#WeekDaySupper Macadamian Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi

I’m always looking to incorporate more fish and seafood in our weekly dinners and this recipe is so easy and delicious, it’s perfect for a quick, healthy meal any day of the week.

I’ve tweaked the original recipe a bit by adding shredded coconut and cayenne to the “crust” mixture and it is so tasty!  You could sub another nut if you don’t have macadamian nuts on hand. Tip:  Keep your nuts in the freezer to make them last longer. I think pistachios or cashews would also work nicely.

To bring this meal together, I like to roast a fresh veggie in the oven while it’s preheating for the fish (and while the fish is baking) and serve with a cold salad I’ve prepped on Sunday for the week, like a Farro Salad.  So you’ve got your dinner cooking in the oven with minimal clean-up.  A win-win for a weeknight meal!

Mahi-Mahi before going in the oven

Brushing on coconut milk

Crusted and ready to go back in to bake!

Easy Weeknight Meal: Macadamian Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi served with Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Farro Salad

Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups coarsely ground, roasted macadamia nuts (I pound them in a plastic bag with a mallet)
• 1/2 cup panko
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• a pinch of cayenne (more for more kick)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for brushing foil
• 4 mahi mahi fillets (I love the frozen fillets from Whole Foods)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the nuts, panko, coconut, cayenne, flour, and butter. Set aside.

Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it liberally with vegetable oil. Place the mahi mahi on the foil and sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper on both sides.  Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each fillet with the coconut milk. Divide the nut mixture among the tops of the 4 fillets, patting the mixture to spread and adhere to the fillets. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Be sure to check out more #WeekDaySupper recipes this week from my fellow foodies!

Tuesday – Healthy. Delicious. – Thai Corn Chowder

Wednesday – Wednesday – Daily Dish Recipes – Guacamole Avocado Pasta

Thursday – Foxes Love Lemons – Squash & Ricotta Gemelli Saute

Friday – Mama’s Blissful Bites – Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Honey Glaze

#WeekDaySupper Linguine with Clam Sauce

I am a big fan of Meatless Monday.  One day a week we eat vegetarian.  It’s a great way to eat a little healthier and it makes you get creative in the kitchen.  I definitely have a lot more vegetarian entrees in my dinner rotation now than I did before I started doing this!

My Long Islander husband loves seafood, so sometimes I’ll feature fish or shellfish on Mondays.  He has turned me onto clams over the years, so now I’ve started making them at home.  This Linguine with Clam Sauce recipe is to die for.  I bought fresh pasta from the farmer’s market (the best!) and served it with a French baguette.  We, literally, sopped up every last drop of sauce in our bowls!

Heaven in a Bowl

Ingredients

•  Two dozen littleneck clams
• 6 Tbs. evoo
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 5 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• 8 oz. fresh linguine
• Freshly ground black pepper

Scrub the clams under cold water and set aside. In a heavy 3-qt. saucepan, heat 3 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes and cook briefly to infuse the oil, about 20 seconds. Immediately add the wine, 2 Tbs. of the chopped parsley, and half of the garlic. Cook for 20 seconds and add the clams.

Cover and cook over medium-high heat, checking every 2 minutes and removing each clam as it opens. It will take 5 to 6 minutes total for all the clams to open. Transfer the clams to a cutting board and reserve the broth. Remove the clams from the shells and cut them in half, or quarters if they’re large. Return the clams to the broth. Discard the shells.  (If the shells are large, I like to save them to use for Baked Clams.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until it’s almost al dente, about two minutes (for fresh pasta).  Follow directions on the box if you are using dried.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining  parsley and the rest of the garlic and cook until the garlic is just soft, about 1 minute. Set the skillet aside.

When the pasta is done, reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta. Add the pasta, the clams, and the broth the clams were cooked in to the skillet. Return to low heat, toss the pasta in the sauce, and simmer for another minute to finish cooking it, adding a little of the pasta water if you prefer a “saucier” dish.

Taste for salt and add pepper. Serve immediately, with French bread and garnish with the parsley.

Be sure to get more great #WeekDaySupper ideas from my fellow foodies later this week!

08/27/13 – Tuesday – Cookin’ Mimi – Barbecue Jack Chicken

08/28/13 – Wednesday – Noshing With The Nolands – Lentils Ole

08/29/13 – Thursday – Basic N Delicious – Spaghetti with Mushroom Sauce

08/30/13 – Friday – Granny’s Down Home Sassy Southern Cooking – Sassy Sausage Jambalaya

Hubby’s Homecoming

My husband and I were both recently out of town, so we didn’t see each other for a couple of weeks. While I was attending a work conference, he and a friend traipsed around Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Needless to say, I had to make his homecoming meal a good one…and what better way to tell someone you love them then with lobster?

This Lobster Roll recipe is incredible. I can honestly say that I have never had a “real” lobster roll in Boston or Maine, but if they taste anything like these came out, it’s a good thing I don’t live in either place. I’d be broke and probably weigh a few more pounds from eating the irresistible sammy multiple times a week. I made just a few small tweaks to the original recipe. I did add Bibb lettuce and I subbed green onions for chives, because that’s what I had.

Yes, lobster is expensive, so do not let any of it go to waste, I opted to buy lobster tail (mainly b/c I didn’t want to have to kill a live lobster by stabbing it to death or throwing it into a pot of boiling water). After roasting it in the oven, and removing the meat, I used the shells to make a rich lobster stock which I will be using in a Lobster Bisque tonight. Note: I used one lobster tail per sandwich, roughly, and roasted a third tail, and put the meat aside, to be used in the bisque tonight.

Tell me, what’s you’re favorite way to prepare this sweet crustacean at home?

Related articles

• Red Sox pitcher gets hooked on Steamers lobster rolls (bostonherald.com)
• All 20 Lobster Rolls from Tasting Table’s Lobster Roll Rumble (newyork.seriouseats.com)
• How to Host a One-Pot Lobster Party (potterybarn.com)

#SundaySupper Eggplant Parmesan #SoulWarming

There are two secrets to perfect egglant parmesan:

1. peeling
2. sweating

The skin of an eggplant is quite bitter and can ruin the whole dish.  Be sure to take a few extra minutes to peel your eggplant before slicing it.

Eggplant is packed with water.  To make it fry up crisp, you want to draw some of the water out.  To do that, you want to “sweat” the eggplant.  That means you will slice it and salt each side, very generously.  After just a few minutes, you will notice beads of “sweat” on the slices.  That is the moisture being drawn out.  After about 30 minutes, rinse the slices with water, pat dry, and they’re ready to get dressed for the frying pan!

Nothing quite makes my mouth water like freshly fried eggplant. Especially when there is a pot of homemade marinara close by.

Eggplant Parmesan {+Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce}

Ingredients

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded and chopped (you can used jarred, or make at home)
• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes and juices
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped italian parsley
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and black pepper
• Sugar, to taste

Eggplant:

• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• Oliv oil, for greasing dish (I use myMisto)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2  tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 medium eggplants (about 2 1/4-pounds), cut into round slices (it’s your preference how thick you want to slice them, my husband likes them really thin) and sweated
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
• 12 ounces grated mozzarella, plus1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 12 ounces grated fontina
• 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• Fresh basil leaves, torn

For the Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce:

Directions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.  Add the red peppers and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Emulsify with a hand blender and process until smooth.  Add the parsley, basil and oregano and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes longer and season with sugar to cut the acidity.

For the Eggplant:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 15 by 10 by 2-inch baking dishwith olive oil and set aside.

Place the bread crumbs into a large shallow bowl.  Add the herbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 tablespoons of water together.

Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off excess, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the bread crumb mixture.  Shake off any excess breading and transfer the egg plant to a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a large straight-sided saute pans over medium heat .  Working in small batches, fry a few of the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch.  Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with some of the tomato sauce and arrange 1/2 of the eggplant over the sauce.  Cover the eggplant with some of the sauce, grated mozzarella, fontina, Romano cheese and fresh basil.  Repeat to make 3 layers ending with the sauce. Bake for 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbling. Top with the fresh mozzarella and remaining Romano and bake another 10 minutes, until hot and just beginning to brown. Let rest 10 minutes before serving, slice and serve!

Check out more #SoulWarming dishes from the #SundaySupper community below:

Main Entrees:

• Carrot, Parsnip and Lentil Casserole  – Happy Baking Days
• Chicken with Herbed Dumplings – Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Chicken pot pie – Gotta Get Baked
• Cholula Chicken Enchiladas – Kwistin’s Favorites
• Eggplant Parmesan – The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
• Roasted Roots and Fruits with Sausage – Shockingly Delicious

Chili/Stews:

• Beer-Braised Beef – Sustainable Dad
• Bigos {Authentic Polish Hunter’s Stew} – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Brunswick Stew and Rice – Big Bear’s Wife
• Calico Beans – Home Cooking Memories
• Carbonnade Flamande – The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chicken Cacciatore {Hunter Style Stew} with Easy Creamy Polenta – Webicurean
• Chicken & Mushroom Stew On Egg Noodles –  Galactosemia in PDX
• Cowboy Beef Stew – Comfy Cuisine
• Ham and String Beans –  Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Hearty Moose Meatball Stew – Mrs. Mama Hen
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili – Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Lentil and Chorizo Stew – Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Seafood Gumbo and Soul Warming #SundaySupper Wine Pairings – ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Soul Warming Hearty Beef Stew – In The Kitchen With KP

Soups:

• 30 Minute Black Bean Soup – Supper for a Steal
• Black Bean Soup – Basic and Delicious
• Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream – The Lovely Pantry
• Canadian Beer Cheese Soup – Juanita’s Cocina
• Chicken Pot Pie Stew Soup – Ruffles and Truffles
• Chicken Soup with Dumplings – The Messy Baker
• Chicken Tortilla Soup – Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Coconut Curry Chicken Soup – Damn Delicious
• Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup – Mama Mommy Mom
• Easy Chicken and Dumplings – My Catholic Kitchen
• Easy Italian Wedding Soup – Family Foodie
• Easy Wonton Soup – Soni’s Food
• French Onion Sou – Momma’s Meals
• Homestyle Chicken and Dumplings – I Run For Wine
• Lasagna Soup – Cravings of a Lunatic
• Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup – Mangiamo
• Lentil and Bacon Soup – Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Lentil Soup with Spinach – Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Peppery Mulligatawny Soup with Cherry Tomatoes & Cilantro – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Pozolillo Verde {Green Chicken & Corn Pozole} – La Cocina de Leslie
• Red Lentil Soup with Crispy Aromatic Coriander – Chattering Kitchen
• Roasted Jalapeno Soup – Chocolate Moosey
• Rule of Thirds Soup – What Smells So Good?
• Seafood Chowder – Noshing with the Nolands
• Spanish Garlic Soup – Pippi’s In The Kitchen Again
• Spicy Gumbo Z’herbes – Pescetarian Journal
• Spicy Korean Brisket Soup {Yukgaejang} – Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup {Jjamppong} – Kimchi Mom
• Spicy Udon Noodle Soup – My Trials In The Kitchen
• Turkey Noodle Soup – Magnolia Days
• Tuscan Bean Soup  – The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Twisted Chicken Noodle Soup – The Meltaways
• Warm You Up Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger Soup – Daily Dish Recipes

Desserts/Beverages:

• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Hot Chocolate with Orange – GirliChef

Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

Not a Five, a Ten

Even in college I considered myself a foodie.  How can you not be in Athens?  Not only does the Classic City have a plethora of bars, but the restaurant selection is amazing.  So are the prices.  An added bonus is you can pretty much go anywhere in jeans and a t-shirt.

So when I was at UGA and local chef, Hugh Acheson, was featured on the cover of Food & Wine as one of the best new chefs of 2002, I knew that I needed to visit his restaurant immediately.  Now, this post is not a review of Five and Ten {which is ah-mazing BTW} but when his recipe for Fish Tacos popped up on my weekly email from Saveur, I knew I needed to make them.  This recipe (tweaked a bit), like his restaurant, did not disappoint.

Roasting veggies for salsa

Homemade Salsa

Yummy Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa

Printable Recipe

• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 serrano chile
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt to taste
• One packet of Splenda
• 1 cup canned pinto beans
• 16 6″ corn tortillas
• Canola oil, for frying
• 2 boneless, skinless flounder or halibut filets
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Make the salsa: Heat a 12″ cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, tomatoes, serrano chile and bell pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer vegetables to a plate and let cool. Peel the garlic and stem and seed the serrano chile. Transfer vegetables, 2 tbsp. chicken broth and 1tsp cilantro to a small food processor and process into a chunky purée; set aside. Season salsa with salt and Splenda, transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside.

Make the tacos: Put beans into a small pot and heat over medium heat until hot; cover, remove from heat, and keep warm. Heat a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Pour oil into a 5-qt. pot to a depth of 2″ and heat over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, season fish with salt and chili powder and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Add fish to the oil and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fish to a rack set in a baking sheet. To serve, use1 tortilla per taco. Divide beans among tacos; top beans with fish, avocado, the remaining cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and a tablespoon of salsa. Serve warm.

Related articles

• Texas Caviar (aka Black Bean Salsa). (homemadeincredible.wordpress.com)
• Taco cookbook takes readers out of the box (knoxnews.com)
• Meatless Monday recipe: Zucchini & Red Pepper Enchiladas (greenlinglocal.wordpress.com)

Monday Menu Plan

Every week, I am impressed with The Pajama Chef’s ability to plan out a menu for the week, write it down and stick to it.  I’m attempting to do that myself.  Again. Let’s see if I can stay on schedule and share recipes throughout the week (only if they all come out as good as they sound)!

Week of May 30th

Monday: Greek

• Caramelized Onion Hummus
• Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)
• Falafel and Tzatziki Sauce

Tuesday: Grabbing drinks {and a bite} at Leon’s Full Service

Wednesday: Summer Cookout

• White Chicken Chili
• Southwest Turkey Burgers
• Farro Salad  with Tomatoes and Corn
• Roasted Carrots

Thursday: Mexi-Seafood Night

• Tilapia and Shrimp Ceviche with Mango and Avocado
• Panko Crab Cake with Lime Aioli
• Cilantro Rice

Friday: Leftovers

Related articles

• Thai menu for tomorrow (christonite.com)
• Menu Plan Monday, Back to Normal Edition (inoursmallgarden.wordpress.com)
• Menu Monday 5-16-11 (momcooks.net)