Herb crusted baked cod

This has to be my wife's favorite way to fix fish.  Whether it is cod or some other firm white flesh fish, this could not be any healthier or any easier.  The fish is prepared with nothing more than a few herbs and some olive oil, so your doctor will praise you for your extra healthy diet.  And your personal chef will be thrilled to learn that it will only take about 10 minutes to get this dish ready to put in the oven.  What more could you ask for.  Add a side dish of your favorite vegetable, and maybe a rice pilaf, and the family will be signing your praises.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs cod fish fillets
2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil, tarragon, etc)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Use cooking spray to coat a baking dish (9 x 13) large enough to hold the fish in a single layer.  Then lay the fillets on the baking sheet without crowding them and brush the top of the fish with the olive oil.

3.  Sprinkle the salt and herbs evenly over the fillets and press lightly with your fingers.  You might want to pour a little white wine or chicken broth into the baking dish before putting it in the oven to keep the fish miost.

4.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the thickest part of the largest fillet flakes easily with a fork.

5.  Serve immediately.

Mushroom stroganoff

I was looking through some old recipes the other day and came across this one, which had slipped my mind.  It was a family favorite with our three kids when they were growing up, and my wife made it often since it is fairly easy, in addition to being filling and relatively inexpensive.  I headed out to the grocery to pick up a few ingredients and set about preparing a yummy dinner.  In no time I was enjoying the flavor, and remembering when we had to double the recipe just to fill up those starving young-uns.

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces dried egg noodles


Instructions:

1.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

2.  Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring until softened. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are limp and browned.

3.  Add the flour to the mushrooms and onions and stir until it is mixed in and browned slightly.   Add the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil, stirring to combine everything.   Reduce heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes, until liquid begins to thicken.

4.  Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the sour cream.  Return the skillet to the burner, and continue cooking over low heat, for about 5 more minutes. Stir in the parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

5.  Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Chicken tortilla casserole

I love chicken tortillas, but all the stuffing and rolling and stacking can be a pain in the neck.  So here is a recipe that eliminates all those extra steps.  I like the spicy, savory flavor in this version, not too hot but definitely there.  As always, you can add more kick with more of the spice ingredients, but I think this recipe has just about the right mix for most people.  If you like cilantro, add some to the chicken mixture and then use some for garnish at the end.  However you fix it, I think this one will be a big hit at the dinner table.

Ingredients:
Makes 6 to 8 servings

3 individual boneless, skinless, chicken breast
2 tbsp. oil

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
2 to 3 tsp. your favorite hot chili sauce
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
3/4 cup sour cream
1 (4 1/2 oz) can chopped green chiles

9  9" whole wheat flour tortillas
10 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded


Instructions:

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

2.  Cut the chicken breasts into about 1" strips.  Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat, and then saute the chicken strips until cooked through, turning once while cooking.  Set aside to cool.

3.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into bite size pieces and place in bowl.   Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, chili sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss until combined and set aside.

4.  Melt the butter in the dutch oven over medium heat, and then add the onions, peppers, jalapenos, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until vegetables have softened and are beginning to turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

5.  Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, stirring, for one minute. Stir in drained tomatoes and 1 1/4 cups chicken broth. Cook until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.

6.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, chicken, and green chiles. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7.  Pour reserved tomato juice into bottom of baking dish, spreading evenly to coat. Place 2 whole tortillas in each end of the baking dish. Then tear one tortilla in half and place halves in each end of baking dish to fit the square ends.  Spread 1/3 of the chicken mixture over tortillas and sprinkle 1/3 cheese on top.

8.  Layer another 3  tortillas over cheese, and spread 1/2 of the remaining chicken mixture and 1/2 cheese over the top.  Top with 3 more tortillas, remaining chicken mixture, and remaining cheese. Bake uncovered until casserole is thoroughly heated through, bubbling, and golden, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Pizza crust

Everyone like pizza, and making yours from scratch at home lets you fix it exactly the way you like it.  Or even make smaller individual pizzas and let everyone make their own pie from a selection of toppings.  You might also try using white whole wheat flour for a healthier dough.

Ingredients:
Makes 1 -12 to 16 inch crust

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 package active dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


Instructions:

1.  Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Add the olive oil and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended, then turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until you have a smooth dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let rest for 20 minutes.

2.  Pat dough onto a pan or on to a pizza stone using fingers dipped in olive oil.  Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven.

Grain and veggie soup with pesto

This is one very yummy soup, plus it is low in fat and about as healthy as it can get.    The recipe calls for barley, but you can substitute other grains like rice, quinoa, farrow, bulgar just to mention a few.  As for the vegetables, feel free to substitute whatever is in the refrigerator, whatever looks good at the produce stand, or even use frozen vegetables.  Chicken stock is called for here, but vegetable stock is every bit as tasty.

So now give it a try and put a bowl of soup on the table that will be enjoyed by all.

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup barley, soaked for 4 hours and drained
1 1/2 cups green cabbage, roughly chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 baking potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper

For the pesto:
Handful of fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed


Instructions:

1.  Place the barley in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes, until tender.  Drain and set aside.

2.  In a large pot, combine all the vegetables with the stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 to 45 minutes, depending on how firm or soft you like the vegetables.

3.  To make the pesto, place the basil and garlic in a blender with 1/2 cup of the liquid from the vegetables.  Blend to a smooth puree.

4.  Add the puree to the soup, along with the barley, and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Shrimp creole

I may never have lived anywhere close to Louisiana or the famous Bayou, but that doesn't stop me from being able to appreciate and enjoy many of their native and signature dishes.  One of my favorites is the style of cooking known as Creole.  Almost all Creole food is heavily seasoned with some sort of pepper and is quite spicy, although the level of spice depends on who is preparing the dish.  The basic ingredient at the heart of almost all Creole dishes is a roux, which is a mixture of flour and fat (traditionally butter), and is used as a thickening agent.  It is the base used for gravies and sauces in Creole cooking, including Jambalaya and Gumbo.

Gumbo is a stewy soup that is traditionally served over cooked rice, whereas Jambalaya is a rice dish, rather like a hearty meat-and-vegetable-studded pilaf.  Jambalaya is a product of the Spanish influence in Louisiana, and was originally meant to be a substitute for paella, which is a Spanish national dish.  Both dishes typically contain some type of shell fish, such as shrimp or crawfish, and may include other meats such as chicken, sausage, beef and/or pork.

But enough about the derivation of these wonderful culinary delights.  This recipe is for Shrimp Creole, and is actually fairly easy to prepare.  You will spend a little time at the beginning doing some slicing and dicing, but from then on it is a one pot meal (excluding the rice) that simply needs time to cook and simmer and get all those wonderful flavors mixed together.

Ingredients:
Makes 3 to 5 servings

3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (or yellow or red)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cold water
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooked white or brown rice


Instructions:

1.  Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large heavy skillet and cook the onion, celery, peppers and garlic over medium low heat until tender, about 10 minutes.

2.  Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, chili powder, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking.

3.  Increase the heat to medium.  Mix the cornstarch and water, and stir into the tomato mixture.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the shrimp are done, having a pink color.

Serve the gumbo ladled over a bed of rice, and garnish with some chopped green onions if desired.

Mom's lasagna

This is my mother's lasagna and and I think it is pretty hard to beat.  It was always a big treat when she said she was making lasagna and I could hardly wait for it to come out of the oven.  My wife copied mom's recipe, and then when she hung up her pot holders, I carried on the family tradition.  This recipe calls for lasagna noodles from the grocery, but I tend to make my own pasta most of the time and can roll the noodles much thinner.  That allows me to add more layers and will probably require a deeper baking dish.  Finally, since you are going to the effort of making this family favorite, why not make two and freeze one for later.  When preparing the frozen one, let it thaw completely and then bake for about an hour.

Ingredients:
Make 6/8 servings

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can tomato paste
1 cup water
2 cups tomato juice
1 (14 oz) can sliced mushrooms
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper
Pinch of dried oregano and basil leaves
1 pound Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
9 lasagna noodles, either pre-cooked or no cook
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, and then add the beef, onions and garlic.  Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until beef is browned and the onions are translucent.

3.  Add the tomato paste, water, tomato juice, bay leaves, salt, pepper, oregano and basil.  Stir to combine, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.

4.  In a bowl, beat the egg and then mix well with the cottage cheese.

5.  In a 9" x 13" baking dish, place a small amount of the meat mixture in the bottom and then top with 3 noodles, 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the Mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 of the cottage cheese.  Repeat with another layer of noodles, meat sauce and cheeses.  Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining meat sauce.  Sprinkle top evenly with Parmesan cheese.

6.  Place in oven and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, until it begins to bubble in the center.  Cover with foil near the end if the top begins to get too brown.

7.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.