Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Well I guess yesterday was a pasta kind of day! I had about a quart of sweet sungold cherry tomato's, which I roasted in olive oil. I tossed those with one fresh red tomato, some red peppers I had roasted a couple days ago, some cubes of fresh mozzerella, red pepper flakes, fresh basil and angel hair pasta. I ment to add fresh asparagus, but just now realized I forgot it. LOL. I guess we're having asparagus tonight! We topped the pasta dish off with slices of grilled chicken. A glass of wine, but no dessert.

Laurie

Little party for five last night:

salmon cakes appetizer
black olives
white bean and tomato salsa

spagetti with pork sausage (sauce low simmered in the oven all day)
romaine salad
fresh breadmaker bread

mint chocolate chip ice cream with coconut cookies

Lots and lots of red wine.

I've got my third load going in the dishwasher and still have a pile on the countertop.

eb

That's a lot of dishes for 5 people! Must be all those wine glasses..

Chicken breasts sautéed with onion powder and sage, then baked in hard cider. Mac-n-cheeze from the blue box and spinach. The m&c was requested by a 5 year old, who kind of liked the chicken. Her older brother ate his all up. Considering I started with cheap frozen "enhanced" chicken, I wasn't unhappy. Getting some nice browning and a good fond from them was a chore, I tell you, a real chore.
It's kind of fun to cook for kids who eat what they're given (pretty much), and like new things.
I've found that kids who get to eat the same four or five meals over and over tend to be less interested in new foods in general.

Here's a nice and easy fish dish:



Italian Summer Opah

8 to 12oz thick Opah steaks*
1/3 cup good olive oil
4 small to 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
5-8 cloves garlic, smashed and cut into large pieces
1/2 cup thin-sliced red onion
salt & pepper
large glass/ceramic casserole dish, narrow but deep**

Cut the fish into two large pieces. Lightly coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the bottom of the casserole dish.

Mix the vegetables and garlic. Bury the fish under them. Drizzle with around 1/4 cup olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in a 400F oven for 25 minutes, uncovered. Dish out each piece of fish, covered in tomatoes and basil, over soft polenta, rice or risotto.

Serves 2 as a main course.***

* Swordfish steaks or tuna steaks would also work, as long as they are at least 3/4" thick.

** You want the casserole to be narrow and deep, not broad. I used a pyrex gratin dish with a 6" diameter bottom and 2" sides. The square covered corningware casseroles would probably work, or a souffle pan.

*** To serve 4, simply double the recipe and add 5 minutes to the cooking time.

Interesting combo tonight - cucumber salad from first cuke harvest (so good, I forgot how great freshly picked food tastes!), grilled pork chops marinated in buffalo wing sauce (and basted with sauce reduction), and grilled romaine with blue cheese dressing and mixed grape tomatoes.
Yum.
Oh, and no bake blueberry pudding for dessert.

I made this again with some tweaks. Served with brown rice and steamed green beans.
Oven Glazed Caribbean Chicken
http://www.recipezaar.com/142274

Grilled beautiful sea bass and corn on the cob (farmers market). Served a mango salsa with the bass and had lime butter for the corn. Also made a great salad with avocado and blueberries. It was a terrific summer dinner on the deck with friends.

Corn on the cob and tomatoes from the market. Purchased fried chicken. Home made potato salad. We seem to be repeating this menu but it sure tastes good.

Today I'm making pesto. Will have it on pasta with sliced tomatoes on the side. Basil crop is excellent. Two tomatoes have just begun to ripen. Lots of green ones coming behind.
fitzie

My upstairs neighbor bought at gas grill for the building. So I bought some gas and some mesquite smoking chips, and went for it.

So:
- Fresh Monterrey sardines marinated in rosemary, mint and garlic, wrapped in grape leaves and grilled -- wow!
- Zucchini Romani, tomatoes and onions grilled with the mesquite wood chips, chopped and tossed with fusili and olive oil.

It's summertime, even if the Bay Area weather refuses to admit it.