Curried Fish and Potatoes

Another of my favorite recipes that came from my friend Winsome. The original recipe (posted here) calls for Yukon Gold potatoes. I’ve also made this with sweet potatoes, which is equally delicious. And, I’ve omitted something each time I’ve made this recipe (usually mint, which i never have on hand) and it has still been great.

Curried Fish and Potatoes
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1/2 cubes
1 C coarsely chopped red pepper
1 C coarsely chopped onion
2 T ghee or vegetable oil
1 pound firm white fish, cut into bite-sized chunks (rockfish, halibut, mahi-mahi, or tilapia)
3 T curry powder
1 1/2 kosher salt
1/4 cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 C coconut milk
2 T lemon juice
2 T red wine vinegar
1 C frozen peas, thawed
1/2 C chopped cilantro
1/3 C chopped mint

Par-boil the potatoes in water (about 5 – 8 minutes, until halfway between crunchy and tender)
Drain.
In a small bowl, mix curry powder, salt, and cayenne.
Toss half of spice mixture with potatoes, peppers, and onions.
Toss remaining spice mixture with fish.
Heat ghee or oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add seasoned potatoes, peppers, and onions and cook, undisturbed for 6 minutes.
Flip, add fish, and cook for 5 more minutes.
Gently toss to move fish to bottom of pan.
Cook for about 3 minutes, or until fish is almost done.
Mix lemon juice and vinegar with coconut milk.
Add to fish, along with peas, cilantro, and mint.
Stir and cook until heated through and fish flakes with a fork.
Serve with rice.

((Winsome, are you there? Join us, please.))

This Week for Dinner

Nothing I’m TOO excited about on this week’s menu, but I do love the Fish Curry and I’m excited for a little spaghetti in tuna sauce.

Monday: Strip steak with Scalloped Potatoes and Asparagus. I made this last night, and it was a sad, sad showing for Valentine’s Day.  We are currently without a grill, and I don’t know how to cook a steak in the oven. It was just plain bad. The potatoes were good though. You can’t go wrong with cream and butter.
Tuesday: Curried Fish with Potatoes. Post to follow. This is delicious.
Wednesday: Chicken thighs stuffed with Spinach, Arugula, and Goat Cheese. No recipe here, just gonna wing it.
Thursday: Nini’s Chicken Enchilada Casserole. Every once in a while, i have a strong hankering for something made with cream of chicken soup and sour cream.
Friday: Spaghetti al Tonno. Trying a new recipe from my favorite easy Italian cookbook: Basic Italian

Orecchiette with Brussels and Bacon

I made this the full fat way the other night. It was really really really delicious. So delicious that I bet you could cut out about half the butter and half the cheese and still love it.

Orecchiette with Brussels and Bacon

1/2 C almonds, toasted
2 1/2 C chicken stock
1 pound brussel sprouts, halved or quartered
3/4 pound orecchiette pasta
3 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 T unsalted butter
1 C freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. Toast the almonds for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a small saucepan, boil the chicken stock until reduced to 3/4 cup. About 15 minutes. Keep warm.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the brussels sprouts. Cook for 5 minutes, until tender but firm.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the brussels and pat dry.
Return water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook until al dente. About 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until crisp. About 6 minutes.
Add the butter to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned and nutty. About 3 minutes.
Add the brussels and almonds and cook until heated through.
Add the pasta and reduced chicken stock and simmer, stirring, until the sauce is slightly absorbed.
Stir in 1/2 c cheese, season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl.
Garnish with the bacon and remaining cheese, and serve.

YUM!

Fish in Olive Caper Oil

This meal is delicious and takes about 15 minutes to make. It delivers big taste and great presentation with very little work. Big win.

Fish in Olive Caper Oil

1 T fresh lemon juice
4 – 6 oz. fish fillets (sole is best, but I’ve used tilapia)
10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
10 pitted black olives (preferably kalamata or nicoise)
1 T capers
2 cloves garlic
1/2 C fresh parsley
3 T olive oil

Rinse and dry fish fillets and drizzle lemon juice on them. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Drain sun-dried tomatoes and chop.
Coarsely chop capers and peel and chop garlic.
Rinse parsley and shake dry; remove leaves and chop finely.
Combine all these chopped ingredients on a plate, spread them out, and dip fish fillets into them on both sides.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Saute fish for 1-2 minutes per side, until opaque throughout.
Stir remaining herb mixture into the pan and saute briefly to use as a condiment.

Voila!  Dinner is served.

I’m back… (And, this week for dinner.)

We moved out to the suburbs, it’s freezing cold here, and I am cooped up in the house with a sick three year-old and a teething toddler. Mama needs some distractions! I’m doing everything the long way so that I will have a little less time to twiddle my thumbs and ask ‘what the hell we were thinking moving to the east coast in the winter?!’

One of my favorite and most productive distractions has been to do some thoughtful meal planning and to search for new, delicious, and manageable recipes. Here’s what I made this week… I’ll post some recipes shortly!

Monday: Tilapia with olives, capers, and tomatoes – served with sauteed spinach and quinoa. This is a recipe that Jack has been making for a while. He uses sole, which is probably better.  Super delicious, easy, and healthy! Even the littles like it.
Tuesday: Pork medallions with mushroom gravy, asparagus, and rice.
Wednesday: Oreccchiette with Brussel Sprouts and Bacon. Pork.  Pork.  Pork.  I need to cut down on the Fa family pork intake.  It’s just:  So. Darn. Good.
Thursday: Mushroom & Barley Soup. I got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  My current fave recipe blog.
Friday: Chicken cutlets w/ green olive and shallot vinaigrette. Making this tonight.  It sounds delicious… olives, raisins, and shallots.

That is what is cooking at Casa Fa. Care to share your meals?!