Gluten-Free - Its Not Easy Eating Green

Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf (Gluten-Free)

April 3, 2013 - 10:25 pm | Gluten-Free, Grains, kid-friendly, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipe, Retro Recipes

I have made my turkey meatloaf recipe constantly over the years. It wasn’t so long ago that this was Little Guy’s favorite, but now, sadly he is going through a phase where he would rather live on chicken nuggets and pizza. This recipe is my adaptation of a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Best Light Recipe cookbook. However, I recently discovered another recipe for turkey meatloaf that used Quinoa instead of breadcrumbs as a binder. Not only does this make the recipe gluten-free, but loads the meatloaf with healthy whole-grain. I liked the quinoa recipe, but it lacked the flavor and veggies that my turkey meatloaf had. So I combined my well loved recipe with the quinoa, and the result was the best of both.

This meatloaf is packed with everything needed for a healthy meal; lean protein, healthy grains, veggies, lean dairy and lots of flavor. So, even if the little ones eat nothing else, they are still getting a full meal. Little Guy is on board too. At first it was begrudgingly, but he kept eating after his requisite four bites. That’s a major success in my house.

As usual, I disguise the veggies by chopping them up very fine. The carrots (an addition of my own) help lighten the texture, add an additional sweetness to the meatloaf and also add even more veggies to the dish. I use around three carrots for a two pound recipe, and pulse them and onions in a food processor until very fine before sautéing them in a tiny bit of oil until tender. I know that purists out there will argue that chopping the onions in a food processor will make them bitter, but I can’t tell and I don’t have time to Bruniose onions and carrots these days, so the food processor handles the job for me.

I don’t have problems getting my son to eat the green specks of parsley and thyme in this dish because when he was less opinionated I explained that the Italian seasoning on his pizza were magic sprinkles that made everything taste good. Ever since then, when he sees me adding fresh green herbs to things, he just asks if the magic sprinkles are going to make it taste good. I highly recommend this approach! However, if your kid is of the nothing-green ilk, then you can leave the herbs out.

This recipe calls for two pounds of ground turkey and makes either one large loaf or two smaller ones. With all my kids still small, we only need half of this recipe for our family. I always use fresh, never-frozen ground turkey when I make this so I can freeze half and have a freshly baked meatloaf for another night. I do not add the sauce before I freeze it, and thaw it thoroughly before baking. Then when I’m ready to bake it off, I mix up a half recipe of the sauce and bake as normal.

If you are using previously frozen turkey and you still want to make a full recipe of meatloaf and freeze half, just bake it before refreezing (although I think the rule about never refreezing meat is a bit silly if you are careful with the way the meat was thawed and handled). You can also half this recipe and just make up one pound of turkey.

It’s healthy, it tastes good, its gluten-free and full of healthy grains. Your kid will like it, so just make it already. ’nuff said! Enjoy.

Kid Friendly Veggie-Full Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf
Adapted from The Best Light Recipe and this Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf Recipe found on allrecipes.com

Serves 6-8

This recipe splits and doubles very well. The baking times I list are for two loafs per recipe, but this bakes very nicely as a full two pound loaf as well. Baking times will increase to 45 minutes for the first bake, then add the second half of the glaze and bake for about another 15 minutes. Always cook the meatloaf until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

1/2 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup carrots, peeled and rough chopped (about 1/2 pound)
1 medium onion, peeled and rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Crystal
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, finely ground
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 pounds 93% ground lean turkey
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring one cup of water and the quinoa to a boil in a small pan.

Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for twenty minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully. While the quinoa is cooking pulse the onion and carrots separately in a food processor until very finely chopped but not pureed.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with one teaspoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onions and carrots with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Cook, stirring frequently until the onions and carrots are soft, but not brown, about ten minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Turn off the heat and allow the vegetables to cool.

While the quinoa and carrot and onion mixture are cooling, combine the yogurt, eggs, thyme, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt in large mixing bowl.

When cool, add the quinoa and vegetable mixture and combine everything together.

Mix in the ground turkey and mix until uniformly combined. Separate the mixture into two even amounts and form each one into a loaf about 9”x5”x1” on a lined baking sheet.

Combine the ketchup, brown sugar and cider vinegar in a small bowl and coat each meatloaf with about 1/4 of the sauce leaving the other 1/2 for later in the baking process. If you are only baking one meatloaf and freezing the other, only make a half recipe of sauce with 1/4 cup of ketchup, two tablespoons brown sugar and one tablespoon of cider vinegar.

Bake the meatloaf for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and coat with the remaining sauce. Return to the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for ten minutes before serving.

Sauteed Baby Greens with Crispy Shallots

March 28, 2013 - 3:07 pm | Gluten-Free, Local, Main Dish, Meatless Monday, Recipe, Salad, Sides, spring, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Winter

Baked Potato Tots

March 7, 2013 - 11:02 am | Breakfast, Gluten-Free, kid-friendly, Recipe, Retro Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

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Crunchy potato tots are a pretty unanimous family favorite. Kids love ‘em because they are tasty, crunchy, slightly salty, go well with ketchup and they seem like they are bad for you. Parents love ‘em because they are tasty, crunchy, slightly salty, go well with ketchup and because the kids like ‘em.

Good potato tots are as good as potatoes can get. They are crispy, hot and flavorful with just the right balance of starchy potato and salt. Bad potato tots are undercooked, limp, lukewarm, falling apart and taste of old potatoes and the freezer (think back to your school lunches).

These are very good potato tots, and they are baked which makes them healthier. Not to mention that you don’t need to deal with the hassle of frying. They only take a few minutes to whip together. From start to finish you can have these on the table in well under an hour (about 40 minutes once you’ve made them once or twice).

By making your own potato tots, you get to control the ingredients. You can use organic or local potatoes and eggs. If you want gluten-free potato tots, just substitute potato starch for the flour. If you want to make them low-sodium, reduce the amount of salt, use light salt or even use a salt-free seasoning like Mrs. Dash or Penzey’s Forward. However you make them, you will enjoy them, as will your whole family. After all they are tasty, crunchy, slightly salty and go well with ketchup.

Baked Potato Tots
serves 3-4 as a side

Replace the flour with potato starch to make these gluten-free. Don’t be tempted to cook these until they are golden brown. Lightly golden is the best. They can get tough and a little bitter when they are over-cooked.

1 pound potatoes, peeled (about two large)
1 egg white
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon flour
non-stick cooking spray or olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into large chunks and place in a food processor with the normal blade in place.

Pulse several times until the potatoes are in small (1/4”) pieces. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in batches.

Remove the potatoes from the food processor and place on a large, clean kitchen towel.

Wrap the kitchen towel around the potatoes and squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the potatoes.

Place the potatoes in a large bowl and add the egg white, onion powder, salt and flour. Mix together well.

Spray a lined baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush with oil. Use a small scoop (such as a cookies scoop) or a tablespoon to scoop the potatoes into round “tots” and place on the baking sheet leaving a small amount of space between each tot.

Spray the tops with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush with oil and place in the oven.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are light brown. Serve hot.

Shelter from the Storm (Roasted Plantains and Mango Painkillers)

March 1, 2013 - 6:52 am | Beverages, Caribbean, Field Trips, Fruit, Gluten-Free, Recipe, Salad, Sides, travel, Vacation, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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On the afternoon of February 6^th, 1978 thousands of people left work early to avoid a heavy snow forecast for the area. Their cars piled onto Rt. 128, along the outer edge of the Boston area. Quickly the cars were overcome with the heavy snowfall and travel became impossible. As snow piled up on the roadways, the trapped commuters began to realize they would not make it home anytime soon. In fact, most of them would not make it home for days. Many of them, my father-in-law included, would spend most of the next week trudging through record snow levels to and from their car every day just to get to basic food and water. Here’s a link to picture of rt. 128 during the Blizzard of ’78.

Eventually the national guard was called in to evacuate the interstate. While all of these people were stuck living out of their cars and trying to survive, their families had to do without them at home. My mother-in-law was trapped at home without power or any means of transportation with three sick children. Neighbors had to bring her in supplies on sleds. If you live anywhere in New England you hear the stories like these of the Blizzard of ’78 on a yearly basis. Every storm is compared to it and everyone has their own where were you story of the blizzard.

Flash forward exactly 35 years to February 6^th, 2013. It was day five of our trip to Turks and Caicos and we awoke to a message from our airline that we should consider rescheduling our return trip due to heavy snow forecast for the Boston area the day of our return. We were more than lucky. Not only did we take action early enough to get a flight out two days after the storm, but we were able to find a place to stay that would allow us to continue to enjoy our vacation while our friends and family endured hurricane force winds and over two feet of snow.

The new place was the opulent Ocean Club West. With it’s huge two bedroom unit and screened-in porch just four stepping stones from the vast tropical pool, we lived our last two days on Providenciales in luxurious style.

Our view from Ocean Club West

I like the idea of karmic reward for my in-laws who traded in their blizzard of ’78 horror stories for walks on the beach and sweet coconutty rum drinks. I like the idea riding of their karmic coattails too. I don’t know a lot about karma except that it is important that I show gratitude for my gift, which I do. I am very grateful for the extra two days in paradise while taking shelter from the storm.

To show my gratitude, I share with you two recipes which were particular hits of our trip. The roasted plantains with orange juice and rum is adapted from a recipe in Modern Caribbean Cuisine by Wendy Rahamut and Michael Bonaparte (see link below). The recipe calls for almost ripe plantains, but after making this a few times now, I highly recommend using ripe plantains so you can avoid an gummy/starchy texture. We had these twice in Turks and Caicos. The first time was the magical night with the grilled lobster. The sauce is what makes these delicious. It is really something else with the grilled lobster and even more so when it’s mixed with a little melted butter and lime juice. The second time we had these was our last night at Ocean Club West where we had them with rice, grilled shrimp and a salad of local veggies.

The local veggies were a rarity in Turks and Caicos. Almost all produce is flown in from the mainland and from other islands like Jamaica and Puerto Rico. However, there is a revival of local produce lately. There are farms in Turks and Caicos like the Misick Farm which is discussed in this post from 2 Gringos in the Caribbean. The local produce I had was all hydroponic, but tasted perfectly ripe. The tomatoes tasted like summer fruit which is pretty special in the middle of February.

The second recipe was the one we had more often than any other. The Mango Painkiller is my take on a rum drink we discovered on our previous visits to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Painkillers are a mix of orange juice, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and aged rum. They are served over ice with a grating of nutmeg on top. The local rum drink on Turks and Caicos is rum punch, which was delicious but we all still craved the sweet and creamy Painkiller. We picked up all the supplies for the Mango Painkillers on our first visit to the grocery store and kept ourselves stocked the entire time we were there. The mango nectar is my addition which makes this decadent drink even more dessert-like, but also even more tropical. One of these is capable of transporting you to your own island paradise. Enjoy!

Roasted Plantains with Orange Juice and Rum
Serves 4

Be sure to use ripe plantains in this recipe so the finished product is soft enough. Adapted from a recipe in Modern Caribbean Cuisine, by Wendy Rahamut and Michael Bonaparte

2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rum

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the plantains, orange juice, sugar, salt and rum in an oven-safe baking dish and cover. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the plantains are very soft and the sauce has thickened. Serve with seafood and rice.

Mango Painkiller
makes 4 drinks

This is one of those curiously strong drinks that can catch you by surprise. The mixture of juices and coconut are surprisingly good at disguising the amount of rum in this drink. So, watch out; more than one of these can really get you. It’s important to note that there is a difference in brands of cream of coconut. Coco Lopez is the creamiest and makes the best finished product. The flavor of the grated nutmeg really stands out in this drink. Try to avoid using pre-ground nutmeg.

1 cup Coco Lopez brand cream of coconut (1/2 of a 15 oz can)
1 cup mango nectar
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cup aged rum (not spiced rum or light rum)
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
Pineapple spears for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish

Combine, cream of coconut, mango nectar, orange juice, pineapple juice and rum in a large pitcher. Stir well and pour over glasses of ice. Top with sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon and garnish with pineapple spears and lime wedges.

Turks and Caicos Recommendations and Links

I thought I would share a list of places we recommend for those of you considering a trip to the island.

Lodging

Atlantic Beach Front Villas – This is where we stayed for the majority of our visit. These comfortable villa units of varying size are set in the sleepy area of Turtle Cove. Some of the villas, including the one we stayed in, are as close to the beach as any on the island. The owners and staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful.

Ocean Club West – This super luxury resort has very spacious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units set among manicured tropical gardens, a lovely freshwater pool, prime beach space and several restaurants on site. OCW, as it’s called, is over-the-top comfort and luxury at an over-the-top price. It’s located in the heart of Grace Bay and is walking distance from most of the well-known restaurants as well as a grocery store.

Restaurants

Sailing Paradise – There is a view here as pretty as anything you will ever see. The food is outstanding and the ambiance is casual, laid-back and everything and island restaurant should be. If you go be sure to try their cracked conch and fried snapper with escabeche sauce. I swooned when I tried the snapper with escabeche sauce.
Bugaloos Conch Crawl – I found out about this place from a post at a fantastic blog about life in Turks and Caicos called 2 Gringos in the Caribbean. All the hype on the island is about a place called da Conch Shack. This place is better (we tried both). The people here are friendlier than most (and almost everyone in Turks and Caicos is VERY friendly), and food is exceptional. The conch salad was the standout dish, but even Little Guy’s chicken fingers were delicious.
Le Bouchon – This new french bistro is in the heart of Grace Bay. It is classical french with strong hints of island flavor (such as the conch croissant amuse bouche they served). The food is good for any city, New York included, but this is not a family restaurant. Hubby and I enjoyed a date night out here.
Caicos Bakery – Caicos Bakery is a wonderful small french bakery that sells freshly made croissants, danish and a variety of breads. The almond croissants here are different than others I’ve had and are filled with an almond pastry cream instead of almond paste. I was lucky enough to score one still warm from the oven, and I am very happy that I did.
Mother’s Pizza – Pizza is generally sub-par on islands I’ve visited, but this pizza was a significant step above any others I’ve had. It will also be the cheapest meal you eat on the island!

Places to Go, Things to Do

Caicos Tours and the Undersea Explorer: This is a semi-submersible boat that tours the reef so you can see everything the reef has to offer without getting wet. It is the perfect way for young children, and those not up to snorkeling to see the beauty of a healthy reef system. On our ride we saw turtles, stingrays, lots and lots of fish, beautiful fan coral and even JoJo the dolphin famous for it’s desire to interact with humans. Little Guy was awe struck seeing the coral and all the sea creatures. This did more to increase his understanding of the world that lives under the sea than anything we’ve done.
Sapodilla Bay: This 1/4 mile long beach has some of the softest sugary sand I’ve ever seen. The water calmer than many lakes I’ve been to, yet as crystal clear as any pool. The real treat here, besides the sunset views, is that it remains about 3′ deep a good 100 feet out from the shore which makes it perfect for children. In fact, the locals have dubbed it children’s beach.
Grace Bay Beach: This is as famous as a beach can get and for good reason. The beach is seven miles long and is an uninterrupted stretch of soft white sand. Almost all of the islands resorts are along this beach, but the beach is also the entry point to two stellar and HEALTHY reefs (Smith’s Reef and Bight Reef) with fantastic snorkeling. The Turtle Cove end of Grace Bay Beach is much less crowded and has better deals on rentals.

Turks and Caicos Information and Links:

Where, When, How: A site devoted to information on the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Turks and Caicos Reservations: A travel booking site by locals from Turks and Caicos. There blog is an unlimited source of information.
Home Away: A site that lists vacation rentals all over the world. This is where we first found our rentals in both Turks and Caicos and St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

This is not, of course, a complete list, but rather the things we did and the places we ate that we recommend.

The Fish Guy and Grilled Caribbean Spiny Lobster

February 24, 2013 - 11:23 pm | Caribbean, Field Trips, Gluten-Free, Healthy Planet, Main Dish, Recipe, Seafood, Sustainable, travel, Vacation

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We’ve spent a week vacation in the Caribbean once a year for a while now, and we’ve learned that when the weather forecast says it’s going to rain, unlike in some places, it probably will. However, that rain will only last about fifteen minutes and the rest of the day will be sunny with warm breezes and the shower will be quickly forgotten. Only once have we had a full rain day. That was day three of our trip to Turks and Caicos. I knew when Little Guy woke me up at Oh-It’s-Still-So-Dark o’clock that it was raining, and the sound of the pounding surf suggested this was not a tropical shower. A quick dash outside to grab the still-soaked swimsuits from the day before informed me that it was not going to be a warm day either. Little Guy and I cuddled up and watched TV from his fold-out bed. We watched a lot of TV that day. It was so dark that even Squishy Delishy and Miss Magoo slept late. That was the morning that I discovered that even though Sponge Bob Square-Pants lives in a pineapple under the sea, it still rains and snows in his town of Bikini-Bottom. Who knew? Like I said, a lot of TV.

It might have been the third day we were there, but the beach was so nice and the condo so convenient that we hadn’t bothered to leave the villa to do more than buy groceries. So, a rainy day was a good excuse to see the island. We all piled into the Japanese mini-van and headed off to explore Grace Bay. My goal was to try to find some local seafood to cook.

You would think that this would be an easy goal to fulfill, but finding the fresh local fish on Turks and Caicos is not as easy as it seems. The average fisherman here doesn’t sell to tourists; he catches for his family and probably his close friends then sells the rest to wholesalers who immediately fly the fish to Miami. The fish is then sold to the same seafood suppliers that provide snapper, grouper and other local catch to the US market. Many of the Turks and Caicos restaurants buy their fish from these suppliers to guarantee a reliable who turn around and fly the fish back to the island. Sad, isn’t it?

I did a lot of research on sustainable fishing before leaving for vacation in the Caribbean because the fish usually associated with this part of the world are not harvested sustainably. What I have learned is the the question of whether or not a fish species is sustainable is not answered with a simple yes or no. Many of the fish species that are not sustainable to buy and eat at home are much more sustainable if caught in an environmentally responsible way and eaten here as a local product. The problem is not the local guy with the small motor boat and a few lines; its the deep-sea guys with long trolling lines that catch the fish you want as well as others you don’t (known as side catch). In addition, eating fish local to an area is a more natural way to eat than to eat fish from half way around the world which then needs to be kept fresh and flown thousands of miles to your plate. It’s when you want fresh grouper in Boston and fresh scallops in Turks and Caicos (which they offered at insane prices at the local grocery store) that you have a bigger problem.

Blue Ocean Institute has a fantastic sustainable seafood guide that lists an incredible number of species along with the problems associated with the sustainability of that fish. When I was researching the fish of the Caribbean, this guide was a huge help. According to them grouper, which seems to be the most overfished fin fish in the area, as fine if it is not long line caught. The same is true with snapper and mahi mahi. Local queen conch is slightly more problematic because of the need for better species management.

I had heard that finding local fresh fish was difficult. Message boards on cooking and traveling sites said to get fish at this Marina or from the fish packing plant, but all the messages were mixed with very little concrete information.

For the first few days I was there I kept asking people where to get fresh fish, and I kept getting the same responses that provided ideas but no real answer. Then finally I talked with the owner of a shop that told me where all the locals go. There is a guy who parks his red pickup truck in a pot-hole filled dirt parking lot on the road to the airport and lines up his coolers by the road each day with fresh caught fish to sell. It was certainly a place for locals; everyone seemed to know each other and most of the people who would come did not even see the need to get out of their cars.

When we got there he walked us over to the coolers and showed us the fish. He then reached down and pulled out a grouper and a huge snapper that looked so fresh I would not have been surprised to see either of them move. We agreed on the snapper which weighed in at a little over eight pounds and he then told us he would clean it but that we would have to give him “a little something”. With the most basic of supplies: a plastic bin for scaling the fish, a utility sink (without running water; it drains to a bucket), several absolutely huge knives and a single stainless steel work table set up under a bean umbrella, he scales, cleans and filets the fish to your specifications. Our eight and half pound snapper lasted four adults and Little Guy three meals.

Three days later, when the fish was finally all gone, we got back in the car and headed back to the guy with the red truck. Much like main lobster, Caribbean spiny lobster is sought after and overpriced in restaurants. In St. John, U.S.V.I., the one and only time I had spiny lobster cost me about $50 for one lobster tail. Unlike Maine lobster with its big meaty claws, spiny lobster is always sold as just the tail. The fish guy told us on our first visit that he had Lobster on Wednesdays and that a bag costs $90.00. We did know how much was in a bag, but figured since the prices were so affordable for the snapper, that we’d give it a chance and that we would probably end up with 4-6 tails to grill; enough for the four adults in our group.

Like the first time when we got there, our fishy friend led us over to the coolers by the curb. He pulled open one of the coolers and pulled out a gallon-sized ziplock bag full of lobster tails. He then counted them (an even dozen!) and we paid him and were on our way with huge smiles on our faces. That night we would FEAST on lobster.

I have a confession to make. If there were only one lobster of any species left on the planet and my eating it would mean extinction, I would probably stare at it and ask myself if I wanted it steamed or grilled. I blame my parents; they started me out on steamed blue crab at an early age, and we all know that blue crab is the gateway crustacean.

In fact, the Caribbean Spiny Lobster is not seriously endangered, but its harvesting requires more study, responsible fishing methods, and needs a Caribbean-basin-wide management plan.

Cooking a Caribbean spiny lobster was one of the recipes I had committed to memory during my months of armchair traveling. The books I read on Caribbean cuisine had recipes for curried lobster, BBQ lobster and many others, but I knew if I had one chance at a spiny lobster dinner there would be only way to make it: grilled with just a little seasoning, butter and a spritz of citrus. The meal was one of those meals that you know while you are eating it, it will go down in your mind as one of the most memorable meals you ever had. Years from now, I’ll still be able to feel the warm evening breeze and the sounds of the waves on the beach as I ate that meal.

You could make this same recipe with Maine lobster. Maine lobster is tougher and not as sweet, so it is not grilled as frequently as spiny lobster is, but the difference is minimal enough that this recipe would still be delicious using Maine lobster if that is the lobster local to where you are. This same recipe is also wonderful with shrimp, scallops and many types of fish. Enjoy!

Please note that the pictures from this and other posts from my trip in the Caribbean were taken using a point and shoot camera with flash. I apologize for the lack of any photographic skill in these pics. I was trying to relax, put down the camera and enjoy my vacation.

Thanks needs to be given to the lovely bloggers, Byron and Polly, at 2 Gringos in the Caribbean. The endless amounts of information on their fascinating blog, along with the information they shared with me were very helpful on my research for this and all of my Turks and Caicos posts.

Grilled Caribbean Lobster Tail
Serves 4

4-8oz lobster tails
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter plus more for serving
1/2 lime, cut in wedges
1/2 lemon, cut in wedges
about 1 tablespoon Caribbean seasoning (see below for links to some options)

Heat a grill to medium heat. Butterfly the tails by cutting through the thinner, underside of each tail. Then take a large sharp knife and cut through the hard upper shell. Slide your fingers through either side of the thin bottom shell and try to pry the shell back, breaking open the shell into two parts, still connected at the end of the tail.

Brush the lobsters with 1/2 of the butter and sprinkle with the seasoning. Run a skewer down through the center of each tail to prevent the tail from curling on the grill. Place the tails bottom (cut side) down on the preheated grill. Grill the tails for five minutes and turn over.

Spritz the tails with a few wedges of lemon and lime juice and cook for about another five minutes. Remove from heat when the meat is firm and they have cooked a total of about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let the lobster rest from about five minutes before serving. Serve with butter and the remaining wedges of lemon and lime.

Seafood Spices:
These are a few of the brands that I’ve tried and enjoyed

Old Bay: The classic is always a good choice. It’s good on everything!
St. John Spice: I discovered St. John Spice a few years ago on a trip to St. John and love the Cruz Bay Grill Rub and Roasted Garlic Pepper. The Cruz Bay Grill Rub is what I used for the lobster in Turks and Caicos.
Sunny Caribbee: A small spice company out of the B.V.I. I love their Super Spice on veggies, and it would have been lovely on the lobster as well.

Chili Tamale Pie

January 30, 2013 - 7:14 am | Breads and Doughs, Gluten-Free, Grains, kid-friendly, Main Dish, Meat, Mexican, Recipe, Southern, Tex-Mex, Uncategorized

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Tuesday was the last night in a week long freeze that had the whole family (and much of the Northeast) cooped up in the house. It’s too cold to play outside and too cold to take the twins out at all. The one time I did venture out for anything more than a grocery run or a trip to Ama and Papa’s house was a disaster. That’s when I discovered the hard way that it was so cold that even the baby wipes I keep in the car were frozen. Trust me when I say that you are very happy you were not with us at that moment.

When it’s this cold we all crave comfort food. To me comfort food equals casseroles. My love for casseroles has many reasons. I love that the effort in making them is front loaded so that you have time to clean up the kitchen while the casserole bakes, and I love that you can easily hide lots of veggies in them which makes them kid-friendly as well as mom-friendly. But I mostly love casseroles because they are warm and comforting; that’s a good thing when you are as cold as a penguin with male-pattern baldness.

Of course, I also love casseroles because many of them fall into the category of “retro” food. Most of us grew up familiar with all sorts of casseroles, and many of us have had more than our fare share of bad casseroles. Very few things are as bad as a casserole thrown together with canned soup, frozen overcooked veggies and huge tough boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I don’t think that casseroles deserve their lazy housewife image. Many good casseroles take lots of attention, skill and quality ingredients to turn out just right. Cassoulet is certainly not a simple weeknight meal, and even a good macaroni and cheese requires that the cook know just the right blend of cheeses, milk, pasta and other ingredients to provide a finished product bursting with the right blend of cheese and creaminess.

This casserole checks all my boxes. It’s warm, I’ve hidden in a decent amount of veggies, it’s full of cheese, chili and yummy cornbread. It’s my take on the classic Tex-Mex casserole; tamale pie.

Tamale pie recipes vary all over the place. They are in theory a meat filling with a cornbread topping. Unlike last week’s recipe, I’m not terribly concerned with being authentic here. I just like something that tastes good, stretches the chili out across more meals and warms me up.

This basic recipe is wonderful just as is it, but it’s also has all sorts of potential for adding new things to it. If you really want to warm up, switch out the peppers for hotter ones: use pasillas, a serrano or even a little chipotles for a smokey flavor. Adding beans to the chili here would not be frowned on, and you could chop up any sort of veggie you want it. You can do what you want with this casserole, but I’m a big fan of simple. It’s cheesy, it’s warm, it’s good. So, enjoy!

Beef Chili Tamale Pie
serves 6
This is a simple casserole which combines the classic flavors of chili, cheese and cornbread. Because it is easily warmed up in the microwave, it can be made ahead of time.

Cornbread Topping:
1 cup corn meal
1-1 pound package frozen corn, thawed
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon drippings
1 tablespoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 oz Co-Jack, Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided in three parts
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Vegetable and Chili Sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1 poblano or pasilla pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups Texas Beef Chili without beans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the peppers, onion, tomatoes and salt and cook until all the vegetables are very soft and beginning to brown around the edges, about 10 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking pulse the corn in a food processor several times until it is chopped, but not pureed.

In a bowl, combine the corn meal, sugar, garlic, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. In another bowl combine the corn, buttermilk, garlic, eggs and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold in 1/3 of the cheese.