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Monday, August 2, 2021

Recipe Review from 7/26/21

Three outstanding recipes this week - except I realized after the fact that one recipe (the shakshuka) I've made before. Thought it seemed familiar...Anyhoo, it was obviously good enough to make again.   Everything below is recommended!

The Missouri Breaks in Montana (C) 2020


The Meal Plan:
Sat (S) leftovers (L) Out
Sun (S) pork burgers (L) Halibut kebabs
Mon (yoga/bkgrp) leftover burgers
Tues - Green Shakshuka
Wed (yoga) leftovers
Thurs - Middle Eastern Fish bowl
Fri - leftovers

Lunches - tabouli, fruit


Za'atar Halibut Kebabs with Creamy Green Harissa and Shepherd Salad (Sitka Salmon Shares)
Don't be detered by the ingredient list. This comes together fairly quickly if you follow the order in which it is written: ake the "Salad" set aside. This is what needs to sit for at least an hour. BUT! Then you can start the Green Harissa, prep the fish clean the counters and heat the grill (I cooked this on the grill). Fish goes on the grill, dishes are basically done, sit and eat! So, about an hour-ish.

Loved this!

My only observation is you can easily get four servings out of this by doubling the fish only. I had enough "salad" and Green Harissa to serve with the pork burgers (and those leftovers) and enough Green Harissa to serve with the Middle Easter Fish bowl later in the week. So, yeah, there's wiggle room to increase the fish.

Photo from Sitka Salmon Shares
Serves 2 (double the fish - or more - to serve 4 - 6)
Time: 1:00-1:15

Shepherd Salad: **Make ahead/Make first**
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 Persian cucumbers, diced
½ small red onion, diced
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup crumbled feta

Creamy Green Harissa: ½ cup whole milk yogurt
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
½ bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño, roughly chopped
3 scallions, white and light green parts roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Halibut Kebabs:
1 (8-ounce) portion halibut, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon za’atar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Warm naan, to serve

Make the shepherd salad

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let the salad sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Add the feta before serving.

Make the creamy green harissa

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the yogurt, cilantro, parsley, jalapeño, scallions, salt, cumin, olive oil, and lemon juice and pulse until smooth.

Make the halibut kebabs

Pat the halibut dry with paper towels. Carefully thread the halibut pieces onto wooden or metal skewers and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with the za’atar and salt on both sides.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the halibut kebabs and cook until golden brown, without moving, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the kebabs over and continue cooking the other side until cooked through, about 1 minute 30 seconds.

Serve

Serve the halibut kebabs with creamy green harissa, shepherd salad, and naan.


Middle Eastern White Fish Grain Bowl
(modified from Sitka Salmon Shares)
It was my intent to make this as written, but when I pulled the recipe up and noted there was an hour to marinade the fish, seeing as it was already 530pm on a Thursday, the directions were tossed out the window. I grilled the fish, zucchini and tomatoes, tossed the chickpeas with the quinoa, and swapped in chopped Swiss Chard for the spinach. Preserved lemons not easy to find in my corner of the world, so I skipped the lemons and the dressing and just drizzled everything with olive oil. While not quite the same flavor profile as below, it was still fairly easy to assemble and refreshing for an 80* day.

Photo from Sitka Salmon Shares
Serves 2 (but enough "sides" that with extra fish could easily be for 4)
1 portion (8 to 10 ounces) lingcod, cut into 2 pieces
Kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons harissa paste, depending on heat preference
2 small (7-ounce) green and/or yellow summer squash
1 whole preserved lemon, rinsed
¼ cup finely diced shallot
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Freshly ground pepper
Cooked red quinoa for serving
1 pint on-the-vine cherry tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Sliced avocado for serving
Baby spinach for serving

Marinate the fish: **I skipped

Pat the fish dry, season with salt, and rub evenly with 1 to 2 tablespoons harissa. Transfer to a foil-lined 9-inch by 13-inch baking sheet. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.

Prep the zucchini: **I grilled as "coins"

Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. **It was 80* out, I cut the squash into large coins and grilled on skewers

Meanwhile, trim the ends of the summer squash. Using a vegetable peeler, shave lengthwise into long ribbons and discard the seedy core. Roll into coils for serving, if desired. Transfer to a plate.

Make the dressing: I skipped

Cut the preserved lemon into quarters, scrape out the pulpy flesh, and discard. Finely dice the peel and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the shallot, lemon juice, and honey. Whisk in ¼ cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon half of the dressing into a small bowl and reserve for serving.

Cook the fish and tomatoes **I grilled as "coins"

Add the tomatoes (still on the vine) to the baking sheet around fish, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are just beginning to burst but still whole and the fish is opaque and flakes easily around the edges.

Serve

Add the chickpeas to the dressing in the medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide squash ribbons, chickpeas, avocado, quinoa, and spinach between 2 bowls. Top with the fish and tomatoes (still on the vine), sprinkle with lemon zest, and serve the remaining dressing alongside.


Green Shakshuka with Spinach, Chard & Feta (Eating Well, May 2019) vegetarian
Two slight modifications to this one - I used chard and kale. I have a bounty of each in the garden right now. I also skipped the chicken broth - at 1/2 a cup it wasn't worth buying a can and I'm out in the freezer at the moment. Otherwise, made as directed. I do have the feeling that I've made this before. I'll have to go back and run a search.

Meanwhile, Another good dish for a hot summer night. The only time consuming part is chopping the greens. As with other similar recipes, I poach the eggs separately to ensure they are cooked the way I like them and to make sure I'm not *overcooking* the greens. Easy to do. Recommended!

Addendum - coming back to add, I did review this in May of 2019.

Photo from eatingwell.com

Serves 4-6 (I had 2 meals for two).

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
12 ounces chard, stemmed and chopped
12 ounces mature spinach, stemmed and chopped
½ cup dry white wine
1 small jalapeño or serrano pepper, thinly sliced
2 medium cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup low-sodium no-chicken or chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 large eggs
½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add chard and spinach, a few handfuls at a time, and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add wine, jalapeño (or serrano), garlic, salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is absorbed and the garlic softens, 2 to 4 minutes. Add broth and butter; cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and some of the liquid is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.


Crack eggs over the vegetables. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the whites are set, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 2 minutes before serving


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