Hello 2011!

Wow.  A total of 5 blog posts since my husband came home in August.  It will be a miracle if anyone is still reading. :)  There's really no excuse for that, but of course I'm going to make some!  Between hubby coming home from deployment, getting my birth doula certification, opening my photography business, and taking TWO lengthy car journeys over the holidays (NC to TX and three weeks later NC to Disney World, FL) I have been running low on time and energy!  Have I been faithfully photographing all of our meals? Absolutely.  Do I remember how the heck I made them?  Not so much.

Hopefully I will have a lot of posts to share in the coming months as winter melts away.  Yesterday we got our first egg of the season from one of our Easter Egger hens.  A large, blue beauty, and that means Spring is nigh!

On our way back from our whirlwind Disney weekend we stopped at a Florida citrus stand and picked up three itty-bitty citrus trees (orange, lemon, and lime).  These little cuties are gracing my kitchen table in 6" pots until they grow up.  I wanted to do something a little fun with them, especially since I am in the process of envisioning/realizing a kitchen re-design.  I painted the terracotta pots with blackboard paint so I could label the pots with chalk.  I think they turned out pretty darn cute and it only took all of 15 minutes!

If you've read this entire rant then you deserve a recipe, how about Fish Tacos with Tempura Battered Mahi-Mahi and Curried Yogurt in Warm Home-made Naan Bread?  Or a less length description would be: crazy delicious.

For the Naan Bread (from ManjulasKitchen.com):
2 cups of All Purpose flour (Plain flour or maida)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of baking soda
2 tablespoons of oil
2 1/2 tablespoons yogurt (curd or dahi)
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon of clear butter or ghee to butter the Naan
1/4 cup All Purpose flour for rolling

Dissolve active dry yeast in lukewarm water and let it sit for 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy.  Add sugar, salt and baking soda to the flour and mix well.  Add the oil and yogurt mix, this will become crumbly dough.  Add the water/yeast mixture and make into soft dough. Note: after dough rise will become little softer.  Knead until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough and keep in a warm place for 3-4 hours. The dough should almost be double in volume.   

Heat the oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone for at least thirty minutes so stone is hot. Using a pizza stone will help to give naan close to same kind of heat as clay tandoor.

Next turn the oven to high broil.  Knead the dough for about two to three minutes and divide the dough into six equal parts.  Take each piece of dough, one at a time, and roll into 8-inch oval shape. Dust lightly with dry flour to help with the rolling.  Before putting the Naan in oven, lightly wet your hands and take the rolled Naan, and flipp them between your palms and place onto your baking/pizza stone into the oven.  You can place about 2 Naan on the baking/pizza stone at a time.

The Naan will take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook, depending upon your oven. After the Naan is baked(Naan should be golden brown color on top).  Take naan out of the oven and brush lightly with clear butter or ghee.   wait 2 to 3 minutes before baking the next batch of naan, it gives oven the chance to get heated again to max.


For the Mahi-Mahi:
4 Mahi-Mahi filets cut into "sticks"
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup ice-cold carbonated water (fizzy)
Oil for frying

Heat about 3 inches of oil in a frying pan.  While the oil heats mix flour and cornstarch together.  Slowly blend in the iced carbonated water until batter is the consistency of heavy cream (will be lumpy).

Salt your Mahi-Mahi sticks and dip in batter.  Fry until batter is golden on all sides, turning once, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

For the Curried Yogurt Sauce:
Whisk together:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
Pinch salt
(You can adjust the seasonings in this to your taste, more chipotle chili powder=spicier, etc.)

To assemble the Fish Tacos:
Place Tempura-battered Mahi-Mahi in the center of warm Naan bread.  Top with shredded lettuce or cabbage, chopped tomatoes, and drizzle with curried yogurt sauce.  Roll and devour.

Other ideas:  Add corn kernels, red onion, cilantro, and/or a squeeze of lime juice.