South Dakota Magazine Recap

It is that time of year when things start to get a little cray-cray. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and then there is no stopping Christmas and all of the many holiday events. Throw in a little year-end business and a few bouts of bad weather, and before we know it 2014 will be done.

Before I get caught up in that whirlwind, maybe I should do another South Dakota Magazine Recap. I have shared several recipes (and a few stories) online with South Dakota Magazine since my last update in early April.

For Easter, I considered a new tradition of layering asparagus, ham, and pasta with cheese and a creamy sauce. Ham and Asparagus Lasagna is a perfectly elegant comfort food worthy of a Spring holiday table.

Cinco de Mayo was observed with simple Sausage and Feta Tacos. The day is a celebration of a Mexican military victory and more than just party with "2 for 1" margarita deals.

My husband was fearful that I would give up his prime asparagus hunting ground when I shared some of his wild asparagus secrets. If you are lucky enough to receive a bouquet of freshly cut wild asparagus, I recommend trying Asparagus Ravioli in Parmesan Broth.

I am happy to report that as summer dawned, the snakes in my backyard seemed to move on. Harvest of strawberries and rhubarb for Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars was uneventful...and the bars were delicious.

Nilla is still living in town with us, and before the snow, I noticed a new hole in my cleared-for-fall garden. She must still be digging for worms. I should have taken her fishing for some walleye to make Lemon Butter Fish.

Avocado Toast with Radish Salad pulls from produce both local, and not. Sourcing my food from whatever origins are available for the tastiest options is my "diet" plan.

I didn't get a great spinach harvest from the garden this year, but did manage enough for a few Spinach and Garlic Vinaigrette Salads.

Keeping cool was easy this summer with the Asian influenced Peanut and Cucumber Salad.

If I want to kiss my husband, I need keep my toothbrush handy whenever Bleu Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad is on the menu.

Scrambled Eggs with Pesto and White Beans is a powerhouse for breakfast and an excellent place to start while working toward those big dreams for the day.

In September, I guided Laura from the South Dakota Magazine offices through a south-central South Dakota adventure and made time for some Pho-ish Soup.

Homecoming revealed a little background of a long ago spontaneous pancake party in Colome, and I shared the story with the puffed pancake of a Dutch Baby with Caramel Sauce and Bananas.

As the winter allows Hubs more time at home in the evenings, I can't wait for movie night and Pomegranate and Popcorn.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup is a perfect fall bowl of comfort. Topping this rich, savory soup with crumbled queso and sliced green onions enhance the earthy flavors.

And, finally, I have the tart jewel of your Thanksgiving table: Homemade Cranberry Sauce, even though I kinda miss the nostalgia of those perfect rings on the log of sauce from the can.

Whew. What a list of amazing recipes! I hope you have had the opportunity to enjoy a few, and I can't wait to share more On My Plate and with South Dakota Magazine.

Cinco de Mayo

May 5th. Cinco de Mayo.

Bloggers all across North America are featuring spicy Tex-Mex foods and tequila drinks in honor of this Mexican holiday.

Since I already offered up Thyme Tequila Lemonade to Mother Nature as a peace offering, it's only reasonable that I also heat things up with some flavorful tostadas to serve along side.

Crisply fried corn tortillas are piled high with all the best fish taco makings. Cilantro-lime slaw is bright and fresh and topped with mild tilapia and a hearty, earthy corn salsa. Squeeze a lime over it all to spark just a hint of acidity and you won't want to wait for the celebrations of Cinco de Mayo for Tilapia Tostadas with Roasted Corn Salsa to be on your plate.

Tilapia Tostadas with Roasted Corn Salsa

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1/4 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced

2-4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

2 green onions, diced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced finely

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

canola oil

8 corn tortillas

8 tilapia fillets

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup corn meal

1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/2 cup milk

1 cup corn kernels (freshly cut from cob, or defrosted frozen)

1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chipped

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

queso fresco

lime wedges

Whisk the mayonnaise and lime juice together in a medium bowl.
Toss the cabbage, cilantro, green onions, and jalapeno with the dressing.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Heat about 1/2-3/4 inch of canola oil in a large heavy skillet.
One at a time, fry the corn tortillas, turning as needed, until browned and crispy.
Drain on paper towels and set aside.
In a seperate skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil.
Add the corn, red pepper, onion, and jalapeno.
Season with salt and pepper and saute until onion is tender and translucent; set aside.
Combine flour, corn meal and chile powder in a shallow dish.
Dip the tilapia fillets in milk and then dredge in flour/corn meal mixture.
Fry the tilapia fillets in the oil used for the tortillas until flesh is tender and breading is golden.
Drain on paper towels.
To serve, arrange fried tortillas on plates, spoon on cilantro-lime slaw, layer the fried fish, top with the roasted corn salsa. Add crumbled queso fresco and serve with lime wedges. (Serves 4)

Fish Friday Fail

In my last blog post and on my Facebook page (Have you "liked" me there? I sometimes post little tidbits on Facebook that don't make it to the blog. Check it out.), I asked what kind of recipes you might wish to see in future submissions. One of the requests was for more fish recipes for Lent.

Over the weekend, I remembered a Tuna Panini I had once seen in Cooking Light magazine and whipped it up for lunch with Hubs. I chopped and mixed the ingredients, spread the rich and flavorful filling between two dense slices of bread, topped with cheese, and grilled the sandwiches until golden and gooey. Then, I arranged them on plates with apple wedges and proceeded to snap a few pictures before finally enjoying our simple lunch.

It was while Hubs and I were eating that I realized that although these Tuna Paninis are delicious and a different way to enjoy canned tuna, they won't work as a Lenten recipe. One of the things that makes these grilled sandwiches so delightful is that they include bacon. Fish Friday Fail. But, a tasty, tasty fail, indeed.

 Tuna Panini

(adapted from Cooking Light)

3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus additional for "buttering" the bread

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and crushed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 (5-ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked (I prefer tuna packed in oil for more flavor.)

8 slices sourdough bread

4 slices provolone cheese

Combine onion, mayonnaise, lemon rind, fennel seeds, and pepper in a medium bowl. 
Add the tuna and bacon and stir to coat.
"Butter" one side of each slice of bread with a thin coating of mayonnaise. (Trust me on this, it makes perfectly golden toasted bread.)
Divide the tuna mixture between 4 of the slices of bread and spread evenly.
Top the tuna with the provolone and remaining slices of bread to form 4 sandwiches.
Heat a cast iron panini pan or sandwich maker to medium heat.
Place sandwiches (one or two at a time...whatever fits) on grill of pan or panini maker, placing lid on top.
Cook 3 minutes on each side (won't need to flip sandwiches in panini maker), or until lightly browned. 
(4 servings)

54 Degrees and Light Rain

A good blogger would be sharing something to inspire you for Memorial Day and the unofficial kick-off of summer.

I am not a good blogger.

My mind is stuck in 54 degrees and light rain. Those are my current weather conditions. Therefore, I am not craving homemade popsicles, salads for potlucks, or grilled hunks of meat. I want comfort food.

Gray days do this to me. My lawn is mowed; vibrant, blooming flowers are potted; the garden is planted; I have some colorful new Adirondack chairs for the patio; there is a brand new bag of charcoal for the grill. But, I just want to curl up on the sofa with a quilt and devour a plate of stick-to-your-ribs coziness.

Cod with Corn Gravy and Sour Cream and Chive Potatoes

(adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

6 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

3 sprigs thyme

3 ears fresh corn, cut from cob

1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped

4 cod filets (or any firm white fish)

In a large pot of salted water, bring the potatoes to a boil.
Cook until tender, 12-15 minutes.
Drain and return to dry pot.
Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet.
Add the bacon and cook until crisp.
Remove from pan and drain on paper toweling.
Add the onion, celery to the bacon drippings, and cook until tender.
Add the corn and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper.
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly to coat the veggies, for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, milk, and thyme.
Stir to incorporate the floured vegetables.
Simmer until gravy is thickened and slightly reduced.
Stir in the bacon.
Mash the sour cream and chives into the potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and cook until golden, turning once.
Serve the cod topped with the corn gravy and potatoes on the side. (Serves 4)

Back to Business

Hey! How I have missed you all!

More and more people are making a point of telling me how much they miss the little peeks into my personal insanity and what is On My Plate. I feel as if I have really let you all down during my unplanned hiatus. This entry could detail all that has transpired, but for now, I will just say that since my last post in October, I have experience sickness and health, life and death, chaos and calm, and bouts of cooking madness countered with frozen pizzas thrown into an oven that wasn't even preheated. Life has run the gamut for me and will probably never be the same, but it is time for me to find some balance and get back into the swing of things that are important to me...and in case you hadn't figured it out by now, food ranks pretty highly in my list of important things. Sharing it through this blog has been a surprisingly fun and enriching experience. I miss this and want it back. It is time for me to get my brain back in gear and to get back to business.

If I want my brain to pull itself from the squalor that kept me from babbling here, I need to feed it well. Salmon is a perfect brain food. High in Omega-3 and low in saturated fat, it is a smart protein choice that will only make you smarter.

I feel especially smart when I whip up Spiced Glazed Salmon. It is as simple as mixing a few simple pantry ingredients, rubbing the salmon, and roasting. That allows for a great meal and time to deal with all of the other craziness that occurs in our (my?) lives. It is easy to get Back to Business with Spiced Glazed Salmon On My Plate.

Spiced Glazed Salmon

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the paprika, chili powder, ancho, cumin, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
Place salmon on lightly sprayed sheet pan. (I cover mine with foil or parchment for easier clean up.)
Sprinkle the salmon with salt, then rub with spice mixture.
Combine melted butter and maple syrup; drizzle each fillet with the mixture.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until salmon flakes with a fork.
(Can garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.) Serves 4.

Rooting for a Copycat

This morning, I had a root canal. Honestly, it was a simple and almost painless procedure. I actually felt as if I spent more time in the waiting room than in the dental chair. Afterward, I took the recommended hefty dosage of ibuprofen and promptly crashed into an incredibly restful nap. I was still free of any major discomfort when I awoke and found myself feeling as if I would be missing out on something if I didn't take the opportunity to go out in the "Big City."

I hadn't made plans because I was unsure of how I would feel after my rendezvous with the dentist. I didn't want to burden any friends with my whining because let's face it, it is no newsflash that I can be a whiner when I don't feel well. I had thought it best just to be on my own. With Advil keeping my whining at bay, I grabbed my phone and made a call.

Luckily, a friend was up for a last minute dinner out. In less than half an hour, we were sitting at a local establishment sipping a glass of wine and catching up on our lives. When the waitress asked for our order, we had been chatting so much that I hadn't even bothered to look at the menu. It didn't matter. I quickly selected an entree that I have enjoyed on previous occasions. Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia is a spicy dish served over angel hair pasta. The fish is mild and flaky, but the creamy sauce makes your mouth burn with the pleasure of the jalapenos. This spicy tilapia is even brought into the lunch menu in the form of a panini. I have sampled that several times, as well, and am always extremely happy with the choice. In fact, I like it so well that I have developed my own copycat version of the recipe. No need to schedule a root canal and make the 3 hour drive to the "Big City." I now can make and enjoy a Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia Panini to land On My Plate any time, friends and wine always welcome.

Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia Panini

4 tilapia fillets
1 cup Club crackers, finely crushed
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter
1 small jalapeno, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream
8 slices hearty country Italian bread
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 roma tomatoes, sliced thinly
8 slices provolone cheese

For the tilapia:
Crush crackers and combine with pepper.
Dip fish fillets into beaten egg, and then coat with cracker crumbs.
Fry in 350 degree oil until breading is golden and fish flakes easily.
Remove to an oven-proof plate in a warm oven.
For the sauce:
Melt butter on low heat. Add jalapeño and garlic. Sauté until jalapeño is softened, but be careful not to burn garlic.
Add flour and stir while heating about a minute.
Add chicken broth and cook stirring until sauce thickens. Stir in sour cream.
Set aside until ready to assemble the panini's.
For the panini:
Preheat panini grill.
Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil or spread with butter.
Assemble sandwiches with oiled/buttered side of bread to the outside, layering provolone cheese, sliced tomatoes, tilapia fillet, cream sauce and final slice of bread.
Place sandwich on grill.
Grill until bread is toasted and the cheese has melted. (Serves 4)
(To create the Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia with angel hair pasta, skip the breading of the fish and pan sear; double the sauce; add a handful of baby spinach leaves to the boiling pasta, just to wilt; layer pasta on the plate, then tilapia fillet, and top with sauce; garnish with chopped and seeded tomatoes and a grating of Parmesan cheese.)

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Oh. Wait. Dinner doesn't involve THAT kind of parchment. No proclamations. No manifestos. Dinner is just a simple affair of perfectly seasoned fish delicately wrapped in heat-proof paper to steam with its own juices in a matter of minutes in the oven. How simple is that? Are you ready for the heralding trumpets? The dish is even low-fat. I do proclaim Parchment Wrapped Cajun Fish a great recipe to land On My Plate.

If you aren't familiar with parchment paper, I recommend making the investment. Near the aluminum foil and plastic wrap, you can often find rolls of the stuff in the grocery stores. If not, cooking stores will also sell rolls or boxes of this silicon coated paper, and of course, like anything you can dream of, you can find it online. Use it to line a baking sheet next time you throw some cookies in the oven; line cake pans when baking layer cakes; line the pan when roasting veggies, and eliminate nasty clean up; and wrap a fish fillet with it and steam in the oven. The uses are endless, and you will wonder what you did before you kept a store of parchment in your kitchen. You will pronounce parchment paper a cooking necessity.

Parchment Wrapped Cajun Fish

4 sheets parchment paper
4 firm fish fillets (I used orange roughy)
2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (watch that salt is not the main ingredient)
8 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Fold each sheet of parchment in half and cut into a heart shape.
Sprinkle both sides of the fillets with the Cajun seasoning.
Place fillets on one half of each parchment heart and top with shrimp and a sprinkling of parsley.
Fold the edges of the parchment together to seal.
Arrange parchment packets on a baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. (Serves 4)

Swimming Upstream

Sometimes, I feel like a salmon. I have this huge list of things that I need and want to do, and time is always limited. I am swimming upstream against the clock and calendar. I want to repaint my kitchen before Thanksgiving. I need to put in some more time at the office and wrap up some files. I need to organize a few piles of clutter that I have allowed to build up. I need to get back outside and finish the fill work around the new sidewalk and seed the grass. I want to join Hubby on one of his out of town trips to complete a few errands and actually spend a little time with him. I need to keep up with all of the daily tasks of laundry, housework, farm bookwork, etc. I want a nap. I am fighting my way through waves of chores, duties and desires, and headway is slow. Each day is over before I reach shore.

Even as I struggle against the rapids of obligation, my food obsession usually demands that I take time to prepare something tasty to savor each day. With my mind in the water, I decided that fish would be an excellent addition to today’s menu. Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter is a outstanding dish that even my usually anti-citrus hubby likes. The lime adds a fresh bright punch to the pan-seared fish, but the heat of the chiles really make your mouth sing. Add some rice and a steamed vegetable, and the meal is complete giving me enough time to try to conquer another of those chores.

Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter

For Chile Lime Butter:
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh Serrano chilies
½ teaspoon salt

For Fish:
6 skinless tilapia fillets
½ teaspoon salt, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine softened butter with shallot, zest, lime juice, chile, and salt in a bowl to make chile lime butter.
Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until just smoking.
Saute 3 pieces of fish, using a spatula to turn once, until golden and just cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets.
Transfer to a plate and saute remaining fish in same manner.
Serve each piece of fish with a dollop of chile lime butter. (Serves 6)