Slim Man Cooks Halibut with Capers, Lemon, and White WineSo…I went to house/dog sit for some friends. Their kid, a 20-year-old singer/surfer/guitar player with dreadlocks, had bought 2 pounds of fresh halibut, as in really and truly fresh, not frozen and then defrosted fresh, we’re talking fresh caught that morning.The fish was so fresh that I had to give it a cold shower.They asked me to cook. I love to cook. And I love not to cook. If someone wants to cook for me, or take me out to dinner, I’m good with that.But if people ask me to cook, I’ll cook. I don’t mind. They’re not asking me to paint their house, or tar their roof. I’m cooking dinner. So shut the hell up!So I started asking questions of my dear hosts…do you have flour? Capers? White wine? Garlic? Lemons?I went through a list of what they had, trying to figure out how I could make the halibut.There’s a chicken piccata recipe in the Slim Man Cooks cookbook. I thought, why not try it with halibut?Just for the halibut?I had everything but lemons. But I had some stashed in my bag. I carry lemons when I travel, about 4 or 5 in my bag. I drink lemon water just about every day, a couple glasses every morning, and I use fresh lemons.Plus, it makes my clothes smell oh-so nice!So I had lemons.The kid had bought 2 pounds of halibut. I’ll do this recipe for one pound; double it if you want.From the time I started, until the time it was ready to eat, we’re talking 10 minutes.KEEP IN MIND…you don't have to use garlic. My chicken piccata does not have garlic. I put garlic in with the piccata halibut, just for the halibut.Here we go:
INGREDIENTS2 tablespoons of olive oil2 tablespoons butter1 cup floursalt and fresh cracked black pepper1 pound skinless halibut filet, cut into small rectangular pieces (5”x3” or so)4 cloves of smashed garlic (garlic cloves, smashed with broad side of knife, peeled)½ cup dry white wine (room temperature)2 tablespoons capers (and their juice)The juice of one fresh, ripe lemon (a tablespoon or two) Let’s get started…Put a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.Put the olive oil and butter in the sauté pan.When the butter starts to bubble…Put the flour on a large flat plate, sprinkle with salt and pepper.Take a piece of fish, roll it around in the flour, get it coated, gently shake off the excess.Gently, you morons.Put the fish in the sauté pan, do this with all the pieces of fish.Sprinkle the tops with a LITTLE salt and pepper.Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the underside is golden brown.Turn all the pieces of fish over.Sprinkle the tops with a LITTLE salt and pepper.Cook on the other side until golden brown.Remove to a beautiful platter.Let’s get back to the sauté pan, the one that’s still on medium-high heat.Add the smashed garlic to the pan, swirl it around for 30 seconds.Flip it over, swirl it around on the other side for 30 seconds.Add the wine, SLOWLY, IT’S GONNA FLARE UP--try not to give yourself third-degree burns.Swish the wine around. CAREFULLY!Add the capers. Swish and swirl for 30 seconds.Add the fresh-squeezed lemon juice, make sure you don’t let any seeds get through!Swirl and swish for 30 seconds.Remember the flour? The flour you dusted the fish with?Take a pinch or two of that, whisk it into the garlic/wine sauce.Keep taking a pinch of the flour, and whisking, until the sauce becomes more like a light…gravy.Pour the sauce over the fish.Garnish with lemon wedges, and maybe a sprig of parsley, and…MANGIAMO!
Slim Man Cooks Pasta Carbonara
Pasta CarbonaraYou can only eat pasta carbonara a couple times a year. Any more than that and you’ll have to walk around with a defibrillator duct-taped to your chest. It’s a heart-stoppin’, artery-poppin’ dish that might kill ya.It’s one of my favorites.This is my own version. I added white wine, which gives it a little kick. But if you’re having it for breakfast—it is after all eggs and bacon—you might want to leave out the wine. You might…I don’t.I use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, most recipes call for Romano, which I find a little too salty for this. You got enough sodium in the pancetta to float a boat, so I use Parmigiano, which is a little sweeter.The name comes from the Italian word for coal, carbona. Legend has it that coal miners would put a couple eggs, a piece of pancetta (Italian bacon) and a hunk of cheese in their pockets, and make this on their lunch break, all in one pot.Putting eggs in your pocket doesn’t sound like a good idea to me, but what the hell do I know? 
INGREDIENTS:3 eggs1 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, choppedFresh cracked black pepper8 ounces pancetta, diced into tiny pieces4 cloves of garlic, peeled, and smashed/flattened with the broad side of a knife¼ cup white wine1 pound of spaghetti We’ll do this all in real time. Here goes:Get a large pot. Fill it with cold water. Put it on the highest heat you got. As it heats up…Get a large bowl, one big enough to hold all the pasta and stuff.Break three eggs into the bowl. Add the cheese. Add the chopped parsley. Add some fresh cracked black pepper. Hold off on the salt for now—the pancetta can be a bit salty, so you don’t really need any extra.Beat all this stuff with a fork. Now let’s cook our pancetta.Pancetta is Italian bacon. So treat it like bacon. Don’t be flippin’ it all around. You want it to brown on each side. So let it brown!Get a small fry pan. Put it over medium heat. Put the diced pancetta in. Let it brown for about 3 to 5 minutes.Flip it over, give it a stir, let it brown on the other side, 3 to 5 minutes.When the pancetta is done, use a slotted spoon get it out of the pan. Put it in the bowl with the eggs and stuff. Give it a stir.You should have some pancetta drippings in the bottom of the pan. Get rid of most of the drippings. You want to leave a little in the bottom of the pan, just enough to fry the garlic.Put the pan on medium-low heat.Add the garlic, cook for a couple minutes on each side until golden.Turn up the heat to high. Add the wine; let it cook off for a minute or so. Turn off the heat.Back to the pasta…when the pasta water comes to a boil, add a couple tablespoons of kosher salt. Add the pasta.When the pasta is al dente, drain it well.IMMEDIATELY toss the pasta into the bowl with the eggs. Add the pancetta and garlic, straight from the pan. Toss gently for a minute or two. You want the heat from the pasta and the pancetta to cook the eggs.When it all looks right, plate it up. Garnish with a piece of parsley, and…MANGIAMO!!!!!
Slim Man Cooks the Best Fish Cakes
I had some concerts in Baltimore, Maryland, a few weeks ago. I did the shows, they were great, and I decided to hang out for a few days and visit some family and friends in the mental hospital. The last night of my trip, I sang the national anthem for the Baltimore Orioles; it was such an honor.And the Orioles beat the Pittsburgh Pirates that night in 11 innings! The next morning, at the crack of dawn, I flew to Palm Springs, Californy. On my way back to the Slim Shack, I picked up a beeyooteeful piece of halibut.I cooked it with my incredibly edible salmoriglio sauce, which is a quick Sicilian sauce with lemon, moscato 
(sweet) white wine, garlic, parsley and lemon. She was-a-so nice!I didn't eat it all. I mean, with a name like Slim Man, you can't be stuffing your face like your facing execution in the morning!So the next day, I'm looking at the leftover broiled halibut. What to do? Leftover fish ain’t my favorite thing in the world. Then I remembered one time I was up at my dad’s cabin, Rat Tail Ridge, in upstate New York—the Upper U.S.—and I had some leftover salmon.So I made fish cakes with the salmon, like crab cakes except with fish. They were scrump-diddly-umptious. So I decided to make fish cakes with the leftover halibut. Just for the halibut.I didn't want to add a lot of stuff to the fish cakes, because the fish already had the salmoriglio sauce on it, and I didn't want to add too many flavors to the fish. But…if you’re using a plain piece of cooked fish, you might want to add a teaspoon of mustard, or Old Bay seasoning, or Worcestershire sauce. Or all three!All I added to the halibut was a little mayo, some panko bread crumbs, an egg and some salt and pepper.I mixed it all together, made some patties, and broiled the fish cakes. Why broil? Why not fry?Because there was a Lady People at the Slim Shack, and women folks don’t like things that are fried. Well, they like them, but they don’t want to eat them because they think it will make them…how do I put this…plump. Now, I’m a man who likes a little meat on the bone, but it’s important to keep the ladies happy.Because if they ladies ain’t happy, you, my friend, will not be happy. So I just shut the hell up and broiled.The fish cakes were delizioso. Seriously. Keep in mind, the fish is already cooked, you’re basically just heating it up. So you don’t have to cook it for real long, just long enough for the tops to get golden brown.And you don’t have to turn them over, because the heat from the baking pan will heat up the underside of the fish cake.That’s it.INGREDIENTS2 cups of leftover cooked fish (check for bones and skin and remove them)1 egg1 tablespoon mayo½ cup panko breadcrumbsSalt and fresh-cracked black pepper to tasteHERE WE GO…Put all the ingredients in a bowl.Mix gently. You don’t want to completely smash up the fish, leave it a bit chunky.
Form into 4 cakes, about the size of a small hamburger patty.Take a baking pan, put a little olive oil or non-stick cooking spray on the bottom, so the fish cakes don’t stick.Put your broiler on high.Put the fish cakes on the pan, and stick them under the broiler.Broil for 4 or 5 minutes, or until golden brown.Keep your eyes on these guys! Don’t burn them!Remove from the broiler, put the fish cakes on a nice plate.Dish it up! Add a little tartar sauce, and a little Dijon mustard on the side. I made my own tartar sauce with about a tablespoon of mayo and a teaspoon of sweet relish.Dip and eat!
MANGIAMO!!!
Slim Man Cooks Minestrone
MinestroneI made this soup last night. It was the best I ever made, if I may say so myself.A couple things…Italians don’t use a lot of corn. I put some in this recipe. Why? Because it tastes real good. I like the texture, too. And the color it adds.Pancetta is Italian bacon. If you are a vegetarian, you can skip the pancetta. But I love the flavor that it adds. When you cook pancetta, treat it like bacon. You don’t put oil in the bottom of a pan when you’re cooking bacon, so don’t add any when you’re cooking pancetta.Let the pancetta brown on one side. Then give it a stir, and try and get the unbrowned pieces to brown on the other side. If you ain’t got pancetta, use bacon.I use fresh oregano. It tastes better than dried in this recipe, but you can use dried.The chick peas and the corn are already cooked. All you need to do is heat them up. So add them last.You can serve the minestrone as is. Or you can put it over rice or pasta.If you put it over rice or pasta, I suggest you cook them separately from the soup.When you let them cook in the minestrone, they absorb too much broth.I like this soup with pasta; I cook the pasta separate and add it to each bowl before serving.This recipe yields about 20 cups of soup. INGREDIENTS6 ounces of pancetta cut into small pieces¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoonsCrushed red pepper1 cup each--chopped celery, onion, carrots5 cloves mined garlic (about 2 tablespoons)2 cups each--Savoy cabbage, green zucchini, yellow squash cut in small pieces1 twenty-eight ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, smooshed up (about 3 ½ cups)Fresh chopped oregano, about 1 tablespoon, leaves stripped from the stemsFresh Italian flat leaf parsley, about 2 tablespoons, chopped, not too fine1 cup yellow corn (fresh, canned or frozen)1 sixteen-ounce can garbanzo beans (chick peas)3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano1/4 pound small pasta (ditalini, elbow macaroni, mini farfalle) about 3 or 4 cups cooked Here goes…Put a large pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta, cook for 4 or 5 minutes without stirring. Give it a stir, let it brown for 4 or 5 minutes more without stirring.Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the olive oil, and the crushed red peppers. Let it heat up for a minute.Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook for 10 minutes. Stir, baby, stir.Add the green zucchini and the yellow squash. Add a drizzle (1 tablespoon) of olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes.Add the Savoy cabbage, add a drizzle (1 tablespoon) of olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes.Add the tomatoes, and the broth. Turn the heat to high. Let it come to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes or so, until the zucchini and squash are semi-soft.Add the parsley and oregano. Add the garbanzo beans (chick peas/ceci) and the corn. Add the grated Romano cheese.Taste for salt and pepper and adjustRemove from heat. For the pasta…Get a medium-sized pot, fill it with water, put it on the highest heat you got.When the water comes to a boil, add a couple tablespoons of salt (I use Kosher).Add your pasta. Cook until firm to the bite.When the pasta is done, drain, and put in a bowl.Drizzle with a little olive oil, and stir.Plate it up! Get a soup bowl, fill it about ¾ of the way with soup.Add some pasta to the soup.Top with grated/shaved Romano cheese, if you like, and…MANGIAMO!!!
Slim Man Cooks Broccoli and Peppers
[et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"]Broccoli and PeppersMy Dad didn’t like vegetables. I’d try to get him to eat a salad and he’d say, “I’m 86-years-old! I’ve made it this far without eating that shit, and I ain’t startin’ now!”He wasn’t a warm and fuzzy guy. He’d give it to you straight, right between the eyes. But when I put this sauce over pasta, he liked it, even though it’s vegan. If I had told him it was vegan, he would have dope-slapped me on the back of the head.This sauce is easy, quick, and delizioso. You can serve it as an appetizer with crusty bread, put it over rice or pizza, or make it with pasta, like I did for my grumpy pops.INGREDIENTS4 tablespoons olive oil6 cloves of garlic, sliced thin, about 2 tablespoonsCrushed red pepper (I start with a ¼ teaspoon)¼ dry white wine (be generous, Slim People!)1 orange bell pepper, seeds and stems removed, chopped1 red bell pepper the same way1 yellow bell pepper the same way4 cups broccoli florets¾ cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)HERE WE GO!Get a large sauté pan, put it over medium heat.Add the olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper, and cook for a few minutes until the garlic is pale gold.Add the white wine, turn up the heat, cook for a minute or two.Reduce the heat to medium.Add the bell peppers, cook for 5 minutes, or until semi-soft. Stir a couple times.Add the broccoli.Add the vegetable broth, turn the heat to high until it starts to bubble.Turn the heat back down to medium.Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, or until the broccoli is done to your liking.Taste for salt and pepper and adjust. MANGIAMO!!![/et_pb_text][et_pb_video admin_label="Video" src="https://youtu.be/oeqprO0zpzw" /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
Chicken and Eggplant Parmigiano
Chicken Eggplant ParmigianoWomen have helped me be more creative with my cooking.Not so much with the recipes, but with their peculiarities.For instance, Selma Krapoff, our Head of Slim Merch, is on a new kick. She wants protein with every meal. And nothing can be fried. Not even sautéed.So when I had a craving for eggplant Parmigiano, I had to get creative. I didn't want to cook two dishes. I racked my brain, what’s left of it. Then it hit me like a frying pan. Or maybe it was Selma who hit me with the frying pan. The light went on above my horsehead, and I knew what I had to do.I decided to make chicken and eggplant Parmigiano! Ain’t I smart? I did a layer of eggplant, a layer of broiled chicken breasts, and a layer of eggplant, instead of just three layers of eggplant.I put in the tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmigiano and basil with each layer, of course.Then I baked it for about 20 minutes.It was so good. Selma loved it.Then she yelled at me because she ate too much. She told me that if I didn’t cook stuff that tasted so good, she wouldn’t have to worry about getting fat.
Chicken and Eggplant ParmigianoYour breasts and the eggplant should be about the same size. So should the chicken breasts.I bought 2 chicken breasts and cut each in half horizontally, I had 4 cutlets about ½” thick. Then I cut them in half vertically, so I had 8 small cutlets about ½" thick.Then I sliced the eggplant into circular slices, about ½” thick.NOTE:You only have to broil the chicken for a couple minutes per side. It will bake with the eggplant for another 20 minutes in the oven, so you don’t have to worry about salmonella.I hope.Seriously, Slim People? Clean everything that touches raw chicken with warm, soapy water. Or a powerwasher.You gotta keep it clean.INGREDIENTS3 eggs3 cups panko breadcrumbs (or whatever breadcrumbs you like!)Salt and pepper2 medium eggplant, ends trimmed off, sliced into ½” circular slices
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound) each sliced in horizontally in half; you should have 4 cutlets about ½” thick. Cut each in half vertically, now you got 8 cutlets, each ½" thick, capisce?3 cups of tomato sauce (make your own, it’s so easy and takes just 25 minutes!)1 pound mozzarella, cut into circular slices1 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese¾ cup of fresh, clean basilHERE WE GO…Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.Put the eggs in a bowl (I used a glass pie dish), add salt and pepper, and mix ‘em up!Spread the breadcrumbs out on a large platter (I used another pie dish).Dip an eggplant slice in the egg, then press each side into the breadcrumbs.Place on a non-stick baking pan.Do this with all the eggplant slices.Put the pan in the oven on the second-lowest rack, let the eggplant cook on one side for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Flip each slice over and cook for another 12 minutes or so.Remove.Turn the oven to broil.Take a piece of chicken.Dip it into the egg.Then press each side into the breadcrumbs.Do this with all the chicken.Place it under the broiler, on the second rack. You don’t want it too close, or it will burn.After 2 minutes, or when golden brown, turn over.Cook on the other side for 2 minutes or until golden brown.Remove from the oven.Get a glass baking dish--I used an 9X13-inch dish.Put a layer of eggplant on the bottom.Add a cup of tomato sauce, spread it around evenly.Add ¼ cup of the basil, snip it with scissors evenly on top.Add 1/3 cup of Parmigiano, spread evenly.Add 1/3 cup of mozzarella slices, spread evenly.
Add a layer of chicken cutlets.Add a cup of tomato sauce.Add ¼ cup of basil, snipped on top.Add 1/3 cup Parmigiano.Add 1/3 cup of mozzarella.Here we go! Final layer!Add a layer of eggplant.Add a cup of tomato sauce.Add ¼ cup basil, snipped on top.Add 1/3 cup of Parmigiano.Add the final 1/3 cup of mozzarella.
Turn the oven to 350 degrees.Put the dish in the oven on the middle rack.Let the eggplant and chicken bake for 20 minutes.Put the oven on broil.Put the dish under the broiler FOR A MINUTE! Keep your eye on these guys, you want the cheese golden brown, not burnt!Remove from the broiler and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes.Then, cut it up, dish it out, maybe sprinkle a little freshly-grated Parmigiano on top of each serving, maybe garnish with a fresh basil leaf or two, and…
MANGIAMO!
Slim Man Cooks Baked Salmon with Pesto
Most women I know love salmon.I once went out with a woman who ate so much salmon, she started developing small gills behind her ears. Most women I know prefer to have things baked or broiled, rather than fried or sautéed.That’s OK. I’m a big admirer of women folk. I like to keep them happy. The world seems to work best that way.So if there are Lady People involved when I’m cooking, baked salmon is always a good bet.The thing about baked salmon is, it can get a little dry if you cook it too long. Don't overcook!Wild Alaskan King salmon is best, a nice thick piece. I found a nice piece of sockeye salmon at the local grocery (Ralph’s) for $7 a pound, and yes, it was wild.I baked it in the oven for about 8 minutes, took it out, put a little pesto and some toasted pine nuts (pignoli) on top and put it under the broiler for a minute or two, and it was…Delizioso.Keep in mind...Thicker fish take longer to cook.You don't need to toast your nuts for too long, they'll get another roasting when you stick them under the broiler.My pesto sauce has Parmigiano and romano cheese in it, and a lot of cooks frown upon putting cheese on fish.But what about the fish sandwich at McDonald’s? What about tuna casserole?Ingredients1 pound wild sockeye salmon filet, (the piece I used was about ¾ “ thick)1 tablespoon olive oilGlass baking dish Salt and freshly cracked black pepper.1 tablespoon Slim’s pesto (the video link to my recipe is down below)1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts (toast and shake in a dry pan over medium-high heat, don't burn your nuts!)Here we go…Heat oven to 425 degrees.Rinse the fish, and pat dry with paper towels.Put a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the baking dish.Put the fish in the dish, turn it over so each side gets a little olive oil.Put the skin side down, add salt and pepper to the top.
When the oven comes to temperature, place the fish on second lowest rack.Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until almost done (pink inside).Remove from oven.Turn the oven to broil.Spread the pesto evenly over fish.Top with the toasted pine nuts.Put the salmon under the broiler for a minute or two.Remove from oven.Dish it up! Make it look good. She’s a-so nice!MANGIAMO!Click on the pic to see the YouTube pesto video:
Slim Man Cooks Croutons
Slim Man Cooks Croutons
I know what you’re saying, Slim People. “I start making my own croutons, and pretty soon I’m making my own refrigerator. Where does it end?”Right here. These croutons take 5 minutes to make. That’s it. And they’re so good, you can eat them as is. Forget the salad. Eat the croutons!I don’t like store-bought croutons. They taste like chalk, and they’re so tough on the teeth it’s like eating a box of rocks.You could easily bust a bicuspid. Injure an incisor.So usually, when I make a salad, if I need some crunch, I’ll toast nuts instead.“Here’s to you, you nuts!”But when I was creating my incredibly incredible Hail Caesar salad, I needed croutons. My nuts were not cutting it. Caesar salad needs croutons, plain and simple.So I started my quest to make the best croutons in the world. I started with recipes that suggested using old, stale bread. I tried that. I wasn’t digging it. Old stale bread tastes…old and stale.So I said to myself…”Slim Poppa, Show Stoppa, why don’t you use fresh bread?”So I tried fresh bread. I used a half of a fresh sourdough baguette, and the croutons were…good.The next day I tried the day-old baguette, and they were even better.Slim CroutonsA couple days ago, I made croutons using half dark rye bread and half Italian bread. They were delicious and made a good-looking couple! Ebony and ivory!Whatever combination of bread you use, make sure you end up with 3 cups. Which should yield about…3 cups of croutons, if my math is correct.When I’m making croutons, I usually keep the spices to a minimum. Why? Because your salad dressing usually has a lot of stuff going on. For instance, in my Hail Caesar salad dressing, which has been hailed as the greatest in the world, I use garlic in the dressing.So I don’t want to use garlic when I’m making my croutons. It’s-a too much!A final note…you don’t need to add salt. Most bread already has salt in it. 
INGREDIENTS½ baguette (I used a day-old sourdough baguette) cut into cubes (about 3 cups)3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces¼ teaspoon dried oreganoFresh-cracked black pepper Here we go…Put a large sauté pan on medium-high heat.Add the butter.When the butter melts and starts to bubble, add the cubed bread.Sprinkle the oregano on the bread.Grind some fresh-cracked black pepper on the bread.Toss!Let them brown for about 2 minutes. Don’t be shaking 'em all around, let ‘em brown.Toss!Let them brown on the other side or another 2 minutes. Make sure each cube is getting toasted on each side. Show some love to both sides, Slim Folks!Remove from heat. 
That’s it!Sprinkle on top of your salad, and…MANGIAMO!