Baked Tilapia with Corn Salsa

We're in it.  It's full-on Summer now.  I'm even wearing shorts, and I hate wearing shorts.  But, it's what you have to do in the Summer, and folks, it's Summer.

I loving every minute of it so far.  I'm doing a lot of stoop-sitting until the sun goes down, which is gloriously late.  I'm doing some indoor grilling on my 35 pound (new) cast iron grill pan.  I'm taking leisurely walks with my sunglasses on.  I'm driving to the beach on the weekends with my camera and my sandals.  I'm eating a lot of fresh, simple food that celebrates the flavors of Summer.

I'm doing it all!  You should too.

This simple tilapia dish is packed-full of fresh Summer flavor, and only requires one pan and a couple sheets of foil.  It's the perfect Summer dinner.

Let's go!

Start by cutting up a bunch of vegetables.

Jalapenos, bell pepper, tomato, and two ears of corn, to be exact.

Line a baking sheet with two overlapping sheets of foil and add all the vegetables, tossing them all together well.  Add a couple of cloves of smashed garlic, then season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice.

This is enough vegetables for about 3 or 4 servings of fish, so if you are making more than one, split it up evenly between foil packets.

Next, roughly chop about 1/2 a cup of cilantro and throw it on top of the vegetables.  Now place a filet of tilapia on top of the cilantro.

Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Take the other half of that lime and slice it into thin rings, then place the lime rings on top of the fish.

Throw the other half of the lime in there for good measure.  It's all going to be wrapped up, anyway!  Take the two long sides of the foil sheets and bring them together.  Fold the foil down to create a long tube of foil.  Then take the ends and fold them towards the center, creating a foil packet.

Foil camouflage!

Put that in the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the fish is opaque throughout and easily flakes with a fork.  I ended up having to cook mine much longer because of all the vegetables on the bottom, but if you're making this for more than one person, and will have less vegetables underneath, 35-40 minutes should be fine.

When it's done, take it out of the oven and carefully open the foil packet.

It's going to smell amazing.  Discard the large lime half and the smashed cloves of garlic--they were just there for flavor.  You can leave the lime slices because they look pretty on the plate.  I served mine with refried black beans with a little feta on top, a la this recipe, and some steamed rice.   The vegetable salsa goes on top of the fish, and as I had a lot of vegetable salsa, I served mine with a lot on top.

Isn't that a pretty, festive, Summery plate?  It smelled amazing, and tasted even better.  The tender, flaky fish took on the flavors of the lime and cilantro, and the corn is something I'm still thinking about.

Tell me, is there anything better than fresh, Summer corn?  I don't think there is.  It's unbelievably sweet and crunchy and I want some right now.  It's the perfect addition to any Summer meal.

These are the things Summer was made for: easy, simple recipes that showcase the freshness of the ingredients.  It's healthy, it's flavorful, and it's so very delicious.

Here's the recipe!

Baked Tilapia with Corn Salsa (Vegetables serve 4, add one Tilapia filet per serving)


Ingredients

• 2 jalapenos, diced
• 1 bell pepper (I like the red ones the best), diced
• 1 tomato (or two, if using Roma), diced
• 2 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (less if desired)
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for fish
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for fish
• 1 lime
• 1 tilapia filet (per packet)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with two sheets of foil, overlapping.  Set aside.
2. Toss all vegetables together and season with cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and the juice of half the lime.  Add vegetables to the center of the sheets of foil.  Add chopped cilantro and place filet of Tilapia on top of the cilantro.  Season the fish with salt and pepper, then top with slices of lime from the other half of the lime.  
3. Fold the two longest ends of the foil together to meet in the center above the tilapia.  Fold the ends together so it forms a long foil tube.  Take the ends of the tube and fold them towards the center to create a tight packet.  
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, depending on how many servings you are making.  You may have to cook it more, as I did.  The tilapia is finished when it is completely opaque and can be easily flaked with a fork. 
5. Serve with rice and beans, or some warmed, toasted corn tortillas and avocado slices.

Enjoy!

Soft Pretzels at Home

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to make things that I previously thought had to be bought.  People say, "But Hatsie, you can buy ricotta cheese, butter (which I'm doing this summer), ground beef, etc, etc, etc."  To which I reply, "You certainly can, but why buy when you can make?!"  Then I skip off into the sunset, tripping only twice.

Soft pretzels used to be one of those things for me.  Soft pretzels are something you buy at the mall or in the airport entirely because their smell is intoxicating.  No one really needs a soft pretzel--but since when do we care about that?  Since never.  So imagine my excitement when I found a recipe for homemade soft pretzels.  A kitchen project that makes my apartment smell like a mall, but in a good way?  Count me in.

The best, and most dangerous, part of this revelation is that I realized how simple it is to make soft pretzels at home.  If you can make bread dough rise, and you have a free afternoon, you can make pretzels.

Let's do it!

Start with your yeast.  Dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar in some warm water and add a package of active dry yeast.  Leave it to for 5 minutes do it's thing, that is to say, get foamy.

While that is sitting, prepare your dry ingredients.  In the bowl of a stand mixer add flour, sugar, and salt.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, while you're at it.

Yeast is ready!

Pour the yeast mixture and the melted butter into the dry ingredients.

With the dough hook attached to your electric mixer, mix on low until shaggy dough forms, then increase speed to medium and knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.   Use your judgment, but this could take anywhere between 5-10 minutes.  When dough is ready, remove from the bowl, wipe out any contents, add oil, then return dough to the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for at least an hour, or until doubled in size.

One hour (ish) later, doubled in size!

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and carefully divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.

Now lets make pretzels.  Take a piece of dough and roll it out into a rope, approximately 2 feet long and an inch thick.

Shape that rope into a U shape.

Twist the ends of the U.

And bring the ends down to the bottom of the U, pressing slightly at the seams.

Repeat for remaining 7 pieces of dough.

Alright!  Now that our pretzels are shaped, we have to boil them.  Bring 10 cups of water and 2/3 cup of baking soda to a boil.

Drop pretzels in, using a slotted spoon or spatula, and let boil for about 1 minute.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate and repeat for all 8 pretzels.  I don't have pictures of this part because baking-soda-water is tumultuous and requires constant awareness, so I'll just tell you what comes next.  Take boiled pretzels and arrange them onto two oiled baking sheets.  It's super important to grease the baking sheets because these things will stick.

Now it's time to add toppings.  Make an egg wash by mixing one egg and a tablespoon of water together.  Brush the tops of the pretzels with egg wash, then top with your desired toppings.  I did four classic salt pretzels with just a sprinkling of kosher salt, and then the other four I topped with cheese; two with Parmesan cheese and two with cheddar.

The pretzels are baked in a 450 degree oven for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are a nice, deep, golden brown.

At this point, your kitchen/apartment/house smells like Auntie Anne's and you have 8 soft pretzels staring at you.  Some of them have cheese on them.  You win.  Pat yourself on the back.

The pretzels are chewy and soft and beautifully brown on top.  I wrapped up two and K and I took them for a nice walking-dinner around the park.  Then we had more when we got back, because hello there were more soft pretzels there.

You can top these with pretty much anything you wish, too.  Jalapenos would be amazing with cheese, and cinnamon-sugar is a classic.  Get creative with it!  Just make soft pretzels.  Everyone will be super impressed, and you can be all, "This was nothing, have another pretzel!  But not the one with the cheese.  That one is mine."

Here's the recipe!

Soft Pretzels at Home (Adapted slightly from Shutterbean)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (should be slightly warmer than your hand.  110-115 degrees is perfect)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• vegetable oil for the bowl and for greasing the pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• For toppings:
• salt
• cheddar or Parmesan cheese (or any cheese you like!)
• pickled jalapenos
• cinnamon-sugar

Method

1. Dissolve sugar in warm water and sprinkle yeast on top.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.  If it doesn't foam, throw the mixture out and start again with new yeast.  
2. Add flour and salt to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.  When yeast is foamy, add yeast mixture and melted butter to the dry ingredients.  Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms, then increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes.  
3. Remove the dough from the bowl and wipe out any excess flour.  Oil the bowl and return dough to the bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for at least an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.  
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line two sheet pans with foil and grease them with either vegetable oil or cooking spray.  Set aside.
5. Bring 10 cups of water and baking soda to a boil.
6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.  Shape the pretzels by rolling out each piece of dough into a 1 inch diameter rope, about 24 inches long.  Form a U-shape with the dough, twist the ends, and then fold the ends down, pressing slightly to seal the edges.  
7. When all the pretzels are shaped, add pretzels to the boiling water one by one, using a slotted spoon or spatula, and boil for about 1 minute.  Set aside on a paper towel lined plate or baking pan.  Repeat with remaining pretzels. 
8. Brush the tops of the pretzels with the egg wash and top with desired toppings.  Bake until a deep, golden brown color, about 12-14 minutes.  Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.  

*Pretzels are best enjoyed the day of baking, but can be revived by a quick turn in the microwave.

Enjoy!

Baked Penne in Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Since we last talked, a couple of things have happened.  One, I spent a super long, super luxurious weekend in Texas with my family.  It was filled with fun, food, and wonderful people.  And warm weather.  It was lovely.

I also had surgery this week and am down an organ since the last time I wrote.  This being a food blog, I won't go into any more detail, because personally I don't think the words gallbladder and gorgonzola cream sauce belong anywhere near each other.  Except for just then.  Sorry.  So anyway, I've been recovering all weekend, which means when I'm awake I'm bored out of my mind because I'm basically tethered to my couch, only able to walk in a very hunched, very slow manner, and when I'm asleep, I'm, well, very asleep.  

I'll be fine, better, even, as soon as I can stand upright.  Until then I'm laying low, cooking light, clean, easy dishes, and enjoying my air conditioning and my snuggly kitten.  And also telling you about a couple of delicious meals, like this one!  Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Pasta.  All of these things I love.

Lets go!

Start by melting some butter in a skillet.

Then mince some garlic and throw it into the butter, letting it cook for about a minute, until fragrant.

After the garlic cooks for about a minute, add some flour and whisk constantly until it forms a roux.  Then add some chicken stock slowly, whisking constantly, until it is completely incorporated.

Next add some half and half and whisk until incorporated.  Cook until slightly thickened, until it can coat the back of a spoon.  

Season with salt, pepper, and a touch of cayenne pepper.  Whisk to incorporate and then add 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola and whisk until melted.  Turn the heat down low and whisk occasionally, while the pasta is boiling.

Boil your pasta, by the way!  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add penne.  Cook until al dente, then drain and return to the pot.  Pour gorgonzola cream sauce on top of the pasta and toss to combine, until all the penne is coated in the sauce.

Now, up until now this dish was based on a dish I had years ago in Italy.  It was spaghetti with a gorgonzola cream sauce and it was rich, decadent, and wonderful.  When I was remembering that dish, I remembered something crunchy, a nice textural contrast against the creamy sauce.  That in mind, I decided to bake this and hopefully get some crunchy bits on top.

I dotted the top with some added crumbles of gorgonzola then topped it with grated Parmesan cheese.

I put that in the oven and baked it until the cheese was slightly browned and completely melted and bubbly.  

Then I served this very simply, with Parmesan cheese on top.  

Now, let me tell you something.  This was absolutely divine.  It was creamy and rich and comforting, with a nice little bite from the gorgonzola.  Like a grown up mac and cheese.  

The penne is enveloped in the velvety sauce yet while the top layer of pasta and cheese did get nicely toasted, I still wanted more crunch, more contrast.  Then it hit me--the crunch from the pasta in Florence wasn't from a baking dish or even breadcrumbs.  It was pistachios!  Salty, fruity, perfect little green crunchy pistachios.  And naturally I only remembered this halfway through my bowl.

So when I do this again, and believe me I will, I will skip the baking altogether and garnish the top with chopped pistachios.  As is, however, it was delicious and decadent, and almost just how I remembered it being.

Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with gorgonzola cheese, and this pasta is no exception.  Pair with grilled shrimp or chicken for a little protein, or eat it plain, just like I did.  Try it with the chopped pistachios and let me know how it goes, because from what I remember, it's the perfect addition.  

And as for me, I'll be hobbling around, doing my thing, getting better.  Don't you worry about me!

Here's the recipe!

Baked Penne in Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup fat free half and half (you can use cream if you want)
• 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese, plus more to taste
• salt and pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• **Chopped pistachios, optional

Method

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook, according to package instructions, to al dente.  Drain and return to the pot.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking dish with foil.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Sprinkle in flour and whisk until it forms a smooth roux.  Slowly add chicken stock, whisking constantly so no lumps form.  Let cook for one minute until slightly thickened.  Add half and half and whisk to combine.  Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes.  Add gorgonzola cheese and whisk until smooth.  
3. Pour gorgonzola cream sauce over the drained pasta and toss to combine.  You can serve this as is, with chopped pistachios on top, or you can bake it, like I did, in which case, please continue.
4. Transfer pasta to prepared baking dish and dot with additional gorgonzola cheese.  Top with grated Parmesan and bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is starting to brown.  Serve in bowls with added Parmesan and black pepper on top.

Enjoy!

Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic-Chili Oil and Arugula

Currently on my mind:

That cool breeze blowing through the window feels lovely.

This cat, sleeping upside down with all four paws in the air, is snoring very loudly.  That's probably not normal.

I might make another cup of tea.  I should go to the gym.

I could use a manicure.

I want to start painting again.

I need a new series on Netflix to watch.

What happened to that knife?  The blade, which is supposed to be steel, inexplicably broke in half in my sink.  What is in my sink that could break a steel chefs knife?  Should I be worried?

Why is Gordon Ramsey so terrible on Hell's Kitchen, but so nice on MasterChef?  And why does Joe Bastianich taste the food and then look enigmatically, and disdainfully, at the person and not say a word?  What does he think he's doing there?  

Oh, and naturally, Pasta.  I'm always thinking about pasta.  

It's clear that I've got a thing for pasta, but surprisingly, I've never been crazy about angel hair pasta.  It always seems overcooked, under-seasoned, and completely overwhelmed by whatever it's served with.  So when I found this recipe on Shutterbean, based on Tyler Florence's recipe, I was torn.  I love arugula, chili, lemon, and garlic, not so crazy about the pasta.  

Assuming I'd been unfairly judging the daintiest of pastas, I gave it a try, and I'm very happy I did.

Let's go!

Gather your ingredients: lemon, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and sliced garlic.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook gently for about five minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.  You want the oil nice and infused with all that garlic and heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and add angel hair pasta.  Cook according to package directions, about 3-4 minutes.  

While the pasta is cooking, take the oil off the heat and add the lemon zest then season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

When pasta is done cooking, reserve some of the pasta water then drain.  Return drained pasta to the pot and add about three large handfuls of baby arugula.  Toss to combine so the arugula gently wilts into the hot pasta.  

Add the garlic chili oil and toss to combine, adding a splash of the starchy cooking water to loosen the sauce if necessary.  Squeeze lemon over the whole thing and add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  Toss to combine and serve in bowls with more cheese and an added squeeze of lemon on top for brightness.

There's a lot to be said about this dish's simplicity.  The flavors are clean, bright, and fresh and do not overwhelm the angel hair pasta.  

I have a serious thing for arugula, so I made mine with more arugula and less pasta, but the beauty of this is that each person can customize their serving however they want!  More pasta, less pasta, it's your world.  

With a pasta so delicate, the flavors you pair with it need to be just as light and delicate.  This was the perfect combination of delicious, simple, quick, and fresh.  It's perfect for a summer dinner al fresco or a quick weeknight meal.  

And if I find out what happened to my knife, I'll let you know.  

Here's the recipe!

Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic-Chili Oil and Arugula (Adapted from Shutterbean)

Ingredients

• 1 box angel hair pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• salt and pepper
• about 6 cups baby arugula (I just used one whole pre-packaged bag)
• Parmesan for serving

Method

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and chili flakes and cook over gentle heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Watch carefully so the garlic doesn't begin to brown.  Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and add lemon zest.  
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook angel hair pasta according to package directions, about 3-4 minutes.  Reserve about 1/2 a cup of the cooking liquid and drain.  Return to the pot and add arugula, tossing to combine.  The arugula will wilt into the hot pasta.  Add infused oil and toss again, adding pasta water to loosen if necessary.  Squeeze lemon juice over the whole thing and toss.  Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
3. Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan cheese and an extra squeeze of lemon.

Enjoy!