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Baked cod with Beurre Blanc
Don’t let the name fool you, beurre blanc is just a white wine sauce. It’s not as scary as you think and once you make it you will wonder why you haven’t been making it all along. This is also a great excuse to open a bottle of wine, not that you need any.
Now I love seafood! I can eat it daily. My hubby on the other hand, had to be slowly introduced to seafood. Not that you would know it now, lol. One of the easiest ways to get someone to eat fish is by starting them off with something mild like cod. Give it a little crunch, add an awesome sauce and you will have create a monster like I did.
Bonus is that this is such a quick dish you can make it anytime, but it is elegant enough for a sweet date night.
Enjoy!
Baked Cod with Beurre blanc
Panko crusted cod with white wine butter sauceIngredients
Baked Cod
- 1 1/2 pound Cod
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup panko
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp old bay
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Beurre Blanc
- 1 cup white wine, I used sauvingon blanc today pinot grigio, chardonnay ok too
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp shallot
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 6-8 tbsp cold unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley chives works nice too!
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 convection bake or 400 conventional. Clean and portion your cod, about 4-6 ounce pieces. Place on lined sheet tray and season with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl combine, panko, lemon zest, old bay, parsley and melted butter.
- Top Cod with bread crumb mixture and bake 15-20 minutes.
- While your fish is baking… In a medium saute pan over medium high heat add your wine, shallot, lemon juice and cracked black pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce by half, about 8-10 minutes
- Take off of the heat, and add cold butter while. You can whisk it in, but I like to swirl the pan to incorporate.
- Add heavy cream and a salt to taste.
- you can strain the sauce, then add parsley or just add parlsey and serve over your fish.
- Remove your fish from the oven, making sure not to over cook.
- Serve with rice, roasted veggies, potato wedges, a side salad…
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Habichuelas Guisada (Puerto Rican Stewed beans)
I am sticking to the Comfort food theme today. I love how warm and cozy the house smells when these beans are cooking away. It’s not a quick cook item , it’s definitely one that will bubble away most of the afternoon and if there ever was a time to slow down and make a cozy meal now would be it.
I know some of you are wondering why I didn’t soak the beans, and say ham hocks aren’t traditional, and asking why I don’t have calabasa or potatoes in it. But this is just my family’s version and the one that I can get all 3 kids and a picky husband to not only eat but ask for again and again.
Traditionally this is served with rice and a protein. In my house I usually serve it with roasted chicken. But my favorite way to eat them…is with a fried dough or tostones. I added the recipe for a fried dough. If you haven’t tried it this way and love nice slow cooked, richly flavored beans like I do this is the way to go. YUM!
I hope you will give this a try. Enjoy!
Habichuelas Guisada
Our family's Puerto Rican Style beansIngredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 ham hocks or smoked turkey necks or smoked wings
- 1 med yellow onion large dice
- 2 cloves garlic smashed but not chopped
- 1 pound pink beans picked through and rinsed
- water to cover at least 1 1/2 inch over beans (about 6 cups) you will be adding more as it is absorbed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can goya tomato sauce 8 ounce
- 1 packet sazon
- 2 tbsp olives
- 2 tbsp sofrito
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- in a large enough pot over medium high heat, heat your olive oil and add onion, garlic and ham hock. Cook about 2 minutes, add rinsed beans, bay leaves and water.Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.Cook for about 1 1/2 hours, then check. I usually add another 2 cups of water at this time. Cover and let it simmer on low for another hour. Check the beans for liquid, add more if needed (another cup). Let simmer for another 30 minutes.At this point, the beans should be tender but not overly soft.Add 1 can of tomato sauce, sazon packet, sofrito and olive.Let it cook partially covered for about 1/2 hour to thicken. Taste, add salt and pepper
Notes
Serve with white rice. I love to eat it a day later with tostones, sorullos and/or a simple fried dough.
2 cups water
3 tablespoons oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
and about 1/2 cup of water
Get your dry ingredients together, mix in oil and then slowly incorporate water until dough starts to come together.
Bring together and wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes
Roll out and fry in 350 degree oil.
Sprinkle with kosher salt -
Creamy chicken and rice soup
I am always up for a nice pot of home made soup and this was one of our top sellers we would sell out almost every time we had it at the cafe. This is also one of my family faves. It is also a great way to sneak in some healthy grains for picky eaters like my husband.
I almost hesitated putting this on the blog today, because as I sit writing this recipe up it is a beautiful 61 degrees with the sun shining and the breeze from the bay coming in, and I am fully enjoying the weather out on my front porch. But tomorrow is another day of rain and cooler temps and I think everyone can use a meal that feels like a warm hug right now.
So here is my social distanced hug to all of you! Enjoy!
Creamy Chicken and rice soup
Simple and easy, but so comforting.Servings 6Ingredients
Soup
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter you can use half butter and half olive oil
- 1 med white onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 med carrots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dry thyme
- 1/4 cup flour
- 8 cups chicken stock broth, or water with boullion or base is ok too
- 1 pound roasted chicken breast shredded
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
roasted chicken breast
- 1 pound chicken breast 2 medium sized
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Wild Rice or other hearty grain
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup wild rice mix (or any hearty grain mix)
Instructions
- Start with your chicken breast and wild rice or grain mix. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.Place your chicken breast on a sheet tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes until cooked through 165 degrees, set aside to cool and shred.
- Boil water in a small oven proof pot, add your wild rice or grain mix. Bring back to a boil and cover. Place into 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove and set aside until needed for soup.
- In a large pot, over medium heat melt butter. Add your veggies, salt and pepper and thyme. Cook for about 4 minutes.
- Add flour, stir and cook for another 30 second
- slowly add in your chicken stock and stir well to ensure there are no lumps. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken and rice or grain mixture and let cook simmer for another 15 minutes or so.
- At this point, check the soup for seasoning and desired thickness. Re season if necessary. Finish with half and half and parsley. **see recipe notes for gluten free option** If you would like your soup a little thicker mix in a tablespoon of corn starch to your half and half and stir that into the soup.
Notes
To make this gluten free, remove the flour. Make the soup and when you get to the part of re seasoning, you can mix a couple of table spoons of corn starch with your half and half. Bring soup back up to a boil and re asses your thickness then. You can always add a little more corn starch mixed with water or stock to the soup. I used a grain mixture this time, I like to make sure the grains I use are hearty and can stand up in the soup. I don’t like it when the grains absorb too much of the liquid.
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Braised beef and veggie quesadillas
Quesadillas can usually be thrown together quick and simple. In the hotter months I’m always down for a grilled meat and veggie quesadilla and I have made so many versions of this crispy cheesy meal I couldn’t even list them all! But if you really want to up your quesadilla game, and turn this simple dish into a meal you can serve on a cold winters day, then take the time and slow braise your beef. It brings a richness that you just can’t beat.
Even my Harley bear was waiting by the oven in the hopes for a taste!
Braised beef and veggie quesadilla
Slow braised beef, mixed with fresh veggiesServings 10 quesadillasEquipment
- dutch oven
Ingredients
Braised beef roast
- 4-5 pound chuck roast
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 med white onion thick slice
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 4 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tbsp * sofrito home made or store bought
- salt and pepper to taste
Quesadilla
- 10 10" flour tortillas
- 4 cups shredded mexican cheese blen
- 1 sm yellow squash diced
- 1 sm zucchini diced
- 1 med red bell pepper sliced
- 1 med red onion sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp butter
Optional ingredients
- pickled jalapeños
- mexican crema
- avocado
- salsa
Instructions
Braised beef
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degreese.In a dutch oven or a heavy oven proof pot, heat canola oil on medium high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and sear 3-4 minutes per side. Remove roast from pot, reduce heat to medium and add sliced white onion, cumin, oregano, chili powder and cook 4-5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and sofrito and stir. Put the beef back into the pot and add beef stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil.Cover and place into preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours. Then reduce to 300 degrees and continue cooking for another 1/2 hour 45 minutes.Remove from oven and set aside while you get the quesadilla ingredients ready.
Quesadilla
- Heat olive oil over medium heat, saute veggies adding salt and pepper to taste. Do not overcook, leaving some crunch to the veggies. Set asideBegin to assemble Lay your tortilla flat, sprinkle with cheese, add shredded beef, veggies, pickled jalapenos (optional)Fold in halfMelt butter onto a large non stick pan or griddle over medium heat and cook quesadillas until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted.Remove from heat and cut into quarters, garnish with your favorites!
Notes
