08/16 tonight i wanted to experiment with a fish i had never made before....red snapper. every time i see it at the seafood counter i am smitten by the bright pink scales. in searching for recipes, the "vera cruz" style kept popping up. a spicy tomato sauce flavored with jalapeños, capers, green olives, onion and garlic. and a whole handful of herbs and spices. snapper is a stronger flavored fish, with a firm texture. it stands up well to the hearty sauce! i served the fish on a bed of garlic mashed cauliflower, which was perfect for soaking up all the extra sauce! adding a side of roasted asparagus completed the dish.
08/17 tonight i ventured out to meet some co-workers for a wine and cheese night. my meal consisted of green peppercorn sausage, smoked havarti, cranberry chèvre and fresh veggies. and of course....wine!
08/18 as often as i make stuffed chicken breast dinners, i decided to mix things up a bit and do a stuffed pork tenderloin for tonight's meal. specifically a "cubano" stuffed pork loin. a small loin butterflied and flattened. a healthy spread of mustard. layers of ham, swiss and sweet pickles. a dry rub of brown sugar, cumin, thyme, garlic and oregano. all rolled up together and roasted. all the amazing flavors of a cuban sandwich but without the extra calories and carbs of the bread. a side of spicy mashed black beans and fresh pineapple completed this meal!
08/19 as soon as we got the smoker, i knew one of the things i wanted to try was baby back ribs. wonderful, tender, flavorful baby back pork ribs. rubbed with a sweet and smokey combination of brown sugar, black pepper, paprika and garlic salt. slow smoked with hickory chips. drizzled with sweet baby rays just at the end.... the taste on these was AMAZING!!!! i want to try it a few more times to get the texture "fall off the bone" perfect. but these are definitely heading in the right direction. and for a side? i took our new found favorite of blue cheese cole slaw and moved it up another notch (if you can believe it). i added.....slivered granny smith apple! the sweet and tart addition of the green apple paired perfectly with the smokey pork ribs.
08/20 tonight tony and i took a stroll to the neighborhood irish pub for a night out and a much needed whiskey. while there i ordered a cheddar and tomato toastie (which is uk for grilled cheese). now a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich is a wonderful thing in it's own right. but at this particular establishment? there's a side that ups the ante. the usual plate comes with french fries. but if you are nice to your bartender? and known to give good tips? they will happily serve those french fries with CURRY SAUCE!!!!!!!! it is the most wonderful savory spiced gravy known throughout good chip shops across the uk. and o'sullivans does it right!
08/21 when i first started talking about this culinary goal of mine, i pulsed my co-workers to see if they had any special or signature dishes they could recommend to add to the rotation. one co-worker told me she was known for her jerk chicken. and the key ingredient was "walkerswood" seasoning. luckily i stumbled across a jar at one of our local markets!! now this jerk seasoning is not for the faint of heart! one of the main ingredients is scotch bonnets (habanero peppers) so you know it's going to have some heat. i used a generous amount of the mix with chicken broth and lime juice as a marinade for a mix of chicken breast and thighs. i let the mix sit overnight, then baked at 375 until done! the result was a spicy, but oh-so-flavorful fall apart tender and juicy chicken. served with corn on the cob and some cilantro lime rice. a lovely way to end the weekend!
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