Talapia with a Artichoke, Tomato, Garlic White Wine Tapenade

21 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by thereluctantcountrygirl.com in Beach House Staples, Recipes (ALL), Sauces, Seafood, Vegetarian

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artichoke, Fish sauce, greek fish, greek sauce, pan fried fish, sauteed fish, Tapenade for fish, tomatoe sauce, tomatoe tapenade, Veracruz Sauce

I love fish, but I like to try new flavors whenever I can. I tend to steer away from simmering anything in straight tomato sauce so this sauce is a great alternative when you want to incorporate some freshness into a dish but not overpower what you are cooking. I love artichokes, love them! Whenever I find a new way to use them, the flavor always pays off. This light fish, with the tomato wine reduction and artichoke is a winner. It reminds me of a Greek bruchetta tapenade with a hint of lemon to bring it all together. Served with fresh sauteed asparagus and garlic.

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Tofu & Shrimp Curry Noodle Bowl

07 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by thereluctantcountrygirl.com in Recipes (ALL), Sauces, Seafood, Vegetarian

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curry, curry bowl, egg roll, Noodle Bowl, pad thai, shrimp, tofu, udon noodles

Well it’s official. I have had the first flu of the season. Let me tell you; NO FUN. But while I was down and out I wanted something spicy I could actually taste! I love noodle bowls and I have been wanting to use tofu in a dish for a while. I tried it once when I was pregnant and let’s face it, everything tastes different when you’re preggy so I wanted to give it another chance and I am very glad I did. Not only was it delicious, but took on the flavor of the curry and brought a richness to the dish that it didn’t have before. The shrimp was an added bonus as I love seafood in just about anything! If you would rather go vegetarian, simply leave the shrimp out. A play off of Pad Thai and a perfect comfort dish for a sick me.

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Homemade Pesto w/ Walnuts

07 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by thereluctantcountrygirl.com in Dressings, Recipes (ALL), Sauces, Vegetarian

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Basil sauce, olive oil sauce, Pesto, Pesto dip, Pesto sauce, vegetarian sauce

My daughter wanted to learn how to make pesto. She said she had a craving and she was taking over dinner tonight. Assisted I assure you, but still her idea. I agreed and off we went to the garden. I have a small potted herb garden that is almost barren from all of the picking but it sure makes it easy when you need just that little something to perk up your dish. Herbs are so easy to take care and best of all you get to eat them after tending to them. We grabbed a hefty portion of basil and headed in. One thing we love in our homemade pesto is walnuts in place of pine nuts. I love the richness it brings with a subtle nutty flavor the pine nuts don’t seem to bring to the sauce. So tonight we are making a chicken pesto and rotini pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. But first we have to make the Pesto. Creamy and rich with the luscious texture of the olive oil and Parmesan cheese. I can’t wait!

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Creamy Cheddar Polenta, Panko Crusted Cod w/Sriracha Salsa

29 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by thereluctantcountrygirl.com in Recipes (ALL), Sauces, Seafood, Sides

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This is not at all what I intended to make tonight but my mind could not stop thinking about how to make creamy polenta out of that roll I had. I just didn’t like the sliced version. I have never had creamy polenta and I wanted to give it a shot. I knew the flavor profile I wanted; cheesy, smokey and crunchy with a little heat. This dish is what I came up with. Creamy polenta incorporated with some chicken stock, fresh parsley and cheddar cheese with panko crusted cod seasoned with Citrus Falksalt, smokey paprika, pepper and some kosher salt and a salsa that combined tomatoes, red onion, parsley, cilantro paste and some spicy sriracha sauce. Loved it!

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My Chimichurri

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by thereluctantcountrygirl.com in Grillin out, Recipes (ALL), Sauces, Vegetarian

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Chimi churri, Chimichurri, parsley sauce, steak sauce

So I picked up a jarred Chimichurri sauce at a specialty shop while in Charlotte last week and was pretty excited about it. Unfortunately, that ended upon tasting it. It was sweet yet bitter and really nothing I want to taste on my steak so I decided to make my own. Having never done this before, I read the ingredients on the bottle and quickly decided what I didn’t want as a flavor and was able to come up with a flavor profile I was sure I would like. The only problem with this recipe that there was none left after dinner!!!!!!!! They put it on absolutely everything!!! So fair warning; it’s addictive. Continue reading →