O-Fish-Al Fry

When I was younger, I remember my parents going out and catching fresh snapper during the day and hosting a huge fish fry for the family that evening. My father would scale the fish and my mother would prep it for cooking. Once fried, all you needed was a squeeze of fresh lime and a dash of salt. YUM. Fast forward to now and being lucky enough to have a boyfriend who is a great fisherman, we try to as often as possible (schedules allowing) to out of Fort Lauderdale to catch ourselves from dinner. Usually, we bake them in order to stay on the healthier side, however there is nothing that compares to a fresh fish fry. In the below post, I will show you easy step-by-step instructions on how to pan fry or deep fry your own fish with very few ingredients. Easy peasy! Fresh snapper is available at many grocery stores such as Whole Food and Publix and they come cleaned and scaled so the fish is ready for cooking!

Left: fish scaled, Right: fish cleaned internally with slits on each side.
Coating the fish in a glass container (you can also use a ziplock which is easier and faster clean up, hence why I mention it below)
This is that light brown crispness you want to see to make sure your fish is ready.

Ingredients

  • Canola oil is what we use, however, vegetable oil works as well.
  • Olive oil
  • 2 snappers of your choice (we prefer yellowtail)
  • 1 box of zatarains crispy southern fish fri
  • 4 tbsp of minced garlic
  • 1 one gallon ziploc bag, we use these.
  • 1 lime
  • salt to taste
    • For pan frying, you will need a food thermometer to check the temperature of your oil for frying.

Pan Fry Cooking Instructions

  1. Rinse the fish and pat dry.
  2. Cut slits on both sides of the fish making sure it is not to deep (about 1/4 inch).
  3. Coat a large skillet with roughly 1-1/2 inches of canola oil and set head to high.
  4. Heat skillet until the temperature reaches 350 degrees.
  5. In the slits made, insert minced garlic.
  6. Drizzle fish with olive oil making sure that the whole fish has some olive oil on it.
  7. Grab your ziplock bag and pour your fix fry mixture into it.
  8. One at a time, place your fish in the bag and shake/coat evenly with the mixture.
  9. Check your oil with your food thermometer to make sure it has reached a temperature of 350 degrees.
  10. You want to fry your fish until you see that it is a light crispy brown on the outside (approximately 3 minutes depending on the size of your fish).
  11. Remove fish from oil using tongs.
  12. Place the fish in a paper towel lined bowl to remove excess oil.
  13. Sprinkle salt and squeeze some lime over the fish.
  14. Enjoy!

Deep Fry Cooking Instructions

  1. Grab your deep fryer and fill 1/3 of it with canola oil.
  2. Heat the oil until the temperature reaches 350 degrees.
  3. Rinse the fish and pat dry.
  4. Cut slits on both sides of the fish making sure it is not to deep.
  5. In the slits made, insert minced garlic.
  6. Drizzle fish with olive oil and massage oil in – making sure that the whole fish has some olive oil on it (oil both sides), this is so the coating sticks.
  7. Grab your ziplock bag and pour your fix fry mixture into it.
  8. One at a time, place your fish in the bag and shake/coat evenly with the mixture.
  9. Check your oil with your food thermometer to make sure it has reached 350 degrees.
  10. You want to fry your fish until you see that is has a light crispy brown on the outside (approximately 3 minutes depending on the side of your fish).
  11. Remove fish from oil using tongs.
  12. Place the fish in a paper towel towel lined bowl to remove excess oil.
  13. Sprinkle salt and squeeze some lime over the fish.
  14. Enjoy!

Note: I suggest eating the fish as soon as possible to avoid the coating from becoming soggy. If lime is not your thing, don’t incorporate it. My family likes the zesty taste it gives the fish and how it makes the flavors more vibrant!

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A-maize-ing Fritters

Since I was a little girl, my mother always made me corn fritters and they were my favorite (still are actually). However, I tried to create this recipe with a healthier perspective without compromising the flavor. For this recipe, you can either shuck your own corn or use a can of whole kernel corn (to save time). The main ingredients are common items most have in their pantry and I’ve even added some suggestions at the bottom of other items you can incorporate for added flavor.

All the ingredients mixed and ready to pan fry.

Left is when I first put them in pan making sure not to crowd them. Right is once flipped.

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 can 15oz whole kernel corn, drained
  • 2 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp water
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients a mixing bowl until well incorporated.
  2. Heat a medium sized skillet pan to medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.
  3. Using large spoon, scoop corn fritter mixture and place it in the skillet pan. Continue doing this until all mixture is used. The batter should make roughly 5-6 fritters. Do not crowd the fritters or place them too close to one another. Make sure there is some spacing between them.
  4. Cook for 4 minutes untouched.
  5. Using a spatula, flip the fritters over and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
  6. Remove fritters from pan and place on plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
  7. Enjoy!

Note: I sometimes add diced peppers, green onion, grated carrot, bacon or turkey bacon to my fritter batter for added flavor. I do not use other onions (e.g., white, purple) because I would not want the taste to be overpowering.

Also, we dip our fritters in Sir Kensington’s Special Sauce found here.

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Frisee Salad w/ Red Wine Vinaigrette

I recently was able to snag some frisee at my local Whole Foods and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a delicious easy salad with it. Frisee is slightly bitter which I love and it also offers a mild peppery taste. You can also incorporate romaine into the salad to offset some of the bitterness if that is not your thing. This salad is large enough 2-3 people as a side dish, but if you decide to incorporate additional protein, it will make it more filling and will most likely feed more. Also, if you are making this just for yourself, skip adding the dressing to the entire salad and only add it to the amount you are eating that moment. Store the rest of the dressing in a small container and place the remaining frisee salad in another air sealed container. Frisee holds well in a sealed container for a couple of days making this a quick and easy meal for another day.

Salad Ingredients

  • 8 cups frisee
  • 4 slices of turkey bacon, cooked & chopped (you can substitute this for regular cooked bacon)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (for cooking shallot)
  • 1 shallot, chopped and cooked
  • 1/4 shaved parmesan cheese
  • 1 vine tomato, diced

Red Wine Vinaigrette

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp of honey
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil to medium heat.
  2. Place 4 slices of turkey bacon on a skillet and cook 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through.
    • My mother-in-law taught me how to make turkey bacon in the microwave and it has been a total time saver. If you opt for this option:
      • Grab a large flat plate
      • Line it with tissue paper (usually two sheets)
      • Place turkey bacon on top of the paper, not stacked, just side by side
      • Place additional paper towels on top of the bacon (covering all the bacon), press down lightly
      • Place in the microwave for 5 minutes
      • Once cooled, dice it in order to add to salad
    • If cooking regular bacon, add to skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes, and then once cooled, dice in order to add to salad.
  3. Add shallot to skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
  4. While the other ingredients cook, tear frisee into bite size pieces and place in a large salad bowl.
  5. Dice your tomato and add it to the bowl.
  6. Once shallots are cooked, drain access oil and then place it in the salad bowl.
  7. Top with Parmesan cheese.
  8. Mix all dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl and add it to the salad.
  9. Toss to incorporate all ingredients.
  10. Enjoy!

Note: My salad toppings depend on my mood, but some ingredients to consider adding could be slivered almonds, any type of dried fruit, additional protein of your choice.

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Egg-static Baked Eggs

This is a super simple & easy breakfast recipe which takes a couple of minutes to prep and requires no extensive attention while baking. You can make this while getting ready for work (I usually do this) or during a busy morning since all you have to do is mix all ingredients and pop it in the oven! For this recipe, I am writing it as it would serve one person, but feel free to double the recipe to serve two.

All the ingredients mixed and ready to go in the oven.
How cute do they look right out of the oven?!

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 eggs, scrambled
  • 3 tbsp shredded Monterey jack cheese (or cheese of choice, really any shredded cheese you have available will work)
  • 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream (you can also use milk or half & half)
  • 1 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions

  1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees.
  2. Spray the inside of an 8oz ramekin bowl with cooking spray (make sure to spray the whole bowl to prevent the egg mixture from sticking). (We bought these off Amazon)
  3. In a bowl, mix eggs and milk until eggs are scrambled and milk is incorporated.
  4. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
  5. Pour the egg mixture into your ramekin.
  6. Place in the oven for 14-16 minutes.
  7. Enjoy!

Note: The picture above shows the baked eggs right out of the oven while they are puffed up. As they cool, they will begin to drop so please don’t be alerted!

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Egg-straordinary Omelette

This is a recipe for an omelette full of flavor & of course my favorite… CHEESE. It can also be customized using ingredients you have available in your refrigerator. For this recipe I have added our favorite ingredients and made it big enough to share between two people.

This is a picure of the ingredients I use to make this omelette.
Sauteing onions & peppers.
Left: added diced ham, Right: added olive salad.

Ingredients

  • 5 eggs, scrammbled
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 yellow pepper, diced (or red whichever you prefer, I would not use green since that can be a little overpowering)
  • 3 slices of deli ham of choice (cut in cubes)
  • 1/4 cup of shredded cheese of choice (we use this raw cheddar cheese by Oragnic Valley and grate it ourselves). Also, feel free to add more cheese as you wish to make it extra cheesy!
  • 2 tbsp olive salad, we use this one by Boscoli Foods (It’s AMAZING)
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions

  1. In a medium sized saute pan, set to medium heat and add the butter until it begins to melt.
  2. Next add onions & peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes until they begin to wilt.
  3. While this is cooking, grab a bowl and scramble your eggs (do not add to the pan just yet).
  4. Then add the cubed ham to the pan and saute for another 2 minutes.
  5. Now add the 2 tbsp of olive salad and cook for another minute.
  6. Reduce heat to medium-low.
  7. Before adding your eggs, spread out your ingredients to cover most of the bottom of the pan evenly (note: it might not cover the whole bottom, but this is so you don’t have a pile of ingredients on one side of the pan).
  8. Pour eggs into the saute pan evenly. Once you pour them in, feel free to swirl the pan around in order for the egg to cover the all the ingredients and the bottom of the pan.
  9. Now sprinkle your cheese evenly on top of the eggs.
  10. Cook for 4 minutes without disturbing.
  11. Once the egg has thickened and the liquid is no longer visible, you are ready to fold your omelette in half.
  12. Using a spatula, place it under one side of the omelette and lift it so that one half goes over the other half.
  13. Enjoy!

Note: We split this omelette between two people because we load them with ingredients. If you are up for it and are feeling remarkably hungry, you might not need to share! Also, commonly alternating ingredients we use are mushrooms, diced tomato, and avocado.

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Dee’s-Mussels

I’m going to start off by saying that I was SUPER intimidated by this dish. For many years, I lived my life thinking I was severely allergic to molluscs and when I finally was cleared to eat them by my allergist, I wasted zero time in trying these little guys out. On a trip to Park City, Utah we dined at a beautiful seafood buffet located in Deer Valley (for info click here) where I tried mussels two ways, in white wine sauce and in red sauce. I instantly fell in love with their taste and I was determined to become a pro in cooking them. Sure enough, I found them at our local Whole Foods market and I took on the challenge. What came of it was BRILLIANT. Below I have created a recipe with my favorite ingredients to incorporate in making an amazing mussels appetizer.

My local Whole Foods has them fresh and they come packaged like this.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of fresh mussels (alive), usually its roughly 3 lbs when we buy them.
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes (we use this one from Hunts)
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 thyme stalks
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or chopped whichever you prefer works (also, you can add more if you’d like if you are a garlic fan)
  • 1 cup dry white wine (we use Chardonnay)
  • 1/2 cup of heavy cream
  • 1/2 lemon & zest
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tsp of red pepper flakes

Cooking Instructions

  1. In a large, heavy based pot set at medium heat add the butter until it begins to melt.
  2. Next add shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes until they begin to wilt.
  3. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes until it becomes fragrant.
  4. Next add the white wine, heavy cream, red pepper flakes, thyme, salt, pepper, lemon and zest and bring to a quick boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to low, add mussels and cover with lid.
  6. Cook for 7 minutes.
  7. Halfway through the cooking time, grab the pot and shake it to ensure that most of the mussels open up nicely.
  8. Remove from heat and discard any mussels that did not open before serving. Sprinkle parsley over mussels.
  9. Enjoy!

Note: We LOVE dipping bread into the sauce so I recommend picking up a loaf of french bread or bread of your choice and toasting it before serving mussels. This way, once the mussels are ready you can also enjoy some crispy bread with delicious sauce.

Finished mussels.

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Dee-licious Stuffed French Toast

If you ever wake up cranky in the morning and need a little something to brighten your day, this french toast recipe is just the thing! Prep time is not too long and it cooks in under 8 minutes. As mentioned in our previous posts, we are big Organic Valley fans so for this recipe I used all their dairy products.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

  1. Begin by spreading your ricotta cheese on one of the slices of bread.
  2. Now, spread your preserves or jelly on the other slice of bread.
  3. Join the two slices of bread to form a sandwich (be careful not to squeeze them tightly as this may cause the filling to slide out).
  4. Heat a skillet on medium heat and place the butter in it so it can begins melting.
  5. Now mix the egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl to create your wet mixture.
  6. Dip your stuffed sandwich in the wet mixture (make sure you wet all sides of the bread thoroughly).
  7. Place the sandwich in the pan and cook on each side for 3 1/2 minutes.
  8. Drizzle maple syrup and sprinkle powdered sugar on top of french toast.
  9. Enjoy!

Please note: You can also add any kind of berries inside the sandwich for added texture and flavor.

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Egg-cellent Cheesy Toast

We usually become pretty creative with our meals and when we created this breakfast toast, it was a total hit! All you need is some simple ingredients and an oven to make this quick and easy breakfast toast. You can also make it with your preferred cheese making it easily customizable. At home, we are big Organic Valley fans so any dairy products we buy are usually by them. Check out their website for information on their sustainable items that are made free from synthetic hormones, toxic pesticides, and GMOs or antibiotics.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1 slice of sandwich bread of your choice (we use Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Sourdough)
  • Shredded cheese of choice
  • Spreadable butter to coat the edges of the bread
  • Cooking spray
  • Spoon
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Alumninum foil

Cooking Instructions

  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
  2. Using the tip of your spoon press down on the center of your sliced bread to create corners on the edges (do not touch the edges). This is to form a shallow rectangle in the middle in order to place your egg without it sliding out.
  3. Butter the edges of your bread.
  4. Crack the egg into the center of your bread.
  5. Sprinkle shredded cheese on the edges of your bread (where you spread the butter so that it’ll stick).
  6. Season with salt and pepper if you’d like.
  7. Grab a baking pan and line it with aluminum foil. Following this, spray the foil with cooking spray.
  8. Toast your piece of bread in the oven for 10 mintues.
  9. Enjoy!

Please note: Due to ovens being different, I ask that you check on the toast while it cooks. Egg doneness depends on preference. Some may like their eggs more runny, meaning less cook time, while others might prefer their eggs more cooked leading to greater cooking time.

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Mahi Fishing

Summers mean dolphin fishing, at least for my boyfriend and I. Starting late April through August you can go out and catch some of these beauties to bring home for a delicious dinner. Remember, to be able to keep mahi, they have to measure 20 inches in length. That means, when you measure the fish from the tip of its jaw (or snout) to the center of it’s fork in the tail it needs to measure a minumum of 20 inches. Also, it is important to keep in mind that the limit per person is 10 dolphin. Happy Fishing!

Tender & Crispy Ribs

Ribs are a must at least once a month in our house. For this rib recipe first you bake them at a low temperate to make sure to achieve perfect tenderness then finish them off on the grill for that added crisp!

First lets talk ribs and some of the different kinds you can choose from.

St. Louis-Style Ribs

Similar to spare ribs, these come from the belly, but are cut a little bit further. On St. Louis ribs, there are no cartilage or tips nor will you find a breastbone.

Baby Back Ribs

Aka loin ribs, these are much smaller ribs which make them easier to handle and hold. Also, they usually contain more fat.

Country-Style Ribs

These ribs come from upper shoulder found at the end of the loin. These are the ribs that offer the most meat per bone and contain the least amount of fat out of all ribs. Although you can most definitely pick these up by hand, they are large enough to eat with a fork & knife.

Please note there are several other ribs to choose from, but these are the ones I most commonly get asked about!

Ingredients

  • One St. Louis Style Rib Rack
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp oregano glakes
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp cayenne
  • 2 tsp truffle salt
  • 2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • Aluminum foil
  • Baking pan that fits the length of the rib rack
  • BBQ sauce of your choice

Cooking Instructions

  1. Take out the ribs from the packaging and pat dry them to remove any moisture.
  2. Preheat oven at 225 degrees.
  3. Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray (we use Greenwise Olive Oil Spray).
  4. Place your ribs on the aluminum foil.
  5. Mix all dry spices.
  6. Once mixed, spread the dry spice mixture on your ribs (both sides). Press on the mixture to make sure you are coating effectively.
  7. Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and make sure they are securely sealed.
  8. We usually leave our ribs out for roughly 30 minutes to let them sit in the spice, but this step is not necessary.
  9. Place the ribs in the oven for 2 hours.
  10. Once time elapses, pull the ribs out of the oven and unwrap the ribs leaving foil only on the bottom of the ribs.
  11. Lather preferred BBQ sauce on ribs and place them on the grill at a temperature of 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
  12. Once 30 minutes it up, remove the ribs from the grill and place to cool for 10 minutes with the foil still on the bottom.
  13. Remove the foil and cut ribs.
  14. Enjoy!

Note: The ribs will be pretty stuck to the aluminum foil once they are removed from the grill. This is why the 10 minute rest time is necessary. Once time elapses, it will be easier to remove the foil.

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