Cajun Fried Catfish

You can use grits, coarse cornmeal or panko crumbs for the final coating for this crisp, spicy fish.
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Grits
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp Bayou or Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 lb catfish fillets , cut into 4 portions
Canola or peanut oil

Place the flour on a large plate. Pour the egg into a second large plate. Mix the grits, sesame seeds and the cajun seasoning and place on a third plate.

Working one fish portion at a time, coat the fish with the flour. Shake off any excess flour. Now dip the fish into the egg, coating both sides. Finally coat the fish with the grits mixture on both sides. Lay the fish on a pie grate and allow to sit for 15 minutes or so in the refrigerator to allow the coating to dry a bit. This is optional, but can give a crisper coating.

Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a pan with a high rim to 350F. Carefully place the fish in the oil and brown both sides. Remove to a paper towel.

Serve with tartar sauce and your favorite sides.
Dijon Horseradish Tartar Sauce
2 Tbsp good real mayonnaise
1 Tbsp thick Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp whole seed Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp rice vinegar

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.


Roasted Cauliflower and Leeks
2 cups cauliflower flowerets
2 carrots, sliced
1 large leek, trimmed, cleaned and diced
1 tsp ground coriander
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss ingredients together and lay in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for a bout 30 minutes, stirring at least once.

Moroccan Lamb Stew

Here is a lamb stew rich with Moroccan flavors.  Ras el Hanout spice blend, pomegranate molasses and dates meld together in a warming aromatic stew.
1/2 lb carrots, about 6, peeled and cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and diced
3 to 3-1/2 lb boneless lamb, cut into 2-inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp Ras el Hanout, Moroccan spice mix
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, drained (liquid reserved) and crushed by hand

2 Tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
2 dozen dried dates, pitted and quartered

Sauté the carrots and the leek in a Dutch oven or large pot, with a dash of olive oil. Add a tablespoon of water, and allow the water to evaporate while the leeks soften.

When the leeks are softened, remove the carrot and leeks to a bowl.

Add a dash more olive oil to the pot and brown the lamb cubes well on each side. Salt and pepper to taste as they brown. Allow enough air space around each cube so they develop flavor from browning well - otherwise they will boil rather than brown. Brown the cubes in several batches and remove to the bowl with the carrots when done.

After the last batch of lamb cubes are browned and removed, add the garlic and ginger to the pot. Cook about a minute. Then add the Ras el Hanout powder to the pot and cook another one or two minutes, until very fragrant.

Now add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and turn up the heat to high. Cook the tomatoes in the spice mix and allow them to darken, caramelizing a bit, to develop bold flavor. Stir often.

After about 5 minutes of cooking, return the lamb and veggies to the pot.

Add the reserved tomato liquid and enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to a gentle boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for an hour.

Then add the pomegranate molasses and the dates. Stir well, cover the pot and simmer another half an hour.

Serve over couscous.

Serves 6-8.

Cook's Note:  Ras el Hanout is a North African spice blend often used in Moroccan cooking.  With high notes of clove, cinnamon and cumin, it is to Moroccan cooking as Garam Masala is to Indian cooking.

Pomegranate molasses is also often used in Moroccan cooking.  It is a flavorful syrup reduced from pomegranate juice and is pleasingly sour and only slightly sweet.

Braised Chicken with Caramelized Summer Squash

Squash makes a nice bed for chicken thighs.
4 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and diced
1 zucchini, sliced1/4-inch
1 yellow squash, sliced 1/4-inch
1/2 purple Bermuda onion, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 375F. Add leak plus 2 tablespoons water to a large oven-going non-stick pan.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook leak, stirring often, until the water is all evaporated and the leek begin to color slightly. Remove leek to a bowl.

Brown the chicken thighs in a dash of olive oil for about 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove to a plate. Add the squash and onion to the pan along with a dash of olive oil.

Allow the squash to brown nicely, and the onions to caramelize over medium high heat. Higher heat allows browning to occur without completely softening the squash. I like a good deal of caramelization for flavor, but you can cook your squash to your taste.  Remove the squash to a bowl.

Now return the leeks to the pan and place the chicken thighs on top. Add the wine and bring to a boil.

Place skillet in oven and cook about 20 minutes, until the wine has evaporated and the chicken is cooked through.

If necessary, reheat the squash briefly in a microwave oven and scatter about chicken and leeks on a serving platter.

Serves 4.

Peanut Gochijang Tofu

Flavoring tofu is a trick.  Marinading, grilling well, and saucing generously is the ticket.  This asian inspired tofu is not only tasty, but hearty and satisfying.
1 brick extra firm tofu

Marinade:
2 Tbsp cream sherry
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste with garlic

Peanut Gochujang sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp gochujang Korean chili bean paste
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce

About an hour or two (or one day) before cooking, wrap the tofu in 2 layers of clean paper towels. place a plate or small cutting board on top and place a large can of tomatoes on the board. Center it evenly and allow the tofu to drain for about 20 minutes. Unwrap the tofu and slice 1/4-inch.

Whisk together the marinade in a medium flat casserole. Place the tofu slices in the marinade and flip several times.

Allow the tofu to marinate at least an hour, or up to a day in the refrigerator.

While the tofu marinates, mix sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook another few minutes. Remove from heat, and keep warm until ready to eat. Store in refrigerator if marinating a long time. Gently reheat, whisking often, when ready to eat.

Heat a non-stick grill pan to medium high, and spray with oil. Lay the tofu slices on the pan and cook without moving for about 3-4 minutes, just until the tofu forms nice brown grill marks.

Flip and repeat on the other side.

Place tofu on serving platter and garnish with some sauce and fresh cilantro leaves. Serve extra sauce on the side. Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  I used the same spicy peanut gochujang sauce I posted with grilled short ribs - whatever your favorite substrate, it's a great sauce.

Flounder Stuffed with Spinach and Mushrooms

Fresh, light flounder fillets, baked atop a mound of savory, earthy mushrooms, leek and spinach.
12 oz fresh mushrooms, diced
10 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 leek, cleaned and diced, about 1 cup
2 Tbsp panic bread crumbs
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 large flounder fillets
dash dried dill weed

Preheat oven to 400F. Sauté the spinach leaves in a non-stick skillet with a dash of butter and olive oil until the leaves wilt and release water. Remove to a bowl.

Add the mushrooms and a dash of butter and olive oil to the skillet and brown mushrooms over fairly high heat, until they release what water they will, and brown up nicely, about 10 minutes.

Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes, then remove mixture to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Now add the leeks to the same skillet with another dash butter and olive oil.

Warm the leeks and then add 2 tablespoons water. Sauté until the water evaporates and the leeks have softened quite a bit. Continue cooking until the leeks color up just a bit. Return the spinach and mushroom mixture to the skillet and add the panko crumbs and red pepper.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Lay flounder fillets flat on a work surface. Place one quarter of the spinach filling in the center of each fillet. Wrap the two ends around the mound of filling and place seam-side down in an oiled casserole (here I just cooked two flounders at a time, serving 2, saving the second half of the filling for another fish on another night.)  Spray the fillets with oil and dress with a dash of dill weed.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.

Serve with your favorite side - here I served baked leek and pearl onion gratin - my wife’s favorites for her birthday.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  You don't have to actually wrap the fish around the filling, just bake on top.  A few nights later I baked fresh perch fillets on top of the spinach filling, scattered on the base of a casserole. I topped the fish with a dash of melted butter and baked.  

 The results were equally delicious.

Leek and Pearl Onion Gratin

For her birthday, I pulled together two of my wife's favorites into one creamy gratin dish - leeks and perl onions.  Turned out to be a great gift!
2 large leeks, trimmed, cleaned, cut in half lengthwise and widthwise
1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb frozen peeled pearl onions
1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup half and half
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

Topping mixture:
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp salt
dash freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cubed Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Melt butter in the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add leek, cut side down and slowly brown over medium heat, about 5 minutes.

Watch carefully so as not to burn. Gently turn leek over and add 1/4 cup water.

Cover and braise the leek for about 10 minutes, until very soft to the tip of a knife. Transfer leek to a baking dish.

Melt the next batch of butter and oil in the skillet and tip pearl onions into to skillet.

Brown the pearl onion, shaking often, until they soften and brown. This will take about 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat.

While the onions cook, toss together the topping mixture in a small bowl.

Once the onions are nicely caramelized and soft, add the half and half and bring to a gentle boil. 

Lower heat to a simmer and and reduce liquid by half.

Scatter the cheese over the leeks.

Tip onions into casserole on top of leeks. Top with panko toping mix.

Bake in oven for about 20-30 minutes, until the casserole in browned and bubbly. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Pierogi Amidst Sautéed Asparagus

I found fresh pierogi in a small local market, from the local Pennsylvania Dutch community.  These were filled with cheese and potato, though I was tempted by the potato and sauerkraut filled!  Next time.

Much like ravioli, these puppies are tender when fresh, and I just sautéed them in a skillet, and served with sautéed veggies and a dash of bacon for a flavor kick.
1/4 lb bacon, diced
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced red pepper
1 bunch asparagus

1 lb fresh pierogi (with your favorite filing)

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Brown the bacon in a large non-stick skillet in a dash of olive oil. Cook until just crisp-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel.

While the bacon is cooking, cut 1 to 1-1/2 inch off the base of the asparagus and discard. Then cut the stalks into 1-1/2-inch pieces until you have tips that are at least 2-inches long. Keep the stalks together in a bowl, separate from the tips in their own bowl.

Sauté the onion and pepper over medium heat in a dash of olive oil in a non-stick skillet.

Cook for about 5 minutes, just until beginning to soften and brown. Add the asparagus stalks and then salt and pepper to taste.

Continue cooking until the stalks are only just crips tender - about 4-5 minutes. Test a stalk, and remember that they will continue to cook as they sit for a while, so err on the crispy side. Remove the veggies to a glass (microwave-safe) bowl.

Add just a dash of olive oil if necessary to the skillet and add the pirogues to the skillet. 

Gently brown over medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, or until nicely colored. Flip and brown the other side for about 2-3 minutes as well.

Remove the pirogues to a plate, cover and keep warm. Now add the asparagus tips to the skillet and toss with the remaining oil. Add a dash of olive oil if very dry.

Cook for about 1-2 minutes, shaking the pan often. Then add the vinegar and cook for about another 1-2 minutes until the vinegar evaporates.

Now plate the dish. Reheat the asparagus stalk mixture for 30 seconds in a microwave only if necessary. Distribute the stalk mixture about 4 plates. Top each plate with 3-4 pirogues. Top the pirogues with the asparagus spears and garnish with bacon bits.

Serves 4.