Red Snapper with Bell Pepper and Tomato

This plate could have easily served two people. Except I ate the entire thing while watching the US defeat Ghana in the World Cup. Miss F had no interest in eating any of the snapper, so she enjoyed bean and cheese taquitos instead. This dish is entirely my own creation, based on the fresh vegetables we harvested from my parents' garden and the fresh snapper we got from the Kemah fish market. And it was completely amazing, most definitely enhanced by the garden fresh tomatoes, bell peppers and basil. The garden has had a great year so far, at last count there were nearly 20 bell peppers and over 60 tomatoes growing. This year has been much more successful than last. I am going to try and convince them to add a second bed this fall.

Red Snapper with Bell Pepper and Tomato

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large red snapper filets
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup white wine
1 tablespoon minced basil
white rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the snapper filets, saute a minute per side, remove from the pan and set aside. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds, add the tomatoes and bell pepper, saute for two minutes more. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and stir in the basil. Nestle the fish into the tomato and pepper mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more. Serve the fish over rice with tomatoes and peppers spooned over top.

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Pork Tenderloin Fajitas

Pork fajitas a my most favorite kind of fajitas, especially at El Tiempo. While we were in Colorado, I knew I wanted to attempt some on the grill and pork tenderloin seemed like the perfect cut for fajitas. This recipe was inspired by Food and Wine. The tip to half the pork tenderloin crosswise made it quite easy to cut into fajita strips and allowed for a really quick cook time.  Make sure to cut the bell pepper into rings so they are easy to grill without having to worry about them falling through the grate.  Any bell pepper color will work.

Pork Tenderloin Fajitas

Herb and Spice Rub:
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
juice from one lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pork tenderloin, halved crosswise
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into rings
8 tortillas

Whisk together the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, lime juice, and olive oil. Pour over the tenderloin and toss to coat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Prepare the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the grate with vegetable oil. Grill the pork until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the tenderloin to a platter, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. While the pork is resting, grill the bell pepper for 3 minutes.

Slice the pork into strips, toss with the bell pepper and serve on warmed tortillas with guacamole.

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Hot Pepper Noodles

I always prefer stir fries over noodles rather than rice, I hated rice as a kid. I remember my dad tormenting me saying "rice is nice" while I refused to eat even one grain of it. I now enjoy rice, but I love rice noodles. I used tomatoes, basil and bell pepper from my mom's garden for this dish, Miss F picked all the produce and was very proud to eat the harvest. Her favorite was the bell pepper and shrimp, she wasn't as big of fan of the noodles. The shrimp could be easily swapped out for chicken, pork or tofu. I adapted the recipe from Bon Appetit and used half green and half red bell pepper, but any color will work beautifully.

Hot Pepper Noodles

1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
10 ounces dried wide rice noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup fresh basil leaves, preferably Thai

Stir oyster sauce, chili-garlic sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl to combine; set sauce aside. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, run under cold water to cool, and set aside. Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook, tossing often, until cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
Add bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and half of the sauce to pan and toss to combine. Add noodles and remaining sauce and toss to combine. Add basil leaves and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles and vegetables are completely coated with sauce and heated through, about 2 minutes more.

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