Cuban Sandwich

A sandwich de cubano is a classic sandwich of the Cuban immigrant communities of Florida.  Its secret is its simplicity – just layers slices of ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread.  Compress the sandwich in a hot sandwich press until the cheese melts and – viola -  you are in for a treat… we’ve found these are especially satisfying in the Keys!!  (disclaimer –  we don’t even try to make this ourselves and all the credit goes to the Sunshine Market and the ladies that work there)

For some added dining pleasure, add a few sides of papas rellenas, black beans and rice, and fried bananas… YUM.

Fish Tacos - Keys Style

Where do we begin - first of all, we all wish that Amanda, Frank, and Melissa could be here with us all this year.  The Keys is just not the same without them and they are VERY missed.  However, as soon as we got here, we fell into the same routine we always have - plan great meals to make together (hopefully with fresh seafood we caught earlier in the day)

Fish Tacos - the first part is fresh Mahi-Mahi the guys caught on Monday on the Yabbadabba.  After that, Matt and Teresa pointed us in the direction of a great recipe from Tyler Florence for Mango Fish Tacos and the recipe was followed exactly  -

Ingredients

• 2 pounds mahi mahi (skinned, boned and cleaned) cut into 1-ounce strips
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 head savoy cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves picked
• 1 bunch chives, chopped
• 3 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Pink Chile Mayonnaise:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 chipotles in adobo, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mango-Radish Salsa:

• 2 limes
• 2 mangoes, diced
• 4 to 5 red radishes, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Prepare the fish. Cut the pieces of fish into 1-ounce strips. Set up a breading station of flour, lightly beaten eggs with water, and seasoned panko bread crumbs. Season all with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces of fish in flour, egg then bread crumbs. Once all the fish is breaded deep-fry in small batches in (375 degrees F) oil. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Prepare the pink chile mayonnaise. Put the chipotles in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lemon juice and continue to process until the mixture is consistent and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the mango-radish salsa. Remove the peel and pith from the limes and cut between the membranes to remove the segments. Put these "supremes" into a bowl and squeeze over the juice from the membranes. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Season and refrigerate until ready to use. You can also place all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree for a smoother salsa.

MISS YOU GUYS! -- Mom, Dad, Spiel, Rachel, Joe, Matt & Teresa!!

Fun in the Sun!

While Meliss' and I are in Columbus & Athens we are at home DREAMING of all of the fun the Skilling Family is having in the Florida Keys right now!  Family and friends are all gathered in Islamorda for a week (or a month for Mom & Dad) of swimming, snorkling, diving, fishing, sunbathing, and downright F-U-N! 

I called tonight for a quick check-in and found that the boys went on an awesome chartered fishing trip on Monday and caught a boatload of Mahi-Mahi!  They also had an afternoon of back-country fishing today that yielded 2 Red Snapper...way to go Rachel and Teresa!  As luck would have it they just finished dinner and the dishes right when I called.  All I remember was something about fish tacos & mango salsa!  I can't wait to see pictures of their amazing dinner and trip!  Wink-Wink!  Wishing y'all the BEST.WEEK.EVER!  =)

The beautiful sunset in the Florida Bay (2009)

His and Hers

Ever had one of those days/nights when you weren't in the mood for anything?  That happened to me today and just when I thought I was all out of quick and easy ideas, I surprised myself!  Frank requested "Spicy Sausage Pasta" (first made famous by big sis, Meliss') and I wasn't feelin' it.  Very rarely do I make 2 dinners in 1 night, but I decided that I'd make him what he wanted and just wing it for myself.  I sifted through the frig and freezer and managed to find a few ingredients that I thought might actually taste good together.  Turns out I was right!  Here's 2 quick recipes that I made tonight...one for him and one for me! 

Spicy Sausage Pasta
1 box of pasta (rotini, penne, or bowtie)
1 16 oz jar of red pasta sauce (I used Prego Traditional)
1 16 oz jar of alfredo (I used Ragu Light Parmesean Alfredo)
1 package of Italian Sausage (Hot or Mild)
*1/2 tsp red pepper flakes are optional*

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions.  While the water is heating up and the pasta is cooking, brown the sausage completely and then place it on some paper towels to drain the fat.  Mix both jars of sauce in a seperate pot with a lid (add the red pepper flakes now if you want them).  Heat the sauce and then add the cooked sausage.  When the pasta is done drain it and put it back in the large pot.  Pour the sauce over the pasta and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes. 

Stuffed Portobello Caps

4 Portobello mushroom caps
1 box of frozen creamed spinach
1 jar of quartered artichokes
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced

Preheat the oven at 350.  Clean the mushroom caps and bake for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile cook the creamed spinach according to the package directions.  Mix it in a bowl and with the garlic and artichokes.  Stuff the caps with the mixture and back an additional 10-15 minutes (or until the caps are soft). 

Greek Gyros

This past weekend, all the Skillings were in Athens for a 5K race :)  Mamby was the best hostess, and we all had a wonderful time. Since we had to turn in early on Friday night, we cooked dinner at Mamby and III's house. The boys love red meat, and we all love flank steak, so we made Greek gyros with homemade tzatziki sauce. They are very easy to make, and it gave Mom, Mamby, and I an excuse to hang out together in the kitchen on Friday afternoon! This recipe fed seven adults, and left enough for plenty of leftovers:

Tzatziki Sauce:

2 English Cucumbers
4 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 pint of Sour Cream
Kosher salt and pepper

Peel the cucumbers and slice into thin circles using a mandolin, or the slicing side of a cheese grater.  In a large bowl, place one thin layer of cucumbers in the bottom. Top with a little minced garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt. Continue layering the cucumbers, garlic, and kosher salt until all the cucumber slices are gone. Cover with Saran Wrap and put in your fridge for a couple of hours. Remove from fridge - taking a handful of the cucumber slices at a time, squeeze all the water from them over the sink - continue with the rest, and place onto a cutting board. Finely chop the cucumbers, and add the sour cream and a good helping of cracked pepper. Store in fridge until you are ready to use.

Meliss chopping the garlic

Layering the cucumbers

Gyros:

2 Flank Steaks marinated (I use the marinade we posted earlier in the blog - soy/honey/dijon, etc.)
2 packages of flat bread
2 tomatoes, diced
1 Vidalia onion, diced
Shredded lettuce
Feta cheese
Tzatziki Sauce

Broil or grill flank steak to your desired temperature. Place all of the listed ingredients on top of a piece of flat bread and enjoy!
Best dishes :)

Dinner is served!

Dinner looked so good that Stormy had to make a plate for himself!