Cilantro Pesto Arctic Char

Since I love all the ingredients in cilantro pesto, I've been wanting to try it for ages. The recipe I had in front of me called for hazelnuts but there were none in the house. I did have almonds, though, and threw those in. The taste was wonderful. I spooned the pesto on top of arctic char, my favorite fish of the moment. The results were tasty, colorful and very easy to prepare. If you have hazelnuts, do try them. I'm sure they will be fabulous in the pesto. Also experiment with other kinds of fish such as salmon or salmon trout. This recipe is based on one found in the September 2006 issue of Gourmet. I served it with brown basmati rice and sauteed asparagus and baby portobello mushrooms.

1 garlic clove

1 cup cilantro sprigs

1/2 cup almonds, toasted (or use hazelnuts, toasted and rubbed to remove skins)

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. arctic char, sliced into 4 fillets

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the rack in the middle of the oven.

In a food processor, add the garlic clove and finely chop. Stop the processor and add the cilantro, nuts, salt, pepper and cayenne. Blend the mixture until it is coarsely chopped. With the motor on, add the olive oil and blend until just incorporated. The pesto should still be coarse.

Place the arctic char fillets, skin side down, in a lightly oiled baking dish. Spoon the pesto on top of the fillets. Bake in the oven until opaque (just cooked through) about 15 minutes.

Serves 4

Braised Chicken with Dates and Moroccan Spices

The blueprint for this recipe was published in Bon Appetit magazine a few months ago. It won terrific reviews on Epicurious.com and the ingredients appealed to me. I wasn't sure of the dates but was more than willing to give them a try. The main ingredients were shallots and chicken. What I wanted, though, was to incorporate veggies into the dish and reduce the amount of chicken to make it a one pot meal. I added zucchini, yellow squash and carrots and loved the results. Tasty, colorful and wonderful the next day, this recipe was a hit. Experiment with other veggies but be sure to use the shallots as they taste fantastic. I served the braise with brown basmati rice and lentils. The lentils were added to the rice during the last 30 minutes of cooking. The combination was great.

2 tbl. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. chicken parts

8 shallots, peeled and halved

3 cinnamon sticks

1 1/2 tsps. ground ginger

1 tbl. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

5 tbls. lemon juice-divided

2 medium zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 medium yellow squash, sliced 1/2 inch thick

3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick

8 dates, pitted, and quartered

1/4 cup almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Add the oil to a 12 inch skillet and heat over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken parts with salt and pepper to taste and saute the chicken in the skillet, turning, until it is well browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a bowl and drain off all but 1 tbl. of oil. Over medium heat, add the shallots to the skillet and saute until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the cinnamon sticks, ginger, cumin, cayenne and stir 1 minute.

Over high heat add the chicken broth and 3 tbls. lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until shallots soften, about 18 minutes. Put the chicken atop the shallots and add the zucchini, yellow squash and carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer about 30 minutes, stirring a few times, until the chicken and vegetables are tender.

Stir in dates, 2 tbls. lemon juice and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, remove the cinnamon sticks, sprinkle with almonds and cilantro and serve.

Serves 6

Panko-Crusted Salmon

Here is yet another Ina Garten recipe from Barefoot Contessa how easy is that? It's almost too simple to call a recipe and the results are wonderful. The key ingredient is panko, those magical bread crumbs from Japan. No substitutes, please.

2/3 cup panko crumbs

2 tbl. minced, fresh parsley

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tbl. good olive oil

4 6-8 oz. salmon fillets, skin on

2 tbl. Dijon mustard

2 tbl. vegetable oil

lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir until crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.

Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet. The mustard will help the panko adhere.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12 inch cast iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.

Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5-7 minutes (see note) until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

NOTE: My fillets were about 8 ounces each and required about 9 minutes in the oven to be cooked medium rare. I served the salmon with brown rice mixed with sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Wild Rice Salad

This salad is perfect throughout the year. Wild rice is the mainstay but you can easily substitute many fruits and nuts for those listed in the recipe. Consider this salad on a buffet table since it can be made in advance. It looks lovely and goes beautifully with other salads, chicken or turkey. The recipe is from Ina Garten's latest cookbook, Barefoot Contessa how easy is that? When I made it, I reduced the salt and traded oranges for clementines.

1 cup long grain wild rice (6 ounces)

Kosher salt

2 navel oranges

2 tbls. good olive oil

2 tbls. freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tbls. raspberry vinegar

1/2 cup seedless green grapes, cut in half

1/2 cup pecans, toasted

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 tbls. scallions, white and green parts, chopped

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Place the wild rice in a medium pot with 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt (I used much less salt) and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes, until the rice is very tender. Drain well and place the rice back in the pot. Cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes.

While the rice is still warm, place it in a mixing bowl. Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Cut between the membranes and add the orange sections to the bowl with the rice. Add the olive oil, orange juice, raspberry vinegar, grapes, pecans, cranberries, scallions, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

Notes:Use almost any citrus fruit, sliced Fuyu persimmons,sliced apples (tossed in lemon juice), walnuts, hazelnuts, pomegranate seeds.

Pumpkin Ginger Bars

I have never been in The Magnolia Bakery but have noticed the long lines waiting to get in. So when I saw the Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook in my library I grabbed it. There were lots of tempting recipes and most seemed easy to prepare. I selected the pumpkin bars but made a few changes-ramped up the spices, added candied ginger and substituted a light glaze for the cream cheese frosting. The bars were so delicious that I had to freeze half of the batch to avoid eating them all. These are perfect with tea or coffee.

Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

1/2 cup candied ginger, diced

Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tbl. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and lightly flour a 13x9 inch baking pan

In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs until smooth-about 3 minutes on medium speed. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in the pecans and ginger. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack before glazing.

Glaze-In a small bowl stir together the sugar and water until smooth. Drizzle decoratively over the cooled cake.

Makes 12 3 inch bars

Note: If adding candied ginger doesn't appeal to you, simply leave it out or substitute dried cranberries

Chickpea and Spinach Soup

For a few years I couldn't eat chickpeas or spinach because they interacted with a drug I was taking. This was a big loss in my life. Much to my delight, I'm now off the drug and back on chickpeas and spinach. I made this hearty soup today beginning with dried chickpeas soaked overnight. It makes a wonderful cold weather meal with good bread. If soaking beans isn't your thing, use three cups of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed. The basic recipe is from Back To Square One by Joyce Goldstein. I simplified it and did not include the shrimp Ms. Goldstein calls for.

2 cups dried chickpeas

1 tbl. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 baking potato, sliced

1 stalk celery, diced

5-6 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tbl. olive oil

5 cups, spinach leaves, stems removed and cut into shreds

6 tbl. toasted sliced almonds, coarsely chopped

If using dried chickpeas, rinse them and soak overnight in cold water to cover. Drain and rinse again. Put the chickpeas in a Dutch Oven or stock pot with fresh, cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 1 hour.

Heat the olive oil in the Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly for about 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 more minute. Add the potato slices, celery, half the cooked chickpeas and 5 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potato and beans are falling apart, about 20 minutes. Puree using an immersion blender or mash with a potato masher for a chunkier soup. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbl. of olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Toast the sliced almonds in the toaster oven until golden and set aside.

When ready to serve, thin the soup with 1 cup stock or water and bring it to a simmer. Add the spinach and almonds along with the remaining chickpeas. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serves 6-8

Notes:To make a main dish soup add 1 lb. of medium shrimp which have bee previously poached in white wine or add chunks of cod directly to the soup shortly before serving. The fish should be cooked in a few minutes.

Date Nut Spice Bread

A few weeks ago my lovely niece Liz surprised me with a loaf of this date nut bread. I took one bite and fell in love. It is absolutely perfect. I would not change a thing. Liz got the recipe from Ina Garten's cookbook Back to Basics. Actually Liz sings the praises of Ina Garten's recipes. She says that they are not difficult and they work. This one sure works for me.

The accompanying cream cheese spread does not appeal to me and seems unnecessary but most people would disagree. You're the boss on this one.

2 cups coarsely chopped dates, 10 oz. pitted

1/3 cup orange liqueur

4 tbl. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 extra large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tbl. grated orange zest (2 oranges)

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. Kosher salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3 oranges)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (3 oz.)

For the cream cheese spread:

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbl. grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom of an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2" loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pan.

Combine the dates and orange liqueur in a small bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the egg, vanilla and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. With the mixture still on low, add the flour alternately with the orange juice to the creamed mixture, beating only until combined. By hand, stir in the dates and their liquid and the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest until just combined.

Slice the bread and serve as is or with the orange cream cheese on the side for spreading.

Makes one 8" loaf