Steamed Fish with Szechuan Noodles

This is a fast, healthy, and very flavorful meal that you can probably make from things you have around the house-- I use broccoli and pea shoots here but any vegetable would work (peas, carrots, green beans, etc). If you don't have szechuan pepper, get some. It's amazing stuff-- peppery, tingly, and basically fantastic. It really changes the flavor of this dish. If I didn't have it, I'd probably put ginger in the sauce instead.

You'll need (serves 2, but doubles easily):

2 fillets of ocean perch or any other firm white fish

1/2lb fresh spelt pasta (we used Phoenix Pastificio's) or buckwheat/soba noodles

broccoli, cut into small florets

pea shoots

6 cloves garlic

4 scallions

1/4c soy sauce

2T mirin (rice cooking wine)

1T rice wine vinegar

sriracha, to taste

1t cracked szechuan pepper

Crush 4 cloves garlic. Slice scallions. Place in small bowl with soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, sriracha, and peppercorns.

Cook pasta until barely al dente. Drain and set aside.

Salt and pepper fish. Place in skillet with tight-fitting lid. Add 2T prepared sauce and 1/4c water. Cover and cook on low about 10 minutes, until fish flakes.

Steam broccoli in a large skillet; drain and set aside. Slice 2 cloves garlic. Add a little oil to the skillet and add pea shoots and garlic. Return broccoli to skillet with cooked pasta and prepared sauce. Cook until pea shoots wilt and noodles absorb sauce, about 2 minutes.

Remove fish from pan and reduce remaining sauce. Pour sauce over fish and serve with noodles.

Spicy Shrimp Curry

This is very easy to throw together, and you can add any veggies you have around. You can, of course, adjust the spices. Be sure to only add the shrimp at the very end so it doesn't overcook, and if you reheat the leftovers, don't heat the shrimp (heat everything else and stir in the shrimp at the end; it'll warm through).

You'll need (serves 3-4):

1lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 can light coconut milk
1T tamarind paste
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 heaping tablespoon curry paste (I used panang)
1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
5 large cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and sliced
2 serrano chilies, sliced lengthwise
1T lemongrass (chopped in a food processor)
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 carrots, sliced
1/2T cumin, 1T coriander, 1/2T turmeric
to garnish: chopped mint, chopped thai chilies, crushed peanuts, fish sauce


Saute onion until golden brown. Add curry paste and stir to coat onion; continue cooking about 5 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass and serrano chilies. Stir, being careful not to burn, until garlic is fragrant and chilies are soft.

Add cumin, coriander and turmeric. Add tamarind paste. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Lower to barely a simmer and let cook while you devein the shrimp.

If the shrimp are deveined, let the curry cook about 30 minutes, until thick and flavorful.

Add broccoli and carrots and cook about 5 minutes, covered if necessary, until broccoli is just done. Add shrimp, cook 1 minute until just opaque, and turn off heat. Stir and let sit 1 more minute; shrimp should then be perfectly cooked.

Add fish sauce to taste. Serve with more fish sauce, peanuts, mint and red chilies.

Pomegranate Tamarind Glazed Lamb with Minted Spring Garlic Risotto

This was simply delicious, and really very easy to make. The whole thing can come together in about an hour and a half. This recipe and its execution were a team effort, and it turned out beautifully.

Pomegranate Tamarind Glazed Lamb

You'll need:

boneless leg of lamb

1 onion, quartered

1/2 head garlic, minced
3-in piece ginger, peeled & minced
juice of 2-3 limes
1/4c pomegranate molasses
1/4c tamarind paste*
1T cumin
1t cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl:


* If you can't find tamarind paste, just use the tamarind puree with the seeds and break it up with a little hot water, then strain to remove seeds.

Untie the meat and rub it all over with the marinade. Roll it back up and tie it again. Let sit 15 minutes. Pat the outside so it's relatively dry.

Brown the meat on all sides in a heavy pot or pan.

Place the browned meat in a baking pan and pour the leftover marinade on top. Quarter the onion and place it around the meat.

Cook until it looks like this:

(about 1 hour in a 350 degree oven)

Let sit 15 minutes before slicing. When sliced, toss with onions and marinade:

Serve next to risotto:

Minted Spring Garlic Risotto

You'll need:

1 onion, chopped
2c arborio rice
2 stalks spring garlic (also called green garlic), sliced thinly
2T chopped mint
2T olive oil
1/4c vermouth or dry white wine
5c chicken broth

Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Saute onion until translucent; add rice and saute, stirring often, until grains are shiny and separated. Crank up the heat and deglaze pan with wine. When wine is absorbed, lower heat to medium-low and start adding broth, a little at a time, stirring often, until all liquid is absorbed and risotto is tender and creamy. About 5 minutes before it's done, add the garlic and stir. When done, stir in mint. Serve with more chopped mint and grated parmesan.

We also had some lovely roasted kohlrabi and broccoli...

...and salad...

...and strawberries for dessert!

Thanks to Karen for these gorgeous photos.

Chicken Gorgonzola Pasta with Balsamic Broccoli

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken, but you can even make it without chicken and just use mushrooms for a vegetarian variation. You don't need to use expensive cheese here; a domestic gorgonzola-style cheese will suffice.

The balsamic broccoli is a really nice touch here. Its sweetness offsets the tangy blue cheese. I love this flavor combination.


You'll need:

leftover or otherwise cooked chicken breast meat (no skin, gristle, etc)-- spices on the meat are fine; they'll make your pasta sauce that much better

pasta of your choice (I used farfalle)

shittake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced (each mushroom should yield about 4 slices)
1 onion, sliced
red pepper flakes

2T flour or Wondra flour
1c milk (nonfat is fine)
1/2c gorgonzola, or more to taste

broccoli
2T olive oil
2T balsamic vinegar


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Break broccoli into florets and toss with salt, pepper, oil & vinegar. Roast on a baking sheet about 20 minutes, until golden brown (vinegar will make broccoli very dark in spots).

In the meantime, boil salted water and cook your pasta.

While water is boiling and broccoli is roasting, heat some olive oil in a large heavy skillet and saute onion, mushrooms, and red pepper until mushrooms turn golden. Slice chicken very thinly and toss into cooked mushrooms. Toss to warm chicken.

Add flour and stir until it disappears. Add milk and stir; sauce should thicken as milk is absorbed. Turn off heat and add cheese in chunks; toss until cheese melts.

Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add roasted broccoli and serve with additional gorgonzola.

(still good without broccoli)

Warm Rice Noodle Salad with Roasted Vegetables

This salad makes a great hot lunch because you can throw almost any veggie in and they will all come together because of the tangy soy dressing, cilantro, and peanuts. It would also be delicious cold and thus makes a good choice for picnics.

You'll need:

rice stick noodles
broccoli, cut into florets
shitake mushrooms, stems discarded, quartered
carrots, julienned
spring garlic, sliced
green onion, sliced
cilantro, chopped
peanuts, partially crushed

1t olive oil
1t soy sauce
1T sesame oil
1T dark soy sauce
1t hoisin sauce
1t chili garlic sauce
1/2t rice vinegar


Heat oven to 400 degrees (if you're in a hurry, you can saute the veggies instead of roasting them). Toss broccoli and mushrooms with salt, pepper, olive oil & soy sauce. Roast until golden, about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, boil water for the noodles. Cook noodles until still slightly hard, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse.

Heat sesame oil in a skillet. Add garlic, onion, and carrot. Saute 1 minute. Add noodles. Add dark soy, hoisin, and chili sauces. Mix well so that the noodles absorb the sauce. Add roasted veggies, rice vinegar, and 1T water. Cook, stirring, until noodles are tender. Remove from heat and toss with cilantro and peanuts (and a squeeze of lime if you have one). Serve hot or cold.

Smoked Herring and Roasted Broccoli Salad

This sounds like a weird combination, but I had this great smoked herring that I was dying to put on matza (with butter, of course); this was the next best thing. It really came together well-- I made a similar one yesterday with feta instead of broccoli, which was delicious but very rich. This has a nice buttery smokiness from the fish, a sweet tang from the pickled red onions, and a crunchiness from the broccoli and walnuts; the spicy arugula brings it all together. I also tossed in a medium-boiled egg and some chopped olives, and dressed it with the last of my fig balsamic vinegar and some good olive oil.

Steelhead Trout, Roasted Broccoli, and Barley

I haven't been in a blogging mood lately, but here's a pretty picture to hold you over.

Orange Roughy, Walnut & Broccoli Salad

This is like the last fish salad; the main difference is, here, we used roasted broccoli instead of sweet potatoes. The overall flavor is earthier and nuttier.

You'll need:

mixed greens
2 fillets of fish (any firm white fish works)
spices (we used cayenne, paprika, marjoram & oregano)
walnut halves, toasted
broccoli, roasted (we used this kind of amazing baby broccoli that was at the farmers' market last week)
apple, cored, quartered and sliced
1/4c grated gruyere
vinaigrette

As you can see by the ingredient list above, this is a salad based on stuff you have lying around. First, roast the broccoli (toss with olive oil and salt and stick in a 400 degree oven). Toast the walnuts in a dry pan on the stove, over medium heat, while the broccoli is roasting. Watch the walnuts carefully so they don't burn, and when they're done, take them out of the pan. When the broccoli's done, toss it with the grated gruyere while still hot.

Turn the broiler on. Rub fish with spices and place under broiler, about 5 min/side.

Mix broccoli, walnuts, apple and greens with vinaigrette. Top with fish. Serve.


This wine was really good-- it had a rich chocolaty flavor that matched the earthiness of the salad, and was even good after the meal was done.

Grilled Garlic Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Spice Gravy and Wild Rice Pilaf

Jesse attacked his plate before I could get a good picture in. There are a lot of recipes on this post, so bear with me. The Pomegranate Spice Gravy is a delicious, and potentially vegetarian, sauce that can be drizzled over anything-- fish, chicken, rice-- to add flavor and sticky goodness. This time I went for pomegranate juice instead of molasses to cut down on the sweetness a bit. But first: the pork tenderloin.

Grilled Garlic Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

This is so quick and easy, and uses minimal ingredients. You'll need:

1 pork tenderloin, silverskin & any fat removed with a sharp knife
1T chopped fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, cut lengthwise into slivers
1t good olive oil

Rub the tenderloin with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Make little slits with a sharp knife and insert garlic slivers (make sure they're fully inserted or they'll fall out while cooking). Now, if you happen to have an electric grill with an aroma diffuser (hey, I do), put your rosemary in the diffuser with 1/2c water. If not, rub the rosemary all over the pork. Put the pork on a very hot grill or barbecue and cook 8-10 min/side, until a thermometer reads 140 degrees. Remove from heat and let sit as long as you can stand (ideally 10 minutes) before slicing, against the grain, into 1/4-1/2 inch slices.

Wild Rice Pilaf

This is Jesse's mom's recipe, and it's delicious. We used a wild rice combo (it's cheaper and more colorful!). And, by the way, wild rice is not rice, but aquatic grass.

You'll need:

1c wild rice
2c beef broth (or chicken or veggie broth)
1 large shallot, minced
6 cremini mushrooms, minced
1 medium red onion, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
2T butter

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute all veggies together for about 7 minutes, until mushrooms give off their liquid. Add rice and saute to coat grains; add broth, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until tender and liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Pomegranate Spice Gravy

topped with marrow-- see below

The word "gravy" here might be a bit misleading-- this sauce is more syrupy in consistency. It's based on this recipe.

You'll need:

4 veal bones, optional
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
6 garlic cloves, smashed & roughly chopped
1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into disks
2 star anise
1 stick cinnamon
2t black peppercorns
2c red wine
2c unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/2c *low sodium* soy sauce
2t fish sauce
2t hoisin sauce
1T dark brown sugar
1T Wondra flour (or 1t cornstarch dissolved in 1t warm water)

First step, optional: Wash, dry, and salt the bones. Brown them in a dutch oven in very hot grapeseed oil. Remove & set aside. Lower heat to medium.

In the same oil, add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Saute 15-20 minutes. Add ginger, star anise, cinnamon and peppercorns. Return bones to pot if using. Add all liquids (wine, pomegranate juice, soy sauce, fish sauce and hoisin). Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Check for sweetness; add 1T brown sugar if necessary. Keep cooking, covered, as long as you want.

this is what you take out
notice the tasty marrow in the bones...

About 15 minutes before serving, remove bones, anise and cinnamon. Run mixture through a food mill (or just strain through a fine mesh strainer) and return to pot. Sprinkle in Wondra flour, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil and cook until it's as thick as you want it, probably about 3 minutes.

Roasted Brocccoli

to interested parties:
we drank a delicious 2004 Poppy Pinot

This is the easiest, and tastiest, way to cook broccoli. You can also do this with cauliflower. Just cut into florets, toss with olive oil and coarse salt, and roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. We made this the other day and had to make another batch because we ate it before sitting down to dinner-- it's that good.

Pork Stir Fry with Noodles

This is the same recipe as this post, but with broccoli added, served over some surprisingly delicious fresh chow mein-style noodles. When you make any noodle or pasta dish with sauce, under cook your noodles by about a minute, then finish cooking them in the sauce, so they soak up sauce and become flavorful. I think this stir fry is especially good with noodles because of all the tasty sauce the recipe makes.