82: Lemon Pepper Crusted Turbot / Brussels Sprouts & Wild Mushrooms / Celery Root Puree

We went grocery shopping earlier today and the idea for this dinner just popper into my head when I saw the fish. I knew I wanted to create something with a seasonal flare.

Turbot fish is absolutely amazing. It’s a big time food fish because of its delicate flavor yet meaty texture. The local markets only seem to have it for a short time over the summer, but I was able to score a couple fresh filets this time of the year.  Fresh grated lemon zest and pepper make for the perfect seasoning on the fish.

I love the delicate flavors of root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips, and celery root. I recently had rockfish with a celery root puree, and I thought it was such a great pairing that I recreated that pairing here. Milk helps enhance the mellow but full flavor of celery root.

I needed to round everything out with other vegetables, and the nutty and earthy play of brussels sprouts and cremini mushrooms worked nicely with the inadvertent theme of the dish: familiar flavors in different presentations.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 turbot filets

1 celery root head, about one pound, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup diced onion

8 brussels sprouts quartered

3/4 cup wild mushrooms, chopped

1 large lemon

1 cup milk

1 cup water

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

The fish— Season the fish well with salt and pepper. Using a microplane zester, zest the lemon well over both sides of each filet until it looks lightly coated. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the filets to the pan for 4-5 minutes on each side. It’s a meatier fish that will hold up to a longer cook time in the pan.

The puree—Bring milk, water, and salt just to boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add celery root cubes and onions, and bring to a boil once more. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until very tender. Drain cooking liquid from celery root, and then puree celery root to desired consistency.  Adjust taste with salt and pepper as you like.

The vegetables—Heat olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan, and add brussels sprouts and mushrooms once oil is hot. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté the mixture for about 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!!

80: Will's Beef Stew

I don’t know why, but I had a serious craving for beef stew. Maybe I just wanted to do more slow cooking in December. It wasn’t cold, but I was determined to warm the house with delicious smells.

This stew is the ultimate winter season stew. I don’t use any flour or potatoes in the stew, so the sauce stays on the lighter side. I think the exclusion of flour and potatoes lets the natural flavors stand out. The addition of parsnips and fennel create a unique flavor base that is not typically found in traditional beef stew. The parsnips add a subtle sweetness, while the fennel adds that irresistible star anise flavor. I oven roasted sweet potato and green beans to go with this, but you could serve it with rice, or add potatoes to the stew for a more hearty profile.

Ingredients and Directions:

-1 pound stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

-1 cup onion, diced

-1 cup celery, diced

-1 cup parsnips, peeled and cubed

-1 cup fennel, diced

-1 cup carrots, diced

-1 cup dry red wine

-2 1/2 cups beef stock

-generous portion of chopped rosemary, thyme, and sage

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced thin

-good handful of green beans

-olive oil

-salt + pepper

The Stew: Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a Dutch oven. When it begins to smoke slightly, about 5 minutes, add the beef and brown very well. Add salt and pepper as you brown the meat. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon once the meat is browned.

Lower heat to medium, and add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel, and garlic with a good bit of salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the wine to deglaze bottom, and simmer mixture for about 5 minutes. Now add the beef, the beef stock, and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes. Add the parsnips, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes.

Veggies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange sweet potato and green beans on a dish, and toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast them in oven for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!

71: White Wine & Herb-Infused Chicken Noodle Soup

Yes, the unforgettable, the unmistakable and ever time-tested classic: Chicken Noodle Soup. This is my version, of course, with an updated flavor profile that will surely treat the senses. The woman and I had both recently been sick, and we were longing for the classic “I’m sick soup.” Taking a basic recipe, I update this classic with white wine and herbs.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb chicken breast, diced

1 large carrot, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 small fennel bulb, diced

1 small leek, diced

1 quart of chicken stock

1.5 cups egg noodles

1 cup of white wine

1 tbsp of minced rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley

1 tbsp of butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Chicken—Boil chicken in hot water for 10 minutes. This method allows the chicken to sweat out the impurities and mucus commonly found on chicken. Rinse with cold water in a colander. Set aside.

Broth—Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Lower heat to medium, toss in all veggies and half of the seasoning and herbs, and sauté this mixture for 15 minutes, stirring often to soften the mixture.  Adjust heat to medium high again, add in wine, and simmer for 10 minutes with the butter. Now add chicken stock, chicken, egg noddles, and remaining herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.

Enjoy!!

60: Herbed Pork Tenderloin / Tomato Fennel Sauce / Zucchini Coins

Two recipes posted in one night! Aren’t you lucky?

Simple, quick, and incredibly delicious! The sauce alone is out of this world. This is another one of those meals where I didn’t have to buy anything extra because I had all of these ingredients in my refrigerator. Pork filets are coated in fresh herbs with a tomato fennel sauce made complete with zucchini coins sautéed in oil and breadcrumbs. We drank Sebastani Chardonnay with this – toasted oak for smoke, citrusy, and crisp on the finish.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 pork filets (about 3/4 lb)

2 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and sliced

1/2 a fennel bulb, diced

1/2 an onion, diced

1/2 a zucchini, sliced

Small handful of breadcrumbs

1 tbsp each of fresh thyme and rosemary, minced (save some for garnish)

Splash of milk or cream

Olive oil

Salt and pepper (add to each component)

Pork—Coat filets in salt, pepper, and minced fresh herbs. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, and sauté filets for a total of 8-10 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Thicker cuts will require more cooking.

Tomato Fennel Sauce—Sauté onion and fennel over medium heat for about 7 minutes. Now add tomatoes and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. The sauce is ready for the food processor once the mixture has broken down in the pan and the tomatoes almost look mushy. Puree in food processor with a splash of cream or milk, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini—Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add zucchini and bread crumbs, and sauté mixture for 3-4 minutes.

Plate as you wish, garnish with remaining herbs, and enjoy!

58: Pesto Chicken Salad with Boiled Red Potatoes / Brussels Sprouts / Balsamic Vinegar

Lunch time! I often make salads for lunch, and here is a salad I made awhile ago. The weather must've been cooler, for this is a hearty salad. I had forgotten about it until I was cleaning up my blog pictures folder on my computer earlier today. I most likely made this post-workout one day.  At any rate, the pesto, boiled potatoes, brussels sprouts, and spinach round out this semi-rustic and earthy salad. You really could eat it any time of the year. Add some shredded parmesan to the top if you like.

Ingredients and Directions:

1/3 pound of chicken, diced

1/4 cup pesto sauce

2 red potatoes

4 brussels sprouts, sliced in half

Good handful of baby spinach
Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes whole in well salted water for about 15 minutes, drain. Let stand whole until ready to plate salad, which will help them keep cooking inside. Slice potatoes into quarters when you’re ready to plate.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add brussels sprouts and chicken with seasonings and cook for about 8 minutes, brussels sprouts cut side down in pan. Arrange brussels sprouts around chicken, which should be in the center of your pan.

Add raw spinach to a bowl – I start with raw greens because the heat of the cooked items will help naturally wilt the spinach after a couple minutes.

Now you’re ready to plate as everything comes to a finish. Two minutes prior to being done, arrange potatoes and sprouts (leaving chicken in pan) around the edge of the bowl, and add 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add pesto sauce to chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes to nicely coat the chicken. Add chicken to center of salad, and toss the salad to infuse all the flavors.

Enjoy!

56: Pan Seared Steelhead Salmon / Spicy Kale Salad with Fennel, Cremini, and Tomatoes

I miss cooking salmon. Amber is allergic to salmon, so I don’t buy it often. Lucky for me I picked up a pound of steelhead salmon at a great price from the butcher to eat as post-workout meals. Steelhead salmon has such a rich and fatty taste and texture that I didn’t want too much the taste, so I just added a little salt and pepper. The key to a good piece of salmon is how you cook it in a pan. I like to let the pan get really hot with no oil or butter in it, then add the oil, then add the fish. This method creates a nice and crispy skin within minutes, with just a gentle flip of the salmon on the other side to finish it off.

Kale is a super food, so I added some of my favorite veggies in cherry tomatoes, fennel, and cremini mushrooms to round out my salad. This meal could also serve as a light dinner, even though I had it for lunch.

Ingredients and Directions:

1/3 pound salmon filet, skin on

Handful of kale, shredded

Fennel, diced

Cremini mushrooms, diced

Spicy sesame oil

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the salmon: Heat pan for salmon on high heat for 3-5 minutes. Generally, I like to let it start smoking a little before adding olive oil. You can dust salmon in salt and pepper while waiting for the pan to warm up. Let the oil warm for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and add the salmon. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, flip, and turn off heat. This will create a medium rare salmon, so adjust cooking times as needed if you like your salmon cooked past medium rare.

For salad: Heat spicy sesame oil in a pan for a few minutes over medium heat. Sauté kale, fennel, and mushrooms with salt and pepper until kale wilts, about 4 minutes. I didn’t cook the tomatoes to add a bright contrasting flavor to the dish. Arrange your salad and fish on a plate.

Enjoy!

55: Grilled Roasemary & Oregano Laced Chicken / Ginger Caramelized Sweet Potato Cakes / Garlic Broccoli

Here is another dinner I was able to cook by simply taking stock of my refrigerator and pantry. I love meals like this because I don’t have to go out and buy anything, and I try to grill as much as possible when it’s nice enough to do so. Dinner was a little hands on because of the timing with starting the grill and cooking the sweet potatoes, but it should be relatively easy to replicate on your own. Plus, I got to use herbs from my garden. The interplay of texture and flavors works really well together in this dinner.

We drank a tempranillo with this meal because it pairs well with the herbs and bitter/sweet contrast of the broccoli and sweet potatoes. It’s also not too big a wine that it would overpower anything on the plate.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 chicken breasts

Rosemary and oregano, finely chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into spheres

Ginger

Sugar

6-8 broccoli florets, sliced in half

Olive Oil

1 large clove of garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

For the chicken: Very lightly coat the chicken in olive oil. Now dredge the chicken breasts through the herbs on one side only. Add salt and pepper. Firmly press herbs and seasoning into chicken breasts. If using a charcoal grill like me, I recommend starting your grill after you have prepared the chicken breasts. Grill chicken to desired doneness. I like to undercook chicken just a tad to keep it moist. I think the breasts took about 10 minutes on the grill.

For the sweet potatoes: Boil in salted water for about 10 minutes, drain. You want them firm but not mushy, since you’ll be finishing them in a pan. Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Sauté sweet potatoes for 5-7 minutes on each side. The trick to caramelization is to dust a healthy amount of sugar and ground ginger for each side of the sweet potatoes. Don’t forget salt and pepper. If they’re not turning black, or charred, turn up the heat and/or add more sugar. They should be crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

For broccoli: Pretty standard preparation. Heat some olive oil and sauté broccoli with garlic, salt, and pepper for 3-5 minutes. Arrange everything on a plate.

Enjoy!

54: My Blog's Top 10!

Here is the Top 10 as of June 2011, listed in order of the number of times it has been viewed.

1.       Braised Veal Chops with Root Vegetables
2.       Curry Goat Stew
3.       Filet Mignon with Mushroom Provencal over Fennel and Leek Puree
4.       Pan Roasted Pacific Cod with Wild Mushrooms and Zucchini Puree
5.       Mussels w/ Smoked Sausage and Fennel in Champagne Broth over Squid Ink Linguine
6.       Mussels in a Thai Style Coconut Curry Broth
7.       Braised Elk Meatballs with a Carrot and Thyme Torte and Broccoli
8.       Filet Mignon with Swiss Chard and Beet Puree in a Rosemary Balsamic Sauce
9.       Lamb Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in a Green Pepper-Tomato Sauce
10.   Braised Bison Short Ribs over Goat Cheese and Sage Polenta with Asparagus

I promised you I would write a recap of the first six months of this blog a few posts back. While I might still fall short of giving you the full recap, I thought I would use a post to talk a little bit more about the 10 most viewed recipes and some general background insight on why I created this blog.

I have cooked for many of you – my friends in different parts of this country, and you all have said one thing to me: Your food is good. My mom thinks I missed my calling as a chef, but I’m still waiting for her to give me the keys to her kitchen. My girlfriend says I have ruined food for her, but I counter that I have taught her how to taste it. With such things in mind, I created this blog in November of 2010 as a way to share my cooking. Food, after all, and the subsequent feelings of community and satisfaction, is designed to be shared. It’s also a way for me to gauge just how good a cook I am, for I have no formal training as a chef. I cook based on the tidbits I have picked up from working in restaurants, other people’s recipes, and my own understanding of how food works together. See my bio on the right as you scroll down for more information.

Something missing from this blog is comments on the recipes. I average 136 views a month, so people are viewing this blog – 956 views over the past 7 months as of this post. The blog is also viewed in different countries around the world, including but not limited to Russia, Australia, and Japan.

I hope that you will provide some feedback from this post as to what I can do to better engage my readers. I have included easy to use features such as rating my blog entries with one click (feature removed due to lack of use and ease to post comments. I don’t mind if they’re anonymous. I’m more concerned with what you think of my cooking. Is it good, is it easy to recreate from my instructions, what changes can be made to the blog itself to promote engagement – those are the elements I’m concerned with as I enter my 8^th month of having a food blog. Originally, I created this blog to share recipes with the occasional restaurant review, but I have since abandoned that formula and went simply with providing the recipe. The blog continues to be a work in progress.

48: Steamed Mussels / White Wine Garlic Broth / Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes / Capellini Pasta

Yum. You may notice that I cook back-to-back meals with mussels when I do cook mussels. This happens because I can’t turn down the affordability of fresh PEI mussels at $3/lb at Eastern Market. I usually pick up two pounds, and you must use mussels within a couple days before they lose flavor. Everybody must be in the mood for mussels because all three of my previous mussels recipes were viewed this weekend. You can't go wrong with mussels, especially when the weather warms up.

Tonight’s dinner features slow roasted cherry tomatoes with an elegantly simple white wine broth with butter and garlic. I steamed the mussels ahead of time in water, and then I removed them from their shells to make an easy-to-eat meal. Prep goes pretty quick with two people. The roasting of cherry tomatoes brings out their bright flavor and adds a distinct flavor. Plus, they help with texture. I roasted the tomatoes after breakfast because I knew I had a couple hours to kill. Capellini pasta is all I had on hand, and the lighter nature of the pasta pairs well with the overall delicate nature of the dish. Capellini also cooks rather quickly once in the water, about 3-4 minutes for al dente texture.

We drank a soave from Italy with dinner. Soave is an excellent warm weather white wine with its vibrant and citrusy appeal with a crisp finish.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb pound of mussels

Enough pasta for two people

1/4 cup shallot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 cherry tomatoes, halved and insides removed

2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped

1 cup dry white wine

1/4 stick of butter

Olive oil

1 lemon wedge

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly toss tomatoes in olive oil, and then lay them out in a single layer in a baking dish with the open part facing up. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast in oven for 2-2.5 hours. You want them to be really wrinkled looking but not burnt. Let cool and store at room temperature until ready for us. You could make a huge batch of these for future use as they keep incredibly well.

Soak mussels in cold water for 10 minutes, rinse and repeat. Discard open mussels as these are dead. Quick tip: Tap mussels to see if they will close. They are still alive and good to use if they close. Yes, the living mussels with close their shells when tapped. Pretty cool, I know. Anyways, boil 1 cup of water in a pan to steam the mussels. Drain mussels and add to pan when water is boiling, and then place the cover on for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, start water for pasta, and cook according to package. Remove mussels from heat, and then remove them from their shells, set aside. Discard shells. Dump out the water from the pan, but don’t wipe it clean.

Add butter to the pan you cooked the mussels in and cook over medium heat. Let butter melt and cook for additional minute. Now add the garlic and onion, and sauté until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add white wine and reduce by half, about 5 minutes, by cooking on high heat. Zest the lemon wedge into the white wine. Add mussels and cherry tomatoes to this broth and cook for 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Plate your food and garnish with fresh basil and fresh squeezed lemon from the wedge.

Enjoy!

47: Steamed Mussels / Thai Coconut Curry Broth / Lemongrass & Kaffir Lime / Jasmine Rice

Here’s another installment of cooking outside the box of my normal heavily French- and Italian-influenced American style. The deep, rich, awesomely good mushroom taste and texture of mussels is contrasted against a well balanced sweet and spicy coconut curry broth. The broth is elevated by lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The citrus element of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves tantalize the palate and add an amazing aromatic flare to this dish, while fragrant jasmine rice adds to the olfactory delight. What about the texture you say? Jasmine rice takes care of that with its natural grain state as well as a nutty flavor.

I couldn’t quite get away from the French influence, for we drank a vouvray with dinner. Vouvray is a common French white wine with fantastic minerality, or stone-like qualities, and citrusy flavors that allow the wine to complement the nutty nature of jasmine rice and tart fruit infused broth.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb of mussels, cleaned and debearded

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 chili pepper, finely chopped (can substitute good pinch of chili flakes)

2 teaspoons of ginger powder

1 tablespoon of curry powder

1/4 cup of chicken broth

1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 a stalk of lemongrass, minced

2 kaffir lime leaves (can substitute juice of 1 lime)

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice (prepare according to package)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Place your debearded mussels (Googling it will save some page space here) in a bowl of cold water. Tap the shell of mussels with your fingernail if they are open. If they close, they are still alive and thus good for use. Discard if it does not close after tapping because it is already dead. Let them sit for 10 minutes, drain and repeat soaking. This process allows for the mussels to “spit out” dirt or mud inside them. Keep in cold water until ready for use. Hopefully you have started your rice before re-soaking the mussels. The rice should take about 18-20 minutes in a rice cooker.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté onions with pinch of salt and pepper until they become soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t forget to stir occasionally or the onions will burn. Now add the chili pepper, ginger, and curry powder and mix into onions to cook for one 1-2 minutes to release aromatics.

Add the chicken broth and reduce by half, 2-3 minutes. Now add the coconut milk, another pinch of salt, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and bring to a boil. Drain the mussels while waiting for a boil, and add the mussels once drained. Reduce heat to medium and cover with a tight fitting lid to steam the mussels for 6-7 minutes until. Discard any that don’t open during steaming process. Spoon mussels into bowls over rice, pour some broth over the dish, and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy!

45: Carrot Soup w/ Curry & Ginger

It’s pouring rain in DC with wind gusts up to 60mph, so I did my thing with another soup while Mother Nature did her thing outside. Truth is, I received a pound of carrots in my farm club delivery this week, and I had just bought a bag of carrots earlier this week. I now have two quarts of soup in my refrigerator, this soup and the roasted butternut squash soup from yesterday (see next post down).

This is quick (with a food processor), delicious and incredibly healthy. Carrots are one of those super foods you hear people talk about. They are rich in beta-carotene for the eyes, help keep the arteries clear and are also considered an anti-cancer food. Yup, start eating more carrots. I heaped two tablespoons of curry powder in this, and I think it was a tablespoon too many. Still, there was a nice balance of flavors, and I garnished the soup bowl with a little bit of greek yogurt. The yogurt helps with the spiciness. 

Ingredients and Directions:

1.5 lbs of carrots, diced

1 liter of veggie stock (can sub chicken stock)

1 medium onion, diced

1 tbsp of curry powder

1 tbsp of ginger powder

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp of parsley, minced

Olive oil

Salt to taste

Rev up that food processor! It will make the prep goes much quicker. Heat olive oil over medium heat, and then sauté the onions for 5-7 minutes once the oil is heated.  Add the spices, cook for a couple minutes to meld the flavors. Now add the carrots and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, and puree until creamy with a hand blender. Add salt as necessary at end to bring out flavors.

Enjoy!

44: Roasted Butternet Squash Soup

This is the 44^th recipe I have shared with you! It’s hard to believe I have made that many different things in just a few short months. Check out the blog archive on the right side, just below the top recipes, for a month-by-month archive of the recipes.

I originally wanted to make something President Obama would eat as my 44^th recipe. He’s the 44^th president, get it? Yes, I’m a dork like that. While I think he would eat this soup, I was going to make something more along the lines of his guilty pleasure food such as a burger and fries. C’est la vie.

My farm club, Arganica, sent me butternut squash as part of this week’s delivery. I decided to do something fairly quick and easy that I could enjoy more than once with it. Here we have a soup that I didn’t do too much to in order to preserve the delightful flavor of the squash. There are many ways to make this soup that would have required much more time, but I think this came out rather nicely. Roasting the squash adds depth to the flavor. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients and Directions:

1 two or three pound butternut squash, halved

1 large onion, diced

3 cups of chicken stock

2 tbs of chopped sage

1/4 stick of butter

2 tbs of olive oil

Nutmeg and/or cinnamon to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast halved squash flesh side up for one hour. Scoop out seeds and discard when roasting is complete. Spoon out the pulp of the squash into a bowl, set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil and butter on medium heat. Add onions and sage after butter has melted, reduce heat to low. Stir often until onions become translucent, a good 10 minutes. Now add the stock and squash pulp, bring to a boil, and cook for a few minutes to meld the flavors. I used a hand blender to puree my soup in the same pot. Reduce heat to low and puree to your liking. Now adjust seasoning with nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper to balance the flavor out. It will probably be a little starchy tasting before you add any seasoning. Garnish with minced sage or a dollop of mascarpone cheese.  Serve warm.

Note: The soup will thicken while refrigerated, so you may need to add a little water when/if reheating the soup.

42: Chicken & Asparagus / Lemon Tarragon Sauce / Basil Infused Couscous

Describe this meal in four words: Simple, elegant, delicious, and light. I’m not the biggest fan of chicken, but the chicken comes out tantalizingly moist. The basil infused couscous comes out pretty strong, but adds a nice herbaceous element to the dish. The white wine sauce proudly exhibits lemon and tarragon in a manner that pairs well with shallots and asparagus.  I don’t think the gruyere adds much to this because it was plenty delicious before I remembered to top it with cheese – your choice. Don’t you love freedom? This is my attempt to will spring to come sooner.

Drink with a French chardonnay.

Ingredients and Directions:

For chicken and sauce-

2 chicken breasts, about one pound

1 cup asparagus, cut in one inch pieces

2/3 cup chicken broth

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup shredded gruyere (optional)

Flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

For couscous-

1.5 cups pearl couscous

1.5 cups water

2 tablespoons basil powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

Lightly cover chicken breasts in salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge each breast through flour, shaking off excess.

Boil one inch of water in a small pot. Add asparagus, cover, and steam for three minutes. Drain, set aside. While waiting for water to boil, whisk chicken broth and a good pinch of flour in a small bowl until smooth, set aside.

Heat oil in large saucepan for chicken over medium heat as well as boil all the ingredients for the couscous. Add chicken to pan, cooking each side until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Reduce couscous to medium and simmer uncovered for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan when done, cover and keep warm. Remove couscous from heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.

Now add shallots, wine, and broth mixture to the pan that had the chicken. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in sour cream, tarragon, and lemon juice. Add chicken back to the pan, turning to coat in sauce, cover and cook on medium low heat for 4-5 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken on a plate with a slotted spoon. Garnish with cheese if you like.

Enjoy!

37: Roasted Pacific Cod / Wild Mushrooms / Zucchini Puree

One of my favorite neighborhood stores, P & C Market, had a freezer sale recently, where everything was 50% off in order to defrost the freezer for restocking its seasonal selection. I scored a bag of Wild Alaskan Cod and Wild Alaskan Salmon as well as some foie gras. They also have a great wine selection at this store. This is a store where I usually peruse the entire selection before buying anything because I never know what they’ll have in their cases. I usually end up with more than what I was shopping for because the selection is that much fun. Anyways, the cod gave me an idea for a tasty plate of food.

Cod is mild, moist, and flaky – a versatile white fish that can be made with many recipes. I had some zucchini and wild mushrooms in the refrigerator, and this meal is what I ended up making. Zucchini is a savory vegetable full of vitamins, and the intensely woody combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms round out an earthy dish. The crisp texture of the outside of the fish provides a nice contrast to the soft vegetables. I add very little seasoning to let the natural flavors stand out.

I normally cook for two, but I was only cooking for myself this time around. You can easily multiply the ingredients if you decide to make it for more than just one person. In fact, I would probably triple the vegetable amounts. Try this; I think you will like it.

Still to come: Basil-Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients and Directions:

5 oz cod filet

1/8 cup flour

1/2 a zucchini, chopped

1/3 cup wild mushrooms, chopped

Olive oil

Butter (optional)

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder (optional)

Boil zucchini in water for 10 minutes. Test it with a fork to make sure it’s almost mushy. Dredge fish in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Drain zucchini from water and add back to pot on low heat for 1-2 minutes to evaporate any water residue. Turn off the heat , and now heat one tablespoon of oil each in two separate pans over medium heat. Add less than a tablespoon of butter to pan for mushrooms. Season the zucchini with salt, pepper, and optional garlic powder. Start pureeing the zucchini with either a hand blender or food processor while the oil and butter heat up. Add fish and mushrooms to the pans and season accordingly. Cook fish for 4-5 minutes on each side. Reduce heat on mushrooms to low after adding them to the pan. Continue pureeing zucchini to desired consistency, and cover to keep warm while everything else cooks. Arrange your food on a plate when fish is done.

Enjoy!

36: Elk "Steak" / Relish of Leeks, Wild Mushrooms & Zucchini / Sweet Potato Fries

My plan was to make elk burgers with an onion and roasted garlic mayonnaise, but I didn’t have enough garlic, onion, or buns. Instead I made “steaks” from ground elk with a relish of leeks, wild mushrooms, and zucchini, topped with aged white cheddar, made complete with sweet potato fries – all ingredients I already had in my refrigerator.

Elk is low in fat, calories, and cholesterol, while being high in protein and richer in flavor than beef. The texture is also heartier than beef. I’m happy to see different meats I cook are so popular on this blog. A quick peek at the Popular Posts section on the right side of this blog reveals that the veal chops and goat recipe are very popular. In fact, both recipes have been on the top since I posted them – that’s out of over 30 meals I’ve posted on here.

These elk “steaks” were admittedly pretty big once they cooked. I should’ve made three patties, but I went with two because we were pretty hungry. I was thinking they would shrink down a little when cooked, but they actually plumped up. The savory “steak” is a nice contrast with the heavenly sweetness of sweet potato – one of my favorite vegetables, along with kale.

By the way, I get all my “exotic” meats through my farm club, Arganica Farm Club. Check your local farmer’s market as well. Try these elk meatballs braised in red wine sauce as well.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb ground elk, room temperature (or actual elk steaks if you can find them)

1 leek, diced

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced for fries

1/2 cup wild mushrooms, diced (I used creminis and shiitakes)

1/4 cup zucchini, diced

2 slices aged white cheddar, room temperature

1 tbs each of basil, mint, and parsley

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine elk and herbs with about a tablespoon each of salt and pepper, and use your hands to mix together well. Form patties as big or as small as you like. Arrange sweet potatoes in an oven safe dish with a light coat of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking process.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add leeks to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oil to a cast iron plate over medium high heat while the leeks are cooking. Add mushrooms and zucchini to leeks, reduce heat to low, season, and sauté for the duration you cook the elk, stirring occasionally and adjusting seasoning as you like. Add elk to the cast iron plate, and cook to desired doneness. I cooked the elk for about 7-8 minutes on each side, plus 2 minutes in the oven to melt the cheese on top, giving it a nice medium profile. Fries should be done at the same time you are ready to transfer elk to melt the cheese. Remove fries to cool while melting cheese in the oven. Add vegetable relish to your steak when cheese is melted to your liking.

Enjoy!

34: Crispy Whole Trout / Herbal Tomato & Zucchini Relish

Here we have another installment from Jessica Strand’s Cooking for Two: Perfect Meals for Pairs. We found this to be incredibly delicious, and the herbal tomato and zucchini relish is bursting with flavor. Rainbow trout is a light and delicate freshwater fish. Head to the market and ask for a pound of trout, or two trout, left whole but cleaned and gutted. There is a fair amount of prep involved, yet it goes pretty quick. Dinner will be ready in under an hour. The crispy skin of the pan roasted trout provides a nice texture against the fresh-tasting relish. I diced fresh tomatoes to go with this, but the recipe calls for sliced cherry tomatoes. Be sure that your tomatoes and zucchini are at room temperature, or the relish will make for eating cold fish. Enjoy this treat with a light pinot noir or citrus-y, medium bodied white wine.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 whole trout, equaling 1 lb, cleaned and gutted

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/3 of a large zucchini, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion

1/2 a tablespoon each of finely chopped basil, mint, parsley, and thyme

1/2 cup of flour

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Butter

Salt and pepper

Combine veggies and herbs with one tablespoon each of olive and balsamic, and toss the mixture well. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Spread out the flour on a cutting board, and mix it with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a ¼ cup olive oil with a spoonful of butter over medium-high heat in a 12 inch pan, preferably cast iron. Dredge the trout in the flour really well while the oil and butter heat up. Pan fry the trout for 3-4 minutes per side. Spoon the relish over your fish.

Enjoy!

33: Oven Steamed Chicken / Seasonal Root Vegetables

Quick, simple, delicious, and good for you! This tantalizing dish is something I make for post-workout meals. I obviously don’t make this much for just myself, but I doubled the recipe to make it for us for dinner the other night. Oven roasting all the ingredients lets the natural flavors really standout. The sweet potatoes are a nice contrast with the slightly tangy white onion, earthy kale, and slightly woody carrot. The chicken with lemon slices provides the finishing touch.  No herbs necessary. Try this and cook it often. You will not be disappointed.

Ingredients and Directions:

¾ lb chicken breast, cut in strips lengthwise (6 strips)

1 ½ cup kale, coarsely chopped

12 baby carrots, sliced

½ a onion, sliced

8 thin slices of a lemon

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large garlic clove, minced (optional)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss all ingredients in olive oil. Arrange sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic on the bottom of a pan. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add kale over this mixture, and arrange chicken over the kale. Season with salt and pepper once more, and add lemon slices to the top of the chicken. Cover with foil, poking a few holes for ventilation, and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

31: Swordfish Salad / Arugula / Tomatoes / Bacon / Olive Oil & Balsamic Dressing

I made this salad after a workout last week, and I decided to make it again today because it was just that good. This is a simple and hearty salad. It’s also versatile as you could swap any number of ingredients in/out, and it would probably still be good.

I chose swordfish because I like meatier white fishes with flavor, and the price couldn’t be beat at the market. You probably see a lot of salmon and tuna salads for the same reason I like swordfish on mine. Light fishes don’t work as well, in my opinion. I added crispy bacon bits because I just ran five miles, and I thought I would treat myself. It’s good to do that every once in a while. Plus, I think pork makes everything better. The fresh tomatoes provide a nice contrast to the cooked fish, and the crumbled pita chips provide a little texture. You could also sub any kind of nut for the pita chips for the same effect. Get creative with it!

Ingredients and Directions:

¼ lb swordfish, cubed (I bought a pound and cut 4 portions)

2 good handfuls of arugula

1 tomato, cut in eighths

1 strip of bacon (optional)

3 wholegrain pita chips, crumbled

Olive oil

¼ of a lemon

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Cut a piece of bacon in half, and cook over medium heat until crispy (about 5 minutes) in an eight inch pan. Wrap bacon in a paper towel, and use another paper towel to wipe the grease and pan clean. Break bacon into small pieces when cooled off.

Season swordfish with salt and pepper, and pat the seasoning into the skin. Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat in the same pan the bacon was cooked in. The pan should still be hot, so the oil will only need about 30 seconds to warm up. Cook swordfish for 2-3 minutes per side.

Place arugula in a bowl, add fish to the center, arrange tomatoes around the fish, and add the pita chips and bacon bits now. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to salad, drizzle olive oil and balsamic over the top, and squeeze the lemon over the whole dish.

Enjoy!

30: Light & Creamy Fish Chowder / Toasted Baguette

Here is another recipe from the Cooking for Two cook book my friend gave me for my birthday. You can read about the book here in the intro paragraph of my last recipe. This dish is light and creamy, and the saffron gives it a nice twist. Saffron is considered the world’s most expensive spice because of the labor that goes into producing a packet you can buy at the store. It can be purchased at any grocery store in the spice section. It’s not cheap (around $20), but it goes a long way.

The recipe, which is the 30^th recipe I’ve shared with you, is ready to eat in under an hour, including prep. The recipe calls for a firm white fish, and I just happened to have some swordfish chunks on hand. You could use halibut or cod as well. Swordfish is a meaty and full flavored, yet not fishy, piece of fish. This is a good time to try it if you haven’t before – try shark, too, if you haven’t yet. In Italian cooking, the “Holy Trinity” is carrots, celery, and onion. The “Holy Trinity” is the base for many soups and sauces. My “Holy Trinity” is carrots, fennel, and leeks, and, wow, this comes out incredibly delectable. Toast a baguette to go nicely with this chowder.

Ingredients and Directions:

¾ lb swordfish, ½ inch cubes

2 slices thick bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium fennel bulb – halved, cored, and diced

1 medium carrot, minced

1 leek, cleaned well and coarsely chopped

¼ cup heavy cream

3 cups fish stock

Saffron

Baguette, sliced in half, lightly covered in olive oil

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Parsley, minced for garnish

Cook bacon until crispy over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Transfer bacon to paper towel to drain. Pour off the bacon grease, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. The oil won’t take long to heat because the pan will be warm already. Add my Holy Trinity to the pan, with decent pinches of salt and pepper, and cook for about 8 minutes. Add fish stock and saffron threads. Preheat your broiler for the baguette. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Now stir in the cream and bacon, and simmer for a few minutes. Add fish to the pan, season with salt and pepper once more, and cook for another 10 minutes. Toast your baguette in the broiler for a few minutes per side. Ladle chowder into bowls and garnish.

Enjoy!

27: Curry Goat Stew

I love goat meat. I picked up some goat meat cut for stews from my farm club, Arganica. Goat meat is very popular in Africa, Jamaica, and the Caribbean. It’s similar to lamb, and it’s a little stringier in texture. Goat is also lower in fat than chicken and higher in protein than beef. In other words, start eating more goat!

This recipe draws on some West African influence in my quest to cook more outside my box of New American cuisine. I served it over rice, but you could probably find some nice roti bread to go with this. Ask your butcher to cut the goat meat into cubes for a stew.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb goat meat

1 lemon

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

1 medium onion, diced

Curry powder

Cayenne pepper (or paprika)

Allspice

1.5 cups beef stock (I used a bouillon cube)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Rice

Season the meat with a healthy amount of curry powder, juice of one lemon, and salt and pepper. Let it marinade for at least one hour. In a sauce pot, lightly brown the meat with olive oil. Now add in the carrots and onions, and cook until onions are wilted. Pour in the stock, more curry powder, and a healthy pinch of cayenne pepper and allspice. How much curry powder you add to the sauce will determine how spicy you want the dish to be. Bring dish to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 90 minutes. Cook rice according to package.

Serve and enjoy!