Pan-Roasted Halibut

I have been wanting to try this recipe for months now. However, my grocery store does not sell Halibut and I kept running out of time to go to the fish market. Since the kids are back in school full time, I was able to head out and explore the wonderful world of all things fish!

A few things I did different… I used bacon instead of prosciutto b/c I was craving bacon. I did not have capers and I was not about to run to the store again. I added a chunky mango “salsa” on the top which was fabulous. I did four servings instead of two.

The only other thing to watch out for is… after you take the pan out of the oven… don’t forget to use a mitt while cooking the sauce on the stove. I got side tracked doing something else, so when I came back to the pan, the handle was still hot! I had to finish cooking with an ice pack on my hand. Ouch!

Enjoy!!

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground salt and pepper
• 2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 slices prosciutto, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 teaspoons capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus whole sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the flour on a deep plate or in a shallow bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and the butter and get the skillet hot. Add the fillets and cook until browned on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes. At the same time, add the prosciutto and cook, stirring, to brown. Then flip the fish, put the skillet in the oven, and roast until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Remove the fish to 2 serving plates. Dump the prosciutto out onto paper towels to drain. Put the skillet back over medium heat. Add another tablespoon olive oil, the white wine, lemon juice, capers, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the parsley and bring to a boil; boil until reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the fish, top with the prosciutto, and serve immediately.

Pesto stuffed Salmon with Tomato-corn salad

This salmon will make you never want a steak again. Okay, maybe not… but if you grill it just right, the skin makes a nice crunch skin that will have you begging for more! Top with some basil and you are set!

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found within the Food Network Kitchens. When I did a search, the recipe did not show up, but before I type out what I did, I wanted to give original credit to Food Network Kitchens for a brilliant idea!

Heat corn and add sliced cherry tomatoes. Salt, pepper and add some Herbs de Provence. Drizzle with Olive Oil and set to the side.

Lather Salmon with EVOO and sprinkle with kosher salt and cracked pepper. Cut a pocket in the salmon for the pesto. (*Now the recipe called for a homemade pesto made with Basil… however, I had some sun-dried tomato pesto on hand, so that is what I used!) Stuff the salmon with pesto.

Lay the Salmon, meat side down, on an oiled grill on a medium hot flame. Wait about 3-5 mins and then slightly rotate. Grill another 3-5 minutes then flip the salmon onto the skin side. (Make sure the skin is also oiled and seasoned!) Wait another 3-5 minutes until the skin is crispy.

Pour the tomato-corn salad on top of the salmon and top with fresh Basil. Cut into proportions and serve! Can be luke warm or cold. The crispy salmon skin is divine.

The Chianti is one of our favorites!

and a little bit of Emeril

Bam! is something I usually leave out of most dishes… or, I tend to make one serving without as much. Emeril has something that he calls his special Essence rub. It contains lots of spices including paprika and black pepper. Last night I made the following dish without the Essence rub and without the veal stock in the sauce. I also had to leave out the bourbon in the sweet potatoes b/c I don’t tend to keep bourbon on hand. The meal was divine.

Root Beer Glazed Pork Chops with Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Caramelized Onions

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse from Food Network Favorites: Recipes from Our All-Star Chefs, Meredith Books, 2005

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups root beer
• 2 cups reduced veal stock
• 4 (16-ounce) double-cut bone-in pork chops
• 4 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 recipe Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes, recipe follows
• 1 recipe Caramelized Onions, recipe follows
• Parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

To make the glaze, combine the root beer and stock in a medium heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to a thick syrup, about 1 cup, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat. (NOTE: I only had the root beer and it still worked and tasted great!)

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Season each chop on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the Essence. Grill for 3 minutes. Turn each chop 1/4 turn to make grill marks and cook an additional 2 minutes. Turn and cook on the second side for 5 minutes. (NOTE: I seared the meat on the stove in a skillet… I don’t “need” grill marks! ha ha)

Transfer to a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over each chop. Roast until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 150 degrees F, 12 to 15 minutes. (NOTE: Oops, I forgot the Olive Oil!)

Place the chops on 4 serving plates and drizzle with the glaze. Spoon the Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Caramelized Onions onto the plates, garnish with parsley leaves, and serve.

Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from “New New Orleans Cooking”, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes:1 3/4 to 2 pounds sweet potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup bourbon whiskey

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until tender and starting to ooze sugary syrup, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Cut a slit down each potato and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Add the cream, bourbon, brown sugar, molasses, and salt and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Cover to keep warm, or gently reheat before serving.

Yield: 4 cups

Caramelized Onions:8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat and serve hot.

Linguine with bacon crusted scallops and shrimp in a lemon oil sauce

You know, I really have made some great recipes lately, but I always forget to post them. I mixed up a few for yesterday’s Mother’s Day celebration. I took bacon seared scallops from Paula Dean and a lemon oil Linguini with shrimp from Giada but added a few twists of my own to both and then combined it all. Here is the basics of what I made:

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

For the lemon oil:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:

• 1 pound linguine pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 ounces frozen shrimp
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

For the lemon oil:

Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

I didn’t have shallots or arugula and I cooked the garlic in the left over bacon crust from this:

Seared Diver Scallops with Bacon and Whole Grain Mustard Rub

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 4 slices smoked bacon
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 16 scallops, U 10 dry pack preferred

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the bacon in quarters and put it and the and mustard in a food processor and puree until a smooth paste consistency. Coat scallops with puree. Using a frying pan, sear the scallops in a little oil. Place scallops in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove scallops and allow to rest for 2 minutes before serving.

I put the scallops on top of the Giada pasta and served with asparagus (seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper in the oven for 10 mins on 350*)  and salad.

Sweet and Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

Tonight I completely outdid myself… no really, I rock. Okay, okay… rather Giada rocks. Yet another recipe that I actually followed to the tee (shock!) but I did soak (marinate) the chicken overnight instead of the 2 hours.

Balsamic Chicken Drumettes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 sprigs of rosemary
5 garlic cloves, halved
10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

Oh… so maybe I didn’t follow it to the “tee”… I did not add the sesame seeds b/c I didn’t think the kids would go for it.

I made the following veggie to go on the side:

Butternut Squash: peeled, cut and cubed. Add 3 tbsps of olive oil to skillet. Add butternut squash, 2 minced garlic cloves, kosher salt and ground pepper. Saute until tender (about 10 mins) then add 1 cup of chicken broth, saute for another 5-10 mins.

Roast Beef with Spicy Parsley Tomato Sauce

Roast Beef:
1 (2 to 2 1/2-pound) sirloin tip or chuck beef roast
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 Roma tomatoes, cut in 1/2
2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperSpicy Parsley Tomato Sauce:
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil To make the beef roast, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Season the beef with salt and pepper. Season the tomatoes with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.

Place a medium, heavy roasting pan or Dutch oven over high heat. Heat the olive oil. Sear the beef over high heat on all sides. Turn off heat. Place the seasoned tomatoes around the seared beef and place the pan in the oven. Roast until a meat thermometer reads 130 degrees F. for medium rare, 135 for medium, about 30 to 40 minutes. Take the roast out of the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat should rise 5 degrees F more and the juices will redistribute into the roast.

To make the sauce, place the parsley and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the parsley is finely chopped. Add the red pepper flakes, salt, red wine vinegar and the roasted tomatoes from the beef pan and process until pureed. Add the olive oil in a steady stream with the machine running.

To serve, slice the roast and place on a serving platter. Drizzle a little sauce over the meat. Serve the remaining sauce in a small bowl alongside.

I also served this with the following recipe: (both coursety of Giada DeLaurentiis)

Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust

4 small new potatoes (red or white, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter)
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 small zucchini, cut in 1/2 lengthwise (about 1-inch wide by 5 inches long)
Pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool. When cool, cut the potatoes in half.Place a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary and let cook until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, season the cut sides of the zucchini and potatoes with salt and pepper. Carefully place the zucchini and potatoes cut side down in the melted butter. Let them cook until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the browed zucchini and potatoes on the baking sheet cut side up. Sprinkle the tops with the Parmesan. Place in the broiler until the cheese is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and serve.

Baked Salmon with mint pea puree

Okay, I know I’ve totally neglected this blog… but seriously? I really did just forget to post new recipes.

The last few nights have been some really yummy treats, so I’ll post each recipe separately. All are from my Giada cookbook.

Pea Puree:

• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed (about 10 ounces)
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Combine the peas, mint, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor and puree. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Transfer the pea puree to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan. (I actually used Romano cheese)

Salmon:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Then I put both on a puff pastry (from a totally different recipe)

On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 4 pieces of puff pastry. Also place the 4 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Bake for 10 minutes.

To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pea puree. Top with the salmon and serve. I also drizzled olive oil on top of the adult servings.

Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken, Green Beans and Smashed Potatoes with Green Onions

Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken, Green Beans and Smashed Potatoes with Green Onions Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts Black pepper 4 to 5 ounces blue cheese crumbles A handful arugula leaves from bulk bins, chopped A handful baby spinach leaves from bulk bins, chopped 4 slices bacon 2 pounds baby potatoes, halved Salt 1 pound thin green beans 2 vine tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 4 scallions, finely chopped, whites and greens 1/4 cup chicken stock Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.Using a small sharp knife cut into the thick end of the chicken and make an incision reaching 2/3 the way down the breast. Loosen up the incision with your fingers to make a hole. Season the chicken with pepper. Combine the cheese with arugula and baby spinach and stuff the breasts. Spiral-wrap the breasts with the bacon tightly to cover the meat evenly. Place chicken on a nonstick baking sheet and roast 20 to 22 minutes until bacon is crispy and chicken is firm. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, season water with salt and cook potatoes 15 minutes, or until tender. Bring 1-inch water to a boil. Trim beans. Salt water and add beans to water. Simmer 5 minutes, drain and combine with tomatoes, thyme, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Place the potatoes back in the hot pot after draining. Coat the potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, the scallions, chicken stock and salt and pepper. Toss for 1 minute. Serve chicken with green beans and potatoes alongside.

Fire Roasted Corn and Tomato Salsa

Last night I made fish tacos. Our side was corn. I usually peel back the husks and take the silk off, then pull the husks back over the corn and grill for about 2-3 minutes per side. However, I ran across this recipe and just did the corn that way and ate it without continuing on to make salsa… which I’m sure is also yummy. The Olive Oil made the corn soft, but still crunchy from being grilled. Yum!

Fire Roasted Corn and Tomato Salsa Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

2 ears of fresh corn Drizzle of olive oil Salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 ripe Italian plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced 1/4 cup minced red onions 1 teaspoon minced Habanero peppers 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Season the corn with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the corn over a stove’s open flame and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. Remove and cool. Remove the kernels from the cob. Combine the corn, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro, lime juice and lemon juice. Mix well. Season the salsa with salt and pepper.

Chicken & Sausage Sandwiches

Chicken and Sausage Sandwiches with Sauteed Bell Peppers and German Potato Salad by Robin Miller

For the sandwiches: 4 teaspoons olive oil 4 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced4 reserved cooked chicken breast halves, sliced into thin strips 1 cup diced chorizo or andouille sausage 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Salt and ground black pepper 4 long rolls (submarine or hoagie rolls) For the potato salad: 6 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces 1/2 cup chopped green onions 4 slices turkey bacon, cooked until crisp 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil For the sandwiches: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and saute 5 minutes, until tender. Remove half of the peppers from skillet and set aside. Add onion and saute 3 minutes, until soft. Add sliced chicken and sausage and balsamic vinegar. Cook 2 minutes to heat through. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Using tongs, arrange mixture on rolls. Refrigerate remaining bell peppers for another recipe.For the potato salad: To make the potato salad, place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour over enough water to cover. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil 8 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and while still warm, transfer to a large bowl and add onions, cooked bacon, vinegar, and oil. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.