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.

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Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

On the way back from the beach {sniff} I scoped out recipes.  I wanted something simple, delicious, and  that I didn’t need to make a big grocery trip for.  I opened an email from Saveur (God bless technology) and this mouth-watering looking Rosemary Chicken looked simple enough. I made a quick stop at the DeKalb Farmer’s Market to pick up what I needed…chicken and a lemon (which came to $5.88.  Not bad for dinner for two), and headed home to throw together this super-quick meal.

I served the chicken and pan juices over whole wheat linguine.  (I also made a side of Roasted Broccoli, but thought the plate looked prettier sans the veggies :0)

An amazing meal

Rosemary Chicken

Printable Recipe

• 4 whole skin-on chicken legs and thighs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1⁄2 cup flour, for dredging
• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon

1. Heat oven to 425˚. Place chicken pieces in a large ziplock bag and season generously with salt and pepper. Dump flour into bag and shake chicken so it’s totally coated. Heat oil in an iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add wine, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return pan to heat and cook until wine reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add 1 1⁄2 cups water and bring to a boil. 

2. Cover skillet, transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and let chicken skin crisp, 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven; stir in lemon juice. Serve chicken with the pan sauce. 


 

SERVES 2 hungry people

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