Roasted Herb Mahi Mahi BLTs

After Thanksgiving, I took a cooking break. Not that I really cooked a lot for Thanksgiving. We went to a friends' house for Turkey Day and I only brought Shrimp Wrapped in Pea Pods with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce, Cauliflower with Parmesan Cream Sauce, and My Sister-in-Law's Neighbor's Brother's Cheesecake.

The next day I made our FEAST which was enjoyed by 3 of the 5 of us. No Thank You Boy went off to lacrosse practice and My Oldest decided a movie with friends would be more fun than a repeat Thanksgiving dinner. She said she likes the leftovers better anyway. With the food I made for our feast, we had leftovers for 4 days. Therefore, I really didn't make anything new until today. Even though The Husband's favorite sight is Tupperware in the refrigerator, he was tired of the never ending supply of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Not too many green vegetables were eaten around here during the endless leftover consumption.

I sat down on Monday night and put together a week's worth of dinners, a few snacks and some desserts I want to try. I had a renewed cooking enthusiasm after my brief kitchen hiatus. Tonight's dinner was Roasted Herb Mahi Mahi BLTs. I knew my new version of BLTs would be a hard sell around our kitchen table. The 3 amigos would balk at the mahi mahi. They can always eat just a regular BLT. My meals lately have been multifaceted in that if someone doesn't like a particular fish, sauce or vegetable, there is a way to make a meal out of the remaining ingredients. Tonight was no different.

I thought my new rendition of the BLT was great. Good flavor on the fish. The herb and caper mayo I made to go on the sandwich and a nice zip. Salty, crisp bacon. what's not to love? Well, The Husband made a deconstructed version without the whole wheat bun. More of a leaning tower of mahi mahi, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a blob of the her mayo. My Oldest ate a BLT and tried the fish - not her favorite. My Middle One had a BLT and a half a loaf of bread with spinach dip. She was about to explode. No Thank You Boy was in between CCD and lacrosse practice and reminded me that last time I made him eat a BLT he almost choked on the lettuce leaf. He ate leftover pizza.

Well, at least I enjoyed my dinner.


Roasted Herb Mahi Mahi BLTs

serves 4

4 (6 ounces each) pieces of mahi mahi
olive oil
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons capers
squeeze of lemon juice

4 whole wheat buns
8 slices of bacon, cooked
4 large slice of tomatoes
4 large lettuce leaves, I used romaine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place the mahi mahi and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the spice mixture. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, and remaining spice mixture in a small bowl. Stir well. Remove the mahi mahi from the oven. To make each sandwich, slather both sides of the bun with the herb mayonnaise and top with a piece of mahi mahi, 2 slices of bacon, a tomato slice and a lettuce leaf. Top with remaining bun and enjoy.

Flat Bread Pizzas ala Trader Joe's

I like shopping at Trader Joe's. If I was single and living by myself, I would love Trader Joe's. The store offers many funky items that are packaged for single people and they are not your run of the mill grocery store items. Where else can you find Mochi green tea ice cream, dark chocolate covered espresso beans, chipolte pistachio nuts, apple stuffed turkey breast and Pirate Booty all in one stop? I like just wandering the aisles multiple times. By the time I leave the store, they are glad to see me go because I look like I am casing the joint for a robbery. I probably read every label during my visit. It is kinda like a field trip for me.

On my last visit, I picked up a new product. I am not sure if it is new to the store, but it was new to me - I originally bought these flat breads to make wrap sandwiches. I made one with turkey, Gruyere, cranberry relish and romaine and had my fill of wraps. Not my favorite.

I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner a couple nights ago when I taped into my childhood memories. while most kids ran home from school to watch Gilligan's Island, I watched Julia Child on PBS. One of her favorite recipes was for Pissaladiere which is really an onion pizza. After all those years of watching Julia make it, I decided it was my turn to try. I don't own a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, so I went to my next best source - The Barefoot Contessa. I have made a few recipes out of her Barefoot in Paris cookbook. I have to say this is not my favorite of all her books. She does have a Pissaladiere recipe that I adapted and I liked the results. The pissa can be served warm or at room temp and would make a great holiday appetizer.

As for the reviews, The Husband was working late - no vote from him. Do you think that the three youngest taste testers in my house wanted to try it. "A pizza with no sauce, hardly any cheese, and all those onions? What are we going to eat?" You would think I was trying to starve them. "Have you checked the frig lately? I think you will find plenty in there to eat. Use your imagination." I am not a mean, ogre mom and forced my kids to eat my French pissa. I made them regular, old cheese pizza on the flat bread. My Oldest and My Middle One gave their pizzas the AOKAY. Who would not like crispy crust pizza covered in pizza sauce and mozzarella? Well, No Thank You Boy being the Pizza Connoisseur that he is said; "It tastes funny." I said, "It's just pizza. Eat it." I ended up eating half of his and he ate Honey Nut Cheerios. When he is off on his own, he will be calling me crying for that pizza.

Salute to Julia - Pissaladiere

adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe in her Barefoot in Paris cookbook

serves 1 - ME!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
salt
pepper
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
sprinkle of parsley, chopped

One flat bread, mine was from Trader Joe's (you can also use a premade pizza crust or a tortilla)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large saute pan to medium high. Heat the olive oil and add the sliced onions.garlic, thyme, and a dash of salt and pepper. cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until the onions are soft but only lightly browned.

Spoon the onion topping on to the flat bread and top with the cheeses. Bake for about 6 - 8 minutes in the oven or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and cut in pieces. Enjoy!

If you were a kid, wouldn't you eat this??!!?

"What?!!! You Haven't Read My Blog???!!"

Beef Burgundy

I blog for myself. It really doesn't matter if anyone else reads it, but it is nice to sometimes hear that someone has found my blogging helpful, amusing, interesting, or just a good diversion to daily life. After I make a meal and my family eats it, I usually ask for their review of the food. They have gotten quite good at their comments as my blogging has progressed. While gathering my reviews of a recent dinner of Beef Burgundy, I found out that The Husband has never even read my blog! "What?! I have been writing this thing for almost a year, and you never have read it?" Not that I'm looking for him to read it, but you would think he would like to see what all my blogging is about. I'll try to remember to share my millions with him when I make it big with the cookbook I will write someday.

In previous posts, I have touched on the dilemmas of preparing dinner for my family; differing palettes, varying schedules, time constraints of the cook. I am sure these same dilemmas are faced by most cooks. Trying to please many different people at the same time with the least amount of effort is always a good formula for me. Not that I am lazy and looking for the easy way out with dinner. I love to cook and still don't want to spend 24 hours a day in the kitchen. I do have a life outside of the kitchen, but I bet my family would beg to differ. If I'm not cooking, I am reading cookbooks, submitting recipes for consideration in upcoming magazine issues, writing culinary articles, and coaching family and friends in their latest cooking adventures. Everyone has to have a hobby.

A few nights ago, I made a nice dinner. With the cold weather upon us (and about a foot of snow that night!), I made Beef Burgundy thanks to my good friend Ina Garten. She doesn't know we are friends, but we do spend a lot of time together. I read and reread her cookbooks, watch her on tv and try to improve on her recipes (which is not too easy to do). I guess I'm kinda a stalker from afar. Most beef burgundy recipes call for stew meat which is usually tough and requires a long cooking time. I never have really loved beef stews for that reason. In this recipe, I used beef tenderloin. It cuts down on the cooking time drastically, and it is much tastier. Eventhough stew meat is much less expensive that tenderloin, I don't make beef stew too often and can justify the better cut of beef.

I like meals that can be made in advance and when reheated don't taste like they were reheated. This is one of those meals. The family members had different schedules the night this was made, so the ease of reheating was key. My Oldest ate it right after it was made and then was off to Confirmation class. Thumbs up from her. "This is really good," she said without me even prompting her for her review. My Middle One took a nap and then ate her portion. She loved the little boiling onions used in the recipe. They were a nice switch from regular onions. Another thumbs up. No Thank You Boy ate only the beef portion of the meal. No surprises here. Wouldn't want a carrot or onion to pass his lips. Typically a No Gravy kinda guy, he slathered his filet in the sauce. The Husband and I both enjoyed the dish. 2 more thumbs up. As far as meals go, this one my be one of the few 5 Thumbs Up meals that I have made. Pinch me! I must be dreaming.

Cheesy and Gooey Mac and Cheese

Cheesy and Gooey Mac and Cheese

Who doesn't like macaroni and cheese? All that gooey, cheesy goodness is an anytime favorite. After eating a big plateful, a nap is easily induced. Actually, No Thank You Boy is not a fan of mac and cheese but, that is a different story. A little too gross of a story to get into in a food blog, if you know what I mean.

I have made numerous recipes for macaroni and cheese over the years. Everything for the blue boxed variety (which is still a favorite), to the freezer kind, to the baked, to the stove top variation. I have read so many recipes, with results that were good but not fantastic, that I came up with my own recipe. My main inspiration came from my The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Revised Edition: Featuring More Than 1,200 Kitchen-tested Recipes, 1,500 Photographs And No-nonsense Equipment And Ingredient Ratings. My stove top version has just the right cheesyness and gooeyness to be my new favorite. It only takes as long to prepare as the boxed variety so time is not a factor in making this dish. And the results are far better.

Make a batch today. I feel a nap coming on.

Cheesy and Gooey Mac and Cheese

8 ounces of pasta
1/2 to 1 cup evaporated milk, canned
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, use the sharp kind
1/2 cup grated monteray jack cheese

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, combine 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk, eggs, salt, pepper, mustard and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and stir to melt. Add the egg mixture and 1/2 of the cheese and stir to combine. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining butter, cheeses and the remaining evaporated milk to adjust to the right consistency. Stir in the cooked pasta and enjoy!

I Will Review for You

Do you have an interesting kitchen gadget, new food product, or recipe you would like me to review? Email me at here and I will be happy to take a look.

I have a few simple guidelines

I am a personal chef, culinary blogger and aspiring food writer. I am only interested in food related items which includes food, beverages, cooking gadgets and appliances, culinary publications, and recipes.

I post recipes and ramblings on my blog Dinners for a Year. I like to share new recipes,with my readers including reviews of the finished product by willing and not so willing testers. I would like to share with my readers new culinary related products in to my recipes.

If you send me your product to review, it will be exposed to my readers who will hopefully purchase your product and make you rich!

If you would like to to send me something to test or review please e-mail me with the details.

Oh So Easy Tiramisu

As the owner of my own personal chef business, I get certain perks. Some people may not think they are perks. To me, it is a dream come true. Corny but true. Being allowed membership to any food related store, warehouse, meeting, or convention is a dream come true for me. I recently visited a new Restaurant Depot that opened in northern New Jersey. I was like a kid in a candy shop. The Depot is a huge warehouse full of everything that you could possibly need for cooking. Giant cans of crushed tomatoes, spices galore, 25 pounds slabs of beef, whole salmons, 20 pound bags of oysters. This list is endless. I spent a good hour and a half just drooling as I walked around the warehouse. I actually gasped as I entered the refrigerated room full of rounds of cheese, fresh produce, and every meat and fish imaginable.

My visit to the Depot was just a fact finding mission. While traversing the aisles, I picked up the ingredients needed for the Tiramisu that My Oldest requested a couple weeks ago. On to my big cart went some lady fingers, marscapone cheese, and whipping cream. A couple days ago, I pulled out an old recipe I've had for about 5 years and had never made and got to work.

Tiramisu is very easy to prepare. After assembling the ingredients, it took me all of 10 minutes to put together. Since the recipe calls for only a few ingredients, make sure you purchase the highest quality you can. I had forgotten how creamy and only slightly sweet good quality marscarpone tastes. I was eating it by the spoonful as I was dipping the lady fingers in the espresso. I had to cut myself off so I would have enough for the recipe.

The finished product made 3 very happy people in my house - My Oldest, No Thank You Boy, and myself. I could have eaten the whole tiramisu myself. I have to say that it has even gotten better as it has sat in the refrigerator for 2 days. I am thinking for my next one that I made add a few new tastes. Maybe a cranberry sauce for the Holidays.

Oh So Easy Tiramisu

makes an 8 x 8 inch dish - about 12 servings

1 pound marscapone cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons amaretto
1 cup whipping cream
24 ladyfingers
1 cup espresso, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated semisweet chocolate

Whisk together marscapone, sugar, and amaretto until smooth.

Whip the cream with chilled beaters in a chilled bowl until it has soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the marscapone mixture.

Dip half of each ladyfinger in the espresso and arrange them in a single layer in the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch square pan. Spread half of the marscapone mixture over the ladyfingers. Sprinkle with half of the chocolate. Dip the remaining ladyfingers in the espresso. Layer in pan. Top with remaining marscapone mixture. Sprinkle with the remainder of the chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or over night

Venetian Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta

I hate cookbooks without pictures. How do I know if I want to make a recipe if I don't know what it will look like? My Mom always said, "The eye eats first." Well, you are just going to have to trust me on this one. I did not take a picture of last night's dinner because we ate it all up before I got my camera out. Not to sound corny but, it really tasted like it was from a restaurant.

The recipe is a Rachel Ray one. I liked the rich flavor, slightly spiciness, and ease of preparation. It only took me 20 minutes - start to finish. We also had some steamed broccoli with it. I only had shrimp on hand so I substituted an extra pound of shrimp where the recipe calls for scallops. I also coated the shrimp with the seasoned flour even though the recipe did not call for this step.

I rarely make a recipe twice. Not because we don't like it but, because I'm always trying new recipes. I have started a "Tried and True" file with all my favorite recipes. This one is definitely going in.

Venetian Shrimp and Scallops