Halibut Tacos

This recipe for Halibut Tacos is a recipe my middle son created, and made for my husband and I for dinner.

These tacos are absolutely delicious, and are simple to make too!

Enjoy!

Halibut Tacos

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. Halibut

2 Tbsp. Olive oil
Old Bay Seasoning, to taste
Corn or flour tortillas

Red onion, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Salsa or Siracha Sauce

Fresh lime wedges

Instructions:

1. Cook halibut in olive oil over medium heat until flaky.  Excess water and oil should cook off.
2. Sprinkle halibut generously with Old Bay Seasoning, to taste.
3. Heat corn or flour tortillas on each side in a small pan, without oil.
4. Spoon halibut into tortillas.  The above photo shows two corn tortillas per taco, so that the tacos won't fall apart as easily.
5. Sprinkle with raw red onion and cilantro.
6. Serve with salsa or Siracha sauce, and fresh lime.

Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes

Golden and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes make a delicious dish after the holidays, or any time, using leftover mashed potatoes.  I make them every year after Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Enjoy!

Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes
Makes 6 cakes

Ingredients:

3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I use my garlic mashed potato recipe)
2 heaping handfuls of baby spinach - 2-3 cups
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

1 egg, blended
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

Instructions:

1. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft, then add spinach and saute until spinach is wilted.
2. Mix spinach-onion mixture and the egg into bowl of leftover mashed potatoes.
3. Add flour and baking powder, and mix.
4. In the same frying pan used for the spinach-onion mixture, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
5. Drop potato mixture into pan by large spoonful (about 1/2 cup per cake).  Pan fry for 10 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Flipping these cakes can be a little tricky.  I use two spatulas.
6.  Transfer to a plate.
7. Pan fry remaining potato mixture, adding olive oil to pan as needed.
8. Serve immediately alongside your favorite entree or salad.

Remembering Tasha Tudor and a Favorite Recipe

I'm always inspired by stories of women who live a simple life, have a love for home and family, and beauty.  Tasha Tudor was one of these women.

Tasha Tudor was a beloved author, artist, and illustrator of many children's books.  I collected many of her books throughout the years, but The Tasha Tudor Cookbook, published in 1993, was the first.  All of her books are beautifully illustrated with scenes of home, children, flowers, animals, and all things lovely.

One of my family's favorite recipes from the cookbook is Macaroni and Cheese.  I made it for my sons when they were young, and I still make it today!

Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

2 cups elbow macaroni
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup unbleached flour
2 cups milk
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper
4 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed (I know, not the healthiest ingredient ☺)
1/2 cup, or more if you like, crumbled Ritz crackers for topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook macaroni in boiling water until tender.  Drain it while you prepare the cream sauce.
3. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then whisk in flour and add the milk.
4. Stir the mixture until it thickens, then add Cheddar cheese, stirring until it melts.  Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cut the Velveeta into 1/2-inch cubes and stir into white sauce, but do not allow it to completely melt.
6. Place the drained macaroni in a baking dish, pour cheese sauce over it, and stir gently to mix.
7. Sprinkle with crumbled Ritz crackers.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

~~~

"Life isn't long enough to do all you could accomplish.  And what a privilege even to be alive.  In spite of all the pollution and horrors, how beautiful this world is.  Supposing you only saw the stars once a year.  Think what you would think.
The wonder of it!"
~ Tasha Tudor

1915-2008

The Greenhouse

 

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.  Last summer my husband built this wonderful greenhouse near the back of our house.  It has two long raised ground beds, and plenty of room to grow our favorite veggies.

I planted all my seeds in April, and this Blue Curled Scotch Kale was the first veggie I was able to harvest.  It's been growing so well!  I've been making Kale Pasta, and putting it in Breakfast Smoothies all summer long.

I think these Parissienne Carrots are just about the cutest little carrots I've ever seen!  They're full-grown at 3 inches long, fat, and delicious.  The pelletted seeds would make a fun and easy vegetable for a child to grow.

 I should have transplanted these Green Bush Zucchini outside as soon as it was warm enough, because right now, they are huge!  They're taking up an entire corner of the greenhouse, and are encroaching on my little basil plants.  I planted six seeds,  and they're producing 3-5 large zucchini per plant.  It looks like I'll be giving some away, making a Mexican Lasagne or two, and coming up with a good zucchini bread recipe, that freezes well.

These Waltham 29 Broccoli are mostly growing enormous leaves!  I think it's too warm in the greenhouse for them, and like the zucchini, I should have transplanted them outside sooner.  I will next year.

When I come inside the house from the greenhouse, I pass through my flower garden.  This pretty purple flower is a type of Bellflower.  My husband likes to tie these 6-foot tall flowers upright when I'm not looking . . . I prefer them like this, growing wild and free.

Well, thank you for coming along with me on my little ramble through my greenhouse and garden.  Come again soon!

~~~

The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.

~ Louisa May Alcott

Grilled Tofu Steaks

These delicious tofu steaks have been a regular barbecue dish in our home this summer.  They're also my non-vegan husband's favorite tofu dish. ☺

I grill them alongside a favorite veggie for a simple, healthy, and tasty meal.

Tonight, my husband and I enjoyed them with grilled broccoli and brown rice.  My husband likes to add a little extra tamari sauce to his tofu and rice.  Both tamari sauce and soy sauce add a rich umami (meaty) flavor to any dish.  We prefer tamari sauce because it's less salty than soy sauce, and has a thicker consistency.

Enjoy!

Grilled Tofu Steaks

Makes 4 Steaks

Ingredients:

Marinade:

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. soy or tamari sauce

2 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

3 tsp. ground pepper

2 tsp. dry rosemary leaves spice

~~~

16 oz. extra-firm tofu, pressed (see the kitchen note at the bottom of the page of this post, if unsure about pressing tofu)

Instructions:

1. For Marinade: Mince garlic, then mix with remaining ingredients in a shallow dish.
2. Cut pressed tofu into 4 steaks, then add to marinade and place in refrigerator for 4 hours, flipping occasionally.
3. Oil barbecue grill and sear tofu steaks over direct medium heat for 10 minutes on each side.  Use a thin stainless steel spatula to flip.  Tofu will be firm, and show char marks when done.

Recipe adapted from VBQ: The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook

Installing New Butcher Block Countertops

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.

I've always loved the natural look and warmth of butcher block countertops.  So when our middle son offered to help my husband and I replace our old laminate countertops with butcher block this Spring, we couldn't refuse!  He also helped us install a new single-basin stainless steel sink, faucet, and wood backsplash.  He was a big help to us that week, and we couldn't have done it without him, or our youngest son, who hauled the heavy 10 foot counters by skiff last winter, from the City dock to our house on the beach.

We ordered the unfinished countertops online from Home Depot.  The instructions that came with the countertops advised sealing them on both sides with 4 coats of butcher block oil, or other food-safe sealant, before installing.  We used Howard Butcher Block Conditioner for this step.  We thought the butcher block conditioner (a mixture of mineral oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax), would darken up the maple wood.  It did, but only slightly . . .

They were pretty, but too light.  We really wanted darker countertops that would blend in with the existing wood tones we had in our kitchen.  So, we decided to go ahead and finish the other elements of the project, including cutting the hole for the sink while we had our son's help, and worry about the counter color later.  At least they were sealed, and now we could use them.

 So after a few weeks of online research, my husband and I decided to add food-safe Real Milk Paint Dark Tung Oil to the Howard Butcher Block Conditioner to darken the countertops.  We mixed a ratio of 25% dark tung oil to 75% butcher block conditioner.  Then we applied 3 coats of this mixture onto the countertops, letting each coat soak in, then buffing off the excess, with a soft, dry cloth . . .

Much better!  They're still light, but the warmer tones of the wood grain have been brought out, blending in better with our heart pine wood floors, oak cabinets, and adjacent livingroom . . .

 Water and liquid beads up on the matte-finish surface, which has made dish soap and water clean-up simple.  For maintenance, we plan on wiping our butcher block conditioner mixture onto the countertops every month or so, to keep the wood protected, and from drying out.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions.  I'd love to hear from you!

Kim

Vegan Split Pea Soup

It's Springtime, but still cold and snowing in Alaska.  And the perfect day to make homemade soup and bread!

I've been making this simple split pea soup recipe for many years after finding it in an old book by Dr. Neal Barnard, when I first became a vegetarian.  Dr. Barnard is a vegan doctor, and founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, or PCRM.  If you're interested in learning more about a healthy plant-based diet; the PCRM website, and Dr. Barnard's books are very helpful.

Vegan Split Pea Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups dry green split peas

7 cups water

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

Rinse split peas, then place in large pot with remaining ingredients.  Bring to simmer, then cover loosely, and cook on low heat until peas are tender; about 3-4 hours.  Add 1/2-1 cup more water, if consistency seems too thick.

~~~

I also baked some vegan Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Yum!

Have a warm and cozy Spring,

Kim