Recipe for Success

+ Fish Dish:

So spuds, here I am: 122 miles from home, one dishwasher richer and currently a full-time contractor for my very first government agency. All that in under a week - it is no wonder I haven't been posting. In all the hubub of moving away from home (only for 4 months) I haven't had time to even think of putting a recipe up. Shame on me! You all even gave me some great feedback to go on. I love feedback. But don't be sad, although my camera is still on the fritz my shiny iPod touch is here to save the day. Granted, the pictures won't be as crisp, but that fact pales in the face of all the new and wonderful recipes I have, and will, come across.

Recipes, and nasty Reese's Peanut Butter Cups aside, (no really, I ate one today and it was just plain rotten tasting), I am very excited to get to share all my new adventures with you. SPUDS is coming up on its one year anniversary, and what better way to celebrate than with wild and crazy changes!? Until I settle into my new arrangements, I imagining my cooking will be limited. In the mean time am hoping to not just feature new recipes but new chefs and bakers. Being near the capital, I am hoping to make the most of the cornucopia of great eateries and bars as well. There is so much to be been seen and tasted I had better not waste any time!

Take the "Smoked Paprika Tilapia" recipe, I found it sitting innocently on the counter just now, as an example. When I got home today dinner was minutes away from going on the table and filling our grumbling bellies. The chef, let's call her Taquita, is a soon to be nursing student and can she ever bake up a storm. I guess she can cook up a storm too since she's whipped up two scrumptious dinners in just 24 hours. The fillets were so flaky and moist! Flaky and moist, and yet crispy and smoky too. We ate our fish with rice and a little green vegetable, but I am imaging it would even taste delicious cold over some rice in a lunch/bento box tomorrow too... My new housemate(s) are excellent cooks, and I am very much looking forward to picking up some tricks and tips while I'm staying here. But I'm too tired to give you the whole scoop tonight. I guess we'll both just have to keep checking out the blog to find out!

Notes: Although we used Tilapia, I am sure any other firm white fish (or even salmon) would be just as scrumptious. When buying fish make sure the fish smells fresh (e.g. not fishy). The fisher the smell the older the catch. If you're buying a fish with the head and eye balls - yuck - be sure the eyes are clear and not cloudy. Again, this indicates freshness. If you get your fish frozen just be sure to follow the package directions for thawing and cooking.

Smoked paprika is a nice spice to invest in, and one that isn't always as outrageously priced as some of the others. Just make sure you have smoked Spanish paprika - it will be a little more mild than its spicy cousin. It would also be great on some mashed or broiled spuds, or even on some scrambled eggs tortilla style.

If you want to be featured on a SPUDS post, I would be ever so excited to write about you! Just drop an email with your post idea/recipe and a little blurb about yourself to stbreadwater@gmail.com

Smoked Paprika Tilapia

Cooking Light (2008)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets

Preparation:

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or grill pan) over medium-high heat.

2. In a dish combine the olive oil, paprika, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a bowl, stirring well.

3. Rub fish evenly with oil mixture.

4. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Then, add the fish to the pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

For our European friends (this is a work in progress, mind. I would love to know how to do this without looking dodgie!):

Smoked Paprika Tilapia

22.5 ml olive oil

3 g garlic powder

5 g salt*

6 g smoked paprika

ground black pepper

(4) 168g tilapia fillets

*I think

Preparation:

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or grill pan) over medium-high heat.

2. In a dish combine the olive oil, paprika, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a bowl, stirring well.

3. Rub fish evenly with oil mixture.

4. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Then, add the fish to the pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

SPUDS update + apology

Bad news with a touch of cream cheese:

My dear SPUDS followers,

Sad news. The SPUDS cam is, sadly, still out of order. As such, so is our blogspot. Please consider this post an apology, and the formal statement from the SPUDS powers that be with regards to our inactivity. It is our sincere hope that the SPUDS cam, or a suitable replacement, will be put to work very shortly.

If you would prefer that SPUDS continue to post recipes, without photos, please let us know in the Comments section below; we do so love feedback! If you would rather SPUDS just post old photos taken from our (the royal "we") undergraduate education, like this cherry-oreo lava cheesecake with festive black rider, we would be happy to do so as well. Did I mention this cake caught fire? Trick candles, they'll get you ever time. Well... at least the plastic figurine was aflame for a while, and may I say it smoked liberally.

If you would rather we stuck to our normal routine of recipes and photos, please ask a wealthy blog benefactor to donate a camera to SPUDS. No doubt our harrowing story will be a source of inspiration: our camera broke; we can't afford to fix it.

In all this "what-are-we-going-to-do-we're-still-paying-on-our-loans" hubub, I almost forgot to share the good news: this spud is about to be a student again. Yes, a real student. Again.

With homework... and stuff.

And all-nighters...

Oh dear.

Love and black beans,

Fajita Bandita

PS> Check out Cakespy for some more college friendly tips http://www.cakespy.com/blog/2011/2/19/a-bakers-dozen-sweet-tips-for-baking-in-college.html

Dinner for Two

An evening in for $20 or less:

Isn't it funny how Valentine's Day can either be "fantastic" or "dreadful". Unfortunately, everything "okay" or "fine" falls under the dreadful category thanks to modern day marketing and social expectations. Don't misunderstand me: I love Valentine's Day marketing - I work in a chocolate shop, for heaven sake. But, speaking from personal experience my Valetine's Days have been slowly making an upward climb; which, is better than a downward spiral. The last two I spent at fencing tournaments, at least one before that was spent drinking smuggled champagne in our dorm suite, and I don't really care to go back beyond that.

This year, things are mostly looking up: no sweaty, stinky fencing equipment in sight. But, I've been realizing that there are some simple things that really stand out when you're trying to make a statement to your sweet heart; a tasty, decadent dinner, for example. SPUDS is happy to present you with the perfect menu for just a such a statement, and at a fraction of the price of take-out. This menu is a guideline more than anything else. For example, if you like blue cheese swap in the Gorgonzola for the Parmesan in the cream sauce. For the record, the sweet sausage tortellini about blew my mind dressed up in the nutty Parmesan sauce though, so why meddle with perfection. Want an appetizer instead of dessert? Toast up half of your fresh bread, brush it with olive oil and rub it with garlic and serve with a little of the leftover cheese from your pasta. If you're feeling up to it, you can factor in another $6-7 and pick up a meat entree at your grocer's prepared foods counter.

There is some bad news, though. My Olympus FE-340 - yes, the point and shoot that takes all my photos - seems to be badly distressed. The problem hasn't been solved just yet, although all signs point towards a trip to the technician's for a diagnosis. We are going to make a move towards the iPod camera - as soon as I find it, again... In the mean time, SPUDS will be taking a short hiatus.

Dinner for Two

$20

Pasta with Parmesan Cream Sauce ($7.38)

-The Complete Guide to Sauces

Pictured: Sweet Italian Sausage Tortellini with Parmesan Cream

Ingredients:

1 package refrigerated cheese (or meat) filled pasta

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup cheese (Parmesan or Gorgonzola)

pinch of nutmeg

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter over low heat with the cream and cheese of your choice.

2. Stir until everything begins to combine.

3. Increase the heat and simmer the sauce a minute or two until it thickens slightly.

4. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Serve warm.

Fresh Bread (.89 - 2.99)

Notes: The next time you are in your local grocery, check out the bakery. Many stores will have a discount basket with loaves market down as low as .89 cents. Be sure to check the loaves for freshness: is the crust still crispy, does the bread smell fresh or yeasty even? Very often, these loaves are either seasonal, specialty, duplicates or nearing the "sell by date". But, why pay full price when you don't have to?

Seasonal Fresh, Frozen or Canned Vegetable (.75 - 1.95)

Notes: Pairing a simple vegetable side dish with a rich entrée is a no-brainer. Too many complex flavors can overwhelm even the most well-trained palate. Luckily, there are tons of options in the modern day market. Make heart-shaped sweet and sour beets (.75 can), an easy to find fresh vegetable like green beans or fresh spinach, or even a lightly seasoned frozen option - all you will have to do is heat them up.

Pictured: Kiwi fruit Pizzettes with Blood Orange Sorbet

Sweet Fruit Pizzettes with Sorbet (5.37)

-Baking with Julia

Notes: The pizzettes can be made a few hours before your dinner, but I like them hot. Be sure to thoroughly defrost the puff pastry before you begin to roll it out. Once the pastry gets warm it will get extremely sticky so flour your surface liberally, but not excessively. Follow the package instructions to thaw the pastry. Although it has a lot of butter in it, be sure to lightly grease your cookie sheet before baking your pastry hearts; otherwise, it is possible they will stick.

Because I was using such a juicy fruit (kiwi) I chose to top the pizzettes with them after baking, rather than before. The heat drained the kiwi fruit of almost all of its color on the first try; which, is why I chose to serve them fresh. But, something like a strawberry or plum slice may not suffer the same fate. My advice: top half the hearts with fruit and leave half plain in case the pizzettes get too soggy, or the fruit too pale. You'll always have a back-up. I skipped the large carton of sorbet for reasons of fitting into my clothing after this holiday. Most stores offer a tolerable selection of single or double serving containers in the freezer section.

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted

1 kiwi, 6-8 pieces of fresh fruit like plum or pear slices or fresh berries

goat cheese (optional)

cinnamon sugar

fruit sorbet to serve

Preparation:

1. Thaw the pastry in its package for about 40 minutes at room temperature.

2. Lightly flour a work surface (like waxed paper or a clean counter) and gently unfold the pastry.

3. Use a floured cookie cutter, cut out your desired shapes. Dust them with a little cinnamon sugar and place on your baking sheet.
4. Either gently press a slice of fruit or fresh berry into the pastry before baking, or bake as is for 12-15 minutes. If desired, you can crumble a little goat cheese on top of the fruit before baking.

5. Serve with a scoop or two of sorbet (or ice cream if you're into that).