Pan Seared Halibut with Lemon/Caper Sauce

Most every week we get some fresh salmon from our local Farmer's Market. There's one stand that just sells fish and seafood. Recently, with shelter-in-place, we've been trying to venture out and get a second fish. We've tried sole, cod, and halibut. The halibut was the best surprise. Yes, I've had it before but it's been awhile and, when I've had it, it's been in restaurants. The surprise came from the fact that halibut is so meaty. It's meatier than chicken. It approaches pork or turkey in terms of density.

Halibut is not cheap but you don't need as much due to the meatiness. You can fill in the smaller fish portion with your sides/salads.

Once I got the halibut, I searched online for various ways to prepare it. I started with this excellent recipe and it was an instant hit in our house. We love capers and we have a lemon tree in the backyard. But when I went to make it a second time, I knew that I needed to adapt the recipe for two people.

The best pan to use for this is a carbon steel pan. You can get it pretty hot and it will brown the fish nicely. If you don't have one, you can also use cast iron or an enameled iron skillet (like Le Creuset). A traditional non-stick with work if that's all you have.

It's important to have the skin removed. If you buy from a fish market, ask them to skin it for you. Skinning halibut at home is not easy. It's best left to a professional.

However, if your halibut still has skin on one side, there is a work around. In Step 2, put the skin side down first and cook as directed. Once you flip the fish, you should be able to easily pull the skin off. You can flip the fish again to get some color and the side with the removed skin. 

Pan-Seared Halibut with Lemon/Caper Sauce 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. (or slightly more) fresh halibut, skinned
• 2 tbsp. butter, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. capers, rinsed
• small handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lemon slices, as garnish

Pan Seared Halibut with Lemon Caper Sauce

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry the halibut fillet and cut into two portions. Sprinkle some salt over the top.
2. Place 1 tablespoon of butter along with some olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Swirl the butter around. Once fully melted and hot, add the fish, salted side down and set a timer for 5 minutes. Leave the fish untouched. Sprinkle the other side of fish with a little salt.
3. Once time is up, carefully turn over the fish and set the timer for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the two lemon slices to the pan to cook along with the fish. 
5. When time is up, use a spatula to remove the fillets to a dinner plate. Retrieve the lemon slices and place them on top of the fillets.
6. Lower heat to medium and add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7. Add the wine and cook to evaporate for a few minutes. Add the lemon juice, capers, and parsley and stir to mix.
8. Add the final tablespoon of butter to melt and stir to mix with all of the other ingredients. Use a spatula, to add the fish back to the skillet. Spoon some sauce over the top of the fish.
9. Remove fillets and plate on dinner plates. Spoon a little sauce over the top.
10. Optional: You will have leftover skillet sauce. If you are doing a side or rice, grains, or roasted vegetables, you can also add some of the lemon/caper sauce to the side dishes to tie everything together. 

Serves 2

How to Get Fava Beans Out of the Pod

Right now is one of our favorite times of the year: fava bean season.

Whenever we find fava beans at the Farmer's Market we buy a big bag. When buying fava beans, you should figure about a pound per person. That may seem like a lot but a good portion ends up in the compost bin.

I suspect that some people may be put off by fava beans because of the amount of work it takes. I have to agree with that objection on a certain level. I've already described how time consuming it is to prep fava beans.

Frozen fava beans can be found but it's not really the same as fresh. Depending on what you're making, frozen fava beans can be an option. But fresh fava beans,  simply prepared, cannot be beaten.

So the first step with fava beans is to remove the beans from the pod. If you look this up online, most websites will talk about pulling down the fibrous seam from the stem to the end (sometimes called "pulling down the zipper"). Online all of this easy and painless but in reality it doesn't always work so seamlessly. You end up still peeling some parts of the bean and putting in some hard work.

I used to do it that way until a coworker introduced me to a new way to do the first step in processing fava beans. It significantly cuts down the prep time. So let me introduce this new method to you. But, like learning to play an instrument, it will take some practice to master. But once you get it down, the overall prep time will be greatly reduced.

Let's dive in:

How to Get Fava Beans Out of the Pod

1. Pick up a fava bean and work from end to the other.
2. Locate the first bean in the pod with your fingers. 
3. Place your two thumbs on the bean in the pod. One entire side of the bean should be covered by your thumbs. The orientation is that your thumbs are closest to your body. The rest of your fingers are wrapped around the outside of the bean.
4. Your index fingers should be just outside the top and bottom of the bean with most of the bean uncovered by your fingers on the opposite side.
5. In one fluid motion, push out the bean with your thumbs into a small bowl. Be forewarned, sometimes the bean shoots out like a bullet. 

I prefer fava beans recipes that are simple. As Chef Linton Hopkins says in one of the links below, "I like fava beans (sauteed) with fresh olive oil, lemon, and sea salt--simple."

Recipes:

Alice's Fava Beans

17 Chefs on Their Favorite Way to Cook Fava Beans

19 Fava Bean Recipes That Are Ready for Spring

Roasted Cauliflower with Toum

I recently discovered toum. So, how do I describe this delicious concoction. Toum is perhaps best described as a garlicky spread with the consistency of mayonnaise. It's sometimes called Lebanese Garlic Sauce because it's used in a variety of Lebanese dishes. Toum can be used as a spread on food, a dip for many things, or, in this recipe, a flavorful coating on roasted vegetables.

Toum is an ancient condiment that has been used in Middle Eastern cooking for centuries. It is a staple condiment that is ever-present in the Lebanese fridge like we would always have mustard or mayonnaise on hand.

I encountered toum while preparing for a dinner party. We had found an article in a Bon Appetit magazine that featured a traditional Lebanese dinner. The toum was part of a marinade for chicken skewers (for our carnivore friends). In Lebanon, the dish is called Shish Tawook or Shish Taouk. For the leftover toum, the recipe said to serve it in a small bowl as a dip for pita bread.

The recipe said the toum could be made a few days in advance and just kept in fridge. So I made my first batch a few day ahead and once I took my first taste of it after making it for the first time, I was sold. It was SO good.

I had plenty of leftover toum following the dinner party. So I began to find other uses for it and I discovered how versatile it is. I subbed out the mayo on a on fish sandwich (or cut it 1:1 with mayo to infuse a garlic supercharge to regular mayo). It also makes a tangy dip for crackers or veggies when snacking. But I think the real magic happens when you add it to roasted vegetables just before serving. Think roasted carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and my new favorite, cauliflower. Now cauliflower may not always be the most popular of the vegetables, but roasting cauliflower brings out a nutty flavor and the toum makes the perfect coating.

While doing some research on toum, I found that this version is not 100% authentic. The Lebanese don't use the egg whites. I tried to make it the traditional way a few times. The first attempt was a complete failure. The mixture "broke" and it ended up going down the disposal. I had better luck on my second attempt but it was then I realized that this version is "no fail" version due to the addition of the egg whites. That means less waste and frustration on your first try.

Toum will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

Toum

Ingredients:

• Garlic - 6-8 cloves 
• Egg whites - 2 large
• Lemon juice - 2-3 tablespoons
• Neutral oil - 1 1/2 cup (Canola or vegetable oil is best)

Directions:

• In a food processor, pulse garlic, egg whites, and lemon juice until a paste begins to form
• Turn food processor on continuous and VERY SLOWLY drizzle in half of the oil (you want the thinnest stream of oil you can manage going into the processor--it should take several minutes)
• Turn off processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl
• Continue to VERY gradually add the rest of the oil with the processor on
• Add some salt
• Continue to run the processor until the mixture thickens and becomes light and airy 

Roasted Cauliflower with Toum

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 1 large, cut into florets
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper - to taste
• Toum - 1 Tablespoon

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
• Cut cauliflower into florets and place in a large bowl
• Drizzle oil over florets
• Salt and pepper to taste
• With a large spoon, mix the florets to evenly coat
• Add more oil and salt and pepper if needed
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Spread florets on sheet and spread around evenly and in one layer
• Roast in the oven 25-30 minutes until there is some browning on the edges (toss and turn the florets about halfway through)
• When done, remove from the oven and return florets to the large bowl
• Add toum to the bowl and stir to coat
• Serve immediately as a side

Resources:

Lebanese Garlic Sauce from Feel Good Foodie

YouTube Demonstration with Chef Kamal

Traditional Toum from Serious Eats
Toum from Cosette's Kitchen

Seared Tilapia with Creamy Curry Sauce

This is my version of a recent Blue Apron meal that we had. It's an easy weeknight meal that only uses one pan and one skillet. We loved the mixture of textures and flavors. Tilapia is easy to find either fresh or frozen.

The toughest part may be finding the curry paste. I found a jar of Mae Ploy at my local Safeway that should last a decade. I also see it's available on Amazon (I want to also try the bottled yellow curry sauce at Trader Joe's).

UPDATE: I finally tried the TJ's Yellow curry sauce. By itself, it's just OK but I did two Tbsp. each of the TJ's Yellow curry sauce with Kraft Ranch dressing and it was pretty close. I think I prefer the Mae Ploy curry paste. But the TJ's sauce can be a fine substitute--just mix it with Ranch dressing. 

Tilapia is farmed in other countries but the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch website gives most tilapia a favorable rating.

Seared Tilapia with Creamy Curry Sauce

Ingredients:
Serves 2

This is what I found at my local supermarket.

• Tilapia fillets - 2 
• Baby bok choy - 2-4 depending on size
• Jasmine or white rice - 1/2 cup
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Curry powder - 1 Tbsp.
• Ranch dressing - 3 Tbsp. 
• Yellow curry paste - 1 tsp. 
• Sesame oil - 1-2 Tbsp. 
• Roasted peanuts - small handful

Directions:

You want a skillet full of bok choy.

1. Wash and dry bok choy. Thinly slice discarding the root ends.
2. Add 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt to a medium pot over high heat. Add the rice and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook without stirring for 12 minutes. Turn off when done and fluff with a fork.
3. Roughly chop garlic and peanuts separately. Set each aside in small prep bowls.
4. Heat a medium skillet with some olive oil over medium heat. Add the bok choy and garlic then add some pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and leaves are wilted (about 2-3 minutes). When done, spoon the bok choy into a large bowl and cover to retain heat. 
5. Add ranch dressing and yellow curry paste to a small bowl and whisk together with 1 teaspoon water. Set aside and let flavors marry.
6. Place the curry powder and flour on a dinner plate and mix together with a salad fork. Dredge fish into the mixture until thoroughly coated on both sides. 
7. Reheat same skillet over medium high heat with a little olive oil. Add the coated fish and cook 4-6 minutes per side until lightly browned and cooked through.
8. Add the bok choy to the finished rice pan and stir to mix. Drizzle the sesame oil into the rice mixture and stir to coat. 
9. Plate a bed of rice/bok choy mix, top with cooked tilapia, spoon the curry sauce across the top of the fish and rice mixture. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top.

Pair with a Sauvignon Blanc.

(Updated Feb. 2024)

Persimmon, Blue Cheese, and Pistachio Salad

There are times when simple is better. If you're a home cook you might follow your own catalog of recipes and/or you may be the home cook who likes to follow the recipes of others in cookbooks, magazines, and blogs. But there are those times when you realize that you don't always need a recipe. You just need to follow a basic structure.

The basic structure for this posting is: Fruit, cheese, and nuts topped with a simple vinaigrette.
Let's look more closely at the ingredients.

Fruit = sweet

Cheese = fatty, savory, and salty

Nuts = crunchy, chewy, and salty

Vinaigrette = flavorful, oily, and a bonding element across all of the above tying it all together

This all started when a friend recently told us that his Fuyu persimmon tree was full of ripe fruit and he had a bag of persimmons for us from his backyard.

I originally went to my catalog recipe for Persimmon and Grilled Cheese Sandwich but I wanted something fresher and lighter.

We had recently checked out a Bon Appetit magazine from our library and there was an article in there that laid out the structure. I took that and ran with it.

But you can apply the same structure with other similar ingredients:

Fruit = Persimmon, apple, pear, oranges, Clementines

Cheese = Blue cheese, Gouda, Parmesan, ricotta

Nuts = Pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, pecans

Vinaigrette = Any neutral oil, a neutral vinegar (rice wine), and seasoning (garlic, herbs, mustard, etc.)

For the vinaigrette, I used one of many in my catalog but next time I might use a different one.
Again, the structure is loose. Don't follow this verbatim but adapt as I did.

Persimmon, Blue Cheese, and Pistachio Salad

Ingredients:

• Fuyu persimmons - 3 ever so slightly ripe, peeled and sliced
• Pistachios - about 2 Tbsp. roasted and salted
• Blue cheese - crumbled
• Simple vinaigrette - see below

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup white wine or rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup oil
• black pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

• Thoroughly mix the vinaigrette ingredients with a whisk and let sit for a period of time
• Cut off the top and bottom of the persimmon and peel off the sides. Cut into slices. Distribute slices on a dinner plate.
• Crumble cheese on top
• Sprinkle the pistachios over everything
• Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad

Enjoy.

Pan Seared Gnocchi with Leeks & Tomatoes

When you think of Italian food you probably go to pizza, spaghetti, and other pastas. Further down the list, and too often overlooked, is gnocchi. Gnocchi (pronounced N'YAW-key) comes from the Italian word nocca, meaning knuckle. Gnocchi, as food author Mark Bittman describes it, is:

"A simple Italian dumpling made from cooked potatoes, flour, and sometimes an egg. They're boiled and sauced."

One popular brand available.

One hopes they should be readily available in most supermarkets (depending on location). Take some
time next time you're in your pasta aisle to look for them. They're usually in a plastic tray and come in 2 cup servings.

Since I've been serving gnocchi, I've always "boiled and sauced" it with pesto, tomato sauce, or olive oil. I was recently reading an Eating Well magazine and found a recipe that called for crisping the gnocchi in a skillet with olive oil. No boiling needed. The pan searing adds a nice toothy texture but the "potato pillow." as it's often described, still absorbs the flavors that you add. I'm a convert! This is a great simple weeknight meal and the common denominator is the crispy gnocchi. The most basic recipe would be to add either pesto or a tomato sauce for the most simple and quick meal. You can play with adding basil leaves, mushrooms, onions, sun dried tomatoes, whatever you have in the fridge.

I adapted the Eating Well recipe as a starting point but decided to start fairly true to the original.

Pan Seared Gnocchi with Leeks and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• Gnocchi - 1 package (15-17 oz.)
• Leeks - 2 medium, cleaned and sliced
• Cherry tomatoes - 1 pint basket, halved
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves, minced
• White wine - 1/4 cup
• Parmesan cheese - 1/3 cup finely shredded
• Butter - 2 tbsp. 
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a 12" skillet over medium high heat. Add gnocchi. Use a spatula to create a single layer. Let sit untouched for at least 5 minutes. Add some salt and pepper while it cooks. Shake pan to turn over the gnocchi and use the spatula to turn over any that need turning. Let the other side sit undisturbed for a period of time. Continue to shake the pan until the gnocchi has gently browned. Total time around 10-15 minutes. As you shake the pan you will hear the difference as the gnocchi gets crispy. When sufficiently crispy (but not blackened) transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add more olive oil to the skillet and add the sliced leeks. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. The rings will start to separate.
3. Add the halved tomatoes and stir to mix. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Add butter and wine and cook for a few minutes. The tomatoes should just start to soften. 
4. Return the gnocchi to the skillet and stir until everything is coated. 
5. Turn off heat. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to mix. Plate and top with some black pepper or red pepper flakes. Garnish with more shredded cheese, some dried herbs such as parsley, basil, or a mix. 

 Serves 2-4

Tomatillo Salsa

This is the time of year in California when everyone's trees and gardens are in full production. Peaches, corn, plums, tomatoes, cherries, you name it. There's so much you have to eat it, preserve it, or give it away to your friends, colleagues, or neighbors.

Such a bounty was found at my workplace. I noticed a big basket of freshly picked tomatillos in the lunch room. I kept my eye on them and by Friday afternoon they were still there. So I ended up taking the whole thing home which turned out to be two pounds worth. I stopped by the grocery store on the way home for cilantro and Serrano chilies. I made this salsa on a Sunday afternoon.

A few lessons were learned with this preparation. Turns out those tomatillos were from a co-worker's garden. And, as it turned out, we both made salsa verde over the weekend but didn't realize it until she brought me a jar on Monday morning. I had also brought in a jar of my salsa to share with my office mates. So we did a salsa tasting contest at a department meeting. We didn't tell people who made which of the salsas but we supplied some tortilla chips and asked them for comments, input, and a vote for their favorite.

The results taught me:
Roast the tomatillos - I roasted the tomatillos which gave me an advantage. She followed a different recipe which had you boil the tomatillos along with jalapeno peppers. Taste testers commented that mine was "sweeter" and "more flavorful." The little black flecks in the salsa improves the visual appeal.

Don't skip cilantro and garlic - Garlic and cilantro add more depth and flavor. Even though there's certain part of the population that will say they don't like cilantro, it can't overpower everything else in the salsa. The cilantro will be a distant, unidentifiable flavor. My co-worker skipped these two ingredients.

Add a finishing liquid - Let's face it, when you take your salsa verde out of the fridge is shouldn't have the consistency of cold oatmeal. That's where my co-worker won a few votes (including mine!). I had both salsas in the fridge overnight but I gave them a few hours of room temperature treatment before the meeting so that the flavors would come through more for both. But I also wanted mine to be more like a chunky salsa. Her salsa had a consistency that looked more like commercial salsa verde right out of the fridge.

We compared notes after the meeting. She let know that she poured the finished salsa from the food processor into a warm skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. She said she read online that the olive oil helps with a smooth consistency and adds an attractive shine or sparkle. I came home and gave it a try with my remaining salsa. If you look online, you'll see some recipes call for water, lime juice, or broth.

Finally, if you don't can your salsa, you can also freeze it. I poured the finished product into ice cube trays and froze them for a few days before I popped them into a freezer storage bag for future use.

Oh, and of the 11 people in my work department, my salsa won 7-4.

Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients

• Tomatillos, 1 pound, husked, rinsed, halved
• Onion, 2 medium yellow, diced
• Garlic, 2 cloves, chopped
• Serrano chili, 2 halved and seeded (optional)
• Cilantro, leaves and stems
• Salt
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Line a sheet pan with foil and turn on broiler.
2. Halve the tomatillos and put them cut side down on the sheet pan and broil for 5-7 minutes. You want some browning to occur (and they will get mushy).
3. Place all ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Heat skillet with 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil. Gently pour in the salsa into the skillet and stir until salsa and oil are uniform. 
5. Turn off heat and let cool. 

Note: Everybody's heat tolerance is unique. So you have to figure out what works for you. If you love salsa, you probably already like spice and heat. To my taste, jalapenos have unfortunately been bred to be about as spicy as a bell pepper. So I usually don't use them anymore. Serrano chilies have a bit of a kick. Most of the heat is in the seeds, so regardless of the pepper you can leave the seeds in or out. 

Also, the heat dissipates with time. When I tasted immediately after preparation it was very spicy. But a day or two later the heat was less intense.