Oregano and White Wine Marinated Chicken Breast

I decided on chicken early because I wanted fresh stock.  When I got home I boned the breasts and started the stock.  I was going to put the breasts in a plastic bag in the fridge but I stopped and reached for the marinator instead. What have I got to marinate chicken with.....fresh oregano! I cut a handful of oregano in the garden and got out several cloves of garlic. I finely chopped both together. First I salted the breasts all over then added the herbs, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, generous quarter cup white wine and some mixed ground pepper.  I sucked the air out of the marinator with the Seal-A-Meal and let the chicken steep for 1 to 2 hours. Longer if time allows.

The rice had salt and olive oil but this time I also added maybe 5 drops of lemon juice.  The broccoli was steamed and finished in olive oil.  The salad was different too.  I forgot to buy a tomato so I decided to completely change the salad.

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

mixed fresh ground pepper

1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped

Whisk and toss the lettuce and cucumber to dress.

I cooked the breasts over the burner on the BBQ for 2 minutes each side, then put them off the heat in the centre to roast. The BBQ thermometer read 400-450ºF so it was hot.  It took 25 minutes to cook the breasts.

We have been eating food with dry herbs all winter so my first taste of the chicken was a real surprise. It was moist with the taste of Chardonnay cooked into it and sweetened with the fresh oregano. The garlic hid in the background supporting the main characters. I couldn't taste lemon in the rice but it tasted better than white rice ever has before.  I think I got just enough acid from the 5 drops of lemon to bring out the natural flavour in the basmati rice.

I managed to not over cook the broccoli this time and Fern never complained it was cold, finally I got it right. The chicken and rice were so good I can't wait to make it again.  I really liked the salad this way too, although a tomato wouldn't hurt.

Sole with Lemon Sauce

I went to the store with some kind of fish in mind.  Save On Foods had some nice sole on special so I picked up a couple of small packs. While I was preparing the fish I realized that one of the sole fillets was in fact a snapper fillet. I quickly pulled all the bones out and prepared it the same way, salt, pepper and flour. I already had potatoes boiling and carrots steaming. I tore up a head of lettuce and sliced a third of an English cucumber into the salad bin. I diced up a tomato and readied the dressing.

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk and toss.

I made a lemon sauce to go under the fish.  One teaspoon flour and two teaspoons olive oil in a sauce pan. Cook the flour taste off for a minute then remove from heat and add a tablespoon of stock, lemon juice and some water.  Back on the heat, add some salt and have a taste. Thin the sauce out with lemon juice, water and salt tasting as you go. 

I plated the sauce first and put the fish on top so it looked it's best. It was nice, almonds might have helped a bit but the toilet and sink are in the new bathroom, fully functional, so nothing could spoil my mood. Fern just mentioned that he liked the taste of snapper better than sole. That makes it easier to decide at the fish counter. A few short years ago I would have laughed if you asked me, "Does Fern have a favourite fish?"

Breaded Chicken Breast

Sanding and painting that bathroom, almost done. I boned my chicken breasts, fried the skins for the dogs and disposed of the bones. I haven't been making many sauces lately so don't need fresh stock all the time. I mixed up a teaspoon of onion powder with half a teaspoon of poultry seasoning and if I'd stopped there I would have been better off. I decided to add the flour to the herbs which robbed the mix of most of its flavour.  I salt first then should have coated with onion and poultry seasoning and then coat with flour. Next time. Anyway, I whisked up an egg and dipped the floured breasts in it then rolled them in bread crumbs. I sprayed the bread crumbs with oil so they'd brown a bit, it worked fairly well. I served my breast on a bed of mayonnaise. 

The rice is basmati done in the microwave. I put soy sauce on mine, Fern likes his plain. The broccoli was steamed for 3 minutes then run under cold water to stop cooking. Five minutes before plating I put the broccoli back in the pot with olive oil and a pinch of salt to finish cooking. The salad was a plain vinaigrette.

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper

1/8 tsp mustard

It all tasted good and that's what counts. 

Cumin Cod

Frozen corn, mashed potatoes with a chive flower and fresh cod fillet. I wanted something a little different so I decided to try cumin on the fish.  I salted then sprinkled cumin over the fillet. Then I thought, onion powder would go well with the cumin so I sprinkled onion powder over top. Finally, I sprinkled flour over the fillet so it would brown. I should have put the onion powder on first because not enough came through. Otherwise it was a very pleasant meal. Fern said the fish was delicious.

Reheated Chicken

Same chicken, same buns. I didn't eat the buns so I don't know why I put them on the plate. The vegetables were steamed and finished in olive oil.  Mashed potatoes have just butter, salt and milk. 

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

salt

pepper

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

It feels like cheating but it's still a good meal.

Safeway Roasted Chicken Dinner

I got the tiles up in the shower ceiling. No time to shop or cook so I bought a Safeway Roasted Chicken Dinner with one whole chicken, two side dishes and four of the worst buns in town. Your local Safeway may have good buns so it's worth tasting one, once, just in case.  Their roasted chicken is always the best in town, I don't know why, maybe it's just better chicken to start with. I do prefer Safeway meat over the other chains.

Regular vinaigrette on the salad.  

1 tbsp olive oil 

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

salt

pepper

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk, toss and serve.

Save On Pork Cutlet Again

For the  most part I prefer to season my own meat but so far Save On Foods meat department has managed to outdo me with their own pork breading. Since cutlets are on sale and I'm still tiling the bathroom, (No wonder it costs a fortune to put in a bathroom) I need fast and simple. This meal is even easier than prawns'n pasta.

The mashed potatoes are boiled in salted water then drained, mashed and hand whipped with butter, milk and a little salt. Don't over process potatoes as they turn to thick, unpalatable paste.

Right after peeling potatoes I peeled a carrot to go in the microwave with the frozen peas. They cook with a little water and teaspoon of olive oil. A little salt when they are done.

The secret to cooking breaded cutlets (or anything else for that matter) is to get the pan really hot before adding the meat.  If the pan isn't hot enough the meat sinks through the oil and sticks to the pan. A hot pan will cook the breading or meat before it sinks. Really hot but not smoking. Overheating olive oil turns it bitter. There must be heat blooms in the oil when you rock the pan, then add the meat. If the oil smokes, get another pan or wash that one and start again.

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

Slice up a tomato, whisk the vinaigrette and toss the salad and tomato till evenly coated. The cutlet is served with Fern's home made ketchup.

This is an under 30 minute meal, costs less than $3 per serving and tastes fantastic.

Prawns and Pasta

We were both working late so it was at the last minute Fern mentioned prawns and pasta again.  I was thinking of a restaurant but at least prawns are easy.  I sweated a shallot then put the prawns with tails taken off into the pan.  When the first side had colour I turned them over. I cooked them just so they had colour but not cooked all the way through. Remove prawns from pan. They'll finish cooking in the sauce.

Add a teaspoon of flour and enough oil to make a paste, then cook off the flour taste.  Add quarter to half a cup of beef stock.  Add water to thin followed by 3/4 of a can of tomato paste. Add one teaspoon dried basil or a tablespoon of fresh. Add a dash of salt.  When the pasta is ready, add the prawns to the sauce and the pasta.  Toss to heat it all up and serve with parmesan cheese grated on top.  

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard

Whisk, toss and munch.

I'm fairly certain this now takes me less than 30 minutes to put on the table and it still tastes like a restaurant meal.

Dijon Mustard Marinated Pork Cutlet with Mushroom White Wine Sauce

It had to be some kind of pork tonight. We've had enough of those seasoned cutlets, they're good but we don't want to eat the same thing all the time. I didn't really feel like tenderloin so I had an open mind when I perused the pork section.  I decided on a package of three cutlets. A bit tough but lots of flavour and an extra one for the dogs, all for the price of a small tenderloin! 

Soon as I got home I got out my trusty vacuum marinator. I'm not convinced it aids marination but I need a covered dish anyway and it's ideal. A couple of tablespoons of olive oil. A few glugs of white wine, Chardonnay in this case. Half a teaspoon of salt, black pepper and a teaspoon Dijon mustard. Whisk it all up and lay the cutlets in it. Then turn them over to coat both sides. Close it up and suck the air out or use a spoon or your hands to work the marinade into the meat a little then put it aside till ready to cook it. In this case it was only half an hour, but it was enough because I left it on the counter. Longer and it would go in the fridge.

Mashed potatoes. Salt, butter and milk. Never use an immersion blender on potatoes. It turns them into thick unpalatable paste that no one will want to eat.

Broccoli was steamed, run under cold water to stop cooking then reheated in olive oil. This cooks the oil and adds extra yumminess to vegetables. A bit of salt helps too.

Greek Salad, it's best to make it fresh every day. Use English cucumber, the long ones, because the skin isn't bitter so they can be left on for extra colour. For two people I cut about four to five inches off cucumber, slice and quarter it up. Wrap the rest in plastic and put back in fridge. A small tomato cut into twelve sections and each section cut in half. Larger tomato, cut section into three or four pieces. A handful of black olives pitted and cut in half. Use better quality here, it pays off. Some diced red onion or whatever is available, I used sweet  new chives from the garden. 

Add a tablespoon of olive oil and one to two teaspoons of white wine vinegar. Salt, pepper. I would have added fresh oregano if I'd thought of it. Toss it all to coat evenly then add crumbled feta cheese. I use local cow feta. Again, paying a little more pays off with feta.

Mushroom sauce was simple. First I seared the sliced mushrooms in butter then removed them from the pan.  More butter and a teaspoon of flour, mix and cook the flour taste off for a minute. Add a splash of beef stock and half a cup of white wine. Whisk it up and add wine till it's the right consistency. Cook the alcohol off and add the mushrooms back in.  It would have looked better to put the sauce on the plate and the cutlet on top but I didn't think of it in time. 

Fern never lifted his face from his plate, he just said, "you really have learned to cook well!"

Tomato Cashew Chicken Curry

Originally it was going to be cashew chicken stir fry but Fern asked for curry instead. Same food, different seasoning. Dice up chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Salt and dust with flour.  Put in pan with plenty of oil and brown all round but don't cook through. Remove from pan. Add diced onion, sliced carrot and soften. Add sliced mushrooms and get a sear on them. Add diced celery, green pepper, a handful of cashews and some frozen peas (fresh if available). Sprinkle one tablespoon curry powder over everything, stir it in for a moment then add a splash of chicken stock, a splash of water and the 1/4 can tomato paste left over from pasta yesterday. Stir. Add the chicken back in. Cook a couple of minutes in the sauce to finish the chicken, adding water if necessary.  Serve over basmati rice.

It tastes pretty good, Fern liked it. I like coconut milk curries better, but I didn't have any and the tomato paste was already open. 

Prawns and Pasta with Greek Salad

Last minute meal again. It's pool opening, deck cleaning, generally running around outside time so I got started late 6:19, but I had this on the plate at 7:05. Here's how to make it. Defrost six to eight each frozen raw prawns in cold water. I remove the shells by placing the back of a knife across the meat/tail boundary and pulling the meat out. Dice an onion or shallot and sweat it in olive oil till translucent then add the prawns with salt. Just cook the prawns till they have colour outside but are still raw inside, they will finish cooking in the sauce.

Slice and dice 3 inches of English cucumber. These long slender cucumbers have sweet skin so require no peeling and add a wonderful dark green to the salad. Dice up two tomatoes or one large one. Add one tablespoon olive oil and one or two teaspoons white wine vinegar. I should have added some diced onion or chives but forgot. Add half teaspoon salt. Toss the salad to coat every thing. Crumble feta cheese into bowl, toss quickly and serve. Stirring too much after adding feta makes it break up and look less appetizing. 

Put 2 cups penne pasta into boiling, salted water. Cooks in about 12 minutes. 

Back to the sauce, if the pan is dry add some oil and dust the pan with flour. Just a little, too much flour makes a sauce pasty. Cook the flour taste off for half a minute or so but not till it browns. Add 1/2 cup beef stock and quarter cup water. Stir in 3/4 can (5.5oz/156ml) tomato paste (I'll use remainder tomorrow). Add water till sauce has thinned enough. Too much water turns it into soup and it has to be boiled down. Add a teaspoon of dried basil or better, a tablespoon of fresh. Add the prawns back in and heat for a minute or so then drain the pasta well and add to the sauce. Toss everything to coat and serve on warmed plates. Sprinkle grated parmesan over top.

If salad is served with the entrée we go from pasta to salad and eat it all. If we stop eating and serve the salad, it sits there.

This is fast and tasty.

Cajun Cod Again!

I forgot to take a photo of the plate but last nights dinner was exactly the same as the previous time I cooked it, so I'm reusing the old photo. I'm pretty sure I overcooked the broccoli exactly the same amount this time too! If it's good enough to make twice, it's pretty good.

Cajun Rub

2 tbsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp paprika 

1 1/2 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp freshly ground white pepper

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp ground mustard

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Dot of Dijon mustard

Whisk and toss the salad in it.

Broccoli steamed, then cooled under running cold water and reheated in olive oil. If you manage to not over cook it this is a terrific treatment. I get a nice brown on the fish by first salting then add pepper and finally sprinkle it with flour.

A fast easy meal that tastes great.

Breaded Pork Cutlet

I felt like some kind of pork or maybe fish.  I walked past the fish and nothing called to me but the pork cutlets seemed to give a nod. I grabbed the cutlets and headed home.  Fern wanted dinner before 7pm so he could enjoy it and get to his meeting at 8pm. I waited till 6:19 to get started. First, 1/2 a cup of rice went into the microwave, that takes twenty minutes.  I peeled and sliced 3 carrots and put them in boiling water to cook.

I laid the cutlets in plenty of hot olive oil in a large frying pan.  They take 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on thickness. The carrots were cooked so I drained them and added some olive oil and put them on medium low heat. To the carrots I added a diced avocado and toss it in the hot oil.

Vinaigrette 

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1/4 tsp Dijon mustard (a dot or to taste)

Whisk, toss and serve. 

I had the whole meal plated at 6:55pm and it was deliciously different. Warmed avocado is nice but I think something better than carrots can be found to pair it with. Peas maybe? The cutlet was crunchy and delicious. I don't know what they season it with but we both like the flavour. These are from Save-On Foods.  Safeway has nice cutlets as well but the breading doesn't taste as good.

I didn't put soy sauce on my rice, maybe the first time ever. It was good with what was on the plate so I didn't miss it. I put some of Fern's ketchup beside my cutlet. Fern had apple sauce. Overall it was a very nice meal.

Best Chicken Breast Yet, Fast Too!

We hadn't had chicken for a few days so it was time.  I was going to bread it but never got that far, I started a bit late so skipped that step.  So I salted the breast all over then put it in a plastic bag with two tablespoons of flour, one teaspoon of poultry seasoning, pepper and two teaspoons of onion powder. Shake, place on baking sheet and spray or brush with oil. That did two breasts.

The potatoes were the heirloom I bought last week. Fern doesn't like the purple ones so we won't see them again.  I put salt and butter on them. The broccoli was steamed then run under cold water and finished in the pot with olive oil. Cook it so it's still crisp. Reheat it in olive oil and the flavour is fantastic.

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/8 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

Whisk up and toss the salad in it.  I tried the Walmart house brand Dijon mustard and it isn't bad but Fern definitely prefers the Maille. If you prefer an assertive mustard flavour you'll like the Walmart brand.

I cooked the chicken for 35 minutes at 375ºF. It rested for 5 minutes before serving. Fern was yumming mmmm mmmmmm this is good before I even sat down. I finally found the right combination.  The onion powder sweetens as it cooks and lifts the poultry seasoning up. The flour browns. Herbs by themselves tend to scorch not brown. It's delicious and simple as can be. Next time I have to get chicken on the table fast, I'm doing this. It tastes like it took all day.

Fresh Oregano Pork Tenderloin

Fern had chicken for lunch so I decided on pork for dinner.  A nice pork tenderloin was less than $6 so it's a relatively inexpensive meal. I did rice in the microwave and steamed the broccoli and finished it in olive oil.  The meat I marinated for an hour or so in 

Pork Marinade

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

salt 

pepper

I deliberately kept this simple so I could see if a simple marinade is as good as a more complex one. To my great surprise, the fresh oregano lent it's flavour to the meat and Fern repeatedly remarked on how good the pork was. Onion or garlic powder and whatever else just muddy the flavour. Yet another case of 'less is more'.

Vinaigrette 

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk and toss the salad in the dressing. I quick note here, Fern said if the lettuce is torn instead of cut, it will not go brown.  He was right! Lettuce in the bin had no brown edges after 3 days. It still lost water and went limp but it's easy to eat it before that happens.

I'll do pork this way again.

Cashew Turkey Stir Fry

Cashews are on special this time of year, 1kg can be found for $10. That is less than many cuts of meat so it's economical to cook with them. Pork is sweet and rich enough that I doubt these nuts would improve the meat. Chicken or turkey on the other hand accept all the help they can get. I put rice in the microwave to cook and got to work.

I have the second half of the turkey roll so I cut it up into bite size pieces.  I started with half an onion diced and caramelized in canola and a few drops of sesame oil.  To that I added sliced carrot and a minute later, sliced mushrooms.  I got a sear on the mushrooms then added the second half of the onion cut into large pieces. Next a stick of celery sliced up. I bought a green pepper and had half an orange pepper to use up, I diced them both and put them in the pan.  I added the cashews and turkey and sprinkled some flour over top of everything. I cooked the flour taste off before adding a splash of chicken stock. Stock causes more liquid to be released from the vegetables so I added a good splash of soy sauce and toss it all together.  Plate with rice.  I put more soy sauce on my rice, Fern likes his plain.

I really like this meal, it's easy, economical and full of flavour. There's even a bit left for lunch!

Quick Sole

I thinset the rest of the tiles in the new bathroom in the afternoon. Bathroom almost finished. I never imagined how much I would miss a toilet near my man cave.  Consequently I didn't get home from the store till 6:18pm and Fern wanted dinner at 7pm.  How fast can I cook sole?

Immediately I put rice, salt, water, pinch saffron and a bit of olive oil in microwave bowl and got it going.  I quickly snapped the ends off the Asparagus and got an inch of water in the Asparagus steamer going.  I salted and coated the fish in flour and got a large frying pan with plenty of olive oil in it hot and ready for the fish. Sole is thin so it cooks fast, usually about two minutes a side. Everything else should be almost ready when the fish goes in the pan.

For lemon sauce I put a teaspoon of flour in a small sauce pan and added a pad of butter.  I cooked the flour taste off for a minute then added a splash of chicken stock, tablespoon of lemon juice and water. Add 1/2 tsp salt to the sauce. Add water and lemon juice till the sauce is thinned nicely and tastes balanced. Not too sour, not too bland.

When the asparagus was ready I plated it, salt it and rubbed it with butter.  Lemon sauce over the fish and asparagus.

I managed to have the plates ready at 7:05pm, not bad but I wouldn't win Chopped. Fern was happy.

Turkey Roll

I was going to get pork cutlets but one of those large turkey roasts was on special. They are rolls of turkey meat held together with a net so you get about a kilogram altogether. I paired it with Uncle Ben's Traditional Sage stove top stuffing. While I usually shy away from prefabricated food, I don't think I could do better in this situation, yet. Also a bit of cranberry sauce with the turkey.

All I did with the meat is salt and pepper it well and brush the whole outside with olive oil, then put it in a shallow pan  for about an hour and forty five minutes. I always use a meat thermometer, I prefer the electronic probe with a wire out the oven door. I can tell when a chicken breast is ready but there is no way to judge the middle of a 1 kilogram lump of meat by pressing on it. If I didn't have a meat thermometer I would cook it for longer at a lower temperature to be sure the centre is cooked.

I use the stove top directions for the stuffing because the microwave directions produce a less appealing result. The broccoli was steamed to almost done, then run under cold water and finished in olive oil with a bit of salt.

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

feta cheese

I broke a little feta cheese over the salad for variety. Black olives probably would have made sense. As it was, the cheese seemed to be in the wrong salad.

Overall it was a very nice meal and means an imminent Cashew Turkey Stir Fry!

Prawns and Pasta

This has become a simple goto meal once a week. It's easy, fast, inexpensive and tastes like a good restaurant made it. Start by running six prawns each under cold water into a bowl then let them sit in the water to thaw completely.  I use raw, shell on black tiger prawns that have the shell split and prawn cleaned. Pull the shell back, put the back of a knife across the tail where the meat ends and pull the meat away from the shell.

Sweat a diced shallot and a couple of garlic cloves. Add the prawns with a little salt and turn as soon as the outside is cooked.  We want to get colour and flavour on the outside while keeping the inside raw. Remove prawns from pan.  They will finish cooking when they're put in the sauce just before serving. 

Put a heaping teaspoon of flour in the pan and add oil if necessary to make a thick paste. Let the flour cook for a minute before adding 1/4 cup chicken stock. Add 1 can tomato paste and enough water to make a thick sauce.  As it cooks down add more water to maintain the thickness of the sauce. Add two teaspoons dried basil or chopped fresh basil if it's available. Add salt and pepper to the sauce and make sure there is salt in the pasta water.  I usually use penne pasta but spirals or macaroni work great too. Or spaghetti for that matter. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Plate and top with fresh grated parmesan.

Fern tore the lettuce up the for salad insisting that it won't turn brown at the edges if it's torn. Overnight the first night it didn't, if it goes one more day I'll be convinced. I slice cucumber up with the lettuce so I only have to cut up a tomato to make a salad.

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp rice wine vinegar

salt 

pepper

Whisk the vinaigrette and toss the salad in it. Serve with the pasta. This meal can be on the table in 30 minutes if you work fast and it cost less than $3 per person. Less than $2 if the prawns are on sale!

Breaded Chicken Breast

My chicken stock was too old to use so it was time to make fresh.  I've had bread crumbs sitting around for a while so I decided to use some of them up.  First I boned the breasts and put the bones in a pot of water with a carrot, celery stick, onion and two bay leaves. I skimmed the foam off so it doesn't get cloudy and let it simmer for 30 minutes or so. 

I salted the breasts then coated them in a mixture of flour and poultry seasoning. Next I dipped them in egg and rolled them in bread crumbs. I cooked them in the BBQ which wasn't the best place to cook breaded anything but I managed to prevent most scorching by keeping the meat off the flame. The rice was done in the microwave as was the corn. Served with mayonnaise for the meat and soy sauce on my rice. I also made a quick vinaigrette of olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, mixed pepper and a dot of Dijon mustard. Toss lettuce, cucumber and tomato together with the vinaigrette and serve. 

The chicken was crunchy and wonderful.  The rice and corn were completely ordinary but good none the less. The salad was surprisingly good. Fern tore the lettuce instead of me cutting it. We'll see later today if tearing it prevents it turning brown on the edges. I have my doubts, but I've been wrong before. 

Kevin Catches Fish - Trout

Our good friend Kevin went fishing at a local lake and caught several trout.  He gave us two which was too much for us so I gave one to  Jill and Chris next door.  I've never cooked trout but I have enough confidence now that it didn't intimidate me. First I salt and peppered the skin and body cavity. Then I chopped up fresh chives, parsley, rosemary and garlic and filled the body cavity.  I drizzled it with olive oil, wrapped the whole fish in foil and put it in the BBQ, off the heat. It roasted for just over half an hour and I turned it over half way through. The BBQ temperature was about 350-400ºF.

Once done, I gently pulled the meat off the bones and gave us each half a fish, which was plenty. Only one big bone was left on each half so it works well.

The greek salad was the rest of yesterday's and the heirloom potatoes were finished in butter. The broccoli was steamed and finished in olive oil. I made a little lemon sauce of flour, butter, chicken stock, salt, papprika, lemon juice and water. I served the sauce over the broccoli and fish. Fern and the dogs loved this meal. I did too eh.

Liver and Onions with Greek Salad

I went out with pork in mind but when I got to the store I heard the beef liver calling me. So I phoned Fern to ask if he'd like liver, he hates it when I come home with something different than planned but he was in the mood for liver also. I bought some Feta cheese and black olives to make a greek salad and headed home. Fresh greens are still pricey so I'm serving frozen peas with fresh carrots.

The potatoes were put on first and were boiling away before I sliced up two onions and caramelized them. Then I put the onions aside to keep warm while I got the veggies in the microwave and started the salad.  For Greek Salad I sliced up half an English cucumber, (English cucumber skin isn't bitter so you don't have to peel them) two tomatoes, about 20 pitted black olives cut in half. Chive flowers broken up, feta cheese, salt, pepper, two tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice. I tasted a piece of cucumber and added more olive oil and more lemon juice.  Tasted again, it was good!

The liver was dredged in flour and fried in olive oil. I forgot to salt the liver first and it was quite bland. Fortunately salt can be added after cooking, but it isn't ideal. I served mined with tomato ketchup. I've loved liver and ketchup since I was a small child. The mashed potatoes had just salt, butter and milk in them.  Butter, salt and pepper on the peas and carrots. 

Fern remarked on the salad several times, I really did get it right this time. The liver, once salted, was pretty good too. I was somewhat full after clearing my plate so I wasn't sure I'd eat my salad. I tasted it and couldn't stop eating till it was all gone. 

Halibut with Heirloom Potatoes

Fresh Halibut is on special and Fern asked for nugget potatoes. A small bag of heirloom potatoes was on special so I bought that. We had a big lunch so I decided not to make a salad but just put something fresh on the plate. 

The halibut is fried in olive oil on the skin side to make it crispy. I had to turn it over to get the top cooked.  Maybe putting a lid on it to cook the top would speed things up, but could over cook it more easily too. 

I boiled the potatoes, finished with salt and butter and steamed the broccoli then finished it in olive oil. The fresh tomato has fresh chives, salt, black pepper, olive oil and rice wine vinegar. Lemon juice dripped over the Halibut when serving.

Fern didn't like the potatoes till I explained they were ancient, not new, varieties. The black ones are much sweeter than white potatoes we're using today. Another wonderful easy meal.

Pork Schnitzel

I tried the seasoned pork cutlet from Safeway this time. I simply fried it in olive oil  and served it with Fern's ketchup (apple sauce would be good too). Steamed broccoli finished in olive oil. Mashed potatoes with salt, butter and milk.

The vinaigrette on the salad is 1 tbsp olive oil, 1-2 tsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, dot of dijon mustard. Whisk, toss and serve. I keep a bin of salad cut in the fridge so I only have to cut up a tomato and make the dressing.

The Save On cutlet seasoning is a little better but the Safeway meat is slightly better quality. So either one will do to make a tasty quick meal.

Halibut with Lemon Sauce and Risotto

I'm late writing because I've been working on the new bathroom, the plumber is finished everything but final hookup. Tile the floor and then the sink and toilet can be installed. Hopefully that will all be done by Wednesday, if I work hard and fast. 

Risotto takes a lot more work than potatoes but rewards the chef with rich flavour. I used 1 to 1 rice to water and half cooked the rice in that. When the water is absorbed I started adding fresh chicken stock and stirring frequently. The stirring releases starch into the liquid and thickens it, which is why you have to use arborio rice which does this easily. Continue adding stock and stirring till the rice is al dente. Almost firm. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Italian parmesan is worth the price, domestic is not.

Halibut has been in season for a few weeks but it takes this long to catch and deliver to stores. The skin is on these fillets but there are no scales to remove. I seasoned the meat with salt and Cajun spice mix. I got a pan with olive oil hot and put the skin side down. I had to turn the meat over to finish cooking but that seems to have worked fine.

The vegetables, fresh carrots, frozen peas, were done in the microwave and finished with butter. I know peas and carrots absolutely scream 'SUBURBS!' but that's where I was raised so I like them.

Lemon sauce was a heaping tsp of flour and 2-3 tsp butter. Cook the flour taste off in the butter for a minute or so. Add fresh chicken stock, about half a cup and whisk. It will thicken quickly so add more stock till it stays liquid but thick. Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and taste.  Add lemon juice a few drops at a time till lemon predominates but the sauce is not sour, just tangy. Stir in a tablespoon of fresh chives. I did a nice job on the Halibut skin so it would have been better to put the lemon sauce down and the fish on top. Next time.

Fern says my risotto is too wet but otherwise the meal is absolutely delicious. Neither of us like fish skin but this came out great. Fishy but in a nice way. The fish was perfect. Flaky but moist inside.