Category: Misc.

Nouvelle Soul….Oven Fried Catfish Nuggets and Spaghetti Squash

Currently in Chicago its that time of year for food festivals like Taste of Chicago, and family picnics/cookouts. In the Black(or to be politically correct African American) community one will find the usual standard fare of rib tips,burgers, hot dogs,potato salad,macaroni salad, some fried chicken or catfish served alongside with a spaghetti dish . It s good eating and tradition . The younger generations may try to infuse some healthier alternatives. I remember when I introduced my family to grilled salmon with a brown sugar teriakye sauce. Its a staple now at every Fourth of July.
I got to thinking about health today, OK ,I always think of it. But when my doctor was concerned with the weight increase in just a year I started reviewing. All in all its work, inactivity, and the food blogging doesn’t help. But I love it. I like to think I eat healthier or at least a more diversified diet than my parents. They were successful professionals who had genetic time bombs ticking away.African Americans have higher rates of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes . My mother passed away from ovarian cancer at the age of 54 and my father was a diabetic who in the last decade went downhill with strokes, heart attacks, and eventually ended up on dialysis.He developed adult onset diabetes when he moved from Nigeria to the West. Natural diet and sugars to refined processed foods. I was the sole care giver of both parents . Did I mention my step father had Parkinson’s? Lets just say illness has hovered around like a bad penny all my life. Then I read Giz’s story and got to thinking some more.If you haven’t thought about Organ Donation, start.Its a personal subject, but one we can’t ignore.This will impact you one way or another in your lifetime. So here is my entry for Tried ,Tested and True Two.Its my healthier lower fat version of a fried catfish and spaghetti dish. Call it Nouvelle Soul. There is a lot going here with flavors and influences. Certain Someone said it was OK for healthy. He would have preferred the real spaghetti, but he liked it.That’s just him . I thought it was great and full of spice.Of course I added hot sauce to my fish.Enjoy.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 292.6
Total Fat: 10.8 g
Cholesterol: 67.5 mg
Sodium: 299.0 mg
Total Carbs: 23.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g
Protein: 24.3 g

Oven Fried Catfish
1-2 lbs catfish nuggets
1 cup reduced fat milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup Panko
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper ground
1 teaspoon chili flakes
Maldon Salt
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper
Cooking Spray
Soak catfish for 1/2 -1 hour. In a zip lock bag mix all dry ingredients and spices. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.Take fish and drop in bag. Shake until evenly coated. Place on a baking sheet which has been pre sprayed with the the non stick cooking spray. Bake for approx 30 -45 minutes.
Spaghetti Squash
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 96.0
Total Fat: 2.6 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 312.6 mg
Total Carbs: 15.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.5 g
Protein: 2.3 g

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 can plum tomatoes
1 bell pepper chopped
1 half cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper
Italian Seasonings
Pierce the rind of Spaghetti Squash and Microwave 5-6 minutes per pound.Let stand for 5 minutes when complete. Spilt ope length wise and scoop out seeds. Take a fork and scoop out pulp which resembles spaghetti.

In a sauce Pan heat the olive oil. Brown onions and bell pepper, Italian seasonings, and salt/pepper Add crushed plum tomatoes and their juices and lower heat. Cook for approx 20 min.
Toss in spaghetti squash.
If your looking for a nice salad to add your cookout inspired dinner try this.
Basically I took my leftover lean pork loin and tossed with spinach leaves and and cubed sweet potato. The dressing is Rice vinegar, honey, and olive oil.

Sunday Dinner, Another Wedding, and More Travel Woes

So this week I have been kind of AWOL. I have tried to keep up with my reader . My cooking attempts have been dismal. I wont even describe it.But I hadn’t been grocery shopping yet since our return and needed to use what was on hand. Friday evening I caught another flight to Washington D.C for my cousins wedding. She was a former Miss Maryland and first runner up in Miss America. Not only had I lost my cooking mojo, but the travel curse continued. I was calmly informed that my flight was delayed and I would miss my connection in Detroit( it was the cheapest fare!).I almost secretly sighed oh goody , I get to turn around and crawl back to my sweet bed and have a weekend to me!But no, the most efficient airline agent got me on direct flight with my nemesis airline of last week. So I had to go. But more delays and I finally arrived at BWI .I crawled into the hotel bed at 3:00am finally and had to wake for a early morning wedding. I don’t recognize my hometown at all. Downtown Silver Spring is not what I remembered from 10 years ago.There was some film festival going on connected with the Discovery Center.Lobby talk was of being in Tokyo, So Ho, Tribeca,Sydney etc. on their documentary assignments.Since when did Silver Spring become so glamorous? I guess you cant really go home again. The bride was gorgeous naturally and all the aunts started grilling me as to when I would become legal. You know the usual good natured meddling. I was the oldest cousin and still single. Certain Someone wasn’t there because he was stretched to thin with work, time , etc after the events of the past few weeks. It was all just to much going on. We left the hotel that night /morning at 3:30am to catch or early 6:00 am flights. I had been riding in my youngest aunts rental car. We missed our exit and turned around only to be slammed in the rear by some young kids rushing to their internships at 4:00 am. More drama , but no serious injuries or damage. When the police came I had to chuckle when my aunt started with why we were here, to attend the former Miss Marylands wedding,surely you know her,etc. The officers admitted he didn’t keep up with the beauty pageant circuit. We made our flights down to the wire and alas I’m home.After eating crap all week I wanted a nice home cooked meal.

I decided to take the last of the pork loin in the freezer and cook it like Certain Someones mother taught me . Only I took extra measures and studded it with garlic gloves, added my own rub of spices and juniper berries on top with rosemary, and then baked it in a bed of salt. Nuria did a post on this last week. Its an amazing way to cook meat. Missing Sweden I served it alongside with Ligonberries. I also made a nice egg noodle dish with cream, leeks, oyster mushrooms, red peppers and a fine drizzle of Black Truffle oil. Certain Someone said I got my cooking mojo back and all is right with the world.

Be It Ever So Humble There Is No Place Like Home.

I’m back. A delayed arrival due to spending the night stranded yesterday in JFK. Sleeping in airports is not fun. Certain Someone had a direct flight back and was ensconced cosily at home waiting for me when I called to tell him of the cancellation from JFK to Chicago. Due to my work ,rates, etc. we had booked separate flights . Have you ever slept in a cold airport on a bench with a bunch of stinky grouchy people?People fighting for personal space and peace.Grumpy airline workers getting attacked by frustrated passengers.I felt homeless almost or like Tom Hanks in that movie Terminal.Anyway I’m home. 20 hours of delays, missed connections, and incompetence going to Sweden and over 24 hours of the same coming back. Mother Nature has been relentless in the Midwest. I wont name airlines but a certain national carrier is not very nice on the communication and customer service front. Finally after several tantrums I got a little something(some food vouchers) from my tantrums, especially as I witnessed my flying companion over from Helsinki and others getting vouchers . I understand weather issues, but they just f***** up my tickets,lost my bags, and other issues along the way causing more confusion.Broke, hungry , and stinky I plunged into a hot tub and slept when I got home. I prayed no one would see me. I actually saw a famous companion of a certain billionaire talk show/media queen in the wee hours at a gate leaving for Bermuda.I have a picture of us together at party from a while back.I need to get cooking again and catch up with all of you guys. Bear with me as I get settled this week. It’s good to be home.Beautiful week in Sweden but lousy travel.I guess you cant have everything. But there are some angels out there looking out along the way .

Not Exactly A Vacation, But A Very Busy Week In Sweden

Where to continue?This week has been spent running back and forth between Stockholm and Skärplinge with the move and other details. On the drive I fell in love with the beautiful historic churches I would see peep up from the vast vistas. I did manage to see Uppsala and the historic Cathedral and Castle on a quick drive by. I vow to explore that town some more. Another town I fell in love with was the ancient Gävle that sits alongside a river. It was once a major trade hub centuries ago . In the rural countryside I saw old American cars with Confederate flags. I guess they like The Dukes Of Hazard. I wonder if they know what the symbolism of a Confederate flag really means? Certain Someone and I spent an isolated 2 days and night in our new home (I like saying that).I worked on the kitchen and he hooked up his old computer. We have no Digital Box so no TV. Just the quiet of nature and some old MP 3’s. I was amazed at the china and crystal collection Certain Someone had in storage. I have a well stocked kitchen for sure with weights, bowls, blenders, etc. I see a lot of baking bread and such up there.I want to plan a huge Midsommar bash for next summer. In the eerie country silence I saw a real fox looking back at me from the back yard and he jumped into the woodpile. Two country neighborhood cats came a calling. I think they thought the old owner was there with his cat. Our friends almost ran over a Moose near the house when leaving one night after the move. All this common up here. I walked to the sea as Certain Someone napped.The beach is a stark rocky patch that looks so beautiful.Finland awaits on the other side of the sea.I finally got used to the whole Outhouse thing. It wasn’t to bad and actually quite cute inside with its yellow interior, candles, etc. It never really got to dark to make me scared to walk to it. The whole Midnight Sun thing going on. I admit I jumped whenever I heard a car . It’s that’s isolated and who knows what or who is lurking around. One of those places you wonder if a tree fell, would you hear it?
Not much to report on the food front. A lot of quick MAX burger , pizzas and kebab consumed. Swedish pizza is odd yet very good. Mostly run by Iraqis immigrants, it has wild non traditional ingredients. My favorite are banana chicken, ham,curry types. Some have kebab on top. Kebab resembles gyro meat. Thinly shaved aromatic lamb served with peppers, sauces,etc. Delicious. Certain Someones favorite is Palmyra.I would fly over for it , it’s that good!

The wedding was wonderful. Set in a beautiful old German Church in Gamla Stan(OLD TOWN). After the dual German and Swedish language ceremony we walked the cobbled streets in our finery to an old Shipping Club called Sjöfartshuset. One of those Old Boy Clubs lined with portraits of old titans of the sea and some royalty. Swedish weddings are very long and full of toasts and speeches between courses. Also rigid seating plans with lots of careful thought. Each guest is numbered in the program with a chart pointing to where they sit and a brief description of some obscure details of the person. I was listed as , the Sambo(remember it means legal partner) of Certain Someone ,a Food Blogger and jewelery designer. Its fun to learn other tidbits from people. The food was fabulous and topped of with a marzipan tiered cake. My feet were killing me by the nights end. The following day BH (my host) and I rose for ladies brunch with fellow food bloggers Anne and Dagmar . We went to Hasselbacken an old Swedish restaurant for brunch in Djurgarden. What a lovely time we had talking blogs, food, and Sweden. I know I will see them again in my returns. I gave them some cornmeal and Masa they requested and they gave me a lovely cookbook of Swedish pastry from Haga(in the west coast). We parted ways and ventured to NK where BH and I purchased fragrant teas and browsed the food halls. She surprised me with Cloudberry and Raspberry jam I had had my eye on. A true taste of Sweden.

Glamah Does Sweden …Day 1


This trip would be my 3rd visit to Sweden. Once alone to meet my uncle and cousins, and the last few with Certain Someone for weddings, meeting friends,etc. Getting there this time around was challenging. I had a connection via London but arrived later due to weather delays.British Airways informed me that there were no more available direct flights to Stockholm. They rerouted me via Schipol in Amsterdam.Lots of waiting around,coveting the new shops in the controversial Terminal 5.From a professional perspective this has raised the bar in Duty Free shopping. Anyway I finally arrive in Stockholm, funky, irritated, but full thanks to a upgrade on the last leg(meals and wine, would you believe American tried to charge me $6 for wine !Used to be complimentary).I had been travelling 20 hours.Another fellow Chicagoan who had the same fate as me told me our bags were still in Amsterdam.I found one bad and waited with a mob to trace the other. They took my paper and said the other(with my dress for the wedding) would be delivered to me me.Certain Someone and our friends were waiting for me.I was never so happy to see him. Talk about weary traveller.

We woke and started the 2 hour drive to Tierp to close on the house. Tierp is a small town near the summer house that can be best be described as somewhat “rural” and full of older people.We went to the supermarket\cafe for coffee and quick bite.Now you have to be black to understand this. I was waiting for the stares.There were a few, but Lo and behold I saw a “Sistah” in the market. She looked right past me.Then I saw a “Brothah”. I felt better and the people were nice. A few stared , but maybe because I was so Glamah!.The real estate agent and soon to be former owner were very warm and offered to speak English. I told them to go ahead in Swedish and take care of business. Just put my name on the deed! Hahaha. I reminded Certain Someone that I was his SAMBO( which is a shortened way in Swedish meaning legal partner, not derogatory as I first thought when I heard it)!The former owner offered to introduce us to our neighbors and advised us on shopping for supplies etc. He recommended Uppsala (I say upps upside your head, I say upps upsides your head…) for the nearest dose of real shopping: Uppsala is a lovely ancient University town with a Castle and Cathedral that are breathtaking from a distance. The owner was amused when he saw me get excited seeing another black person on the street. I reminded him how would he feel if he was in the most rural of Africa and felt “different”, he agreed and admitted he would welcome the site of a fellow Euro.

We drove along the country gravel road and what I saw took my breath away. Certain Someone had managed to buy a paradise! It was lovingly cared for by the former owner and his family for 35 years.A beautiful yellow wooden summer house on 1.5 acres of land with a guest house, outhouse,woodshed,work shed, etc. Apple, pear, and plum trees, deers, and all sorts of more flora and fauna, and impish magpies galore.A five minute walk and your by the Baltic Sea. The former owner was distressed that the water line had receded this year. So getting the boat out will be difficult because of the shallow waters.Around the boathouse is a spot that the government used to spy on the Russians. There is a listening post by the dock. All I kept saying throughout the walk through, was this would be great for a party(the last thing the former owner wanted to hear from the American)! I mean it was huge! Three bedrooms in the main house. The city girl in mna had to adjust to nature, but I loved it.My creative mind started running away with improvement plans. There is a huge rock pile that I wan to use to build a stone BBQ range.There is even a spot for bonfires. Its to arid and against the law to start them now. My only regret is that we cant use it all the time. His parents will use it more than us.And perhaps short term vacation rentals down the line.This area is going to be hot soon because the prices are way more favorable than the popular archipelago region and the new highway makes it a straight shot.Our neighbors were an elderly couple that had lived there forever.The man grew up there and the wife had been there for 40 years. Their property looked more farm like. Since they live there all year round they will kind of keep an eye on things. If we did give a party it would most likely freak them out(hundreds of Swedish yuppies\ brats with loud techno blaring, just kidding ) , so we need to be considerate.The former owner bought a farm and has a new project to occupy him. We invited him to check in anytime, and he invited us to his new farm.I know it was hard for him to part with this charming property.Memories.To bad we wont be here for Midsommar!We drove back sleepy from the sun and all the sensory overload.

Some friends were coming for a BBQ at our friends house that evening. Since everyone was working Certain Someone and I did the shopping and menu planning. He paid,I planned and executed. Food is expensive in Sweden.We spent $100 for what I probably have gotten for $75 back home.I made skewers of shrimp with pineapple,pineapple and Halloumi,Halloumi,mushroom,pepper kebabs, a quick thin sliced pork cutlet marinated in Hoisin, brown sugar, pineapple,spices,oil, sausages,ribs,etc. They didn’t marinate for as long as I would have liked but the result was fabulous. Our host BH made a warm potato salad with mixed greens,feta, and asparagus. Delish. A foodie friend of theirs chipped in with a nice dressing for the vegetable kebabs an being the grill master. I introduced them to something new as they never had pineapple on the grill before. I also made rum cocktails with spiced rum, lime, pineapple,and lime. Delish!I apologized for taking over my hosts kitchen, but she said she was happy I was in her kitchen.What can I say, I thrive in the kitchen.Can you believe this is only DAY 1 on a Monday? Tomorrow moving day.