Category: Main Dish

Posted on » by Dana & Nancy » Theme:

Fish Cakes with Herbs and Chiles

**Please note, Dana made the chipotle mayo, which I didn’t include the recipe for.

Fish Cakes with Herbs and Chiles
Recipe from The New York Times

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, more for frying
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 pound firm white fish fillets, such as hake, black sea bass or flounder
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons roughly chopped basil
1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
Pinch cayenne
Finely grated zest of 1 small lime
⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup all-purpose flour

Directions:
1.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until golden brown at the edges, about 2 minutes.

2.  Season fish with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper, add to pan and let cook for 1 minute. Add vermouth and 2 tablespoons water. Turn heat to low, cover and cook until fish is just barely cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Move fish to a plate, keeping any liquid and garlic in skillet.

3.    In the same skillet over high heat, add potatoes, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and water to just cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

4.   Flake fish. Drain potatoes and garlic, and place in a large bowl. Roughly mash potatoes and garlic, then add flaked fish, eggs, cilantro, basil, scallion, chile, cayenne, lime zest and panko, and combine. Season with salt if needed. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

5.   Place flour on a plate. Form generous 1/4 cup fish patties about 1/2 inch thick. Dip patties into flour to lightly coat each side.

6.  In a large, preferably nonstick skillet, heat 1/8 inch of olive oil over medium heat. Cook fish cakes until golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes each side, adding more oil as needed. Move to a paper-towel-lined plate.

7.  Serve fish cakes warm with sauce.

 

 

Posted on » by Dana & Nancy » Theme:

Roasted Vegetable Tortilla Stack

Roasted Vegetable Tortilla Stack
From blog The Three Cheeses

Servings:  6
Cooking time:  30 – 40 minutes prep, 30 – 40 minutes baking

*Note we did not use ground beef, but the dish can be made with it, so left it in as an “optional” ingredient

Ingredients:
1-2 packages of your choice of tortillas (you’ll probably need just less than 10 tortillas –  purchase tortillas that are the right size for the pan you will be using—springform works best, but a deep round casserole or ceramic dish works well too)
vegetables for roasting: eggplant,  sweet potato, zucchini, onion, mushrooms, bell peppers
1/2 small jar basil pesto
1 medium sized jar  tomato-based pasta sauce (or your own homemade)
about 2 cups grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese

optional: 1 lb cooked ground beef, 1 medium jar of creamy pasta sauce

Directions:

Slice your root vegetable(s) into thin pieces and microwave until they are soft the whole way through, but not mushy. (You can also roast them if you prefer, but microwaving them is a lot faster!). Slice up your softer vegetables (eggplant, onion, mushrooms, peppers/capsicums, zucchini, etc.) and toss lightly with oil and a few spices, such as basil, oregano, or rosemary, and roast for about 20 minutes in the oven, until softened but not mushy.

If you’re adding in ground beef, now’s the time to cook it. Cook just until you can no longer see any pink, and drain any excess fat or juices.

Once all of your vegetables are fairly pre-cooked, it’s time to start layering!  Grease your springform pan or casserole dish if they aren’t nonstick. Start by putting a tortilla down in the pan, and spread about 1-2 tsp tomato pesto evenly onto it. Arrange one kind of vegetable on it, then spoon 3-4 generous tbsp over top of either the tomato or cream sauce. Sprinkle a handful of cheese. Place another tortilla overtop, spread again with tomato pesto, and arrange with a different vegetable combination. I usually alternate my layers between plain yam/kumara with the tomato sauce and eggplant/mushroom/onion with the cream sauce. If you’re adding in meat, layer it with the tomato sauce. Alternate your tortilla and vegetable layers until you’ve filled your pan, finishing with a final tortilla with a little bit of pesto spread over the top, and a light sprinkling of cheese.

Cover your pan with tin foil, then bake at 350 F for 40 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the tin foil from the top in the final 5-10 minutes to let it go golden and crispy. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream.

 

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Penne Rigate with Spicy Braised Swordfish

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/penne-rigate-with-spicy-braised-swordfish

1 tablespoon salt­packed capers
3 tablespoons extra­virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 large jalapeños, thinly sliced
6 large anchovy fillets (I used 2 tbs fish sauce), minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
One 28­ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved
1/2 pound penne rigate (spinach)
1/2 pound skinless swordfish steak
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. In a bowl, cover the capers with warm water. Let stand for 20 minutes; drain.
2. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and jalapeños and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook, mashing, until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Add the white wine and simmer over moderately high heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain.
4. Season the fish with salt and pepper and add to the sauce along with the capers. Cover and cook over low heat, turning once, until the fish is just cooked through and can be flaked into large, moist pieces, about 8 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate. Season the anchovy sauce with salt and pepper. Add the penne to the sauce and simmer over low heat for 1 minute, stirring. Spoon the pasta and sauce into bowls and top with the flaked swordfish. Garnish with the basil and parsley and serve. SUGGESTED PAIRING Fruity Sicilian rosé.