GourGanics HAPPY SUMMER Mahi Mahi Mango Fish Tacos

I love a good fish taco. You can go out for tacos right here in Fairfield, CT. If you are local, I suggest the Mahi Mahi fish tacos at Bodega.  I tried my first fish taco in California about 16 years ago and I was hooked. Pun intended. I loved crispy crunch of a deep-fried fish taco. I wanted to replicate the experience as a home cook but frying is messy and not too healthy. So, I began hunting for a recipe that I could modify and make into the best baked fish taco known to humankind. YUM.

To my surprise, I found that the subtle texture and taste of a baked fish such as Mahi Mahi tastes even better than a fried version. And I mean WAY better. Here’s a new recipe I simply LOVE. I used a little SPICY GourGanics in my marinade and then topped it with some MILD GourGanics USDA Organic Salsa & Simmer Sauce. For crunch, we have some iceberg lettuce. I needed something that would replicate the CRAZY CRUNCH experience I enjoyed in a fried fish taco and I found this really did the trick. The medley of the subtle marinade, plus the sweetness of fresh mango intermingle with the bright burst of GourGanics USDA Organic Salsa in a way that leaves even yours truly at a loss for words.

Here’s what you need:

2-4 Mahi Mahi Fillets

2 tablespoons GourGanics Spicy

Juice of one Organic lime

1/4 cup white wine

Dash of olive oil

1 fresh USDA ORGANIC mango, chopped into small bite-sized chunks

1/4 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 pack corn tortillas

1/2 jar GourGanics Mild

Here’s what to do:

Place the fillets in a glass dish with the lime juice, wine, and salsa. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Then rub a little butter or a dash of oil on the bottom of a baking pan and place fish fillets in the dish. Pour the salsa marinade over. Cover with parchment paper or foil and bake in oven at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

When the fish is almost cooked through, place your corn tortillas in the oven on a cookie sheet and allow to warm for about 3 minutes, so they will be warm and ready for taco assembly.

Pull the fish out of the oven and using two forks, gently flake the fish apart into bite-sized pieces.

Now to assemble your tacos:

First open a beer and have a swig. Then, use a small amount of chopped iceberg lettuce as a bed in your warmed corn tortillas, add fish,  chunks of fresh mango and one teaspoon of GOURGANICS USDA ORGANIC Mild salsa. Serve and enjoy with a crowd of 4.

Happy Summer. Happy Salsa!

GourGanics Spicy Vegetarian Spanakopadillas

What a crazy idea we came up with here in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. Traditional Greek spanakopita meets the traditional quesadilla. The result is a non-traditional creation that spinach lovers, cheese lovers, and tortilla lovers will adore. The two cultures unite and take over in this crazy MEXIGREEK fusion dish that tastes nothing short of AMAZING!

Here’s what you need:

6 teaspoons organic olive oil

1 9 oz bag organic baby spinach

1/2 finely chopped organic onion

4 teaspoons GourGanics USDA organics spicy salsa

1 large organic egg

pinch organic nutmeg

2 tablespoons organic fresh parsley (minced)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (organic if possible)

4 (8inch) organic flour tortillas

3/4 cup shredded organic mozzarella

Here’s what to do:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan, the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing with tongs, about 2 minutes. Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop.  Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil. Add onions and saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salsa, spinach,  then parsley and nutmeg. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).

Stir the cheeses and beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a tortilla with butter and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp.

Using a knife, cut the tortillas into triangles.  Place a small spoonful of spinach filling and cover with another crisp tortilla. Bake at 350 Degrees for 15 minutes and serve hot.

GourGanics very-spicy-slightly-misogynistic eggplant tapanade

With apologies to Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan!

I made some homemade tapanade yesterday based on a recipe I found on the Gluten-free goddess Website. And I thought it was missing a little flavor but I loved the consistency and texture. So I tossed in a half of a jar of our local GourGanics USDA organic salsa and it was AMAZING! I don’t know how many folks out there like tapanade, but, thanks to the character Nevel on the Nickelodeon show ICarly, eggplant tapanade has become a big hit with the kids here in Fairfield Connecticut. We serve it with crusty bread or crostini. Some times I also toss it with hot pasta and serve it as a dinner or save some to make a cold pasta salad for a picnic. But why do we call it misogynistic tapanade, you ask? Read on, my friends.

We make our tapanade using small organic eggplant I grow in my garden. Here’s a little “folk” fact about eggplant, some Italians swear that they can only use the “male” eggplant to make eggplant parmesean and other dishes. What? Sexual discrimination extends to produce now? Here’s the thinking: Some Italians swear that Male eggplants tend to have fewer seeds, and are therefore less bitter than female eggplants.  So, you should check out the dimple on your little eggplant’s bottom before you take it home.  The dimple can be round or oval in shape. The oval makes it a MALE.  Hmmm… I’m getting bitter just thinking about this. SO, take your Male eggplant home and roast it ! In the case of eggplant, smaller is always better. They taste better if they are small and shiny.

Here’s what you need:

2 smaller USDA ORGANIC eggplants (you can find local this time of year)

Sea salt

1/2 organic red onion (chopped rough)

½ jar Gourganics Spicy

2-3 fresh, local, USDA organic plum tomatoes (chopped rough)

up to 1/s cup  USDA organic Extra virgin olive oil

The juice of one USDA organic lemon

Fresh and local USDA organic parsley and basil to taste (chopped fine)

1/2 cup ripe USDA organic olives (chopped rough)

1 teaspoon USDA organic agave nectar or cane sugar

1 tablespoon capers (chopped rough)

1 tablespoon or so fresh parsley, finely chopped for serving

Here’s what to do:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Peel the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into four pieces each. Lay them in a roasting pan and sprinkle both sides of the eggplant with sea salt. Set aside for no more than 10 minutes (that whole salting overnight technique is another bit of folklore and not necessary).

Meanwhile, rough chop the onion and the tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Blot any extra moisture off eggplant. Add the onion pieces, garlic and tomatoes. Drizzle it all with olive oil and lemon juice. Stir.

Face the tomatoes cut side up. Roast every thing in the oven for an hour. The eggplant will be tender. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool a bit.

Spoon the eggplant mixture into a food processor bowl; add the olives and agave nectar; cover and pulse until the mixture is finely diced- or you can make it less chunky and puree it. Add GourGanics USDA organic Spicy or Mild Salsa. mix by hand and scoop it out into a bowl and add the chopped capers and chopped fresh herbs. Taste to see if it needs anything like a little more GourGanics or salt then chill for at least an hour.

Enjoy with crusty bread or really crisp crackers! I also love to boil a little gluten-free pasta and serve hot or cold.

Lobster with Angel Hair, Lemon and Spicy GourGanics

We are on Cape Cod enjoying an amazing week of good weather, food and family time. We ordered up three (3 lb) select lobsters, steamed and cracked and ate our fill with my Mom, Memere. Nobody can get more meat out of a lobster than Mem. So after we ate, she and I picked the lobsters clean and put the good white meat in a plastic container. It’s rare for us to have leftover lobster but this recipe will work with scallops, cod, or any light fish you have leftover, even on the second day.

Here’s what you need:

1 small organic shallot, minced fine

1 bunch organic parsley, minced fine

1 pound angel hair pasta

1/2 lemon zest plus juice of one organic lemon

2 tablespoons spicy organic salsa

1/2 cup or so white wine

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup or more of meat from picked lobster or other seafood you like

3 teaspoons parmesan cheese to garnish

Here’s what to do:

Boil angel hair for 3 minutes, strain and set aside (do not rinse)

Reserve 1 cup starchy cooking water from pasta

Sautee shallot in olive oil, then add reserved water and wine

Add cooked pasta in pan, add parsley, lemon zest, salsa, lemon juice, allow to warm up for :30 seconds, tossing to combine

Add cooked seafood and toss well, heat through, this should take :45 seconds or so since everything is hot

Garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, parsley and a little salsa to taste

GourGanics Spicy Poached Salmon

Last night we had the most delicious spicy poached salmon. Here’s the deal, I have a “nose” issue when it comes to cooking fish indoors. This recipe calls for high quality fish that is a little expensive, but it can be prepared in 10 minutes or less, and it doesn’t stink up the house the way broiling or frying fish often does. How practical and tasty!

We “poached” this recipe from a cooking Website and put my own spicy spin on it. When you eat high quality salmon, you really want to make sure you don’t over flavor it. We  selected a high quality wild caught Alaskan salmon. We are trying to eat a more whole food and plant-based diet in our home, so this was a nice treat full of healthy Omega fatty acids and other good stuff. I didn’t realize how delicate and delicious salmon can be when properly cooked. Delicate, flaky, not fishy. Tasty as can be. Plus a little spicy GourGanics mixed with a dollop of plain organic Greek yogurt is a delicious variation to your typical tartar sauce.

Here’s what you need:
1 to 1½ pounds salmon fillets
½ cup dry white wine (I chose Sauvignon Blanc)
½ cup water
A few thin slices of organic onion, peeled and sliced thin
two tablespoons spicy GourGanics USDA organic salsa
A sprig of fresh organic cilantro
Freshly ground organic black pepper

Here’s what to do:

Put wine, water, cilantro, salsa and onions in a saute pan, and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down on the pan. Cover. Cook 5-7 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper.
Serves 2-4 people.

For Spicy tartar sauce:

5 tablespoons GourGanics Salsa

3 tablespoons organic Greek Yogurt

Mix together and serve on the side as you would tartar sauce.