A Touch of Heaven: Swordfish Skewers and Beets
“Wow, what a busy Holiday Season!” That’s what we said in January, and then February, and now we are in March with no signs of things slowing down. That has meant a LONG break from creative genius in the kitchen. With a new job for Joiwind and a promotion for Andy, our local favorite restaurants have seen us way too much. And a few new ones.
ANDY HATES BEETS. While enjoying a new local spot, Joiwind convinced Andy to try a beet salad. We both agreed that it was awful! Once upon a time, in a place not remembered, we had roasted beets…and even Andy said they were good (of course, this is Joiwind’s version of the story). So a challenge was laid down. Figure out a way to make beets delicious.
With Joiwind at work during the day, and Andy at home to play…just kidding…he did actually squeeze this master creation into an already busy day, Joiwind came home to an out of this world meal. And yes, it included beets! And also a fancy swordfish skewer with a parsley salsa verde (just sayin).
ROASTED BEETS
3-5 red beets
3-5 white beets
olive oil
kosher salt to taste
cracked black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel beets and cut them in to
thin slices. (Side note, Andy quickly realized that gloves are
a good idea for this process. Red beets make everything they
touch red!). Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a
cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil (or it will be a major
mess to clean up later – again the RED in those beets). Roast
in the oven for 25-30 minutes (check periodically with a fork).
Once a fork easily pierces the beets, broil them for 3-5 minutes
or until there is slight blistering. Serves 2.
They are especially delicious served with mayonnaise on the side!
Awkward moment: Like we said, beets make EVERYTHING red. Red in, red out. We both thought we were…uhum…peeing blood later that night. Don’t panic…it’s just the beets.
Before we give away the swordfish recipe, we really think we should try it out on another victim before making it public. Just kidding! It is that incredibly amazingly fabulous (Joiwind’s words). So here it is (credit for the recipe goes to Food & Wine magazine, credit for the magic goes to Andy Bahr).
SWORDFISH SKEWERS WITH PARSLEY SALSA VERDE
1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
8 garlic gloves, crushed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
28 fresh bay leaves
1½ pounds swordfish, cut into 1½ inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced lengthwise (on a mandoline gives the best result)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor (or blender), pulse the parsley, garlic, crushed red pepper and olive oil to a thick puree. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl.
On long skewers (3-4) thread ingredients in the following order: a bay leaf, a piece of fish, a bay leaf, tri-folded zucchini ribbon, a bay leaf, a piece of fish, etc. Season the skewers with salt and pepper and brush liberally with the parsley mixture. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for one hour.
Skewers can be prepared on either a grill pan or an outdoor grill (the latter gives the best flavor in our opinion). Of course, Andy is sorta addicted to his grill! The recipe says: Grill the skewers over moderate heat, until the fish is lightly browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes (to 10 minutes). In real life, knowing when fish is done is a process of trial and error. One tip is to leave a piece of fish on the end of one skewer so you can test it with a fork. Swordfish is a tougher fish, so it will be firm-ish when done, but should still flake off with a fork. Andy’s addition to making this recipe fabulous: continue to baste the skewers with the parsley mixture while grilling.
Slide the ingredients off the skewer onto the plate. Bay leaves are not edible! But everything else will be incredibly tasty.
Smokin-It: Chicken and Pork New Year’s Feast
The New Year was brought in with the first successfully 
smoked Chicken and Pork. The original plan for New Year’s Eve dinner was to make lobster and steak (with shrimp for Joiwind who likes neither). Yes, we realize that many may have chosen Lobster and Steak over Smoked Chicken and Pork. However, after our late Christmas morning delivered a new smoker to Andy, it was imperative that the new Smoker be broken in. In other words, Andy couldn’t wait to play with his new toy!
The night before, Andy made his own dry rub from a recipe he found online (see below) and rubbed both the pork shoulder and chicken with it. Then the pork shoulder and chicken were wrapped individually in cling wrap and refrigerated overnight.
New Years Eve day was to start off with breakfast at Mesa Cafe. There was going to be plenty of cooking later that day, so we decided to treat ourselves to breakfast out. But not before excited Andy made sure the pork was started in the smoker!
Andy put the pork shoulder in with a few wood pieces, turned the smoker on, and set it to 225 degrees. The ease of an electric smoker is amazing! He simply put the meat in, closed the door and never touched the Smoker again until the chicken went in 4 hours after the pork. Truly set it and forget it. Since Andy is an all protein eater and Joiwind is the picky one, the chicken was put above the pork (surely there is a joke in there somewhere), so as not to contaminate the chicken. Also, a few more wood pieces were added at that time to ensure the chicken also received it’s dose of fresh smoke. Again, it was as simple as closing the door and walking away. (Side note: with breakfast out and the anticipation of a fabulous feast, we decided sharing one of our healthy shakes for lunch would be the proper preparation to ensure we did not feel like the Pillsbury Dough Boy the next morning. That and a tequila shot.) In total the pork was in the smoker for about 7 hours and the chicken about 3 hours.
It turned out AMAZING!! The flavor from the rub was awesome! And as Todd can attest, it packs a punch of heat that leaves you diving in for more. The meat was super tender and flavorful, and the skin on the chicken, with that rub, was addictive. The first run was a big success. 🙂
Andy can’t wait to try more things in the smoker and start experimenting with different types of wood pieces. Apple, cherry, hickory….ohhh the options! 🙂 Joiwind can’t wait to be the guinea pig! Of course, some volunteers will be needed for the smoked meats and pork. Anyone, anyone?
DRY RUB INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup paprika
⅛ cup fresh ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons garlic powder (I used 2 tablespoons)
1-2 tablespoons onion powder (I used 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon or more cayenne pepper
¼ cup coarse salt
¼ cup brown or white sugar
Smokin-It
Unexpectedly, Santa (aka Joiwind) delivered a smoker to Andy 
this year! He is beyond excited to try it out and may be lost to the smoking gods for the unforeseeable future. According to the company that the smoker came from (www.smokin-it.com), “If it can’t be smoked, you shouldn’t be eating it!” Can you smoke vegetables?
Time will tell all the fun and fabulous food that will come from this new toy. There are sure to be pictures soon of the forthcoming experiments! Thanks in advance for those who end up being our guinea pigs. We think it might just turn out alright.
Here are pictures of the new electric smoker.
Basil Butter Seared Ahi Tuni
This was the first meal that Andy ever made for Joiwind. 
You might say it was love at first sight!
It definitely has the wow factor because it looks beautiful on the plate. The darker the tuna, the better it is.
Andy’s Bangin Guacamole Salsa
This is hands down the most popular item requested. Whether it is for a birthday party, pool party, or just a casual get together, we’re pretty sure we will not be admitted if we don’t have this with us! Everyone knows, if you show up late for the party, this guacamole salsa will be long gone!
Fun Flying in a C172
We literally live in Paradise! When we’re not flying for work, we will go “fun flying”, though thruthfully it is all fun for us. Fun flying in this respect involves taking up a little Cessna 172 and staying along the Santa Barbara Coastline. Or flying to Camarillo for lunch!
This is a picture of our beautiful coastline. It doesn’t get much better than that! We have had fun taking family members up to see this with us. (For those who haven’t been taken up yet, we apologize in advance!)
Here is a picture of the Santa Barbara Harbor.
We both feel incredibly fortunate that this is the view from our office.
Tomato Corn Salad
We know a few young kids that gobble this up.
It is healthy but also super tasty.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sure, this is a soup you can see on almost any menu these days. 
Sometimes it is pureed, sometimes the ingredients are left whole. Our favorite is one that has been tweaked over time and leaves the ingredients whole. We like it spicy, but the amount of peppers can be reduced to accommodate a milder crowd.
Mushroom Parmigiano Bruschetta
One of the appetizers highlighted in The Pilot’s Kitchen.
An easy recipe that looks fancy. This is not your regular raw tomato bruschetta. The addition of mushrooms and a host of other ingredients, leave your mouth watering and wanting more.
Pilot's Kitchen 