Sauteed Grouper with a Mushroom Sauce with Mandarin Orange Salad

Ready to dive into another meal? This one explored Asian flavors with a soy-teriyaki sauce on the fish and mandarin oranges in the salad. To round out the meal I served my parmesan zucchini sticks featured in a past post. The combination paired perfectly and I even managed to keep the salt-intake down!

Make this meal on a summer day when the fish looks fresh. This recipe actually originally called for bass but the grouper was so fresh looking I could not resist. Feel free to substitute any other firm, white fish if they look extra special. Also feel free to play around with your type of lettuce for the salad. I used a spring mix but spinach or arugula would also work very well here. Be creative!

Sauteed Grouper with a Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients:
peanut oil
pepper
grouper
mushrooms (mixed)
dark sesame oil
garlic
green onions
water
soy sauce
teriyaki sauce
lemon juice

Heat a little bit of peanut oil on the stove on medium high heat. Add the grouper and sprinkle with black pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the fish is done. Since it is a white fish you'll have to look a little more carefully to ensure that it has cooked all of the way through. Remove the fish from the pan and keep it warm.

Using the same pan (save water!) heat a small amount of dark sesame oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes. I used about 2 cups of sliced mushrooms and chose the mixed, pre-cut variety. This included regular white mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, and crimini mushrooms. You can use all shiitake if you prefer, but I enjoyed the mix. Add two cloves of minced garlic and about 1.5 cups of sliced green onions. Saute for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add 1/4 cup water, 1/8 cup soy sauce, 1/8 cup teriyaki sauce, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Make sure to use the low-salt varieties of soy and teriyaki sauce or you'll end up with a month's work of sodium in your entree. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Pour the mushroom sauce over the fish and serve while hot.

Mandarin Orange Salad
This salad is made in a sweet sauce that complements the naturally sweet mandarin oranges!

Ingredients:
vegetable oil
cider vinegar
white sugar
black pepper
almonds
lettuce
red onion
mandarin oranges

To start, we'll make the dressing. Mix together 1/2 c. vegetable oil (I know...), 1/4 c. cider vinegar, 1/4 c. white sugar, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Mix well since the oil and vinegar need to combine and absorb the sugar. You can make this in advance and refrigerate it, but make sure to shake it again before using it. The combination of sweet (sugar), spicy (pepper), and tart (cider) blends together very well for a memorable dressing.

Put your lettuce in a large bowl. As mentioned at the beginning, choose your favorite. Go with a simple red leaf if you prefer, or dive into a spinach and arugula version. Add the mandarin oranges (I used two cans, drained) and sliced almonds. Toss well. Just before serving pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Shrimp Scampi with Broccoli

That's right! This is shrimp scampi made healthy. Toss the butter altogether and depend on the delicate tastes of fresh vegetables and pasta instead. It's healthier, and in my humble opinion, actually far more delicious this way. And, of course, toss in as much garlic as humanly possible.

I made this version a little different by tossing in some broccoli for some added flavor and vegetable-goodness. I served it with fresh french bread (some of which I made into garlic bread) for a delicious, relatively-simple meal that I could pass off as somewhat Italian. Add a salad as well for some extra greens and enjoy with a glass of cold white wine to round it out.

Shrimp Scampi with Broccoli
Ingredients:
olive oil
garlic
shrimp
white wine
black pepper
lemon juice
broccoli
tomatoes
fresh pasta

Start some water boiling now and follow the directions for your pasta at the same time you are preparing the rest of the scampi. I strongly recommend using fresh flavored pasta. I personally chose to use a spinach parmesan linguine. Buy pasta fresh at a local store or a Whole Foods if you do not have a pasta store. Keep in mind it should be refrigerated and used within a couple days. You will also only have to boil it for a few minutes, usually 2-3, since the pasta is not dried and in a box.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add several cloves of minced garlic and your shrimp. I used about 4 cloves of garlic for 1 lb of shrimp. For best results purchase peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails on but pull the tails off before you put the shrimp in a pan. I personally very much dislike peeling or de-veining shrimp but you can buy the whole thing if you prefer! I recommend against buying pre-cooked shrimp, however, as this recipe will not turn out as fresh.

Stir frequently to keep from burning. Make sure the shrimp are getting flipped over to cook evenly. Saute the shrimp and garlic for about 4 minutes. Add chopped broccoli and diced tomatoes. I added about the same volume of broccoli as I had shrimp and 1 large diced tomato. Stir. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. By now the shrimp should be turning pink which indicates they are almost finished cooking. Add roughly 3/4 - 1 cup of white wine. Stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes as the white wine cooks away a little and also flavors the vegetables and shrimp. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and as much black pepper as you like... I personally like a lot! Cook for one more minute and turn the heat down to a simmer. Add your cooked, drained pasta and stir well to make sure the noodles are coated in the sauce. Remove from the stove and enjoy!

Goat Cheese - Sun Dried Tomato - Corn Quesadillas

Today brings a simpler meal in contrast to the risotto I wrote about last time. I had been craving a quesadilla for a long time and the purchase of a new Foreman grill with quesadilla plates seemed to make it the perfect time to try this out! These quesadillas came together in no time at all but their unique, more gourmet fillings made them stick out from your average cheesy variety best ordered at a bar. And, of course, I had to whip up some fresh guacamole to go with them. How can you eat quesadillas without guacamole?

As always, feel free to vary the ingredients and be creative as you follow along. Creative cooks are the best kind! Besides, quesadillas are a very simple way to experiment without too many bad combinations looming out there. (I know I will regret saying that.) So jump on in and enjoy!

Goat Cheese - Sun Dried Tomato - Corn Quesadillas
Quesadillas are an excellent meal to prepare when you are looking for a simple meal on a quiet note at home. They are also fantastic when you don't necessarily agree with what someone else wants or are not sure how many people will show up last minute. Cooking for one? Just do this once. For more? Keep whipping them up. The best part is that each quesadilla can be unique and everyone does not need to agree on the same combination of foods inside their grilled tortilla! But I will walk you through my strategy.

Ingredients:
Goat Cheese
Sun Dried Tomatoes (not oil packed)
Corn Kernels (canned or frozen)
Tortillas
Olive oil - if using a pan rather than a Foreman grill

I know. Simple. I told you this would be easy! Make sure all of your ingredients are assembled in advance since once you start cooking this goes quite quickly. I suggest purchasing the basic dried sun dried tomatoes rather than the ones packed in oil to save needless calories. Keep in mind this may mean they will need some slight rehydration. If so, simply soak them in warm water for five minutes before you use them. It is best to soak only those you will be using since they will not keep as well once they go through this process.

I used canned corn kernels for this (no salt added) but you can use frozen (just have them defrosted) or fresh and cut off a cob. I also recommend taking your time as you pick out your tortillas. The caloric content varies vastly among different brands and types. I actually found a low-carb variety that is under 100 calories per tortilla - and they are large. This is definitely the best I've seen!

If you are using a Foreman grill check the instructions for timing and temperature. In my case I heated at medium for five minutes until the grill was ready. (With the right quesadilla plates on, of course.) Fold two tortillas in half so they are creased and place them both on the grill, straight sides touching so together they form one large circle. Yes, you can also simply place one tortilla down flat and then another on top of the filling but then all of your cut wedges at the end will be open on both sides. I prefer using two folded tortillas so 2/3 of your wedges are at least closed on one side - making eating an easier process.

Layer on the sun dried tomatoes, corn, and goat cheese. Add as much or as little as you want depending how full you like your quesadillas. Fold the tortillas back down, close the grill, and cook for the prescribed amount of time. On my grill this meant 5ish minutes.

Take your quesadillas off, cut them into wedges, and serve immediately with fresh guacamole!

Don't have a Foreman grill? No worries - I've made more quesadillas in a pan in my life than on a grill. Simply heat up a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Pre-fold two tortillas and then place them in the pan with flat sides next to each other for the same reasons described above. Add the appropriate fillings, fold them back down, and press down on the quesadillas gently with a spatula. Cook for around 5 minutes or until cheese melts, pressing down every couple minutes to ensure that the cheese is melting on both top and bottom to hold the tortilla shut.

Enjoy!

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone

As fall descends and the nights grow slightly brisker (although of course not very brisk in DC) I decided to try my hand at a new dish - risotto. A Northern Italian rice dish, risotto is most famously from Milan. It is made using very short-grained rice and is slow-cooked over 30 or more minutes, slowly adding liquid until just 1 cup of rice has soaked up nearly 5 cups of liquid. It really happens. Slowly. This process makes the short rice heavy and nearly creamy in texture without being sticky or clumpy. Risottos are seasoned with all types of vegetables and meats and almost always include a cheese. These are all added at the very end of the recipe.

Nervous? Don't be. Although generally assumed to be a restaurant food, risotto is not that tricky to make once you get the hang of it. Just follow the instructions carefully the first time and soon you'll be an expert! It's more a matter of paying attention and reacting quickly than anything else. And, as you become more confident, feel free to experiment. Try different flavors or supplements to your risotto! Serve it as the main meal or make a smaller, simpler one as a side dish to something else. It's a warm, satisfying, and very fancy appearing meal to make on a chilly night for a romantic dinner, for friends, or just for one!

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone
For my first risotto experience I decided to dive into a mushroom version of the dish. And since it was my first try at this oft-tricky dish I decided to follow the recipe very closely.... just two changes of note!

First of all, dried porcini mushrooms (or any fancier/more unusual varieties) are actually quite expensive. A small bag was around $10 at my local Whole Foods. I mixed it up by purchasing one of porcini mushrooms (more expensive) and one of the less expensive crimini varieties. Feel free to experiment or play around with these options as well. While I do recommend a fancier, more flavorful version than your run of the mill mushrooms mixing in crimini and porcini, or shiitake and porcini, or some other mixture will not harm your recipe at all. In fact, the mixture might even add to it!

I also skipped the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I'm not a huge fan to start and therefore decided to save the calories if possible. I found that 1/4 cup of mascarpone cheese more than filled the creamy cheese texture requirement and satisfied my cheese urge entirely while eating the risotto. And mascarpone is delicious.

I made this at the beginning of the week and took in leftovers for lunch for four days. There was plenty to spare since small portions are quite filling. So dig on in and enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup with Hot Buttered Rum Bread

This post brings you some warm and filling classics that are perfect as the nights move into the afternoon and a briskness jumps into the fall air. Butternut Squash, a fall classic, is served up here as a soup with the flavor of shallots to add some pizazz. I pair the soup with a Rum Bread, a twist on banana bread. There is less banana here than would be in its namesake bread, with rum mixed in for flavoring and warmth, and some butter (or fake butter) melted on top to add a crisp texture. Absolutely divine.

I paired these two sides with my Scallion Bluefish blogged about a couple months back. Check it out or add these to any other entree. Just make sure to continue the theme of warmth and autumn to match the flavors and textures appropriately!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup
Butternut Squash Soup is often actually a bisque - meaning it is full of heavy cream to give it that delicious texture that is so memorable. Bisques, however, while delicious, are like scooping up spoonfuls of liquid lard. Let's just say your cardiologist earns his living off of such soups. This one, however, is a genuine soup made thick with the squash, flavored with shallots and spices, and leaving you still able to run around the block!

Cooking Light has offered up this recipe. While simple, this soup hits the spot. You can substitute vegetable broth in for the chicken broth to create a vegetarian version without losing any of the taste. In fact, feel free to substitute even if you just prefer that flavoring! (Hint: buy several containers of bouillon cubes - chicken, beef, and vegetable. Then use the bouillon and hot water to create broth whenever it is called for in a recipe. This saves both a lot of money and also a lot of time spent running to the store for a can of broth.)

As usual, I also skipped the ginger since I am not a huge fan of the flavor. If you are, however, make sure to toss it in as I am sure it only adds to the recipe! And finally, I added a good amount of cracked black pepper into the soup which is only listed as optional in the recipe. I probably used about 2 teaspoons and stirred it in while the soup was heating over the stove at the end. This provided some extra flavoring in contrast to the sweetness of the squash.

Hot Buttered Rum Quick Bread
And now time for the bread! This recipe is also straight from the magnificent Cooking Light. And this time you can actually pretty much follow it with almost no commentary from me... but a couple quick notes...!

I substituted fake butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter) in for the topping butter that is poured on to provided the crispness. However, for the butter used in the actual recipe (beaten with sugar) I used real butter as the consistency is needed to make this recipe truly work. I also did not use any wheat flour, but simply due to the fact I didn't have it on hand rather than an intentional leaving it out. Go for it if you can but if you do not have it around make sure to substitute the equivalent amount of regular flour.

Enjoy this bread plain!

Vegetable Lasagna

Ready for one of the classic comfort foods filled with goodness and made at least healthier? If so, you've come to the right place! I mixed up a delectable vegetable lasagna, a classic favorite with a few twists to keep it interesting. In this case I experimented with cheeses and veggies while being careful not to mess too much with something that is inherently delicious.

Make a lot at once and take in leftovers to work for lunch each day as I did! I prepared this lasagna in a 13x9 inch pan on a Sunday night when I was dining alone. This gave me enough for dinner, lunch for 5 days, and still some leftovers after all of that. It's going to be heavier than a salad but at least you won't feel guilty at lunchtime since you're still enjoying salt-free tomato sauce, eggplant, and zucchini in the mix.

Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients:
Eggplant
Zucchini
Mushrooms
Onions
Red Pepper
Garlic
Olive Oil
Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce (no salt added)
Tomato Paste (no salt added)
Basil (fresh or dried)
Italian Seasoning
Oregano (fresh or dried)
Lasagna noodles
Low-fat Mozzarella cheese
Goat cheese
PAM or other cooking spray

There are several steps here that you can tackle at the same time to help speed up your lasagna preparation. These include sauteing your vegetables, boiling the noodles, and making the sauce. I'll list them out one at a time below but feel free to go triple-duty if you can keep an eye on everything. It's a huge time saver! If that's a problem, however, you can always cut back and just go one at a time (and then of course clean dishes and watch tv and have a glass of wine at the same time...)

We'll start by cooking the vegetables. You'll either need a giant frying pan (think the cylindrical kind with straight sides that are quite massive) or a couple to get this done. You can also work in rounds if you prefer. Cut up your eggplant into strips that are about 2 inches long and half an inch wide. Cut the zucchini in slices that are about 1/4 of an inch wide. Cut the red pepper into strips similar to the eggplant. I used 1 red pepper, two zucchini, and 1 eggplant but this produced a LOT of vegetables (which I loved.) You can cut down on a zucchini or even use half an eggplant if you prefer vegetables to just be a part rather than the main focus of your lasagna. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Toss in your vegetables - all of them if they fit but less if you need to. You'll saute them as is for about 10-15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes to avoid burning. As the vegetables cook they will shrink significantly in size (water leaving) and become limp. When they are fully cooked (soft) remove them from the heat. If you sauteed them separately for space reasons you can toss them altogether now if you want although it is not necessary.

While your veggies are cooking put your pasta on to boil. Follow the directions on the box. Keep in mind that if you purchased fresh pasta it probably only needs to boil for 2-3 minutes.

Finally, the third prong of this preparation step is to make your tomato sauce. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Mince your garlic and add it to the pan. (I used 2-3 cloves.) Dice the mushrooms and onions and toss them in as well. Stir to avoid burning but let the garlic/mushroom/onion mixture cook for 5-6 minutes or until the mushrooms and onions are fully cooked. The onions should become translucent, and both should be wilted and soft. I used one package of baby bella mushrooms and about 1/3 of a giant Vidalia onion, but you can experiment with these amounts to taste.

Dice up a tomato and add it to the pan. Turn the heat to medium low. Stir to avoid burning. If you are using fresh basil or fresh oregano dice it up and add it now. If you are using the dried spice version wait until later. Saute for 5 minutes. The tomato should be well mixed with the ingredients already in the pan and the tomato juice should be seeping out some as well. Add 1 can tomato sauce and 1 can tomato paste. (These are both small cans.) Stir until the paste has "melted" and the consistency is even throughout. If you are a big fan of tomato sauce you might want to add another can at this point. Just keep an eye on the total amount of sauce. If you had substituted a can of diced tomatoes for fresh tomatoes though, do NOT add another can here as that will create far more sauce than you need. Diced tomato cans have more sauce in them than comes from a fresh tomato already.

Stir and heat for 2-3 minutes. The sauce does not need cooking at this point so much as warming and mixing to allow the flavors to blend. Add basil, Italian Seasoning, and Oregano (unless you added Basil and Oregano when it said to add the fresh herbs.) Stir well. Cook for another 2 minutes and your sauce is done.

Now it's finally time to assemble your lasagna! Preheat your oven to 375 if you have not done so already. Grease a glass baking dish size 13x9. Place a small amount of sauce in the pan and spread it over so there is an incredibly thin, almost entirely transparent, layer of sauce. This is just to prevent the noodles from sticking to the pan. Lay down three (cooked) lasagna noodles side by side so they cover the pan. Layer 1/3 of the sauce across them. Add 1/3 of the vegetables. If you have not combined them then just add all 3 at this point and spread them out evenly across the noodles. Add 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another 3 noodles, 1/3 of sauce, 1/3 of vegetables, and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. Do this a third time so you have 3 layers and are out of all three. Cut up your goat cheese and place it in teaspoon-sized clumps around the top of the lasagna. I used about 3 oz just to add flavor. This should look like a margharita pizza made with fresh mozzarella balls - just clumps of cheese evenly spread out rather than a covering like you created with the shredded mozzarella.

You're ready to bake! Cover your lasagna with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Enjoy!

Sole en Papillote

Ready for something a little different? This peanut-flavored fish is in season right now and perfect as temperatures start to dip and evenings become darker earlier. The richness and warmth of the flavor make you forget about rainy, cool evenings and instead enjoy the splendor of this simple-to-make fish entree. Cooking fish en papillote, or "in paper", is a french technique that leaves the fish incredible tender and the flavors warmly baked in. Convinced yet?

I paired this meal with some perogies and broccoli with cheese, but feel free to mix up any veggies or starch to go along with your fish. You can even cut up some potatoes and root vegetables and toss them in the fish packets along with the fish for a meal all at once. Feel free to experiment but pick sides that will pair well with a peanut butter sauce!

Sole en Papillote
Ingredients:
sole
peanut butter
honey
cumin
bananas
black pepper
cooking spray

Ready? Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Get out your foil or parchment paper to make packets. This simply involves tearing the same number of sheets as you have fillets. Since sole is a thin fish you'll probably have 4-5 fillets for a pound of fish (serves two typically.) Tear the sheets so they are squares; meaning make them as long as they are wide. I typically use foil but technically parchment paper is more authentic.

Place the sheets of paper on a counter and if you are using parchment paper lightly grease them with PAM or another spray. If you are using foil you are less likely to experience sticking. For each fillet cut a banana in half lengthwise. Place the two halves, side by side, on each sheet of foil/paper. Place a fillet on top of each one. Crinkle up the sides of the sheets so that liquid will not pool out easily.

Mix together equal parts peanut butter and honey in a bowl. You'll want to use about 1 teaspoon of each per fillet. Add in a teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix again and then spread the sauce over each fillet of fish. Wrap the foil/parchment up and crinkle the edges together so your packets are fully enclosed around the fish. Place the packets on a greased baking sheet (because if liquid escapes it will stick) and bake for 10-12 minutes.

To serve you can simple grab a packet from the baking sheet and stick it directly on a plate. Watch out for the escaping steam as you open it up! But enjoy while hot.