Coconut Curried Red Lentil Soup

Being pregnant there are lots of foods I'm finding I have aversions to, one of which is meat. Since Meat used to be my primary source of protein I need to find new ways to get the necessary amount of protein in my diet. A great way to incorporate protein plus lots of other important nutrients is red, brown or green lentils. Lentils can be prepared and served in many different ways such as in a burrito, pilaf, stew or hummus but my all time favorite is in soups. I came across a Coconut Lentil Soup that needed some revising and made a fantastic Coconut Curried Red Lentil Soup! 

I'm also aware we are into Spring and Winter is long gone and I assure you this will be my last "Winter food" recipe...maybe! The fragrant smell of the toasted curry, the sweet coconut milk and the aromatic cooked ginger was just to good to pass up!

Ingredients
1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup  red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups  water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup  golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 Tb Better then Bouillon Chicken paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 Tb fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped
cooked sweet brown rice ( I got mine from the bulk section at our local health food store-Lazy Acres) 

Preparation
Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant around 10 minutes. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, garlic and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk, better then bouillon and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water, a bit at a time, if you like. Or simmer longer for a thicker consistency. I found the thicker the soup the better the taste!

Finish with 1/2 cup of warm sweet brown rice and sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and the remaining green onions.

Blueberry-Glazed Wild King Salmon w/Caramelized Onion Barley

Seagrass Restaurant has a to-die-for Blueberry-Glazed Salmon Bill and I used to get on a regular basis. Unfortunately their menu is seasonal so it changes frequently and the Salmon hasn't been offered for a few months. Since my sister was in town over the weekend we had some people over for dinner and I thought the Blueberry salmon would be an amazing dish to make for everyone. I've attempted to recreate it but to no avail.  Although I contacted Seagrass and their manager and chef were more then willing to share their fantastic recipe with me! It came out so wonderfully! Everyone licked their plates clean, even my 3 year old daughter scarfed up the salmon! For Dessert I made a Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a fresh Farmers Market Berry Compote! I must say this was one of my favorite dinners!! 

Caramelized Onion Barley
Ingredients:

1 sweet onion (Maui or Vidalia), Chopped2 T. Olive oil

8 oz. Pearled Farro Barley

S/P

6 1/2 cups H2O

Finished with:

Touch of Cream

Handful of Blueberries

Mixture of Herbs (thyme, parsley, black opal basil (very small amount))

Preparation:
Caramelize onions (cook over low heat in olive oil until dark brown in color) using ladles of 1/2 cup H2O to bring up font (brown spots) that stick to bottom of pot.

Add barley, sauté lightly in onions and oil.

Add 1 1/2 qt H2O, Simmer until H2O is absorbed, add more H2O if needed until barley is tender about 1 1/2 Hr.

Just prior to serving finish with 1/4 cup Cream, Blueberries, salt and pepper to taste and a sprinkling of fresh herbs (thyme is especially nice!).

Thyme Buerre Blanc
Ingredients:

3 shallots (finely chopped)

1 clove garlic>

1 bunch thyme

1 cup white wine

1/4lb butter

Preparation:

Sweat shallot, garlic in 1Tb butter.

Add wine, reduce to near dry

Strain the mixture through a sieve into a small pan. Discard Shallot shells

Add butter slowly, 1 cube at a time, to avoid ‘breaking’ sauce.

Season with Salt and Pepper to taste

Ready to Serve:

Grill Asparagus with S/P, Olive Oil and serve as vegetable accompaniment. Pan sear Wild King Salmon with small amount of oil in pan, season to taste with salt & pepper and cook to desired temperature. Once removed from pan, glaze top side of salmon while still hot with Blueberry glaze (combine ¼ cup Mama’s Blueberry Jam from SB Farmers Market with 1 T. balsamic vinegar. Mix and spread evenly on salmon. Begin plate-up with heaping mound of caramelized onion barley in center of plate, place grilled asparagus on top of barley then salmon on top.Drizzle ‘moat’ of thyme beurre blanc around all ingredients.

Chef de Cuisine Greg Murphy of Seagrass Restaurant

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake w/ a Mixed Berry Compote

Ingredients:

2 cups (14 Full-size crackers)Finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1 Stick unsalted Butter 

1 1/2Lb Cream Cheese

1 Cup plus 2 Tb Sugar

1 (16 oz) container Sour Cream

3 Large Eggs

1 Vanilla Bean

9in Springform Pan

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and position oven rack in the center. Lightly 

coat the pan with butter. 

Place the crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl and stir with a fork until the crumbs are moistened evenly. With a silicone spatula, scrape into the prepared pan. Press the crumbs into an even layer across the bottom and about halfway up the side of the pan, working outward from the center. Bake the crust for 16-18 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth adn creamy, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl down twice to ensure the mixture blends evenly and that there are no lumps (you won't be able to smooth them out later). Add the sour cream and process until incorporatedand smooth,a bout 20 seconds, scraping the bowl down about half way through. Add the eggs one at a time, pulsing 3-5 seconds after each addition to blend thoroughly. Using a pairing knife split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds into the mixture. Save the Vanilla Bean Pod for another use. Process or 8-10 seconds, until the seeds are evenly distributed. Scrape the mixture into the cooled crust. 

Set the Cheesecake pan on a baking sheet (in case of leakage ) and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the edge is set but the center has a "jello-effect" (it will firm up during cooling and chilling).

Transfer Cheesecake to a cooling rack and immediately run a thin, flexible knife or spatula around the edge of the cake, gently pressing into the side of the pan to avoid gouging the cake. This will release the cake from the side of the pan and prevent cracking. Let cool completely for 1-2 hours then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 

Run a thin knife around the edge again as described above. Pop the side off the springform pan. Use a knife to loosen the bottom of the cake from the pan and then slide it off the pan bottom onto a serving plate. 

Farmers Market Berry Compote

1 pt Strawberries

1 pt blackberries

1 pt blueberries

¼ c sugar

1 tbsp water

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat and cool.  Spoon mixture over cheesecakes as serving.

"The Better Burger" with Rosemary Baked Fries

My mom came over yesterday to visit with Kyla and I over lunch. She had dropped an awesome cookbook by the previous day called "The 10 things you need to eat." It has some really great healthy recipes. I was really in the mood for a burger and It just happened to have had a "better burger" recipe in it. They are made with lean ground beef and lentils. Broiling the burgers eliminates the need for any added fat, and the lentils make for a lighter texture without taking away from the flavor of the beef. The burgers turned out really good although they tend to fall apart.  The good thing about food is it's meant to be eaten, so nobody was too picky about the finger food burgers!

Better Burgers

Ingredients

3 Tb Olive oil
1 Medium red onion
1lb Lean ground beef
1 cup dried green lentils, cooked until very very soft
1 Large garlic clove
2 Tb Fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tsp Ketchup
1 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp Fresh ground pepper
6 burger buns, whole wheat

Directions

 Preheat the broiler to high with the rack about 6in from the heat element.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 7 min. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked lentils, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire,ketchup, salt and pepper. Stri in the cooked onion.

Form 6 patties, about 4in in diameter and 1in thick, and place them on a foil-line baking sheet.

Broil the burgers until they reach the desired doneness, about 5min per side for medium.

Top with sliced avocado, sliced onion, sliced tomato, butter lettuce, cheese and any condiments of your choice.

Baked Rosemary Fries

Ingredients

4 Large Russett Potatoes
3 Tb Olive oil
2 Large Garlic Cloves
1 Tsp Minced rosemary
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub and wash the potatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half into thirds. For really large potatoes you may need to cut into fourths.

Lay potatoes onto a baking sheet and combine all ingredients together. Make sure you lay the potatoes cut side down.

Bake for 25-30 min then flip and bake for another 20 min.

Asparagus Parmesan Soup

Being 30 weeks pregnant I have been craving lots of green foods. I know, a little out of the norm! Anyways, the two main green foods have been artichoke and asparagus. I recently bought bulk of asparagus since it was on sale so I thought why not make an asparagus soup!! I used a combination of recipes to come up with this fantastic soup! First prepare the leeks by cutting them lengthwise and then in half moons. I put these into a colander and into a bowl with water and wash them very well.  All you need to do is swish swish a few times and all of the dirt falls into the bottom of the bowl.

Next cut the tips off the asparagus and then cut the asparagus stalks in 1/2 in pieces.

Melt 1 1/2 Tb butter in a large pot and added the asparagus tips. Cook them for around 2 min on med-high heat then set them aside. Lower the temp to med-low and melt another 1 1 /2 Tb butter and add the asparagus stalks and leeks. Cook those, stirring occasionally, for about 10 min or until the veggies are softened.  Turn heat up once again to med-high heat add the chicken broth, bring that to a boil then lower the heat to med-low and let it simmer for around 5min. In a separate saute pan saute 2 shallot and 3 cloves garlic with a TB of Olive oil for about 5 min and transfer it into the soup. Add the peas and the parmesan cheese then use an immersion blender to thoroughly blend the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender you can blend the soup in batches in a blender. Finally  add the lemon, the heavy cream, the asparagus tips and salt and pepper. When your ready to spoon the soup into the bowls sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and garnish with one asparagus tip.

Asparagus Parmesan Soup Adapted from Emeril Lagasse & Cook's Country

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh asparagus, rinsed
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 minced shallot
• 2 small leeks, whites and light greens only, well rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
  

  Directions

  Trim the attractive top tips from the asparagus, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length. Cut the woody stem ends from each spear and reserve. Cut the remaining tender stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.
  
  
  In a medium pot, melt 1 1/2 Tb butter in a large pot and added the asparagus tips. Cook them for around 2 min on med-high heat then set them aside. Lower the temp to med-low and melt another 1 1 /2 Tb butter and add the asparagus stalks and leeks cook for 10 min or until the vegetables are softened. Turn heat up once again to med-high heat add the chicken broth, bring that to a boil then lower the heat to med-low and let it simmer for around 5min. Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. 
  
  
  In a medium saute pot, melt 1 Tb Olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.Transfer into the soup pot.
  
  
  With a hand-immersion blender or in batches in a blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add the lemon, the heavy cream, the asparagus tips and salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Macadamia Nut Chicken & Mango-Pineapple Relish with a Mache, Cherry & Gorgonzola Salad

We have had the most spectacular weather in Santa Barbara lately and it has put me in the mood for warm weather food. I love this recipe since it calls for a mango-pineapple relish as opposed to salsa. I think cooking the fruit really brings out the flavors and compliments the chicken wonderfully! I paired it with a Mache, Cherry and gorgonzola salad. It was the perfect combination!

Mache salad recipe follows after the Macadamia Chicken.

Macadamia Nut Chicken with Mango-Pineapple Relish
Adapted from Coastal Living
1/2 cup soy sauce
1-1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper
1 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped (take your time to chop these, you do not want large pieces)
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons butter

Relish:
1 cup mango or papaya, diced
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1/3 cup sugar

Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, fresh ginger, garlic and 1 Tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place in a large heavy-duty-zip-top plastic freezer bag.  Pour marinade over chicken; seal bag, turning to coat chicken.  Marinate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine mango, pineapple and sugar in a medium heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Combine macadamia nuts and panko in a shallow dish.  Place flour in a separate shallow dish; place eggs in another shallow dish.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove chicken from marinade.  Dredge chicken in flour, and dip in eggs, shaking off excess.  Dredge in crumb mixture.

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil and 1 Tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat until butter melts.  Cook two chicken breasts over medium heat for 2 minutes (do not burn); turn and cook 3 more minutes or until golden.  Transfer chicken to a lightly greased jellyroll pan.  Repeat procedure with remaining 2 Tablespoons oil and 1 Tablespoon butter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes or until chicken is done.  Serve with Mango-Pineapple relish.

Mache & dried Morello Cherries, with Walnuts, Gorgonzola Cheese & Sherry Vinaigrette

Salad:

4oz Mache or Mache Mix ( I used Mache Herb Mix)

handfull of Morello Cherries

4oz Gorgonzola Cheese or any other cheese you prefer

1/2 cup Walnuts 

Vinaigrette:

1Tb Sherry Vinegar

2Tsp finely chopped Shallot

4Tb extra virgin olive oil

Sea Salt & Fresh ground pepper

Baked Shrimp Scampi

This is a new favorite in our house!! This recipe is amazing! It has so many different yet complimentary flavors. My husband has designated this his all time favorite dish! It's so easy to prepare and only takes 12 minutes to cook. All you need is to add two side dishes to the Scampi to make a complete meal. GO MAKE IT!!

 Since the shrimp are already deveined and peeled there isn't much prep except to butterfly and marinade them. Next I mashed the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

After everything was well combined I arranged the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and made my way to the center of the dish and then poured any leftover marinade over the shrimp. Next I spread the butter mixture all over the tops of the shrimp and kept them in the fridge until I was ready to cook them.

 I made saffron jasmine rice and parmesan asparagus to go with the scampi and it complimented the dish perfectly! For the rice I used chicken broth instead of water and I mixed a teaspoon of melted butter with the saffron. It gave the rice a pretty yellow color instead of the typical white or brown color. The asparagus was really easy. I peeled them, this step is not necessary but I think it looks better if they are peeled,  coated them with olive oil and a teaspoon of garlic then sprinkled them with parmesan cheese and popped them in the oven with the shrimp. I cooked the shrimp and the asparagus at 425 degrees for around 10-12 minutes.

 

Baked Shrimp Scampi- Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
• Lemon wedges, for serving
  
  
  
  

  Directions

  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.
  In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.
  Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Leftover Chicken Mozzarella Sandwiches

A very yummy way to eat up your chicken leftovers without having the same exact meal the very next day is to make sandwiches. I used the leftover chicken and peppers from our dinner on Monday night to make basil mozzarella sandwiches! I was going to make my own sun dried tomato pesto sauce but I happened to be at our local organic grocery store, Lazy Acres, and saw they had their own fresh homemade sun dried tomato pesto sauce. Needless to say it cut back on a lot of time just using their delish pesto!



Chicken Mozzarella Sandwich:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) sun-dried tomato pesto
• 2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
• Chicken breast leftovers
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8-ounce) loaf ciabatta
• 6 large basil leaves
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) chopped part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup bell pepper leftovers
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Preparation

Combine pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring to blend.
Preheat broiler.

Cut ciabatta in half horizontally. Spread pesto mixture evenly over cut sides of bread. Arrange the chicken slices evenly over bottom half. Top chicken evenly with basil leaves, and sprinkle cheese over top. Place bottom half on baking sheet, and broil 3-5 minutes or until cheese melts. Pop the top of the ciabatta bread in the broiler for the last 2 minutes. Arrange bell pepper and tomato over cheese and cover with top half of bread. Cut in half and enjoy!

Poulet Basquaise

On Sunday Kyla and I went to the Farmers Market in Camino Real and found some amazing Tulips and Poppies. The yellow tulips, also called Washington Triumph Tulip, produces a bright yellow bloom with a stroke of bold red down the center of each petal. It's slightly hard to see since the yellow tulips aren't in full bloom but they are so beautiful and elegant! Both Bill and I love them so much we are going to order some bulbs to plant at the Holly Rd House.



We also love to do most of our food shopping at the Farmers Market. Kyla helped me pick out some veggies for this weeks dinners. Last night I made Poulet Basquaise, a french chicken dish. I have found cooking chicken breast with the bone in makes for more tender and juicy breasts.


Here's the recipe:

Poulet Basquaise

Adapted from the Les Halles cookbook by Anthony Bourdain with a few of my own addditions added.

1 whole chicken (I used 3 chicken breast halves with the bone in instead)
salt and black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (I used garlic olive oil that I got from Il fustino)
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves minced
2 red bell peppers, cut into fine julienne
2 green bell peppers, cut into fine julienne
1 onion, thinly sliced
20 ounces canned plum tomatoes
½ cup white wine
½ chicken broth ( I used low sodium)
½ cube chicken bouillon (I used the better then bouillon chicken base)
3 springs of flat parsley, finely chopped
2 cups brown sprouted rice ( I cooked my rice with low sodium chicken broth rather then water. It gives it much more flavor!!)

Season the chicken all over with the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil gets hot, add the butter. Once the butter has foamed and subsided, add the chicken, skin side down, and brown on that side only. Remove the chicken with tongs and set aside on a plate.

Add the peppers, garlic and the onion to the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for about ten minutes before adding the tomatoes. Now cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get up all of the goodness. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, then add the chicken broth and the bouillon cube.

Return the chicken to the pot, making sure to also add all of the juices from the plate where it’s been resting. Cover the pot and allow to cook on low for about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken to the serving platter.

Once the chicken is removed, increase to high heat and reduce the sauce for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately with the rice.

Mushroom Stuffed Sole with Parmesan polenta in a Mushroom sauce

9 out of 10 times when I cook fish I always cook Salmon. It's my husbands and my favorite fish! Tonight I went to the fish market and decided to cook something a little different. Since I'm not too familiar with Sole recipes I scoured the internet for a tantalizing dish and found an incredible light delish recipe. The stuffing for the fish is very simple and light, it definitely doesn't over power the fish since it's such a dainty fish. All that is really required for the stuffing is mushrooms, onions, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.



It's a pretty quick dish once assembled. I cooked the stuffing ahead of time and rolled the fish up stuck it in the fridge until my husband was on his way home from work. While the fish was cooking I made some fast instant polenta w/parmesan cheese and threw some broccolini in a pan...Viola 20 minutes later we had an amazing fish dinner! Sorry the picture isn't the best quality. I threw it together for the picture fast since we were both starving!


Here's the recipe:

Mushroom stuffed sole fillet with Parmesan polenta in a mushroom sauce
4-6 sole fillets
9 oz wild mushrooms, i used crimini
1 onion
1 tb chopped parsley
1 tb butter
1 tb flour
1 cup/250 ml milk
1/2 cup/125 ml dry white wine
pinch nutmeg
1/2 ts garlic powder

for the creamy polenta:
2 cups chicken broth
6 tb instant polenta
1/3 cup grated parmesan
salt, pepper

chop the onion and sweat it in a bit of olive oil over medium heat while you finely chop the mushrooms. add them to the pan and cook until all the juices are evaporated, about 15 minutes. (You can do this in advance.) Mix in the parsley and take it off the heat.
Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C. Meanwhile, wash and dry the fish. Salt and pepper the fillets. These you want about 1 1/2 inch wide, so split in half lengthwise if needed. reserve 2-3 tb of the mushrooms and equally divide the rest between the fish. spread all over the fillets, pressing gently to make it adhere, on the skin side if skin was not removed. roll up the fish, tail to head end, and put it in a baking dish as closely together as possible. pour the wine over it. cut a piece of parchment to fit the dish and cover all the fish. butter it and place it directly on the fish, so the butter sticks to the fillets. bake for about 15-25 minutes, depending on your oven check after 15.

To make the polenta, bring the stock to boil. decrease to a gentle simmer and slowly stream in the polenta. slowly. slowly. or you'll have lumps. stir for 5 minutes. add the parmesan. Take off the heat. stir and taste for salt and pepper. Keep warm.

When the fish is nearly ready, heat the remaining mushrooms in 1 tb butter. when it's melted add the flour and stir to blend. cook for a couple of minutes then stream in the milk, whisking continuously. add garlic powder and nutmeg. cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. now take the fish from the oven and strain 4 tb of the cooking juices in the mushroom sauce. add taste for salt. let it sit on very low heat while you plate the polenta and the fish. spoon sauce on top.

recipe adapted from http://www.deliaonline.com/home.

3 Cheese Garlic White Sopressata Pizza

Tonight I wanted to make something out of the norm for our family for dinner. One of my friends posted on her blog a cheesy flatbread that she made as an appetizer, thanks Marina, so that got me thinking! I decided to make, of my own creation, a yummy white pizza! Ok, so I didn't create the white sauce all on my own... I did seek a little assistance from the web. It turned out better then imagined! Here's the recipe:



3 Cheese Garlic White Sopressata Pizza

White Sauce (Adapted from American Pie)
Makes about 1 Cup, enough for a few pizzas actually

-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 Cup heavy cream
- 1/2 Teaspoon thyme (fresh would be best but I used dried)
- Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan or frying pan, heat up your oil and add your onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until they are softened (probably 5 minutes). Add the cream and lower the heat to low. Stir for another 3-5 minutes until the mixture is thick and reduces a bit. Take it off the heat and then add your thyme and taste for salt and pepper. Let this cool completely before using.

Pizza Toppings

-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
-6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then coarsely chopped
-1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
-3oz Chopped Italian Sopressata (Optional)
-1/2 grated zucchini
-1/4 lemon juice
-I large clove garlic
- 3 Tb Garlic olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 refrigerated pizza dough ( I got mine from Trader Joe's)
- Salt and pepper

Roll out pizza dough on lightly floured work surface to make a square. Preferably use a pizza stone but a baking sheet with parchment paper will work fine too. Transfer dough to prepared pan, brush lightly with some garlic oil. Put the grated zucchini into a small mixing bowl, toss it with the lemon juice lemon and drizzled olive oil. Crush one gigantic garlic clove through a garlic press and mix that into the zucchini mixture add salt and pepper to taste. Let it sit. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and crumbled ricotta over the pizza dough leaving a ½ inch plain border. Sprinkle the zucchini mixture on top of the cheese and lastly add the Sopressata. Season the pizza with some salt and pepper then bake it 15-20 minutes at 400F until cheese is melted and pizza crust is a golden brown.

Cut pizza crosswise into 4 strips, then cut each crosswise into 2 pieces for 12 pieces total.