Honestly, this post could write itself. I am not at all ashamed to admit it comes nearly entirely from Cooking Light with me striking out on my own very little. But, nevertheless, when it comes to food (or any other topic) I am sure that I will come up with something to say!I found these three dishes paired well for a summer meal. The vegetables were fresh and light, depending nearly entirely upon their own fresh taste. The meuniere was surprisingly light, yet different, and very simple to prepare. And the potatoes were, as potatoes and lox always are, quite delicious. I have to admit that I would not have thought of pairing lox and potatoes myself, but why not? Knish and lox are served at brunch together. Bagels are just a starch (albeit the best one) in the end. And, unsurprisingly, the combination here worked entirely. So if you have an extra few minutes, dive into this meal!
Smoked Salmon and Cheese Mini Twice Baked Potatoes
Try saying that three times fast. This dish takes the longest to prepare, so we will start here tonight. The first thing you'll notice is that my picture above does not quite match the one provided at Cooking Light. That's because I am a big believer of lox. And the first thing I did with this recipe was to greatly increase the amount! So if you are making a checklist to go food shopping before reading the rest of this post, make sure to buy a good amount of it.
This recipe calls for small potatoes and instructs you to bake them for 35 minutes. Perhaps mine were a bit on the large side, but I needed to bake them for over an hour in order to reach a soft enough consistency to allow "scoopage." Make sure to check your potatoes with a fork before fully removing them and letting them cool. Otherwise, you risk wasting time when the potatoes should still be cooking!
Once your potatoes are properly soft, you can simply continue to follow along. I followed this recipe with two exceptions: (1) I used a Mexican blend of shredded cheeses rather than white cheddar in an interest of using up open packets of cheese in my refridgerator. The blend included yellow cheddar and monterey jack among others and worked well, so feel free to also branch out with your cheese selection! and (2) I used far more lox. And only Nova. For those of you unfamiliar with "smoked salmon" properly known in my world as lox, there is only one kind that is ever acceptable to purchase and eat... Nova. Nova lox may be slightly pricier, but it is definitely worth it. Typical smoked salmon is heavily salted as part of the process, but Nova is not. Nova is a superior cut without salt. Not only does it taste better, it will make your doctor happier!
Turbot Meuniere
I know, I know. This recipe actually calls for Striped Bass Mueniere. But Whole Foods didn't have Striped Bass when I went so this quickly became Turbot Mueniere. I am sure that either fish would work wonderfully with this simple, classic preparation so feel free to pick your favorite. Any white fish should work! The Turbot provided a "basic" fish, fitting my needs, while also being different than the normal (tilapia, catfish, halibut.) I found it to be a success!
I did follow this recipe (after the fish swap) nearly exactly. I cooked it a little longer on the stove than prescribed since my Turbot was relatively thick and I like my fish cooked through. I also substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth due entirely to my personal taste preference. Like the flavor of chicken? Stick with the original! But if you do not, the vegetable version turned out very well and I would never have guessed that it wasn't originally intended.
Make sure to wait on the fish until the potatoes are well on their way to being done. This entree does not take very long to prepare and you do not want it getting cold as your sides continue to cook. I recommend getting the potatoes in the oven and then preparing everything else: cutting up the squash, tomato, basil, and shallots and making sure to have milk, flour, and spices ready to go. That way when you do begin to prepare the vegetables and fish you can move efficiently.
Summer Squash with Tomatoes and Basil
Finally, finish off your meal with some fresh summer vegetables. This recipe is very simple and straightforward so you can simply follow along! I enjoy my squash very soft and well cooked so I sauteed it for 10-12 minutes before adding the tomatoes. I let those saute for about 3-5 minutes (along with the basil and spices) before pronouncing the meal complete. If you, too, enjoy softer vegetables then make sure to allow the extra time. Following the timing in Cooking Light will result in crispier vegetables.
Serve everything when it's warm and enjoy! (And, a fan of finger food, I just picked up my potatoes and ate them without utensils. Feel free to get a little food-y and do so as well! It makes it all the more fun.)
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