Monkfish with Collard Greens and Shallots

Monkfish is commonly referred to as "poor mans lobster". Although the fish is not as inexpensive as it once was, it does have an uncanny similarity to lobster tail. This dish takes 30 minutes, costs $10 and feeds one.

Collard Green Fettucini
8 leaves organic collard greens, destemmed, sliced into thin strips
5 cloves organic garlic, sliced
1/4 organic vidalla onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Start a medium sautee pan on low and add oil, butter, onions and garlic. Let cook for 15 minutes or until caramelized. Blanch collards in boiling water for 2 minutes then cool in an ice bath, dry and set aside. Once onions have caramelized add collards and let satuee on low for 10 minutes stirring. Add 1 tablespoon of cream, salt and pepper. Let cook 5 more minutes. Serve.

Pan Seared Monkfish
1 6oz monkfish filet
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Start a medium satuee pan on medium high heat. Once very hot and oil and butter. Season fish liberally with salt and pepper. Place the fish in the pan and let it cook about 4 minutes on each side or until a nice golden color. Place the whole pan in the oven for 8 minutes. Because of the density of the flesh it takes a few minutes longer in the pan and the oven then most other fish. Remove and let stand 3 minutes, slice and serve.

Shallots in Sherry Vinegar Sauce
1 cup organic chicken stock
4 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 whole shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon butter

In a small saucepan, reduce the chicken stock to 1/4 cup. Add vinegar and shallots and reduce until about 2 tablespoons of liquid remain, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle around the plate. Use shallots as a garnish.

Monkfish is probably the ugliest fish in the world but it sure is tasty. Buon Apetito!

Prime Filet Mignon with Roasted Root Vegetables

This is a fairly simple meal to make and takes less then an hour in total. Plus it has some great impact on whoever you are making for so it is a great "date night" meal. I found some nice prime filet mignon at the grocery store this time and paired it with various root vegetables like carrots, garlic, sweet potato, fennel and shallots. I made an easy sauce of reduced chicken stock, fennel and garlic. All together it makes a great meal. It cost about $20 feeds one and takes about 1 hour.

Roasted Root Vegetables
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced into 3/4 inch rounds
1 medium sweet potato, sliced into 3/4 inch rounds
6 medium baby carrots
6 cloves of garlic
3 shallots, peeled
1 teaspoon brown sugar dissolved in 3 teaspoons of water

Preheat the oven to 400 degree. Place all the vegetables on a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with a little vegetable oil. Roast the veggies, minus the garlic for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with the sugar water mixture. Add garlic to the baking sheet and let it cook for 20 more minutes. Remove and salt and pepper the veggies, serve immediately.

Filet Mignon
1 6oz filet mignon
salt and pepper
1 oz vegetable oil

Start a medium sautee pan on medium high heat and add the oil. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Once the pan is screaming hot sear the filet for 2 minutes on each side then roll it in the pan to sear the sides. Place it in the oven for 10 minutes. remove at let rest at least 7 minutes. Slice in half and top with some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Fennel Garlic Sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fennel
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon of butter

In a small sauce pan start chicken stock and vinegar on medium and reduce to half. Add fennel and garlic and continue reducing until about 1 tablespoon of liquid is left. Take off the heat and remove the fennel and garlic. Once cooled a bit whisk in the butter and add salt & pepper. Serve over steak and vegetables. This will take about 350 to 40 minutes.



I made a little arugula salad with cucumber, tomatoes and onions in a balsamic vinaigrette as an appetizer. I used the fennel frawns as a garnish for the dish because I had them from the fennel bulb. This quick and easy steak dinner is a great way to impress without much work or clean up. Buon Appetito!