See Food

May 23, 2016May 23, 2016 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

Catalina offshore is a local seafood market. We were told about it by a neighbor and watched it make its debut on a travel channel show. I don’t know why it took us so long to make our appearance.

We strolled in early on a Saturday morning side swiping the local chefs and fishermen. A cook behind an enormous stock pot was handing out bowls of piping hot bouillabaisse while we waited for our order. We came for mussels but left with a side of snapper. I love a whole roasted fish, if it’s one the specials at a good restaurant, chances are that will be my choice. But scaling and cleaning a whole fish and then worrying about cooking it has intimated me. But standing in front of this array of fish, I decided this was my time to tackle the snapper.

First up, mussels. We had an amazing dish at a local seafood restaurant a few weeks back.The Mr and I love our shellfish and after 10 years I think we agreed that those mussels were indeed some of the best. I needed to replicate this dish! After intense recipe research I chose a favorite blogger of mine and used this recipe. They turned out better than I imagined, the mussels were the plumpest and juiciest I have ever had and the coconut curry broth was drinkable, like pour in a glass and cheers!

Then there was the Snapper. Since I hooked it on a whim, I really had no idea what I was going to do. I chose to keep it simple and let the fish shine. I grabbed some lemon, herbs and salt. I wrapped it in foil and roasted it, at the end I let it sunbathe under the broiler for a minute.

We delightfully dug in.

Along side we enjoyed caprese and grilled artichokes with an aioli, never forgetting the crusty bread.

It was some good eating!

Easter

March 28, 2016 ~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

Kaili woke up eager and ready to see if the Easter bunny had left anything for her. Averi decided to sleep in….of course.

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Once Averi woke up and we were able to get some real food into the girls, we let them see what was hiding outside.

The grass was wet and cold, Averi didn’t want much to do with it. Kaili didn’t care and managed to gather all of the eggs on her own. Averi found a couple on dry land but put them in sissy’s basket.

We had brunch plans with friends so while the girls ate their weight in candy, I made my way to the kitchen and stayed there the next few hours.

I made a grapefruit yogurt cake and a tomato tart.

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Luckily we weren’t going far. We walked over the pack n play, the kids toys, our food and we tucked in for a nice day with neighbor friends.

We had quite the spread, baked donuts, savory scones, tomato tart, eggs Benedict casserole and fresh fruit all washed down with mimosas and good wine.

Averi napped in her pack n play for hours while we played in the backyard.

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We talked and drank the day away, nibbling on cheese as the sun started to set.

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Reminding us that tomorrow was Monday and we should probably bid adieu. The girls knocked out after a long day and we sat down for all the great Sunday night TV.

It was a very nice Easter!

Recipe Ideas

February 9, 2015February 9, 2015 ~ Girlmom ~ 3 Comments

I used to make a few new recipes a week including one elaborate dinner because it was fun for me to lose myself in the kitchen. Then I got pregnant, then I was on bedrest and then I had a newborn. To say I was stuck in a rut when it came to dinner was an understatement. I forced myself to start making the recipes I was pinning on Pinterest (because I have over 1,000) and to start opening the stack of cookbooks I have in the pantry, I wasn’t lacking ideas.

I will admit that sometimes by the end of cooking I am juggling a crying baby, a hungry 3 year old and I am cursing myself for making the stupid dish but after it’s done, I am always happy I did. I rarely remember to take a photo of the final product to share so you will have to check out the original recipe to see what most of them look like. All of these I am sharing turned out great, some the husband didn’t love as much as I did but don’t let that stop you.

Here are some ideas if you are in a dinner rut like I was.

Caramelized Onion Tart with Gorgonzola and Brie– This is not the healthiest so probably better to serve to some friends as an appetizer with wine. The picture is crappy but i promise it is good.

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce– The only thing I left out of this was the corn. The husband wasn’t convinced of this dish but I thought it was good.

Piadini Caprese– I made the flatbread from scratch, there is a recipe on the original page. The only thing I didn’t use in the sandwich was arugula and I regretted it, everything is always better with arugula.

I forgot to take a picture before i closed it up so I reopened it, looks a mess.

Halibut with Crispy Capers and lemon– We l.o.v.e fish piccata and I thought this would be a fun new twist on the original recipe. I loved this because the crispness of the the capers pared perfectly with the soft fish. Husband thought they lost some of their flavor so you know how that ends. Worth the extra effort in my opinion, at least for a change.

French Onion Soup– This was good and pretty darn easy. The flavor wasn’t as deep as some that I have had but for the first time making it, I was impressed. Even better the next day.

Pad Thai Salad– This was really good. Not really at all like Pad Thai, more like a deconstructed Vietnamese spring roll. You’ll need a spirilizer for this and although I have the Vegetti, it didn’t work great with the cucumber. I will make this again and again once I get myself the Paderno.

Bourbon Maple Glazed Chicken Wings– Holy finger licking good, I loved these. The husband thought the bourbon took over the flavor of the wings. I can sort of agree that the bourbon flavor was a tad strong and it might just have been the bourbon I used but I will definitely make these again.

Chili Garlic Chicken with Yogurt sauce– I made this recipe skipping the skewers. It was super easy and really good.

Okay, I think that is it. I have another recipe to try on Thursday…Let’s hope it’s as good as these were.

New Name

November 20, 2014November 20, 2014 ~ Girlmom ~ 3 Comments

You may or may not have realized that my blog URL and name is now different. I thought since I am no longer trying for a baby it was time I update it. Simply Four, straight forward enough…no?
If you are following me on Feedly, you may have to re-add the blog, not quite sure how that works.

On another note, I made a very delicious soup, right down to the chicken stock. I don’t have an exact recipe for you but I can give you a quick rundown.

Thai Coconut Curry soup with Chicken

*I made chicken stock from a Rotisserie chicken. I pulled off all the meat and set aside. Cover chicken carcuss with water, throw in some veg, onions/carrots/garlic whatever you have and simmer for an hour. Strain and then set stock aside.

What you will need:

minced garlic 1Tb
grated ginger 1Tb
1 jalapeno minced
juice of 1 lime
1 heaping Tb green curry paste
1 can coconut milk (lite or reg)
1 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tbs. Fish sauce
4 cups chicken broth/stock
cilantro
Cooked rice or rice noodles
cooked chicken, diced or shredded

In large sauce pan heat a little olive oil and saute first 3 ingredients and then add curry paste. Stir in coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice, bring to a simmer. Add chicken broth and bring back to simmer for 10-20 minutes. Add chicken, rice, reheat. Serve with lime wedge and cilantro.

*I had about a cup of sticky coconut rice I made a few days earlier, that is what I used and it was delish, added a touch more sweetness.

While the soup was cooking, Kaili was busy working on her Christmas list to Santa. We put it in the mail this morning and now I get to hold this over her head for another month. }Listen up kiddo, Santa is watching you!”

Grilled Fish Tacos {Culinary Bucket List February}

February 17, 2014 ~ Girlmom ~ 3 Comments

I know my way around a fish taco, chances are if they are on the menu I will order them. Unless it’s made with tuna, that is not the right fish for a taco people. So why haven’t I made them before? I don’t know, maybe because Shane isn’t a fan and it always seemed like a lot of work for myself. That was closed minded. These were easy and so good.

The other night we wanted to have fish for dinner. We all know we shouldn’t be eating farm raised fish, so finding a good fresh piece of wild caught fish for a price that doesn’t resemble a price tag at Tiffany’s isn’t the easiest, cha-ching. We came across some wild sole at Costco which worked out perfect. I could make sole piccata one night and have leftovers for the tacos. Damn I’m brilliant.

I marinated the fish in a little of this and a little of that. Olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, diced jalapeño, salt and pepper. While that was hanging out I made the white sauce. This is where I took a small short cut. I had some some habanero salsa left over so I mixed that with sour cream, lime juice and salt to taste. That’s it.
I threw the fish on the grill and warmed the tortillas. Once the fish was done I smeared some white sauce on a tortilla, topped with fish, then with cabbage, drizzled with lime and Tapatio of course. Then I shoveled it in my face. Delicious.

*Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay Cooking Light.

A Week In Photos

February 13, 2014 ~ Girlmom ~ 6 Comments

Kaili had school pictures last week. She went representing the Super Bowl champs.

I made these honey bananas and they are ridiculous. I had to make them again the next day and the next.

Kaili spent some time working on Valentines day crafts.

I also got around to pulling out some heart color matching I had made years ago.

I took Kaili down to Mission Beach since it was supposed to be “beach” weather.

But in a matter of minutes the fog rolled in and it was freezing. Might has well have been in Sochi.

Kaili wanted to wear her cupcake dress to school. She was given this as a gift for her 1st birthday, fits her just fine….sigh.

I made fish tacos for the very first time. Hello culinary bucket list. They were delicious and I can’t believe I have waited so long. Recipe to come.

Good Morning.

Mother’s Day {Gifts from the Kitchen}

May 11, 2012 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

Mother’s day is right around the corner and whether you are celebrating with breakfast in bed or heading to your favorite spot for brunch, the day usually revolves around food. Grocery stores advertise their sales on steaks and lobster tails and restaurants have special menus for their Mother’s day brunch. I think if you ask most mothers what they would prefer, most would say something homemade with love. So here are some {gifts} from the kitchen to share with your mom or yourself. Then go get yourself pampered at your favorite spa, or take a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine because you deserve it!

“Motherhood is…difficult and..rewarding”

Pancakes are always a favorite for breakfast but you can put a twist on the classic by making these oven baked Dutch-babies.