Breaking the Fast: First Slice of Swordfish

So today, I broke the Daniel Fast, yesterday being the last day.  It felt good to know that I can have whatever I want now, but I feel no great pressure to go out and "make up for lost time".  I was, however, more than ready to eat some fish!  In a previous blog entry, I think I mentioned that I might buy some fresh fish when I went to Whole Foods.  And so I did.  Rather, the fish was frozen, but that was okay, I still bought some.  The fish of choice was swordfish, which I'd never had before.  

So based on my virgin encounter with this fish, here's what I can now tell you about it:  If you like a firm, mild-flavored fish with which you can do a lot, do not sleep on swordfish!  It's not something you're going to feed your family on the regular; I picked up two good-sized pieces for six and change per.  I suppose two people who don't eat that much could have split the portions I got, but I've eaten restaurant portions of meat the same size as the portions of fish I bought, and I just ate one of them by myself, with no problem and without dividing the portion, and I'm not uncomfortably stuffed at all.   So one portion will definitely satisfy the average appetite.  I'd reserve it as a date night food if I were in that kind of relationship.  But my research indicates that in addition to pan-frying it, you can poach it in olive oil, broil it, bake it, or use it in stews.  Once cooked, you can flake it in salads the way you would use tuna.

When you go to buy swordfish, you will notice that it is cut in steaks, which means the butcher (if that is what you call the person who prepares fish) cuts through the fish instead of cutting down the sides of the fish; a cut down the side of the fish is how you get a fillet.  The steaks I got were sliced about an inch thick.  They were a sort of grayish-pink with a distinct bud-shaped marking in the flesh.  My research indicated that when you see that marking, it should be more pink than brown.  Brown indicates that the fish is old, in which case you may want to leave it. Thawed out, the fish will feel pretty firm.  If it's frozen when you get it, you are recommended to take it out of the package, place it in a bowl, cover the fish in plastic, and thaw it in the refrigerator.  Once thawed, you can marinate it in lemon juice with salt and pepper sprinkled on for taste when you finally cook it.  Four hours is a long enough marinate time, I think.  As for the piece of skin that comes on it, the recommendation is to leave it in place during cooking to hold in the moisture so it doesn't become too dry, but do not attempt to eat the skin once the fish is cooked because it will be rubbery.

Okay, now go get your mise en place, and I'll tell you how I cooked it.  You'll need one or two swordfish steaks thawed and marinated in whatever seasonings you like on your fish.  I used the aforementioned lemon juice sprinkled with salt and pepper.  Since I also bought some chili powder yesterday, I decided to use that, too, but not in the marinade.  You'll need some oil or cooking spray to grease a skillet or other frying device.  And you'll need a plate covered in paper towels to soak up the excess oil that comes off the fish when it's done.

First, if you haven't done this already, you want to rinse the thawed fish in cool water, play it out on paper towels, and pat it dry.  You can either cook it at this point or marinate it by putting your marinade ingredients into the bottom of a shallow bowl or other container big enough to hold the fish, then cover it with plastic.  Since I don't have plastic, I used a resealable storage container.  put your fish into the container with the marinade, cover it, and go on about your business until it's time to cook.  Pay close attention to how thick your fish is cut; if you plan to pan-fry it, this will be your indicator of how long per side to cook it:  Per inch, you will cook it five minutes on one side.

To prepare, heat a cast-iron or other type skillet or frying pan over medium heat until a bead of water dropped onto it goes dancing on the surface as it boils away.  If you use non-stick spray, then you should have already sprayed your pan before you preheated it.  Once your pan is nice and hot, and if you're using oil instead of cooking spray, pour in a small amount of cooking oil, enough to slick the surface.  I do this by taking up the pan and tilting it to allow the oil to run over onto all the surface of the pan.  It doesn't take the oil very long to get hot at this point, so have your fish ready to put into the pan as soon as the oil is hot.  Very gently and carefully lay the fish into the pan or skillet and allow it to cook on that side for five minutes.  Once the fish is in the skillet, you can sprinkle your favorite seasonings on.  I used Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and chili powder, sprinkled into my hand and then onto the fish, a pinch at a time.  

At the five minute mark (for a 1-inch thick fish steak), turn it with a pancake turner and cook the other side for four minutes, optionally sprinkling more seasonings over the up-facing side.  During this time you want to layer paper towels onto the receiving plate to catch the excess oil.  At the four minute mark, remove the fish from the frying pan and put it on the plate to drain.  Don't worry about the fact that you cooked it for less time after you turned it; this will prevent you overcooking the fish.  When it flakes easily, you'll know it's done.  Have your other meal selections ready to plate when you remove the fish form the heat; it will cool quickly.

I had my first taste of swordfish accompanied by a tabbouleh salad, with ordinary mild salsa and a generous scoop of a garlic-feta dip to go with the fish, although the fish needed nothing.  The combination of the lemon juice seeping into the fish, plus the salt, pepper, and chili powder made for a very tasty piece of seafood.

I'd intended to have some oven-fried potato sticks, but as I was taking them out of the oven, I saw that they were starting to burn a little, and in the attempt to shake the baking sheet they were on, I instead tilted the sheet and spilled all but a few pieces onto the floor.  I was disgusted with myself and did not want to take the time to make more, since I cooked them at the same time as the fish so as to have them ready when the fish was done.  The few I did get to taste were pretty good, though.  And because I cooked both fish steaks, I have another piece for tomorrow, so I'll feel as though I'm having a little picnic for Memorial Day.

Speaking of which, don't forget to thank God for the sacrifices made by our war dead for the sake of this country, and for the freedoms we enjoy because of them. And don't forget to thank those of our servicepeople still living for their service also, whether or not they're still active.  Freedom is sweet, but it is not free, or is it cheap.  I appreciate having mine.

Daniel fast, Day 14: Strawberry Goosh For Summer

Breakfast was different today.  I had roasted and salted sunflower seeds and a banana.  Lunch was grits and beans.  Supper, well, that was fun:  I learned how to do oven-baked potato chips, and I ate two small spuds' worth of them.  I also had pintos, the last little bit of guac, a few sunflower seeds, and a few fresh, just-picked-today strawberries.  T went to a strawberry farm, and he brought home a good quantity of them!  

And the first thing he wanted to do with them was make strawberry goosh.  He practically sailed through the door, carrying them in a flat pallet box hoisted high on his shoulder, headed straight for the kitchen, and he didn't stop until we had a blender full of this marvelous concoction.  To understand why he was so insistent, you have to understand the history and the procedure of strawberry goosh.

Strawberry goosh actually started one weekend last summer as a Sunday lunch idea on my part.  I had bought two pints of strawberries, and we had some for dessert.  I also thought to make some lemonade, but I didn't get around to making it before sitting down to lunch.  I remember the lunch being good without it, I just don't remember what lunch was, other than the strawberries.  Having the strawberries for dessert made me think that I might like to try strawberry lemonade, and I determined to have it for supper.  I started with my basic lemonade, which I make with one part bottled lemon juice, one part natural sweetener (sugar, agave nectar, or equal half-parts of the two), and six parts cold water.  I put in the lemon juice and sweetener, mix well, then add in the water, mixing as I go. To make it nice, I will sometimes add vanilla to it, and lately I also add root beer flavoring, just a little of each flavoring.  You gotta try it :-)!  Well, to get back on topic, on this particular evening I'm describing, I put the lemon juice, sugar, and two parts water, all by cup measure, into the blender, as well as about a dozen medium-to-large strawberries, stems removed.  I blended this thoroughly, poured it out into an 8-cup measuring bowl, then added four more cups of water.  The resulting beverage was quite tasty.  

Later that evening, T came over, and he was thirsty.  "Got anything to drink?"  I offered him a red party cup of strawberry lemonade.  He tasted it—then proceeded to drink his way through the rest of what what was left in the 8-cup measuring bowl!  Yup, he enjoyed it that much :-).  He was contrite and offered to make more, following my instructions.  Except that he put a whole pint of strawberries in!  And then he spotted my raspberries, declared, "Mmmmm!  Raspberries!  I like raspberries!" and he threw those in, too!!  I gotta give it to him, the resulting beverage was considerably thicker, and it was delicious.  Well, it couldn't have been more than a couple of days later, after I'd had the chance to go for more strawberries, that he decided he wanted more of "that strawberry stuff", but there wasn't any more.  So I made it again, using the whole pint as he had done—and it went down nearly as fast as before.  The next time, maybe a few days later, that he went to make the beverage, he decided to add a tray of cubed ice to crush in the blender along with the lemon juice, sugar, and strawberries.  So strawberry goosh was born.

We drank may pitchers of strawberry goosh all through the summer.  To some we added oranges, and I seem to remember peaches getting added once.  And every time, it was the same response:  "Strawberry goosh!  I love strawberry goosh!  I don't know what I'm gonna do when we can't get any more strawberries to make it."  What can I say?  The man loves strawberry goosh!  So now we have gotten through the winter, spring is here, and now we have strawberry goosh!

Yes, I said "we".  The instant he got it made up tonight, he asked if I wanted any.  Of course I answered no. What else was I gonna answer?!  I'm doing a Daniel Fast, after all.  He knows this.

He knows this, but, "No?!  Aww, come on!  You've gotta have some strawberry goosh!"  And he was not taking "no" for an answer.  So, for peace' sake, I agreed to a taste.  He was satisfied to pour me enough for a couple good swallows.

I see by this, and by the Cherry Berry Chiller incident at the restaurant, that I'm only going to get through the last seven days of this fast if I can avoid taking any meals with him wherein there are any special treats that he decides he must share with me.  Strawberry goosh is "our" special treat; we practically created it together, we drank it together, and I wonder if on some level he associates it with me somehow.  Maybe so, maybe no.  For sure I taste a lot of strawberry goosh in my immediate future.  Before then, however, I need to complete this fast.  Once I have completed it, then I can enjoy evenings over strawberry goosh, and other things, with a whole heart and a clear conscience, having done what my Abba bade me.  Pray with me, y'all!

Oh!  I almost forgot to tell you how to make the potato chips.  Okay get your mise en place, which, as I told you once a long time back, means get your mess in place.  You'll need some baking potatoes, olive oil, coarse salt, some paper towels, a cookie sheet, a mandoline or some other way to thinly slice the potatoes, and your oven heated to between 450 and 500ºF.  I set mine to 475ºF.

Make sure to clean the potatoes, especially if you don't plan to skin them.  Skinned or not is all up to you; me, I didn't.  Lay out sheets of paper towels and slice the potatoes 1/8-inch thick.  If you're using a knife, you want to be able to see the knife through the slices as you cut them.  Lay the slices on a sheet of paper towel and place another sheet over the slices of potato to pat them dry.  Oil the cookie sheet, place the potato slices on it in a single layer, drizzle on more oil, sprinkle on some salt, and place the sheet of potato slices into the oven.  Let them cook for 15 minutes or until light-medium brown.  Remove promptly and allow to cool.  It may require doing it a few times before you finally figure it out, but having tried this, I'm definitely making my own chips from now on.  Even the ones that didn't crunch up completely tasted good!  And I bet I'll get some nice potato sticks out of this, too!

Until next time . . . :-)!

The Experiment Has Begun!

Okay, I’m late.

For those of you who have been keeping up, yesterday was the start of the grand experiment. Beginning yesterday, I have determined to consume no breads and no sugar for a month. As I indicated when I first mentioned this, I am eliminating all forms of breads, grains, starchy vegetables, and breaded foods from my diet. Also eliminated are sugars and artificial sweeteners. I will only be using agave nectar, because it has a lesser impact on blood sugar than other sweeteners. I still haven’t decided about honey, but if I use it, the use will be minimal.

My biggest issue will be non-compliance, to which I am quite prone. Already I nearly succumbed to non-compliance, on the first. Day. Yesterday. Having failed to consume and/or throw out all my bread, I had four wheat bolillos in my fridge. I had, and still have, leftovers from a scrumptious, starch-free seafood stew I made just Saturday evening, and I was reheating some for Sunday lunch. Saturday night’s serving had been accompanied by well-buttered slices of crunchy toast from thick slices of a sandwich roll, some of the bread the taxi driver gave me from the panadería. Yummy! I like sopping soups and stews with toast! I wanted more!

I almost had it.

And then I said no.

True, it’s my experiment, and I can conduct it how I want to. I can start and stop any time I want. But I said I’d start on July 5^th, and I said I’d do it for the next four weeks. I need to keep my word, even if no one else is watching. Because, although you’re not telling me you’ve seen any of this, it’s out there, and you will someday. And I want you to know I kept to my word. Beyond this, even if you never see it, God sees. That’s even more important.

So, on this second day of my grand experiment, I’ve started well. The breads I didn’t eat are in the chest freezer, me not liking to waste good food even if it’s not exactly what I should be eating. I have my supply of agave nectar laid in for the month. All my granulated sugar is used up and gone—at least, gone out of any stage I can use for cooking, hahaha.

So what’s in my stew? It went a little something like this:

Mise en place (French for get your mess in place :-)! )

Chop a large white onion, five ribs of celery, and one red bell pepper. The original recipe calls for fresh garlic; now is the time to prepare it. I used a largish spoonful from a jar.

Open and drain two 14-oz cans each of mushrooms and diced tomatoes.

Scoop out about four ounces of tomato paste.

Prepare 32 oz chicken broth and whatever seasonings you want.

Prepare assorted seafoods, up to about three pounds. Make sure it is in bite-sized chunks.

Now, heat ¼ C each butter and olive oil in a large pot. Cook the onion, celery, pepper, and garlic until just starting to brown, about eight minutes. Remove half and set it aside.

To the other half, add half the mushrooms and tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat. Remove all the vegetables in the pot and about half the liquid to a carafe blender, pulse on low to get started, then raise the speed and puree. Alternately, you can puree it all in the pot with a stick blender.

Add back in the reserved vegetables, the rest of the mushrooms and tomatoes, and the seafoods. Return the pot to the heat and cook until seafoods are cooked.

Bread eaters will enjoy sopping this savory stew with thick pieces of bread or toast. Goes great with lemonade sweetened with agave nectar. My perfect recipe is one part each agave and lemon juice in six parts water. The same amount of sugar can be substituted for the agave nectar with equally tasty results.