Cod with an Olive and Sun-dried Tomato Crust

My seafood addiction has catapulted in the last month. Partly inspired by my trip, but mostly due to the fact that I believe I am going bald. I truly have a complex of losing my hair and must intake all the omega-3 fatty acids possible. I know this sounds ridiculous as I have a full set of hair, but I am telling you, any preventive measures help. Our friendly finned friends carry more than enough fatty acids to keep my hair shiny, strong and keep my complex on the DL. Let’s not forget how tasty and versatile a nice thick steak of fish can be. I usually find myself flirting with red tuna or salmon and sometimes the occasional trout, but this white fished recipe really caught my eye.

The beauty of cod not only lies in its versatility, but it is also one of the least fishy tasting fish (for those of you who are “difficult” eaters). It is a white, light, flaky poisson that goes well with just about everything. If you find cod a bit expensive, you can purchase his cheaper but just as tasty cousin: Pollack or Sole. This recipe was taken from my “Two Greedy Italians” recipe book and appealed to me as the chefs mentioned this as the new way of cooking fish in Italy. The flavors were just right with the tang from the sun dried tomatoes and the slight bitterness of the black olives. I gobbled the whole flank down with no thought of a side dish. Yes, it was that good ;)

Xo Dom Appetit!

Merluzzo In Crusta! Cod with an Olive and Sun-dried Tomato Crust

Taken from: Two Greedy Italians

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 15-20 mins

Tools Needed: food processor (or knife and cutting board), measuring cups and spoons, large ovenproof baking dish

Ingredients:

60 grams sun-dried tomatoes
40 grams black olives
100g stale bread (or bread crumbs!)
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cod fillets (I used one large fillet)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of white wine

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, bread and parsley in a food processor and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or chop!). Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
2) Sprinkle a little salt over the cod fillets and place in large ovenproof dish. Pour over the olive oil and white wine and bake in the oven for 5 mins. Top with the breadcrumb mixture, return to the oven and cook for a further 10 mins, until the breadcrumbs are golden and the fish has cooked through. Serve with a side of your favorite greens! Makes 4 servings.

Steamed Mussels in a Red Wine Sauce

After a two week dream getaway to the splendid but oh so dear Cote D’Azur, I was welcomed back to my cozy kitchen exceptionally inspired and only a few pounds heavier. I could now understand the hype surrounding the French Riviera and I promise you that it is NOT an exaggeration. The people, the art, the beaches, and most importantly: the food. They have a beauty and culture that they can truly call their own. There is no escaping the playful scents from each colourful eatery along the famous Promenade des Anglais. The culinary delight in Nice was unbeatable.  If you ever have a chance to visit this French gem, please take the time to walk through Old Nice and take in all the diverse heavenly spices and aromas. Speaking of spices, every little city on the coast held their own daily spice markets that sold everything from rose bud teas to black volcano salts. My one sole regret from this trip was that I opted out of a Nice one-on-one culinary adventure and wine testing. Oh well… saving it for next time!

On my last night, I was craving pizza. Not sloppy domino’s style pizza, but sweet, chewy, fresh seafood, wood-burning oven pizza. And I received just that! We were lucky enough to sit on the terrace right by the fire oven inhaling all the pizza scents. I ordered the most delish mussels pie. It was loaded with colossal chunks of fresh garlic, wild mushrooms, the greenest parsley and the mother lode of mussels. So when I saw two pounds of mussels on sale at Provigo my mouth began to salivate. I am used to white wine sauces with my moules but there is no fun in monotony. My sister and I stumbled upon a simple red wine recipe that could easily be sopped up with a warm crusty baguette or steamed cauliflower (healthier “white” option).

Xo Dom Appetit!

Steamed Mussels in a Red Wine Sauce

Adapted from: FOOD

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 6 mins

Tools Needed: large sauce pan and cover, large wooden spoon, cutting board, knife, measuring cup and spoons, colander

Ingredients:

2 lbs of live mussels

3 cups of merlot (or any red wine lying around the kitchen)

4 tablespoons of butter

2 fresh green onions (diced)

1/8 cup of red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves (diced)

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (or lime!)

2 large fresh tomatoes (diced)

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

Salt and Pepper to season

Directions:

1)    Scrub mussels and agitate in colander (2-3 mins). Remove any mussels that are still open. Set aside
2)    In the large saucepan, bring butter and wine to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Add green onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir often until volume reduces to half. Return heat to high and add tomatoes, lemon juice, and mussels. Stir once and cover with lid. Boil 2-3 mins
3)    Remove from heat and throw out any mussels that have not opened. Serve immediately with a slice of crusty bed or home fries

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

I am well aware that the concept of mixing avocado and chocolate together might repel a few of you away from this blog entry. Nevertheless, I have built up the courage to share this beneficial dessert option.  My brother’s wife was kind enough to introduce me to this healthy chocolate pudding alternative without sacrificing taste or texture. Let’s face it, the reason we eat pudding is for the rich, silky smooth flavors that easily satisfy every chocolate lovers’ taste buds.

Now for some convincing! In case you haven’t already skipped down to the recipe, avocados are available year round and easily accessible at your local supermarket. I prefer purchasing them at Farmers’ Markets as you can purchase them for next to nothing, and they are usually ripe for the picking. Their creamy texture has given them the top spot in my books for culinary versatility. Not to mention that they are packed with fiber (keeping you fuller longer), vitamin E, and antioxidants that will keep those pretty eyes of yours protected. So instead of grabbing a snack-pack pre-packaged pudding, why not give this choco-avocado delight a try?

Xo Dom Appetit!

PS. this recipe makes about a cup, but after 3-4 tablespoons your craving will be satisfied!

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Prep Time: 10 mins

Tools needed: small smoothie blender (or food processor), measuring spoons and cups, cutting board, paring knife

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados (pitted and peeled)
4 tablespoons of cocoa
3 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of water

Directions:

1)  Pit and peel avocados and throw into blender. Add water, cocoa, and honey. Blend until all items are smooth (you can add more honey to make it as sweet as you please!)

 

Edamame Succotash

This past weekend I made a promise to myself to be more proactive with my cooking and overall health. This could have been triggered by a Saturday night binge including a slice of 99 cent pizza, terrible Chinese take-out, and PC’s new pepperoni pizza bites with garlic dipping sauce (not the wisest choice). My grand idea of Sunday detoxification from those nightmarish calories included 90 minutes in the torture chamber of Bikram Hatha Yoga. For those of you who are not familiar with this practice, let me fill you in. Picture this: holding 26 different positions for two minutes at a time in a 40 degree room, with no way out. Our instructor, who has the tightest abs I have ever seen, mandated that we were not to leave the room at any point during the class. Her explanation, “to not disturb the others’ practice”. I reckon, it is much safer to have my sister and I feeling roller coaster nausea, near black out state, begging for this moment to end… and yes, I will be returning tomorrow for round two.

After experiencing this toxin releasing stretch-fest, the last thing I could think of is putting more junk in my body. I was craving something refreshing without sacrificing any taste. So I quickly filtered through my latest copy of the Food Network mag, and stumbled across this amazing Edamame salad recipe. It includes my favourite fresh veggies: corn, red peppers, red onions, and ….Applewood-smoked bacon. Ok, I know that it is a bit of a cheat, but it adds such amazing flavour to the mix and can be substituted for chicken or turkey bacon. Now for the nutritious side, the Japanese Edamame bean is packed with protein, high in fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, and above all, is loaded with flavour. Don’t be afraid to add any extra ingredients to this perfect side dish and call it your own.

Xo Dom Appetit!

Edamame Succotash

Taken from: The Food Network

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Tools Needed: measuring cups and spoons, large skillet, cutting board, paring knife, spatula

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon of minced garlic (I chopped 3 garlic cloves! Delish!)
2-3 strips of applewood-smoked bacon, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 cup of frozen Edamame (thawed)
½ cup of fresh corn kernels, from 1 small ear
¼ cup small-diced red bell pepper
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

1)      In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until softened (2 mins). Add the bacon and cook until it begins to crisp (5 mins), drain some of the fat.
2)      Add the Edamame, corn and bell pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 mins. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve hot. Makes about 2 cups.

Apple Dumplings

When I think dumplings, Sunday Dim Sum always comes to mind. Dim Sum brunch is a mix between a la carte and buffet style cuisine and is always a memorable quest. You enter the event starving and greedy for any and all treats hiding in each bamboo basket presented to your table. The hustling of the elder Asian women pushing their goods onto your table is a scene everyone must experience. They possess unbelievably competitive drive. I often wonder, are they on commission?! Nevertheless, they provide you with the comfort of fried or steamed dumplings that leave you overly satisfied, wishing that you stopped after that first serving. A lesson that is never learned…

This dumpling recipe is a bit unconventional as it includes fruit and a splash of mountain dew. Yup, I made a double take on this ingredient as well. Pop on apple dumplings? What an absurd idea...I had to try it. I still feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that I drenched my dessert with soda, but the aroma filling my home begged to differ. The sinful cinnamon scents twirled around my kitchen as the dumplings crisped to a light brown gold, releasing the sweet, slightly tart taste of apples. Not calorie wise, but well deserved, and as simple as it gets.

Xo Dom Appetit!

Apple Dumplings

Adapted from: Apple Dumplings (I split the recipe in half! Makes 8 delicious dumplings!)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 35 to 45 mins

Tools Needed: 9 x 13 baking dish, cutting board, measuring spoons and cups, paring knife, small saucepan, wooden spoon

Ingredients:

2 large granny smith apples sliced thinly (peeled and cored)
1 can of crescent roll dough (pillsbury)
1/2 cup of butter
3/4 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/3 can of Mountain Dew

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking dish
2) Seperate crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll thinly sliced apples in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place into baking dish
3) Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in cinnamon and sugar. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour the Mountain Dew over the dumplings and bake for 35 to 45 mins (until golden brown)

Gazpacho with Avocado Toast

It has become an exhausting feat, to cool down in this sweltering heat. But I refuse to complain, as I have been waiting eight long, dispiriting months for these scorching sleepless summer nights. I am one of those few unfortunate souls living in North America that does not own an air conditioner. To make matters worse, I live in a particularly sketchy neighborhood where opening my window at night is not an option. One can only imagine what my kitchen must feel like…

This is why for dinner this evening, I resorted to a refreshingly, light Gazpacho to be enjoyed in my plus 40 degree apartment. For those of you who are not familiar with Gazpacho, I believe it is about time that you get yourself acquainted! It is a simple tomato based soup with raw chopped vegetables (cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes, coriander, garlic, red onions). Despite its lack of depth, this cold soup is full of flavor and nutrients. Its origins are said to be from Spain, but you may recognize this tasty soup from many Italian menus. The soup only gets better with age, so be sure to let it sit a day or two in the fridge to allow the ingredients to unify. I suggest serving this with freshly baked sunflower and flax seed bread topped with fat slices of avocado. Don’t forget to sprinkle with salt.

Xo Dom Appetit!

PS. Why not spice it up by adding chopped jalapeno for that extra bite? Just don’t forget a dollop of sour cream to cool things down!

Gazpacho

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessas Cookbook

Prep Time: 20 mins

Tools Needed: large mixing bowl, food processor, large mixing spoon, measuring cups and spoons, cutting board, knife

Ingredients:

1 cucumber (halved, do not peel)
2 red peppers cored and seeded (I used 1 orange pepper)
4 tomatoes
1 medium red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups of V8 tomato juice (low sodium)
¼ cup of white wine vinegar
¼ cup of good olive oil (I used my lemon infused olive oil from Sorrento!)
½ tablespoon of Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1)      Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, coriander, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped (make sure to not over process)

2)      After each vegetable is processed, combine into large bowl and add garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and ensure to chill in fridge before serving. Like I mentioned above, the longer it sits, the better.  

Housewives’ Chicken in White Wine and Vinegar

My colleagues surprised me yesterday with a belated B-day gift (yes, my birthday is typically a week-long event) and I was quite impressed with their choice of purchase. They presented me with the most appealing rustic Italian cookbook titled: Two Greedy Italians {you might recognize them from their sitcom on BBC}. It was such a genuine gift that I had to take the night off and browse through every single colorful recipe.  There is something exciting about two traditional, authentic, brawly Italian men, creating full succulent simplistic meals (within minutes), that appeals to almost anyone’s appetite. 
 

One recipe that really caught my eye was the Housewives’ Chicken in White Wine and Vinegar. Despite the sexist connotations behind this title, the minimalism of the ingredients was just what I needed for the night. The results were quite surprising considering the lack of effort on my part. The chicken was extremely juicy and tender. It literally melted off the bones with a light citrus flavor allowing the cloves and peppercorn to shine through. The origin of this recipe (per our big boy authors), is that “housewives” would combine all the ingredients to marinate in the morning and leave to go work in the fields all day….only to come back home and serve this no fuss flavorful meal to their loving husbands and children. These women seemed to do it all, and almost certainly the dishes too. Well, times have definitely changed! Goodbye field working wifey’s and welcome the Real Housewives of Orange County!

Xo Dom Appetit!

PS. Serve this on a bed of jasmine rice! Yum Yum!

Housewives’ Chicken in White Wine and Vinegar

Taken from: Two Greedy Italians

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 50 mins ( I let mine cook for 1.5 ours…)

Tools Needed: large skillet and lid, cutting board knife, measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients:

1.2 kg of chicken pieces (I used legs and thighs, brown meat is the juiciest!)
600 ml of white wine
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 shallots finely sliced
2 carrots roughly chopped
1 celery stalk roughly chopped
4 bay leaves
1 green onion
2 cloves
10-15 peppercorns
40 g of butter
4 lemon slices
Salt

Directions:

1)      Place all ingredients into a large saucepan or casserole. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover with a lid, but not completely, so some of the steam can escape. Cook gently over low heat for about 50 mins, turning halfway through, until the chicken pieces have cooked through and are golden brown on all sides and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and serve with rice.