Friday Food Finds
Edition 6
Hello, I’ve been more and more delayed in sending out these Friday Food Finds editions, so I’ll get right to it today!
Last weekend was my first attempt at preparing a whole red snapper. Since this 2-pound fish promised to be a substantial meal for 2 adults and 2 kids, I invited family over to enjoy it and an evening of build-your-own fish tacos. I picked this recipe for Caribbean Grilled Whole Red Snapper from Imma at Immaculate Bites for the occasion. Note: I did the prep and my husband did the grilling because he excels at it.
The hardest part about this recipe was figuring out how to serve it. I had visions of easily removing the fish’s skeleton table-side, but that didn’t happen until after we had devoured the first side/filet. Otherwise, the recipe was unfussy and made the new experience go smoothly. The finished fish was also delicious. The flesh was tender and flakey and nicely perfumed with the flavors of the aromatic marinade.
Testing notes: I used black pepper instead of white, 1 teaspoon dried oregano in place of the thyme, and I employed the parsley substitution for the basil. I think if I had let the fish marinate for longer than 2 hours, it would have picked up more flavor. For tacos, the more subtle notes worked well, though. Our fish, as I mentioned was nearly a full 2 pounds in size, so the grilling time was understandably a bit longer than the 4 to 6 minutes per side written in the recipe. I didn’t have plantains, so didn’t work those into the meal. I think I’ll try them as a side dish soon though.
I made Colu Henry’s easy Broccoli and Scallions with Thai-Style Vinaigrette (sorry for the paywall… I do try to avoid those) as a side dish for chicken and rice early in the week, and today I enjoyed leftovers with the leftover snapper for lunch. The flavors are bold yet so well balanced. I can see doing a little more research on prik nam pla and making other versions to try with a whole host of meats and veggies. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Testing notes: I made a half batch, which was just over what we needed for our family (the kids were actually really into dipping the broccoli in the sauce). I think I went a little long on the roasting — as will happen during the 6:00 p.m. meltdown hour — but the softer texture of the broccoli didn’t bother me. The scallions on the other hand were a little too crisp for my taste. I’ll be trying this again!
I’ve been meaning to make some version of energy bites for my daughter’s school snacks for the past several weeks. I finally managed to pull together these Easy No-Bake Breakfast Balls by Rachel Silla Miller for kidsactivities.com. What I liked about the recipe is that it uses pre-made granola. Not only is granola such a handy shortcut in several baking (or no-baking) projects, in this recipe, it also avoided the need to add any other sweeteners.
The bites/balls are without a doubt easy to assemble, and I appreciated the added rest time in the refrigerator before rolling them. I certainly felt like it made them less sticky to handle. I’ve really enjoyed eating these. They’re not overly sweet but have a lot of flavor and texture. Plus, they hold together well. I can definitely see trying a bunch of different variations on these, depending on what granola I have on hand.
Testing notes: I had about 1 1/4 cups of granola but no cashews, so my mixture reflected that. Otherwise, I used coarsely chopped almonds and dried cranberries for the fruit. I used the other ingredients as written. I opted not to use my food processor (why dirty it?) since I like a little textural variety. My bites were a little crumbly as a result, though they were fine to shape. My next step is to see about drizzling the tops with a little dark chocolate and adding sprinkles. That could be just the touch they need to keep them together and add a little fun.
The final recipe I want to share this week is for those of you sourdough (or sourdough discard) bakers out there. This sourdough Golden Granola from Erica at Du’s Doughnuts is a lovely variation on a unique use for sourdough culture.
I’ve had my eye on various sourdough granola recipes for a while, but settled on Erica’s because I liked her twist of adding turmeric rather than the more traditional brown spices. I’m generally pleased with the way the recipe turned out, though I will note that this skews more savory than sweet. I think it would make a great topping for salad (in place of croutons or other crunchy toppings) or where ever else you might like a little crunch with a touch. Of course, you could certainly enjoy this granola with your yogurt or milk, sweetening your dish as (or if) desired.
Testing notes: I made the recipe as written, though have yet to add the candied ginger since I didn’t have any on hand. I think the mixing of the wet and dry ingredients could happen just as easily in a bowl rather than on the sheet pans, but mixing in/on the pan was fairly straight forward. The volume-weight conversion given for the honey gave me pause, but ultimately I went with the 16g. This amount was decidedly less than the 2 tablespoons given as the volume amount. Perhaps going with a weight closer to 40g (1 tablespoon of honey is typically about 20g), would push this savory granola more to the sweet side.
What I really like about this recipe specifically, and sourdough granola in general, is that it turns out super crispy (without a long bake), and without a lot of extra sweetness. Usually granola needs a sweetener (honey, maple syrup, etc…) to get it to clump and crisp. Sourdough granola achieves that thanks to the sourdough culture, so there’s less of a need for a lot of sweetener.
That’s it from me this week. Are you planning some baking or cooking this weekend? I’d love to know what recipes are on your radar.