Shady Grove’s Tortilla Crusted Queso Catfish

This is one of my favorite comfort food dishes! After moving quite a ways away from Shady Grove in Austin- Evan and I started making our own (about once or twice a year). If you can’t make it there this should cure your craving!

 

 

It’s worth the work! Trust me on this… Just make sure you go for a longggg walk before you have it so you don’t feel too guilty 😉

 

Prep Time:  30min

Cook Time: 10-12 min per batch of fish

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Lemon Juice
• 1oz Franks Hot Sauce
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Fresh Cracked Pepper
• 4  5-6oz Fish Filets, you can use catfish or cod, we like both. Cod is really nice and substantial for frying…
• 2.5 C. Flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
• 2.5 C. Buttermilk Full Fat
• 2.5 C. Corn Tortilla Strips, sliced thin.
• Peanut Oil for Frying
• 6 oz Chili Con Queso, I like to make a green chili variety.
• 4 oz Pico de Gallo
• Lime Wedges to garnish

Instructions:

1. Whisk the lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together in a shallow bowl. Dip each fish fillet in the lemon juice mixture. Dredge fish in seasoned flour, followed by buttermilk, and then corn tortilla flakes to coat completely.
2. *I make the hubby my Fry Daddy, and usually request him to do it outside… 🙂 Pour peanut oil into a large, deep saute pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat oil to 350 degrees F. When oil is hot, carefully add fish fillets to pan, in batches if necessary, and deep-fry until golden brown, about 10 minutes total. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
3. Place a drizzle of queso on top of each fried fish. Then top with pico de gallo on top of the fish. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

Enjoy!

Dill Pollen Crusted Wild Coho Salmon with Applewood Bacon and Artichoke Collard Greens and Mashed Cauliflower

Evan and I started a 90 Day Challenge Saturday at our gym to get back to our healthy living habits!  We have been “slacking off” I guess you could say and not feeling as good as we could and should.  You will be seeing more “healthy meals” over the next few months so I hope you enjoy.

My main goal is to eliminate as much processed food as possible from snacks to pasta and everything in-between. I’m usually really good at this but lately I’ve been a SLACKER!!!

We really enjoyed this meal last night.

Serves: 2

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 20 min

Ingredients:

Salmon:

• 8oz Wild Coho Salmon (cut into two portions).
• 1 TBS, Dill Pollen
• 1/8 tsp. Celtic Salt or Fleur de Sal
• 1/2 tsp. Fresh Black Pepper, coarse ground
• 1/2 tsp. Granulated Garlic
• 1 tsp. Coconut Oil

Collards with Artichoke Hearts & Applewood Bacon

• 1 Bunch of Collards, stemmed and chopped.
• 1/2 C. No Sodium Chicken Stock, Kitchen Basics
• 2 Slices of Nitrate Free Applewood Bacon
• 1 Clove of Garlic
• 2 Artichoke Hearts, quartered
• 1 Pinch of Celtic Salt or Fleur de Sal

Mashed Cauliflower (makes  3 servings)

• 1 head of Cauliflower, stem removed
• 1 TBS Butter
• 1/8 C. No Sodium Chicken Stock
• 1 oz of Farmer’s Cheese (you can omit if you don’t do dairy).
• 1/4 C. Green Onion, sliced
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper.

Preparation:

Salmon:

1. Pre-Heat Oven to 375 F.
2. Wash fish and make sure scales and bones are non existent. Pat dry.
3. Mix dill pollen, garlic, salt, and pepper on a shallow plate or bowl.
4. Rub 1/2 tsp of coconut oil on each portion.
5. Place fish side down on spice blend and coat evenly.
6. Bake for 20-25 min or until done to your liking.

Greens:

1. Cut up bacon with cooking shears, cook until 80% done.
2. Drain grease from pan and with same pan on medium heat, add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add greens and add half of stock. Cook for 2 min
4. Add bacon back in and rest of stock, cover and simmer on low for 15-20 min.
5. Add Artichoke hearts for last 5 min.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cauliflower:

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil and cook cauliflower for 6 min.
2. In a blender, blend cauliflower,stock, butter, cheese, and salt and pepper.
3. Mix in green onions.

A “Lighter” Version of Crawfish Étouffée That Will Keep Your Waistline Happy :)

Using a stick of butter or even a half a stick of butter just doesn’t sound very appealing to me especially after the holidays. So I made one of my favorites with a quarter of the fat and it turned out awesome!  You will notice I served this in a “bread boat”, this is how Evan likes it. You can do it plain, in a boat, or on top of rice-your choice!

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Serves: 4-6 People

Ingredients:

• 1lb Crawfish meat (shelled and deveined)
• 1 C. Celery, chopped
• 1 C. Red and Green Bell Pepper Mixture, chopped
• 1 C. Sweet Onion, chopped
• 2 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Bay leave
• 1/2 C. Chicken Stock, no sodium
• 2 TBS Butter
• 1 TBS Coconut Oil
• 1 TBS Favorite cajun seasoning
• 1/2 TBS. Jalapeno (fresh), minced
• 1 tsp. Black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1.5 TBS Flour dissolved in water

Instructions:

• Heat butter and coconut oil on medium, once hot add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add the Holy Trinity: Bells, Onions, and Celery! Saute for 12-15 min
• Add Crawfish, seasoning, bay leave, and chicken stock and simmer for 10 min.
• Add flour to thicken sauce and season to taste with salt or more cajun seasoning.
• Serve over white rice or in a bread boat.

Enjoy!

Delectable Shrimp and Grits… Oh and ZestyBeanDog is Still Alive :)

Well helloooooooo everyone! After many comments from friends and family I have decided to let everyone know that ZestyBeanDog is still ALIVE! After going through some big changes (career wise) I’m happy to say that finally… I think have my head glued back on straight!  A little over a month ago I quit a marketing job of 3 years to pursue my passion: teaching yoga and working with my Green Feet Fitness business fulltime. 🙂 🙂 🙂 Also let’s not forget all the other full time jobs I have like: keeping a pretty clean house, being my husbands personal chef, doing laundry, paying bills, being a dog entertainer, and much much more.  It was a long over due decision and I’m glad it’s finally here! Sometimes life gets in the way of hobbies but here’s to new beginnings!  It will be so nice to get back to reading your lovely blogs as they are always such an inspiration to me. Thanks and MUCH LOVE!

This is a zesty spin on shrimp and grits, I hope you enjoy!

Prep Time: 30 min

Serves: 4

Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients: 

• 1 C. Corn Grits (Bob’s Red Mill Brand is nice).
• 24 Large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 5 Slices of uncooked bacon
• 1 TBS Rendered duck fat
• 1/2 C. Fontina cheese
• 1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 Stick of butter
• 1/4 C. Heavy cream
• 1/4 C. Milk
• Scallions and Green Onion
• Kosher Salt and Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Old Bay

Instructions: 

1. Cook 1 Cup of corn grits as directed on package.
2. Add cheese, cream, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.
3. Cook up bacon in large skillet on medium high. Keep grease heated and add TBS of duck fat to grease. Keep heat to medium high. Reserve bacon on a paper towel, once cooled break into pieces.
4. Add shrimp to heated greased skillet and sprinkle Old Bay on top of shrimp as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 1.5 min on each side, until done. Don’t over cook.
5. Place a mound of grits on a plate top with shrimp, then bacon crumbles, then scallions and green onions. Sprinkle with some parmesan (if you are feeling saucy)  and garnish with a Meyer lemon wedge.  Great with brussel sprouts!

Cheers enjoy!

Check it out! Show some LOVE!

Hello Fellow Foodies!

Today is kind of a hodgepodge post… As you know from the last post I entered another contest via Marx Foods! It was a lot of fun because I got to experiment with cocktails and mocktails! I think the Pimmentine Cocktail is now a favorite drink of Evan and I’s! The clementine ice cubes are HIGHLY addictive! I have juiced over 35 clementines in the past 3 days to make more 🙂 Anyhow I would love it it you would be so kind to cast a vote for Zestybeandog! No email registration required, which is always nice, just a click! 🙂

VOTE HERE

Here is a peak into some food that’s been made in the ZestyBeanDog kitchen lately! Enjoy!

Chicken Bacon and Kale Roll Ups

Yard Bird with Bacon Mustard Glaze

Homemade Pasta Sauce

Escargot and Portabella Pizza

Quail Egg Pizza

Paella with Vegan Sausage

Spider Roll

Sushi

Caper and Tomato Trout with Crab Cake

Bibimbap

Eggplant Parm

Pan Seared Ahi Tuna with a Cilantro Ginger Slaw

This is a delicious and healthy lunch or dinner dish that is super simple to prepare. You will love it!!!

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 6 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Ahi tuna steaks (I like to do about a 4-5 oz steak).
• 2 cups Green cabbage, shredded
• 2 cups Purple cabbage, shredded
• 2 TBS Pickled ginger
• 3 TBS Cilantro, chopped rough
• 1 TBS Black sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper
• Coconut oil

Dressing for slaw

• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 1 tsp Agave nectar
• 1 TBS Yuzu juice
• 2 TBS Rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Wasabi paste

Instructions:

1. Wash Ahi and pat dry, season with salt and pepper. Place in fridge while you prep slaw.
2. Mix cabbage, cilantro, sesame seeds, and ginger in a medium mixing bowl. Place in fridge.
3. Mix up slaw dressing and reserve, dress right before serving.
4. In medium to large skillet heat 1 tsp of coconut oil on medium high.
5. Sear tuna for about 3 min on each side, at the end of the second side sear the edges quickly- serve rare.  You can always cook longer but do not over cook! You want it to be pink in the middle. 🙂
6. Place tuna on top of dressed slaw salad! Serve with anything else you like, I did sweet potato gnocchi!

Hatch and Serrano Chili Panko Encrusted Tilapia with Smashed Potatoes and a Pistachio and Citrus Salad

This is a great way to use the hatch chilies that you might be seeing all over town right now!  I chose tilapia for this dish but you could use catfish or cod.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Fish filets, your choice on how big (a little under 1/2 a pound each will do).
• 1/2 Hatch chili, minced finely
• 1 Serrano, (1/2 sliced very thin, 1/2 minced finely).
• 1 Egg
• 1 C. Panko bread crumb
• Salt, pepper, and fine herb blend 1/2 tsp of each
• 2 Potatoes, scrubbed, cut up to boil (leave skin on, that’s where all the nutrients are).
• 1/4 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 C. Light sour cream
• 3 TBS Butter
• 1 tsp. Black truffle salt
• 2 TBS Shallot, minced (for whole recipe you will need one medium sized shallot, half for potatoes and half for dressing).
• 2 Green onions, sliced
• 1 Clove of garlic, minced
• 2-3 Cups of fresh baby spinach
• 1 Grapefruit, cut this way
• 2 TBS Pistachios, shelled (Fresh)
• 1/2 Orange, zest it
• 1/2 Orange, juiced
• 1/8 C. Red wine vinegar
• 2 TBS Olive oil
• 1 TBS Agave nectar
• 1 tsp Fine herb blend
• 1 TBS Shallots, minced
• 3-4 TBS Olive oil or you can use Pam to cut calories

Instructions:

1. Bring salted water to a boil in a medium pot, add cut up potatoes and cook until tender/done. While potatoes are cooking…
2. Prepare fish, wash, gather two bowls and a plate. Crack egg in first bowl, whisk. Add panko, hatch and serrano peppers, and salt, pepper, and fine herb blend 1/2 tsp of each to crumbs and mix with hand.  Take fish filets and dip into egg mixture then into panko and coat whole filet throughly on both sides. Repeat. Place breaded fish on plate and place in fridge.
3. Drain potatoes and place back in pot, add sour cream, cheese, butter, garlic, 1/2 of the shallots, truffle salt, and green onion and mash roughly. Cover to keep warm.
4. Heat large skillet on medium high with olive oil or pam, add filets, and cook for 4 min without turning!!! After 4 min turn and cook for an additional 4 min without turning, after you have browned both sides cook until done (about 2 min on each side more).
5. While fish is cooking make up your salad and dressing add spinach to bowl, add grapefruit and nuts.  For the dressing, get a plastic container with a tight sealing lid and add:
• 1/2 Orange, zest it
• 1/2 Orange, juiced
• 1/8 C. Red wine vinegar
• 2 TBS Olive oil
• 1 TBS Agave nectar
• 1 tsp Fine herb blend
• 1 TBS Shallots, minced

And shake to mix well.  Dress salad and check on fish.  Once fish is done plate up your meal, garnishing with a few serranos that you sliced thinly earlier.  Enjoy!

Cheers!

Shrimp and Veggies

This is a quick and healthy dinner that’s satisfying and tasty!

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 30 Min (3o min if you make potatoes, 10 without).

Serves: 2-3 (May have some left over for a small lunch).

Ingredients:

• 16 Large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Squash, sliced and quartered, thick chunks
• 1 Zucchini, sliced and quartered, thick chunks
• 1/2 C. Baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• .5 tsp Sea salt
• 1 tsp Fine herbs
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning blend, I make my own but you can use Zatarran’s or something similar, look for one that doesn’t have MSG.
• Pinch of pepper

Instructions:

1. Cut produce
2. Peel shrimp, rinse, and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large skillet, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, add shrimp, cook for 2 min on each side until golden. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
4. Cook veggies in other TBS of olive oil for about 7 min and add seasonings and stir to coat all the veggies, mix in shrimp for about a min and mix well.
5. Serve with potatoes or your choice of side.

Cheers!

Wondering where ZestyBeanDog has been??? I was too… so here’s the answer!

From Ovaries, Ostrich Eggs, and Pickled Quail Eggs to

Absinthe, Oysters, and … Working out A LOT

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been a huge slacker when it comes to the ZBD Blog… I can honestly say this is the only place I have been slacking! I’ve been busy, really busy in fact… Eating, drinking (not just fancy martini’s and beer but also a ton of hibiscus tea and H2O), cooking, butchering, cleaning, playing, working out/yoga and oh yeah… working a $!#@ LOAD! I also had surgery to remove and ovarian cyst (all is well now)! I decided that I wanted to take a break from recipes since I’ve been religiously blogging for a year on recipes and the occasional restaurant review and show you a quick snippet of me and what my life consists of before I get back into the recipe writing… Some days are more interesting than others but over all Evan and I like to keep things pretty fun! Cheers!

In no real particular order here are some snippets of what I’ve been up to!

Evan’s 27th Birthday we had a surprise party for him, one of his gifts was an ostrich egg… Thanks Kyle Bass 🙂

Snagged these pickled quail eggs on the way back from the beach… they are good, great in salads, on crackers, even in tuna salad… in case you were ever wondering.

SOME FOOD WE’VE EATEN…

Halibut: Perla’s

Shell’s and Cheese : Perla’s
Oysters from 6 different regions: Perla’s

Mussels and Sausage : Perla’s

A Fried Egg Sandwich : Bigger than your head (Evan and Dave ordered this…) : Max’s Wine Dive

I have no idea where we had this??? Or what it was… 🙂

SOME DRINKS WE HAD…

My FAVORITE drink, the LDM: Legendary Driskill Martini : The Driskill

Absinthe : Peche

Evan and Hannah: After Absinthe @ Peche

Evan the Wino : Max’s Wine Dive (Remind me NEVER drink/try this much wine again, or at least not for a while!)

SOME FOOD WE’VE MADE….

Bimimbap with Bulgogi : The Makings

The End Result: YUM

KimChi Fries : Inspiration= Recent trip to Korea and recent trip to a bar down town that happen’s to be by Chilantro…

Veal Marsala:Humanely Raised Of Course

Shrimp and Squash with Purple Potatoes

Because I’m Sure You Don’t Want to See the Real

Thing…

The size of the ovarian cyst I had removed July 8th

BEWARE GRAPHIC ANIMAL PICTURE : Thanks Kyle

for a WHOLE BOAR!

My friend Kyle loves to bring us random animals and foods as you can see… Kyle owed me a rental deposit from our old apartment we used to live in… He raised 2 boars on the farm this summer and showed up at my door with this in exchange, now it’s in the freezer. Who’s in the mood for some pork, I got a ton!?

When I’m not doing all of these other things sometime’s

I organize my life, or spices!

My Spice Cabinet Remodel : Thank You Target and Label Maker

What Do You Do When You are Down Town and Early

for Your Brunch Reservation… Go to the Capitol

Our old friend Dave in town from Cali.

For the end of this post, I’ll share my

nightly entertainment (yes, every night) from my

husband and dog… 🙂

When it’s too hot for Ginger to go play at the park with the other doggies, Evan becomes that dog 🙂 Ginger waits for this all day…

This is what I’ve been up to, it’s random… I know!  I look forward to posting recipes for your viewing and hopefully cooking pleasure now! In a month a start yoga teacher training for the next 9 months, so you may be in for some random yoga posts 🙂 Cheers to YOU, my followers, if I didn’t have you all well… I probably wouldn’t be sitting here typing on the ZestyBeanDog Blog! I’ve had almost 10,000 visits in a year and have almost 50 subscribers, thanks for all the love!

-ZBD

Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with Serrano Peppers & Crispy Shallots Served with a Side of Roasted Baby Zucchini, Heirloom Tomatoes, & Purple Potatoes

I know it’s been awhile since my last post, sometimes life gets in the way of hobbies, I’m back now 🙂

You are going to love this delicious and healthy dish.  I’ve been trying to get more creative with my plating and take better photos of my food so let me know what you think!

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

• 3/4 – 1lb Fresh Mahi Mahi, cut into 2 pieces
• 5 Baby zucchini or regular just sliced into small pieces
• 2 Small to medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 6-8 Purple potatoes, sliced very thin
• 1 Serrano pepper, sliced very thin
• 1 Green onion, sliced very thin
• 2-4 Shallots, sliced very thin
• 1-2 Cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Lemons, one for juice, one for garnish
• 1/2 TBS of butter
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Dried fine herb blend

Instructions:

1. Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Slice up the produce as directed above
3. Place purple potato slices on a “Pamed” baking sheet, and place in pre-heated oven. Bake for 25 min.
4. While potatoes are baking, heat up a grill skillet to medium high for your zucchini and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and place on heated skillet, grill on both sides until cooked.
5. Heat another medium non stick skillet to medium high for the fish, place a 1/2 TBS of butter in the skillet and cook the sliced shallots and garlic until crispy, remove and set aside.  Then add fish, meat side down, cooking for 4 min.  Flip and cook for 4 more. Transfer Zucchini, tomatoes, and fish into a casserole dish to finish in the 400 degree oven for about 8 more min, or until fish is cooked through.
6. Plate meal, put green onion on top of potatoes. Place shallots, serranos and garlic, on top of fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then drizzle with lemon juice.

Enjoy, Cheers!