This is what chicken and dumplings means to me:

roasted beet salad with peaches, basil, goat cheese,

& balsamic.

 Brunch of Champions.

My first attempt at “crockpottery”

]]> http://ashcooks.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/283514_10150417273433228_502528227_10938982_2845066_n-jpg-jpeg-image-431x720-pixels/feed/ 0 AshCooks Salmon Chowder http://ashcooks.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/engagement-dinner-coconut-poached-tilapia/ http://ashcooks.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/engagement-dinner-coconut-poached-tilapia/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:54:20 +0000 Ashley http://ashcooks.wordpress.com/?p=112 ]]>

Ok, now it really has been a long time since I have posted anything…and this has got to change! It has been a pretty exciting time around here – Josh and I got engaged! We got engaged a few days sooner than Josh had planned ( on a Thursday morning!), so we decided to celebrate alone on the following Saturday night. We ended up making the most delicious dinner with some random ingredients because every dinner with Josh is like an episode of “Chopped” .

Josh came  home on Saturday evening, bearing lovely gifts – 12 roses, both yellow and yellow and pink – my very favorite, and a bottle of  Gatinois champagne ( deliciousness). He also came home with some random grocery items in hopes of making a wonderful dinner – and it was.

• two tilapia fillets ( which I had never cooked before)
• snow peas
• corn on the cob
• Camembert and hard Gouda
• water crackers

• avocados and pecans ( which we saved for a later date – I wasn’t feeling quite THAT creative)

We ended up using the cheese and crackers as a pre-dinner snack, yum.

I scanned the internet for some ideas and I found a delicous thai-style recipe -  I doctored it a little bit, so here is MY version.

• 1 cup coconut milk – the thick, creamy part. ( about half the can – for more sauce, use the whole can)
• 12 whole almonds
• 1/2 medium chopped yellow onion
• 1 1/2 inch chopped fresh ginger
• 1 inch chopped fresh lemon grass
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 (large) fillets tilapia
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 ears of corn, cut off cobb

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the coconut milk, almonds, onion, ginger, lemon grass, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Process until smooth.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper on both sides, then place them skin-side up in the skillet. Pour the pureed sauce over the fish. Use a spatula to coat the fish evenly with the sauce. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
3. Reduce heat to medium, stir in fresh corn, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the puree is thickened and fish flakes easily with a fork.
4. Serve over jasmine rice

The corn seriously made the dish – I love fresh, sweet corn, and we won’t have in for much longer this season! ( Who doesn’t love corn?) We served it with snow peas, sauteed with a little sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar – it was amazing. I have never been wowed by tilapia, but in this dish it is so flaky and takes on all the yummy flavors. Yay for engagement celebration dinners!

Wow, it’s been a really long time since I have posted anything! I’ve had the last several days off and I’ve been doing a lot of celebrating (I’m 25 now!). Yesterday, when I went to buy my umptenth bottle of bubbly this week  – I was asked how my blog was going. Truth is – it hasn’t. I’ve been cooking, sure, but not taking the time to write things down. Today is my last day off for my mini-vacation and I am actually going to post. Now, this one is cheating a little, I am using a recipe from Cooks Illustrated – circa 1996.  I got the magazine for my birthday and I have an online subscription as well. It’s freaking awesome – you can look up any ingredient and find the most awesome, (tried, true, and tested) recipes! Best Gift EVER.

I needed to use up a head of cauliflower that I bought and had no idea what to do with it – you have no idea how good simmering cauliflower and spice smells – I’m shocked too. By the way – I am showcasing the new bowls I got from my birthday from Amanda – aren’t they great?

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1. Heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add sherry and cauliflower; stir-cook until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.
2. 2. Add stock, salt, pepper to taste, and coriander to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until cauliflower is tender, about 12 minutes.
3. 3. Ladle cauliflower mixture into blender. ( I personally used a stick blender, and it worked fine!) Add 1/2 cup milk; blend until very smooth. Return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional milk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings.
4. 4. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with minced chives and serve immediately.

( I added a lot to this soup while I was adjusting the seasonings – after all – cauliflower needs some work.  I added A LOT more coriander than it calls for – and a hefty amount of garam masala w/ just a touch of cumin. I also added half and half to make it a little creamier since I had only had 2% milk.  This is yummy, but kind of mild. It makes a really nice 1st course!)

Serve it with lots of fresh parsley, chives, and some Parmesan.