Get Your Juices Flowin.

There are moments. Moments where all is right with the world and especially moments where all is right in the kitchen. Last night was one of those precious moments (and I'm not talkin' about those cheesy figurines some of you collected back in the 80s, no offense to those who are still collecting). Most nights I have a plan for dinner and if not, I have some go-to items for those nights when cooking isn't realistic.

On Monday night, I made a pit-stop at Whole Foods to pick up a few veggies and fruits for the week. I tend to stay clear of packaged veggies but there was a pre-packaged container of stir fry veggies that caught my eye. Chunks of portabella and crimini mushrooms, leeks, napa cabbage, ginger, and bok choy. I was caught up in the "moment" and figured what the hell....I'll give it a whirl. I decided to make a stir fry of these veggies and for the main course I was going to make a piece of halibut (which I purchased from my favorite butcher/fishmonger, McCall's).

So last night was D-day. Earlier in the day, instead of working, I was day dreaming about how to prepare the halibut. I came up with a lemon panko crusted halibut. Added lemon zest, salt and pepper to some panko bread crumbs. Made a egg eash and a plate with all-purpose flour. Three steps - put fish in egg wash, then flour, then panko bread crumbs mixture. I seared the piece of fish in some olive oil before finishing it off in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.

My biggest dilemma was a sauce for the stir-fried veggies. I would not be satisfied with soy sauce alone. So I made a little concoction while the veggies were cookin' and the halibut was roasting. The concoction consisted of chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili paste in soybean oil. I didn't measure, I just played around with amounts and found the perfect consistency (but if I were to guess-timate, I would say, 1 tbs. chili garlic sauce, 1/2 tsp. sesame oil, 1/2 tbs. soy sauce, 1 tbs. chili paste in soybean oil). About two mintes before I took the halibut out, I tossed this concoction with the veggies and let it simmer. Squeezed some lemon juice over the fish and the meal was complete. Sweet victory!!!!!!!!

Part Deux and Part Tres: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Earlier this week, I blogged about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and my attempt at one of his recipes, which turned out pretty damn tasty. I also promised a future post on a few other recipes from his book which I made later in the week. Chicken and Leek Stroganoff and Italian Pan Seared Tuna.

The Salmon Tikka I made at the beginning of the week was delicious, satisfying and a terrific choice for a quick weeknight fix. The Chicken and Leek Stroganoff, not so much. I had high hopes for this recipe, but it just turned out into something bland and a bit on the boring side. And let's be honest, with the cream, it wasn't exactly "healthy".

The Italian Pan Seared Tuna on the other hand, was scrumptious. Seasoned with salt, pepper and oregano, I seared the tuna in a little olive oil and kept it warm in the oven while I sauteed cherry heirloom tomatoes, anchovies, olives and a ton of basil. I finished the dish with some bowtie pasta and I couldn't have had a bigger smile on my lil' face. There are still a few recipes I want to try before I return the book to my library, but one can't argue with 2 out of 3 recipes named a success.

What's fer Dinner?

Like the rest of America, I too, was sucked into Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Of course, I watched it post all of the hype. After watching the series one weekend online, I decided to borrow his book from the library (aptly named after the series). Oliver is enduring, adorable and you can't help but fall in love with his political rhetoric, he means business and he cares. That much I know is true, his message is simple and his heart is in the right place. If you haven't watched the series, Oliver goes to what has been dubbed as the most unhealthy city in American, in an effort to educate them with respect to cooking fresh, simple and healthy meals. He hits many walls and obstacles, but he doesn't give in to fear and barge ahead, spreading his gospel.

Tonight, I made one of his 20 minute recipes - Quick Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt (pictured above). Guess what? I actually made the dish in 20 minutes, prep and all, I was pretty surprised. It was fresh, simple and uber tasty. I've planned on making a couple other recipes from the book this week, so I guess we could dub this week, "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Week: Part 1".

The salmon was rubbed with a tandoori paste and sauteed in a pan. I made a quick yogurt sauce with greek yougrt, cucumbers, lemon juice, red chile, salt and pepper. Put a piece of garlic naan from Trader Joe's in the oven and voila, supper. I'm looking forward to trying the other recipes this week.

Mango Mama.

Last night my dad and I went grocery shopping at two of my favorite grocery stores- Whole Foods and Trader Joes (Sorry Ft. Wayners, neither exist in your area,closest is Indy). We bought some delicious albacore and planned on grilling it, along with some veggies (yellow squash pictured above). I've always loved grilled fish with mango salsa, but had never made my own, so I decided to top off the grilled albacore with it! Off to Vallarta I went, this afternoon, and picked up some cheap and delicious produce to toss into this heavenly concotion. So what's inmy mango salsa,you ask? One mango, about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, 1 minced jalapeno, half of a red onion, 1 small diced avocado, juice of one lime, salt and pepper to taste. The salsa was so refreshing and it featured all of the qualities with respect to flavor. The sweet succulence of the mango, the heat of the jalapeno, the freshness of cilantro, tang from the lime and buttery and creaminess from the avocado. A delicious and healthy way to top off a piece of grilled meat. Try it sometime, you will thank me. I swear.

PS - Must give props to my dad who grilled the fish,he marinated it in a little soy sauce, lemon juice and olive oil! He's the grilling master!