5 ingredient fish!

Okay.  Tonight, I made a new recipe after work.  Yes, work! (in case you missed the news….) J  Anyway, my new employment brings me home at around 6pm.  We normally eat around 6:30 so that gives me 30 minutes to prep and cook, if I want to put dinner on the table on time.  That’s pretty difficult stuff unless you’re making hot dogs and mac ‘n cheese or soup and sandwiches (and by “making soup”, I mean opening a can and heating in the microwave).  Well, a few days ago, I got the current Rachel Ray magazine in my mail and, interestingly enough, there were quite a few 5 ingredient recipes in there that promised to be 30 minute meals – 15 minutes for prep and 15 minutes for cooking.  “Yeah, right” was my first thought but what drew me in and convinced me was the whole five ingredient business.  That’s seriously inexpensive for 4 servings – well, probably more the way the whole serving size business has worked out for us!

So, the first recipe I selected to try was Italian Flag Halibut.   Really, 5 ingredients!  Fish, tomatoes, garlic, broccolini, and cannellini beans – do you get the “Italian flag” part now? J Of course, my world isn’t perfect and halibut was nowhere to be found in this area of Florida so I substituted cod, which is actually more budget-friendly.  As for the broccolini, this was my first time using it and I had to shop at more than one store to get it.  That’s definitely a downer but I think that’s a side effect of small-town grocery stores in the south.   

As far as prep goes, it definitely took me more than 15 minutes.  I’ll be honest – I was pretty sad about that.  We didn’t sit down to eat until about 6:50 and that’s bad on a Wednesday since we watch So You Think You Can Dance and it comes on at 7:00 here.  Thank goodness for DVR and the pause button!!!  Anyway, I would allow at least 30 minutes for prep unless you have assistance.  If you’ve never worked with broccolini before, that’s where the bulk of your time will be spent.  You have to remove all the leaves and then chop the stalks and the florets.  Thing 2 assisted (thank goodness!) but I did half the bunch first and realized how much longer finishing was going to take without assistance.  AND, the recipe called for TWO bunches!!!  *side note – I only used one bunch and that was plenty for this recipe.  The 2^nd longest prep moment comes with chopping the tomatoes – there’s 4!  Besides those two ingredients, the other 3 were easy-breezy.  I mean, really, you buy some fish, open a can of beans and peel some garlic.  That’s a cake-walk compared to the broccolini!

The result?  It was pretty darned good!  Of course, Thing 2 was not appreciative of the tomatoes but Thing 3 went back for seconds and thirds!  Man, do I love that Thing 3 and her appreciation for good food!  She’s welcome in my house ANYTIME!!!  (Thing 1 was not home to log an opinion.) My only recommendation for the recipe would be to definitely be generous with the seasoning on the fish.  Now, I went easy because I didn’t want to oversalt and ruin the dish but I definitely could have added more.  It was good but it could have been so much better.  The entire flavor combination, however, was fabulous!  A bit with fish, tomato, bean and broccolini was such a burst of deliciousness!  I think this would also be really yummy with chicken breast or even steak.  And, in the end, even though it took longer than 30 minutes, it was worth the time and I’m sure it’ll be easier the next time around – and yes, there will be a next time. J

So, for YOUR enjoyment and celebration of the Italian flag, here’s the recipe.  Happy cooking, eating, and drinking!

Italian Flag Halibut

2 bunches broccolini

4 skinless halibut fillets (about 6 oz. each) (or cod, if you can’t find halibut)

Salt and pepper

5 tbsp. EVOO, plus more for drizzling (if you’re not versed in RR speak, that’s extra virgin olive oil)

3 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

4 medium tomatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1.  Discard the leaves from the broccolini and cut the stalks (up to the florets) into ½-inch pieces.  Rinse in a colander and set aside.

2.  Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper.  Add 2 tbsp EVOO to the skillet and swirl to coat.  Add the fish and cook until nicely golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes.  Flip the fish and cook until firm to the touch, about 3 minutes longer.  Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

3.  Pour off and discard the cooking oil.  Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the garlic and 1 tbsp. EVOO and cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the wet broccolini, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, beans and 1 cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccolini is tender and the tomatoes are saucy, about 5 minutes.  Stir in 2 tbsp EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

4.  Spoon the tomato-broccolini mixture onto 4 plates or shallow bowl.  Top each portion with a piece of fish and drizzle with a little more EVOO.

It's chickpea-licious!

Welp, it happened.  I got a job - WOOT!  And so, back to the juggling act I go.  I’ve also got a commute attached to this so, from here on out, Monday through Friday dinners need to be either 30 minutes or less or tossed in the crockpot before I head out the door in the morning.  Gone are the days of the 2-3 hour stew on a Wednesday.  *sigh*  Oh well, this is a bonus for you guys because I will definitely be trying some new recipes that will hopefully be quick and easy to put together and I'll be letting you know how they went.  Tonight though, you’re not getting a quickie.  Sorry.  (Hey!  Get your mind out of the gutter!  This is a FAMILY show!) BUT, I promise that tonight’s recipe is worth the time and effort.

So, we love curry.  Curry is delicious!  And, usually, recipes with curry don’t require too much time but this one is so chock full of good stuff that prep is a little lengthy and then there’s time waiting for veggies to soften.  Oh…the dish is vegetarian and is a total WINNER with Things 1, 2 and 3!  In fact, we’re all pretty excited about leftovers tomorrow and with what I know about flavors mingling after a dish sits overnight, tomorrow’s lunch promises to be the envy of all my new colleagues. J

You know when you go to Indian or Afghani restaurants and you see those dishes of curried chickpeas?  Oh my goodness, are those GOOD or what?  Anyway, this is not an exact replica but is an EXCELLENT substitution – and has way less oil so the fat content is cut way down.  I found this recipe for Chickpea Curry in my 1,000 Lowfat Recipes cookbook.  It says it makes 5 servings – um, I served 5 tonight and you already know we’re talking about the leftovers…..  This dish is chock full of really good stuff – butternut squash, carrots, potatoes and, of course, chickpeas!  The prep of the veggies is what takes the extra time – the potatoes need to be peeled and cubed, the butternut squash needs to be peeled and grated and the carrot needs to be shredded.  Well, let me tell you, if you have a food processor, you will move through the butternut squash in no time flat.  Otherwise, well, add some additional time for prep.  I took a shredded carrot shortcut and bought a bag of preshredded carrots.  Hey, don’t judge me - those are really good in salads!  The potato?  Well, sorry, you still have to peel and cube it so plan for that. 

The recipe calls for 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of curry powder.  I used hot curry powder because I figured that the amount of veggies in this dish would just soak it up and it wouldn’t be super spicy and I was right.  It did have a nice kick but nothing you couldn’t tame by using a blend of hot and regular or just even using regular.  If I were to just use regular, I would definitely recommend the full 2 teaspoons (or maybe even a ½ teaspoon more) just to make sure the curry doesn’t get lost in the dish.  It also calls for a peeled, cored and chopped apple to be added during the last 10 minutes. Thing 2 was not a fan.  She didn’t like the texture.  The rest of us liked it – it did add a nice freshness – but it’s certainly not necessary.  Next time, I will prep an apple and put it in a bowl along with the other condiments.  It won’t have the same effect but it should be tasty, nonetheless.  Oh, condiments?  We used raisins, Spanish peanuts and the Cucumber Raita recommended with the recipe but you could use anything you like.  The recipe also suggests a chutney – you pick your favorite flavor. J

This is definitely a winner – delicious and full of all kinds of good stuff.  This is a new staple in my house.  Here’s the recipe for you to make it a regular at your dinner table.  Happy cooking, eating and drinking!

Chickpea Curry

Makes: 5 servings

Have small bowls of condiments, such as raisins and nuts, Cucumber Raita and a chutney on the table so diners may garnish their plates to their own liking. Always serve curry with rice.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger

1 to 2 leeks, white part only, washed well and minced

1 ½ cups peeled, grated butternut squash (easily grated in food processor)

1 carrot, shredded

2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 cups water

4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 ½ to 2 teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped

1.  Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.  Sauté the garlic, ginger and leeks in the oil over low heat until soft.

2.  Add the squash, carrot, and potatoes.  Pour in the water and simmer, covered, until the vegetables soften.  If necessary, add more water so that the curry doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

3.  Add the remaining ingredients except the apple and cook for 30 minutes longer.

4.  Ten minutes before serving, add the apple.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Per serving:  Calories 359; Protein 15g; Fat 6g (Saturated 1g); Carbohydrates 66g; Fiber 11g, Sodium 125mg

Cucumber Raita

Makes: 4 servings

This cooling salad is served as an accompaniment to spicy Middle Eastern or Indian foods.

½ cup plain lowfat or nonfat yogurt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced fresh mint

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, mint, and cumin in a bowl.  Stir in the cucumber and mix well.

Per serving: Calories 31; Protein 2g; Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Carbohydrates 5g; Fiber 1g; Sodium 23mg

fresh Alabama blueberry cobbler

Hooray!  It’s a blog post!!  And, it’s a good one, let me tell you - totally worth the wait!  We went to the Alabama Blueberry Festival today.  Yes, there’s a festival about blueberries!  I’ve been to garlic festivals, artichoke festivals and strawberry festivals but never a blueberry festival.  And I LOVE blueberries.  I eat blueberries on my cereal, in my oatmeal, in pancakes and muffins, on my yogurt, in pies, in cobblers, in bowls with whipped cream on top, etc….  Thing 2 was less than thrilled with today’s events.  She loves blueberries like I love Brussels sprouts.  NOT!  But, she went along hopeful for funnel cake.  J  Anyway, the blueberry festival was fun – honestly not as much fun as the garlic festival or the strawberry festival (although, the real fun of the strawberry festival was finding a parking spot!) – but we had a good time.  It would have been great if it wasn’t 95 degrees.  Yeah.  It was hot.  Did you know that ice cream tastes AMAZING in hot weather?  Of course you did.  Well, did you know that Blueberry Pie ice cream tastes AMAZING, period?  No, I bet not!  Trust me – it does!

Anyway, much to the chagrin of Thing 2, I bought a flat of blueberries to bring home.  A flat is 12 pints.  I spent $20.  Can you say “GREAT DEAL”?  Wait, I’ll say it – that was a flippin’ GREAT DEAL!!!12 pints of fresh Alabama blueberries in my house!  Oh, what to make, what to make!  Of course, I had to break out my handy-dandy cookbook to check out my blueberry recipes!  *side note – I have SO MANY dessert recipes from those cooking magazines that the desserts have their own 3-ring binder!  Perhaps I like the desserts too much?  Nah!!*

Well, we have Thing 2’s bff with us right now.  She’s not only the bff, she’s like another daughter so I shall call her Thing 3.  The introduction of Thing 3 is important to my blueberry dessert quest because while she does love blueberries, she does NOT love pie.  No, I’m not sure what’s wrong with her – she certainly didn’t get that from me!  How can a person not love pie?  Ridiculous.  Anyway, I had to keep that in mind because if I had my way, I’d have made a blueberry pie in a heartbeat.  Oh well – guess it’s a good thing I found a recipe for blueberry cobbler! (psst….don’t tell Thing 3 that a cobbler is basically an upside-down pie.) J 

The recipe came from the September 2006 issue of Food & Wine magazine and it is absolutely delicious!  Putting the biscuits together was really easy since it calls for a food processor and the recipe called for ingredients common in any pantry.  The only item I had to buy was the heavy whipping cream – everything else I already had (except for the Turbinado sugar but I just used regular sugar).  I didn’t have a 1 ½-inch round biscuit cutter so I used the bottom of a glass.  This caused my biscuits to be a larger than the recipe but it certainly didn’t change the taste.  I also ran out of room for the larger biscuits and had to use a shot glass to make smaller biscuits to fill in the empty spaces.  Yes, it IS possible to use a shot glass for other things than shots.  Of course, the shots ARE more fun but using the shot glass for mini-biscuits is certainly not going to affect you in the morning.  J

FYI, the recipe called for 6 cups of blueberries (2 pounds) which is equivalent to 3 pints of blueberries.  YUM!  And now I have 9 pints left….can you say blueberry muffins?  Final verdict on the cobbler?  Well, as you would expect, Thing 2 did not partake although she did say that it smelled amazing.  Things 1, 3 and husband all licked their bowls after they were done. J  Yes, me too.  I’m not ashamed.  It was GOOD!  The biscuits were sweet and cooked perfectly and the blueberry mixture was both sweet and tart and delicious.  I want more.  Thank goodness it serves 8!  I think I’m going back for seconds…..

But, before I go, here’s the recipe.  Happy cooking, eating and drinking!

Blueberry Cobbler with Honey Biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup finely ground cornmeal

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Scant ½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

6 cups blueberries (2 pounds)

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (see note)

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, pulse the flour, cornmeal, 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the baking powder, cinnamon and salt to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the 2/3 cup heavy cream and pulse just until a smooth dough forms.  On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into a ball.  Flatten slightly then roll out the dough to a ½-inch thickness.  Using a floured 1 ½-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out 32 rounds; pat the scraps together and reroll if necessary.

2. In a medium bowl, toss the berries with the honey, orange juice, lemon zest, potato starch and the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.  Pour the berries into a 2-quart baking dish.  Arrange the biscuit rounds over the fruit in rows so they touch but do not overlap.  Brush the rounds with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.  Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling and thickened and the biscuits are golden brown.  Let cool slightly and then serve with ice cream.

NOTE: Turbinado sugar is a coarse, brown-colored raw sugar that’s available in specialty food stores and supermarkets.