Cajun Cod

 

This week’s fish dish employs the use of Pacific cod, and is, honestly, my first cod experience. It certainly won’t be my last. The thing I have come to realize about making fish is that it is unbelievably easy, and takes so little time. The hardest part is remembering to take it out of the freezer the night before so that it is thawed and ready for the next day.

 This is a delicious way to bake cod. It is so flavorful, and very attractive on the plate. I served mine with basmati rice and peas.

Cajun Cod

 3 Pacific cod fillets

Salt and pepper

¼ c. butter, melted

1 T. olive oil

1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic

  1 T. Slap Ya Mama

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle both sides of the cod fillets with salt and pepper, and place into the bottom of a 1½-qt. baking dish.

 In a small bowl whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, garlic, and Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning. Spread evenly over the fish.

 Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

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Brown Butter and Herb Baked Halibut

 

As I’ve mentioned any number of times on this blog, the late Mr. O-P was the fish cooker in the family. The first time I had salmon was when Jim made it for me, and I absolutely loved it. After that I branched out a bit to discover that I like quite a few kinds of fish.  I never had much fish growing up because my mother just never made it, and I think our pallets are shaped by our parents’ tastes, and doubtless theirs by their own parents, but I digress. I decided to treat myself to a subscription to Wild Alaskan Company. I am in no way affiliated with them, I am just very pleased with their products. Thus far I have tried the salmon, and now the halibut (my first time ever eating halibut). Not only is it quick and easy to prepare, but the result is restaurant quality. I couldn’t believe how good it was. The fact that I had made it myself was just a bonus.

I failed to write down my instructions for the salmon because I was just experimenting, but I did when I made the halibut, and am sharing it here with you; I know that you're going to love it. My guess is that this would work with any white fish.
Brown Butter and Herb Baked Halibut

1 stick (½ c.) butter
2/3 c. crushed saltines
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
½ t. dried basil
½ t. dried oregano
½ t. salt
¼ t. garlic powder
1 lb. halibut fillets, thawed, drained, and patted dry

 Preheat oven to 350°F.

 Place butter into a 9” x 13” casserole dish and melt in the oven as it preheats (approximately 6 to 7 minutes). Meanwhile, in a 9” pie pan, place all ingredients except the fish, stirring to combine thoroughly.

Remove casserole dish with the now melted butter from the oven, dip fish fillets in the butter, and then dredge them in the crumb mixture. Place fillets back into the baking pan, and bake in the center of the oven for 25 - 35 minutes or until fish is tender, and flakes with a fork.

Serve immediately, drizzling the brown butter that has accumulated on the bottom of the pan over each fillet of fish.

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Coconut Curry Chicken

 

In today’s economy, I have learned to do two things. First of all, I never waste any food if I can help it. Second, I only order in once a month, so if I get a hankering for some sort of ethnic cuisine, and I’ve already ordered in for that month, I have to make it myself. 

 

This recipe solved both of those problems. I decided to clean out my fridge, and in the doing, found some cilantro in the back of the vegetable crisper that needed using TODAY. Second, I really wanted to order in Indian food, but having already ordered in earlier this month from the local diner, I instead decided to try this recipe that I had downloaded to my Copy Me That app some time ago. It’s from the Damn Delicious website where I have never gone wrong with any of her recipes, and this one is no different. I started my rice first thing, and then kept feeding my pan ingredients as they were called for, and dinner was on the table, and a hearty one at that, in around 30 minutes. Next time I’m going to throw in a minced hot pepper because I could’ve used a bit of heat here, but you do you.

Coconut Curry Chicken

As seen on Damn Delicious

 1 c. basmati rice

1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” chunks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1½ T. olive oil

1 medium Melissa’s shallot, diced

3 T. tomato paste

3 T. red curry paste

3 cloves Melissa’s garlic, minced

1 T. freshly grated Melissa’s ginger

1 12-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

½ c. chicken stock

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 T. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 T. chopped fresh Thai basil leaves

1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice

 Prepare rice according to package instructions; set aside.

Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is evenly browned, about 6-8 minutes.

 Stir in tomato paste, red curry paste, garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

 Stir in coconut milk and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 7-10 minutes.

 Stir in bell peppers until softened, about 5-8 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, basil and lime juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve warm over rice.

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Boursin Pork Chops

  

I don’t make pork chops all that often and I’m not entirely sure why, because every time I do, I’m always struck by how simple they are to make, how they take so little time, and are always delicious. This is another one of those recipes that is so easy anyone can do it, it’s on the table in 30 minutes or less, and one could argue that it is good enough for company.Boursin Pork Chops

 4 boneless pork chops, 1” thick

½ t. garlic powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

2 large Melissa’s shallots, chopped

¾ c. chicken broth

1 5.2-oz. pkg. Boursin Fine Herbs & Garlic cheese, softened

1-2 T. chopped fresh parsley

 If you have the time, remove pork chops from the refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes prior to beginning the recipe.

 Pat chops dry with a paper towel, and season both sides with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter and get it good and hot without burning. Cook the pork chops for 5 minutes per side or until golden; remove to a warm plate. 

To the skillet, add the shallots and sauté for about 3-5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Add more oil to the pan, if needed.

Add the chicken broth and the Boursin to the skillet. Stir until smooth and creamy. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, and then stir in the chopped parsley.

 Add the pork chops (and any plate juices) back in and simmer for another 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened a bit more and the pork chops are cooked through (145°F. minimum). Adjust seasoning if necessary.

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Pasta with Lemon, Ricotta, and Spinach

 

I watch a lot of Italian television, and in the shows that I watch, they cook and they eat. One thing I have noticed when they cook pasta is that they don’t drain it. They use tongs and they take pasta right from the boiling water, and drop it into whatever sauce they happen to be using. That strikes me as immensely practical. It spares you the draining process (and dirtying another dish), and setting aside some pasta water to stir it to make sauce creamy, because the pasta that you have removed from the pan of boiling water already has enough adhered to it.  I put that style of pasta making to use when I made this dish, and I don’t think I will make pasta any other way.  

 

This dish is very light and refreshing. It’s the perfect springtime pasta.

  Pasta with Lemon, Ricotta, and Spinach

 8 oz. spaghetti

½ 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach

1 c. whole-milk ricotta

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 large garlic clove, grated

1 lemon, zest and juice

¼ - ½ t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.

 Cook spinach according to microwave package directions.; set aside to coo; slightly while you make the ricotta sauce. 

In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper. fold i  cooled, cooked spinach until combined.

 When pasta has finished cooking, use a tongs to extract it from the cooking pot, placing pasta directly into ricotta sauce. Toss with the tongs until evenly coated with the sauce, and serve immediately. If you'd like it creamier, feel free to add up to 1/2 cup pasta water.

 Makes 2 main dish portions, or 4 side dish portions.

Cajun Shrimp Alfredo

 

I had occasion to go out to lunch with a number of friends last week. We went to a favorite restaurant, one that I have been patronizing since I was in college; the overall experience was a bit of a disappointment. It was shocking how much the prices had gone up over the years, the portions smaller, and the food not quite as good as it used to be. As much as we all enjoyed the time together, we agreed that it’s doubtful that we'll return to this restaurant that we enjoyed so much over the years. That’s a shame.

I got to thinking about the whole dining out experience, and how I tend to enjoy the sociability more than I do the food. It’s gotten to the point where I can make restaurant quality food at home, fresher, with quality ingredients, for a fraction of the price, and I know how that food’s been prepared. Generally, I tend to order Cajun shrimp pasta out, but decided it was time to make it at home. This is an easy recipe that can be on the table in under an hour. Give some thought to how you want to spend your money. I certainly have, and that’s why I’ll be doing more restaurant-style cooking at home.

Cajun Shrimp Alfredo

Serves 2

8 oz. penne rigate pasta

2 T. butter

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Melissa’s shallot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ c. diced Melissa’s fire roasted red bell peppers

1 c. sliced crimini mushrooms

½ lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 c. Alfredo sauce, jarred* or homemade

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. heavy cream

½ t. Cajun seasoning, more or less, to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chopped parsley, for garnish

 Cook pasta according to package direction. While pasta is cooking, melt butter together with olive oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes.

Stir in garlic, red peppers, and mushrooms; cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms have softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook until firm and pink (3 minutes) and then add the Alfredo saucer, Parmesan, and cream. Simmer, stirring constantly, for about 4-5 minutes until thickened.

Stir in Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir drained pasta into sauce and serve immediately. Sprinkle with parsley, for garnish, if desired.

*I used Rao’s.

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Oven Baked Meatballs

 

I don’t know about the rest of you, but as soon as the holidays are over, I want simple food. I want food that is easy to make and easy to eat. Nothing fancy, nothing on a skewer, nothing with colored sugar, the simpler the better. In most cases, this generally means meatloaf, but I was feeling more like meatballs this year, and looking for the easiest possible way to make them. These oven-baked meatballs were the answer. There’s nothing to putting them together, I used an ice cream scoop to measure them out, and in no time they were in the oven baking while I put my pasta water on to boil.  Believe it or not, it was a 30-minute meal.Oven Baked Meatballs

1 lb. ground chuck

½ c. Italian breadcrumbs

¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ small yellow onion, grated

2 T. marinara sauce

1 T. dry red wine

1 T. Italian seasoning

½ t. kosher salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg, slightly beaten

 Preheat oven to 375°F. Line an edged baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.

 In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients EXCEPT ground chuck. Once that is thoroughly combined, add the beef, and mix well with your hands. I find I’m most comfortable doing this when wearing kitchen gloves.

 Use an ice cream scoop to portion the meat out, roll into balls, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

 Bake for 35 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned and cooked through. Remove and transfer to sauce or serve immediately.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Christmas Pasta

You are going to love this pasta dish! It is perfect for the holidays because it is so colorful, plus it’s made in one pot, and is ready in 30 minutes. It’s meatless, so can be served to your vegetarian friends, and works as either a starter course or a main dish. Honestly, I felt festive just eating it. It’s not often that you can have a dish that is so easy to prepare, doesn’t require a lot of cooking equipment, is tasty, and colorful.Christmas Pasta

 1 T. olive oil
4 oz. thinly sliced mushrooms
1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic
8 oz. linguine
2 T. butter
2 c. homemade chicken stock
1 c. whole milk
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

½ c. chopped Melissa’s roasted red bell peppers

½ 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Toss in mushrooms, stirring until softened, then add garlic, and stir for one minute more. Add pasta, butter, chicken stock, milk, pepper, red peppers, and spinach. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low, put the lid on the pan, and set the timer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes are up, remove the lid, sprinkle Parmesan on top of the pasta and toss until the cheese is melted. Serve.

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Pasta with Spinach, Olives & Feta

I have been a journal keeper for the past 30 years, maybe longer. You can imagine how many spiral bound books of all shapes, types, and sizes, that I have filled throughout the years. The other day, while cleaning a bookcase, I decided to take a number of them down (comprising the years 1997 through 1998), and read them. I was struck by how frantically busy my life was at that time, wondering how on earth I managed to get everything done that I did, and still stay sane (although that is open to debate). I had written about an evening that the late Mr. O-P and I spent with friends. We used to socialize with two other couples. Sadly, of the six of us, I am the only one left. Our best friends at the time, I suppose, were Lenny and Stef. They were fun, whimsical, and serendipitous. I remember one afternoon Steffie called, said she wanted to try a new recipe, and invited us over for dinner. Two hours later we were relaxing with cocktails on their patio while she stirred up a pasta dish in the kitchen. I had forgotten all about that evening until I read about it in my journal. I also wrote that I loved the dish and wanted to ask for the recipe, but upon learning that Mr. O-P didn’t care for it, I didn’t pursue it.

I had described the recipe as pasta with spinach, olives, and feta. I got to wondering about that, so I googled those ingredients and came up with a number of different recipes. This one is a combination of all of them, and while I don’t remember at all what that dish tasted like in 1997, I will say that I quite enjoyed it when I had it last night.

Pasta with Spinach, Olives & Feta

8 oz. farfalle
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic
1½ T. capers
½ c. kalamata olives, pitted and halved
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 4-oz. container feta
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. Stir in capers, olives, spinach, feta, and black pepper. When pasta has finished cooking, drain and immediately dump it into the bowl with all of the other ingredients. The heat from the pasta will wilt the spinach. Toss to coat, and serve immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated to enjoy later.

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Black Olive Fettuccine Alfredo

 

Fettuccine Alfredo, made properly, is not something that you want to have all of the time because it is so rich. It is also delicious, so occasionally it is fine to indulge. I have been doing a bit of experimentation with black olives this past week, having discovered quite a few cans in the pantry when I started my annual pre-fall cleaning and organizing. (Don’t be impressed. It only lasts a couple of days because I bore easily.) On a whim, I decided to add chopped black olives to Fettuccine Alfredo. It’s visually more interesting, and exceptionally good. It’s a 30-minute meal that serves two, so it’s easy enough for a weeknight; very romantic with a nice bottle of wine.

Black Olive Fettuccine Alfredo
¼ c. butter
2 oz. cream cheese
1 c. heavy cream
½ t. garlic powder
1 2.25-oz. can sliced black olives*
15-20 gratings freshly ground black pepper
Salt, if you think you need it, I didn’t
6 to 8 gratings whole nutmeg
1/3 c. grated Parmesan
6 oz. fettuccine noodles, prepared as directed

In a medium saucepan over low heat melt butter. When butter is melted add cream cheese, stirring until combined. Add heavy cream, garlic powder, salt (if desired), and pepper. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until sauce thickens, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in black olives, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Toss with cooked and drained fettuccine. Serve immediately.

Serves two as a main dish, four as a side

*You can use chopped or sliced here. I just grabbed a handful and threw them into a food processor. Whatever does the job.

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