Ceviche for All Ages

Ceviche is fish that's been marinated and 'cooked' by citrus juices.   The taste is succulent, fresh, light for summer, and low calorie.  This is one of our favorite dishes especially whenever I'm needing to shed a few pounds which means ceviche is on the menu quite often.  It's bold for kids, but I continue to introduce my own kid's to it and by presenting it in the way that will suit their tastebuds and dining maturity.  
Ceviche
1 lb fish - chopped 1/2" pieces (tilapia, halibut, scallops, shrimp - my favorites)
1/2 medium onion - chopped
10 cherry tomatoes - halved  (1 lg tomato or 2 small - chopped)
4- 6 limes - juiced
1/2 c orange juice (use pre-made if you don't have fresh)
1 jalapeno pepper - minced
1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped
s&p to taste (1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper to start)
Combine fish, onion, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, cilantro.  Pour lime juice and orange juice over.  Add enough juice to completely cover fish.


Let the seafood 'cook' in the refrigerator for several hours.  Taste it and adjust seasonings to your liking, then serve very cold.  We use the martini glass for our teenager who eats less and doesn't like tomatoes.  The parents get the big bowl with chopped avocado and Griffin (10) gets the sample with a quesadilla.

RECIPE

It's a Supper Present, Jimmy.

"I made you your own block of omega-3 fatty acids which can reduce your young blood pressure and help prevent blood clots in your tiny veins.  Underneath I've hidden a bundled gift full of vitamins A & C, beta-carotene, soluble fibers, magnesium and folic acid. You can thank me when you live to be 110."
One of my best meals ever, was at Commander's Palace in New Orleans. Filet of Sole en Papiotte with a Buerre Blanc Sauce (fish w/ butter sauce in parchment paper - to the rest of us).   I urge all of you to buy yourself a roll of parchment paper, if you haven't already.  Bake cookies and rolls on parchment to prevent burning, but even better, bake fish or poultry in a parchment wrap to keep it sinfully moist and to avoid washing dirty pans!
I found fresh halibut on sale - when does that ever happen? - and knew Griffin, my protein-averse-in-a-veggie-rut son, would complain.   This presentation did the trick - I told him it was Seafood Surprise.  He ate red peppers and zucchini with the halibut and I only had to use one teaspoon of butter.  And, he got a free facial steambath.

Halibut en Papiotte or Seafood Surprise
Fish - halibut, salmon, etc. (for God's sake, buy it on sale) Julienne slice carrots, red peppers, onions and zucchini.  Note: I leave out the center seed portion of the zucchini for cooking because it tends to get mushy.  Use vegetables you have on-hand making sure to pre-saute tougher vegetables before baking.
Saute carrots, onions and red peppers until slightly tender - you can do this on the weekend and save time.  Do not saute the zucchini before baking, again with the mushy factor.

Tear off a large piece of parchment paper and fold it in half.   Add a serving of vegetables including the raw, julienned zucchini to one side of parchment close to the fold.  Dollop 1/2 t. butter on top with s&p to taste (this is not the Standard & Poors).   Layer on a serving a of fish and another 1/2 t. of butter and s&p.  I added grated ginger ( Bowling for Taste) to the top. Yum.

Wipe a thin layer of butter around the 3 edges of parchment and fold the other half of paper over the food and adhere to the butter edges.    Roll up the edges to form a pouch.

Bake at 350º for 15 minutes.

Open the pouches at the table for dramatic effect. 

Take a bow and throw kisses to the audience.

RECIPE

Make Your Own *@#* Tacos

There is many a time after a long day when I get home to the "what's for dinner" whine and would love to turn around and say make your own *@#* dinner. Instead we turn those nights into "Make your own fish/chicken/pork/beef/bean tacos night. This is the perfect meal for reinventing leftovers or just cooking up one quick protein. In grilling season we favor fish tacos using quickly marinaded strips of fish. Did you know that fancy expensive bottled marinades are just salad dressings in disguise??? Marinate fish in your favorite dressing for 30 minutes, sear on the grill and put out with warm tortillas and an assortment of veggies and you have dinner in a flash that your family assembles themselves.

Halibut Fish Tacos
1 lb halibut sliced into 1 x 3 inch strips (fillet is easier to cut but steaks are cheaper)
juice of 1 lemon and two limes
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
3 tbs olive oil
Sides-chopped tomatoes, shredded napa cabbage, sliced red peppers, diced onions, cilantro
Sour Cream
Tortillas
Make marinade and place fish in
Chop sides and place in bowls buffet style on counter
Heat tortillas in 350 onion wrapped in foil
Quick grill (2 min per side) or saute in several tbs of marinade
Serve
To guard against huge dollops of sour cream overwhelming the meal, spread a thin layer on the tortilla as the base. It helps keep everything sticking together too!

RECIPE

When In Doubt, Roast

Olive oil, salt, pepper and a 400° oven is all you need to roast any meat, chicken, fish or vegetable to perfection.
Potatoes (shown) for 45 minutes and turn. Make them in bulk to have throughout the week. I added chopped, fresh rosemary to these. Potatoes are more starch than vegetable so they will not give you the nutrients you need you need from our vegetable friends, but keep the skins on because they are a rich source of fiber and it makes prep even easier.
Shrimp (raw, peeled) for 5 minutes (no turning necessary). Roast shrimp in bulk and then reincarnate it later in the week: salad topping, reheated over pasta, sautéed with garlic.
Chicken for 30 minutes.  Make extra for future meals.
Vegetables for 45 minute, turning as needed.  The goal is to bring out the natural sugars in vegetables for caramelized flavor.
Fish (salmon, halibut (shown), orange roughy, tilapia, etc) about 15 minutes, no turning necessary.

RECIPE