Post #103 ~ Mussels with Tomatoes, Fennel and Caramelized Shallots

As you might have noticed, it's been a while since my last post.  Actually, it was a while since the post before that one, too.  In truth, this final semester has been a really busy one for me (as well it should be, seeing as it's my last!).  In the past four months, I've conducted a study, assisted in a study, compiled date from my own study, analyzed said data and written a dissertation.  I'm defending May 2 and walking May 11.  I can't believe how quickly it's all gone!

So, in sum, I've still been cooking, but not blogging about it quite as much.  Tonight I really felt like returning to basics and cooking a favorite meal (but with a twist) and writing a post.  For those of you who know my blog, you realize that this means a post about insalate caprese, ratatouille or mussels, and hopefully by now you know the theme of tonight's dinner.

I was researching some different ways to make mussels, and happened upon an ingredient I had never before considered: Fennel.  I don't have a ton of familiarity with fennel, outside of the rogue seed that appears on a slice of pepperoni pizza, or the anise-flavored cookies I binge on at least once every other Christmas.

But I had seen and heard great things from my favorite chefs on my favorite cooking shows, so I decided it was high time I dallied with this flavorful bulb.  So here's what you'll need for tonight's meal:

~ Mussels (between 15 mussels - about 2/3 pound - and one pound, depending on your appetite)
~ 1 shallot (sweeter than onion, IMO)
~ 2 cloves garlic, crushed
~ 3 roma tomatoes
~ 1 bulb fennel (although I only used about 1/3 of it)
~ Fresh parsley (although many other herbs would have worked well)
~ Dry white wine
~ Coarse-ground sea salt
~ EVOO
~ Baguette

I started some EVOO smoking in a pan, and tossed in the sliced shallot to caramelize, tossing it once as I sliced everything else.  Next, I sliced the fennel.  Once knife slice told me I was making a good decision, as a spicy, familiar-yet-new aroma filled the air.  Into the pan it went, and the aromas only got better as it joined the sweet, savory scent of the caramelized shallot.  Things were heating up rather quickly, so I added some white wine.  There was lots of steam, so I stepped back and added more gradually, eventually equalling about a cup.  Next went the romas, coarsely chopped.  I added some parsley at this point, as well as some salt.  I turned up the heat and let them really cook.  I crushed in two cloves of garlic and added more parsley, and savored the aromas.  After rinsing the mussels, I slid them into the pan and covered the whole deal.  I let it simmer for 4 minutes, my usual time for cooking mussels.

In the mean time, I did useful things like put dishes in the sink, ingredients back in the fridge, sliced the bread and poured and sampled the wine.  All was well in the world.  After 4 minutes, I put the mussels into a bowl and grabbed the plate with the bread.  I was halfway into the livingroom when I swear I could hear Mireille Guiliano (see #17) yelling at me all the way from France.  So I set myself down at my kitchen table and really enjoyed the meal.  I mean, as I've said before, this is a meal for which you should eschew napkins in favor of a towel.  Hands and bread are the utensils here, with a fork at the ready as a last resort (or to avoid burned fingers).  The resulting broth was tremendously flavorful, and there was plenty of it and the other ingredients to compliment the mussels.

The fennel was amazing.  It kept a crunchiness to it, but was cooked to a satisfying done-ness.  It added an intensely spicy (as in aromatic, rather than "hot") dimension to the meal and complemented the bright, biteyness of the parsley and the acidic flavor of the romas beautifully.  The wine I chose for cooking and drinking was a Romanian Pinot Grigio by Dreambird.  It was citrussy with a nice balance of mineral.  It complemented this seafood dish like a fresh squeeze of lemon compliments a fillet of haddock.

All in all, an immensely satisfying meal.

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Post #102 ~ Quick and Savory Onion Soup

It all started with my mother putting some weekend leftovers in a bag for me to take with me this week.  As usual, she was finding lots of other things to squirrel away in my tote.  She's a good mama.  So I had only one reply in mind when she held up a handful of onions and said, "Want some of these?"

Sure!

Upon arriving back at my apartment, I noticed that I had about six baby heirloom tomatoes left in my crisper which were starting to look sad and wrinkly.  They were good for tossing or stewing, and I can't bear to toss food. In fact, I find it kind of a fun game to see what meals I can throw together using a few of these and a little of that - stuff that would be thrown out but could also come together to make a meal or two.

And so, the onion gift and sad little tomatoes were an inspiration for me to throw together a quick soup for lunch today (and a second bowl for later this week!).  So this could be a quick meal for two, or... two quick meals.  Or the title of a very strange children's book.

Here's what you'll need:

~ One cooking onion
~ Several sad little heirloom tomatoes
~ Two or three cloves garlic
~ Splash (or two) of whatever red wine you have lying around.  I'm fairly sure white would have worked fine, too.
~ Four beef bullion (more or less, according to your taste)
~ One bay leaf and random herbs on hand (I used dried oregano and basil)
~ Tsp sugar
~ Tbs or so EVOO
~ Coarse ground sea salt

I used a medium sauce pan, even though I'm fairly sure it's not normally conducive to soup.  I was only making a small batch, anyway, and I think the expanded surface area helped it to cook quickly.  I halved the baby heirlooms and diced up the onion, and tossed them into the pan with some EVOO and salt.  I let them sauté away before adding some sugar and letting them caramelize.  While they were cooking, I boiled two cups of water and poured it over the bullion and bay leaf in a separate cup.

I chopped up the garlic and added that to the onion and tomato.  By now, things were starting to smell super good.  I added the wine and then the broth.  I sprinkled some herbs over all and let the soup simmer away, stirring here and there, for about 15 minutes as I ran around tidying my apartment.  Then I spread some bread with some leftover hummus (about a tablespoon full that I had saved with the hopes of using it for something later!).  I popped the bread in the toaster oven as I turned off the heat on the soup.

When the toast was done, I ladled some soup into a bowl and enjoyed the meal that came from leftover ingredients!  And there's more for this week!

Yours in the love of good food and the "waste not, want not" mantra I grew up with,
AL


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninety-Ninth Post (One more!) ~ Cooking with Lentils

This past week, I was on a cruise with my family in the Caribbean to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday.  I've got to say, all the good food made me really miss blogging.

Don't get me wrong - I've been cooking and eating LOTS of good food over the last few months - I just haven't been blogging as much as I'd like.  Hopefully, that shall change.

Certainly the inspiration to reach 100 posts will help nudge me!

So, while we were on this cruise, I ordered a phenomenal pork roast dinner.  The pork was fork-tender.  The bread was crackle-perfect and the wine robust.  But what really stole the show for me (I'm sure to the chef's chagrin, should he have known) were the perfect little lentils spread under the roast.  I was immediately reminded of how much I love these little beans.  Perhaps it's because they're tied to a memory.

When I was a junior in college, I had a schedule during the winter months that allowed me to take a morning class and then drive back to my apartment for a breather before heading off to night classes.  I had, if I recall, about an hour and a half total for a break.  I'd throw my bags on the floor, take off my shoes, and prepare a hot lunch.  More often than not, it was a bowl of Campbell's soup (I wasn't such a cook back then).  One of my favorites was lentil soup.  I'd line up a re-run episode of Frasier on my DVR, sit with a heating pad on my back to relieve the chill and eat hot soup, relish in a good laugh, and, though I didn't know it at the time, build memories of my very first apartment and independent young adulthood, memories that will stay with me, steeped in nostalgia, forever.

So as I tasted the lentils, these memories came to me, and I told them to my family.  We talked about how food can be so closely tied to memories, and I resolved myself to return home and blog the very first meal I cooked.

Which happened to be lentil soup.

About which I knew absolutely nothing.

So I hit up AllRecipes, and came across this one.  I decided that my first foray into lentils would be well-instructed.  If this venture went well, I'd continue on unassisted.  One of my favorite aspects of soup is that it can be (and in my and my mother's opinions, SHOULD be) a laissez-faire kind of thing.  I decided to alter the ingredients a little to make it a bit more "throw-in-a-pot-and-walk-away."

Here's what you'll need (and as you can see, I followed the original recipe very closely but with a few substitutions in method - I'm not trying to pass this recipe off as my own!):

~ 1 (12 oz.) bag Wegmans pre-cut, pre-washed course mirepoix 
~ 1/4 cup EVOO
~ 2 cloves chopped garlic (although I think I'd press it next time)
~ 1 tsp each dried basil and oregano
~ 2 bay leaves
~ 1 (14.5 oz.) can tomatoes in whatever form you can find them in (I ultimately found "diced in juice")
~ 2 cups dried lentils
~ 8 cups water
~ good handful baby spinach, rinsed but not cut
~ splash red wine
~ fresh oregano
~ salt

I pre-measured everything before I even turned on the pot.  Doing so makes for faster dump-and-go soup-making.  While the original recipe calls for chopping onions, carrots and celery, I decided to cheat with the pre-made mirepoix.  I started the EVOO simmering and dumped in the whole bag.  I let it cook until the onions were nearly translucent, then added the garlic and the herbs (and wow, did THAT smell good!).  I added a good amount of salt at this point.  I let it cook the recommended 2 minutes, and added the tomatoes, lentils and water.  I walked away for an hour and change, coming back to stir it occasionally and take in the fantastic aromas.

Finally, I turned off the heat and let it sit for about an hour until I was ready to eat.  I turned it back on and added the final ingredients.  The original recipe calls for vinegar.  In my opinion, wine just makes me happier than vinegar.  Unless we're pouring it over curly-cue french fries.  So I added a splash of the Carmenere I got for this meal.  The recipe also calls for sliced spinach, but I opted to go for baby leaves so I wouldn't have to do anything to them.

I let the soup bubble for a few minutes while I changed into my PJs and poured the wine (mine is a comfortable household).  I ladled the soup into my bowl and topped it with a bit of fresh oregano.  Then, I grabbed my soup, grabbed a crusty rosemary roll from Wegman's bakery to go with it and grabbed my glass of Carmenere and sat down to enjoy.

This Chilean wine, by Arboleda, was on sale at the wine shop right around the corner from my old apartment (see?  I told you I was feeling nostalgic!).  It's full, ripe, rustic, and steeped in berry flavor.  It made a fine companion to this meal.

The soup also did not disappoint.  The lentils were tender and flavorful, the vegetables were perfectly cooked, and the fresh oregano gave a punch of bright flavor to the stewed ingredients.  I feel as though I may have found a new favorite bean!  Versatile enough to be a side or a main course (as well as being healthy AND inexpensive), this is not the last you shall read of lentils from THIS accidental chef!

Yours in the love of good food, wine, and nostalgia,
AL


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninety-Seventh Post ~ Hearty Tomato Vegetable Soup

Today's high was 63 degrees, and I was in heaven in my jeans and hoodie.  I'm what you might call an "Autumn-Winter" person, and today's weather made me feel the change of the seasons and rejoice with it.

And what better way to rejoice than through cooking?

I decided to make a pot of vegetable soup to enjoy throughout the week.  With that decision in mind, I went a little nuts in Wegman's produce department.  Here's what I got, but you can choose any veggies you wish!

~ Carrots, onion and celery (for the classic mirepoix base that my family seems to gravitate toward for all things soup)
~ Acorn squash (if Autumn were a veggie, this would be it)
~ Portobello mushroom (for the sheer sake that I've never cooked with one before)
~ Largish tomato
~ Zucchini (locally grown, of course)
~ Handful leftover fingerling potatoes
~ Fresh herbs (rosemary, sage and oregano - As Wegmans didn't stock any, I found myself giggling over the pun-ready thought, "Why, I won't have any THYME this week!")
~ Four beef bullion
~ Dash white wine
~ Sprinkling of white pepper
~ One clove garlic, coarsely chopped
~ ...And one mystery ingredient which shall be exposed later

So I went home and set to merrily chopping my veggies.  I had about a half-pot full of water (my traditional dutch oven in which I make all my soup) boiling at this time, and into the pot went the coarsely chopped celery, onion and carrots, soon to be joined by the dash white wine and herbs.  Next went some fingerlings.

I pierced the squash and microwaved it for one minute to make slicing it easier.  Then I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, and cubed it and tossed it in the pot, skin and all.

Next went the portobello, the zucchini and the tomato, skin on as well.  After that went the garlic and the pepper.  By now, things were starting to smell real good.  The problem was that it was tasting a bit bland.  I added some beef bullion and a bit more salt, but to no avail.  Just at that moment, my mama called.

: : PAUSE : :

Somewhere in our ancient history as humans, mothers leaned with their daughters over the crude vessels they had fashioned to hold the night's stewed offerings, whispering to them that if they just added a pinch more of that, or a dash more of this, it just might be a bit more like they remembered it from their childhoods.

Truly, life has changed little since then.  I cheerfully announced that I was making a stab at vegetable soup for the first time, and my mother suggested...

Spaghetti sauce.

Seriously.  I was a little befuddled too.  "Or," she said, "I would add V8 juice to our vegetable soup.  That's what gave it that kick you liked."

So THAT'S why the V8 juice would show up in our cart when I would join my mother for trips to the store.  God knows I'd never DRINK the stuff...

: : UNPAUSE : :

So since I didn't have any V8 juice around, I thawed out a frozen third of a jar of Wegman's spaghetti sauce from the freezer and dumped it in.  The soup slowly took on a more minestrone appearance and smell and - yep - it started to smell more familiar.

(I peeked at the ingredients, and aside from the olive oil, all of the ingredients in the spaghetti sauce were ones I had added already - onion, tomato, salt, spices, garlic... but perhaps in more concentrated form).

I slowed it down to a simmer, tasting here and there.  I'm new at vegetable soup, and after turning off the heat and letting it sit for a while, I was surprised to find that the rind of the squash stayed in tact with a bit of flesh left, but the pulpier parts of it seemed to naturally incorporate into the broth, giving it a wonderfully sweet taste and rich texture.

I enjoyed a bowl of it for dinner along with a few slices of a multigrain baguette and a glass of Tall Poppy Shiraz.  All in all, a satisfying meal that I'll enjoy throughout the week!

Yours in the love of good food and wine (and a few words from the wise),
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninety-fifth Post ~ Prep Ahead Mussels with White Wine, Garlic, Herbs & Tomato

After I get done lecturing, I feel emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted, in a really rewarding kind of way.  Typically, I do call-ahead take-out from Panera, where I can grab my healthy, foodie meal to go, drive back to my apartment, and collapse in front of my TV to dine on panini, salad and a nice glass of wine.

But I'm trying to think outside the lunchbox for some easy alternatives.

Enter mussels.

You all know my love affair with these mollusks - easy, inexpensive, quick and oh-so-yummy.  What's not to love?  It's a quick meal in and of itself, but I thought I'd do some prep to make it even quicker.  My efforts paid off.

Here's what you'll need for tonight's meal:

~ Mussels (1 lb does it for me - unfortunately, Wegmans misplaced the special order I had called in early this morning, and I ended up having to wait for a while with two exceptionally apologetic and friendly seafood staffers while they painstakingly looked for the code to ring up a single pound of mussels, which is not a usual purchase.  Hence the call-ahead.  But we found it - #6755.  Immortalized herein)
~ White wine (tonight's was a lively Portuguese Gazela vinho verde - as clear and effervescent as sparkling water - but with a great deal more citrussy, fresh character!
~ Garlic (1 clove)
~ Fresh herbs on hand (savory, thyme and oregano for me!)
~ 10 or so pieces of oven-roasted tomatoes from the Mediterranean bar.  Super yummy.
~ 2 tbs. butter
~ Coarse-ground salt to taste

In the afternoon, I prepped the broth.  Into my pan went some white wine, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, two pats of butter and salt.  I slapped a lid on and put it into the fridge.

End of story.

I came home this evening with my pound of mussels and a baguette, let the pot come to temp while I greeted my puppy and set my bags down, and then started it simmering, rinsed the mussels and plopped them in.  They cooked covered for 3 minutes while I poured myself a glass of chilled wine and sliced the baguette.

Not 10 minutes in the door, I was sitting down to one heck of a savory meal.

Panera, you know I love you - and I'll probably see you Thursday.  But this was a great way to kick off my week!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninety-first Post ~ More Mussels (with a citrussy flair!)

If you're sick of reading about the many virtues of a dinner of mussels...

...Then skip this post.

I wasn't going to blog about this, because it is rather similar to some of my past posts, but I feel like this batch was TRULY the perfect combination of herbs and other flavors.  Here's what you'll need:

~ Mussels, of course.  I make a pound per serving.
~ White wine (I used a "melange" of sorts of some leftover dry Riesling and Pinot Grigio)
~ Salted butter.  Lots o' butter.
~ Herbs: Fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, fresh, fresh, fresh.
~ Chives to top
~ Two crushed garlic cloves
~ Coarse-ground sea salt
~ One slice lemon

In a pan, add a generous bit of wine.  I'd say a little over a cup.  Start the butter melting.  When all is said and done, probably about three or four tablespoons.  Add the fresh herbs, and don't skimp on the parsley.  Add the slice of lemon and the garlic.  By now, your nose should be telling you that you're doing something right.  Add the course-ground sea salt.

Wash and dump in the mussels.  Slap a lid on and walk away for 3-4 minutes as you slice your baguette.  Come back, take off the lid, and SAVOR the aroma!

Top with lots of snipped chives and enjoy with the bread and a glass of dry riesling.  It is a perfect, perfect meal.

Yours in the love of food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninetieth Post ~ Maple Garlic Rosemary Marinated Salmon with Parmesan and Parsley Yellow Squash

I can't say enough good things about marinades.  They provide a quick way to make a flavor-packed meal without a lot of fuss.

Here's what you'll need to make this easy dish:

For the salmon:
~ Salmon fillet
~ Maple syrup (the real stuff, preferably)
~ One clove garlic, crushed
~ Rosemary
~ Coarse-ground sea salt

For the veggie:
~ One small yellow squash
~ EVOO
~ Parsley
~ Coarse-ground sea salt
~ Grated parmesan

Several hours before dinner, pour some maple syrup into a bowl.  I got a little souvenir bottle of maple syrup from a friend who traveled to Nova Scotia.  I used that, and shook a little water around in the bottle to catch any remaining sugary awesomeness.  Into the bowl I crushed a clove of garlic and stirred it around.  I added the salmon fillet, spooning some of the mixture over it.  I topped the salmon with some salt and a sprig of rosemary, covered the bowl, and left it alone in the refrigerator until I was ready for dinner.

At that time, I took it out to let it get closer to room temp while I preheated the toaster oven (broil, 400) and prepped the veggies.  In a bowl, I placed the sliced squash and drizzled EVOO over all.  I sprinkled on ample parm and snipped on some parsley.  After adding some salt, I tossed it around by hand, making sure that the squash was well-covered in the mixture.

On a pan, I made a tin-foil divider.  Into one side I set the salmon, pouring the remaining marinade over the top.  In the other side I placed the veggies.

I popped the pan into the toaster oven and walked away for 12 minutes or so.

: : PAUSE : :

WARNING.  This recipe will cause your house to fill with amazing aromas.  If you are immune to the scent of parmesan slowly browning, crushed garlic adding sizzling warmth to cloyingly sweet, sugary maple syrup and rosemary singeing and releasing its spicy earthiness into the air, then you might be able to walk away for the12 minutes.  If you're like me, you'll try walking away, but will then end up back in front of the toaster oven, watching it like a cartoon cat watching a mouse-hole.

: : UNPAUSE : :

So presumably, you're right there when the timer dings.  I served this meal with a dry reisling by Vetter Vineyard.  While the wine was outstanding (and paired perfectly with the lemon rosemary salmon I'm planning to blog about soon), I think a warmer, oakier wine would have matched the maple better, as this riesling is marvelously crisp (think biting into a green apple).  On the other hand, it did add a nice refreshing bite to the meal, which kept it from being too sweet.

'Cause we wouldn't want that...

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Eighty-eighth Post ~ Garlic Rosemary Salmon with Bruschetta Zucchini

This is a really easy way to prepare salmon - any fish, really!  Here's what you'll need:

~ Salmon fillet (this was a small wild-caught Alaskan fillet)
~ EVOO
~ Crushed garlic (one clove)
~ Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ Herb of choice (rosemary worked well!)

For the veggies:

~ One small zucchini (or yellow squash)
~ Pre-made bruschetta (as previously posted, I am in love with Wegman's bruschetta!)
~ EVOO
~ Small amount butter

Preheat your toaster oven to 400 on broil.  Line a pan with aluminum.  In a prep bowl, crush one clove garlic and add some EVOO.  Mix it up!  Unwrap the salmon but keep it right in the paper - easier cleanup!  Lightly sprinkle Italian breadcrumbs over the fish.  With a fork, spread the garlic-EVOO mixture over the fillet.  Don't worry about covering the whole thing; aim for a nice line down the center.  Sprinkle on some more breadcrumbs and grind on some salt.  Rest a sprig of rosemary over the whole thing and pop it into the toaster oven.

In a stick-free pan, start some EVOO and about a tablespoon of bruschetta heating up.  Slice the zucchini and add it to the pan.  Toss it around, and just when it's finished cooking (about 5 minutes) add a smidge of butter and toss it a few more times.

By now the salmon should be done (and smelling heavenly of garlic and rosemary!) - depending on the size of the fillet, you may wish to time out your veggies differently.  This fillet was thin, so it cooked within 10 minutes at the most.

The end result is that the breadcrumbs, garlic and EVOO cook into an intensely flavored, crispy topping while keeping the salmon moist and delicate.  Super simple; great results!

I enjoyed this meal with a Spanish Grenache-Tempranillo blend by Don Ramon.  It was fruitier than I expected from an old-world oak-aged red, but it was refreshing, like tart cherries.  All in all, a decent pairing.

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Eighty-seventh Post ~ Lemon Thyme Sea Bass with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Tonight's meal was simple to prepare, easy on clean-up, cooked in one pan, and was delicious.  What's not to love?

Here's what you'll need:
~ One small fillet of sea bass.  Mine checked in at a quarter pound.
~ EVOO
~ One smallish lemon
~ One sprig thyme
~ One pearl onion (per fillet)
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ Surprise spice

: : PAUSE : :
I have two locations for my spices.  One is a 1970s era spice cabinet, where pretty spice bottles stand proudly on display and are used on a regular basis.  Then I have my "spice drawer" which might be a cousin of the "junk drawer."  It contains all of the lesser-used spices - the cayenne powder, the marjoram, the white pepper.  I reached in and grabbed what I thought was paprika.  The handwritten label (I inherited this bottle, so who knows...) was badly worn.  I popped it open and sprinkled a little what I thought was paprika over the fillet... and then wondered why I was having strong memories of Christmas... Peering closer at the label, I saw it said "nutmeg."

Oh well.  A little nutmeg never hurt anything, I say.

: : UNPAUSE : :

...And here's what you'll need for the Brussels sprouts:

~ Tiniest Brussels sprouts you can find, cut in quarters
~ EVOO
~ Sea salt
~ Jarred or crushed garlic

Preheat your toaster oven broiler to 400.  Spread some foil over one pan.  Make a wrinkle in the middle so you have a nice divider.  In a bowl, toss the quartered Brussels sprouts with the EVOO, salt and garlic.  Toss them into one of the divided halves and start broiling them for about 5 minutes.  In the mean time, prepare the fish.

Lay the fillet on a plate or cutting board.  Squeeze lemon over it and then lay a sprig of thyme on top.  Mince the pearl onion and scatter over it, and drizzle on some EVOO.  Grind on some salt and lay a slice of lemon on top.  Sprinkle on some paprika, nutmeg, or whatever other spice you have lying around badly labelled.

By now, your Brussels sprouts have probably started sizzling, so open the oven and put the fish in your other divided spot.  Broil for roughly 10-15 more minutes until the Brussels sprouts are fork-tender and the fish is cooked through to your liking.  If the veggies finish early, take them out and put them in a bowl and continue to cook the fish.

Once on the plate, I squeezed a little more lemon juice over the sea bass, because I love lemon on seafood.  Speaking of citrus, I served the meal with a Pinot Grigio by Vetter Vineyards - which had a wonderful citrus overtone of pineapple and lemon, which complimented the fish beautifully!

...And the nutmeg?  It ended up complimenting the warm, roasted nutty flavors in the veggies and the fish!  Who knew?

Yours in the love of good food and wine (and a little accidental experimentation),
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Eighty-fifth Post ~ Savory Marinated Strip Steak

Easy to prepare, quick to cook - what's not to love?

Here's what you'll need for this meal:

~ Strip steak
~ Soy sauce
~ Garlic (jarred or crushed)
~ Whatever fresh herb you have on had (wait for it - OREGANO!)

Place the raw steak in a zip-lock bag.  Pour in an ample amount of soy sauce.  Not only does soy sauce add a delicious flavor to meat, but it also tenderizes steak!  One of my favorite meals as a child was my mom's soy-sauce steak over buttered toast - read about it here!  (And pardon the photo - that was before I had a camera with a "food" setting!)

Put about a teaspoon of garlic into the bag along with a sprig of whatever herb you might want - seriously - the herb could really vary anywhere from rosemary to sage to marjoram to thyme - the sky (er... earth?) is the limit!

Let the steak marinate in the refrigerator while you get some work done.  Get the steak out before you're ready to cook so it has time to get back up to room temperature.

Preheat a toaster oven or other heating apparatus on broil at about 375-400 degrees.  Put the steak - marinade, herbs and all - onto a tin foil lining and broil for around 5 minutes or until it's cooked to your preference.

I served the steak with some leftover ratatouille - a perfect pairing for the savory flavors of the salty soy sauce and zesty garlic!  Naturally, I also had a glass of French Maid with it...  Hey - I'm snowed in - give me some credit for varying the ingredients on hand!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Eighty-third Post ~ Ratatouille

I will confess that around the new year of 2009, I watched a certain computer animated film by Pixar and Disney, and, well, Gusteau's catchphrase of "Anyone can cook" just may have helped push an idea of a cooking blog over the edge from "Hmm, I wonder..." to "That's it - I'm starting a cooking blog!"

This is, of course, the titular meal and a classic in its own right.  Ever since the film, I've been clipping out recipes for this Provençal dish; photos of beautifully arranged veggies are pinned up next to devil-may-care tossed ones.

So last evening, I decided to give it a whirl.

Here's what you'll need:
~ Garlic (jarred or a couple cloves)
~ 1 eggplant (a smallish one)
~ 1 zucchini
~ 1 golf-ball sized onion
~ 1 orange or yellow pepper
~ One small container roasted tomatoes in oil
~ EVOO
~ Coarse-ground sea salt
~ Herbs of choice (I chose fresh thyme and oregano)

Start a hefty amount of olive oil smokin' in a large skillet.  Chop up the eggplant and toss it around a bit.

: : PAUSE : :

I guess I had had a stressful day.  I hadn't realized it until that point, but chopping up that eggplant felt good.  Next came the zucchini.  CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP-CHOP.  Then the pepper.  CHOP-CHOP!  CHOP-CHOP!  Then the onion.  WHACK-CHOP-CHOP-CHOP-CHOPPA-CHOPPA-CHOP.  With each chop I felt a bit of the day's frustrations leave me.  And a bit more, and a bit more...  This is my new favorite "I've had a bad day" meal.

: : UNPAUSE : :

So - ahem! - toss the chopped eggplant around the oil a bit and add some garlic.  Chop up the zucchini, pepper and onion and add that all in turn.  Open the container of roasted tomatoes (hopefully they come packaged in oil - because the oil is delicious!) and it all in.  Add some fresh herbs at this point.  If it starts sticking, add a bit of water to create some steam.

Let the whole deal simmer, covered, until the veggies are tender.  I served this with a crusty loaf of pain de compagne and it was a perfect textural partner for this savory, filling meal.  I paired it with a cabernet sauvignon by French Maid (it seemed fitting!) and it was wonderfully fruity, balanced and bright.

All in all, a successful meal!
Yours in the love of good food, wine, and the outlets they bring us (both creative and physical!),
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Eightieth Post ~ Salmon Caprese

Due to an outpouring of requests for the return of the Accidental Chef (thanks Arun!) I'm back in the kitchen and back online!  After an awesome trip to Mexico (full of inspirational food!) I'm refreshed, rejuvenated, and excited about kicking things off with Post #80!

This dinner was easy, delicious, and fast.  I would, however, recommend baking the salmon after the initial sauté rather that continuing to cook it on the stovetop.  While this meal turned out yummy, I feel that a few minutes in the oven would have melted the cheese a little more.

Here's what you'll need for this easy, breezy aquatic Caprese:

From the Mediterranean Bar at Wegmans:
~ Oven roasted tomatoes
~ Roasted garlic cloves
~ Mozzarella ball

: : PAUSE : :

Now, I know what you're thinking.  "CHEATER!"  Sure, sure - this is a little bit of a cheater's dish.  I could have roasted the tomatoes and garlic myself, but honestly, when a busy day and late evening forced me to choose between Not Cooking and Cheating a Little, I choose the latter.

: : UNPAUSE : :

~ One salmon fillet
~ Prepared basil pesto
~ EVOO
~ Italian breadcrumbs
~ Veggie side of your choice

Open the paper that's wrapping  the salmon and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs.  Maximum flavor, minimum clean-up.  Start some EVOO smokin' and set the salmon carefully into the oil.  Let it sauté until it's nicely browned (but not necessarily cooked all the way through).  Arrange the mozzarella, tomatoes, garlic cloves and pesto over the top of the fish.  Here's where I'd recommend transferring it to a pan and baking it for about five minutes on 350 or so, or until the cheese is melted and the fish is cooked to your liking.  It turned out great on the stove, but as I said, it could have been a little more melted for my taste.

I paired this savory dish with Portal Roble from Spain (a cab, garnacha, merlot, tempranillo and syrah blend) and it balanced out the savory tones with deep berry flavors and cleansed the palate with a balanced finish.

All in all, a great dinner to kick off another great semester of studies AND cooking adventures!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-eighth Post ~ Mussels in White Wine and Herb Butter Broth

Blame the dreary weather.  Blame flu season.  Blame the November tendency to burn the candle at both ends.  Whatever the source of blame, I found myself craving the simple, energy-packed joy of a dinner of mussels.

I took my inspiration for parting from my usual wine-and-tomato based sauce from recipes and memoirs from Mireille Guiliano's fantastic books and site.  Seeing as this was a month that ends in "-er" and therefore mussel season, I thought I'd seize the opportunity to revel in this dish cooked with her recommended white wine, butter and herbs.

Here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:

~ Mussels (I find 15 is a perfect meal for me)
~ White wine (I got a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc by Terra Andina)
~ Garlic (crushed or jarred - I was in a hurry tonight, so jarred it was)
~ Fresh parsley
~ Fresh thyme
~ Scallions (about one full one, from bulb to tips)
~ Butter.  Salted.  Lots of it.  I'm German, not French, anyway.
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ Crispy baguette (sliced)

In a shallow pan with a well-fitted lid, slosh in about a half inch of white wine and several tabs of butter.  Add all but about 4 inches of scallion and a small handful of chopped parsley with a sprig of thyme.  Add a bit of garlic.  Let it simmer as you wash the mussels.  Add a bit more wine if it starts looking like it's simmering into nonexistence.

Add the mussels and another tab of butter over all.  Slap on the lid and walk away for 4-5 minutes.  In the mean time, slice the baguette and pour your wine.

When the time is up, spoon them out into a bowl with the luscious broth and snip the remaining scallion over the dish.  Grind on some salt.  Savor every last mussel and every last drop of "liqueur."

: : PAUSE : :

I may have gone a little overboard with the scallions.  It made the dish quite oniony.  I LOVED it!!!  It was fresh and zesty and bursting with green flavor.

: : UNPAUSE : :

The wine was a perfect companion.  It was grassy and crisp, but mellow enough to compliment rather than fight the buttery broth.  It tamed the taste of the scallions and brought out the "fresh from the sea" taste of the mussels.

All in all, a very fulfilling, satisfying dish!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-seventh Post ~ Garlic Peach Salmon with Sweet "Dumpling" Squash

It's very hard to resist a friendly Wegman's staff member handing out yummy tempting treats.  I wasn't dressed up, but I felt a bit like I was trick-or-treating as I meandered from sample station to sample station.  I ended up with a loaf of apple cider bread with brie to spread over it for lunch tomorrow, and for dinner tonight, I got a great idea for squash.

Here's what you'll need for this fix-and-work meal (what I'd like to start calling the meals that you prep, stick in the oven, go back to work, and then return 30-45 minutes later to enjoy).

For the main dish:
~ Salmon fillet
~ Slice of peach
~ Brown sugar
~ Garlic clove (crushed)
~ Coarse-ground salt
~ EVOO
~ Herb of choice (thyme, naturally)

For the most autumnal side:
~ Squash of choice (I chose a "sweet dumpling" squash, which looked very much like a pumpkin if it were to shrink and cover itself with green and white stripes and speckles)
~ EVOO
~ Garlic clove (coarsely chopped)
~ Slice of onion (coarsely chopped)
~ Coarse-ground salt
~ Brown sugar (noticing a theme?)

Preheat the oven to 375.  Chop the squash (a process which is made worlds easier by piercing the gourd and microwaving for around 30 seconds) into bite-sized morsels.  I learned today from the friendly lady at the veggie sample stand that you can leave the skin on squash.  Extra nutrients = good to me.  Drizzle it with EVOO and grind a bit of salt over it.  Coarsely chop the garlic clove and onion.  Mix it all in and scatter some brown sugar and thyme over it.  Pop it in the oven.  It will take about 45 minutes to cook through.

In the mean time, prep the salmon so it can sit and soak in all the goodness.  It requires about 15 minutes to cook to my liking; add minutes if you like it done more.

In a foil "boat", place the salmon.  In a prep bowl, crush one clove of garlic and "mush" a piece of peach into it.  I say "mush" because I'm really not sure what the proper term is, here.  Squeeze it in your hand until all the juice runs into the bowl and the leftover fruit is kinda "preserve-y".  Into that, mix ample brown sugar.  Spoon it over the salmon fillet, press a sprig of thyme into it, and pop it in the oven at the appropriate time.

Savor the aromas!!!

In between, finish a paper, send emails, get your work lined up for the next day.

When you return, a luscious autumnal meal will be waiting for you!  I paired this meal with a Robert Mondavi Private Selection pinot noir.  My intent was to have a wine that was full-bodied enough to stand up to the salmon (hence a red) but fruity enought to not go too dry in the face of the brown sugar and sweet squash (hence a new world vintage).  My goal was realized.  This wine offered a palate-cleansing finish without ever being too dry, a fruitiness that accompanied rather than fought the sweet, savory meal (think cranberries next to a Thanksgiving turkey and yams) and an oakiness that gave the whole meal a decidedly rustic overtone.

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-sixth Post ~ A new spin on pork florentine

I meant to thaw out a portion of pork tenderloin, but instead accidentally thawed one that I had already cut into medallions.  It had occurred to me earlier that day that I had all the ingredients that I typically find in a pork florentine - namely, spinach, cheese and mustard - so I decided not to allow my initial plan to be thwarted by my attempt at making my life easier (by pre-slicing most of the tenderloins I bought last week).

So I punted.  And, as testimony to the name of this blog, The "Accidental" Chef - I think that a lot of good things are the direct results of wrinkles in plans.

Here's what you'll need to create these miniature versions of pork florentine (which could become an elegant appetizer if ever an occasion called for it!)

~ Pork tenderloin (cut into medallions)
~ Spinach (I thawed some frozen spinach)
~ Mustard (I use country-style Grey Poupon)
~ Cheese (I had extra brie, so that's what I used.  I have a professor who once told me, "You could bake brie on my shoe and I'd probably eat it."  In my world, this is just proof-positive that he's a genius.)
~ Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
~ Fresh herb of choice (for me, thyme, naturally)

For the side, I tossed some green beans with some garlic and EVOO.  I made them ahead of time, and then just fired them up again before I was ready to eat.

Thaw the spinach ahead.  Preheat your toaster oven or other heating apparatus to 350.  Lay the medallions out on a foil-lined pan.  Spread a dab of course-ground mustard on each one.  Put a bit of spinach on each.  Over that, lay a slice of brie and dust breadcrumbs over all.  Pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until juices from the pork run clear.

They came out beautifully golden and full of flavor.  I paired this meal with the remaining chardonnay I had from Vetter Vineyard.  It paired perfectly with the melted brie and the fruit-forward nature of this wine complimented the savory, rich flavors in the pork florentine.

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventy-third Post ~ Turkey with Pear and Cherry Dressing with Spiced Acorn Squash

Autumn is my favorite time of year for so many reasons: the colors, the crispness of winter on the air, the scent and sound of leaves crunching under my feet - and the foot. Let us not forget the food. This is the time to celebrate savory, spicey, home-inspired comfort foods - and I decided to make turkey tonight - turkey tenderloins, that is!

Here's what you'll need for this simple turkey preparation:

~ Turkey tenderloins

~ Chopped piece of shallot

~ Garlic

~ Sage

~ EVOO

~ Bosc pear

~ Dried Cherries

~ White wine

For the acorn squash (so easy and yummy - makes a good lunch when you want to say you were good and "only had vegetables" for lunch!)

~ Halved acorn squash

~ Brown sugar

~ Butter

~ Spices of choice - I always choose cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves

Here's how I make the squash, which can sit and wait after cooking until the meal is ready:

Pierce the squash and microwave it for about 30 seconds on high. This makes it far easier to cut. Slice in half. If you're only cooking one half, saran the other and save it for a lunch later on in the week. Scoop out the seeds and fill the middle with a tab of butter, ample sugar and lots of spices. Place it in a small bowl and put a tiny amount of water in. Saran and microwave for 3-5 minutes. Let it sit until the rest of the meal is done.

Slice the pear and mince some onion. In a stick-free pan, begin sauteeing the onion, garlic, white wine and sage. Add the turkey tenderloins, a little pepper and some salt. Just when they've browned nicely, add the pear slices and cherries. You may need to add a bit more wine. Cover the pan and let it cook until the juices from the turkey run clear. Serve with the squash.

I enjoyed tonight's meal with a Chardonnay by Tall Poppy. It was fruity and oaky, reminiscent of late-harvest pears and apples. It was the perfect compliment to this meal!

Yours in the love of good food and wine (and autumn!)

AL

Sixty-eighth Post ~ Lamb Wellington

Tonight I was in the mood for something special for dinner. I had gone to Wegman's to stock my freezer full of meat (never too soon to prepare for Autumn?) and I bought two lamb chops. I found in the refrigerated foods section a Pilsbury sheet of seamless roll-out dough - perfect for my next attempted creation:

Lamb Wellington. Beef Wellington has always caught my eye, and so I thought I'd try to improve upon something that's already pretty grand by changing it from beef to lamb.

Traditionally, wellingtons (of any sort, I suppose) are coated with pate or foix gras. I decided to make my own mushroom pate. Here's what you'll need for tonight's meal:

~ Lamb chops

~ Seamless pastry dough

For the pate:

~ Mushrooms (I used baby pearls)

~ Garlic

~ Dijon mustard

~ Fresh herbs (I chose oregano, rosemary and chives)

~ EVOO

For the side, I had a vegetable medley from the freezer section.

SO! Finely mince the mushrooms and herbs. Put them in a pan with some EVOO, garlic and a hint of Dijon. The aromas that will start to fill your kitchen will let you know pretty quickly that you're on the right track with this.

After the pate has melded, put it in a prep bowl. Briefly brown the lamb in the same pan. Pop the canister of dough (this has always made me jump, ever since I've been a child. It's like someone hands me a live grenade). By now, the pate has cooled. Cut two squares of dough and set a piece of lamb in each one. Top with the pate and wrap and seal the little parcel with the dough. Bake on 375 for about 15 minutes, longer if you like your meat cooked well. In the mean time, heat your veggies in the microwave, go downstairs to reset your breaker because you always forget you can't run two heating apparatuses at the same time, and uncork your wine.

About halfway through, I spread a little butter over the top of the wellington.

I served tonight's meal with a 2004 Italian red by Saladini Pilastri. It was oaky and enhanced the rustic taste of lamb that I've always found so appealing, and was fruity enough to refresh the palate between bites.

All in all, a good meal! Not a good picture, so much - I left my camera at my parents' house and had to resort to my cell phone. The next post will be better photographed, I promise!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Sixty-seventh Post ~ Steamer Pot

I know that summer technically goes until the middle of September somewhere, but to me, the end of August always signaled the end of it. This meal was meant to be a celebration of the dog days of summer - and believe me - cooking it in my 90-degree third floor apartment kitchen really enabled me to welcome in the prospect of autumn and its crisp days.

This dinner was inspired by the steamer pots that my dad and I have shared at Joe's Crab Shack, a care-free restaurant chain that we have visited in Maryland and California. I really think that the act of slamming one pot down on a table and announcing, "Dinner is served!" sets a certain casual, laid-back sort of mood...

So here's what you'll need for tonight's meal (cook this for two - grab a friend, a S.O., a family member, a neighbor - honestly, it's just more fun!):

~ one 2-pound bag of mussels

~ any other kind of mollusk you want to add to the mix - I chose 10 steamer clams

~ one (or two) sausages

~ a good handful of fingerling potatoes

~ three or so ears of corn

~ EVOO

~ onion

~ half teaspoon of sugar

~ scallions or chives

~ garlic (I used three cloves)

~ coarse-ground sea salt

~ seasonings (I used dried thyme, cayenne, white pepper, curry powder and bay leaves)

~ one big ol' pot to cook and serve it in!

Start a large pot about half-filled with water boiling on your stove. Grind in an embarrassing amount of salt.

Chop some onion and start to sauté it in a small pan with some EVOO. My goal was to caramelize the onion and I've learned that there's a fine line between burning and caramelizing. Once they're browning nicely, toss in some sugar and grind on some salt and keep them going, tossing them occasionally. I made the mistake of crushing in the garlic with the onions at this point - all it does is splash hot oil back onto your hand as you crush it in, and then the garlic burns a bit. Injury + Insult. I would recommend waiting until the onions are done caramelizing, turn them off, and crush in the garlic and let it meld.

Once you've turned off the heat under the onions, cut the sausage in half and just set it in the pan with a lid over all so the aroma of the caramelized onions and garlic infuses the sausage.

Now that your water is rolling nicely in your pot, add three bay leaves, a dash of cayenne, curry powder, white pepper, dried thyme, and the pierced fingerling potatoes to the pot. Savor the aroma as you add each spice to the water! Set your timer for 10 minutes. During this time, rinse off your clams and mussels. Also, prep some spices that you'll want to sprinkle over the whole pot before you set it to steam. I mixed a dash of all of the spices listed above into a prep bowl so they were blended and ready for when I needed them.

Cut the ears of corn in half. As soon as the timer goes off, add the corn and reset the timer for 8 minutes. Get your table ready. I recommend large placemats and smallish plates - you're mostly eating out of the pot, anyway! Get some beverages and a large empty bowl for shells and corn cobs. Put some butter on a plate so you can use it on the corn and potatoes if you wish.

When the timer goes off, pour out all but about two inches of water from the pot. Put the caramelized onions, garlic and sausage in. Keep the burner going and put in your clams and mussels. Sprinkle with your spice mix and slap on the lid for 4 minutes.

When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let it sit for another minute. Then, unveil the steamer pot! Transfer it from stove to table (a trivet or strategically-placed place mat is helpful here). Snip in some fresh scallions or chives for a little fresh, crispy onion taste. Try not to burn your fingers, dig in and enjoy!

I served tonight's meal with a chardonnay by Casillero del Diablo - it was a perfect pairing for the mixture of spices and tastes in tonight's meal. It was refreshing with notes of citrus and vanilla.

All in all, a fun meal and a worthy send-off to summer!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Sixty-sixth Post ~ "Italian Classics"-Inspired Tilapia

This post could be titled "An Ode to Wegman's Italian Classics." I have had a long-standing love-affair with Wegman's Italian Classics seasoned breadcrumbs. Just the right amount of parmesan. Just the right amount of basil. Just the right amount of salt. My habitual "comfort food" dish of late has been chopped chicken tenderloins rolled in these savory morsels and sautéed in EVOO... but I have found yet another use for them: fish!

In the mood for something home-cooked yet quick this evening, I grabbed a fillet of tilapia as I zoomed through Wegmans. At $1.87 for this hearty serving, tilapia is not just yummy - it's cheap! I had intended to do something fun with the leftover cilantro and lime I had in the fridge, but my attention was grabbed by something in the chilled prepared pasta aisle - Wegman's sun-dried tomato and basil pesto. Who could resist something that enticing? Into my cart it went. So here's what you'll need for this meal:

~ Fillet of tilapia (light and flaky is the key - you could probably substitute halibut, monkfish or catfish as well)

~ Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

~ EVOO

~ Wegman's (or your local wonder-market) sun-dried tomato and basil pesto

~ Green beans

~ Scallion

~ Jarred (or crushed) garlic

~ Coarse-ground sea salt

Dump some frozen french-cut green beans into a pot with some water. Snip in one scallion and some jarred garlic. I couldn't even be bothered to crush any fresh garlic tonight. Scallions are one of my new favorite on-hand items. They add so much flavor to a dish without being overwhelmingly oniony. Let those simmer until they're done to whatever level you like your beans cooked. I like french-cut green beans al dente, so I turned them off just about as soon as they really started simmering.

Into a pan put a little jarred garlic and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Start it heating. Generously coat the tilapia fillet in the seasoned breadcrumbs and set it carefully into the hot oil. As I flipped it, I would sprinkle some more breadcrumbs over it so that it gave it a little extra crispiness.

As soon as the fish is done (it won't take long!) serve it on a plate and spoon a bit of the pesto over it. A little goes a long way - believe me! I saran-wrapped the rest of the pesto and put it in the freezer - I am envisioning it tossed with some pasta (tortellini?) along with some breaded pork tenderloins for a quick and savory dinner sometime in the near future.

I added a little butter to the beans, topped the tilapia with pesto and served it with a Chenin Blanc from MAN Vintners of South Africa - a gift from Nozomi and her husband. It was fresh and citrussy but heartier than a Sauvignon blanc. It paired with the lighter tones of the tilapia but also stood up to the zesty, savory quality of the pesto. A good match!

Yours in the love of good food, wine, and occasional culinary shortcuts,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Sixty-fifth Post ~ Salmon with Zesty Avocado-Peach Salsa

While searching for healthy yet filling summer dinner recipes, I happened upon a recipe for grilled salmon over mango salsa.

Now, I neither possess a grill nor a penchant for mangoes, so I decided to mix the original recipe up a little. And then I kinda got carried away "customizing" it to my personal tastes and preferences. So here's what I ended up needing for tonight's meal, when all was said and done:

(Note that I am preparing this for two, but if preparing it for one, I would make it exactly the same way but with one salmon fillet - I feel that the salsa would be wonderfully accompanied by tortilla chips for lunch the following day)

~ 1 or 2 salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)

~ 1 large ripe Haas avocado

~ 2 peaches* (or one monster peach, which is what I ended up with!)

~ 2 roma tomatoes*

~ 1 jalapeño*

~ 1 lime

~ fresh cilantro

~ 1 can corn*

~ two scallions*

~ 1 clove of garlic

The asterisks indicate ingredients that I "customized" - I substituted peaches for mangoes, one and a half roma tomatoes for cherry tomatoes, a jalapeño that I seeded first rather than packing in all that heat, added a half a can of corn to give it a little more oomph, and scallions instead of onions, as they are a little milder in taste.

Set aside some time before you're actually going to bake the salmon. The salsa is best if it sits and melds for a bit. This dinner is quite easy to make, but it requires a bit of chopping, slicing and dicing. It is a task made much easier with the proper tools - in this case, a chef's knife, a paring knife, a peeling knife, and kitchen scissors, all direct from the beautiful knife set my dad gave me as a Christmas gift!

So time to get your get your slice 'n' dice on!

I started with the avocado.

:: PAUSE ::

Now here's a strange habit, but I'm going to share it with you, dear readers: my 60-second avocado hand treatment. Whenever I make anything with avocado, I end up with a ton of it on my hands. Instead of washing it off immediately, I rub the avocado all over my hands, then rinse it off under warm running water and towl my hands dry. It leaves my skin amazingly smooth. I also end up smelling a bit like an avocado, but there are trade-offs in life.

:: UNPAUSE ::

So after [ahem] dealing with the avocado, I diced up the peach, squeezing the juice out of the peel into the bowl. Next went the romas. I scooped out a little of the tomato "innards" first. I used my kitchen scissors to snip in a good handful of cilantro - which has to be one of my favorite fresh herbs next to thyme and basil. I added about half of a small can of corn, the scallions (which I snipped into the bowl rather than cut), a crushed clove of garlic, the juice of one lime, and the jalapeño.

:: PAUSE AGAIN ::

Sorry. But this merits saying. I have a medium-to-moderate spicy tolerance. I can eat jalapeños, but only in very small quantities - and I'm best if their seeded first. All the heat of a pepper resides in the seeds and inside pulp, so I scooped it out with the smaller end of a melon-baller (a trick I learned at one of Meg's Pampered Chef parties!) and then, with a very sharp paring knife, minced the bugger. Actually, I only added half of it to the salsa, reserving the other half in a prep bowl so that it could be added later by someone else who may have a higher spicier index than I...

And then I attempted to add the zest of lime. It turns out I lack a zester. I thought I had one; perhaps it was a dream. In any case, I decided to attempt to use a cheese grater. Remember what I had said about the right tools making a job really simple? Well, the wrong tool can really complicate things. Thankfully I was working over a prep bowl and NOT the salsa, as I ended up grating a good deal of my own knuckle along with the lime on my first pass down the grater. So there is no lime zest in this salsa. No blood, either.

:: UNPAUSE ::

So now you've got all your ingredients in the salsa - toss it a few times and then cover it tightly - trust me on this - and refrigerate it while you bake the salmon.

As previously mentioned, rather than grill the salmon, I opted to bake the fillets, which I had skinned by the helpful guy at Wegmans. I rubbed them with a juicy slice of peach and ground some salt over them and sprinkled on a bit of pepper before baking them for about 15 minutes. About halfway through the baking, I brushed them with some olive oil.

Serve the salmon atop an ample bed of salsa with a garnish of cilantro, if you so choose.

I served this meal with an amazingly refreshing sauvignon blanc from South Africa by Graham Beck. I got it on sale 50% off at Global Wine, my favorite wine shop (for reasons like that!). It was grassy, citrussy, and paired perfectly with the dish.

All in all, a successful meal!

Yours in the love of good food, wine, and the joy of customization,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.