Category — Sides

The only downer to trying to eat more fish is the fact that you have to buy your fish the day you’re going to prepare it.  And for many of us, that’s hard.  The best work-around I’ve come up with is to buy flash-frozen fillets from either Trader Joe’s or from Whole Foods.  These are fresh-tasting and can be kept around and defrosted when you’re hankering for fish, but I think the freezing changes the texture a bit in a way I don’t love.  I think that baking garners the best results from flash-frozen fish, so if you have some hanging around your freezer, you might want to give this recipe a whirl with those.

This chili-lime cod recipe is adapted from one in Real Simple that I found on-line.  It’s a departure from how I usually prepare cod – either steamed Asian-style or else baked with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  The spice combo here is simple, yet adds zingy flavor to the fish without overpowering it. 

Here, I give you the roadmap for a complete meal:  Fish, sweet potato and steamed broccoli on the side.  My adaptation calls for doubling the sauce recipe so that you can drizzle it over the broccoli too . . . . deeee-licious and super-speedy.  This entire meal can be ready in 20-30 minutes!

Chili-Lime Cod With Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli (adapted from Real Simple)

Heat the oven to 450.  Coat a oven-safe baking dish with cooking spray.  Arrange the fillets in the pan and sprinkle with chili powder, oregano and salt.  Bake 5-7 minutes or until the cod is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Meanwhile, scrub the sweet potatoes and prick each several times with a fork.  Arrange them on a paper towel in the microwave and microwave them in 2-minute intervals until they’re tender to the touch.

Place the broccoli in a microwave-safe covered dish and microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, until broccoli is bright green and tender.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet.  Cook, stirring constantly, until butter begins to brown.  Add the cumin and the lime juice and continue to cook (keep stirring!) about one minute more.

Remove the fish from the oven, drizzle ½ the butter mixture over the top of the fish and ½ over the steamed broccoli.  Serve the sweet potatoes with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a little salt sprinkled over the top.   

Serves 4.

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We’re getting into salad season here, folks – I can feel it!  It was in the 50′s this weekend around Boston and you’d think it was a tropical heat-wave.  People poured out of their homes to get some sun and fresh air.  It’s inspiring.  Big salads are a great way to get a number of your daily veggie servings in one meal . . . add a protein source and you’re good to go.  Easy, healthful and if you play your cards right, tasty.

In honor of the upcoming season of big salads, I’m trying an experiment here.  I’m winnowing down the odds and ends of pre-made salad dressings in the fridge, and I’m going 100% homemade for a while.  Even if “homemade” means drizzling a little EVOO and then a little vinegar (we have sherry, red wine, white, champagne, fig and raspberry in the house right now) over the top.  I have been enjoying the fresh taste of homemade dressings so much lately, and finding the store-bought ones to be too . . . too . . . dunno.  Gloppy?  Heavily seasoned?  Unimaginative?   Just not good.

So along these lines, last night I made a super salad dressing – adapted from one Joanne Chang shared in the November issue of Food & Wine.  D. and I drizzled this over a bed of baby spinach leaves, shredded rotisserie chicken, grated carrots, navel orange slices and chopped peanuts and it was deeelicious.  Sweet and spicy and a little bit creamy.  I can’t wait for lunch today when I’m going to use more on another salad, this time with romaine lettuce*.

This stuff would be so tasty on cold noodles, tossed with thinly sliced scallions and sprinkled with chopped peanuts.  Or on a cold broccoli salad (blanch the florets before so they’re intensely green and a little softer).  For whatever reason, grilled romaine lettuce with a little of this drizzled sounds out-of-the-ordinary and fun – on the list for when grilling season opens.  Really, any combo of salad ingredients would be great – Chang’s F&W recipe includes the fixings for Chinese Chicken Salad, but I was too lazy to go all the way last night.  Whatever you do, I think it’s important to have a little crunch going on . . . so think sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, fried wontons, etc. sprinkled over the finished product.

“Chinese” Salad Dressing (adapted from Joanne Chang)

Whisk all the ingredients in a large bowl. Makes enough to dress 4 servings of salad.

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We are in that strange nether-place called March here in the Boston area.  It’s still quite chilly, but not thatcold.  It snows, but it doesn’t really stick.  And yet if you head into a store, it’s all about SPRING!  Bright colors, light fabrics, flowers, strappy shoes . . . really, it just serves to irritate me.  I want nothing more to be there, but, sigh.  I have to wait.  Just like every other year.

When it comes to food, I also feel in-between this time of year.  I’m all set with heavy comfort food.  I’ve got my sights set on fresh, light, leafy veggies and grilled meats.  Huge salads and big cold drinks.  Hell, I’d even settle for asparagus.  But even that’s a little premature.  So right now I’m doing in-between food.  Lightened up, but not all the way. 

This chicken, pilaf and salad combo will help tide you over ’til the really good stuff comes.  Like NO snow whatsoever.  Like birds chirping in the morning and dewy grass and patio parties.  Hang on with me, we’ll get there!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the chicken breasts on a large plate and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and spread on both sides of the chicken (some will come off on the plate, that’s OK).  Let sit for 15 minute to marinate.  Transfer the breasts to a large oven-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Smear any leftover honey-mustard sauce over the top of the breasts.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the breasts are no longer pink.

Serves 4.

Barley Pilaf (adapted from the Food Network)

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the barley, 1 t. oil, and salt. Bring back to a boil, adjust the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then gradually whisk in the oil.

Drain any excess liquid from the barley and transfer to a large bowl.  Toss with the remaining salad ingredients and the dressing.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Fruity Spinach Salad

Divide the spinach amongst 4 salad plates or bowls.  Divide the oranges among the plates. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.  Dress the salads immediately before serving.

Serves 4.

*Fig vinegar is my new love.  I found mine at Whole Foods, and it is fruity, tangy, and delicious on salads.  Tomorrow I’ll share with you the salad I’ve been eating over and over again since I found this stuff!

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This is an adaptation of a recipe from Clean Eating Magazine – it’s got an eclectic set of ingredients, but they work together well.  This is a fast, flavorful meal that will add flare to your weeknight repertoire.

Sesame Garlic Chicken, Spinach With Tahini Sauce and Roasted Peanut Quinoa

Tahini Sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet.  With a sharp knife, make 3 slits in each chicken breast, taking care not to cut all the way through the breast.  Stuff the slits with garlic, dividing it evenly amongst the breasts.  Sprinkle each breast with salt, pepper and the sesame seeds.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa thoroughly with water and drain.  Combine the quinoa with the stock in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Add the peanuts to the quinoa and set aside.

Prepare the Tahini Sauce:  In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, vinegar, soy sauce, agave nectar and 1 t. of water until smooth and combined.

Steam the spinach, either in the microwave or in a metal steamer insert for a saucepan.

To serve, mound a portion of quinoa in the center of each plate.  Arrange the steamed spinach around and on top of the quinoa and drizzle some Tahini Sauce over the quinoa and the spinach.  Place a chicken breast on top and serve.

Serves 4.

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So right.  You’re trying to eat more vegetables in 2010?  You’re trying also to eat them un-creamed, without oozing cheese, etc. because maybe you’re also trying to be healthier and/or lose a few lbs.?  But aren’t those steamed veggies a little boring???  I think so.  Don’t get me wrong.  Sometimes you need to go hard-core and slam down some plain steamed broccoli with lemon juice, but most of the time, no.  If you’re counting calories or points, you can budget in a little sauce here and there, and let me tell you, it actually makes eating scads of greens . . . dare I say . . . enjoyable?  Here’re some ideas for pepping up your produce.

To Lightly Steamed Broccoli, Add

Dijon Vinaigrette:  extra-virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Sesame Vinaigrette: dark sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and optional chili oil for heat.

 Curried Mango Mayo:  mayonnaise, Major Grey’s chutney, curry powder.

Italian-Style:  Add extra-virgin olive oil to a large skillet and saute the broccoli ’til crisp-tender.  Sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan cheese and hot pepper flakes.  Optional – add a thinly sliced garlic clove to your oil and saute for 30 seconds before adding your broccoli.

To Lightly Steamed Green Beans, Add:

Yogurt & Tahini Sauce:  Greek yogurt, tahini, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and a drizzle of lemon juice to finish.

Olive Tapenade:Add a bit of pre-made tapenade to your beans.  Make it a meal by adding fresh mozzarella, hard cooked eggs, roasted peppers, etc.

Herb Butter:  Mix unsalted butter with chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, marjoram, etc. and some Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

To Cooked Carrots, Add:

Chili Butter:  Butter, chili powder, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Honey Mustard:  Butter, honey, Dijon mustard, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

To Winter Squash, Add:

Sage Butter:  Butter, chopped fresh sage, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Harissa: Remember this stuff?  Add a little extra-virgin olive oil and Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Moroccan Spices:  Sweet paprika, cumin, cayenne, olive oil and Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  If you have them on hand, chip up a bit of fresh cilantro and/or parsley to sprinkle over the top.

Sweet Fix: Maple syrup or agave nectar, pumpkin pie spice, and if you want extra richness, add some butter.

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Parents, you know those days when you swear the clock is broken?  Or that maybe it’s . . . moving backwards?  That was our Monday holiday.  Cruddy weather, plans for a trek to the South Shore to redeem gift certificates and visit Daddy and Grampy thwarted.  Blah.  Luckily our good buddies down the road were in the same position, so we rounded up the kiddos for a snowy park playdate.  But as I trundled L. home at 5, I thought “and now I have to COOK DINNER?”  Not in the mood.  I whipped up this easy pilaf in about 10 minutes, slapped some Stonewall Kitchen Vidalia Onion and Fig Sauce on a chicken breast and steamed some broccoli.  30 minutes to a complete meal, with a fruity, nutty pilaf on the side.  It was the best part of the day.

Quinoa Pilaf With Fruit And Nuts

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent. Add the quinoa and toast, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, salt and cranberries and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until liquid is completely absorbed and quinoa is tender, 15-20 minutes. Toss with almonds and serve.

Serves 6.  Make it vegan by subbing vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

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Regular readers here know that for the past year, I’ve been dealing with some bad foot pain.  I am so happy to report, however, that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Things have improved so much that this weekend I got back into the kitchen for an afternoon of cooking for friends.  On the way home from the market on Saturday morning, my car packed with ingredients, I thought to myself “this is what really makes me happy.”  I love the creative effort involved in planning a cohesive menu and spending time cooking up tasty food for friends.

This weekend’s menu featured Italian comfort foods, or as D. said, “3 of [his] favorite things: chocolate, wine and beef.” 

For munchies, we started out with Robioloa cheese and cranberry pepper jelly on 34 Degrees Natural Crispbread.  I also put out an artichoke heart and Parmesan dip that I got at Sevan Bakery, along with some grissini (long, skinny Italian bread sticks) and some pitted green olives with lemon and garlic from Whole Foods.

For dinner, we had short ribs with tagliatelle, which was rich and flavorful and worth the effort.  I didn’t make any adjustments at all to this Giada recipe (but for skimming off some of the fat several times during the cooking) and it came out deliciously – the wine and bittersweet chocolate add great depth of flavor.  

These ribs are a 3+ hour endeavor, though, so this recipe’s definitely a weekend special-event deal.  And although the recipe as written calls for 3 hours of cook-time, mine was closer to 4 – I had some really thick short-ribs.  If you decide to tackle these, I’d leave yourself more time because there is NO downside to having your sauce ready while you assemble the rest of your meal – it’ll just get that much more flavorful as it waits. 

 This fresh salad with red leaf lettuce, radishes, toasted pine nuts and a citrus vinaigrette provided a nice counterpoint to the very rich main dish.  I found the recipe in my new Gourmet Today cookbook, but lucky for you, it’s online at Epicurious as well.

I had intended to steam up some broccoli to serve with a little extra-virgin olive oil, Parmesan and red pepper flakes, but that got lost in the shuffle of dinner being overdue. 

I also served up some Scali (not homemade, from Formaggio) to mop up sauce, etc.

For dessert, there were assorted amaretti and chocolate-covered butter cookies for the kids and this easy, unexpected and delicious recipe for dried figs with walnuts and mascarpone cheese.  I’d make a couple adjustments to this recipe, however.  First, if your dried figs are large, I’d halve them.  Although they do get more tender in the wine and balsamic syrup, they’re still rather chewy and it’ll be easier going with halves.  Next, I think that toasting the walnuts prior to assembling the mix in your baking dish is overkill – the walnuts toast up nicely in the oven.  Third, these were good cold, but I think that serving them warm as called for in the recipe would send them to over-the-top deliciousness.  The mascarpone is such a nice creamy complement to the sweet and tangy syrupy figs and toasty nuts.  It’s a little party in your mouth and a relatively light way to end a rich meal.

Bon appetit!

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I grew up in a ruthlessly frugal household.  My parents were the economizers-in-chief of all things, and food was no exception.  Apple 3/4 of the way rotten?  Still 1/4 left to eat!  Limp veggies? Perk ‘em up in ice water!  Don’t know what to make for dinner and don’t have much in the house?  Get take-out?  Nooo!  We’ll raid the fridge staples for green peppers and eggs (I’m sure that my almost pathological dislike of cooked green peppers comes from having been fed this meal one too many times).

I am admittedly far less of a tightwad, but I do hate to waste food.  Sometimes, I find that all it takes to whip up a quick, cheap meal is a moment or two of opening my mind and foraging in my pantry.

Case in point:  I had a lot of leftover cooked whole wheat linguine (I’d say around 4 cups), which L. spontaneously decided she “hates.”  I had frozen peas that were gettin’ a little iced-over.  I had some whole milk ricotta that didn’t get used for a recipe.  And I had some shredded Italian 4-cheese blend threatening to mold.  Here’s what I did.  [Read more →]

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