Ok, so this was a last minute invention but it turned out AMAZING! I got four tilapia filets, very fresh at Whole Paycheck and was going to make them my usual way, A la Veracruzana, with tomatoes and onion and olives and capers. Then I remembered I had a tub of fresh salsa verde we that needed some love. Here’s what I did:

Preheat the Broiler on High.

Ingredients:

• 4 tilapia filets (other white fish will work)
• Butter
• 1 cup of flour (I used gluten-free Pamela’s Pancake & Baking Mix because it browns nicely)
• 2 cups of fresh Salsa Verde
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups of grated Pepper Jack cheese (or to taste… you can use any melty cheese really)

Process:

1. Dredge the tilapia filets in flour seasoned with salt and pepper (I added a dash of garlic powder too). Shake off excess.
2. Melt a pat of butter in a non-stick pan and cook the tilapia until the flour gets nice and golden brown. It should only take a couple minutes per side. Don’t worry if the fish is a little bit undercooked, it will finish cooking in the oven. Place the four browned filets in a single layer in a rectangular Pyrex.
3. In the same non-stick pan, heat up the olive oil and saute the salsa until it changes from bright green to a little duller green color and it consumes down a bit (so it’s not too watery).
4. Pour the hot salsa on top of the filets making sure they all get covered.
5. Distribute the cheese evenly on top of the tilapia and salsa.
6. Place in the oven with the broiler on high for a couple minutes until cheese melts and bubbles (be SUPER careful because it can go from beautiful melted cheese to charred cheese in a matter of a minute).
7. Serve with a side of white rice and some salad or sliced tomatoes. Simple and delicious!

Cauliflower Steak

A few weeks ago, Peter and I went to a new-ish restaurant in town called Restaurant 415. We really loved the food and the service was impeccable, especially considering we had a rambunctious baby with us. They have lots of small plates at very affordable prices and some interesting entrees. Their menu is very fresh and they are friendly to people with all sorts of special food needs. I ordered the cauliflower steaks as my main dish and I have to say it was delicious. I never thought you could cook cauliflower in such a nice way to make it a main. It wasn’t heavy but the flavors were quite complex and the whole experience was very satisfying. Since then I’ve really wanted to reproduce the dish, and this is my first try. It turned out amazing!

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower head (Serves 2-3)
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

Sauce

• Olive Oil
• 1/2 onion coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
• 1 8 or 12oz  jar of roasted pimentos coarsely chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (roasted are better)
• Hot pepper flakes
• Salt & Pepper

Relish

• 1 cup of black olives (pitted) finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup roasted pimento finely chopped
• A handful of parsley finely chopped
• 1 lemon
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (I used one of those baking sheets that has a lip to contain the smaller florets).
3. Trim the leaves and the stem of the cauliflower but leave the core intact.
4. Place the cauliflower core-side-down on a cutting board and with a sharp knife cut 2/3 inch wide “steaks”. It works better if you cut starting from the center and going to the sides. You will be able to get about 4 good steaks from one head. Take the largest the florets that are left and slice them in half to make the chunks thinner.
5. Gather the smaller florets and chop them very finely to make about 1/2 cup. Set aside.
6. In a large skillet heat up some olive oil and carefully brown both sides of the “steaks”. Works better if you do one or two steaks at a time and use a large spatula to flip them so they don’t break.  They’re pretty sturdy, but be gentle after they heat through.
7. Once they are browned a bit on both sides place them in the baking sheet, salt and pepper to taste. I also did the same thing for the larger florets. Then put the baking sheet in the oven for about 15 minutes to finish roasting them. The cauliflower will turn softer and get that delicious sweet-nutty roasted taste.
8. While the cauliflower is roasting sauté chopped onion and garlic until fragrant.  Add the pimentos and sauté for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes. Simmer gently for a few minutes so the flavors will meld. Season with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.  Use an immersion blender, a food processor or a blender to puree until smooth (although you might light it a bit chunky).
9. In a separate bowl mix olives, chopped pimentos, raw cauliflower florets and parsley. Juice the lemon over it and add some olive oil, mix well and salt & pepper to taste.
10. To serve, ladle some of the sauce on a plate, place one of the steaks and some of the extra florets on it and top with some of the relish.

Notes:

*Even if your steaks fall apart during the process, they will taste AMAZING, so don’t get discouraged.

**To get nice “steaks” use a SHARP knife.

***Serve with couscous, or rice on the side. This particular presentation is served with Lundberg brand Mediterranean Rice Couscous.

This is more like a process than an exact recipe.  We have been lovingly tending our garden this Summer and we’re starting to get amazing results.  We harvested our first zucchini and a few tomatoes, along with many delicious herbs.  So I decided to make this pasta for dinner tonight.  It turned out delicious and very flavorful, but not heavy on your tummy like some of the heavier marinara type of sauces.  These are the ingredients I used, but you can switch it up depending on what you have around.

Ingredients:

• Pasta (I used Penne but bowties, oricchete or rotini will do)
• 1 large zucchini diced
• 1 bell pepper diced
• Corn (about one ear’s worth cut off) but you can use a bit of frozen sweet corn
• 2 medium tomatoes or about 4 small romas, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• Fresh herbs, chopped (I had basil, oregano and thyme, but you can use parsley or whatever you have, I put in lots)
• A good squirt of olive oil
• 2 tbsp of butter
• White wine and reserved pasta water (about 1/2 cup of each as necessary)
• Grated lemon peel
• Parmesan Cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Process:

Cook the pasta in a big pot.  While it’s cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the onion and garlic until very fragrant.  Add the rest of the veggies and saute for a little while until they start getting soft (but not too much),  add the butter, half of the Parmesan cheese grated, grated lemon peel, herbs and wine. Bring to a boil.  The pasta should be ready by now, drain (but reserve like one cup of the water) and put in the pan with the sauce.  Add a bit of the reserved pasta water.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with extra Parmesan shavings on top and a cold glass of white wine.

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers, squat and that can stand by themselves, tops cut off, seeds and veins cleaned out.

For the Stuffing:

• 1 cup of wild rice
• 1/2 cup of Wheat Berries or Pearl Barley
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds
• 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, diced
• Ancho Chile powder
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Flat-leaf parsley
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

For the Sauce:

• 2 cans of stewed tomatoes
• 4 fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Ancho Chile powder
• 1 smoked chipotle (or to taste)
• A Cinnamon Stick
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Process:

For the Stuffing:

Cook the wild rice, wheat berries, fennel seeds and cumin seeds in the chicken stock.  You may need to add a little more  to make sure the rice cooks al-dente.  Salt lightly.

In a skillet with a little olive oil cook the onion until it’s transparent, add the garlic and cook for a minute more.  Sauté the ground turkey until it cooks through, add the parsley, ancho chile powder, salt and pepper to taste.  When the meat is ready, add about half a can of the stewed tomatoes.  This will make the stuffing juicier.  When the rice is ready, fold gently into the meat.  Adjust seasonings.

For the Sauce:

While the meat and rice are cooking, put the remaining can and a half of stewed tomatoes in a blender with the fresh tomatoes cut in fourths, onion, garlic, the smoked chipotle, ancho chile powder, salt and pepper to taste.  Blend until pureed.  Heat a little olive oil in the skillet and saute the sauce and let it simmer for a little while with the cinnamon stick.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff the Peppers:

Put a lot of stuffing into each pepper and place the top cap loosely on.  Place the peppers carefully into the simmering sauce and simmer until the peppers are cooked through.  Make sure they don’t overcook and they still hold their shape.

To Serve:

Take a stuffed pepper, put it on a plate, take the cap off and grate parmesan cheese on it.  Ladle enough sauce over and around the bell pepper and serve.

Notes:

This is a very good recipe and can be adapted as necessary.  The ingredients are more like guidelines and feel free to replace seasonings to your taste.  The cinnamon stick gives the tomato sauce a very interesting flavor and it really completes the dish.  The wheat berries add a nice crunch.

I have used the same stuffing with hollowed-out zucchini (green and yellow) but the sky is the limit!

This is a great recipe that will feed lots of people and it’s great for left-overs.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of lean ground beef
• 3 diced carrots
• 2 diced potatoes
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• Cumin (to taste)
• 1 chipotle finely chopped (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup of tomato puree
• Salt and Pepper

Process:

In a big pot or pan saute half of the onions until translucent, add the beef, salt pepper and chopped chipotle. Cook the meat until it’s not pink any more making sure you stir often so it doesn’t clump. In a different pan saute the other half of onions until translucent add the carrots and potatoes. Cook until soft but not mushy, mix the meat and veggie mix in the bigger pot, add the tomato puree, cumin and adjust seasoning. On medium low heat cook a bit longer to integrate the flavors. Serve with a big stack of hot CORN tortillas.

You can also serve refried beans and freshly made green salsa (or from a jar… but not as good).

Notes:

The easiest way to get some quick and good refried beans is to buy a can of traditional refried beans or black beans, add them to a pan with a little bit of butter and add grated cheese and cumin to them. A little chipotle juice will add some punch too. It will make regular canned beans very good.