Fish Night – Tilapia
I had the day off yesterday and indulged quite a bit when it came to my calories so I kind of wanted to keep it light tonight.
Cooked up some fresh tilapia tossed in the same seasonings that I used for fish tacos a few of weeks ago (celery salt, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, black pepper and sea salt) . Stayed light for my sides as well; grilled asparagus that I marinated in just a little oil, vinegar and sea salt along with some white mushrooms sautéed in a bit of worchestire sauce, white wine and garlic.
I never bought into that snooty “only white wine with fish” thing so I served this with a glass of 2011 Route 40 malbec and it went perfectly.
Not bad for keeping it light, huh?
And remember… the food abides…
Road Trip – Chicken Sandwiches @ Sam’s Bar and Grille, PCNY
Had to head up to Connecticut for my cousin’s wedding this weekend and since most of my family was at the rehearsal dinner, my two best friends volunteered to pick me up from the airport. I usually fly into New York and since one of them lives in Greenwich, we figured that general area would be a good place to stop for a little dinner and a couple of beers.
We wound up heading to Sam’s Bar and Grille. It’s just a tiny little dive bar right on the Port Chester NY/Greenwich CT line. The rumor was that this place supposedly had one of the best chicken sandwiches around.
They weren’t kidding. There’s usually nothing special about chicken sandwiches but this one is definitely the pick of the litter. The sandwich itself was huge (a plus because I was starving from a day of traveling on an empty stomach). It was crispy and crunchy and not greasy at all. The breading was fantastic and while they wouldn’t tell me what it was seasoned with, it’s not any chicken sandwich breading I’ve ever tasted before. We washed it down with a couple of really great ales that they had on draft which complimented the meal perfectly.
I doubt many Tampa readers will find themselves in that area, but if you do, it’s worth stopping in to try.
And special thanks go out to my boys, Trev and Z for the ride, the meal and the chill session. Always good catching up with you guys.
And remember… the food abides.
Chicken and Mushroom Orecchiette
I’ve been seeing these commercials for Carrabba’s advertising a dish called Chicken and Mushroom Orecchietti. I tend to avoid chain italian restaurants, but seeing these ads over and over again started to get to me. I figured I’d try my hand at my own version of the recipe.
I absolutely love mushrooms and I wanted them to be a major player in the dish rather than taking a backseat to a thick cream-sauce so I kept it very light. I cooked up some orrechietti and tossed it with some extra virgin olive oil then added the sautéed mushrooms, a little chicken that had been marinated in italian dressing, minced garlic, some shredded parmesan, asiago and romano cheeses and some finely chopped italian parsley.
Didn’t come out bad at all for something as light and simple as this. However this is still missing a little something to round out the flavor and make it a balanced dish but I haven’t quite figured out what that is yet. I’ll continue to tinker with the recipe and post when do.
Orrechietti isn’t the most common of pasta dishes so I’m curious if anyone else out there has a favorite recipe. If so, drop a line in the comments section!
And remember… the food abides…
Fish Tacos!
About 12 years ago I had to stop eating red meat for medical reasons and that would have sounded like a death sentence to someone who loved hamburgers as much as I did. However I grew up on the coast in New England and because of that, I have also been a fan of seafood for as long as I can remember. I essentially just shifted focus; at some point fish tacos became my new hamburgers. Living in the Tampa Bay area there is a boundless amount of restaurants that serve them and if I see them on the menu I’m almost guaranteed to try them out. Every so often though I get a hankering to make them myself and tonight’s experiment turned out pretty well.
I grilled up some fresh tilapia and coated it in a mixture of celery salt, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper. As a side note the smoked paprika makes ALL the difference. Tossed the cooked fish in a soft taco shell with a little shredded cheese, a few ribbons of red cabbage and some fresh lime juice. As a side I made a some basmati rice with corn and cilantro and another squirt of lime juice and then a serving of black beans.
I have another favorite fish taco recipe that’s got more of a japanese flair to it which I will have to post at some point. But for now here you go. If you dig fish tacos, this traditional recipe is a great staple.
Have a favorite fish taco recipe or a favorite version served by a local restaurant? Leave a message in the comments!
And remember… the food abides.
Tampa Food Dude 