What’s nice here is one oven temperature! It makes it easy to plan and cook all at one time. I hate it when stuff has different temperatures.

Okay, actually, the original recipes here (from epicurious.com) had different temperatures at first. Bastards! It was 450 for the fish and 375 for the veggies. I just made everything 425 degrees F and adjusted the cooking time. It worked quite well!

If making these together, preheat the oven and put the carrots and fennel in the oven about 30 minutes before the fish. I had the veggie baking dish on the upper rack for the first 30 minutes, then I moved it down to a lower rack and put the fish in on the upper rack.

Walnut Roasted Halibut
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 8-ounce halibut fillets (each about 1 inch thick)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Mix walnuts, panko, and parsley in a bowl and transfer to a plate.

Brush each fish fillet with the dijon mustard; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge fish pieces in the walnut coating (on the mustard-side. Place fish on prepared baking sheet.

Roast fish until just opaque in center, about 12 minutes. If crisper topping desired, preheat broiler and broil fish about 1 minute at the end of cooking time, watching carefully to prevent burning.

Transfer fish to plates; garnish with lemon wedges. On the side we also had some leftover basil pesto.

Roasted Carrots & Fennel with Parmesan
3/4 pound baby carrots (cut in half if they are super big)
1 medium fennel bulb, stalks discarded and bulbs cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 of a medium red onion, sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the carrots, fennel, onion, and cheese with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread out onto a glass baking dish big enough to hold everything in one layer.

Bake until vegetables are tender and starting to get all golden and crunchy looking, about 35-40 minutes.

I’m so sad, my next post will be for the LAST Weekend Cookbook Challenge! Sara extended the date (to March 15th), so if you haven’t already, go make something and join in! The theme is Love, so go show WCC some well-deserved love!

There aren’t a ton of pictures here but I think you’ll get the idea! Cook broccoli in broth, add stuff and blend. Add more stuff. Call it a night!

I made this for a soup exchange at work. It’s a combination of a couple of different soups - a creamy broccoli-marscapone and Italian Wedding Soup. The chicken sausage meatballs could probably be optional, but I made some here because I sometimes can’t resist making little meatballs out of sausage and putting them in things .

I used one pound of sausage for 5 quarts of soup, so the meatballs were really more like a garnish. Each bowl will probably only get 4 or so of the half-the-size-of-golf-balls, meatballs. But they are really flavorful (as is the soup on its own), so I think that’s okay!

Broccoli Wedding Soup
Base broccoli soup recipe adapted from one by Michael Chiarello
makes about 2.5 quarts
1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + 2 more for the meatballs
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced white or yellow onion
1 leek, cleaned and sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
4 oz marscapone (Italian cream cheese)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3/4 cup acini de pepe (or other small pasta)
1/2 lb uncooked chicken sausage (if you use cased sausage, just remove it from the cases) — you can also use sausage with some stuff in it for even more flavor! Mine had sundried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese…
1 egg
1/2 - 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cut the broccoli florets into small bunches.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook until light brown. Add the onion and leek, lower the heat to medium, and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables slowly until tender, about 10 minutes. Regulate the heat so the vegetables cook without taking on much color.

Add the dried thyme and stir. Add the broccoli, wine and stock and bring to a boil. Cook until the broccoli is very tender, about 5-7 minutes (depending on the size of your florets).

Puree the soup in a blender in small batches. Add some of the spinach and marscapone to each batch and then puree it. Return to the pot and keep just below a simmer.

Make the meatballs & Cook the Pasta!

Add sausage and egg to a bowl, combine with the cheese and then add enough breadcrumbs to create a wet but moldable mix. Form meatballs using about a tablespoon or so of mix.

Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown meatballs on all sides and then remove from the skillet.

They are so small, they should be pretty much done after browning. Add to the pot of soup to finish cooking.

Next, cook the pasta in some boiling, salted water. When al dente, drain and add to the soup as well. I let mine all hang out under low heat for another 10 minutes or so, just to join all the flavors together and whatnot. Add a squirt or two of lemon juice and taste to adjust seasonings.

Ladle up and eat!

—

My Birthday and Sel Gris

Getting ready self-portrait

Jwa took me to Sel Gris for my birthday dinner. I really enjoyed it. Best. Calamari. Ever.

Too dark picture, but damn! So good!

Salt & Pepper Calamari
lightly fried and sautéed calamari, scallions, preserved
lemon, leeks, Thai basil, chilies, housemade nuoc cham

We had a great meal. I want to go back soon, try to sit at the bar, have a Sel Gris Chien and a whole plate of calamari, while I watch them cook…

I have always been a little intimidated by biscotti-making — I think the double baking, mostly. I finally gave it a try last weekend and was very pleased with the results. I did notice that after the first baking, my biscotti were quite spread out. That concerned me a little but when I sliced them to bake again, they were just fine.

I added orange zest to the original recipe but otherwise followed it exactly!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscotti
Recipe from the book, Biscotti, by Lou Seibert Pappas
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Amaretto
1 tsp orange zest
2 cups plus 2 tbsp AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups macadamia nuts
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Using either a stand or hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, orange zest, and Amaretto liqueur. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mixing until blended.

Fold in nuts and chocolate chips. Divide dough in half. On a greased and floured baking sheet pat out into two logs about 1/2-inch high, 1 1/2-inches wide and 14-inches long, spacing them at least 2-inches apart. I didn’t actually get out a ruler and measure here, but I think mine were about this size. I would space them a little more than 2 inches apart next time, though.

Bake in the middle of a preheated 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Transfer from baking sheet to rack. Let cool for 5 minutes. Place on a cutting board. With a serrated knife slice about 1/2-inch thick.

Place slices upright on the baking sheet and return to the oven for about 8-10 minutes longer to dry slightly. Let cool on rack.

Store in a tightly covered container.

Well, it looks like it is still Winter. Make a big pot of this and snuggle under a blanket or something!

Red Lentil Soup with Garam Masala
Adapted from the Spice House
2-1/2 cups dried red lentils (about one pound)
2 medium onions, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder,
1 1/2 tsp coriander seed, ground
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin seed, ground
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne chile pepper
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
6 cups lamb or chicken stock (or vegetable broth would work too)
2 cups water
Optional garnishes: yogurt and cilantro leaves

Rinse and drain lentils in a fine mesh colander.

Cook onions and garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and spices and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 more minutes.

Stir in lentils, stock and water and simmer until lentils fall apart, about 30-40 minutes. (Old lentils may take longer to cook.)

Let soup cool slightly. I cook my lentils until they really fall apart, but if you want a smoother soup, let cool a few minutes and puree in a blender/use a stick blender and reheat before serving.

Garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and fresh cilantro leaves.

The Unrelated Saga of Dr. Ladybug
About a month ago I found a ladybug in some thai basil I bought at HMart. I took it outside and let it go. Afterward I told jwa about how I rescued a ladybug and he was all, “Oh…it’s too cold. It’ll die.” I hurried outside and brought it back inside and fashioned out a swanky ladybug pad with a tupperware container and some plant leaves.

We named her/him Dr. Ladybug (after Dr. Girlfriend — kind of fitting), but s/he also answers to Dr. Mrs The Ladybug. Apparently, ladybugs will eat moistened raisins and like damp paper towels for water, for The Google told me so. We’ll release her next month or so when it’s warm enough outside.

Holy crap! Look at the pillow I just made. I can’t believe it mostly turned out. I even finished it early in class tonight. I only messed up one little part of my satin stitch — it got a little puckery. But just in one small spot. The rest looks nice.

It was pieced together with ten pieces on the front and two pieces on the back. It even has a zipper back there. Hooray!

If that wasn’t enough excitement for one night, I also finished making the cupcakes to bring into a work party tomorrow. They are Strawberry Marscapone Cupcakes. I was very skeptical of using a box of mix in this recipe, but it really works. I was kind of a cake snob (okay, fine, I still am) but I cannot recommend this recipe enough if you need a bunch of tasty cupcakes relatively quickly. I was really impressed with the end result — so was jwa and he’s even more cake snobby than I am!

This makes around 20-ish cupcakes and they are very soft, delicate and delicious.

Sorry! No pictures of the making. Just the finished product…

Strawberry Marscapone Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
8 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup), softened
2 egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 box white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
juice of 1 orange + water to make 1 cup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange zest, finely grated
1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
2 tbsp strawberry jam
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Optional: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites, vanilla, orange zest, and vegetable oil. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the cake mix and orange juice + water and mix until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Fill the cupcake cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the tin then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.

Meanwhile, puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and jam and whisk until smooth. You may want to do this with a mixer — it’s easier. Top the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry glaze. Let the cupcakes sit for a few minutes for the glaze to firm up, then serve.

If you want to make little chocolate toppers, melt the chocolate in the microwave (using 30 second hits) and then throw in a few more chocolate chips (6-8) and stir to melt to temper. Drizzle the chocolate out into shapes on parchment paper that is on a cookie sheet. Let firm up for a few minutes in the freezer. Peel the hardened chocolate off the paper and press down, standing up, onto the cupcakes.

The nice thing about the chocolate pieces is that it keeps plastic wrap from sticking to the frosting. It firms up a bit, but it’s still not a good idea to stick wrapping right down on the frosting.