it much. He'd prefer a more oily fish that is baked to have some sort of crust. Oh well.

Ingredients (per packet):
1 cod fillet
½ small fennel, finely sliced
Handful of couscous
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful of basil and parsley leaves
Juice of half a small lemon, and couple of slices for cooking with
¾ cup of stock
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°C. Tear off a big piece of foil, line it with parchment paper, lay your fennel and couscous first, then the fish on top. Place the herbs, tomatoes, and lemon slices all over the fish and couscous. Season with salt and pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil over the lot.

Use another piece of foil, cover the pack, and squish three of the edges real tight (don’t want the yummy juices leaking out – Jamie used egg to seal the edges but I don’t find it necessary). Leave one of the edges open, so you can pour in the stock. Seal the last edge tight and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes.

BBQ chicken baked potato

I got this idea looking at foodgawker but made it up myself. We really liked it and Blake used the leftover chicken in a delicious quesadilla the next day.

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast
bbq sauce
large baking potatoes
cheddar cheese
salt, pepper, olive oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400. Prick the potatoes with a fork and roll them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake them directly on the rack in the oven for a little over an hour. Meanwhile, coat the chicken breasts in bbq sauce and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool and shred. Add additional bbq sauce if needed for moistness. When potatoes are done, cut a slit down the center and spread open. Stuff with the shredded bbq chicken. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and return to the oven until heated through and until the cheese is melted. Top with some cilantro and serve.

Turkey Chili

I can't remember at all where I got this recipe. I may have made it up. I think it's turkey chili with onion, corn, kidney beans, red pepper, diced tomatoes and cilantro. I like to eat it over rice with cheddar cheese. Next time I'll try to remember to write down the recipe I used. :(

Greek Style Meatballs

I made this for Shabbat Dinner as well. The recipe comes from Real Simple, but called for ground lamb, which I wasn't able to find. I used beef instead and it turned out pretty good anyway. I think Blake liked the meatballs and was happy that I put feta all over the vegetables, but he doesn't like to eat that much raw tomato.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 small red onion, half finely chopped and half thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
1 box couscous
fresh lemon juice
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
4 ounces Feta, crumbled
Brianna's Poppy seed dressing.

Directions:
Heat broiler. In a medium bowl, combine the meat, coriander, chopped onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Form the meat into 1 ½-inch balls (about 20) and place them on a broilerproof baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the couscous according to package instructions.
Toss vegetables with dressing and serve with the couscous and meatballs with sliced onion, feta, and lemon juice on top.

Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

I made this soup for Shabbat and thought it was amazing. I really loved it and ate half the bowl before I remembered to take a picture. My mom was in town and had gone to the grocery for me. She bought some pre-cooked, sliced sweet potatoes. I think it was about 2 small potatoes in all. It really saved a lot of time.

Ingredients:
Pre-cooked sweet potatoes (about 2)
1 onion, chopped
1 green apple, chopped
ground coriander, ground ginger
vegetable broth
olive oil
salt, pepper

Directions:
Cook the onion in olive oil over medium heat until softened. Add apple, and sautee until softened. Add cooked sweet potato pieces and toss to coat. Add vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and puree with an immersion blender. Season with ground coriander and ground ginger. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Marinated Flank Steak with Tomato Cous cous

I made this for Shabbat dinner with my mom was in town for the weekend. I marinated the steak, but I can't remember exactly what i marinated it in. It was in the fridge for a while and then marinating at room temperature until Blake grilled it. We served it with the warm cous cous and a green salad with challah, all after the potato soup. I found the cous cous recipe on foodgawker a while back and had been waiting for a chance to make it.

Steak Marinade:
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
Garlic
Dried Herbs
Salt, Pepper

Cous Cous Ingredients:
1 cup Israeli couscous
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onions, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute, tossing occasionally with tongs, for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar, balsamic, turmeric, and 1/4 teaspoon more salt, and continue cooking, and giving a stir or two, over this assertive heat for 5 more minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and cook, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes longer, or until very soft, glisteny, and sweet. Meanwhile, boil water and drop the couscous in to cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water. Stir in the cooked couscous, top with the tomatoes, and serve warm, or at room temperature.

Potato Leek Soup

I am trying to make soup on Friday night's for Shabbat for Blake. This is one I wanted to try so I looked up some recipes on foodgawker to try to copy. The recipe I used called for fennel, but I don't think I used it. The soup came out well, but it was not super flavorful or exciting. It would have been good topped with some cheddar cheese also.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. butter
2 medium leeks, white & light green parts, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. white wine
3 largish, white-fleshed potatoes, peeled & diced
1 tsp. dried thyme
dash of cayenne
salt to taste
fresh chives, chopped (for garnish)
freshly ground black pepper (for garnish)

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, and garlic, and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to medium-high, add wine and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the potatoes, thyme, 5 cups of water, dash of cayenne, and season with salt. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
Puree the soup using an immersion blender. Soup should be smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh chives and freshly ground black pepper.