what we ate: christmas 2012

for dinner on christmas day, we were inspired by an italian christmas eve tradition – the feast of the seven fishes. i’m not italian and i don’t really know anything about it besides the fact that it’s a thing… but we love fishes, and seven are better than one. clearly.

since it was just the two of us, and so no one had to slave in the kitchen while the other ate, we divided it into three courses.

we started with oysters, scallops, anchovies, and mussels. (that’s four fishes)

on the half shell.

“cooked” table-side with my creme brulee torch (really very rare on the inside) and finished with salt.

with olive oil on homemade bread.

homemade bread.

pickled; also on homemade bread, but scooped directly to mouth works just as well, too. these are fantastic and easy and i’ve already made them again since then. the recipe comes from jose andres, so how could you go wrong, really?

then we took a little break and got ready for the next two fishes – cod and octopus.

he made the most delicious fried salt cod cakes with a milk-based lemon and garlic aioli for dipping. recipe here.

a whole octopus, cooked in the pressure cooker for 45 minutes and then pan-browned, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with plenty of parsley and lemon. i really love octopus.

for the final course/fish, we had clam linguini planned, but we were starting to get full and didn’t want to miss this:

dessert. so we skipped the clams – a feast of six fishes!!

it was a vanilla pavlova with brandy whipped cream, berries, and kiwi. oh man. maybe the best part of the meal.

pavlovas are a high-impact, low-effort, medium-skill dessert. check out the recipe and video tutorial here.

and for the ghosts of christmas dinners past…

onion, mushroom, and broccoli rabe pie

i’m sort of intrigued by savory pies. and how could you not be?? look at it!

i wanted to try using frozen puff pastry. have you ever tried it? i had not. i was skeptical as i worked it, but it turned out well.

i used one box, which contains two pieces – one for the bottom crust and one for the top. how convenient of them.

i thought i was supposed to roll it out thinner, but it didn’t want to. as i said, though, that didn’t end up mattering at all.

anyway, my filling was two medium onions and a pound of sliced mushrooms. cook them down with some salt, pepper, and dried herbs (i used oregano). you want to get most of the moisture out so it doesn’t soak the bottom crust.

i also added a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of butter at the beginning, which cooked together into a faux-roux.

when they were just about done, i added half a bunch of chopped broccoli rabe.

here’s the truth: i don’t like broccoli rabe. it’s too bitter for me. but he really does, and i did want a tough green that would stand up to being cooked… so i put it in. i really wish i hadn’t. bleck. next time – kale.

anyway, when the filling is ready, roll one of your puff pastry pieces out as best as you can (barely at all), and line a baking dish with it.

spoon the filling in, and top with another piece.

crimp the edges all around, and use a knife point to put some “vents” in the top.

i also brushed it with a little olive oil and sprinkled it with some parmesan cheese.

bake for about 40-50 minutes at 375 degrees. when it comes out – all golden and bubbly – let it sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting in.

such a flaky brown crust!!

really good – except for the broccoli rabe – even the next day for lunch!

baked eggplant

given the first snow and all, i wanted something seriously cheesy and tomatoey and baked.

but instead of going super carb-y (i am taking a nutrition class at the moment, after all), i decided to see what i could do with eggplant.

this turned out really well, and was maybe one of the simplest things i’ve ever made.

the only drawback is baking time – it takes an hour. so optimize that by throwing it in the oven and running to the gym or watching two episodes of parks and rec. you win!

i bought one largish eggplant, one ball of mozzarella cheese, and one box of pomi basil marinera. that’s all you really need.

i love pomi because it’s all natural, and even this premade sauce only had about 5 ingredients – tomatoes, garlic, onions, basil, salt. plus it comes in a box, so you don’t have to worry about can cancer.

if you can’t find it, use a regular jar of tomato sauce, or make your own from a can of plain crushed tomatoes.

slice the eggplant and the mozzarella pretty thin – less than half an inch – and start layering. first sauce, then veggie, sauce, cheese, veggie, sauce, cheese… it ended up turning into four stacks, but depending on your dish, it could be more lasagne-y.

i did four layers, and topped with a little grated parm.

bake at 375 for an hour, or until the eggplant is soft when you stick a knife into it. i baked it for the first 30 minutes with foil on top, and the second thirty minutes without.

honestly, does it get any easier than that? and you get the tomato-y, melty, cheesy satisfaction of lasagne or eggplant parm without the added kcals.

could be a side dish with something else (italian sausage? a chicken breast?) or an entree for the veggies in your life.

mushroom pie

this is a post i drafted veteran’s day weekend in 2010 and for some reason, never posted. so, from the archives:

i forget where it came from, but the idea of mushroom pie has been in my head for awhile. sounded like a good fall-y side dish for meat.

i couldn’t find a recipe that sounded like what i wanted, so i moved forward without one.

first, i made a whole wheat pie crust.

then, i made mushroom filling by slicing a bunch of mushrooms and onions and giving them half a sautee.

i half-cooked the filling for two reasons. one, so that it would be done in the same amount of time as the crust. and two, to get some of the moisture out of the veggies so they wouldn’t soak the crust.

i mixed the mushrooms/onions with a little sour cream,

and piled them in the crust. fold over the edges for a rustic look (and easier execution than using a pie plate).

i brushed the edges with a little milk,

and baked at 400 degrees until golden brown.

this pie works well as a side dish with a meat entree, but is also hearty enough to be a vegetarian entree on its own.

wheat berry risotto with mushrooms

talk about a hearty, cool-evening dinner!

inspired by this article about “wholesome risotto with whole grains” in the new york times, i decided to try it with my favorite grain, wheat berries.

using the ratios suggested in the recipe, i cooked 1/3 cup of arborio rice into risotto.

right at the end of its cooking, i stirred in 1 cup cooked wheat berries

plus some mushrooms that i had sauteed.

it really was a great way to gussy up a typical risotto, and i definitely felt better about eating it than i do about eating a whole bowl of just rice.

split pea and sweet potato soup

don’t judge me, but this dish was inspired by one of those “celebrity chef” recipes in the back of a people magazine. (for the record, i didn’t actually follow the recipe, i just used the idea of pea and sweet potato and lemon and thyme… procedurally, it’s quite different. in case you’re allergic to all things people magazine.)

i started by sauteeing one onion in a big soup pot until it was pretty brown, then i added six cups of water and a pound of split peas.

when that came to a boil and had been bubbling along for 10 or so minutes, i added one large-ish sweet potato cut into chunks (skin-on), and let it all boil together until super soft, just less than an hour.

about halfway through, i added about a teaspoon or a little more of fresh thyme and a tablespoon of salt.

when everything was mushy, i used my immersion blender to blend it smooth. go for whatever texture you like here.

i also added the juice of one lemon, two more cups of water, and another teaspoonful or so of salt.

the interplay between the sweet peas, sweet potato, and sour lemon really makes for a very nice, complex flavor.

and if you (like me) generally stay away from pea soup these days because of the pig factor, this is an excellent way to enjoy it again.

i should also add that this is one of the cheapest dinners i have ever made. it comes out with at least four servings (depending on your audience) and i spent less than $5 on a bag of dried peas, a sweet potato, some thyme, and a lemon.

chicken soup for a cold

i woke up saturday morning feeling even worse than i had on tuesday, wednesday, thursday, and friday. so what’s the only possible cure? a steaming hot bowl of the tastiest chicken soup.

he used this new york times recipe, with a few modifications.

first, he used the pressure cooker for the first 45 minutes to get more richness out of the chicken bones. second, we didn’t have turmeric, so he used curry powder.

it was a little different from your average chicken soup. it had parsnips and sweet potatoes in addition to carrots and onions, and omitted any noodles or rice.

but it was amazing – broth so flavorful, meat so tender – really, some of the best chicken soup i’ve ever had.

and it did its work! i’m feeling much better today.

tuscan bucatini

this is similar to a dinner i’ve made before, but it was way better this time.

what you need:

a can of white beans, a can of artichokes, a tin of sardines (you could use tuna if you prefer), some bucatini, a couple cloves of minced garlic, and some good parm.

first i fried up my artichokes – cut into quarters – in a little oil until they started to brown. (this step is optional – if you’re running short on time, skip it!)

meanwhile, cook your bucatini. how freakin cool is this stuff?

the texture is amazing. i may never eat regular spaghetti again!

before you drain it, make sure to save at least a cup of pasta water.

also, flake your sardines with a fork.

into the (now empty) pasta pan over medium-low heat (since i’m all about not dirtying too many dishes), i put the oil from the sardine tin – this is also optional. if that sounds too fishy for you, use a little EVOO – and cooked my garlic.

then i added the white beans (drained), the artichokes, and the fish. stir everything together and get it up to temperature. you don’t have to cook it, per se, but you don’t want a room-temp dinner.

then toss in the drained pasta, mix, add pasta water, mix… until it all starts to stick together. don’t worry about the beans, artichokes, or fish breaking into pieces. it’s all turning into sauce!

then transfer it to your serving dish (or individual bowls) and top with more flavor:

grated parm and a squeeze of lemon. (i should have added either capers or a big handful of chopped parsley or some red pepper flakes, too, but i didn’t think of it/have it around/like spicy foods)

this got two enthusiastic thumbs up from both of us, so it’s probably going to become part of the usual dinner rotation.

one note of caution. you may not want to take leftovers to work the next day unless you don’t mind stinking up the lunchroom… oops

salmon in cast iron

i so rarely crave meat that when i do, i tend to think my body needs some serious protein, or fat, or oil, or something… and i generally oblige it.

all day at work, i could not stop thinking about a salmon fillet with asparagus and some gnarly grains. i imagined seasoning it lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and cooking it oh-so briefly in my cast iron skillet.

alike adees…

seriously, i want to eat this everyday.

first, check in with the monterey bay seafood watch so you can feel good about what you’re buying and eating.

then, make sure your fish is very dry (pat with paper towels). season with salt and pepper at least, plus garlic powder, paprika, or herbs.. whatever you like.

i cut that skinny piece off and cooked it separately. it was so thin it would have overcooked by the time the rest was done.

(in a shocking turn of events, i discovered that the fishman had not removed the scales! i didn’t even think to ask him to, because i figured he would have. rather than going through the trouble – and mess – of removing the scales myself, i left them on. during the cooking process, they fried up and turned crisp and totally edible.)

heat a thin layer of oil in your cast iron or other large skillet until just smoking, and place the fish skin-side up. it will stick at first, but as it cooks, it will release. only needs 2-5 minutes, depending on the thickness and your preference for raw fish.

then flip over to skin side, and cook another 2-5 minutes, depending again on the thickness of your fish and how raw/rare you like it on the inside.

obviously, serve with lemon and side dishes to round out the meal.

instead of a gnarly grain, i went with orzo because i had some in the house. on a suggestion from the abel-yaybokes, i mixed a small spoonful of yogurt with the orzo, plus some salt and pepper. made it nice and creamy.

and my veggie ended up being brocolini instead of asparagus because it was so expensive this time of year! (chopped, blanched, sauteed with oil, garlic, salt & pepper, and finished with a splash of fish sauce.)

over all, immensely pleased with my fishy dinner.

scrumptious peanut-ginger sauce on tofu

this one is still a little bit a work in progress, but it’s totally worth it.

i found the recipe for dipping sauce as part of a new york times piece on tofu.

it’s a mix of peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger. how can you go wrong, really?!

the ginger part is intriguing… they want you to grate your ginger and squeeze it through cheese cloth to get the juice. that’s what you add.

well, i didn’t have any cheese cloth, so i used a tea strainer.

and you know what? it worked!!

how cool. fresh ginger flavor, but without being too hot or sharp.

anyway, then you loosen it up a little with warm water. i used two tablespoons this time.

can you tell what the consistency looks like from this picture? you can really make it however thick or thin you want.

served over tofu, red pepper, and carrots (although i would probably eat a shingle if it was dipped in this stuff…)

next time: i will put it all on some fresh white rice, but i didn’t have any made and was too hungry to wait for it!

and i think i’d also water it down a little bit more, just to make it even creamier.