Pan roasted fish with orange almond relish

During one of my recent trips for work – I was in Virginia beach.  Two things made me realize how long its been since I’ve been to the ocean – the abundance of fresh seafood every where you went and the sunrise.  Luckily I was able to partake in both of them several times while I was there.  There is nothing better than waking up early to watch the sun rise over the ocean and then go for a morning run – you just feel so happy to be alive.  I really need to get back to the ocean soon.   This recipe seems so fancy – although it is very simple.  It is perfect for freshly caught fish (mine was freshly bought at Wegmans).  Enjoy with a nice glass of chilled white wine and relax and pretend you are at the ocean listening to the waves crash into the shore.       

Ingredients

for the relish:

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds , toasted
• 1/4 cup green olives , coarsely chopped (see note)
• 1small garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon zest plus 2 Tbsp. juice from 1 orange
• 1 tsp.  white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh mint leaves
• Table salt
• Cayenne pepper

for the fish:

• 2 skinless white fish fillets , 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (about 6 to 8 ounces each)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil

Directions

1. For the relish: Process almonds, olives, garlic, and zest in food processor until nuts and olives are finely chopped, 10 to 12 one-second pulses.

2. Transfer to bowl and stir in orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, and mint. Season to taste with salt and cayenne, refrigerate until ready to use.

1. For the fish: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Dry fish thoroughly with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle very light dusting of sugar (about 1/8 teaspoon) evenly over 1 side of each fillet.

3. Heat oil in large oven-safe nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Place fillets in skillet, sugared sides down, and press down lightly to ensure even contact with pan. Cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Using 2 spatulas, flip fillets and transfer skillet to oven. Roast fillets until centers are just opaque and register 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to serving plates and serve with relish.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated

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Meat Sauce

I saw this recipe and immediately knew I had to make it.  There is something so comforting about simple spaghetti and meat sauce.   I know I’ve been absent from the blog for too long – I’ve been so busy travelling for work.   And that means eating out for every meal for the week (ugh!).  When I get back home all I want to do is cook my own food and get my digestive system back in order.   So simple, easy, comforting food is what I turn to – tacos, pasta, salmon, rice, etc.  What is great about this dish is that you can freeze the extra sauce for an easy meal – like when you finally get home after a week away and have no food left in your fridge.  This is especially helpful if you happen to have your flight cancelled and you get home a day later than you expected (Thanks again American Airlines!)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• dash of nutmeg

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, heat the sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until the meat is cooked through. 

2. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients. 

3. Simmer, covered, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Source: Pennies on a Platter

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Meyer Lemon Cookies

After making Meyer lemon sorbet – I happened to have a few more Meyer lemons buried in the depths of my produce drawer.  They were just hanging out in there for weeks as I used other items stored around them.  But I finally decided that I had to make something with them before they got moldy on me.  This recipe is a basic sugar cookie that has meyer lemon infused sugar and juice.  It gives it a nice citrus touch – without being too tart.   I rolled the cookies in the flavored sugar – and it gave them that crispy outer coating to go with the soft and chewy cookie.  Enjoy!

P.S. I’ll be out of town all week for work and over the weekend for a wedding – so this will be the only post for about a week or so.  Have a great one – I’ll be at the beach  

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups plus 3 Tbsp. sugar
• zest of two Meyer lemons
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liners.

2. In a food processor, combine all of the sugar and the lemon zest. Process until combined.  Reserve 3 Tbsp. of the lemon-sugar and set side for rolling the cookies in.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well to incorporate. Add the lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until combined.

4.In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.

5. Portion out tablespoon-fuls of dough and roll in reserved sugar and place on baking sheets.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, switching baking sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Source: seen on Oishii Food from Tall Grass Kitchen

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