YUM - Pistachio-crusted Halibut

I'm not much of a cook. To be clear, I can cook, and pretty well; I just don't do it but once a month or so. I don't like to mess up my kitchen, I'm the clean-as-you-go-type. I worry about everything being ready at the same time. I worry about everything being perfect. My husband and child are loathe to eat leftovers and I'm loathe to waste food. The combinations just don't work out well.

Anyway, I've been Pinning, you know, as in @Pinterest, like half the population, and food is a part of that. I've Pinned so many yummy looking recipes that I have actually succumbed to cooking on occasion.

Tonight was one of those occasions.

I'll definitely be making this halibut recipe again. Super easy, super quick and absolutely amazing.

The Pin / recipe came from the blog: Tartine and Apron Strings . I highly recommend you check it out, great pictures, great recipes and all sorts of dietary information (for instance, this recipe is Paleo-friendly).

Pistachio-Crusted Halibut with Fennel Balsamic Gastrique
I'm just posting the (modified -- see link above for original) halibut recipe because I wasn't all that enthusiastic about the fennel / tomato portion, although the shallots and balsamic reduction were amazing.  

Pistachio Crusted Halibut

1 1/2 pounds of halibut, cut into 3rds (fish monger will do this for you, if you ask)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 c pistachios, crushed or coarsely ground.

Wash and pat dry, with paper towels, halibut fillets. 
Whisk together oil & vinegar and pour on top of halibut in oven-safe dish. I turned the fillets over a couple of times in the dish to make sure they were sufficiently 'dipped' in oil. Marinate in 'fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400-415 degrees.
While pre-heating, remove halibut from 'fridge and coat topside generously with ground pistachios, pressing into fish.
Cook. The original recipe called for 8 minutes but I found that to be not nearly enough. Perhaps the filets I had were dramatically thicker; I'm not sure but I ended up cooking the dish for at least 20 minutes or so. Prior to serving, check thickest point with fork. You don't want to overcook but the fish should be opaque and flaky, not translucent.

Notes: 

- I had the halibut cut into 3rds since our family is one of 3, not 4.

- Somehow I missed reading the skinned part of the original recipe and finished the recipe with the skin on. It didn't make a huge difference, although I did press the pistachios into the other side, NOT the skin side, of the halibut.

- The original recipe calls for raw pistachios, crushed with a mortar and pestle. I couldn't find raw pistachios at my local grocer, so I went with salted and roasted shelled pistachios. To compensate, I skipped adding the sea salt mentioned in the original recipe. This was definitely the way to go; any additional salt would have been too much. I also, managed to break my mortar when grinding the pistachios, so I ended up throwing the pistachios into my Cuisinart for a coarse chop. 

-  None of the above changes hurt the end product.

First shot at the crockpot - Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

When I got engaged, it was suggested that I go out and register. Kitchen items seemed to be the right thing to register for since they come in all price ranges and sizes. One of the items I registered for was a crockpot. Lucky me, I got one (along not one, not two but, THREE panini makers -- can we declare panini makers the new toaster?). The next question became, 'what do I do with this thing?'

I know, I know, the obvious answer is cook with it. Not much of a cooking goddess, the idea of a crockpot scared me. Silly? Probably but, my family always used Dutch ovens and the thought of plugging something in and leaving it cooking all day seemed a bit dangerous. What if I burn the house down? So, the crockpot sat. And sat. And sat, for well over 5 years, running up to nearly 10.

Along comes Pinterest, muddling my already busy life with another digital habit that I don't need or have time for, and I start discovering crockpot recipes that look easy, recipes that I might actually eat. I start a crockpot pin board. I start thinking, 'I may actually want to USE this thing'. Today, I did.

The recipe I'm trying came from Mommy Savers, whatever that means; as I said, I found it on Pinterest.

The recipe requires 3 ingredients:
* 4-6 chicken breasts (I used organic, free range)
* a specific brand of Hawaiian BBQ Sauce
* a 20oz can of pineapple.

Pretty simple, right? Mostly, except that I couldn't find Archer-whatever BBQ Sauce so I had to find a substitute. Easier said than done but I did find one BBQ sauce that seemed to fit the bill, at my grocer: World Harbors Tropical Honey Mango BBQ Sauce; I bought two bottles since they were smaller than other BBQ sauce bottles.

I'll update after dinner.

...

It turned out all right. The sauce isn't my favorite but it worked with the chicken and pineapple; it also had a bit of kick to it that some people might prefer. The texture of the meat came out great; it shredded easily when cut, definitely something I'll try next time I make Mexican food (cooking the chicken in salsa).

I served it over last night's leftover rice and that worked really well. I'd hoped to find coconut rice at the grocer but the ones they had in stock contained ingredients I didn't think would sell well to the small child.

Next time, I think I'll try it with a teriyaki sauce and two cans of pineapple, instead of one, and see if I like it better. Once I find a sauce that I like, this recipe will work for my family.

The Princess and The Pea Tea Party

This year, for my daughter's birthday, I decided to get a little creative. I've always loved the story, "The Princess and The Pea" and a tea party seemed the perfect thing so I combined the two into my theme.

The weather cooperated and we were able to have the party outside.

I found mis-matched tea cups and accessories at Goodwill; each child was able to pick their own tea cup to use and take home. The teapot ended up being wildly popular among the kids, they all took turns pouring a "tea" of raspberry lemonade.

Lunch included various cheeses & crackers, a caesar salad, assorted veggies with dip and three types of tea sandwiches (salmon, chicken salad and cucumber). I gave the moms the option of dropping off but there was plenty of food for everyone and champagne for the moms.

A friend gave me a delicious cupcake recipe (below).

Elissa Strauss' Vanilla Cake, Confetti Cakes, New York
2 c cake flour*
1 3/4 c plus 1 1/2 tsp all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 c granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 T pure vanilla extract
1 c (8 oz; 7 about 7 eggs) egg whites or 100% pasturized liquid egg whites
1 1/2 c milk
Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the salt and vanilla.

Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add the egg whites, scraping often.

Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture in two batches, starting with the flour. Scrape down the bowl between each addition and beat until thoroughly combined. set the mixer to medium-high speed for about 20 seconds then stop and scrape sides of the bowl.

Divide the batter evenly between paper-lined muffin tins and bake 20 to 25 min.

Allow the cake to cool for 20min. once the cake is cool, release it from the pan by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan.

The recipe makes approximately 26-28 cupcakes. *You can make your own cake flour using all-purpose flour & a bit of corn starch, if you don't want to purchase additional flour to store.

Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting and top with a "pea" (in this case, I used green Holland Mints).
1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 + 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Double the above if you like heavily frosted cupcakes. The cupcake recipe above is fairly sweet and moist so you don't need a lot of frosting to make them good.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth.

In addition to a tea cup, each child took home a paper crown and bag of Holland mints with stickers.

What to do with 7 egg yolks?

Favorite Communication App!

My latest favorite app (available for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and more) is What's App.

A friend from London introduced me to it and now I'm addicted. If you travel or have friends that travel or live out of the country, this is a must-have app.

What's App allows you to text message, leave voice messages, and more, for free, using data. In order to use it, you do have to allow the program to sync with your contact list and those you want to communicate with, will also need to use the program but the money you save avoiding international texting charges and the convenience the app provides make it worth it.

The app costs 99 cents, and while I generally don't use apps that cost anything, this one I'd put on a Best Buy list.

Home Remodeling / Construction

A number of people around me have been remodeling and building homes lately, so I've got construction on the brain.

Here, I'm going to keep a list of things I don't want to forget if the opportunity presents itself in the future; it will pair nicely with my Pinterest account. Not everything on the list will be feasible but I can always scratch something off my list as long as I remember it.

* Electrical outlets in kitchen pantry, bedroom closet(s), bathroom cabinet(s) for various appliances, hand vacs, outside for various things, including holiday lighting. Also in floor of living & family rooms
* Charging station for cell phones, etc, near entry
* Appliance cabinets for certain appliances
* Small refrigerator / coffee station - near MB
* Small closet for cleaning supplies in pantry, laundry room & other as necessary.
* Solar tubes / skylights where options
* Dual-zone a/c & heat
* Pre-wiring for security system
* In-line lint trap, if necessary (for dryer)
* Vac pans for kitchen & bath (central vac) -- discuss with mom since she had a c.v. & hated it / also retractable hose
* Pre-plumb basement even if we don't plan to put a bathroom in immediately
* Plan for future electrical needs from basement to roof via wiring
* Plan for furnace vents / so furniture, curtains & other needs don't conflict, no overhead vents to blow air in face, yuck.
* Wiring for speakers on all floors, outside in various areas of yard so you don't have to turn the music up super loud to hear it if you decide to sit in another area
* Heated tile floors (love ours but avoid the area for a hamper -- no need to the hamper)
* Multiple refrigeration units in kitchen (one for beverages, in addition to wine fridge and food fridge). Love my freezer drawers
* A drawer dishwasher in addition to a regular-style dishwasher; great for entertaining, small loads, etc
* Consider wi-fi needs, technical needs
* An "office space" in the kitchen for bill paying, etc
* Drawers for extra storage in the toe-kick area of cabinetry
* Upstairs laundry closet in addition to laundry room

Exterior Only
* Hot / cold hose bib outside
* Sensors for some outdoor lights.
* Solar panels?
* Gas line for bbq
* Safe place for deliveries without entry to home (dry cleaning, packages, etc when no one is home)
* Car charger for electric / hybrid car?
* A drain in the garage
* Proper drainage in back yard & driveway
* Irrigation system for plants, including those potted & on upper deck areas
* An outdoor storage area for pots and other things that can stay outdoors but should be covered

Coconut Cake

For the 2nd time in my life, I decided to bake a cake from scratch. The first, was a chocolate cake. This one, for my husband's birthday, was coconut.

It turned out well, moist and coconut-y, albeit a bit dense for my personal taste. The frosting was definitely a keeper; my mother-in-law has mentioned to me, numerous times how much she liked it (yay!).

I made the cake & frosted it on a Friday, refrigerated it overnight and served it Saturday evening and it was not dry at all, although the refrigeration may have contributed to the density. I think the quantity of butter also was a factor; don't get me wrong, it wasn't overwhelmingly dense, just moreso than I was hoping for. Even after cutting into the cake, it wasn't dry, despite refrigeration 2 nights in a row.

I adapted a recipe from Ina Garten, that I found on The Food Network website.

Coconut Cake

3/4 lb (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans

2 c sugar

5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

3 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 c milk

3/4 c TOTAL sweetened & unsweetened shredded coconut, mixed*

For the frosting:

1 pound (2 blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pure almond extract

3 - 3 1/2 confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 c TOTAL sweetened & unsweetened shredded coconut, mixed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two (9-inch) round cake pans.

In a bowl, using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 - 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl while mixing. Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter. Mix until just combined and mix in coconut.

Pour batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

Frosting: In a bowl, use an electric mixer to combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth.

Assembly: Place 1 layer on a flat serving plate and spread with frosting. Sprinkle frosting with coconut. Add second layer and frost the entire cake. Finish by covering with coconut. Serve room temperature.

* My favorite unsweetened coconut is by Bob's Red Mill; the original recipe called for 100% sweetened coconut but I was afraid that would lead to an overly sweet cake. The combination of unsweetened and sweetened provided the right balance with the cake and frosting.

Misc Memories

Word of the day (courtesy of 5 year old, Q): 
Slooch. 
Also known as move, specifically when referencing a iPhone or iPad, as in, "It's difficult to slooch the icons over to another page."
-July 6, 2012

Q: WE (referring to herself and me) are the boss! 
YOU (referring to Husband) have to do what WE say!
-July 25, 2012

Today's lesson from Q: "Convertibles have fat butts." 
I still haven't figured out what she means by it but she's quite convinced.
-July 26, 2012

Q: I dont have veins
Daddy: do you mean wrinkles?
Q: dad, you're so silly
-July 29. 2012

Me: super heros eat lots of super foods
Q: I dont want to be a boy!
Me: girls are super heros too
Q: woohoo! Give me more super foods!
-July 31, 2012

Milkshake...
Q: you better drink faster or I get all of it
Daddy: it's MY milkshake!
-August 12, 2012

I told my child that Chuck E Cheese is ill so we can't have her birthday party there.
-August 13, 2012

Listening to Q explain to her dad that "in real life, Hello Kitty speaks Spanish".
-August 15, 2012