Well the kids are back to school and we've reconvened our cooking group. However, this year we're only going to meet twice a month. We were meeting every week but as the kids get older (all our kids are a whopping six years old) , our lives are getting busier. In between ballet, karate, gymnastics, softball, piano lessons, swim lessons, it's becoming difficult just finding a time to meet. But, maybe, just maybe, our meals will be even MORE fantastic and MORE delicious now that we have more time to think and prepare. =)
This week I chose the menu of Baked Parmesan Tilapia, Polenta with Cheese, Garlic & Chard and a Mixed Green Salad with Grapes, Fennel, Gorgonzola, and Pecans. Wow! Did I have trouble getting started. I settled on Tilapia and then I toiled over the accompaniments. My first inclination is to always go Asian but I didn't really think soy would match well with Parmesan cheese. So next I pulled out all my Sunset magazines and Cook's Illustrated magazines. Those are pretty much my go to magazines and cookbooks. When I first got married my brother gave me a decade of hardbound Cook's Illustrated magazines. To this day it's one of the best presents I've ever received as almost everything I've made from those magazines has been amazing. Sure enough I found the Salad in the November/December 2006 issue of Cook's Illustrated. The Polenta recipe was from a William Sonoma Slowcooker cookbook. Last week I had made polenta, for the first time, for a gourmet dinner club that I am part of. Yes I was intimidated cuz what does a Korean know about Polenta? It was delicious and I knew the ladies would probably enjoy it. AND, since it was a slow cooker recipe, it wasn't as labor intensive as most polenta recipes. Finally, I chose a Tilapia recipe. I find that Tilapia is a forgiving fish to cook. It's hard to overcook and it's usually a crowd pleaser. It's kind of like the Golden Retriever of fishes. Everyone likes it. I also make it a lot as my whole family gobbles it up. When you have 6 year old twins, it can be hard finding something everyone likes.
Enjoy,
Jeanne
Baked Parmesan Tilapia from Food.com
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs tilapia fillets
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2/3-3/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon parsley
Directions:
- Spray baking pan(s) with nonstick cooking spray. ( I actually prefer to use parchment paper.)
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place beaten eggs in a shallow dish. Stir in mayo and lemon juice. Stir until well-combined.
- In a separate shallow dish, stir together breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and he herbs/spices. Mix well.
- Dip each fillet into the egg/may/lemon juice misture (coat both sides). Let excess drip off, then dip into breadcrumb/cheese mixture to coat both sides.
- Place coated fillets in prepared backing pan(s). Bake, uncovered at 400 for 20-30 minutes of until fish is white and flaky inside.
Mmmmmmmm..... my uber heath conscious husband nearly gagged when he saw me dipping the fish in the mayo mixture but come on... it's not that much mayo and at least it's baked, not fried. Plus it tastes sooooooooo good.
Baby Mixed Green Salad with Grapes, Fennel, Gorgonzola, and Pecans adapted from Cook's Illustrated, November & December 2006. This salad actually called for Arugula but selfishly I substituted Baby Mixed Greens as I prefer them to straight Arugula.
Ingredients:
- 4 teaspoons apricot jam
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, mince very fine (1 tablespoon)
- Table salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 small fennel bub, cored, trimmed of stalks, and sliced very thin (about 1 cup); fronds chopped coarse (about 1/4 cup)
- 5 ounces lightly packed baby mixed greens or arugula (8 cups)
- 6 ounces red seedless grapes, halved lengthwise (about 1 cup)
- 3 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (I used the spicy candied pecans from Trader Joes. They are so yummy.)
Directions:
Whisk jam, vinegar, oil, shallot, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Toss fennel with vinaigrette; let stand 15 minutes. Add mixed greens, fennel fronds, and grapes; toss and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Divide salad among individual plates; top each with portion of Gorgonzola and pecans. Serve immediately.
Serves 6
Polenta with Cheese, Garlic & Chard from William Sonoma
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (32 fl oz/1 l) chicken stock
- 1 cup (7 oz/220 g) stone-ground polenta (I was unfamiliar with polenta and was not quite sure what I was looking for in the supermarket. I ended up buying Red Mills Corn Grits Polenta and it came out great)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 bunch Swiss chard (I used Rainbow Chard from Whole Foods. Delicious!)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup (6oz/185 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 lb (125 g) fontina cheese, cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped ( I prefer them whole and was too lazy to chop so they're whole in my salad).
In a slow cooker, stir together the stock, polenta, 1 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Cover and cook on the low setting for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. (The recipe called to cook it for 3 - 3 1/2 hours but I found mine cooked it much faster). Stir 3 or 4 times if possible. The liquid should be absorbed and the polenta should be thick and soft and no longer gritty.
About 20 minutes before the polenta is ready, cut off the stems from teh chard leaves. Chop the chard stems crosswise into small pieces. Cut the leaves crosswise about 1 inch (2.5cm) wide. In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cherry tomatoes, and chard leaves and season well with salt and pepper. Stir well, cover the pan, and cook until the leaves are wilted and tender, 4-5 minutes more.
About 5 minutes before the polenta is ready, stir in the Parmesan and dot the top with the fontina, then re-cover.
Spoon the polenta into warm shallow bowls and top with the chard mixture. Scatter the pine nuts over the top. Serve at once.
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