Real Simple's "A Month of New Easy Dinners" (October 2013 issue): Seared Fish...

I've taken on the challenge--yes, challenge--of making a "month of new easy dinners" featured in Real Simple's October 2013 issue. Why a "challenge" you ask? Well, the likelihood that I will cook five times a week is slim to none, for starters. In fact, I know very well I won't. So, this means I'll be cooking "most" of the dinners, but I am going to try to plan according to the weekly menus they propose.

Already I've messed with Week One. I'm skipping the "Barbecue chicken sandwich with sautéed corn, edamame, and pickles" largely because a) I can't eat whole kernel corn and b) I'm trying to stay away from too many carbs (read: bread). So, that leaves for week one:

Seared Fish with Tomatoes and Garlicky Escarole
Lamb Chops and Parsnip Puree with Coriander Brown Butter
Crunchy Dinner Salad with Prosciutto, Apple and Hazelnuts
Cheese Ravioli with Kale Pesto and Roasted Carrots

So I began "Week One" yesterday with:

"Seared Fish with Tomatoes and Garlicky Escarole"

While the recipe will be available online next month, I won't violate copyright and will just give you the basics here:

tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, escarole, garlic, fish (I used cod), olive oil, s & p

Basically, you make a pseudo-checca sauce with braised escarole instead of basil. It is easy, healthy, and delicious. My biggest discovery is that I will absolutely need to either overcome my fear of Teflon or figure out the best way to keep fish (particularly cod, halibut, etc) from sticking in my favorite skillet (which, is not non-stick--so, it is "stick" I suppose). If you have tips or ideas--please leave them in the comments section.

Substitutions/Changes: I used SHALLOTS instead of red onion (of course)

Tip: Escarole, like spinach, kale, and other greens, really reduces to nothing when you sauté or braise it, so make sure you have plenty. The recipe calls for 10 cups of torn escarole--they mean it.

Save a little skillet angst, this was a wonderful recipe that I will make again! 4 STARS

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Winter Farmers Market: Sautéed Scallops and Herbed Rice

Somerville, MA is a great city. I love living here, and this year's new Winter Farmer's Market just added to my joy. It runs between now and March, and it has been inspiring to see people trudging out in the cold, ice and snow, to the Armory (yes, the market is inside). This past Saturday, I stocked up on locally grown leeks and potatoes, grabbed some hot Italian sausage from Stillman's , and then ventured upstairs to buy some FRESH FISH from Jordan Brothers Seafood. Yes, that's right: haddock from Gloucester, and scallops from Maine. Not frozen--fresh. When she showed me the scallops I might have cried, just a little. Oh, and I picked up a baguette, brioche, and potato bread. Scallops don't require a lot of fuss, but are easy to overcook. I pulled out my San Juan Classics Cookbook (San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest, not Puerto Rico) and went straight to the shellfish section where I found a recipe for "Sautéed Prawns or Scallops" from Thibert...

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Last month, my family came to visit. My father, who has recently been getting back in touch with his Sicilian roots, is a wonderful cook and I'll admit that I've always been a little daunted cooking for people who cook really well. At any rate, we decided to have a barbeque, invited a few close friends, and I cooked...for three days. This was certainly the most cooking in which I have ever engaged for a single event. Because the attendees to our barbeque ran the gamut of dietary concerns and preferences, I wanted variety. And variety there was. The menu (aside from the meat, which we left to my dad to grill): homemade roasted peppers Sicilian caramelized onions homemade pita chips tabbouleh Amish slaw Chorizo salad watermelon and fresh mint salad To keep this blog post short and sweet, I'll only blog two recipes (the ones that are hyperlinked have been blogged before). First, the pita chips. My dad wanted to help me in the kitchen (something toward which I am usuall...

Quinoa Pilaf with Artichokes, Leeks and Sugar Snap Peas

More Quinoa! This was healthy, easy, and, "a way I actually *like* quinoa" as reported by my husband. The recipe is here , and I made the following notes: stir the quinoa in the oil and leeks for 2-3 minutes before adding the broth definitely use low-sodium chicken broth---quinoa absorbs salt very well and I found that the regular chicken broth was too salty. If you are using homemade stock or veggie broth, you are probably fine. I will add the snap peas last next time (with the artichoke hearts). I like my peas to retain their "snap." This is really a terrific meal for summer or to bring to a potluck.

THE LADY OF SHALLOTS

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