The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) craft show (S) Brazilian Fish Stew
Sun (L) leftover spicy rice noodles (S) leftover squash "chili"
Mon (yoga) leftover fish stew
Tues - take n bake pizza
Wed - pork chops
Thurs (yoga) leftover squash "chili"
Fri (yoga) pork chops
Lunches (Husband) Sandwiches; (Me) winter vegetable dal
Brazilian Shrimp and Fish Stew (ATK)
Aka: "Moqueca"
When I saw this on an episode of ATK back in October, I knew this was a "must make". I finally had an opportunity to try this and it didn't disappoint. The pepper sauce was the perfect amount of heat for me, but it could definitely be a bit much for those with sensitive taste buds or the kiddos. Definitely serve on the side and let people adjust the heat to their liking.
We all thought this was good - a combination of sweet from the peppers, balanced by the briny shrimp and the creamy cod. The coconut milk really balanced out all the flavors perfectly.
This took me about an hour from start to finish in part because I was not in my own kitchen, and in part it was a new recipe. Would I make this again? YES. A definite and most resolute YES.
Pepper Sauce
4 pickled hot cherry pepper (3 ounces)
½ onion, chopped coarse
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ teaspoon sugar
Salt
Stew
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| photo from AmericasTestKitchen.com |
1 pound skinless cod fillets (¾ to 1 inch thick), cut into 1½-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
(I had to buy a 28 oz can and use half)
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk (I used regular, NOT lite coconut milk)
2 tablespoons lime juice
Serves 4-6 easily.
FOR THE PEPPER SAUCE: Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Season with salt to taste and transfer to separate bowl. Rinse out processor bowl.
FOR THE STEW: Toss shrimp and cod with garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Set aside.
Process onion, tomatoes and their juice, and ¼ cup cilantro in food processor until finely chopped and mixture has texture of pureed salsa, about 30 seconds.
Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add red and green bell peppers and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion-tomato mixture and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until puree has reduced and thickened.
Increase heat to high, stir in coconut milk, and bring to boil (mixture should be bubbling across entire surface). Add seafood mixture and lime juice and stir to evenly distribute seafood, making sure all pieces are submerged in liquid. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand until shrimp and cod are opaque and just cooked through, 15 minutes.
Recipe tip: Serve with steamed rice.; My note - I didn't. I served with warmed rustic sourdough.
Winter Vegetable Dal (Eating Well Magazine, Soup edition) vegetarian/vegan
This came together very quickly - probably in an hour or less from the time I pulled out the spices and veggies from the fridge to turning off the stove. In part his was because my squash was already cubed and ready to go. If you have to prep your squash, it'll take longer.
A couple of notable substitutions: I forgot to buy a Serrano chili, so I added some hot red pepper flakes and a pinch of cayenne pepper; I left my garlic at my Folks place, so no garlic; I used brown lentils instead of red, because the recipe I was working off of didn't say; and I used regular coconut milk instead of lite, because I like the flavor better.
This was...okay. Not quite stellar, not quite "bleh". Not spicy, but not entirely mild. Just...middle of the road. I think if I were to make this again I would use red lentils, the brown being a bit to earthy and overwhelming the squash and cauliflower. Recommended with some little reservations.
Serves 6-ish
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| Photo from eatingwell.com |
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
12 fresh curry leaves (see Tip) or 1 large bay leaf
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 serrano chile, finely diced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups red lentils, rinsed (I used brown lentils)
1 (14 ounce) can
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 ½ cups cubed peeled butternut squash
2 cups cauliflower florets (1-inch)
1 large Yukon Gold potato (about 8 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons lime juice
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves (if using) and cook until the seeds begin to pop, about 20 seconds. Add onion, chile, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add bay leaf (if using), water, lentils, coconut milk, salt and turmeric to the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to make sure the lentils don't stick to the bottom. Add squash, cauliflower and potato; return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in garam masala and lime juice.
Pan Seared Pork Chops with Dirty Rice (modified from ATK)
This was a weeknight meal, but on a night I got home from work a bit earlier than usual. Prep to table was probably an hour total? And I will add, totally worth it! This was outstanding!
A couple modifications - I used thin chops instead of thick because that's what I had in my freezer. Worked very well and I just modified my cooking times. I didn't have red bell, so I subbed celery. If I make this again, I would use both because the flavors are very New Orleans. I didn't have any garlic, so that was skipped. And I used a Cajun spice blend (there's those New Orleans flavors!).
Don't skip rinsing the rice! I'm finding that's a key step in rice dishes.
This turned out just yummy. Rice was perfectly cooked, the seasonings so well balanced. I loved the celery as a sub for red pepper - little hits of sweetness. Pork chops turned out beautifully cooked (again, I decreased cooking times). If I made this again (and I probably will), I would season the chops with some of the cajun blend. Recommended!
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
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| photo from ATK.com |
4 bone-in pork rib chops (I used thin chops, recipe called for thick)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 ounces chorizo sausage, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
1 small onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
2 celery stalked, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried
¾ teaspoon chili powder or Cajun spice blend
Meanwhile, pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the pork chops in the skillet and cook until well browned on one side, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the pork chops to a plate.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet and return the skillet to medium heat. Add the chorizo, onion, and bell pepper and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and Cajun spice blend and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups broth and microwaved rice, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the pork chops into the rice, browned side up, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the pork chops register 140 to 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, the rice is tender, and the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat, cover and let stand. Serve.
Recipe Tip: If you can’t find chorizo sausage, use andouille or linguica (my comment - kielbasa would also be very good)
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