Sweet Potato and Turnip Gratin with an Arugula-Pear Salad

Oh, veggies. I feel as if I have truly accomplished something with my cooking when my boyfriend not only requests veggies with dinner, but specifically request two veggie dishes. So what if one is covered in cheese? There are still veggies underneath there!

This post brings a sweet potato and turnip gratin that is a starchier-vegetable dish with warm, melted cheese on top. Although slightly "fall-ish" in nature this dish still hit home despite being enjoyed in the spring. It's good enough to be enjoyed year-round! But the arugula and pear salad practically screamed spring. The fresh arugula was light yet peppery, the pears crisp and sweet, and the shallot-filled dressing the right combination to break into both of those. All in all, a great meal.

Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: easy

Sweet Potato and Turnip Gratin
Time: 45 minutes

Doesn't this picture make you want to grab a fork and dig right in? If so, head to your local grocery store and start purchasing some ingredients so you, too, can soon be enjoying this delicious meal!

Ingredients:
3.5 cups sweet potato, washed and sliced
3.5 cups turnip, washed, peeled, and sliced
1 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth (no salt added)
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup freshly shredded Brie
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup Panko

First, the preparation. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash your vegetables. Peel the turnips and slice them up. Do not peel your sweet potatoes, but wash well to make sure the skin is clean. Then also slice the potatoes.

Place the potatoes and turnips in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 8-9 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain them and set them aside. Grease a large, 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray and put the vegetables into the pan, making sure they are evenly spread out.

Place the milk, broth, flour, and pepper in a small pot. Turn the heat to medium high and let the mixture start simmering. Stir constantly with a whisk but let the mixture simmer for 4-5 minutes. Then add the cheese (you should have bought the brie as a wedge and then freshly grated it right before starting to cook.) Continue stirring with the whisk as you add the cheese and it should quickly melt and make the sauce thick - within one minute. As soon as the cheese is melted remove the mixture from the heat. Pour the cheese sauce evenly across the potato and turnips in the glass dish.

Finally, melt your butter (or fake butter) over medium high heat in a small pan. Add the Panko and saute for 2-3 minutes, letting the Panko toast. Sprinkle over the top of the cheese mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes and then enjoy.

Arugula-Pear Salad
Time: 10 minutes

This is now one of my favorite salads and I hope you love it as much a I do! Plan on making this over and over and over.. It's simple yet hits the spot.

Ingredients:
1.5 tbsp shallots, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 package Arugula
2 pears
1 small log (about 2" long) goat cheese

Wash the pear and slice it into very thin slices. Peel and dice the shallots. Crumble the goat cheese.

Mix together the shallots, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined.

Put the arugula and pears in a large bowl. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese over the top. Drizzle the salad dressing you prepared evenly over the salad. Toss the salad well to ensure the dressing, pears, and goat cheese are evenly distributed throughout.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Swordfish with Leek-Pea-Lemon Risotto

Swordfish is good. I know it has some mercury so I shouldn't eat it too often and it's a rather expensive fish and truly cuts into the budget, but it really tastes good. And if you consult your handy-dandy seafood watch guide you'll see there are a couple very good options of sustainable Swordfish. So go buy some nice, harpoon caught US Swordfish and you'll be good to go.

I paired the Swordfish with a risotto that caught my eye with its eclectic flavors. It combines peas, leeks, and lemon flavoring with a handful of spices and a splash of cheese. I wasn't sure how everything would work together, but it came out quite well. The peas were sweet and tender, the leeks tangy, and the lemon sweet and citrus all at once. The end result was a very light feeling risotto that left your mouth refreshed and your tummy quite happy. It is the perfect risotto for a summer evening.

Time: 45 min
Difficulty: medium

Leak-Pea-Lemon Risotto
If you have been following my blog, you should be an expert in risotto by now. If not, follow along and browse through past recipes and you will be an expert in no time.
Time: 45 min

Ingredients:
1 cup peas
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (look for low or no salt)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large leeks, cleaned and chopped
1/2 c shallots, diced
1 cup Arborio rice (or other short-grained risotto rice such as Carnaroli)
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbs fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tbsp butter

(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

If you are using bouillon cubes, get some water boiling and prepare your broth. If you are not, heat your broth over low heat on the stove and keep it there. You do not want an active simmer but you do want to keep your broth (whatever form) warm so that it cooks the risotto more evenly and results in a creamier dish.

If you are using fresh peas, boil the peas for one minute in a separate pan, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set the peas aside for now.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the leek and shallots and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. When they are soft and limp and beginning to brown you are ready to continue.

Add the rice and, stirring constantly, cook for 1 min. This allows the rice to be "toasted" or coated in the olive oil to prevent the rice from absorbing the liquid too quickly. At the one minute mark, add the wine and continue stirring. Cook for a few minutes or until the wine is nearly entirely absorbed.

Add 1/2 a cup of stock and continue stirring and cooking until that is almost absorbed. Add the next 1/2 cup and continue this cycle until all of the broth has been added and absorbed. Stirring constantly will result in a creamier risotto. This process should take 20-30 minutes.

When all of the broth is absorbed, add the peas and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring well. Then stir in the cheese, lemon rind, lemon juice, and pepper. As soon as it is stirred remove from the heat. Quickly stir in the Tarragon and the butter. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Sour Swordfish
Time: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb Swordfish
Sweet and Sour Sauce

I have to admit, this recipe was probably so delicious because a friend had made homemade sweet and sour sauce and then given it to me as a gift. It was canned and everything! So I recommend trying to find a friend who can provide you with such a sauce. If not, start googling away because sadly I've never made it and cannot tell you my own recipe. If you find a good one please stick it in the comments below so we can all use it in the future!

Heat the olive oil in a grill pan over medium heat. (Trick, start heating the pan first and after a couple minutes add the oil. Then after another couple minutes add the fish. This means the pan and oil are both hot by then and will cook most evenly.)

Spread sweet and sour sauce over the fish and cook for 3 minutes. Flip your Swordfish and spread the sauce on the side that is now up as well. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook for a final 3-5 minutes. Check to make sure your fish fish is done by seeing if it flakes or splits easily. Remove from heat and enjoy.

Cajun Arctic Char

Calling all Salmon lovers - try this Cajun Arctic Char! It's simple to make but packs a lot of flavor that leaves your mouth watering long after the meal is over. The best part? If you've been consulting the Monterey Bay Aquarium's sustainable fish guide that I blogged about recently, you'll see that Arctic Char is a good substitute for Salmon.

I paired my Cajun Arctic Char with the Garlic Mashed Potato Stuffed Artichokes that always hit home. While you can generally get artichokes year round, this is the season for them, meaning they're often on sale and absolutely delicious. Take advantage of the season before the price goes up and you have to keep your fingers crossed each week when you go food shopping!

Time: 20 min
Difficulty: Easy

Cajun Arctic Char
The only trick here is having a lot of spices on hand. If you don't you can try some simple substitutions, or if you plan on cooking a lot, simply stock up. Spices keep for a long time so building up a collection is not a bad idea!

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
3/4 tsp basil
1/8 tsp chili pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb Arctic Char

Mix together all of the spices in a bowl until well combined. With your Arctic Char fillet skin-side down, brush about half of the spice evenly over the top.

Heat the oil on a grill pan over medium high heat. When it gets hot, add the fish with the skin side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip the fish. Cook another 4-5 minutes and flip back over. The top should now be crisp and browned. Finish cooking to taste and remove from heat.

Hint: If you made your cajun spice mixture a little too spicy, cut the spice by squeezing some fresh lemon juice onto your Cajun Arctic Char before eating.

(Healthier) Fried Catfish with Hush Puppies and Tartar Sauce with Arugula-Roasted Fig Salad

How oh how did I also forget to take a picture of this? It was delicious and amazing and it looked so good... But, before I get ahead of myself, let's get to the basics. Fried, you ask? Not what one would expect from a healthy blog! Yet this fried is not what you have had before. That's right - this is healthier (note, not fully healthy) and yet still fried.

So what's the secret? Temperature. Many professionals went through a long time experimenting to come up with the most healthful way to fry food. It turns out if you fry at exactly 375 degrees, suddenly the meal gets healthier. First, it's so hot that your food cooks very quickly and does not need to stay in the oil for as long. Second, the oil does not get absorbed at this temperature, or at least far less. You'll be able to see this. For instance, when I make latkes I must add oil as I continue to cook since it is getting soaked up. With this fish, the oil level was the same after as before. Third, the coating. Using something with some carbonation in the dough or covering on your fish helps form bubbles that keep the oil away and from leaching into the fish. This helps prevent absorption as well.

And it really works. I was quite nervous originally about heating the oil to this level but when I overcame it and went through with it, it worked wonders. The fish was light and crispy but not oily at all. In fact, I placed the fish directly onto paper towels (on a plate) after removing it from the frying pan and they did not get oily at all. It was great! So follow the instructions, make sure you don't get burned by the hot oil, and enjoy the results.

Difficulty: Medium
Time: 30 minutes

Fried Catfish
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat free mayo
2.5 tbsp lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
peanut oil (4-5 cups)
1 lb catfish
1 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c. low fat buttermilk
1 egg

(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

First, make the garlic aioli. Mix together the mayo, lemon juice, and garlic cloves. Stir well and then put in the fridge to stay chilled and mixed until you are ready to use it.

Heat the peanut oil in a large pan. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side so you can monitor the temperature - this is very important. Heat the oil until it gets to 385 degrees. Do not get worried if there is some very light steam/smoke rising- the smoke point of oil is lower than 385. The oil will bubble around 250 degrees and then actually stop bubbling as it gets hotter.

When the oil is nearing the correct heat, place 1/2 cup of flour in a flat dipping dish. In another similar dish mix together the other 1/2 cup of flour, cornmeal, and black pepper. Finally, in another dish combine the buttermilk and eggs and mix well.

Finally, when oil is ready to go take each fillet, one at a time. Dredge the fillet in the flour mixture, dip it into the buttermilk mixture, and then dredge it in the cornmeal. Make sure you are dredging each side. Lightly shake off any excess and (very carefully) place the fillets into the oil. I found it easiest to place the fillet onto a wide spatula and then use that to lower it into the oil to avoid getting my hands close to 385 degree oil!

The oil will start sizzling but it shouldn't actually splatter. Watch the temperature and do not let it go below 375 degrees. The fish will only take about 5 minutes to cook, so flip a couple times during that process. After 5 minutes remove the fish with a slotted spatula or spoon to avoid scooping up any oil. Place on paper towels on a plate to make sure, but if done correctly there shoudl be barely any oil on the fish at all!

Hush Puppies
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. low fat buttermilk
3 tbsp. grated onion or onion powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. flaked red pepper
1 large egg

(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

You'll now be frying the hush puppies the same way! So keep that oil hot. (And if you did the fish first, get the dough for these ready as the fish fries so you can pop them in right after.) Make sure to reheat the oil up to 385 between items so that when you put the food in it does not dip below 375.

Combine all of the ingredients - flour, corn meal, buttermilk, grated onion, baking powder, salt, red pepper, and egg (beaten) - in a bowl. Stir until well mixed. It should be a gooey, sticky, rather liquid-y dough. Wet your fingers so that the dough won't stick. Then form about 1 tbsp of dough into a ball and place in the oil. Continue with all of the dough, rewetting your fingers halfway through if needed. Fry for five minutes, flipping over and around frequently. Remove with a slotted spoon, place on paper towels, and enjoy with the tartar sauce you made for the fish.

Arugula-Roasted Fig Salad
Time: 30 minutes (mostly cooling/baking time)

Ingredients:
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
5 Black Mission figs
arugula
1/3 c. crumbled goat cheese
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

Get your oven preheating to 425 because since the first step is to roast the figs. Cut the figs in half and trim off any stems. Toss them in a bowl with the cider vinegar, honey, olive oil, and salt. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and remove the figs with a slotted spoon, placing them on the dish. Keep the vinegar mixture to the side.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, place the figs off to the side on a plate, and immediately (before it has any time to cool) pour the vinegar mixture you had set aside into the hot pan. Scrape any browned bits up. Then pour the vinegar into a bowl and let the vinegar and figs cool.

Once those have reached room temperature, place the arugula in a large bowl. Add the goat cheese, figs, and black pepper. Drizzle on the vinegar mixture and toss well. Serve immediately.

Peppery Shrimp-Arugula Pasta

I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow I forgot to take a picture of this delectable meal.. and the one that will be featured in the next post. Oops... Sorry about that! But I can promise you that not only did it taste delicious, but it looked delicious, and if I had remembered to take a picture it would be proudly featured here right now. So please don't hold it against me!

This easy pasta comes together extremely quickly and provides light, summery flavor with a bite of spicy flavor at the end. Make this when you're running around and do not have a lot of time but want to ensure that you are able to serve a healthy yet tasty meal to yourself (or your family.) We cut down on processed food by using whole wheat pasta, add vegetables through arugula, and then get some protein in there with shrimp which makes a smaller portion more filling. So what are you waiting for?

I served the pasta with my bruschetta which has been featured before. Feel free to add your own side or, like me, go with the classic pasta and bread pairing which is always just so perfect together.

Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Peppery Shrimp-Arugula Pasta
Ready? Not only is this meal very quick to make but it's also light on the pocket book!

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp green pepper
8 oz arugula (1.5 packages)
1 package uncooked whole wheat linguine
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
3 tbsp minced shallots
1 1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1.5 tbsp butter
1/2 cup freshly shaved Romano cheese

(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Once you put the water on to boil, combine two of the minced garlic cloves, 3/4 tsp black pepper, 3/4 tsp green pepper, and the arugula in a large bowl and toss well. When the pasta is done cooking, immediately drain and then add the still hot pasta to the arugula bowl. Mix well. The arugula should wilt as the hot pasta mixes with it - keep tossing until the arugula is wilted.

Next, heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Remove the tails from the shimp (optional) and add the shrimp to the pan. Sprinkle with the rest of the pepper (1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp green pepper) and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add your last minced clove of garlic and the shallots. Stir frequently and cook for another 2 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked (curled up tightly and pink.)

Put the shrimp to the side. Put the chicken broth and lemon juice into the pan. Use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the pan and put back on the heat. Cook for 5 minutes, letting the liquid reduce. Then, add the shrimp back to the pan and immediately remove it from the heat. Stir the butter in until it melts.

Add the shrimp mixture and the cheese to the pasta and toss well. Serve immediately.

Sustainable Seafood

In lieu of a recipe, today I would like to talk about sustainable seafood, or rather, the lack thereof. Take a second to head towards Monterey Bay Aquarium's great seafood watch website.

Many of our favorite fish are in danger of becoming extinct and yet you can still buy them at your local grocery store, and, perhaps even worse, they are prized at the best restaurants as delicacies without a second thought. If we do not act very quickly, and on a large scale, we will lose them forever. Not only will this mean you no longer get to enjoy your fancy tuna sushi, but we will also be destroying a fellow species and undermining the delicate ecosystem that exists in our oceans.

Browse the website. Download the handy pocket guide. Or direct your phone to their mobile site (seafoodwatch.org) when you are at a restaurant or a grocery store and make sure your fish isn't flagged red before purchasing it. The site will also give you handy recommendations for a similar fish to replace the one that is in serious danger. And to make it even easier, I'm posting right here some of the most commonly consumed fish which are about to be lost to us forever:

Chilean Seabass
Cod (Atlantic and Pacific)
King Crab (imported)
Flounder (Atlantic)
Halibut (Atlantic, California)
Mahi Mahi (imported longline)
Salmon (farmed)
Red Snapper
Tilapia (China)
Tuna (Albacore except Hawaii Longline, Bigeye except US Atlantic longline, Bluefin, Skipjack imported longline, Tongol, Yellowfin longline, Yellowtail Australia and Japan farmed)

Now keep in mind that just because a fish appears above does not mean you cannot enjoy it - there are OTHER varieties for many of these. Take Tuna. While this is one of the most endangered fish out there and many of the most prized varieties listed above are severely endangered, there are others that are okay (US Atlantic yellowfin, US Atlantic bigeye, US pacific Albacore.) Or while Chinese farmed Tilapia is off limits, the American farmed Tilapia is plentiful.

Look up your fish and know what you are buying and you may just help save a species. We all have smart phones so bookmark the website - we have no excuse to do otherwise. And when you go to a restaurant? Well, ask. If we are all asking at restaurants for sustainable seafood chefs will get the idea and will start stocking sustainable fish to start with. And in the end, that leaves all of us in a better place and a better world.

Lunch this Week: Pesto Pasta

Yum- is pesto not amazing? As promised, I'm following up on my pesto halibut post with other ways to use the delicious pesto you probably prepared en masse. In this case, it's in a simple yet tantalizing pasta dish that I whipped up on Sunday night and proceeded to eat throughout the week for lunch. Not a lunch bringer? It's great for dinner as well! Just dress it up with a salad.

This recipe will take us through a fairly simple pasta dish, but feel free to spice it up on your own. Nearly any veggie can be added (red peppers, zucchini, etc) and you could cut up some chicken, saute it, and toss it in as well for some added protein to your meal. Tofu and shrimp would also work nicely.

Time: 15 minutes (with prepared pesto)
Difficulty: easy

Pesto Pasta
This recipe is assuming you already have some leftover homemade pasta, but if you do not you'll want to make it. Just hop on over to my last post including the Pesto Halibut I prepared for dinner. Then come on back and let's get started!

Ingredients:
Fresh Pesto (at least 1/4 cup)
Whole Wheat pasta (shells or bowties are best)
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter or fake butter
2 cloves of garlic
3 tomatoes (vine preferred)
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms (Baby Bella recommended)

Follow the instructions to boil water and cook your pasta. As soon as the water is on to boil follow along with the rest of the recipe.

Heat a pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of butter. Let the butter melt into the oil for a minute or two, shaking the pan lightly to allow the oil and butter to spread around.

Mince your garlic and add it to the pan. Stir to keep from burning and cook for two minutes. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms. Stir every couple minutes and allow them to cook for 5-6 minutes or until they begin to get tender.

Add 1/4 cup of pesto and mix around. The pesto should soften and melt a bit with the heat. If you want a lighter (healthier) coating stop here but if you are like me and really love pesto add some more to taste. (Remember, pesto isn't like tomato sauce where you want your pasta smothered, just lightly coated.)

Stir and cook for about 3 minutes or until the pesto has melted a bit and stir easily. Drain your pasta and add to the pan. Stir until the pasta is mixed into the sauce and evenly distributed.