Mediterranean Tilapia with Lemon-Dill Sauce

Yes, I know, I did a tilapia post a week ago. But, we bought a two-pound bag of individual frozen filets, and there wasn't much else in the freezer. But, I like this recipe, because it's a quick, easy weekday meal. The fish cooks in 15 minutes. I chose to serve it with frozen veggies and cous cous, which are ready even quicker. 

I also like how adaptable the flavors are: the original recipe called for Cajun seasoning (a blend of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme), but I didn't think it would go well with the lemon and dill flavors in the sauce. I like the Mediterranean seasoning (a blend of rosemary, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon and salt), but many other seasoning blends would work well. 

This recipe makes a generous helping of sauce, depending on the size of your fish filets. If you're not one to drown your fish in sauce, cut back on the sauce ingredients by about a quarter.

Mediterranean Tilapia with Lemon-Dill Sauce
Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia filets
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Mediterranean seasoning
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried dill)
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. Season both sides of the tilapia with salt, pepper and Mediterranean seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish turns opaque. 
3. While fish is cooking, combine the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, dill and garlic powder. Serve each filet with a generous spoonful of sauce. 

Brown Butter Waffles

I've been seeing a lot of recipes lately that call for browning butter. It's not a new technique by any means; the French have been doing it for a long time, and call it "beurre noisette." When you brown butter, you're essentially cooking the milk solids and the salt particles in the butter, and cooking out the water. This process gives the butter a deeper, nuttier flavor. 

The waffle batter contains only a little bit of brown butter, but a little goes a long way. The deep, complex flavor is a contrast to the light, fluffy texture. They tend toward the savory side, rather than sweet, so fruit compote topping adds another layer of contrast. These waffles could also be used for savory purposes — perhaps topped with chicken and gravy.

Brown Butter Waffles
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com
Yield: 4 waffles

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• ⅛ ounce instant yeast*
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Make the brown butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Skim off any foam; set the brown butter aside.
2. Make the batter: Place the flour, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and yeast in a bowl (do not let the salt and yeast touch). Whisk together a little less than ¼ cup of the browned butter and the milk, then stir into dry ingredients. Reserve the remaining butter for greasing the waffle iron. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight at room temperature.
3. Preheat a waffle iron; brush with the reserved brown butter. Stir the egg and baking soda into the batter. Spoon ½ to ⅓ cup batter into the waffle iron and cook until golden. The waffles are best when eaten fresh from the iron, or else keep in a warmed oven (~250 degrees). They are delicious on their own, or topped with fruit compote. 

* If using active dry yeast, use an equal measurement, and follow the instructions in the FoodNetwork.com recipe. 

Spiced Pork Chops over Butternut Squash Purée

I had really been looking forward to trying this recipe, particularly the purée — it's one of my favorite flavor combinations, as evidenced by the number of times I ate Trader Joe's butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter sauce last fall. 

I was actually worried I was anticipating this meal TOO much — that it couldn't possibly live up to my expectations. And I was partially right. The pork was just okay. Maybe I overcooked it, but I didn't taste the spice mixture on the pork. 

The squash, however, was just as tasty as I thought it would be. The Mister was expecting it to be sweet, due to the honey, but it wasn't. It was more of a deep, rich flavor. 

Spiced Pork Chops over Butternut Squash Purée with Honey Sage Browned Butter
From Recipes by Cooking Light and Food52.com

Ingredients

• 1 (1-lb.) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into 1" pieces (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper 
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground allspice
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 16 fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. On a large cooking sheet, combine butternut squash, oil and 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Roast the butternut squash for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven.
4. While the squash is roasting, combine cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg in a dish and stir to distribute evenly. 
5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle pork evenly with spice mixture, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Add pork to pan; sauté 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.
6. Push the squash pieces through a ricer into a large bowl (or purée in a food processor). Stir in milk and cream and set aside.
7. In a shallow pan on the stovetop, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it starts foaming, skim the foam.
8. Raise heat to medium high then drop the sage leaves in in batches, submerging them in the butter for 5 to 10 seconds until they become crisp, but before they turn brown. Remove them one by one as they finish and set aside. Repeat with all remaining sage leaves.
9. Once you've fried all the sage leaves, remove pan from heat. Stir in the honey and then pour the butter mixture over the squash. Top with the fried sage leaves and serve.

Recipe Swap: French Onion Soup

I tend to be picky when it comes to soup, which is precisely the reason I signed up for this round of the What's Cooking board recipe swap. I thought it would force me to try something new.

Instead, I received a recipe for French Onion Soup from Colleen's Kitchen Therapy, which, aside from my creamy pumpkin soup, is one of my favorite soups! I've never made it at home, though, so I was still very excited.

The recipe did not disappoint! It tasted just like the French onion soup at my favorite diner, The Great American (locations in Bensalem and Langhorne, PA). Definitely don't skip the brandy in this recipe. I'm not a fan of drinking straight brandy, but it really complements the beef broth in the soup. 

French Onion Soup
Recipe by Colleen's Kitchen Therapy
Yield: 2 large servings

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds yellow onions
• 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 ½ tsp olive oil
• pinch sugar
• ⅓ cup brandy (I used Christian Brothers)
• ¾ cup dry white wine (I used Yellow Tail Chardonnay)
• 32 ounces low-sodium beef broth
• Salt and pepper
• 2 thick slices bread, toasted
• ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (or a combination of  Gruyère and Gouda)

Directions

1. Melt the butter and oil together in the bottom of a large stock pot over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in oil and cover the pot.
2. Reduce the heat to low and let them simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover the pot, add the sugar and raise the heat to medium. Cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions caramelize and turn golden brown, adding more butter or oil, a teaspoon at a time, if necessary to prevent the onions from burning.
3. Add the brandy, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any brown bits in the bottom of the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer for 15 more minutes. Add in the beef broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
4. Preheat the broiler with a rack 5 inches below the heating element. Ladle the soup into oven safe bowls. Top each both with a piece of the toasted bread and a heaping mound of the cheese mixture. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Parmesan Tilapia

Whenever we do a recipe swap, I look at the other recipes that were swapped, and bookmark the ones that I'm interested in trying later. From the fish swap in September 2011, I bookmarked Parmesan Tilapia. It sounded quick and easy, and used ingredients that I almost always have on hand. And this week, a 2-lb bag of individually frozen tilapia filets was on sale at the grocery store. 

Obviously, having bookmarked the recipe, I was pretty sure I would like it. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It was tangy and very flavorful. I served it over chopped kale, with a side of whole wheat cous cous.


Parmesan Tilapia
Recipe from The Cookaholic Wife, who adapted it from Mrs. B Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 lb. tilapia filets
• 2 tbs. butter, softened
• 1 tbs. mayo
• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ⅛ tsp. onion powder
• ¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place the fish on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, add the butter, mayo, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder and Italian seasonings. Stir to combine.
4. Broil the tilapia for 3 minutes, then flip the fish over and broil on the other side for 2 more minutes.
5. Remove the fish from the oven and spread the cheese mixture over the fish. Return to the oven and broil until the fish is lightly golden brown.

Menu for the week of February 19, 2012

In an effort to save money, I'm trying to get into shopping the sales, couponing, and meal planning. It's still a work in progress, but here is this week's menu. 

Sunday - cheeseburgers with a side of sweet yellow corn
Monday - French Onion Soup - this is my recipe for the Soup/Stew swap, and I'm really looking forward to it. 
Tuesday - Parmesan Tilapia over Kale - I have a job interview earlier in the day, so this sounded quick and easy to put together
Wednesday - Spiced Pork Chops and Butternut Squash 
Thursday - Honey Lime Chicken 
Friday - Brown Butter Waffles - I broke out my waffle maker and made simple, classic waffles for breakfast the other day. Inspired me to want to use the waffle maker more often! 
Saturday - Homemade pizza - I will be trying out the pizza dough recipe from the Culinary Institute of America's Baking at Home cookbook

Recipe Swap: Gratin of Yukon Gold Potatoes

It's finally starting to feel like winter in these parts. It's the perfect time for warm, delicious comfort food. When I received my latest swap recipe, Potato Gratin, from A Taste of Home Cooking, I knew it would be the perfect accompaniment to the pot roast in my freezer.

This gratin dish is rich and creamy and fattening and I could not stop eating it. The original recipe called for russet potatoes, but I had Yukon Gold on hand, and they worked well. I prefer to keep Yukon Gold in the house because they are a more versatile potato, good for both baking and boiling. I had forgotten to pick up the Pecorino cheese, which was optional anyway, but since I'll definitely be making this again, I'll try it next time.

Also, it really is worth it to use fresh nutmeg rather than ground. Ground nutmeg looses its warm spiciness rather quickly, so you'll get a lot more flavor out of fresh whole nutmeg. If fresh whole nutmeg is kept stored in a tightly-sealed jar in a cool dark place, it will last a very long time. 

Gratin of Yukon Gold Potatoes
From A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 large cloves garlic, one halved, one minced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 ½ pounds Yukon Gold, Russet, or other baking potato
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub a 2-quart ceramic baking dish with the cut sides of the garlic clove, then discard garlic. Coat the bottom and sides of the dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. 
2. Peel the potatoes, then slice thinly using a grater, mandolin, or slicing blade of food processor. 
3. In a large pot, combine the milk, cream, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, the nutmeg, and the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Stir well. 
4. Add the potato slices, and over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and simmer for three minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. Using a slotted spoon, remove the potato slices to the baking dish, spreading evenly. Cover the baking dish with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, buttered side down. 
6. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake an additional 20 minutes to allow top layer to crust. 
7. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and Kale Tossed with Bacon

The Mister and I have been getting tired of our kitchen staples. For a change from pork chops, I bought a pork tenderloin from Trader Joe's. One my favorite impressive, yet simple, main dishes is a stuffed tenderloin. And we decided to give kale a try — neither of us have ever tasted it before. I decided to make bacon a recurring element in the meal: a slice of bacon cooked on top of the pork, and crumbled bacon tossed with the kale. 

I used garlic, dried rosemary and sage in my pork stuffing, but many combinations of herbs and spices would work well: coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, savory and thyme are some of the more common flavorings used on pork.

Kale is a form of cabbage, and used similarly to spinach. It is rich in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and lutein. I used frozen kale in my side dish, but fresh works just as well. Just remove the thick stems from the center before cooking.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Based on this recipe from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (1-lb) pork tenderloin
• ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp rubbed sage
• ¼ tsp dried rosemary
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 strip of bacon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan or baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place tenderloin on a cutting board. Carefully make a lengthwise slit about three-quarters of the way through tenderloin (do not cut all the way through); open so it lies flat. Cover with plastic wrap, and use a meat tenderizer or mallet to flatten to ¼-in. thickness; set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. 
4. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about two minutes. Add garlic, and cook another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Add to the bowl of bread crumbs, cheese and spices. Add enough of the beaten egg to moisten the ingredients. 
5. Spread the stuffing over the tenderloin to within 1/4 in. of edges. Close meat and place the strip of bacon on top; tie with kitchen twine. 
6. Cook, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 150 degrees F. Let stand for 5 minutes for carryover cooking before slicing.

Kale Tossed with Bacon

From TasteofHome.com

Ingredients

• 2 bunches fresh kale, stems removed, or 10 ounces frozen kale
• 8 slices bacon, cut in half
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. If using frozen kale, cook according to package directions. 
2. If using fresh kale, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the kale, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. 
3. Place bacon in a large skillet, then place over medium heat. Cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tsp of bacon fat. 
4. In the reserved fat, cook onion and garlic until onion is tender. 
5. Toss together the kale, bacon, onion, and garlic, then season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Recipe Swap: Spicy Asian Chicken with Carrots and Brussel Sprouts

I was very excited when I received my assigned recipe for the latest swap round, themed "Healthy Recipes." I was excited because the dish was inspired by the author's trip to one of my favorite Philadelphia restaurants, Buddakan. It's Asian fusion food in a chic setting. From the waterfall wall in the waiting area, to the two levels of seating, to the community table underneath a giant gold Buddha statue, this place is unique. 

The dish was created by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations. Between prepping the meat and vegetables, and cooking, dinner was on the table in 30 minutes. It also has only about 200 calories, and 4.5 grams of fat per serving! 

Her dish called for "chili garlic paste," which I could not find in stores, so I used fresh ground chili paste by Huy Fong Foods. I don't know how much it differs from chili garlic paste, so I'm not sure how substantially it altered the flavor of the dish. The dish as I made it was SPICY, but that's not unwelcome in this house! The Mister RAVED over this dish. 

Spicy Asian Chicken with Carrots and Brussel Sprouts
Recipe from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 2 chicken breasts, pounded to ⅓-inch thickness and sliced into discs
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch thick discs
• ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp chili paste
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 20 brussel sprouts (about 1 lb), ends trimmed and cut into discs

Directions 

1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium high heat. Add chicken and sauté for 2 minutes. 
2. Add carrots, onions, and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes
3. Mix the broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, brown sugar, and ginger. Add to the pan, and bring to a boil for 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the Brussel sprouts and let simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Serve over rice or noodles. 

Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce

When I turned 30 (and I'm not going to tell you how long ago — or not long ago — that was!), I made a list of "30 Things to Cook or Bake When I'm 30." I don't know what happened to that list, all I do know is that I didn't complete it. So, I'm revising it, and renaming it, "30 Things to Make in my '30s," and hoping that I'll actually finish it this time. 

One of the items on my revised list is gnocchi. Potatoes, flour, an egg . . . I thought, "how hard can it be?" 

Now I regret ever thinking that. Gnocchi is labor intensive. Muscle-killing work? No. But they do take awhile, and I'm not used to being on my feet for so long. And the resulting dish was only okay. The gnocchi themselves were light and melted in your mouth; the portobello mushroom sauce was disappointing. A blog fan recommended vodka sauce, or olive oil and garlic next time (and with 2 ½ pounds of dough left over, there will be a next time). 

Gnocchi (sauce recipe below)
Mario Batali's recipe published on FoodNetwork.com
Serves 12

Ingredients

• 3 lbs russet potatoes
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 extra-large egg
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Let boil for 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes. 
2. While still warm, peel the potatoes, and pass through a food mill or potato ricer*. Make a well in the center of the mound, sprinkle all over with the 2 cups of flour, then add the egg and the salt to the well. Stir the egg into the flour (see this video). Once the egg is mixed in, gather the dough into a large ball and knead gently (as you would bread) just until the dough is dry to the touch. 
3. Divide the dough into baseball-sized mounds. Roll one mound into a ¾-inch thick rope. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces. Gently press the tines of a fork onto one side of each piece (so the sauce will cling to the finished gnocchi). Repeat with remaining dough. 
4. Bring a 6-quart pot of water to a boil. If not serving gnocchi immediately, prepare an ice bath of 6 cups water and 6 cups of ice. Drop gnocchi in batches into the boiling water, let boil for one minute (or until they float), then remove with a slotted spoon. If not serving immediately, drop cooked gnocchi into the ice bath to cool. Toss cooled gnocchi with ½-cup canola oil and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. 

* - if you don't have a food mill or potato ricer, grate the potatoes, then mash very well to remove all lumps. 

Portobello Mushroom Sauce
Based on recipe by CDKitchen.com
Yield: enough to sauce four portions of gnocchi

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 ounces portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 splashes balsamic vingegar
• 1 splash Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup chicken or beef broth, divided
• 1 tbsp flour
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute mushrooms and garlic until mushrooms are tender, then add the thyme, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire, and cook for another minute. Add all but 2 tbsp of the broth. Puree mixture with an immersion blender**. 
2. Combine the remaining 2 tbsp of broth with the flour, and mix into a thick paste. Add to the mushroom mixture, and bring to a boil. Boil for three minutes. Add heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

** - if you don't have an immersion blender, cool the sauce, then puree in a blender or food processor.