We have never made baby octopus at home before, but since we have had positive experiences cooking squid at home, we decided to try cooking some octopus. You can find frozen packs of baby octopus at most Asian stores and they are really cheap: I paid $3.50 for a pound pack of frozen octopus at my local ethnic food store.

I like my baby octopus quickly grilled or sauteed so they get a nice crunchy char on them, especially on the tentacles. This recipe is a classic Spanish seafood treatment and can be used on baby squid too if you are a bit too freaked out to cook baby octopus at home. This recipe makes enough for 4 people as a starter at $1.06 per serving.

Baby Octopus with Garlic and Parsley, adapted from Jose Andres’ Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound baby octopus, defrosted if frozen
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
salt to taste

In a griddle, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Place the baby octopuses in the pan and sear them, without moving them for 3 minutes, then turn them over and cook for another couple of minutes until they are a bit crispy and charred. If a lot of water starts coming out of the octopuses, just remove them and pour out the water and restart the process until the octopuses are cooked. Remove the octopuses from the pan and place them on a large serving dish.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic to a small frying pan and saute for 20 seconds. Remove the garlic from the heat and squeeze the lemon juice over it and stir together. Add the parsley to the mixture, then pour it over the octopus and add salt to taste. Serve the dish immediately.

The only “bright spot” of this daunting day was finding this recipe for a Tunisian Tuna Sandwich in a Metropolitan Home magazine in one of the doctor’s waiting room. This week after Carlo regained his appetite, I made it and we both enjoyed the salty tang of the sandwich. This recipe makes enough for 2 large sandwiches at $2.23 each, a fraction of what you would pay at a fancy sandwich shop.

Tunisian Tuna Sandwich
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled, cubed (1/2-inch pieces)
2 large eggs
2 5-oz cans water-packed, albacore tuna, drained
1/4 cup capers, drained
1/2 cup chopped parsley
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
salt and pepper
2 demi-baguettes or rolls
Harissa

Boil the cubed potatoes in salted water until they are tender, and then drain and let them cool. Cover the eggs with cold water in a small saucepan and cook them over a high heat for 12 minutes, then cool them in a bowl of ice water. Once they are cool, peel and slice the eggs.

In a large bowl, combine the tuna, capers, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and mix with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I just kept on adding lemon juice and a bit of olive oil until the mixture tasted how I liked it. Lastly fold in the potatoes into the sandwich filling.

Gently toast the cut baguettes or rolls, and pull out the the soft insides of the bread. Spread the bottom side of the bread with a generous amount of harissa and top with a sliced egg. Then add the tuna stuffing on top and drizzle with a bit of olive oil to finish off the sandwich.

I’m a big fish taco fan and have already posted about our favourite fish taco recipe. However after making these Baja Fish Tacos, me, Carlo, and our friend Mike, who came over for dinner, all agreed that these fish tacos are way better. It is probably the fried fish, which creates a nice crunchy base for all of the flavours from the spicy chipotle mayo and mango-radish salsa.

We normally never fry things at home because hot oil frightens me since I’m a klutz and burn myself all the time, but I would gladly risk a few burns to make these tacos again. Tyler Florence’s fish taco recipe makes enough food for 4 people at $2.81 per serving.

Baja Fish Tacos
1 pound skinless and boned Mahi Mahi, cod, or other firm white fish (I used Pacific cod)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for frying
8 soft flour tortillas
1/4 head of savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves picked
2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Cut the fish into 1 ounce strips. Create a breading station made up of bowls of flour, beaten egg, and seasoned panko bread crumbs. Using the wet hand-dry hand technique, dredge each piece of fish in the flour, then the egg, and finally cover them with panko.

Once all the fish is breaded, deep fry the fish in small batches in hot oil, around 375 degrees F. When I put the fish in, I was surprised how fast the first batch cooked and wasn’t really prepared. So be aware of how fast the frying process is since once the breading reaches a nice brown colour, the fish is cooked on the inside.

Drain the cooked fish on paper towels and season with salt. Keep them warm until you are ready to serve the tacos.

Mango-Radish Salsa
1 lime
1 mango, diced
2 to 3 red radishes, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the diced mango, radish, red onion, and squeeze the lime over the mixture. Season with chili powder, salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Add the chopped cilantro and place in the fridge until everything else is ready.

Chipotle Mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 chipotle in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make this spicy sauce for the tacos, whiz the canned chipotle in a food processor until it is all chopped up. Add the sour cream, mayo, adobo sauce, and lemon juice and whiz further until everything is mixed together and creamy. Season with salt and pepper, and place the sauce in the fridge until you serve the tacos.

To plate the fish tacos, take a toasted tortilla and fill with a few slices of fried fish. Top with the chipotle mayo, mango-radish salsa, shredded cabbage, and chopped cilantro, and then squeeze a wedge of lime over the taco.

I served the Baja Fish Tacos with some really easy and fast to make Mexican Slaw. This side dish recipe serves 4 people at 58 cents each.

Mexican Slaw
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, or to taste
juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh chile
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 head green or red cabbage
1 red bell pepper
2 medium carrots, grated
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup minced cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whiz together the mustard, lime juice, garlic, and chile in a food processor, and slowly add the oil. Mix the cabbage, pepper, carrots, and green onions, and toss everything with the dressing. Add the chopped cilantro and season to taste.

One of the best parts about watching all of these chefs is the sense of camaraderie in the kitchen. Each of them seems enthralled with each others’ cooking and genuinely likes being around each other. It sure makes a change from the bitchiness and back stabbing kitchen antics in the regular show.

In honor of tonight’s episode where it looks like Michael Chiarello puts the smack down on the mouthy past contest Dale, here is a recipe for a quick appetizer that you can nibble on while enjoying the show. Michael Chiarello says he likes to eat this Spuma di Tonno with champagne, which hopefully he will be drinking tonight after winning again. This tuna spread recipe feeds 6 people as an appetizer for 48 cents per serving.

Spuma di Tonno, from Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking
1 7-oz can olive oil-packed tuna, drained
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Put the tuna in a food processor and pulse to break up the fish. With the machine running, add the lemon juice, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Add the butter and blend until smooth, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the processor bowl.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and blend again. Check the seasoning, then add the heavy cream and pulse to blend. Be careful not to overblend once the cream is added or the mixture may break.

Serve the tuna spread at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. If refrigerated, return the spread to room temperature before serving.

The tuna spread tastes great on some toasted ciabatta, and even better with a glass of champers.

Honey Lime Salmon
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 pieces salmon fillet, (about 4 ounces each)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
lime wedges

Mix together the honey, cumin, coriander, salt, lime zest, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of very hot water until everything is thoroughly blended.

Rub the honey-spice mixture all over salmon. You can cook it straight away, but I prefer to let it marinade for a bit to really infuse the salmon with the spicy flavours.

Place the salmon on a grill over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes or just until the salmon turns opaque throughout and flakes easily.

Serve the salmon with a sprinkle of cilantro and some lime wedges to squeeze over the fish. I made the Southwestern Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad to go with the salmon, and it made for a fast but tasty dinner.

Salmon “Bulgogi” with Bok Choy and Mushrooms
For the Sauce:
1 garlic clove, peeled and diced
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine vinegar
1 3/4-inch cube peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

For the Rest of the Dish:
4 6-ounce center-cut skinless salmon fillets
1 garlic clove, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large bok choy, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 7 cups)
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
toasted black or white sesame seeds

Whiz up all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor to get a nice paste. Arrange the salmon fillets in a glass baking dish, and then pour the marinade over the fish. Let the salmon marinate for at least 5 minutes, but as with most marinades, the longer you marinate it the better.

Preheat the oven to 500¬?F. Arrange the salmon, with some marinade still clinging on the fish, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the salmon until it is just opaque in the center, about 8 minutes.

Take the leftover marinade from the baking dish and put it in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade in the saucepan to a boil; and then set aside and reserve for the glaze.

Heat the oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add in the bok choy, mushrooms, and minced garlic and stir fry until the mushrooms are tender and the bok choy is wilted, around 4 minutes. Once the veggies are cooked, season them to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve the dish, divide the veggies among each plate and top them with the salmon. Finish off the dinner by brushing the glaze over the salmon and sprinkling with some toasted sesame seeds.

While that might be quite pricey for some home cooking, think about how much crab salads go for in fancy restaurants? We would be paying at least $15 for the lunchtime equivalent of this salad in a Vegas restaurant, and when we can’t eat out like we used to, special lunches like this help me feel like I’m not totally constrained by life on a severe budget.

You can buy a pound of fresh lump crab meat at Costco for $15, which comes in really handy for recipes like this. The chunks are really big and tasty, and you don’t have to mess around with cooking the crab and then pulling all the meat out of the claws and body. The recipe also includes a pretty ingenious way to cook all of the thick asparagus that is cropping up at our farmers’ market by thinly slicing the stalks and lightly cooking them for salad greens.

Crab, Avocado, and Asparagus Salad
1 pound thick asparagus
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 medium basil leaves
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup salted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
2 Hass avocados, diced
2 hard boiled eggs, diced

Cut off the asparagus tips and cut each tip in half lengthwise. Cut off the very woody end of the asparagus stalk and then use a peeler or mandoline to shave the spears lengthwise. Blanch the asparagus tips and shavings in a boiling pot of salted water until they are just heated through, around 10 seconds or so.

Quickly drain the asparagus and place it in a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking. Once the asparagus is cool, remove it from the water and drain it well. You might have to use some paper towels to pat the asparagus dry so you don’t end up with a soggy salad.

Whiz up the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, shallot, and 1/4 cup of the parsley in a food processor. Taste the dressing and then season with salt and pepper.

Mix together the crab, asparagus, and hard boiled eggs in a large bowl. I tossed in around half of the dressing and let the salad topping sit for a few minutes for the flavours to marry.

Mix the asparagus with the pistachios and remaining parsley in a bowl and drizzle with a little bit of dressing. Place the salad on each plate and then top with the crab mixture for a special lunch.

I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I had on hand everything for this really filling salad, Summer Garden Salad with Chili-Garlic Shrimp, or pretty much everything since Carlo had to pick up a cucumber on his way home from school. All I can say is thank god for frozen shrimp! Thank you for letting me stay in my pjs all day This Shrimp Salad recipe feeds 6 people at $3.07 per serving.

I have been really craving seafood lately, especially shrimp and crab, so one day when I was at Whole Foods, I picked up a bag of their Whole Catch frozen shrimp. At $6.99 for a 16 oz package, it is a great deal, and the shrimp look and taste great once you defrost them. Plus they come in really handy when you need to throw some dinner together at the last minute because they defrost very quickly if you place them under running cold water.

Since I like things spicy, I added way more chili-garlic sauce to the shrimp than the recipe called for and just threw in a bit of extra ground cumin to balance it out. The marinade was perfect and ended up not being too spicy at all, so I would definitely use the chili-garlic sauce again for cooking any type of shrimp.

Marinate the shrimp in the fridge for an hour or so and then quickly saute them in a frying pan with a good glug of olive oil.

Since I was trying to only use ingredients that I had on hand, I ended up using frozen corn instead of fresh. I quickly boiled it and then cooled the drained corn in the fridge before mixing it with the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and mint from the garden.

I took the basic vinaigrette dressing from the recipe of fresh lime juice, sesame oil and soy sauce, and jazzed it up with some grated garlic that I had on hand to compliment the shrimp.

I tossed all the vegetables and mint with a heavy dose of the dressing and then placed them over a bed of lettuce on each plate. Next came the shrimp on top, and I even added a hard boiled egg for some extra protein.

The verdict on the improvised whatever-we-had-in-the-fridge meal: Excellent, especially when eaten in pajamas! We will definitely be making this salad again this summer.

Ingredients, from Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way, by Francis Mallmann:
4 lemons, halved
4 medium Hass avocados
8 ozs cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 small red onions, very thinly sliced
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves removed and minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 lb cleaned baby calamari, tentacles separated from the bodies

First, make the salad: peel and cut your avocado into 1/2-inch cubes, then put them in a bowl with the tomatoes, onions and parsley. Then add the dressing ingredients (the lemon juice and the oil) and mix. Do this bit by bit, rather than all at once, to make sure you get it right for your taste. Then season and add the chili flakes.

Next, cook your calamari. Mallmann says to use a chapa, a flat piece of metal over a high-heat fire. He recommends a griddle if you don’t have any chapas laying around, so I used one. It worked fine, but I think next time, I’d be inclined to use a grilling basket. The calamari parts were too small just to put on the grill, so the basket would be good. I also think it would cook a little better and char a little more nicely than when cooking it on the griddle.

Once your calamari is cooked, put the salad on a serving platter, and then put the calamari on top and dig in. I’d also recommend squeezing some lemon directly over the calamari while it’s hot!

We have long gotten rid of the cookbook, but we still love to eat this for lunch. Of course, since it was a South Beach recipe, it has no potatoes in it, which of course are the hallmark of a true Tuna Nicoise, but with all that crunchy veggie goodness, I can skip the potatoes. Our remake of Tuna Nicoise serves 2 large lunch portions at $2.78 per serving.

Tuna Nicoise is full of great vegetables: The basics include steamed green beans, cucumber, red pepper, tomatoes, and black olives. Cut everything up into bite size pieces and throw in a can of diced water chestnuts for some extra crunch. You can also mix in some red onion or scallions, but use a light hand so you don’t overpower the other veggies. You could add pretty much any other veggies that you like in the mix and it will still taste good.

To make the dressing, whiz together some white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil to taste. Season the vinaigrette with a little bit of thyme, and salt and pepper. When I made the salad this time, I used some tuna packed in olive oil, so I drained that oil and used it as the basis for the dressing. Toss all of the vegetables with the vinaigrette.

Top the veggies with some canned tuna and a sliced hard boiled egg for a great and filling lunch.

Over the years, I’ve perfected how to best hard boil eggs (or at least how we like to eat them), so I’ll share my cooking method. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Put on a timer for 12 minutes and turn on the stove heat to high. Once the timer goes off, scoop the eggs out of the boiling water and place them in a dish filled with cold water. Stick the dish in the fridge and let the eggs cool off. By putting the eggs in the cold water, you stop the cooking process so the egg yolks remain a tad soft and fluffy, and you don’t get that gross green ring around the yolk from over cooking.