Bass Crusted with Moroccan Spices

In a throwback to my heritage, I decided to try my hand at some Moroccan cooking tonight. This time it was fish crusted with some savory Moroccan spices. They're easy to find at your local store if you do not already have them, but hit the spot perfectly when combined. They give the fish an exotic taste that's easy to prepare.

I served this meal with two dishes I've made before: cajun fingerling potatoes and herb-stuffed tomatoes. Both sides have a slight kick (the garlic in the tomatoes can be quite spicy at times) and complemented the fish perfectly. Feel free to pair other sides with this entree if you choose or copy my example. With this fish you cannot go wrong!

Bass Crusted with Moroccan Spices
This one, of course, comes from Cooking Light. In fact, they have done extensive sections on Moroccan cooking in the past. If you enjoy this fish you may want to explore their magazine (in print or online) for other recipes that might please your palette.

You'll find that you need to marinate the fish, spice it, and cook it on the stove. I followed along but skipped the salt in the spice mixture that got rubbed on the bass. I also did not serve it with lemon wedges or cilantro although I am sure that both would work well with the fish.

This recipe also calls for Sea Bass. I'm actually a huge fan of the thick, buttery fish but since it wasn't available at Whole Foods when I was making this recipe I used Striped Bass instead. Keep in mind that while their names are similar, these are very different fishes. The sea version is thick and naturally oily, practically melting in your mouth, but can also contain bones. The striped version is firmer and not as thick without the buttery taste. I enjoy both but if you are inclined towards one you should find that one before mixing up your marinade. Enjoy!

Lunch this Week: Eggplant-Fig Caponata

That's right - it's time to plan another lunch. This time it will be sandwiches of Eggplant and Fig Caponata. What's not to love? Eggplant - good. Figs - good. Lunch - good. (Does that remind anyone else of when Joey is eating a meat trifle that Rachel accidentally made on Friends?) But seriously, this one hits the spot.

This caponata is also great as an appetizer. Make it when you are having friends over for dinner and serve it with crackers or pita. That way your guests can happily much along, enjoying it with a glass of wine, until your luscious dinner is ready. The sweetness of the figs leaves a light taste lingering in your mouth long after you have finished eating.

Eggplant-Fig Caponata
Cooking Light has once again come through. I basically followed the recipe, omitting the parsley more because I didn't want to run out and buy it than for any real taste reason. You should find the recipe easy to follow and well worth the little bit of time it takes.

Double the recipe for extra sandwiches. While delicious, these aren't super filling since there is no protein. I found I wanted two light sandwiches or one larger wrap to satisfy my hunger at lunch. The extra should easily keep for a week in the fridge - just stick some saran wrap securely on a bowl.

Enjoy!

Bourbon Glazed Salmon with Artichokes stuffed with Smashed Potatoes and Browned Garlic and Broccoli Cheese Soup

The gourmet meals are back! This one is a bit of a doozy but absolutely delicious. Make this when you have time to dive in and get your hands dirty to make this meal right. The Bourbon Salmon is slightly sweet and full of its almost "meaty" taste. The glaze is light yet full of taste and complements the natural flavors of the fish perfectly.

To go with the salmon I made stuffed artichokes and broccoli-cheese soup. That's right - this childhood favorite and comfort food classic, broccoli soup, raises its head here as a healthy soup with the same creaminess you remember. The stuffed artichokes combine the beauty of smashed potatoes and cheese with the healthful and delicious flavors of artichokes. They also look beautiful! (and fancy) Just make sure you are hungry when you sit down because you'll want to keep eating until the food is all gone.

Bourbon-Glazed Salmon
We're actually going to start with the salmon because it must be marinated for a couple hours. So get that going and then turn your attention to the sides. You can go back and finish up the Salmon when you have about 15 minutes left!

You'll find the recipe pretty simple to follow. I skipped the ginger in the marinade since it's not a huge favorite of mine. I didn't see a strong need for it with the already mouth-watering sweet and strong bourbon flavors. I also tossed the green onions into the pan instead of serving them raw on the fish at the end. I prefer all of my onions (green or otherwise) cooked rather than raw. To me, tossing them to saute with the Salmon made them even tastier. It not only allowed the onions to cook but also let them cook in the sauce. Yum!

Artichokes Stuffed with Smashed Potatoes and Browned Garlic
This is a recipe I'll be making many more times. But I did change around the way for cooking the artichokes. You'll see that Cooking Light asks you to trim off 2 inches from the top but I love artichoke too much to do this. I just cut off about 1/2 an inch. I also didn't take too many leaves from the bottom - just some small super-tough ones that you would never eat anyway. I also chose to boil my artichokes as normal rather than steam them to ensure their tenderness. I boiled them for 45 minutes.

The rest of the recipe I followed pretty exactly. When the artichokes were cooked and cool enough for me to touch I was able to gently pull the leaves back without pulling them off. This allowed me to "open" up the artichoke as if it were a petal blooming into a flower and spreading out. I used a large metal spoon to reach inside and literally scoop out all of the thistle (or "choke") so that the heart of the artichoke is revealed. That way I could spoon the potatoes directly into this now cavernous hole and no one would have to worry about the thistle when eating.

Note: When the artichokes go in the oven you should start saute-ing your fish if you want everything to finish at the same time.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Ready for this classic comfort soup? This came out so deliciously creamy that I had to reassure my guests multiple times that it was indeed low fat. Really! You'll find the basic recipe I used here. I used fresh broccoli for this and simply chopped up the fresh heads into small pieces that would work well in a soup. You can also substitute vegetable broth if you would like a vegetarian version.

I went with 1% milk instead of 2% which was my way of making it healthier without sacrificing too much creaminess. For the cheese I used fat free American - the good ol' slices that you remember as a kid. (And they still make the best grilled cheese sandwiches.) I just tore up the slices until it was the right amount so they would melt easily in the soup. The best part? American cheese is super creamy, and the fat free is even creamier in my opinion. This leaves the soup rich and delicious! Finally, I skipped the last step with the blender. My soup was creamy and smooth and, let's be honest, I didn't want to bother with the blender... and it wasn't missed!

Just remember as you eat it - this soup is actually healthy. And amazing!

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Sauce with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This light, simple Tilapia recipe once again hit home without much fuss. The lemon-peppercorn sauce is easy to make - and cheap. No worrying about finding fancy and expensive (unique) ingredients for this one! But it is surprisingly full of flavor. It's delicate texture pairs well with the lingering tastes of lemon and peppercorn, satisfying your appetite while leaving you wanting more.

I paired the Tilapia with garlic mashed potatoes - a classic that cannot be refused - and the Grilled Tomato Arugula Salad that I blogged about a couple months back. Simple, healthy, natural ingredients for a delicious and filling meal. Who can ask for more?

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
You can never go wrong with garlic mashed potatoes. Seriously - who doesn't like them? They're warm and tasty, filling without being heavy, and they are full of garlic. Mmmmm.... garlic! Just make sure your date eats them too.

Here is a simple recipe from Cooking Light, although mashed potatoes are pretty basic foods and not one that depends too heavily on a recipe. You have room for experimentation here! The main change I made was leaving the skin on potatoes. Potato skin is full of nutrients - fiber, Vitamin C, potassium, iron. And it's also just delicious. Why peel it off? Just make sure you wash your potatoes well since they do live in the dirt before coming to your home.

You can follow the recipe and just leave the skins on without any other changes if you please. I used skim milk rather than 1%. The higher the milk fat the creamier your potatoes will be, but also fattier. I found the skim milk to work perfectly well for my tastes. I also just use my handy dandy potato masher rather than using a mixer. Think of it as building up arm strength! (Seriously - with a potato masher the process is incredibly easy.)

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Sauce
And another easy recipe for your meal! Don't you just love these easy-to-prepare meals?

I did not have whole green peppercorns in brine. And I don't like salt that much when not on french fries or soft pretzels in Philadelphia. So I used my peppercorn shaker which does indeed have whole green peppercorns but I ground them out like I always do with my pepper. It might not have the little green dots that are so pretty, but it worked out brilliantly in terms of taste. I also skipped adding salt directly to the fish.

This comes together very quickly so just throw the fish on when your mashed potaotes are just about done. And the sauce cooks in a matter of minutes so stand by or it will dry up and leave your fish rather cold feeling. Enjoy!

Sauteed Sole with Brown Butter with Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread

I have to admit, when I first heard the title of the recipe and it involved the words "brown butter" I was pretty much immediately not interested. Who wants to soak their fish in butter? How is that tasty or even a little bit healthy? Well, after repeated assurances from others that this was indeed worth trying, I decided to dive in and give this recipe a go. It didn't hurt that the Dover Sole at my local Whole Foods was half off the week I tried this, either... Let me tell you, all doubts are now gone. What I thought would be bland and oily came out light and delectable. The sauce is mild yet diverting. And believe it or not, only a little bit of butter is used. I have been converted.

To go with the savory fish and the fall weather outside I decided to serve this with pumpkin bread. These come in many varieties with different toppings - and things in them (think chocolate chips.) This is a fairly straightforward one but let me know in the comments if you want some jazzier versions as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the other holidays all descend. (As a Jew I can lump Hanukkah into "other" since come on, it's not really a big deal!) Finally, I rounded out the meal with the brussel sprouts previewed previously. Feel free to add any other vegetable that suits your mood!

Pumpkin Bread
Let's get started with the bread since the fish will come together very quickly once you have this baking in the oven. This is a modified recipe from Cooking Light. You'll quickly find that I left out the pecans that dot this version from the magazine. I do like pecans, sometimes, but wasn't quite in the mood for them on my bread.

The rest of the recipe pretty much went as written. Unfortunately, since you need half a can of pumpkin for a single loaf its hard to split the recipe and do that. I went with two and just informed those who were eating to enjoy the bread effusively...! But you can certainly freeze as instructed if you will not eat it before it goes bad (I'd say you have about a week's worth of eating time.) Enjoy this bread plain, lightly buttered, with cream cheese, or with a maple butter. It also makes a great breakfast on the run in the morning.

Sauteed Sole with Brown Butter
Although I took this recipe from Cooking Light, I did make a few changes to make this more friendly to my own personal tastes. Perhaps the most notable change you will see is the loss of "and Capers" from the title. I'm just not a fan. They're salty and gross as far as I am concerned.

You'll also see the recipe calls for sprinkling salt and pepper on the fish and then cooking it in a pan coated with cooking spray. If you're a regular follower of my recipes, you'll know I definitely skipped the salt part. Why bother? American food is far too salty as far as I am concerned and only increases blood pressures when waist lines are already expanding exponentially. Stay away from it! There's already more than enough if your diet. As a big pepper fan, I did choose to sprinkle that on, however.

Finally, my issue with cooking spray. This is a great invention... for when I'm baking and don't want things sticking to the bottom of the pan. But it's just not so great for sauteing. While it may be fat free, I find just a drop of olive oil (you only really need about 1/2 a tsp) is still marginal in the fat category at such a small amount and truly does add a great flavor. Cooking spray may be a fat saver but it dampens the taste down as well.

Make sure to only cook the fish and shallots when your bread is almost done since they cook quickly. Sole is a thin fish and doesn't take long in the pan. You'll want to serve this meal hot - and enjoy it you will!

Grilled Tuna with Basil Butter and Fresh Tomato Sauce with Lemon Scented Broccoli Souffle and Bread Pudding with Irish Cream Sauce

That's right. I made dessert. While I try to remain healthy, I *do* maintain quite the sweet tooth that needs some nurturing every so often. And this time I couldn't shut it up any longer! So this meal features a bread pudding made as healthy as a bread pudding can be - but keep in mind we can't work complete miracles... only partial ones.

In addition to the bread pudding is a broccoli souffle and Tuna. I have to admit - while I love Tuna it can often come out dry or tough. Not this time. The basil butter and fresh tomatoes are an absolutely delicious combination that literally melts into the fish and provides a tantalizing taste. And it's a perfect meal to round out with some homemade bread pudding... Bailey's, anyone?

Bread Pudding with Irish Cream Sauce
I recommend getting the bread pudding all ready and then popping it in the oven right as you sit down for your meal. That way you don't have to worry about the entree getting cold as you prepare dessert, the dessert getting cold as you are eating, or losing any and all motivation to make dessert after eating your meal. Yes, I have done this before!

So let's work through this recipe. You'll note that you must refrigerate your bread pudding for at least 4 hours. As someone who does not have four hours to sit around on a weeknight, I decided to go with the overnight option. I actually prepared the bread pudding the previous evening and left it in the fridge. That meant I just had to tackle the fish, the souffle, and the sauce for the bread pudding. It made the entire meal go much faster and smoother!

This recipe calls for a lot of eggs and also some 2% milk. I was a little worried about messing with the eggs and putting in substitute instead... sometimes it really can screw up the taste. So in the end I went with the full egg allotment and just made a mental note not to mistake this healthiER recipe for an actually healthy one and eat too much. However, I used skim milk instead of 2%. The end result was incredibly rich and creamy (and delicious) so I thought it worked out perfectly. However, chances are, it's even creamier with the 2%. Make it as you will!

If you can, follow the instructions regarding putting your pan inside another pan with some water. This allows the pudding to cook very evenly and slowly and results in a creamier dessert. If you don't have the right size pans, it's not absolutely necessary, but it DOES improve the final result.

Lemon-Scented Broccoli Souffle
I must admit that I actually found the broccoli souffle to be the weakest link in this meal. It also came from my favorite spot and I did enjoy it - just not as something I'd rave about all night. It's different, light, and interesting. It's a unique item that you won't find too often and therefore makes for a nice addition on occasion. But if you are truly looking for the taste wow factor, rather than points for creativity and presentation, you should know this is not the best I've made.

Make sure to follow the directions and bake carefully. The stereotype is true that souffles fall easily and you'll want yours to be light and fluffy. The good news is that if you follow along it will turn out that way without too much trouble! So dig on in, enjoy something different, and let me know if this was better than I gave it credit for.

Grilled Tuna with Basil Butter and Fresh Tomato Sauce
Well, I might have not exactly raved about the Souffle, but the bread pudding took my breath away and this entree completely knocked me off my feet. I'd make it again and again in an instant. Save this recipe for many more uses.

A few changes to note... For the basil butter I used fake butter rather than the real stuff - it's far more guilt free when I'm already gorging myself on dessert. In the tomato "sauce" (which is not sauce at all but really some fresh tomatoes that are sauteed) I skipped the capers and parsley. The capers was simply due to personal taste - I find them salty and a bit gross, to be honest. The parsley was just not on hand and I generally find it not that exciting. Go ahead and toss it in if it is next to you but I wouldn't exactly worry about rushing to the store. Finally, for the Tuna itself, I skipped the salt.

At the end, once the Tuna was out of the oven, I spread the butter across the entire steak and then dumped the tomato mixture on top. The butter actually melted into the Tuna and it tasted delicious to me - but that also means the butter wasn't as clearly shown in the picture. Maybe not quite as pretty but definitely more than tasty enough.

Sicilian Cod with Grilled Corn and Potato Chowder and Tomato Parmesan Focaccia with Caramelized Onions

This was a full-throttle meal, no more quick preparations this time. Featuring a delicious Sicilian Cod, complete with one of the oddest mixture toppings I've made for fish, some fresh bread with cheese and tomatoes, and delicious corn and potato chowder, this meal certainly requires some time and planning. And it's worth it.

The fish is light and sweet, fitting in some health with a generous serving of onions. And Cod is a different addition to my normal fish routine. The focaccia is very unique, think almost a cousin of bruschetta but in a full focaccia mold. And the corn and potato chowder masquerades as a vegetable and a starch all at once while providing a lightness not usually known in chowders and a warmth on a cool autumn evening.

Tomato and Parmesan Focaccia with Caramelized Onions
That's right - this focaccia is some odd combination of bread, pizza, and bruschetta but it turns out wonderfully and can be half the meal in and of itself. This comes straight from Cooking Light and I followed the recipe essentially to the T. As a big fan of basil I chose to put the fresh basil on before baking so that it was baked into the bread a bit more but I doubt this truly makes much of a difference either way - and other than that I was very good at instruction following for once.

Just make sure you time the meal correctly. I am placing the bread recipe first here so that you attack it before the other two. This recipe involves two periods of rising - the first for 1 hr 30 minutes and the second for 30 minutes. Prepare the filling while the first rising is happening. It won't take long, but that way you are ahead of schedule and not rushing at the end. Then enjoy some downtime as the dough is rising until you get to the soup!

Grilled Corn and Potato Chowder
You'll want to turn your attention to this recipe once the bread is in its second rising stage - the one that takes 30 minutes. You'll have time to grill the corn and boil the potatoes before then so that as the bread is ready to be dressed and put in the oven, the soup is already starting to simmer on the stove... which takes about the same time as baking the bread.

Not the season for corn on the cob? You can easily substitute unflavored corn from a can or frozen corn kernels. Simply put the kernels directly on the grill if using a Foreman one, or on top of foil if using a normal outdoor one. This may not turn the kernels black but it will still do the trick.

I also substituted 1% milk here for the 2% called for in the recipe. While normally someone who only uses skim milk for all things, the thicker the milk you use here the creamier your soup will end up. I, however, could not bring myself to using the fat featured in 2% milk. Since I didn't want my soup to be too watery, however, I decided to split the difference and go with the 1%. I'll leave the final decision for which one you want to use up to you!

Want to make this soup as your entree? Saute some shrimp and throw them in as well for a delicious seafood twist on this vegetarian soup. The shrimp will fill you up and make a great lunch or light dinner.

Sicilian Cod
And now we finally return to that picture at the beginning. I have to admit, when I first read this recipe I found it more than slightly strange. Brown sugar and raisins with onion? Well, I'm glad I trusted in it! This recipe comes out exceedingly well. Unfortunately for me, I was cooking for someone who is not a fan of red pepper so I left it out. I didn't miss it, but I'm sure it would only add to the recipe to have it included.

You can whip this recipe together as the soup simmers and the bread bakes. Toss the fish in a glass dish, follow the instructions, and pop it into the oven with perfect timing so that all 3 will finish at once. At the same time, get your fish topping saute-ing on the stove. You'll want those onions soft and flavored to make this dish as delicious as it can be.

Once the fish was done baking I poured the onion mixture over the top (see the picture at the top) rather than leaving it for the diners to combine themselves. In my experience, if you want something tried you toss it on and leave no choice...! And let me say, no one at the table regretted this. The sweet and savory tastes blended together in the topping perfectly and deliciously highlighted the cod. This is certainly one to make again.

Maple Salmon with Grilled Fries

This meal is a throwback to a simple classic while mixing it up to avoid getting bored in the kitchen... or when eating. Maple Salmon hits the sweet spot while providing a thick, meaty fish and the grilled fries add some starch while still getting in some nutrients through the delicious skins. They also take the "fry" out of fries to significantly "health" up this meal. I rounded out the dinner with some good ol' broccoli with cheese - a sure crowd pleaser.

This is another great meal to make when you don't have a ton of time. But keep in mind that you *do* need a fair amount of grill space. I ran into this problem with the fries since my Foreman grill is sadly no real challenger in space to a true, outdoor grill. So be prepared to make fewer potatoes, grill in shifts, or simply live in a house with a yard rather than an apartment! (Or have a grill on your roof... :::cough::: :::cough::: old apartment....) But, alas, let's get to it!

Grilled Fries
We'll start with these since they take a little longer to prepare, mostly due to prep work. You'll find the recipe I used shown here with steak. Obviously I skipped the steak part but went straight for the delicious carbohydrates! I especially enjoyed these because they mix together sweet potatoes with regular potatoes and I'm a big fan of sweet potato fries.

This recipe is very straightforward - cutting up some potatoes, putting on some spices, and grilling until soft. Definitely err on the side of cutting your fries thinner. While everyone enjoys thick steak fries, they do take longer to cook and you might end up with a hard/still raw bit in the middle. If your fries DO end up sized differently keep in mind that you can always take the small ones off the grill first.

I skipped the chili powder due to that whole "not liking spicy food" thing, but used the rest of the spices. Once again, as usual, I recommend substituting fake salt in here. Unless you need salt for its rising properties I always prefer to go with the sodium free version.

Enjoy these with ketchup or just munch on them plain. But remember, while they may not be fried you still don't want to overeat on the potatoes!

Maple Salmon
To go with the saltiness of the homemade fries I prepared a sweeter entree. Truly, maple and salmon are meant to go together!

Ingredients:
rice wine vinegar
maple syrup
orange juice
salmon
black pepper
olive oil

Put 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons orange juice in a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce reduces and slightly thickens.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle your salmon with black pepper and put in the pan. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until the fish is cooked to your taste. By now, the sauce should be done as well. With the skin side down and the thick salmon meat showing, pour the sauce over the fish. Cook for 1 more minute and serve.