Bronzino on Watercress, Frisee, Golden Berries, Chestnuts and Kumato Tomato, Catuspear Vinaigrette

I finally got some free time and the urge to cook.  I went to the local market and found all these strange ingredients to put together but somehow it worked.  The balance of sweet and tart golden berries with earthy chestnuts, bitter greens and fresh tomatoes made for a great meal that takes only 30 minutes, costs $17 dollars and feeds 1-2 people.

Fall Salad
1/2 head Frisee
1/2 head watercress
8 golden berries, halved
8 Italian chestnuts, halved, cooked argo dolce style
1 Kumato tomato, cut into thirds
1/2 shallot, thin sliced

Cactus Pear Vinaigrette
1 catcus pear, peeled and strained for juice
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
dash of salt, pepper and marjoram

Bronzino
This fish is easy to filet,  Run a sharp knife down the spine on one side of the dorsal fin.  Keep knife along the bone until filet comes off.  Remove the 5 or so small pin bones from the filet.  Season with salt and pepper. Saute on high in olive oil and butter skin side down until crispy and golden, then flip fish and turn off the heat.  Place the pan in a warm oven for 7 minutes.  Serve on top of salad.  Crushed up lentil snaps are the garnish.

I love cooking.. Buon apetito!

Grilled Swordfish Steaks and Summer Vegetables

Summer is all about the grill.  This Sunday cook out included some fresh cut swordfish steaks that are about as good as it gets for fish on the grill.  Just be careful not to over cook them as it becomes very dry if not a perfect medium.  I also threw in a scallop salad appetizer to keep the seafood theme rolling.  This whole meal costs about $80 and feeds 6 people, total prep and cook time was about and hour and a half.

Swordfish and Grilled Vegetables
I simply coated the swordfish and vegetables in a mix of olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh herbs including marjoram, parsley and tarragon.  Grill all veg and fish on high heat.  Let fish rest on the top rack for 5 minutes.

Scallop Salad
20 u14 sea scallops
1 head frisee lettuce
1 bag baby watercress
1 pint yellow tomatoes
1 jicama root, in batons
1 shallot, thin sliced
white balsamic vinaigrette

Toss all ingredients together.  Season scallops with salt, pepper and olive oil and sear on high heat for 5 minutes on each side.

I also threw in a vegetarian dish of grilled vegetables and portabello mushrooms for Michal.

Thanks to Danette, Harout, Michal, Linder, and Michelle for the company. Buon appetito!!

Veggie and Cheddar Omelet

I love making breakfast. I have about 10 different ways that I make omelets. I guess the style depends on the fillings and my mood. I felt like this folded style would work good for this prep. This takes 10 minutes, costs about $4 and feeds one or two depending on how hungry you are.

Veggie and Cheddar Omelet

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 cup of red onion, diced
1/8 cup of bell peppers, diced
1/8 cup of fresh tomatoes, diced
chuck of aged white cheddar, chopped
fresh parsley
2 large cage free organic eggs, scrambled

Start a large sautee pan with the oil. Add the veggies and sautee until desired tenderness. Season with salt & pepper and remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan add a bit more oil to coat the bottom. Turn heat to medium low and add the eggs. Coat the pan evenly with the eggs, season with salt & pepper and let cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the veggies to one half, the the parsley and cheddar cheese. Turn off the heat and fold the omelet, its easier if you use two spatulas at once. Slide it out of the pan and serve.

I added some watercress for greens and a toasted whole wheat english muffin with butter to finish off the quick and delicious breakfast. Enjoy!