Fresh (Really, Really Fresh) Brown Butter Perch Cooked on Ice

This video recipe for brown butter perch features my first on-ice cooking demonstration, and if I could've woken up before 8 AM, it would have featured my first ice fishing demonstration. I've always felt that an alarm clocks' effectiveness has an inverse relationship to how nasty the weather is.

I love perch. I love everything about them – the sweet, delicate flavor, the striking coloration, and the stubborn fight they put up for their size. So, when some friends of mine invited me out to their little slice of frozen heaven to ice fish for them, I jumped at the chance.

I will resist the temptation to steal my own thunder, and explain in detail what you're going to see. In fact, I usually only do that when I need another paragraph to wrap around a third photo I really want to add. But, I will say that the recipe you're about to see can be easily recreated in your kitchen, and is perfect for those of you who continue to claim you can't cook fish.

The key is getting the butter to a perfect nutty brown. Technically it's still butter, but something happens when it's toasted like this, and it really does become another ingredient altogether. Add some freshly-plucked-from-ice-water perch, and a little squeeze of lemon, and we're talking involuntary eye rolling.

I'd like to thank my dear old friends, the Fitzpatrick's, for inviting me to their top secret perch hole(s), and for having such incredibly cute kids. I haven’t smiled this much editing a video in a long time. Enjoy!

Bonus Coverage: Check out this great ice fishing post by my friend Tamar on Starving Off the Land!  

8 oz Fresh perch fillets

2 tablespoons butter

lemon as needed

For the seasoned flour:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and/or a tsp of Old Bay

Predicting the Super Bowl Winner with Chicken Wing Bones

I feel kind of guilty. I've been publishing this blog for four years now, and I this is the first time I'm letting you in on my magical method for picking the Super Bowl winner. I can't tell you how or where I learned how to do this (long story short, I'd be killed by a very tall, dreadlocked gypsy if I did), but I can tell you it's a sure thing. 

Normally, I'd never give insane advice like withdraw your children's college funds, and bet everything on the game, but here, it would be crazy not to. ;-) Enjoy!

Speaking of Buffalo Chicken Wings – They're Now Available in Convenient Dip Form

My friend, Stephanie Gallagher, About.com's Guide to Cooking for Kids, just posted this video recipe for an Buffalo Chicken Dip. If you want all the taste of Buffalo wings without the bones, check out this easy appetizer. You can get the ingredient list here.

Loaded Nachos

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Loaded Nacho Supreme

Loaded Nachos (Nacho Supreme)

Loaded nachos has to be one of the easiest and yummy looking appetizers ever! Just melt some cheese over tortilla chips (sometimes I use shredded cheddar or Velveeta or a combination of both!) and then load on those fresh toppings! Yep, it's that easy!

When I make loaded nachos, my go to toppings of choice is usually avocado, tomatoes, black olives & onions! Oh yeah and sour cream drizzled on top! Yummaliciousness to the 10th power!!!

Loaded nachos can easily be turned into a meal by throwing in some taco seasoned shredded chicken, ground beef or chopped steak!

I just love the "ahhhh's" I get when I serve these up. You'd think it took some work to whip up a tray of these bad boys, uh, try 10 minutes!!

If you are serving picky eaters then just melt the cheese over the nachos, plate it, and  let them put on their on toppings.

Watch me make these Loaded Nachos From Start To Finish. 

Ingredients

Tortilla Chips

Shredded Cheddar Cheese or Velveeta for creaminess (I used Mexican Blend Cheese)

Tomatoes

Onions (green onions are best!)

Black Olives

Avocados

Sour cream

These are a just a few of MANY toppings you can put on loaded Nachos! Add whatever you like: taco sauce, shredded chicken, black beans, corn, etc. The tasty possibilities are endless!

BE SURE TO SERVE THESE LOADED NACHOS HOT FROM THE OVEN!
They get soggy if they sit for too long with all those fresh toppings on them.
Learned this the hard way... it didn't stop me from eating them though : )

Super Bowl Menu Ideas

Need Super Bowl Menu Ideas???

Super bowl 2011 is an EXCITING time for my family! We will be throwing a big family party and EVERYONE will be glued to the television. Not because we are die hard football fans but because my cousin Crezdon Butler was drafted to the Steelers this year!

It seems like just yesterday we were throwing his draft party and now Super Bowl!!..Wow!

I have butterflies already. I'm so happy for him! (We love you Crez!!!)

Anyway, I've been trying to plan this super bowl menu for  a few weeks now and I think I'm just gonna keep it simple.

If you are stumped for foods to serve up for game day check out a few game day favorites from this site!!

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
(SNEAK PEEK RECIPE: RECIPE AVAILABLE TO MY EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS)

Loaded Nachos

Spinach Artichoke Dip
(SNEAK PEEK RECIPE: RECIPE AVAILABLE TO MY EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS)

Fresh & Easy Guacamole

BBQ Chicken Sliders
(SNEAK PEEK RECIPE: AVAILABLE TO MY EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS)

Vegetarian Chili

Philly Cheese Steak Sanwhiches (makes great sliders)

Homemade Caramel Covered Popcorn

Jolly Rancher Jello Shots

Classic Party Fruit Punch

White Chicken Chili

Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Poppers

Hot Chicken Wings

Margarita Beer Punch

Muddy Buddies

Banana Cream Blondie Bites

Buffalo Onion Rings

Fruit Salsa & Cinnamon Chips

Deviled Eggs

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

Taco Chicken, Cheese & Tomato Sticks

Italian Cheese and Herb Meatballs



Be sure to browse the site for more game day recipes!!!

This Clams Casino Dip Will Cover the Spread at Your Super Bowl Party

I love clams casino, and I made that fact known publicly in this post last year. Certainly, a tray of hot clams casino would make a handsome addition to your Super Bowl spread, but large, fresh clams aren’t cheap, and you're probably looking for something a little simpler, and that can be made ahead of time.

This clam dip appetizer (which is technically a "spread" as I explain at the end of the video), contains the same basic ingredient list as traditional clams casino, and while it really tastes nothing like its hot namesake, I think any fan of the clam dip will be very happy with it.

You'll see a caption during the video saying to make the dip at least four hours ahead of time for best results. This time allows the flavors to develop and really makes a difference. What I failed to add was that you should also take the spread out of the fridge and let in sit out for an hour or so before the party, so it can warm up a bit.

By the way, if the setting looks a little unusual, that's because I'm back in New York's snowy Finger Lakes area visiting my mother, and filmed this at my Aunt Angela and Uncle Billy's home. Many of you have enjoyed Aunt Angela's cabbage rolls recipe, as well as Uncle Billy's famous Chicken D'Arduini and homemade pasta (and if you haven't, click on the links and check them out). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice

1 pound cream cheese

6-8 strips bacon

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup small diced celery

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup minced green onions, save tops for garnish

1/2 lemon

hot sauce to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Yes Divas Can Cook Blog Cookbook: Volume 1

Note: This is an ebook.  Not a book that will be delivered to your home. 

It can be downloaded immediately after purchase.

 

 $12.00

NOTE: After you have placed your order, sit tight and you will be automatically directed to the download page. Please contact me with your order number if you accidentally close out the page before it redirects you.

 Yes, Divas Can Cook Blog Cookbook Volume 1
Is Now Available!!

Over 100 Tried & True Recipes!

If you follow a lot of food blogs then I'm sure you have seen the trend of food bloggers turning their blogs into e-cookbooks for their readers and online bookstores to purchase.

Yes, Divas Can Cook Volume 1 is now available!!!

Volume 1 features all of the food recipes I've done since the beginning of my blog in mid 2009 through 2010. All of the recipes are in printer-friendly format with ingredients and step-by-step directions (no photos)

Simply print whatever recipes you need or print and bind the entire book (which is what I did. Hey, I don't have these recipes memorized lol)

Hopefully when this cooking blog journey is over (which prayerfully won't be for a looooong time) we will all have a collection of wonderful recipes.

Please note that this is NOT my big hardcover cookbook that I am working on. It is simply a collection of the food recipes already on my blog.

With a year and a half of blogging, I want to say thank YOU all soooooo much for all of your support and encouragement. It means the world to me!! Thank you for trusting my recipes enough to give them a try. I will continue to keep my favorite recipes coming!

XO; )
Monique