(This post was written a week or so ago and I’ve set it up to post while we’re en route to Australia. At least you’ll get this one recipe during the next many weeks we’re traveling.) Recently I bought a new batch of frozen meat and fish from our home-delivery meat guy. This time he had boxes of orange roughy, a fish I haven’t seen much lately. I’ve always liked orange roughy, and I’ve read that through conservation fishing methods at least it’s still available – some. It’s a deep water fish in the perch family. Anyway, I gladly bought a box. It was easy to figure out what to do with it – I opened up Phillis Carey’s cookbook and found just the ticket. Quick and easy, and full of taste, even if I had to alter the recipe a little bit.
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Posted in Appetizers, easy, on October 16th, 2010.
Oh my goodness, is this stuff ever good. It made my taste buds sing! And isn’t the color just beautiful?
If you’re not a hummus fan, this may change your mind since it contains no garbanzo beans. If you are a hummus fan, making it with green peas will just enhance your experience. To my mind, the tahini (sesame seed paste) is what makes this dish. It gives it oodles of flavor. The lemon juice also helps, and I love cumin, so I added a bit more than this Cooking Light recipe suggested. The original is available online.
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/foodprocessor.png)
The recipe indicated cooking the peas. Why, I said? Not necessary since it would be pureed. So I used them straight out of the bag (but defrosted). There’s some garlic in it, some Italian parsley and some olive oil. I added more oil than the original recipe because once it was whizzed up in the food processor it was a bit too dry – it threw a good part of it up on the sides and it didn’t puree well enough. A little more oil (about a tablespoon) in the bowl fixed that problem. Let it mellow for an hour or two (or it can be served immediately). Serve with some kind of soft Middle Eastern bread. We had sangak bread to serve alongside (you can see a few torn pieces on the right of the bowl in the photo up at the top).
One other thing – this appetizer is a CINCH to make. Talk about easy. It took about 6 or 7 minutes to make. Really. Once whizzed up, I scraped it out into a serving bowl, sprinkled it with zahtar (I didn’t have any sumac on hand), covered it with plastic wrap and zipped it out when guests arrived. I really liked this – the flavors just burst in your mouth. Do try it.
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Green Pea Hummus
Recipe By: Adapted from a Cooking Light recipe
Serving Size: 6
NOTES: Not every kitchen has sumac (it is available by mail order). You can substitute zahtar (a combination of sesame seeds, sumac and other spices) if that’s available. In a pinch you could substitute smoky paprika, although it wouldn’t be the same.
2 cups frozen green peas
1/2 cup Italian parsley — chopped
3 tablespoons tahini — (sesame-seed paste)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole garlic clove — chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil — or lemon flavored oil if you have it
1/4 teaspoon sumac — or zahtar
1. Cook peas in boiling water 3 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain.
2, Place peas and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor, and process until smooth. Spoon pea mixture into a small serving bowl; chill. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with sumac just before serving.
Per Serving: 107 Calories; 7g Fat (52.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 244mg Sodium.
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/halibut2.png)
Reaching my fork right into the screen here and grabbing a bit of that nice, crispy browned topping sounds so good right now. This fish dish was so easy. And so delicious. Of course, you do need to like halibut (although I’m sure it would work well with other kinds of firm-fleshed fish).
The fish is broiled (remember when that’s about all we DID with fish?). Down low in the oven. Actually at least 10 inches from the element – gives it time to cook through and slowly brown and get crispy on top. That’s about the only way you could broil this – low and slow.
First you prepare the pan (a broiler pan – rack – over a pan), oil it so the fish won’t stick too badly. Put a piece of foil underneath too to catch the drips (easier cleanup). Then you mix up some oil, fresh garlic, mayo and some rinsed and chopped capers. And a bit of lemon zest. Slather that on top of the fish and broil for 9-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish and the distance from the heat (remember, 10 inches). Serve with rice and lemon wedges. Easy. If you don’t like capers, you can substitute Dijon mustard.
Halibut with Lemon Aioli and Capers
Recipe By: From a cooking class with Phillis Carey, 2010
Serving Size: 4
NOTES: Moving the oven rack to the right position is vital to this recipe. Use a ruler!
24 ounces halibut fillets — (about 6 ounces each, 1-inch thick)
Salt and white pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic — minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise — Best Foods (Hellman’s) or home made
1 tablespoon capers — rinsed, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Lemon wedges for each serving
1. Preheat broiler (on high). Place the oven rack low enough that the fish will be 10 inches from the broiler element. Oil the broiler pan (rack) and place foil underneath the rack to catch drips. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and place fish on rack.
2. In a small bowl whisk garlic and oil together in a small bowl. Whisk in the mayonnaise, capers and lemon zest. Spread it over the fish, covering all the top as best you can. Broil the fish until it’s just cooked through and browned nicely on top, about 9-12 minutes. Watch carefully. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the fish.
Per Serving: 382 Calories; 26g Fat (61.7% calories from fat); 36g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 61mg Cholesterol; 216mg Sodium.
A year ago: Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta
Two years ago: Chorizo and Eggs
Three years ago: Pizza with Chicken, Red Onion and Olives
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/stoup.png)
Really, I thought I’d posted this recipe ages ago. I’ve had it for years. Have made it a few times. It’s incredibly easy. You can make it in less than 30 minutes. Which is probably why it was one of Rachel Ray’s recipes, although I got it at a cooking class some years ago. It was credited to Rachel, but I could not find this recipe anywhere online, so perhaps the cooking instructor had changed it a bit. Or perhaps it’s in one of Rachel’s cookbooks and not available online.
What’s a stoup, you ask? Something in between stew and soup. A thicker soup than a traditional soup. But not quite as thick as a stew. And I think Rachel Ray coined the word stoup. What makes this one thicker is the addition of 8 ounces of cream cheese. It could be made with ground turkey, I suppose (I use ground beef). And you can use any kind of pasta, really. I used egg noodles this time just because they were the handiest to reach in my pantry. You could use elbow macaroni, or penne, or bowtie pasta. It would be best to use some kind of short pasta – not long noodle type. Just keep that in mind.
First you cook up the ground meat, add garlic, then stock, Italian seasonings, then you add canned kidney beans (or any kind of beans would do – it’s just that the dark kidneys look good against the creamy backdrop of the soup) and canned, chopped tomatoes. Lastly you add in the pasta and cook just until al dente and add the cream cheese. It melts quickly enough if you stir it gently. Serve and sprinkle with fresh basil. Done. Now, wasn’t that easy? It’s all made in one pot. Great for a fall cool evening, I think. It’s almost soup weather around here.
Beef with Cheesy Macaroni Stoup
Serving Size: 8
12 ounces extra lean ground beef
2 whole garlic clove — minced
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup macaroni — like penne, bowtie, short egg noodles or elbow
16 ounces tomatoes, low sodium — canned, chopped
16 ounces kidney beans — canned, drained
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil — for garnish
1. In a large saucepan cook the ground beef over medium heat until it loses all of its pink color. Add minced garlic toward the end. Drain the beef in a strainer or colander, then transfer to a large plate lined with 3 layers of paper towels. Blot the beef with additional paper towels. Return beef to the saucepan.
2. Add broth and all the seasonings (except basil). Cover and bring to a boil, then stir in the pasta. Return to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until the macaroni is al dente – just barely done, about 8 minutes (depending on the type of pasta, of course). Stir in the tomatoes and kidney beans, and return to a boil. Add the cream cheese, cut up into chunks and allow to melt. Serve immediately with a garnish of thin slices of basil.
Per Serving: 456 Calories; 18g Fat (35.4% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 15g Dietary Fiber; 60mg Cholesterol; 796mg Sodium.
A year ago: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting
Three years ago: Drop Biscuits
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/solecoconutcurrystew.png)
What to make for dinner? Seems like I wait until about 2:00 in the afternoon (assuming I don’t have something leftover or have planned something that needs to cook for awhile) to decide what we’re going to eat. This time I pulled out two pouches of (frozen) fillet of sole. Sure enough, I had a recipe that called for coconut milk (check – I’d used part of a can in another dish last week). Carrots (check). Fresh fennel (check). Fresh ginger (check). Cilantro (check). Even had kaffir lime leaves in the freezer (check). And garlic, shallots, Madras curry powder. The original recipe called for mahi-mahi, but I had sole instead. And the dish took no time at all to put together. I also had the Balinese yellow rice leftover from a few days ago. Hooray. Dinner in 30 minutes or less.
The recipe came from a 2007 article in Food and Wine magazine, all about Padma Lakshmi’s cooking. Padma is a model, an actress, and a cookbook author from India. The recipe here is straightforward and easy. If you like Indian flavors and have all the ingredients (you could probably use chicken instead of fish, or other types of fish for that matter), it takes a short time to get dinner on the table. It was really good. And very quick.
Coconut Curry Fish Stew with Carrots and Fennel
Recipe By: Adapted from Padma Lakshmi (in an old Food & Wine magazine)
Serving Size: 4
NOTES: Make Ahead: The coconut-curry broth can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Serve as a soup, or with some rice underneath. Padma always makes extra portions of this so she can reheat it the next day and eat it over noodles.
24 ounces mahi-mahi filets — or fillet of sole (4 large pieces)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice Salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 whole garlic cloves — peeled
2 large shallots — thinly sliced (1 cup)
4 small red chili flakes — (dried)
6 whole fresh curry leaves — (optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 whole kaffir lime leaves — (optional)
1/2 large fennel bulb — halved, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
2 cups carrots — cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon Madras curry powder
15 fluid ounces coconut milk — unsweetened
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cilantro — chopped, for garnish
1/2 cup green beans — chopped in 1-inch pieces (optional)
1. Put the mahi-mahi fillets in a large, shallow dish. Pour the lemon juice over the fish and season lightly with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a very large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the garlic cloves and cook over moderately high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chiles and curry leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and lime leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Add the fennel, carrots and curry powder and season lightly with salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the green beans and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until the carrots and green beans are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the mahi-mahi and any accumulated juices to the casserole, nestling the fish into the stew. Cover and simmer over low heat, shifting the fish a few times, until it is just cooked, about 15 minutes (less time if using sole, as it’s much thinner). Transfer the fillets to a large, deep platter. Pour the sauce over and around the fish. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.
Per Serving: 605 Calories; 43g Fat (62.0% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 82mg Cholesterol; 299mg Sodium.
Posted in Appetizers, easy, on September 16th, 2010.
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/balsamicjelly.png)
Well, what can I tell you except this is really different. Truly, it is. And it may not appeal to some palates. I’m sure children wouldn’t like it. Our group of adults loved it. It’s so very unusual, which I like about it. Certainly not the run-of-the-mill appetizer.
Posted in Appetizers, easy, on July 27th, 2010.
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/cilantromintdip.png)
Oh my goodness, was this good. And it’s so simple! It took about 5 minutes (well, maybe 8 or 9) to make it in the food processor – I did have to crush and chop fresh garlic, and run out to my kitchen garden to harvest some fresh mint, and mince a jalapeno (I didn’t want anyone to get a big hunk of jalapeno in their mouths, so I minced it up really fine to begin with, not trusting the food processor to do it). But the rest of it went into the processor and I touched the pulse button for about 15-20 seconds and it was done. I poured it out into a serving bowl, covered it with plastic wrap and pulled it out before serving.
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/cilantromintdipworkbowl.png)
The herbs absolutely make this. Since I love fresh cilantro any day, any time, and I’m in love with fresh mint these days, the combo of both herbs was a perfect marriage for me. The sour cream is nothing more than a neutral palate (like a piece of toasted bread is to a bit of jam) to mix with the herbs. Using light sour cream likely made no difference to the taste.
You could serve this with little baguette slices (toasted would be best), or the recipe suggested pappadums (an Indian fried bread) or some kind of crisp flatbread. I opted to serve it with some fresh sangak bread. People could tear off a piece of the thin, soft and chewy bread and spoon a bit onto it. My DH made a special trip to Wholesome Choice just to pick up a fresh flat of this delicious bread.
Cilantro Mint Dip
Recipe By: From Gourmet magazine, 8/2007
Serving Size: 8
1 cup light sour cream
2 cups cilantro — use a packed measure
2/3 cup fresh mint — use a packed measure
1 tablespoon green onion — chopped
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper — seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger — peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1. Place all ingredients into blender (or food processor).
2. Puree until the mixture is evenly green with just tiny flecks of the herbs. Pour out into a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Serve with crackers, pita chips, a flatbread, or Indian pappadums. Or, if you have a source for Iranian sangak bread, use that.
Per Serving: 34 Calories; 1g Fat (21.1% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 25mg Sodium.
A year ago: Cherries (everything you’d ever want to know about them)
Two years ago: KFC coleslaw (no, it’s not their recipe, and nowhere near as good as theirs)
Three years ago: Grilled Salmon on Watercress Salad (one of our family favorites)
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_2671.png)
Did you ever taste something – way back in your youth – and you never knew how to make it? And you’ve still not found out? Even though you’re a foodie? And you cook a lot? And you read a lot of cookbooks? And you know how to do internet searches? And you’ve still not found the recipe? That’s what this post is all about.
Posted in Appetizers, easy, on July 23rd, 2010.
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/baconcherrytomatodip.png)
A couple of weeks ago we invited a long-time friend over, who brought her new BF to meet us. Donna brought along not only Mark, but a delicious appetizer too. This stuff is scrumptious. It’s the cream cheese that makes it, I think. Well, and the bacon. And there isn’t anything in it that’s healthy, but if you want an easy and really tasty dip that you can make a few hours ahead (in fact it should be made a couple of hours ahead of time), this is it.
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/donnanmark.png)
Donna said she found the recipe on the internet somewhere. Ah, I found it at about.com. That site that offers lots of information. Kind of like Wikipedia, but it’s different. And they have some recipes too.
Anyway, you just mix up cream cheese and mayo, then add in the cooked and crumbled bacon, Parmigiano-Reggiano grated, a dash of garlic powder, some green onions, then gently stir in some chopped cherry tomatoes. It gets refrigerated for a couple of hours and you’re ready to go.
We really enjoyed Mark – he’s a keeper, as they say in dating circles. So is she, for that matter! Donna was one of the first employees I hired at the first ad agency I worked for. This was back, oh, 1977, I’m guessing. She only worked for me for a year, then she got pregnant and quit. But we stayed friends, through many jobs for her, through her divorce. That’s what being girlfriends is all about. Donna is a sweetheart and I love her to pieces. She’s a grade school teacher now. She e-mailed the recipe and said it was okay to share it on my blog. This, too, is a keeper.
Bacon Cherry Tomato Dip
Recipe By: From my friend Donna, who found it at about.com
Serving Size: 8
8 slices bacon — cooked, crumbled
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese — grated
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup green onion — minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes — chopped
1. Combine the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a bowl. Mix well, until it’s thoroughly combined.
2. Add the Parmigiano, garlic powder, bacon and green onion. Stir to combine, then gently stir in the cherry tomatoes.
3. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours. Serve with breadsticks, crackers or toasted French bread (the best).
Per Serving: 262 Calories; 26g Fat (87.2% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 358mg Sodium.
Three years ago: Citrus Gazpacho
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/choccroissantpudding.png)
At a restaurant near us, they offer an absolutely luscious little tart – a single serving tart with a flaky crust, a chocolate pudding interior (rich, likely made with heavy cream and dark chocolate), fresh bananas, then topped with real whipped cream. The first time I had it, I really thought I’d died and gone to heaven. It’s just off the charts delicious. I haven’t had it in a couple of years – but I crave it now and then. I just don’t indulge my craving. But I think the flavors that are in that tart are mostly in this dessert. That’s probably why I saved the recipe.
It’s been a couple of years ago that I read Haalo’s recipe for this dessert. And I tucked it away in my to-try file. It just sounded right for the gathering of friends we had over the other day. We didn’t want much quantity of dessert, but I wanted chocolate! My DH went grocery shopping for me. Had I been there I’d have known the croissants he chose (from a local bakery – they’re delicious – but they’re very small) would not be enough. I didn’t want him to make another trip, so I made do with 4 small croissants.
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Picnikcollage7.png)
![](https://tastingspoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/choccroisspuddingpiece.png)
You can see that I didn’t quite have enough croissants, or filling. Haalo made hers in a round cake pan, so perhaps I’ll try that next time. Push any banana pieces down into the custard (they get kind of hard if they float to the top). The dish is baked for 30-40 minutes – about. Look to see if the center of the custard is still jiggly – if so, add another minute or two until it’s barely firm. Cool, then cut into squares (or spoon scoops if you use the round pan) and serve. I served 11 people (small portions) from this little dish. Delicious. And decadent. But so very tasty!
Banana & Dark Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Recipe By: Adapted slightly from Cook Almost Anything Once blog
Serving Size: 9
NOTES: If the croissants are large, 3 are enough. If they’re small, you’ll need at least 4, maybe 5. If you want to be really decadent, add a little dollop of sweetened whipped cream to the top.
4 whole croissants — stale
2 tablespoons butter — softened
1 whole banana — halved lengthwise and sliced
6 ounces dark chocolate
2 whole eggs
2/3 cup cream
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1. If you buy large croissants, you’ll be able to slice them into 4 thin slices. If they’re smaller ones, maybe 3. If they’re really small, you may only be able to slice them in half. You want enough croissant slices to cover an 8×8 pan in at least 2 layers, preferably 3. So use that as your guide when you buy the croissants. Lightly butter each of these slices.
2. In a 9×9 pan (or a high-sided round cake pan) place the first layer, using the bottom and top pieces of croissant, reserving the internal slices for the top layer.
3. Scatter half the banana slices and dark chocolate chunks all over the croissants.
4. Add another layer of croissants, then repeat with the remaining bananas and chocolate. Top with a layer of buttered croissant.
5. Whisk the eggs, cream, milk and sugar until just combined and pour all over the croissants, moistening everything well. Push any bananas down into the liquid (exposed bananas will get hard).
6. Sprinkle top with a little extra sugar.
7. Place the baking dish onto a baking tray and bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven until golden and puffed, around 30 – 45 minutes. [Mine took about 42 minutes.]
Per Serving: 320 Calories; 20g Fat (53.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 89mg Cholesterol; 248mg Sodium.
A year ago: Brown Sugar Berry Shortcakes
Two years ago: A San Francisco weekend with my daughter
Three years ago: Butternut Squash Soup with Jalapeno and Ginger
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