Peanut and Almond Crusted Cod

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Cod….Cod….Cod….Cod is the hero of this dish. I enjoy eating all types of seafood, but I really enjoy cod.  Cod has a lean and mild flavor. I use cod fillets so it is easy to cook and does not take a long time to prep. I have done this now plenty of times, the original recipe is by Gordon Ramsay, but this is my twist on it.  This is a peanut and almond crusted cod with great northern beans. You can use any beans, or anything you wish to accompany the fish.

This recipe is VERY simple, and once you try it you will want more and more of it.

For this tasty meal you will only need a few ingredients.

Ingredients

  1. Cod Fillet – fresh or frozen does not matter
  2. Salt for being an abrasive for the method.
  3. Crushed red pepper.
  4. Honey roasted peanuts
  5. Roasted almonds
  6. Garlic Chili Sauce
  7. Great Northern Beans
  8. Olive Oil
  9. One beaten egg per fillet

Method

  1. Beat the egg
  2. Pat dry the fish
  3. Lightly season with salt and pepper if you wish
  4. Dredge fish into beaten egg
  5. Use a blender or chopper, or pestle and mortar (whichever is your favorite or easy to use)
    1. Add kosher salt for abrasive
    2. Handful of honey roasted peanuts
    3. Handful of roasted almonds
    4. One tablespoon of crushed red pepper
  6. Dredge or sprinkle the mixture all over the fish, and inside any cut or scored piece of the fish.
  7. On a medium to high heated pan, add at least one tablespoon of olive oil.
  8. Lay fish away from self and let it fry for 4 minutes on each side.
  9. Clean pan, and add more olive oil on medium heat.
  10. Add Great Northern Beans (or whatever beans if you want or veg)
    1. Add garlic chili sauce and any other flavorings you wish or none at all
  11. Remove beans, and enjoy meal

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Sous Vide Cornish Game Hens with Apricot Glaze

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The Cornish Game Hen is the hero of this dish. Once in a while I like to eat the Game Hen, it has the flavor of chicken, but it is milder in taste. They are like little chickens. There are so many ways to prepare and cook a game hen, but the way I did this time was new to me. This was the first time I did Sous-vide, which is a French for “under vacuum”. The intent on Sous-vide is to cook food in vacuum sealed bags for a longer period of time, but have a constant heat, which leaves chicken, meat, and fish moist and flavorful. Once the time is done with the sous-vide method, searing, broiling, or however one likes their food finished can be done. This was the first time I did it, and it came out PERFECT!

This recipe is super simple, and will leave everyone salivating once they see it!

For this tasty meal you will need a few ingredients.

Ingredients

  1. 2 Cornish Game Hens
    1. Cut in half for four people
  2. Garlic
  3. Thyme
  4. Rosemary
  5. Salt
  6. Pepper
  7. Olive Oil
  8. 2 Lemons
    1. One halved
    2. One for zest
  9. Apricots for glaze
  10. Dessert wine (Optional for glaze)

Method

  1. Generously salt, pepper, and add zest to the inside and outside of the hens
  2. In a vacuum sealed bag, add a hen and a half a lemon, about 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary. (I did two, but it is probably better to use 2 bags)
    1. Put the other hen and rest of thyme and rosemary and lemon in another vacuum sealed bag
  3. In a deep/large pot, add water (needs to be no more than the maximum level of the sous-vide machine)
    1. Add the vacuum sealed bags
  4. Set the heat to 140-150 degrees F for 3 hours (anything less could yield undercooked meat, and anything more can do no harm)IMG_2026
  5. Add an handful of apricots to a medium sauce pan in boiling water (plus or minus, depending on how much glaze you want)IMG_2019
  6. Allow the apricots to boil 15-20 minutes, once this is done, take the apricots off and mash, or dice.
    1. Once done, in a sauce pan, add the apricots and whatever you wish to make the glaze with (I used a Spanish dessert wine) simmer and reduce.
    2. On low heat allow ingredients to thicken and mixIMG_2028
  7. In the oven combine sliced potatoes and carrots and heat at 400 degrees F for at least 30 minutes
  8. Once the sous-vide time has finished, pull the hens out and halve.IMG_2029
  9. Sear hens (for finish) to likingIMG_2030
  10. Once finished, plate, add glaze to the hen portion and enjoy!IMG_2032 2

Pork Chops with a Fig Balsamic Glaze, Mashed Potatoes and Assorted Carrots

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Pork Chops

Pork chops are the all-stars of this dish! I enjoy eating pork, however I don’t eat it often.  I don’t normally eat pork chops with bone in, however, I decided to have a go at it, and everyone who ate them loved it! Pork can be expensive, it just depends on the cut, how it has been prepared at the butcher, and whether it is organic or not.

This recipe is easy and will ensure a great and tasty meal.

For this tasty meal you will need a few ingredients.

Ingredients:

  1. Pork Chop With Bone
    1. One per person
  2. Garlic
  3. Shallots
  4. Fresh Thyme
  5. Figs
  6. Orange
  7. Sweet Potatoes
  8. Assorted Carrots
  9. Balsamic Vinegar
  10. Chicken Stock or Broth
  11. Salt and Pepper
  12. Vermouth
  13. Honey
  14. Olive Oil
  15. Butter

Method:

  1. Generously, salt and pepper both sides of each pork chopIMG_0470
  2. In a large pan on medium-high heat add about two to three tablespoons of olive oil and sear meat for at least 5 minutes each side.IMG_0471
  3. Once each side has been seared, add a juice of half of an orange, fresh thyme, and orange slices on top of the chops.IMG_0472
  4. Once this has been done, take off the stove and let rest for about 5 minutes.
  5. In a separate pan, add chopped assorted carrots. On the carrots add a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, honey, and a dash of balsamic vinegar, and put in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutesIMG_0475
  6. In a large pot add diced shallots, garlic, and olive oil. Allow these to become soft, then add quartered sweet potatoes (enough to mash) and then add two boxes of chicken stock and a dash of vermouth. Bring to a boil, once boiled and soft enough to mash, remove liquid.
  7. In the oven where the carrots are, add the pan of the pork chops and cook for 30 minutes. Once the pork has cooked through it should glisten clear and be juicy. Lastly in a small pot add a cup of balsamic vinegar, the flesh of figs, and a dash of vanilla extract and bring to a boil, once it has boiled, take off and let cool down.
  8. Plate everything and enjoy!IMG_0476

Salmon, Scallops, and Potatoes

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Seafood and potatoes are the all-stars of this dish!  I love seafood, all types, shapes, sizes, and colors. I love eating seafood, I probably eat it at least once to twice a week if not more.  Seafood is a great source of protein, vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids, all of which are great for the heart, brain, and muscles. I chose salmon mainly because it is an easy fish to cook, it tastes great seasoned or not seasoned, and it is abundant.

Seafood can be expensive, and depending on what kind it is you are eating, it can be unhealthy.   Seafood, especially fish, can be very unhealthy if it is not sustainable. Sustainable means it is either caught or farmed in ways that considers the long-term vitality of harvested species and well-being of oceans, as well as the livelihood of the communities. Basically, it is not endangered, tainted, over fished or over stocked, and has a good healthy outlook.

This recipe is healthy and tasty using fish, scallops, and potatoes. The salmon I prefer is Atlantic from the USA, however, you can pay a little more and get Salmon from Norway, which is very healthy and good as well. The scallops are up to your preference, however, I prefer sea scallops as they are bigger in size. Both bay and sea scallops are sweet and luscious in taste.

The best part about this recipe, is that I will show you two different methods of how to prepare this meal that are both easy and produce nearly the same outcome. The past few times I have made it were for dinner parties and everyone wanted the recipe, so here it comes!

For this tasty meal you will need only a few ingredients.

Ingredients:

  1. Salmon
    1. One filet (about 6 ounces) per person
  2. Scallops
  3. Potatoes (I prefer Baby Yukon Gold, or New Potatoes)
  4. Asparagus
  5. Salt and Pepper
  6. Sugar
  7. Crushed Garlic and Full Cloves of Garlic
  8. Chopped Chives
  9. Chopped Dill
  10. Full Sprigs Rosemary
  11. Lemons (for method 2)
  12. Butter
  13. Extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
  14. Lemon Juice
  15. Red Wine Vinegar

Method 1:

This method is meant to be used on the stove in a pan.

  1. Score each side of the salmon and cut into filets
  2. Once the filets have been scored, add salt, pepper, crushed garlic, chives, and dill in between each scored section on both sides of the fish. Also add lemon juice and olive oil to both sides of the fish. Lastly, sprinkle with a dash of sugar on the meat side.IMG_9629
  3. Once fish is ready, sit aside, and prep potatoes, this will allow the fish to absorb all the flavors from the herbs.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit or 176 Celsius
  5. Potatoes should be cleaned well (do not remove the skin), and par boiled for at least 20 minutes (or until you can stick a fork in and out of the potatoes easily). I use a small bag of baby yukon potatoes per four people.
  6. While potatoes are boiling, in a roasting pan, or deep baking sheet, add about 4 tablespoons of EVO, full cloves of garlic (the more the merrier), a few dashes of red wine vinegar, full sprigs of rosemary, and chopped chives.
  7. Once potatoes have boiled, add them into the pan and add salt and pepper. Keep in mind, the potatoes will absorb the salt, so you can be generous with salt here. Add six, 2 ounce slices of butter, and throw the pan into the oven for 20 minutes.IMG_9627
  8. Once 20 minutes have passed, pull potatoes out of the oven. With a potatoes masher, or something to lightly mash the potatoes down a little bit, mash all of the potatoes. This will help the skin to become crispy, and the potatoes will become engulfed with all of the flavors.IMG_9632
  9. Keep the potatoes roasting for a minimum of 20 more minutes.
  10. Heat a pan to medium-high heat on the stove. Add EVO and let it smoke. Once the pan becomes piping hot, add the fish (skin side down) away from you.  The skin will become crispy and very flavorful.
  11. Sear and cook for about 3 minutes (depending on thickness of filet, you might need more time). and then flip. Allow the fish to cook thoroughly. The fish will not be burnt, but will have a nice crust on the flesh side.IMG_9817
  12. Once all the fish has been cooked, sit aside to rest. Use another pan and add asparagus. Flavor the asparagus with salt, pepper, and EVO. You can sauté the asparagus for a less crunchy texture, or flash fry quickly for a crunchy texture. Set aside and get ready for the scallops.IMG_9816
  13. Before doing anything, scallops must be patted dry, or else they will stick to the pan and burn! Once the scallops have been patted dry season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
  14. Get a sauce pan on high heat on the stove. Once it is very hot, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and add the scallops. Start from the top and go clockwise, once you finish the outer layer, and need an inner layer do the same thing. Each scallop takes no longer than 1 minute on each side. Flip with a spoon or tong.FullSizeRender 2
  15. Lastly, season to taste and plate.

Method 2:

The major difference between the methods is the second method is for the grill

  1. Follow all the previous steps for prepping the fish, as well as potatoes, asparagus, and scallops. The MAJOR difference between the methods, is this method will steam the fish while the other method is searing in a pan. Both have the same flavor and texture.
  2. Once the fish is prepped and seasoned, add lemon slices on top of the fish, and wrap the fish in tinfoil so there is just a little bit of room for air and steam.
  3. Make sure the grill is on the highest setting if it has settings for heat (like 1-5) or have a really high flame.
  4. Add the foil wrapped fish into the grill, and grill for a minimum of one hour (Assuming 4-6 people are eating. Less time for less people)
  5. Once done, season again for taste, plate and enjoy!IMG_9631

Simple Lazy Stirfry Chicken

/ ikhancook / 1 Comment

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Chicken is a cheap and easy protein to buy and cook with. You can fry, broil, boil, bake, sauté…I could go on about the many ways to cook chicken.  Stirfry can be very unhealthy like at a Chinese restaurant, or any restaurant for that matter. Cooking it by yourself can be rewarding because you can literally add anything you want, flavor it however you want, and you don’t have to worry about overcooking or undercooking.

For this simple and tasty meal, you only need a few ingredients and very little time to commit.

Ingredients:

  1. Chicken (Can be breast or tenderloin.)
  2. Red Bell Pepper
  3. Yellow Bell Pepper
  4. Zucchini
  5. Spring Onions
  6. Garlic
  7. Salt
  8. Pepper
  9. Soy Sauce
  10. Sesame Oil
  11. Soba Noodles (however you can use any type of Asian noodle)

Method:

  1. Salt and Pepper each side of thawed chickenFullSizeRender 15
  2. Heat a nonstick skillet to high heat with EVO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), once the oil is smoking or very thin in viscosity add the chicken, away from self. The chicken should sound like it is searing, you want to cook it for at least 3 minutes on both sides. Once that has been done the chicken should have a crustFullSizeRender 20
  3. After the chicken is done, set it aside to rest. Clean the skillet and add a teaspoon of EVO and add crushed garlic, as much or as little as you want.FullSizeRender 7
  4. Once the garlic is sautéed it is time to add in the zucchini, bell peppers, and spring onions. Add vegetable oil into a wok or deep frying pan on high heat. Add all of the vegetables and flash fry.  Once you have the texture you want, remove them from heat.  The longer the vegetables fry they can become soggy or soft. FullSizeRender 18
  5. Next chop and dice the chicken that has been resting, and add the juice that was left  on the cutting board. Toss and mix all ingredients. Add soy sauce (one tablespoon or so) and add a little bit of sesame oil.
  6. While all ingredients are soaking up all of the flavors, in a sauce pan, or stock pot add cold water about 3/4 full on high heat. Once the water is boiling, add in one bundle of Soba noodles (I used soba, however you could use Udon, or any type of Asian style noodles).FullSizeRender 19
  7. Lastly, combine all and put in a bowl or any type of dish you wish. To enhance or spice flavor you could add any type of seasoning, however, I enjoy Sriracha.FullSizeRender 8

Fall Off The Bone Ribs w/Blueberry BBQ Sauce

/ ikhancook / Leave a comment

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I love me some ribs. I love fall off the bone ribs, sticky ribs, ribs with crispy skin, pretty much any kind of rib is an awesome treat for dinner once in a blue moon. I usually only buy them when they are cheap, because usually they cost by the pound, and unless I can get it under $2 a pound I will not buy, simply because it is too expensive. Nonetheless I decided to buy some, and came up with my own recipe and it worked for our dinner party and it was the star of the show that everyone was raving about!

Ingredients

  1. Ribs (can be pork or beef)
  2. Coarse kosher salt
  3. Fresh ground black pepper
  4. Sage (dry)
  5. Cocoa powder
  6. Brown sugar
  7. Garlic cloves
  8. Scallions
  9. Red wine
  10. Chicken or Beef Stock
  11. Soy sauce
  12. White Vinegar
  13. Blueberries
  14. Rice Wine Vinegar
  15. Peach Cranberry juice
  16. Cinnamon
  17. Bay Leaf

Method for Ribs

  1. Score both sides of the meat and sprinkle all over salt, pepper, sage and cocoa powder and scallions
  2. Put the heat on the stove to high.
  3. Use a roasting pan and add a few tablespoons of olive oil
  4. Lay ribs with fat side down so the fat will caramelize and render to add flavorIMG_9265
  5. After the fat has rendered flip over to the other side and add about a cup of red wine so it will braise the meat. Once the wine has cooked out add enough stock to have at least one inch worth of liquid in the pan, and add the cloves of garlic whole.
  6. Put the pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 2 hours

After two hours, they should look somewhat like this:

Method for Blueberry BBQ Sauce

When 90 minutes has reached with the ribs, start prepping the BBQ sauce. It should take no more than 30 minutes to prep, and cook.

  1. 1 1/2 cup of blueberries and add to blenderIMG_9266
  2. 1 cup of sugar
  3. half cup of white vinegar
  4. half cup of peach cranberry juice (or you could use apple juice or a full cup of apple cider vinegar)
  5. Blend until almost smoothIMG_9267
  6. In a deep sauce pan on medium high heat bring sauce/juice to a boil
  7. Once it has boiled it needs to simmer for 15 minutesIMG_9270
  8. Add one or two cinnamon sticks (I used a tablespoon of cinnamon)
  9. Add 2 bay leaves
  10. Once 15 minutes has been met and the liquid can coat the back of a spoon, strain through a fine strainer into a cup and let it sit so it can cool and become a little bit thick

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Shrimp In Tomato Garlic Wine Sauce

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By far, my favorite dish to cook is my version of shrimp in a tomato garlic wine sauce. It is a very simple dish, and could be made when you are feeling lazy, but want to whip up something fresh and vibrant.

Ingredients

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  1. 1 bag of frozen shrimp medium sized, but can be larger (can be fresh if you prefer, but I prefer to cook with frozen shrimp)
  2. Pasta of choice, about half a box for 3-4 servings (I prefer rigatoni or farfalle)
  3. 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  4. 1 ladle worth of pasta water
  5. 1 cup of white wine or sparkling wine (champagne if you like or something cheap)
  6. Kosher salt – to flavor as well as some extra if need be
  7. Fresh ground black pepper
  8. 2 Tablespoons of salted butter
  9. 4 cloves of garlic, crushed (more if you like a lot of garlic)
  10. 1 to 2 Tomatoes (more if there is more pasta)
  11. 2 ounces of lemon juice
  12. 1 Teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper (more if you like spicy)
  13. Shredded Parmesan

Method

  1. Boil a pot of salty water (Water should be nearly salty like the ocean)IMG_9217
  2. Add pasta of choice
    1. Once pasta has been added, stir off and on and follow instructions on the type of pasta you have chosen
  3. Set timer for 3 minutes, and timer for the time of the pasta
  4. While pasta is boiling start chopping and slicing tomatoes and herbsIMG_9218
  5. Once the first timer goes off, heat a deep sauce pan on medium high heat and add extra virgin olive oil.
  6. Once the olive oil has heated up add butter
  7. Let butter melt and add crushed garlic and add a ladle of pasta water
  8. Allow garlic to become translucent and soft and add in lemon juice and alcoholIMG_9221
  9. Allow alcohol to cook off (about 30 seconds) and then add shrimp
  10. Cook shrimp for about 1.5 minutes on each side and add crushed red pepper, tomato and shred enough parmesan to lightly cover shrimp and mixIMG_9222
  11. At this time pasta should be done, throw in pasta and chopped herbs into sauce with shrimpIMG_9223
  12. Top with more shredded parmesan (however much you want) and serve.

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BFF Asian

/ ikhancook / Leave a comment

Friday night we (me, my wife, and daughter) went over to BFF Asian Grill. My wife ordered the tuna tower and a the amazing roll, and I ordered the Lemon Grass Grilled Beef Banh Mi and a beer flight. The tuna tower is very fresh, tasty, has all the flavors one would associate a tuna tower with at any sushi restaurant. The Banh Mi’s beef is very tender, juicy and flavorful. Banh Mi comes with all of the normal fixings, including some sliced raw jalapeño. The beer flight, however, was interesting. I tried local brews (from Texas).  The beers from right to left were Legal Draft Brewery Gluten Free, Peticolas Royal Scandal, Rahr and Sons Summertime Wheat,  and Woodcreek Bourbon Barrel Bock. As you would imagine, the Legal Draft beer was light, water like, but crisp.  Peticolas was very refreshing and had notes of citrus. Rahr and Sons was very similar to any type of hefeweizen one might have, but not as sweet as some are. Lastly, the Woodcreek was heavy, yet surprisingly tasty.  It was a good experience, I would probably try different beers for a flight next time, these weren’t my favorite beers by far, but I was trying something new.

 

I Khan Cook, The Journey To Great Food

/ ikhancook / Leave a comment

I am so excited to start this journey. I don’t know where to begin. I guess I could say I am a food enthusiast who loves food, all cuisines, all textures, tastes, smells, colors, and I am excited to show you my skills, and what I like to make for my friends and loved ones. I will post here as often as I cook, which is obviously daily, I will post recipes, pictures and videos (time permitted) and I am open for criticism and hints and tips. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

 

Risotto with Peas, Jumbo Tiger Shrimp, and Bay Scallops

First blog post

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The other day our family went to Dallas to visit with some friends. I popped into Starbucks to get an iced coffee, got a Smores frap for my wife and walked out. As soon as I got into the car my daughter screamed, because she wanted something to drink, so I ran back into Starbucks and got her a Strawberries and Cream drink.  So here is my first blog, and its the ingredients and pictures of the Strawberries and Cream for my little girl.

Ingredients:
1. A handful of strawberries
2. A cup of skim milk

Method:
I use a Ninja Blender, however you can use whatever type of blender you might have.
In a blender, add the strawberries with the stems removed, add skim milk and blend until thickness or viscosity you prefer.