Halibut en Papillote – 2 Ways
Now that Hurricane Sandy has passed us without incident, I can catch up on posting! Thanks to everyone for praying and thinking about us out here on the East Coast.
I have been trying to expand my repertoire of fish dishes beyond just salmon and discovered a really easy way to cook halibut. Wrapping it in parchment paper with with various other ingredients and baking it leaves it moist, flaky, and flavorful. Plus the presentation is really cool!
One combination that I really liked was lemon, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, olive oil, and basil. I made this right at the end of summer with super sweet cherry tomatoes - look at those colors!
Steak Pinwheels and Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta, and Raisins
I always see these beautiful steak pinwheels at the grocery store and was wondering if I could make them myself. It turns out that it isn't that easy - but stuffed with boursin cheese, spinach, and artichokes these sure are tasty! I paired them with a pasta using up the last of a big batch of homemade ricotta, spinach, and golden raisins.
Weeknight Salmon
Here's a fun and easy salmon dish for when you are pressed for time - Crispy Salmon with Creamy Basil Pasta.
Brush salmon with coconut oil, season with salt and pepper, and broil for 5 min per side on a rack. Serve on top of whole wheat spaghetti with a creamy basil sauce.
For a lighter side (I paired it with my Panko Salmon), make "noodles" out of zucchini in a yogurt sauce.
To make the zucchini noodles, use a julienne peeler or mandoline to make thin strips. Toss with salt and allow the water to drain out.
Then toss with a creamy lemon-chive dressing made with Greek yogurt.
Food ‘n Flix – It’s Complicated
After missing a few months, I am finally back for the September Food 'n Flix movie, hosted by France at Beyond the Peel. The movie for this month was It's Complicated, starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. Streep and Baldwin play a couple that have been divorced for over a decade but fall into an affair with each other after their youngest leaves for college - despite Baldwin being remarried and his cheating being the reason for their divorce in the first place. Martin plays a new love interest for Streep who she could really hit it off with - if her affair with her ex wasn't always getting in the way!
In the film, Streep owns a bakery and is an amazing home cook (her food being one of the things Baldwin misses most about her). I was inspired by her gorgeous vegetable garden and her pastry skills to try a new version of my Squash Galette.
Light and Fresh – Summer Food
The last time I posted a recipe for you was over a month ago! Oh my goodness! You have my deepest apologies, dear readers, and to make it up to you I will post not 1, not 2, but 3 delicious summer recipes for you!
Let's start with this gorgeous zucchini tart from Closet Cooking (which is a blog that I highly recommend). Puff pastry is topped with a mixture of ricotta, feta, lemon, fresh herbs, and an egg along with thinly sliced zucchini and baked to puffy, golden perfection. Served on its own or with a side salad, this is the perfect summer lunch.
Next up, take advantage of those juicy summer tomatoes in a slightly different take on a fresh tomato pasta with a Roasted Tomato Sauce.
Strawberry Balsamic Sorbet and Jam
The end of strawberry season was drawing near and I wanted to relish those last moments. So I decided to make a juicy and complex sorbet with strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and basil.
Spring Orzo Dishes
I was looking for a light (but filling) Spring side dish and stumbled upon this recipe for a Zucchini and Orzo Salad with Feta - perfect! It was so delicious and refreshing that I ended up eating it by itself for lunch instead of pairing it with salmon like I had intended.
But I did still need a side for the salmon, and I had extra orzo and some Mascarpone that I needed to use up. So I made this Creamy Mascarpone Pasta with Peas and Chives - yum!
Food and Flix – Big Night
Last week, I stumbled upon this really cool concept blog called Food 'n Flix that invites bloggers to watch a movie, make a dish inspired by the movie, then blog about it. This month, the movie is Big Night (hosted by Spabettie) starring Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub as two hilarious Italian brothers that own a restaurant together. In order to save the restaurant from bankruptcy, they risk everything they have on one extravagant dinner to impress a celebrity singer.
I loved the movie, it was cute and funny and well acted, and it made me SO HUNGRY. It inspired me to make a Tricolore Lasagna in the colors of the Italian flag (green, white, and red).
Easter Dinner
We didn't really do anything for Easter this year, and I didn't want to let it pass without a little bit of celebration - so I made some adorable little egg dishes in honor of the holiday.
Spring Quiche
Spring vegetables are delicate and fresh and I think that one of the best ways to utilize them is in a quiche. Fluffy eggs, creamy cheese, and flaky buttery crust - what's not to love? I used spinach and leeks this time, but zucchini and asparagus work great too!