On a Health Kick

Tonight, I decided to make a very healthy dinner. I wanted to make a halibut dish, but since it isn't in season until April, I got some cod fillets instead. With our fish, we had steamed broccoli, jasmine rice and fruit salad (oranges, honey tangerines, pink grapefruit, bananas). My wife, who is reading over my shoulder said, "It was delicious. It didn't taste like a healthy dinner. You need to tell them that!"

Ginger-Steamed Cod

4 scallions, thinly sliced (white & light green parts only)
1 (1") piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced in very thin strips
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. honey
2 (6 oz.) halibut fillets (skinless & boneless)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 2 12x20 inch pieces of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Mix all but fish in a small bowl. Place fillets on foil. Top each with 1/2 the scallion mixture. Fold the foil over the fish and seal. Place on baking sheet and bake 12-14 minutes.

Now, I'm going to have a mug of tea and some amaretti before I snug into bed.

Counteracting Teen Monotony

Our dear oldest has chosen frozen chicken patty sandwiches for both of his meal choices this month. This is why we only let them pick once a week, alternating weeks. Otherwise, we'd be living on burgers, pizza, tacos and convenience foods. To make dinner a little more interesting, but still Boot-friendly, I made a couple of dips to go with dinner. Knowing how much Boot adores Velveeta, I decided to try a chip dip recipe that I got from Country Weekly magazine. The late Chris LeDoux contributed the recipe. I also made a sour cream based fruit dip because I knew my wife would love it. I had salad, too.

Rodeo Dip

Large package Velveeta, cubed (I actually only made a third of the recipe and it worked out fine...we happened to have that much left over from the last dip we made for Boot, so if you have some hanging around, use what you have)
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 onion slices, finely chopped
1 small can chopped green chiles

Melt the Velveeta. Add the rest. Serve warm with tortilla chips. The fresh tomato is a nice switch from the usual Ro*Tel and without meat, it's much lighter. Also, I used 2% Velveeta.

Sour Cream Fruit Dip

4 tbsp. powdered sugar
1 c. sour cream (I used light)
2-3 tbsp. lemon zest

Mix sugar with sour cream. Add lemon zest. Chill 1-2 hours. Serve with fruit.

Spicy Fried Chicken for a Chilly Night

Tonight, everyone seemed to like the main course, at least. Boot even deigned to tell me, "This is good chicken." Although it's called "spicy," it's pretty tame in actuality. J's favorite, however, was the butternut squash. I served both with baked potatoes and applesauce.

Spicy Fried Chicken

1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. finely-crushed potato chips
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Pepper
2 eggs
1 tbsp. water
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2-3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. milk

Mix first 6 together. Beat the eggs with the water. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then dredge in flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet & cook until golden on both sides (about 10 minutes per side). Drain on paper-towel-lined plate and keep warm. Alternately, you can bake the chicken. Wipe out skillet & melt butter in it. Add onion & sauté until translucent. Add 3 tbsp. of the flour used for dredging. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk and stir over medium heat until thickened & bubbly. Serve over chicken. Serves 6.

Roasted Balsamic Butternut with Italian Cheese

1 butternut squash, peeled & diced
1/4 c. chicken stock
Scant 1/8 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. sage
1/4 c. grated asiago, parmesan, Grana Padano (whichever you prefer)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook squash in boiling water 5 minutes. Drain. Put in baking dish with next 5 ingredients. Toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Roast 1/2 hour, until golden on top. Serves 3.

Mexi-Breakfast

While the breakfast-for-dinner I prepared last night was not necessarily authentic Mexican food, it did have some of the elements of Mexican cooking, like avocados and certain spices. The boys had theirs American-style (Pie couldn't decide what kind of eggs he wanted, so he had one boiled, one fried and one made into a small omelet...Boot Velveeta-ized the beautiful pepper-jack scrambled eggs J made him) but J and I really enjoyed our spicy supper. I fried our eggs in a cast-iron skillet just until the bottoms were set. Then, I topped them with slices of pepper-jack cheese and popped them under the broiler until they were fully cooked and the cheese was melted. Meanwhile, I toasted English muffins and placed avocado slices on them. When the eggs were done, I slid them onto the prepared English muffins. It was delicious, like a new kind of Eggs Benedict. J added sour cream to hers & I imagine that salsa would go nicely, as well. J cooked some bacon to go alongside and I made Mexican-spiced potatoes, which I reheated for breakfast this morning.

Mexican Potatoes

4 potatoes, diced with skins on
1 tomato, diced
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
Dash cayenne
2 tbsp. butter

Boil potatoes until tender, then drain. Heat oil in skillet and add spices, stirring to combine well. Add potatoes and butter, turning gently to coat the potatoes thoroughly. Add tomatoes and toss gently. Serve hot.

I'm Melting

When we were getting our hair done and brows waxed at the local Aveda salon, J's stylist happened to mention that she had discovered a gem of a lunch spot called Melt in Lakewood. Their specialty is grilled cheese, something I am almost always happy to eat. Melt has scads of varieties, from The Kindergarten (basic American on Texas toast) and peanut butter and banana with sweet cream cheese to more exotic choices like the Spinach Pie (feta-based) and North Coast Shores (starring crab cakes and wilted garlic spinach with herbed cream cheese). This time around (and there will be a next time), J chose the Mushroom Melt and was rewarded with an enormous sandwich overflowing with lush portabellas, port-doused caramelized onions and provolone. I had the stellar and spicy chorizo and potato grilled cheese. Wow! Along with the sandwiches came a wonderfully simple cole slaw, lacking the revolting pool of sweet white juice that cole slaw frequently entails. Also, some of the best fries I've had in ages, deeply potato-y and just the right crispness. We had intended to save some of our appetizer, a bowl of the house soup, for dipping sandwiches into. However, the garlic & tomato concoction was too good to resist and had vanished completely, leaving only the taste of summer amped up with a shitload of garlic in our smiling mouths. Although I wanted to try the Guinness chocolate cake, it will have to wait. Half my sandwich more than filled me.

The full name is Melt Bar & Grilled, a testament to the 100+ beers available. The atmosphere is definitely more bar than sophisticated dining room...and is just right that way! A mixed crowd of elegant-looking older women, moms with toddlers and uber-hip twenty-somethings filled the small space, suggesting that early arrival on Sundays is crucial. From the Cleveland memorabilia on the walls to the kitchen implements embedded in a colorful glass window, everything under the vividly-colored pressed tin ceiling seems geared for a fun atmosphere. Menus are pasted on old LP covers (I was a bit chagrined to get stuck with Lionel Richie while my wife got The Ramones...life is just not fair sometimes!) and servers are punkish and friendly. My kind of place. www.meltbarandgrilled.com.

Battle of the Indies & the Chains

I like to find little independent restaurants and I don't mind driving a ways to find them. My wife likes good old reliable chains and prefers to stay within a 5 mile radius of home. Luckily, we are patient with one another's restaurant quirks. Friday night, J gave me the go-ahead to pick any place that wasn't outrageously far from home. We poked our heads in the Ironwood Cafe in Bay Village, but decided that it looked a little sketchy & the menu didn't look outstanding. J thought it smelled bad, too. So, we walked on down to Arrabiata's, which I had heard good buzz about. We were surprised to be able to get a seat so quickly on a Friday night. The house was full, so we apparently just got lucky. Everyone in our particular dining room was in a very convivial mood. The high spirits seemed to be reflected in the wait staff, as well. The restaurant was attractively decorated, with big windows looking out on the rainy streets. The lighting was dim enough to be pleasant, but not so dim that presentation wasn't an issue. I like to be able to see my food.

I started with a Brandy Alexander, since I had never tried one before. It was like a swanky milkshake, quite delicious but certainly not something to order every day. Or even every month. Our waitress brought a loaf of fragrant, hot bread and a dollop of what I think was sundried tomato butter. For an appetizer, we had the artichokes d'agnese, which were very good, although I probably wouldn't bread them if I made them at home. They were breaded & fried artichoke hearts in a luscious lemon butter sauce. I would eat the sauce on anything and I am in luck because they offer both a chicken and a veal agnese. I know what I'm having next time. For my main course, I had the chicken parm, which was unlike most versions I've had. The chicken breasts had been left as is rather than pounded thin, yielding a very juicy dish. The linguine with marinara sauce on the side was cooked just right and the sauce was very flavorful. But, when I bit J's veal romano, I was instantly jealous. Our waitress had recommended it & she was absolutely on target. J was very pleased with it, particularly the gorgeous fat mushrooms. It was in a white wine butter sauce with a smidgy bit of cream, but not enough to make it heavy. There were bits of salty prosciutto, peas and a nice solid onion flavor. Despite my qualms about veal, I found it superbly delicious. Since we had Harry & David cheesecake waiting at home, we skipped dessert but I have a suspicion that the tiramisu is great.

Saturday night, with private reluctance, I gave J free rein on dinner. She suggested TGI Friday's and I grumpily complied. I was thrilled when they were slammed, with nary a parking space. She was very hungry and cranky with me for being grumpy about going to a chain. She snapped that "some people would be really grateful if they got to have dinner at Friday's." I thought, but did not say, "But every third night, dear?" I exaggerate. I suggested we try the local Applebee's and we were able to get a seat immediately. We were both so hungry that we got two appetizers. J had broiled shimp with 3 dipping sauces (the avocado one was pretty decent, actually) and I had their boneless wings, which are reliably good if predictable. I should have stopped there, but I ordered a steak, too. It was so thoroughly doused with Liquid Smoke (or something of that ilk) as to be extremely unappetizing and I did not finish. Nor was I impressed with my mashed potatoes or steamed veggies (read squash). J was happy with her steak, although she later admitted to me that it had a certain chemical smoke flavor, as well. Someone overdid the marinating, I expect. It will be a very, very long time before I have another steak there. Yuck! However, dessert made the whole thing, even the gratingly abrupt service, worth it. We had the white chocolate walnut blondie (or whatever they are calling it these days) with extra sauce and it was fantastic!

Overall, I'd say the indie won hands down. J thought Arrabiata's was great, too. For more info, www.arrabiatas.com.

Champps

I was skeptical of yet another sports bar chain restaurant, but my beloved was having nothing to do with being in the car longer than about 5 minutes, so Champps it was. I find the name offensive, the double P especially so. However, the food was decent and the menu was surprisingly diverse for that genre of restaurant. We saw several appetizers that looked interesting, but were put off by the high prices. I don't think an appetizer in a sports bar should be more than about $7. Theirs ran from about $9 to maybe $12, which seems fine for The Winds, but crazily high for a sports bar.

Since that was the genre, I opted for sports bar food, a half slab of ribs with garlic mashed potatoes. The ribs were decidedly tender and quite good, but the sauce was not stellar. Not bad, just not Bubba's or Corky's, definitely big chain fare. The mashed potatoes had a weird consistency, kind of glue-y. However, the garlic flavor was pronounced, a plus for me. If only they could get the texture right. J had the fish & chips and what magnificent fried fish that was! I wished I had ordered that, but it so often isn't done well. This was...Sam Adams batter, high quality fish. Man, I would go back there just for that. Her waffle fries were pretty good, too, and she reported that the cole slaw was great. Dessert was not so hot, though. I was quite disappointed in it, in fact. The cookie was cold and dried out, the ice cream unexciting, the mocha & butterscotch sauces bland. J really liked the whipped topping, however. I guess my expectations were too elevated due to the scrumptious cookie & ice cream concoction I had at Forge in the Forest. Oh, well.

The atmosphere was much nicer than I expected, feeling like a quiet, private place rather than a noisy, crowded sports bar. This is due as much to the design as to a mellow crowd. Our waitress was also very friendly and happy to make recommendations. While some of it felt more like an annoying required spiel to chain specs than genuine conversation, we did get some of the latter further along in our dinner. The people in the kitchen seemed to be having a good time, which is always nice to see. Less nice was the original seat we were offered, which felt like it was right in the path of people going in & out of the kitchen. Luckily, J asked for a different booth.

Late Night Burgers

J had to work quite late Wednesday night. It's review time & she needs to get them all written pronto. So, I fed Pie the burger he requested (Wednesday is kids' pick night) and Boot and I kept him company, vulturing his fries. Well, actually Boot was vulturing, I got my own handful from the baking sheet. Boot had eaten at Subway after the basketball game, I was waiting to eat with my dear wifey poo when she finally got home. Since the kids like their burgers plain, I just added a little salt and some Jarlsburg cheese for Pie. I spiced ours up a little, though, mixing cumin, chili powder and garlic powder into the meat before making the patties. Then, I mashed up some guacamole and we had that on our burgers, along with jack cheese, sour cream and salsa. Good and very, very easy, especially since I used frozen fries. I like tater tots better, but I am the only one in the house who does. We did salad and melon, too.

If You Don't Mention Curry Powder

My children will eat it. The kids were in an oppositional mood last night, but ate well and heartily. This is because I prudently didn't say words like "curry" and "saffron" within their earshot. They accepted the yellow color of the rice as having been produced by dye, I imagine, and didn't pick up on the curry powder and paprika in the chicken coating, just asking for more "fried chicken." Ha! The sweet thrill of victory!

I served chicken with artichoke cream sauce, asparagus (purchased on a whim at the market by my asparagus-loving wife), saffron rice and green melon (known to the world at large as honeydew) for dinner last night. Here's what I did:

Chicken with Artichoke Cream Sauce

1 lb. thinly pounded chicken breasts (the skinless, boneless variety)
4 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
Small jar marinated artichoke hearts (6.5 oz.)
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. heavy cream

Mix flour and spices together. Rinse chicken & pat dry. Dredge in flour. Melt butter in skillet. Cook chicken, in batches, thoroughly (3-5 minutes per side). Remove to 200 degree oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet. Add artichokes, wine and cream. Cook until thickened. Serve over chicken. I would double the sauce recipe if I thought the children might also eat it. In fact, I might double the sauce recipe next time anyway.

I also served the chicken over saffron rice. You could use a pre-packaged kind or make your own, which is infinitely better and worked out nicely for me because I had plenty of saffron on hand from making sweet buns for St. Lucia's Day.

Saffron Rice

1 c. jasmine rice (or whichever variety you prefer, but I really do recommend long-grain rice)
1/2 tsp. saffron threads
3 tbsp. + 2 c. boiling water
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt

Let the saffron sit in 3 tbsp. boiling water 10 minutes. Heat butter in large pan. Add the onions & sauté about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir for about 5 minutes. Add 2 c. boiling water and salt. Bring to a boil. Add saffron & water it soaked in. Stir gently, cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Fluff before serving. (if serving with Indian food, it's nice to toss in some cinnamon stick pieces & some whole cloves, maybe 5 of them, before you add the onions to the butter. A smidge of cardamom as the rice cooks imparts a wonderful flavor, as well)

I just steamed the asparagus in my steamer & melted some butter with some key lime juice for dipping.

Ohio City Pasta

While we were at the market yesterday, we spent a decent amount of time standing in front of the Ohio City Pasta stand oohing and ahhing. We picked up half a pound of their black pepper fettucine, which is delicious! I made a very quick and easy dinner tonight using it. I ended up being the only one eating it the way I prepared it. I made a gorgonzola sage sauce to toss with it, but J eschews all of the blues, for the most part. She had the pasta with butter and Grana Padano. Pie opted for plain pasta, butter only. J made a pizza just for Boot, but he erupted into a fit of angst just before dinner and refused to eat, so I guess he can have it for breakfast. Won't be as good, but that's not my problem. I thought the sauce I made was just divine, but I am a great lover of stinky cheese. I served romaine salad, Italian bread and fresh pineapple chunks with it.

Gorgonzola Sage Sauce

1 1/2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 c. milk
4 oz. gorgonzola, crumbled (I used some Amish gorgonzola that was fabulous)
Freshly ground pepper & nutmeg

Melt butter in a skillet. Add sage & stir for about a minute. Add milk & gorgonzola. Stir until cheese is thoroughly melted and sauce is smooth. Add seasonings. Toss with pasta (I used 1/2 lb. fresh pasta) and serve hot. I scattered some grated Grana Padano on it, too. Serves 2 hungry people.

Ohio City Pasta:
3117 Detroit Ave
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
216.696.3388

Peppery!

We went to the West Side Market today and J picked out some lovely rib steaks with no particular plan for them. I had planned to make steak au poivre last night, but our dear family friend Shari called earlier in the week to suggest a celebration of my granddad's 88th birthday at Red Lobster. My grandparents were in the area, visiting with her mom on the way home from Christmas in Vermont so it worked out perfectly. So, we took Pie (Boot having prior plans with his buddies) with us. It was a merry party. Shari, her mom (my "second grandma") and her daughter, Kat were there. Shari showed off Kat's brand-spanking-new engagement ring. I can still remember when she was born! My baby uncle & his wife were there. My grands were there. A wonderful evening! Pie really enjoyed his dinner, with the exception of the stuffed flounder. He keeps ordering it and it's invariably too sweet for him. But, he ate the heck out of his crab legs and his steak. He says he should've had the lobster tail. That boy loves him some shellfish! He comments that the steak was "rather dry. You know, in a seafood place." J had an "okay" meal of scallops, shrimp scampi and stuffed flounder. I had grilled tilapia (I had hoped they'd have mahi-mahi, but none such luck) with a baked potato & a salad.

When I saw those steaks, I offered to take over dinner tonight. J accepted and I had a ball cooking. I made steak au poivre, baked potatoes and Italian walnut salad. J chunked a gorgeous pineapple we got at the market for our dessert. She swears it tastes like candy, I think it's better.

Steak au Poivre

3 tbsp. peppercorns (I used the 5 pepper blend from Williams-Sonoma)
2 rib steaks, about 16 oz. each (NY strips would work fine, too)
Salt
1 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. minced onion
1/2 c. brandy/cognac
2/3 c. heavy cream

Crush peppercorns in a ziploc-type bag (I used a meat pounder). Rinse steaks & pat dry. Press pepper into both sides of each steak. Let stand about an hour at room temperature. Salt the steaks. Heat oil and butter in skillet on medium-high heat, melting butter. Cook steaks in skillet to preferred doneness (I did ours about 3 minutes per side) & keep warm in oven. Pour off fat in skillet. Add onion to skillet, along with 2 tbsp. butter. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add brandy & bring to a boil. Continue to boil until liquid resembles a glaze, about 2 minutes. Add cream and any meat juices which have accumulated in the pan which the steaks are keeping warm on. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the liquid is slightly thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Add salt if needed. Cut steaks in half and serve with sauce. Serves 4.

Italian Walnut Salad

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. Grana Padano (or similar cheese such as parmegiano-reggiano or asiago), shredded
1 stalk celery, finely-chopped
1 c. walnuts, finely-chopped
1 head Boston lettuce, well-rinsed

Mash garlic into paste with salt. Whisk with mayonnaise, lemon juice and olive oil. Add everything but lettuce. Chill at least 1 hour. Divide lettuce evenly among 4 bowls. Divide walnut mixture evenly, placing a scoop on each bowl of lettuce. Serves 4. J says that this is her favorite food in the entire world now. She wants it for her birthday dinner, along with a chocolate bundt cake.

Playing with New Cooking Toys

J got some new cooking tools for Christmas and tried them out tonight. I played sous chef and made a suggestion here and there. Boot was very glad he had eaten at Subway with his friend because he doesn't like fancy food and Pie was ecstatic at the meal here, although he says he likes leg of lamb better than lamb chops. We had lamb chops with rosemary yogurt sauce, potatoes fried in bacon grease with onions and garlic, spinach salad and Italian bread. I got wigged out halfway through my lamb and had to stop eating it. I am fine for the first little bit, but then start thinking about what I'm eating. But, it was really yummy before I thought about gamboling.

Lamb Chops with Rosemary Yogurt Sauce

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 lamb chops
Salt & pepper
1/2 c. Greek yogurt (this stuff is fabulous with a drizzle of honey and a smidge of fresh thyme)
1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp. minced fresh dill
Juice of 1 smallish lemon

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add oil and heat. Salt & pepper the lamb. Brown on both sides about 4-5 minutes for medium-rare (and I wouldn't take lamb chops much past med-rare). Mix yogurt with the rest of the ingredients to make a sauce for the lamb. Incidentally, the sauce is really good over fried potatoes, too...and would probably complement an omelet very nicely.

Annual New Year's White Dinner

But first, New Year's Eve! Lacking a sitter and down with colds, we stayed in last night, toasting the new year's arrival with ice water. After a spectacular anniversary weekend at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, I was perfectly happy to ring in 2007 at home. I played with recipes while J & the boys had an X-Files marathon. For dinner, J made a cheese pizza and I made arancini for the first time. I had never even eaten them before, but was intrigued by the idea. I will definitely be making them again.

Arancini

2 lg. eggs, beaten
2 c. cooked rice (I used jasmine rice...have heard arborio recommended, but the jasmine worked
nicely for me)
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1 1/2 c. dry breadcrumbs
A good couple-few shakes of Italian seasoning (or use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs)
2 oz. mozzarella, cut in 1/2" cubes (I used fresh mozzarella)
Oil for frying
Salt

Heat about 3" of oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Mix eggs, rice, parmesan and 1/2 c. of the breadcrumbs together. Season with Italian seasoning. Form into small balls, pushing a cube of cheese into the center of each & sealing closed around it. It is easier to do this step if you run your hands under cold water between balls. Roll each ball in a mixture of the remaining cup of breadcrumbs and a generous shaking of seasoning. Fry in oil until uniformly golden. Place on paper towel lined plate and salt. Allow to cool a couple minutes before serving. This makes 20-25. I imagine they would be tasty with meats like sopressata or crisp pancetta thrown in, too.

This morning, I felt a special breakfast was in order. J & the boys did not share my opinion. The boys opted for Lean Pockets, while J ate her beloved Walker's shortbread for her New Year's breakfast. She says that she always eats those mindfully, enjoying every bite, not trying to do 2 or 3 things at once, without a racing mind. I made myself some Welsh rarebit on toast. My mom used to make it for me when I was a kid & I have never lost my love of it.

Welsh Rarebit

2 c. grated sharp cheddar
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
3/4 c. beer
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I always splash in a bit more, as I like my rarebit nice & sharp)
Toast or English muffins

Toss the cheese with the dry ingredients. Heat the beer and Worcestershire sauce until hot but not boiling. Add the cheese a small amount at a time, stirring to thoroughly melt before adding more. Keep stirring until smooth. Serve over toast. This serves 1-2 people.

My New Year's Day dinner never varies. I sear a few pork chops on both sides in a skillet. Then, I add sauerkraut & turn down the heat. I like my sauerkraut to get kind of brown & crispy & pork-flavored. If you do, too, drain it before adding it to the skillet. You can also leave the juice for less browning. I cover the skillet and let it cook on low heat for about an hour. I also serve mashed potatoes and black-eyed peas spiced up with some garlic, hot sauce and salt. This year, I experimented with adding a smidge of thyme, too, as a purely symbolic measure. It was a good addition. We had this with buttered Italian bread and orange wedges.

Happy New Year, everyone!