Fish Sandwiches....

I have been craving seafood, Cajun food and po' boys for a couple months now. However due to our limited budget we can't afford all that amazing stuff. So I came up with an alternative, "Blackened" fish sandwiches. We found Swai on sale at the local grocery store and decided to give it a go. Swai is a fancy name for Pangasius catfish, it is basically a really bland flaky white fish. I like it better than tilapia, which I don't really like at all. I don't like it as much as other fish, though. If it were in the budget I would make this same sandwich out of Mahi Mahi, cod, snapper, halibut, or grouper, pretty much anything but Swai or tilapia. So basically buy one of those if you can afford it, but I used Swai. You gotta use what you have, whether you prefer it or not.

Our local Hong Kong market sells some amazing fresh baked sandwich sized French breads. They make their Bahn Mi sandwiches with these delicious rolls and they sell them, 3 for $1.00. These are the perfect bread for French dips, meatball sandwiches, PO BOYS, and even everyday turkey sandwiches. It is a bit of a drive to get them but it is worth it. I toasted these breads up with a little butter until they were brown and crispy. Man they were so good!

 I decided to make a little Asian slaw to dress the sandwich. I started with rice vinegar, Sriracha hot sauce, olive oil and a little honey for the dressing.

 I used an angel hair, prepackaged slaw (because I got it free with a coupon) then dressed it with my dressing a couple hours ahead of time so it would wilt down and be nice and cold.

 I was out of my homemade Cajun seasoning and the ingredients to make it, so I seasoned three fillets with Old Bay seasoning and munchkin's fillet with just salt and pepper. He does not like anything spicy or even heavily seasoned, so he gets the lightest sprinkling of pepper and a good amount of salt. If you want my Cajun seasoning recipe go here: http://homeschoolin-chef.blogspot.com/2013/11/cajun-fried-turkey.html I let the fish set for a few minutes with the seasoning on it while I toasted the bread.

 For Christmas I received an electric skillet and it is awesome!! I used it to toast the lightly buttered breads and then removed them to a plate and I cooked the fish fillets on it too, until the were thoroughly cooked, about 3-5 minutes per side.

 I dressed the bread with the slaw and the fish fillets, then a little extra hot sauce to my liking. Munchkin has mayo and spinach on his toasted bun. These would be amazing with fresh cilantro, red onions and slice of perfectly ripe tomato. We, of course, were out of all these things, but if I were to go out and buy this meal specifically I would definitely insist on these three additions.(I would also insist on a better final picture, I always forget the final picture and rush to take it before all the food disappears) Oh and of course, serve it with a wedge or two of lemon.

Fish Sandwich

4 French Rolls or sub rolls
2 Tbsp butter, for the bread

4 fillets fish, white fish of choice (preferably Mahi Mahi, Cod, Halibut, or snapper)
Old Bay or Cajun Seasoning
Cilantro, red onions and tomatoes (optional for dressing the sandwich)
1 lemon cut into wedges, for garnish

Slaw
 1-10 oz package angel hair shredded cabbage
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Sriracha Hot Sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and toss with cabbage. Let refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the cabbage to wilt slightly and absorb the dressing.

Meatball sandwiches....

What do you do with all those leftover meatballs from spaghetti and meatball night? Well you make meatball sandwiches, of course. If you didn't see yesterday's post for slow cooker meatballs here it is:  http://homeschoolin-chef.blogspot.com/2014/03/slow-cooker-meatballs-with-angel-hair.html

It is so easy! Just get yourself some french bread or a baguette. I found a par cooked french bread at my Kroger, then I baked it according to directions, let it cool the cut it into four equal portions. I microwaved the meatballs so they would be warm before I put them on the bread. Then I slit the bread halfway through horizontally and topped each piece with 4-5 meatballs. I then topped the meatballs with shredded mozzarella and that famous cheap powdery Parmesan. I prefer the good stuff but my husband prefers the powdered stuff on his meatball sandwiches.

I then baked the sandwiches at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, just until the cheese is brown, bubbly and delicious. We had our sandwiches with some sliced cucumbers, carrots and a small spinach salad. Sometimes leftover nights can be just as good as the first time around. You can even use that leftover sauce for dipping if you like your sandwich extra saucy.

Meatball Sandwich

1 French Baguette, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 cups shredded mozzarella (provolone is also delicious)
16-20 leftover meatballs
1 can powdered Parmesan cheese

Slow Cooker meatballs with angel hair....

This is the time of year where sports are in full swing and evening dinner prep time is shortened. So with Munchkins having soccer three days a week, two of which are in the evening I need something to be ready when we get home. This is what we has waiting for us Wednesday night after soccer, slow cooker meatballs.

 All I had to do was boil up our favorite pasta, whole wheat angel hair and dinner was done. I am lucky enough to be home all day so I can prepare a little at a time. I would chop veggies while he was doing a workbook, or saute while I was making his lunch. Then finished it all after we finished our school work. If you work away from the home you could easily prep this the night ahead and throw it on before work. I cooked mine on high for 4 hours but low for 8 hours would probably work just as well.


 I started out by turning the slow cooker onto high while I got everything ready. I immediately put the tomato products in and let them warm up while I chopped and sauteed the veggies.

 I chopped up the veggies and then sauteed the onions and bell peppers first, in olive oil, until they started to turn translucent then I added the garlic and seasonings/dried herbs.

 After they were nice and soft I added the "wine" (I was out of all wines, it was so sad but I just deglazed with water, it's a good substitute but I would rather have used wine) and deglazed the pan. It cooked until most of the liquid cooked out.

 I then added the veggie/wine mixture to the slow cooker and gave it a good stir making sure all the veggies were equally distributed.

 It was then time to start prepping the meatballs. I threw all the meatball ingredients into my stand mixer's bowl and mixed it up until it was nice and homogeneous.

Then I formed the meat mixture into nice round balls, I made them about 1 oz each. You can make a ton ahead of time and freeze them or refrigerate them until ready to use.

 I added the nicely formed meatballs to the warming sauce, put the lid on and let it cook for four hours on high.

 Right before serving while the pasta was cooking I added fresh herbs from my garden. A little fresh basil and oregano really made it taste a little better

 After the pasta was cooked up, al dente, we were ready for dinner. Yum Yum! Not bad for a busy soccer night.

Slow Cooker Meatballs with Angel Hair

Sauce
1 Bell pepper, small dice
1 small onion, small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 Tbsp Montreal Steak seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1-15 oz can Tomato sauce
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 bunch fresh oregano, chopped

Meatballs
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 pound ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs, panko or cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning

Nachos and a movie night....

On Friday nights we love to have a movie night and after a busy spring break it was much deserved. We had a nice and easy dinner and an even easier dessert. I made nachos, pico de gallo, and cookie ice cream sandwiches. We enjoyed the delicious food while watching the Fellowship of the Ring.

I love making my own chips from corn tortillas. It is also my little munchkin's favorite snack. All it takes is cutting corn tortillas into sixths, then fry them in 350 degree oil (I use canola oil) until golden brown, sprinkle with a little salt and let drain on paper towels.

     

 Then I made Pico de Gallo, a fresh blend of tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice. Normally it would include a jalapeno or serrano pepper but I was out of them and forgot to buy more so this version is mild. I would however recommend adding your favorite fresh pepper for a little spicy kick.

Get all the veggies washed, cleaned and diced, then toss it all together in a bowl and season with the lime juice, salt and pepper.

Let it set in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight to get the best flavor.

Now it's time to get all the other ingredients together. We had leftover fajita meat so I used that, but you could use taco meat, grilled chicken or even go meatless. For the other toppings we had refried beans, pickled jalapenos, shredded cheddar cheese and hot sauce. You can use whatever toppings you like, everyone has their favorites.

We cook our nachos family style in the oven, then add the cold toppings to each person's plate. So I lay out a good amount of chips on a sheet pan, lightly coated with non-stick spray, top with dollops of beans (they are easier to put on if you warm them first), meat and cheese. Then I bake it in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. When all the cheese is nice and melted take them out and divide among your plates and top as desired. My little man likes them plain, so unless we have sour cream (which we didn't this time) he takes them straight out of the oven. My husband and I like them with pickled peppers, pico de gallo and hot sauce.

Following dinner we had a super simple dessert. I took store bought cookies and store bought ice cream and made sandwiches. Easy and quick. Sometimes I will make the cookies and the ice cream from scratch but after a busy week I am fine with the super simple quick method. ;-)

Pico de Gallo

4 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeds removed and diced
2-3 limes worth of juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl, then refrigerate at least an hour to overnight. Eat with fresh made tortilla chips.

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle...

This week was spring break and even though I had every intention of doing school all week, we didn't. Too many friends were off of school, so it was too easy to go out and have fun. We started the week by going to a local farm that has strawberry picking, followed by the park and delicious lunch of Mexican food. Then we went to the beach on Galveston Island on Tuesday and played in the sand all day. Wednesday was full of spring cleaning and outdoor fun. Then, on Thursday, we saw Mr.Peabody and Sherman and I must say it was funny and a bit educational. Both munchkins loved it. The kiddos also spent many hours on the trampoline all week long. We had plans to go camping at a State park this weekend but the weather looked dreadful for sleeping in a tent, so we canceled. 

We had so much fun picking strawberries, both my munchkin and his cousin picked a whole bucketful of fresh ripe berries. Even though I don't really care to eat strawberries, so I have been trying to be creative with how to use them. Tuesday we had pancakes with strawberries and chocolate chips inside then topped off with strawberries and syrup. We had strawberries and bananas dipped in ganache Thursday night for dessert. Today I am making strawberry shortcakes, then tomorrow we will have strawberry smothered waffles for breakfast. If you live in the Houston area, you should check out Froberg's family farm and go out and pick the best tasting strawberries you will ever eat! 

http://www.frobergsfarm.com

 So let's get back to the strawberry shortcake. When I was the sous chef at Haak Winery (before I decided to quit my awesome job, to start this homeschooling journey) I had to write a lot of recipes. This dessert was one of my favorites. I modified a Martha Stewart recipe for shortcake and made this lovely trifle. It was so delicious and it used one of my favorite wines from the winery, their white port. I am including my original recipe because it was sooooooooooooooooo good. But for today I am just making the shortcake and strawberries (without the port, this time, so the munchkins can enjoy it) this will be a wonderful springtime treat.

Please check out the winery if you are able, it really is a great place to hang out and enjoy some amazing Texas wines (yes, Texas makes wine and they're good!). The winery doesn't even mind if you bring kids. My son loves going there to learn about the fermentation process and to see all the grapes in the vineyard. Sometimes you can even catch them bottling.

(Just so you know, they didn't ask me to promote them, nor do they know I am spreading the love, this is just a place I love, that I think everyone should visit at least once). So check out their website, they have lots of amazing public and often kid friendly events.

Haak Winery's website
http://www.haakwine.com/

My original picture of the recipe when I made it in the good old days

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

Makes 8 servings

Shortcakes:

2 cups AP Flour

4 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

4 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. shortening

¾ c heavy cream

¼ cup coarse sugar (optional)

Strawberries:

1 pound strawberries, washed and thinly sliced

1/3 sugar

1/3 Haak Winery Blanc du bois white port

Filling:

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 cup white chocolate chips

4 oz. mascarpone (can sub cream cheese)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Shortcake:

Add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to the bowl of an electric food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 times. Add the heavy cream and pulse until larger clumps start to form, about 25 times. In a standard muffin pan press dough equally into 8 muffin slots, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. Cool on rack. To avoid crumbling let cool completely before assembly.

Strawberries:

In a large bowl add sugar and port, stir to dissolve sugar then add strawberries and toss to coat. Refrigerate mixture for at least an hour and up to overnight. Strain before assembly to remove excess juice. 

Filling:

In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the white chocolate and mascarpone together. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

In an electric mixer, with whisk attachment, add cream and sifted powdered sugar, stir on low until incorporated then increase speed to medium high and whip until stiff peaks form.

Once chocolate mixture is cooled, carefully fold in half of the whipped cream, reserving the remainder for assembly. Try to go fast or the white chocolate will have greater chances to seize on you and become grainy. 

Assembly:

Slice shortcake horizontally with a serrated knife. Place bottom half on serving dish, top with spoonful of mousse, then layer a spoonful of strawberries, then a spoonful of whipped cream, add shortcake top and garnish with fresh mint. Be sure to evenly portion layers so each of the 6 servings get the same amount of each layer.