Tilapia with Orange, Almond and Olive Gremolata

As a consultant, Mike travels every week to a client site. He leaves painfully early Monday morning and comes home on Thursday night. Sometimes, he has a two-leg flight and doesn’t get back until 11:30 or midnight. Some lucky weeks, he gets back around 7:45, so I get to plan a nice dinner!

When he’s away, Mike either eats out with colleagues, trying to stick to semi-healthy menu items or gets room service, which is usually a club sandwich. By the end of the week, he’s craving healthy, homemade food. That’s fine with me, and that’s what I would be cooking anyway.

As I’ve mentioned, I have been on a soup kick lately, but last week I wanted something different. I had seen this recipe in Wednesday’s New York Times food section, and writer, Melissa Clark, couldn’t sing its praises (or its compatability with Campari) enough. After reading over 600 words on her enhanced interpretation of gremolata—the Italian condiment of garlic, parsley and lemon zest, often used to finish Osso Bucco—enhanced with juicy orange, good olives and roasted almonds, I was ready to give it a try.

I tend to cook fish fillets simply. Salmon, with its stripes of healthy fat, hardly needs more than salt and pepper when roasted. So, it was nice to do something that looked a bit more special, yet was as easy as a fish dish should be. All you do is mash some orange zest into a chunk of butter, spread onto firm white fish (I replaced her striped bass with very economical and delicious tilapia) and roast. Then you top it with the gussied-up gremolata.

I could have eaten the gremolata by itself, by the spoonful. The almonds and orange pieces were nice additions, though the combination of almonds and olives was not quite as transcendent as Clark suggested in her article. The citrus butter sounded like a good idea, but it didn’t do much to flavor the fish—I think it mostly rolled off in the oven. The very pretty gremolata topping provided plenty of flavor, but to me, the two elements--fish and relish--just didn’t mesh as well as I would have liked. But, if the gremolata appeals to you, try it! It’s easy to toss together, and I think it would be good with chicken, pork or even pasta, now that I think about it.

I didn’t do anything different really, so here’s the link to the original recipe. It’s nearly always worthwhile to try something new, and there tend to be more hits than misses in cooking. What recipes have you tried lately that sounded delicious, but just didn’t fly on (or maybe I should say, "off") the plate?

Crab Cakes with Green Mango Salsa

Does anyone make crab cakes at home anymore? I don't think I've ever ordered one in a restaurant, but I know they are usually one of the most popular things on the menu. When I worked at Legal Seafoods, they were a perennial bestseller, appearing in, I believe, three different guises on the menu--appetizer, salad and main course. Everyone loved the crab cake.

I never order them, because there are so many things that can (and do) go wrong--too much bread, soggy crust, not enough flavor. And just because someone claims to use 1/2 pound of jumbo lump crab meat in every ginormous cake, that is no guarantee of flavor. So, since I have to admit that a good crab cake can be awfully tasty, we make them ourselves every once in awhile. Crab cakes are also an excellent excuse to make mango salsa--the luscious fruit has a natural affinity to the sweet crab meat, and a little lime makes everything sing.

I adapted the crab cake recipe from one I learned in a cooking class I took several years ago. It was all about fish, and I learned a lot, including some great ethnic recipes and a killer smoked trout dip. The mango salsa has no special secrets, but I will say that green mangoes or mango that aren't yet soft and ready for eating make the best salsa. You still get a little tartness to go along with the fruit's disarming sweetness, and the cubes of mango hold their shape better. I've suggested ingredient amounts for the salsa, but exact quantities aren't important as long as your proportions give you the flavor, heat level and texture you want.

Crab Cakes
Best quality canned crab meat is great in this recipe, but never buy the imitation stuff. I'd like to tell you what it's actually made of, but I'm a little afraid to find out. Old Bay is a seafood seasoning blend often sold by the fish counter in supermarkets, or with the spices; it contains salt among other spices, so none is added to the recipe. If you want to check your seasoning (which I'll often take the time to do with these kind of recipes), fry up one miniature crab cake first and add extra salt or spices if you like.

Makes about 6

2 tsp canola oil, plus 2 tbs
1/2 onion, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten, plus one egg white if needed
1 pound crab meat
4 to 6 tbs Panko or breadcrumbs
1 tbs mayonnaise (light is fine; I use canola mayo)
1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For serving: Green Mango Salsa, sour cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onion until soft. In a large bowl, combine the egg, crab, 4 tbs. panko or breadcrumbs, mayo, Old Bay, cilantro and onions; mix gently with your hands or a large spoon, leaving large chunks of crab intact. Try to form a patty, and if the mixture does not hold together, add additional breadcrumbs and/or the additional egg white (the recipe varies depending on the crab and its water content).

Form 6 crab cakes, cover and chill for at least thirty minutes or up to several hours (the purpose is to help the cakes stay together, but I have skipped this step before with no problems). When you're ready to fry, place the flour in a shallow bowl and dip each cake in flour, shaking off excess. Heat about one tablespoon of oil in a skillet over high heat and add half the cakes. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeating with remaining cakes, transfer to oven and bake 10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

Green Mango Salsa
In Thailand, a common street snack is unripe mango slices dipped in a mixture of sugar, salt and hot ground chile, and that combination partly inspired this salsa. Use a chile powder with flavor you like, whether it's mild or hot and smoky, such as ground chipotle. If you don't like heat at all, try smoky paprika.

1 green or underripe mango, diced
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, diced (seeds optional)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground red chile powder
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Drizzle of olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime, or to taste

Combine all ingredients. Serve right away or let salsa sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes so flavors can blend.

Shellfish with Roasted Cauliflower, Raisins and Olives

This is a really tasty main dish that I made awhile ago and have had on my list of "blogs to write" ever since. It does that sweet and sour thing I like so much--think about eggplant caponata, the relish made with vinegar and raisins. Like caponata, this dish also has olives, which provide the saltiness that makes the sweet-sour combo really work.

I came up with this because we had half a bag of scallops and half a bag of shrimp in the freezer taking up valuable space. You could just as easily make this with all shrimp or all scallops. It's an awfully nice "in-between" dinner too. It's warm and satisfying, yet not heavy, with vibrant flavors that embody neither summer nor winter. Cauliflower is always somewhere to be found in the produce department and becomes addictive and yummy when roasted. Just do the roasted cauliflower portion of the recipe (add some curry powder along with the chili powder, if you have it), and you'll have an incredibly tasty side dish.

I've been cooking a lot of new things recently, but none are quite ready for the blog. I'm after the superlative lemon bar, which for me is at least 2 parts lemon layer to 1 part shortbread layer. I like the lemon to be a little bit jelly-like, not too creamy or starchy due to too much flour. I have a crust I like, but it's the lemon part that's tricky. If you have any ideas or recipes, send them my way.

Shellfish with Roasted Cauliflower, Raisins and Olives

This is delicious served over garlicky brown rice: In the saucepan that you cook your rice in, saute 2 to 3 cloves minced garlic and 3 or 4 thinly sliced scallions in olive oil and butter; add chicken broth and bring to a boil; add rice, salt and pepper and cook as usual.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 to 1 1/4 pounds total large, shelled shrimp and sea scallops
1 medium red onion, chopped
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
16 kalamata olives, chopped
1 generous tablespoon capers, drained and roughly chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray; arrange cauliflower on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle cauliflower with salt, pepper and chili powder and toss well to coat; roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Transfer to a large, shallow serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook shellfish until opaque, about 1 to 2 minutes per side (shrimp may cook faster than scallops); season with salt and pepper. Add shellfish to dish with cauliflower.

Wipe out skillet with a paper towel and add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and light golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Add chicken broth, olives, capers and raisins; simmer until slightly thickened and reduced by a little over half. Add vinegar, stir to combine and add to dish with the cauliflower and shellfish. Toss gently, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Asian Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp

Sake is a really good thing. I haven’t touched the stuff in four years because of one bottle that was so unpleasant I didn’t bother with it again until last night. For the past year or so, Mike and I have been feeling uneasy about our aversion to sake. We love Japanese food, and we were sure there had to be something good about an alcoholic beverage beloved by so many people around the world. It was silly to miss out on all the fun.

Mike was traveling for work last week and enjoyed some lovely sake at a sushi restaurant with co-workers. That was it. We decided it was time for us to get over our fear of sake. And it gave us an excuse to make maki rolls which, incidentally, we hadn’t done since we bought that last bottle of bad sake about four years ago. We wanted a dry sake meant to be served cold, which we picked up at Whole Foods Market for $11. It was great! It was far from flavorless, yet very neutral like vodka without any harsh sting--sake usually has an alcohol content around 15% like a strong wine.

Our maki rolls, made with smoked salmon and cooked shrimp--nothing fancy--were great too. Unfortunately, I sort of burned some of our sushi rice, so were left with a bit of extra seafood. Before we even finished the maki rolls, I was dreaming up what I would do with the leftovers for breakfast.

Even though runny, fried eggs are my gold standard, I immediately thought of creamy scrambled eggs with Asian seasonings, shrimp and cilantro. Since I can’t even remember the last time I made scrambled eggs, I checked Mastering the Art of French Cooking for advice. Since I’ve gotten that book, I’ve used it on several occasions to find the best technique for basic recipes--all the recipes I’ve referenced are so well detailed with methods that work so well, I honestly wonder why everyone doesn’t do it Julia’s way.

The eggs were exactly what I was hoping for--soft and creamy with the subtle saltiness of tamari soy sauce (naturally fermented, wheat-free soy sauce) and a bit of fish sauce balanced by the richness of sesame oil--mere drops are all you need here. We had leftover Brussels sprouts from last night too that I sautéed with seasoned rice vinegar, sugar, fish sauce and tamari (there's no limit to the tastiness of Brussels sprouts). Fantastic breakfast! And it was all thanks to sake. Too bad there was none leftover--we had to settle for coffee instead.

Asian Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp
From Julia Child’s master scrambled egg recipe, I learned you mustn’t add anymore than one teaspoon of liquid for every 2 eggs. She, of course, uses cream, but I substituted Asian flavors for this dish. When it comes to shrimp, I’m a little snobby about never buying pre-cooked shrimp--they’re so easy to cook yourself--but pre-cooked would do fine in this recipe. Tamari, a naturally fermented, wheat-free soy sauce has mild flavor that is more than just pure salt. It’s available in many supermarkets now, and I definitely recommend it in this recipe where you want delicate flavor. I made this for breakfast, but I would love to eat it for dinner too.

Serves 2 (doubles easily)

4 eggs
1 tsp. low-sodium tamari soy sauce (I like the San-J brand)
1/2 tsp. fish sauce
1/2 tsp. water
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cooking spray
1/2 tbs. butter
3/4 cup cooked, medium shrimp, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each (or use a combination of shrimp and smoked salmon)
1/4 cup (packed) chopped cilantro
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. dark sesame oil

Add the eggs, soy sauce, fish sauce, water and black pepper to a large bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds.

Coat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Add the butter and place over moderately low heat.

Add the egg mixture to the skillet and stir with a rubber spatula. It might take 2 minutes or so for the eggs to heat. When the eggs start to form large curds, stir rapidly, scraping the bottom of the skillet as you go. After about 1-2 minute or when the mixture has thickened a bit, add the shrimp and cilantro. Continue stirring until shrimp is heated through and eggs are no longer liquid, but still soft and creamy. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary. When the eggs have just reached the consistency you want, immediately transfer to a plate. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve immediately.

Lobster Fettucine with Shiitakes and Sherry Butter Sauce

My husband and I live in a condo with a fairly small, but efficiently designed, kitchen. When we moved in, everything was new and complete with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and blush-colored wood cabinets. The thing I like best about our kitchen is the open wall with a bar-style counter that lets in light from our huge living room window.

Sometimes, when I’m cooking something simple, Mike will sit on a stool on the other side of the counter and chat with me, usually with a beer in hand. If a recipe only requires one cook, I’m happy to be doing the work--it’s tremendously relaxing and pleasurable. But recently, I learned that I like it almost as much when I’m the one sitting on the other side of that counter.

This Lobster Fettucine was our Christmas Eve dinner. I really can’t remember why, but we decided Mike would do the cooking on this go-round. I don’t mean to make it sound like he never helps in the kitchen. In fact, he’s a great cook with or without me, he makes the best runny eggs over easy, and he really likes cooking for me. I’m sure he’d like it even more if I didn’t always want to get my fingers into everything.


This is one luxurious pasta dish--chunks of fresh lobster meat, mild shiitake mushrooms and peppery arugula are folded into a Sherry butter sauce and tossed with firm whole wheat fettucine. One person can spend about 45 minutes in the kitchen (less if you cook the lobster tails a few hours ahead of time) and make this impressive dish without breaking a sweat. Actually, I don’t know if Mike broke a sweat, but he did a gorgeous job with the recipe.

I flagged it in the 2006 holiday issue of Bon Appetit and came across it again this year when I was making lists in early December of things I wanted to cook throughout the holidays. I like the addition of Sherry to add a boozy bite of juicy red fruit, instead of the usual lemon and butter lobster accompaniments. Slightly bitter arugula didn’t quite fit with lobster in my head, but we love the stuff and figured it just might work. All the flavors are perfect together, and the sweet, tender lobster is not overshadowed in the least by the other strong flavors--butter has the power to unite all things.

I thought this was ideal holiday food, but it may be even more appropriate for that other holiday right around the corner--Valentine’s Day. This recipe is perfect for two, but it should double nicely. It looked like fun to make, but watching the proceedings, glass of wine in hand, could be even more fun.

Lobster Fettucine with Shiitakes and Sherry Butter Sauce
Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2006--The original recipe appeared in the "Readers' Favorite Restaurant Recipes" section and doesn't seem to be available on the website.

This dish is so simple that really good ingredients are key. If you keep Marsala on hand rather than Sherry, you can substitute it in this dish (the original version calls for Marsala which is made in Italy; Sherry comes from Spain). Do not (ever!) use “cooking” wine, but rather something you could actually drink. Wine shops sell good Sherry or Marsala for around $10 or less. We use a medium dry Amontillado Sherry. These fortified wines are wonderful to have on hand for making pan sauces or glazes. Once you have some in your pantry, you will find many uses for it!

Serves 2

2 medium lobster tails
5-6 oz. fettucine (we like Bionaturae’s whole wheat fettucine available at Whole Foods markets)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tbs. unsalted butter
6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
3/4 cup dry sherry
3 cups arugula leaves (about 3 good handfuls)

Cook lobster tails in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Cool, then remove meat from shell and cut into bite size pieces. Lobster meat may be slightly undercooked; it will finish in the skillet.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt generously and cook the fettucine according to package directions.

Melt one tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the shiitakes, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add Sherry, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Whisk in remaining butter, one tablespoon at a time. Stir in lobster and any accumulated juices until heated, about 1 minute. Add pasta and toss well. Add arugula and toss until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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Healthy Seafood-Corn Chowder and Whole Wheat-Herb Biscuits

About a week ago, we could not decide what to eat for dinner to save our lives. The best we could do is decide we wanted fish, maybe salmon. Don’t you hate it when you just don’t know what you feel like eating (and cooking)?

Sometimes when this happens, I try to focus on things that I know will taste great no matter what mood I’m in. For me, if a meal involves biscuits or cornbread, life is good. I really enjoy making these quick breads, and since they go best with warm, comforting soups and stews, you suddenly find yourself with the makings of a delicious meal.

I’ve been wanting to try some biscuit variations after seeing some ideas in the November issue of Food & Wine. I decided to makeover my classic Buttermilk Biscuits with whole wheat flour. I added some herbs and some very good cheese, which is a decadent thing in a biscuit that’s already good and buttery. These biscuits have tons of flavor, and are a very different twist on the classic. I’m going to experiment more with them.


As for the Corn-Seafood Chowder, this was one of those recipes I put together on the fly that turned out even better than I’d hoped for. I remembered making a lighter seafood chowder a couple years ago that really turned out well, despite the omission of heavy cream. I used chicken broth and lowfat milk thickened with just a little bit of cornstarch. the texture is great, there is no raw, floury taste, and I promise this chowder does not have any tell-tale “lowfat” qualities--there's bacon after all. And it cooks in about 30 minutes total because there are no ingredients that require a long simmering time--the shrimp and scallops take just 2 minutes at the end!

Just a quick update on the Cranberry-Almond Crostata: Mike took down the last piece yesterday. This tart holds up just fine if you store it at room temperature, well-covered, for 2 to 3 days. I'm loving cranberries these days! I have a Cranberry-Lemon-Walnut Scone recipe to share soon, and there's a cranberry coffee cake I'm dying to bake!

Healthy Corn and Seafood Chowder
In the past, I’ve found the quality of fresh sea scallops at the supermarket to be somewhat uneven. So we recently started buying frozen sea scallops, and they are consistently delicious and sweet with a firm texture. I like the Whole Foods brand, but try what’s available where you shop--fresh or frozen--and see what you think. A good-quality fresh, dried chile powder is important for this dish because it adds not only flavor, but color. Don’t forget a good fistful of Italian parsley to sprinkle over the finished soup. The crisp, herby flavor is a nice counterpoint to the creamy chowder.

5 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 jalepeno, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
pinch dried marjoram or oregano
1/4 cup AP flour
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups lowfat milk
1 medium russet potato, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups frozen sweet corn
1 tsp. mild chile powder
2 tsp. corn starch dissolved in 1 tbs. water
1/2 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
3/4 lb. sea scallops, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each
Fresh parsley for garnish

Cook the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Transfer to a paper towel, leaving about one tablespoon of fat in the pot. Add the onion and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic, thyme and marjoram and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring well to combine. Add the chicken broth and milk. Raise the heat to high and cover until the liquid comes to a boil. Add the potatoes and return to boiling. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.

Add the corn, chili powder. Return chowder to a simmer and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Add the shrimp and scallops and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until seafood is opaque and cooked through. Stir in the reserved bacon. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

Whole Wheat Herb Biscuits with Comté
I use a bit of dried thyme to punch up the flavor of the fresh thyme, which is sometimes not as potent as I like. If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use 1/2 tsp. of dried thyme total. Comte is a French cheese similar to Gruyère. Either one is a great choice, as is Fontina.

Makes about 8 2-inch or 6 3-inch biscuits

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
7 tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1/3 cup grated Comté or Gruyère cheese

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and work it into the flour using your fingers to break up the chunks of butter into slightly flattened bits. At this point, the dough will still be very powdery and should not come together. Add the buttermilk, all the herbs and the cheese and stir gently with a wooden spoon just until all the flour is dampened. If you still have a lot of excess flour, add a few more drops of buttermilk until you have a barely cohesive, shaggy mass of dough--do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it together with floured hands. Flatten into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to several hours.

While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the disk of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1⁄2 inch thick. Use a floured metal 2 to 3 inch biscuit cutter to stamp out as many biscuits as you can, dipping the cutter into some flour with each biscuit and placing on the prepared baking sheet. Collect the dough scraps, quickly re-roll and finishing stamping out biscuits. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve immediately with butter.

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Technorati Tags: recipes, chowder, healthy, corn, Main Course

Fish en Papillote

This is one of the most perfect meals for one person that I know. It's also no more trouble to cook for two or four. "En papillote" means wrapped in parchment paper. You seal the ingredients in a parchment packet and bake, so your meal steams in its own juices. The key is to trust the natural good qualities of the food inside the packet.

I learned this technique in a cooking class I took years ago, but I hadn't done it at home in almost as many years. Mike thought of it when we were trying to come up with dinner ideas recently. We bought some great-looking trout, but didn't cook it that night because we ended up having a late lunch and weren't really hungry for dinner. Mike made it for lunch the following day, but I wasn't in the mood for fish until it came out of the oven looking totally delicious. A few days later, I was on my own for dinner, so I re-created Mike's meal for myself.

I swear, you wouldn't think some vegetables and fish tossed in nothing but a little olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper could develop such great flavor after 25 minutes baking in parchment paper, but it does! I love the combination of carrots, zucchini and purple potatoes I used here, but you can use just about any veggies or type of fish you want. This particular trio of vegetables is good for color, but you could always sprinkle on some fresh herbs before serving to brighten things up. Even though the food is mostly steaming, the vegetables -- being cut so thinly -- still have time to develop a roasted sweetness. If you worry about overcooking fish, this is the fool-proof method for you, because a little extra time steaming won't have that dreaded dried-out effect.

Et voila...here it is after baking. The fish is moist, and the vegetables have enough time to brown slightly and develop flavor. The fish I used here is Kona Kampachi.

Fish en Papillote
This is hardly a recipe -- it's rather a technique -- so give it a try when you're not in the mood to follow strict directions. I'm writing guidelines to serve two people, but the quantities and specific ingredients are totally up to you. If you have a lot of vegetables, use a bigger piece of parchment. If you have a very thick piece of fish, bake a little longer. You can error on the side of caution, because it's awfully hard to overcook using this method.

Serves 2

2 pieces parchment paper, about 15 x 30 inches (or large enough to loosely fold over the contents)
2 small purple potatoes (about 1/2 lb.), very thinly sliced
1 to 2 zucchini, cut into 2-inch sticks
handful of baby carrots (or 2 full size), cut into matchsticks
2 (6 to 8 ounce) fish fillets like trout, snapper, salmon, tilapia, grouper, etc.
olive oil
lemon juice (optional)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay out the two sheets of parchment paper and divide the vegetables between them, placing the veggies on one half of each sheet so you can fold it over to make a packet. Lay the fish fillets on top of the veggies, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Take one piece of parchment and fold the loose end of the paper over the fish and vegetables. Starting at one corner, crimp the paper together, folding it over bit by bit so you create a sealed semi-circle. Repeat with the other sheet of parchment. Place the two packets on a baking sheet and cook for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove from oven and place each packet on a plate and serve. Each person can tear open the packets themselves, slide the food onto the plates and discard the paper. You can offer extra lemon or fresh herbs if you want.

Wondering if any other food bloggers like to cook en papillote?

1) Pim of Chez Pim does -- check out the beautiful young ginger that she uses along with scallion for fish en papillote.
2) Gastronomie's Red Snapper en Papillote is a work of art from start to finish -- great photos!
3) Kevin of Seriously Good cooks my favorite fish -- salmon -- en papillote.

Technorati Tags: recipes, healthy, fish, Main Course

Catalan Flatbread with Piquillo Peppers, Caramelized Onions & Anchovies

Spanish food...the love affair continues. I, like many cookbook junkies I'm sure, snapped up Jose Andres' book, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, soon after it came out. I was familiar with Andres from eating in one of his Washington, D.C. restaurants, and I love tapas. I have to shamefully admit that I haven't used the book much at all. It has a lot of motivating photography, and the recipes are not difficult for the most part. The best explanation I can come up with is that, realistically, an array of whimsical tapas dishes is not the simplest thing for the home cook to pull off.

If you enjoy tapas as much as I do, there are times when you find a way. Many of the recipes in this book could be entrees or sides as easily as they could be lunch or a mid-afternoon snack on the weekend. Tapas is not just about lots of small dishes, but a cooking philosophy of bringing together bold, high-quality ingredients in simple but interesting ways.

These flatbreads involve a homemade yeast dough, but wait--the recipe is formulated with a lot of yeast so it requires just one 30-minute rise. Flatbread recipes, like my beloved pizza dough, are simple as can be, but they do require waiting time. Not this one. It is ready so fast, you'll want to use it for other recipes.

Piquillo peppers are Spanish wood-roasted sweet peppers that pack a nice bit of heat. The come in jars like roasted red peppers (but they're not at all similar in taste), and you can find them in lots of grocery stores and gourmet shops.

For me and Mike, this would be great football watching food, but try it anytime you want something savory, salty and out of the ordinary.

Catalan Flatbread with Anchovies & Piquillo Peppers
Adapted from Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres.

Makes 8

For dough:
2 packets (1/2 oz.) active dry yeast
1/2 c. whole or lowfat milk, gently warmed in the microwave (not scalding)
1 c. plus 3 tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

For Flatbreads:
2 tbs. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
20 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 c. piquillo peppers (a little less than a 13 oz. jar), cut into small pieces
16 oil-packed anchovy fillets, halved crosswise
6 oz. Manchego cheese, grated (about 1 c.)

Stir the yeast into the warmed milk and let it rest for 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Pour the yeast mixture into the food processor and process for 1 minute, or until the dough is well-mixed. Remove the lid and cover the bowl of the food process with plastic wrap. Leave it in a non-drafty place to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the olive oil to a large skillet, preferably cast iron or nonstick, and heat to medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasional for 15 to 20 minutes, or until caramelized--very soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper once they start to soften. If the skillet gets too dry before onions are done, add 1/2 tablespoon of water to prevent them from burning. Remove from heat and set aside.

Coast two baking sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. When the dough is finished rising, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Flatten them into an oval with your hand, then use a floured rolling pin to roll them out into long thin strips, about 10 x 2 inches. Place them on the baking sheets as you go.

Prick each flatbread two or three times with a fork. Divide the onions and olives among the flatbreads. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked in the center and lightly browned around the edges. Top with the piquillo peppers, anchovies and Manchego. Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top and return to the oven for 2 minutes. Serve hot.

And a few more intriguing flatbread recipes from food blogs I heart:

1) Parmesan Skillet Flatbread from Je Mange La Ville.
2) Arabic Flatbread Pizza--a cheesy cultural hybrid from Morsels & Musings.
3) Ana Sortun's Flatbread with Spiced Chicken and Pistachios--No wonder I love The Wednesday Chef--she constantly writes about the kind of food I love, and she's into Ana Sortun!
4) Rosemary Pears on Flatbread with Mozzarella from Acme Instant Food lucks divine.

Technorati Tags: recipes, baking, Spanish, appetizers, piquillo peppers

Shrimp n' Cheesy Grits

Shrimp n' grits (or anything n' grits) is a southern thing. While I have to thank Southern cuisine for the combination of the recipe's two main ingredients, the similarities pretty much end there.

If you haven't tried grits before, now is your chance. It is a lot like polenta--in fact, sometimes it is hard to know the difference because of the various "quick" and convenience products you can buy. Hominy grits are made from cornmeal soaked in an alkaline solution to add nutrients. Masa harina, the cornmeal used to make tortillas, is made in a similar way. Polenta and corn grits do not get the alkaline treatment. By my observations, grits have a fluffier, "grittier" texture than polenta which is typically more smooth and pourable. I like quick-cooking polenta, and for grits I use Quaker Quick Grits (white hominy grits), not instant. I have also used finely ground masa harina as a substitute for both of them.

Now that I've done my best to make your head spin over the true nature of cornmeal products, I will get back to this recipe. Once you are past the southern roots, you'll see it is healthy (and low-calorie), super-quick to make (20 minutes, max) and very satisfying (the grits are flavored with Boursin cheese--mmm). Buy peeled and deveined shrimp, so all you have to do is pinch off their tails. I have made this with chopped tomatoes (both red and green, actually), but it looks so much prettier with the grape tomatoes. I also like their sweetness. Combining them with sauteed garlic and scallions results in an incredibly flavorful pan sauce for the shrimp.

This is one of my go-to dinners when I want something healthy and fast that does not involve feelings of deprivation. After the antipasto platter and tenderloin carpaccio salad I ate last night, that's sounding like a pretty good idea.

Shrimp n' Cheesy Grits
Adapted from a long lost copy of Shape magazine.
I am not giving exact quantities for the grits and chicken broth in this recipe because it will vary depending on what cornmeal product you use. Follow the package directions and make enough for 4 servings (it never hurts to make extra--they are addictive).

Serves 4 (cut in half for 2--leftovers don't hold up very well).

1 1/2 tbs. olive oil, divided
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
salt and pepper
low-sodium chicken broth
Fast-cooking grits (like Quaker Quick Grits)
8-10 scallions, finely sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved crosswise
1/2 cup (4 oz.) Boursin Light cheese spread (Alouette cheese is also good), garlic and herb flavor

Add 1 tablespoon of the olive to a large skillet and heat to medium. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook, turning once, until done, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with any juices to a bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, add the chicken broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the scallions and cook, stirring often for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, or until the tomatoes are slightly wilted. Stir in the shrimp and remove from heat.

You can start the grits while you cook the scallion-tomato mixture, or you can wait until the veggies are done and give your full attention to the grits. You should have them finished in 7 minutes or less. Use the package cooking time as a guide, but most grits thicken very quickly. If they don't taste done, add more liquid (hot water is fine) and keep stirring. This is how I do it: Using a whisk (this is the best tool to avoid clumps), pour the grits into the boiling chicken broth in a slow stream, whisking as you pour. Whisk constantly and turn the heat to the lowest setting as soon as the liquid starts bubbling again to avoid hot, splattering grits. Keep whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. When you reach a thick consistency, stir in the cheese. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if you like. Remove from heat. You can cover the grits to keep them warm for a few minutes if you need to finish the rest of the meal.

Spoon the grits onto four plates and top with one-fourth of the shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.

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Technorati Tags: recipes, seafood, healthy, shrimp, Main Course

Corn and Shrimp Pizza with the Best Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

Recently, we got a pepperoni pizza from Papa John's for dinner. Mike was craving it, and we never order pizza. Our dial-for-dinner days ended when I bought a food processor and figured out how easy it was to make my own crust. Since then, I've just about perfected the recipe, experimented with all sorts of toppings and never looked back.

There's nothing wrong with good old fast food pizza, and I will admit that Papa John's was much better than I thought it would be--I love when thin slices of pepperoni get a little charred around the edges. With the weekly coupons we receive in the mail, I don't think we will let years go by this time before calling the Papa again.

So, has all the time and effort I have spent making my own pizzas been a waste? No way! Here's the thing: the pizza I make and the Papa John's takeout-or-delivery version are two totally different foods--apples and oranges. Papa John's satisfies a craving for nostalgia, taking me back to eating pizza and drinking soda (a special treat!) on Friday nights when I was a kid, or in college on the way home from a bar. My homemade pizza on the other hand represents the way I like to eat now: nutritious, fresh, topped with the flavors and ingredients that I love. You just can't get a pie topped with arugula, figs or sauteed shrimp from the Papa.

The recipe here is one of the favorites that we seem to go back to when we want something different. It is perfect in summer when corn is flavorful and crisp right off the cob and cherry tomatoes are sweet and inexpensive. This is my standard crust recipe, but I often substitute different flours depending on what I have. All-purpose flour will work and so will whole wheat pastry. You could do this with only white flour, but all whole wheat would probably be a little too intense and heavy.

As often as I make pizza, I've only written about it once on the blog. This fig, caramelized onion and prosciutto pizza is one of my favorite meals (the dough recipe in the fig post is essentially the same, but I have simplified and streamlined the directions in the updated version below). Make it now when fresh figs are in season.

One more note on homemade pizza: it sounds a little daunting to proof yeast and measure flour yourself, especially now that you can buy pizza dough in many grocery stores. I promise that once you do this two or three times, it will be the simplest baking you can imagine. It becomes second nature--something you'll start to fit into your day like taking out the trash or defrosting a chicken. You can do it the night before or if you are at home during the day, make the dough at lunch time and let it do its rising while you go about the rest of your life. Active prep time for this dough is 10 to 15 minutes, including cleanup. Even if you're on a first name basis with the pizza delivery kid, I'm betting you will get addicted to your own homemade creations after a couple of go-rounds.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
This recipe makes enough for two pizzas, each one serving 2 to 4 people, depending on how hungry you are and what else you’ve got going. The dough is thin with a chewy, slightly crisp texture. I love that I can make dough once and freeze half so that my next pizza is as effortless as defrosting the dough. My method for measuring flour by volume is to fluff it up, then lightly spoon it into measuring cups without packing it down or shaking the cup causing it to settle. I always eyeball the oil and honey measurements. This recipe could also be made by hand or in a stand mixer.

1 1⁄4 c. warm water
1 tblsp. granulated sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 c. whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur Organic Whole Wheat Flour)
1 1⁄2 c. bread flour (I like King Arthur Bread Flour)
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating the bowl
1 tblsp. honey

Pour the water into a bowl, add the sugar, then gently stir in the yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes or until the yeast forms a foamy layer on the surface of the water. Meanwhile, add the flours, and salt to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine. Add the olive oil, honey and yeast mixture. Process until the dough comes together, forming a ball. This should only take about one minute. If your ingredients get stuck, you may need to open the lid and move them around a bit so they can come together properly. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and lay a kitchen towel on top. Let it sit in warm, non-drafty place until the dough doubles in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board and knead for 1 to 2 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal balls. Let the two balls of dough rise for the second time on the cutting board, covered with a kitchen towel, for an hour and a half. Knead each piece 2 or 3 times, then proceed with the pizza. At this point, you can also refrigerate the dough in a Ziploc bag to use within 24 hours, or freeze it to use within 3 months.

Another option, especially if you are making the dough before bed or in the morning before work is to let it rise for the second time in the refrigerator, well-covered, for at least 8 hours, after which you can knead it for a few seconds, transfer it to a Ziploc bag, and keep it for use that day or freeze it. Always bring the dough to room temperature before rolling it out.

To make the pizza: Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornmeal on a large rectangle of parchment paper. Flatten one ball of dough into a disk, place in the center of the parchment paper and roll it out with a flour-coated rolling pin to form a large oval, about 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle more cornmeal around the border of the dough, if desired. Cover with your toppings to within 1/2 to 1 inch of the edge. Use the parchment to lift the pizza and place the parchment directly onto the pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through (the bottom of the dough should just barely take on some color). Transfer pizza to a cutting board, discarding parchment. Let it rest for 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Shrimp and Corn Pizza
Note: special equipment that I use for cooking homemade pizza is parchment paper and a pizza stone. The directions for rolling out the pizza are repeated here so that both recipes may be used independently.

1/2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 lb. medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 tbs. coarsely ground cornmeal for dough (optional)
1 cup grated fresh mozzarella cheese
fresh corn kernels, cut from 1 to 2 ears
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (just under 1 pint)
1 red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips
6 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until opaque, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer the shrimp to a cutting board and chop into 2 or 3 pieces each.

Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornmeal on a large rectangle of parchment paper. Flatten one ball of dough into a disk, place in the center of the parchment paper and roll it out with a flour-coated rolling pin to form a large oval, about 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle more cornmeal around the border of the dough, if desired.

Top the dough with the cheese, corn, tomatoes, shrimp, bell peppers and scallions. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to suit your taste. Use the parchment to lift the pizza and place the parchment directly onto the pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through (the bottom of the dough should just barely take on some color). Transfer pizza to a cutting board, discarding parchment. Let it rest for 5 minutes, cut and serve.




Technorati Tags: recipes, pizza, shrimp, corn

My 100th Post! Skewered Shrimp Egg Rolls and Culinary Inspiration

Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis, my husband Mike utterly impressed me last week. We were hanging out at home, and the Food Network was on in the background. The episode of Giada’s show, Behind the Bash, was on where she covers a cocktail party put on by an exclusive Miami caterer at the former Versace mansion in South Beach. This was vaguely interesting to us since we don’t live too far from that neck of woods here in Fort Lauderdale.

Anyway, the extravagant caterer was having his staff fulfill his every aesthetic fantasy, but they still managed to turn out some really spiffy finger foods along the way. While I was puttering around doing something else, Mike saw them make these cool fried shrimp and crab rolls and decided he was going to whip some up too. Despite the fact that we’ve deep fried maybe two things in our kitchen, ever, I was encouraging. Mike is a really good cook, but it’s not everyday he goes all haute-asian, so I was excited to see how it would turn out.

I know I already gave away the ending, but let me say again that I was super-impressed. Mike pulled off the chic South Beach finger food thing with complete confidence, and I didn’t even have to lift one. He would be the first to tell you that these deliciously crunchy skewered shrimp rolls were a piece of cake. Still, how often do people see something on TV, gather the ingredients and go for it, no recipe in sight. You have to be a pretty confident cook to pull that off. It also goes to show that if you know your way around a kitchen and you know your ingredients, you can use your instincts and cook anything you want. And that's the moral of this story for my 100th post!

After we ate these fabulous shrimp rolls, we started thinking of other fillings and variations. The egg roll wrappers are a great item that you can use for all sorts of things -ravioli and samosas came to mind.

Here’s how Mike made these shrimp rolls:

1) Thread large shrimp (peeled and deveined) onto long skewers so that the shrimp are straightened out.

2) Lay a piece of egg roll dough (cut to about 3 x 6 inches) out in front of you horizontally. Lay one skewered shrimp on the end of the dough. Place about a tablespoon each of crab meat and seaweed salad next to the shrimp. Starting with the end that the shrimp is on, roll up the dough around the filling and press it together.


3) Quickly dip the skewered egg roll in beaten egg, then roll it in a combination of panko (we used whole wheat), shredded coconut, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture firmly onto the dough so it sticks.


4) Heat canola oil in a heavy deep pot, using a thermometer to maintain the correct temperature. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until the panko is crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels and serve right away with spicy cocktail sauce (add fresh horseradish) for dipping. You can do this in a skillet, but if the oil is very hot, it will splatter all over your kitchen. If you enjoy these shrimp rolls as much as we did, you won’t be too upset, but cleaning up is no fun.



Technorati Tags: recipes, shrimp, appetizers

Real Pad Thai from Your Kitchen

If you have been lucky enough to find a very good Thai restaurant, then you have probably already fallen hard for pad thai, the light rice noodle dish that plays on your tastebuds with sweet and umami flavors until you have eaten greater quantities of it than you thought possible. If you have wished you could reproduce the exotic flavors of this deceptively simple dish at home, read on because I have a very manageable recipe for you. If, instead, you're wondering what all the fuss is about, you've probably had the misfortune of tasting, a gooey, sticky-sweet americanized version made with a thick pre-packaged, corn-starch laden "pad thai sauce." In that case, read on and discover an authentic dish that is completely different than what you're used to.

I love pad thai because for years I lived in the delivery radius of the best thai restaurant I have ever found. I could call them at 7:00pm on a Friday night and have a made-to-order steaming hot dish of pad thai in front of me in under 15 minutes. That goes to show how efficient these folks were, but also how quickly this meal comes together once your ingredients are prepped.

I was spoiled rotten with this pad thai. When I moved away from Boston, I tried other thai restaurants, and have never had anything that comes close. I'm sure there are other respectable chefs turning out authentic pad thai, but in my experience, they are a rarity.

It takes a little practice to get the technique just right for this recipe. What you make will still be tasty, but the timing really is everything, and you'll learn just how you like to do it after a couple attempts. Nothing may hold up to Bangkok Bistro in my estimation, but this satisfies me and captures those flavors that made me crazy for this dish from the first bite.


Pad Thai
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Savoring Southeast Asia by Joyce Jue

The most important thing you can do is have all your ingredients prepped and ready to add to the skillet in quick succession. I have tried to lay out the steps below. Once you begin to cook the shallots, you will have a finished dish in under 7 minutes.
Serves 3-4

3 tbs. vegetable or peanut oil, divided
salt and pepper
¾ lb. chicken breast meat, pounded very thin and cut into 1-inch pieces
12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 oz. flat rice noodles
2 ½ tsp. tamarind concentrate plus 3 tbs. water (or the equivalent of another tamarind product)
2 tbs. sugar
3 tbs. fish sauce
2 tbs. lime juice (about 1 lime)
¼ to ½ tsp. dried red chile flakes
2 tbs. chopped shallot
1 ½ tbs. chopped garlic
3 large eggs, beaten with 1 tblsp. water
2 c. fresh bean sprouts, divided
6 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
½ c. roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
¼ c. cilantro, chopped
lime wedges, for serving

Heat 1 tbs. of the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and stir-fry until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Lower the heat to medium and add 1 tbs. of oil to the skillet. Add the shrimp, season and cook until opaque, about 1 minute. Add to the bowl of chicken and set aside.

Meanwhile cook the noodles according to package directions. In a bowl or large glass liquid measuring cup, whisk together the tamarind and water, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and chile flakes. Set aside.

Assemble everything you need to put together the pad thai: shallots and garlic, beaten eggs, chicken and shrimp, green onions, noodles, tamarind mixture, bean sprouts and peanuts.

Heat the last tbs. of oil over medium-low heat, add the shallot and cook for 1 minute, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the beaten eggs, swirling the pan to coat the entire surface. Let the eggs set for a few seconds, then move them around the pan with a spatula, breaking them up. Immediately add the chicken and shrimp and toss quickly with the eggs. Add the noodles and toss them with the egg mixture for a minute or so, until you have cooked pieces of egg throughout. Pour the tamarind mixture all over the noodles in the skillet and toss to coat thoroughly. Immediately add the green onions, half of the bean sprouts and half of the peanuts and toss to combine. Remove from heat. Serve the pad thai with the remaining bean sprouts and peanuts; the cilantro; and the lime wedges.


Technorati Tags: recipes, thai, Main Course

Salmon with Chiplotle-Honey Glaze and Cinnamon-Scented Couscous

This dish came to be because we wanted to eat something quick and healthy on a Saturday night. Usually, Saturdays are reserved for the more indulgent and labor-intensive of recipes; however, we had plans to eat out at a very tasty restaurant on Sunday evening, so taking it easy was a wise choice.

Paragons of moderation that we are, I came up with this dead easy glaze for baked salmon that turned out to be even better than I had hoped. Seriously, the whole time we were eating, I couldn't shut up about how delicious the fish tasted. Sometimes I turn into a broken record when I'm really enjoying my food; thankfully, Mike just nods and keeps chewing.

The idea for the warmly spiced couscous with dried fruit, pine nuts and scallions came from Nigella Lawson's How to Eat, but I kept this one very light with just a dab of butter that you could actually leave out if you wanted. It is one of my favorite couscous dishes in recent memory. Maybe it's not really all that healthy because you will want to eat more than just one serving.

Rounded out with steamed kale quickly sauteed in a little olive oil and tossed with lemon juice, salt and pepper, I thought this was the perfect colorful healthy plate. The wonderful thing is that it tasted as flavorful and delicious as any meal we would usually cook on a Saturday night.

Salmon with Chipotle-Honey Glaze
Serves 2

Nonstick cooking spray
2-6 oz. salmon fillets, skin on
salt and pepper
3 tbs. honey
1 canned chipotle chile, seeded and chopped, plus 2 tsp. of the sauce from the chile can
1 tbs. lime juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper, place skin side down on the baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the honey, chipotle chile, chile sauce and lime juice together in a small bowl. Taste and add more honey if you want it sweeter, or more chipotle sauce if you want it hotter.

After 13 to 15 minutes or when the salmon is three-quarters of the way done (depending on thickness), take the baking sheet out of the oven and drizzle the chipotle-honey glaze all over the fish. Continue baking for 5 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily and is cooked through. Spoon any excess glaze that has collected on the foil over the salmon and serve. If the salmon skin sticks to the foil, gently remove the flesh to the serving plates and no one will have that extra piece of skin left when they are done eating.

Cinnamon-Scented Couscous
Inspired by a recipe in Nigella Lawson's How To Eat

Serves 3-4

1 ¼ c. water, chicken broth or vegetable broth
½ tbs. butter
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. whole wheat couscous
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ c. dried currants (raisins or cranberries would also work well)
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
2 tbs. pine nuts

Bring the water or broth to a boil over high heat. Add the butter and salt. Add the couscous while continuously stirring with a whisk or fork. When the liquid returns to a boil, lower the heat to the lowest setting and add the cinnamon, cumin, currants, scallions and pine nuts. When all the water is absorbed, cover tightly and remove from heat. Let the couscous steam for at least 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.

Technorati Tags: recipes, salmon, healthy, quick, Main Course, Sides