Spciy Basa Fish Stew

Thanks to my Haitian grandma and Bahamian mom as a kid I grew up eating a lot of fish in so many different varieties.  One dish I loved so much was so simple.  Boiled Fish Stew from the Bahamas.  I can clearly remember my grandma cooking the huge grouper fish chunks still on the bone.  She would give me the bones to suck on.  lol...may sound nasty to some, but it was comfort food for me :)

I was craving to make Bahamian Fish Stew, so I went to my local market.  Sadly there was no grouper...so hungry and disappointed, I still wanted to make this stew.  Did some research on my handy dandy smart phone and found  a fish close (cousin) to the grouper called Basa..a Vietnamese catfish.  

This dish is inspiration of my Asian food knowledge background mixed with the Caribbean comfort food I was raised on. 

The touch of watercress is in honor of my grandma..lol.  She was the only one who would add it to her soups.  This soup is very spicy with a kick of tanginess and the sharp bite of the watercress just makes it even more refreshing and new! I loved it I ate it twice :) Enjoy.

Spicy Basa Fish Stew
Serves: 2

• 4 cups water
• 1 large red potato, (large dice)
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1/4 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley (course large chop)
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 ea red jalapeno pepper (sliced rings)
• 1/2 tbsp old bay seasoning
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 2 ea (6 oz ea) Basa Filets (halved)
• 1 ea lime 
• 1 cup fresh watercress

1.  In a pot combine the water, potato, onion, thyme, parsley, garlic, jalapeno, old bay seasoning and salt and pepper.
2. Bring the ingredients in the pot to boil.
3. In a separate flat container season the fish filets with salt and pepper and squeeze the lime juice on both parts of the filets and allow to sit while the ingredients in the pot cook.
4. When the ingredients in the pot begin to boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer to cook the potatoes.
5. When the potatoes are almost done (about 1 more minute) add the fish into the pot (buried in the stew).
6. Cook until fish is cooked.
7. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
8. Serve immediately with a handful of watercress on top.

More photos of the process below:

Cashew, Honey & Orange Chicken Stir Fry (a.k.a. Red Chef Chicken Stir Fry)

 

I've made this stir-fry a couple of times due to high demands for it from my friends.  And since it's such an easy dish, it's something that I can actually say yes to.  If you have all these ingredients at home, I highly recommend you try this out.  A one bowl meal, enough  to satisfy your family.  This dish is also loaded with vegetables that makes it so colorful.

Red Chef Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 4

• 2 ea chicken breast (skinned and boneless) (sliced)
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 bunch asparagus (cut into 1/2s with rough bottom snapped off and discarded)
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 ea zucchini
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 tbsp sesame oil (split four ways)
• 3 ea whole eggs
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 ea oranges
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp siracha (1/2 tbsp for medium heat)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup crushed toasted cashews

1. In a large pot or wok on medium high heat sear off your chicken breast in 1 tbsp of sesame oil.  Cook chicken through and remove from heat by placing it in a large bowl.
2. In a pot of boiling water/ steam: cook your vegetables: carrots, green beans and asparagus.  Cook until tender with a little crisp (in other words not mushy and discolored).  
3. Then heat up the wok once again with another 1 tbsp of sesame oil and saute the scallions, red bell pepper, zucchini and mined garlic for a 2 minutes (do not brown garlic).  Then to that mixture add the vegetables and saute for another quick minute.  Then place in the same large bowl as your chicken.
4. Place another 1 tbsp of sesame oil into wok and crack all three eggs into the heated oil, while cooking scramble the eggs with your utensil.  Once the eggs are good use a scraper remove from pan and place in large bowl.  (if it makes it easier for you, can can seperatly in another pan fry your eggs).
5. In the heated wok, add the last 1 tbsp of sesame oil, honey, orange juice (and zest if you wish), soy sauce and siracha sauce.  Season the sauce and allow to reduce to 1/3.
6. Immediately add the rice and fold the rice to coat with sauce.  And the large bowl of chicken and vegetable mixture and fold and coat the rest of the ingredients, including the cashews.
7. Serve immediately.

LOL...for this post I have two pics...I couldn't choose!

Kid Friendly: Valentine Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Yes it's as simple as it gets!!  And yup, I'm not that great of a decorator, plus I DON'T HAVE TIME!! Hey I only had an hour to spare, so me and the little one made lovable treats ;)  He loves chocolate, so we had milk chocolate brownies with cookies & cream ice cream.  Plus wouldn't this be awesome if your date made these?  Especially when they don't know how to bake.  It's a very thoughtful way to show your love...awwww.   Enough with the lovey dovey....Enjoy!

Below you will find the easiest recipe in the world!

Valentine Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
1 box Brownie cake mix (with addition requested ingredients from the company)
1 container Favorite ice cream
1 ea Heart shape cookie cutter
Optional: Powder sugat, sprincles, oreo crumbs, nuts, chocolate bits

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree
2. Grease and flour large baking sheet tray
3. Mix brownie mix as recommended on the box.  (Hint: you can add red food color but a more redish-brownish color)
4. Spread thin layer of brownie mix evenly on baking pan and bake
5. While the brownie is baking: Use the heart cookie cutter to mold the ice cream into shape.
6. Place desired amount of ice cream shapes back in the freezer to harden up.
7.  When the sheet tray of brownie is ready, remove from heat and allow to completely cool off.
8. Use the heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the brownie shapes.
9. Assemble the brownie and ice cream.
10. Decorate using your wonderful creativity.

Lime & Siracha Grilled Chicken

What's my new favorite thing to do?  Using my grill pan!  Lol.  It's no joke, I'm serious.  If you are like me in a place where you can't have an outside grill...you can try using the grill pan.  Yes I know, you won't get the same "charcoal",  "fire" taste.  But this is a great way to sear your meat to get a very juicy and tender product.  When you seal the outside of any protein that finish it by baking it, the juice stays within the meat and doesn't leak out, resulting in a more flavorful product with a very beautiful outside crust that is packed with deliciousness.  Try it out you won't regret it :).  In this recipe I use Siracha which is a Thai pepper sauce and is one of my line of favorite pepper sauces to use.  Interchangeably, in the past when I am in the mood for Siracha and can't find it, I've used Sambal Oelek (Oelek is the garlic addition in the sambal) which is from Indonesia. They pretty much have the same consistency and heat.  In this recipe you will see that is is very...easy!  And great to use cold or hot for salads and wraps.  Or just to serve with your favorite rice.  If you are are like me you can serve it with friend plantains as well.  And remember this is a spicy dish, thinly slicing the cooked meat  to serve helps in not having a mouth full of pepper!  Also allowing the meat to rest for at least 5 mins when taken out of the oven will allow the juices in the meat to set up so that you won't have a juicy mess when cutting to serve.

Lime & Siracha Grilled Chicken
4 ea chicken breast (skin-off and boneless)
3 tbsp Siracha
2 ea limes
1 tbsp minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

• Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees.
• Pre-heat the grill pan on medium high.
• Combine the siracha, lime juice, garlic and season to your taste with salt and pepper.
• When the pan is very hot, sear both side of the chicken breasts to create grill marks.
• Place the seared meat into the oven to finish baking.
• When the chicken is firm to the touch, remove from oven and allow to rest.
• Let rest for 5 mins and slice and serve as preferred.

Coming back with a Bang! Stay tune!

Seattle Travel: SAM I am... (Part Two)

Honestly I wish I knew the name of the plants below, but of course I don't have a green thumb but I managed to buy a little cactus like looking baby plant to take home with me.  They said it didn't need to much watering and little sun light...that's the right one of me!!! lol

I just basically took a pic of all my favorite plants and ones that were quite interesting that I've never seen before.  Hopefully one day...when I learn some discipline on taking care of plants I can have my own garden, which is something I really wanted to do!  So who knows!  If you know the name of the plants...please let me know!!!  This way I can actually label them...lol.  Thanks a bunch.

 Will walking up to the conservatory...I cam across a little garden that they had outside.  These caught my eye, they are so bright and beautiful :)

 Since this conservatory is part of the Seattle Asian Art Museum it was natural to find a lot of Asian artifacts inside.  Wouldn't that be nice to have an Asian theme garden?  I really would love to learn the history behind this bell?  It's not the only place I saw it.  It my future posts you will see why.

 I don't know why?! But maybe because I love food so much, these remind me of Latkes (potato pancakes)!

 I have a feeling I will have alot ot cactus plants in my garden lol

This flower reminds me of the Japanese Cherry Blossom Trees with their pink snowy petals :)  I can't wait until I can see my very first Cherry Blossom Tree...the university I want to go to actually have some that were donated to them in their courtyard :)

Seattle Travel: SAM I am... (Part One)

This morning there was fog and 35 degrees freezing whether at Volunteer Park, but it was beautiful!!

I've never seen real "Fall"...

Waiting for the Seattle Asian Art Museum (part of SAM) to open...to attend an University Lecture on the paintings of Ramayana.  It was definitely interesting and learned so much of a side of Indian culture I never knew about.  I also went through the many exhibit, from Indian, Chinese to Japanese sculpture, furniture, robes, pendents and paintings pieces.

Then I walked over to the Conservatory.  It was a great relief of a tropical whether setting inside.

Stay tune for more updates...which will start with the amazing beauty inside this building...