Lightly Poached Salmon with Dill Yogurt

Poaching is one of my favourite methods of cooking salmon. It keeps the fish moist while infusing it with flavor. Feel free to improvise when it comes to your poaching liquid. Most herbs will work. White wine is always a good option, although water will do the trick as well. Make sure to salt the water so that it tastes like the ocean. And most importantly: Don't overcook. The fish needs only a few minutes of poaching. I served salmon, rocket tossed in lemon juice, and a dill yogurt. Enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 slices of salmon fillet (about 200g each)

• small handfull of baby rocket (arugula)

• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

• drizzle of olive oil

Poaching liquid

• a pan filled with water (or half white wine)

• a few lemon slices

• a small handful of fresh dill

• a good pinch of salt

Dill Yogurt

• 1/2 cup yogurt • small handful of fresh dill, chopped

Mix together the rocket and lemon juice and set aside. Bring the poaching liquid to a simmer. Add the salmon to the liquid and cook for 4 minutes, making sure the water doesn't boil. Gently remove the fish from the water and season it with salt. Serve with the rocket, dill yogurt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Buttered Lettuce with Toasted Almonds

We are currently on a trip in Copenhagen, Denmark. I am working for the next two weeks at restaurant Kadeau to learn about Nordic cuisine. It's a privilege for me to work with such a creative team. For pictures from this trip, head to the Facebook page.

The other night one of our hosts, Thomas, made this amazing side dish of cooked lettuce. It's simply lettuce seared a few minutes in butter, drizzled with apple cider vinegar, and topped with a few almonds. I thought it would be nice to share the recipe with you. Ideally you would use romaine hearts split in half, but smaller, baby lettuces also work.

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

• 4 baby lettuces (or 2 larger romaine hearts) split in half • 1/4 cup almonds, chopped • 2 tablespoons butter • 1 tablespoon grapeseed or olive oil • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar • salt to taste

In a small pan, toast the almonds until golden brown. Set aside. Heat a large saute pan, and melt the butter until it's sizzling. Add the lettuce to the pan, face down, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve them face side up, drizzled with the oil and vinegar and topped with the toasted almonds and a pinch of salt.

Squash Gnocchi

The Bite House is now officially one year old. It was started last winter as a way to store and share my recipes (a total of 120 recipes have been created so far). Thanks to all the folks who've been trying out the recipes and sharing feedback, and cheers to another great year ahead filled with joy and lots of good food.

All right, so today's recipe is a potato gnocchi with roasted butternut squash, an addition to boost flavor and color. I served mine with a garlic-sage brown butter. Sage is an amazingly hearty herb and the only one in our garden to have survived a recent drop in temperature. We found some still green and fragrant under the snow in our garden. I'm curious to see how long it will keep up...

Cheers and Happy New Year! Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a starter.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes (about three medium) • 1/2 cup pureed roasted butternut squash • 1 1/2 cup white flour, plus a little more for dusting • 3 egg yolks • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Cut the potatoes in half and lay them on a baking sheet, face down. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until cooked thoroughly. You can roast your squash at the same time. Remove the skin from the potatoes and mash them in a large bowl. Add the squash and egg yolks and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. To this, add 3/4 cup of the flour, the salt, and roughly mix together. Add the rest of the flour and work with your hands until the dough is smooth and not to sticky on the outside. Add a bit more flour if needed.

Split the dough in four and roll them with your hands on a well-floured surface to form 1" thick logs, resembling long cigars. With a dough cutter, cut each cigars into 1/2 inch pieces. Roll each piece on a floured gnocchi board (or fork) with your thumb and lay them on a floured tray or sheet.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the gnocchi in two batches for a few minutes, until they float to the surface. Serve with you choice of sauce/cheese/herbs.

Holidays + Whisky Milk Punch

This past week has been about family, friends, and lots of food. We've had sesame-crusted fish tacos, assorted homemade pierogies, roasted chicken, spiced dahl, salmon and squash risotto, to name a few. There were also the cheeses and desserts—bourbon pecan pie, creamy fudge, apple crisp, and Kiflis (Hungarian cookies). Oh, and the amazing chocolate birthday cake with lavender-infused frosting!

We've also enjoyed martinis and fabulous Nova Scotian wines and beers. Pictured above is the Christmas lunch of local smoked salmon, horseradish cream and sparkling wine from L'Acadie Vineyards. This week's recipe is based on a New Orleans classic—the brandy milk punch.

Whisky Milk Punch

Serves 2

• 2 shots Canadian whisky • 1/2 cup milk • 2 tablespoons 18% cream • 1 tablespoon sugar • 4-5 ice cubes, crushed • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix all the ingredients together. Serve and and top with freshly grated nutmeg.

Bourbon Pecan Pie

This pecan pie is crunchy on top, melty in the middle—mostly because of the maple syrup—and boozy with bourbon. I tweaked my Dad's recipe, which has always been a Picard family favourite. For the ultimate dessert experience, serve this pie with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

To make your own pie dough, see here.

Ingredients

• 1 pie dough in a 9" pan, pre-cooked for 10 minutes. • 1 cup maple syrup • 1 cup brown sugar • 1 shot bourbon • 3 eggs • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1 1/2 cups pecans

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix all ingredients but the pecans. Add 1 cup of pecans, lightly crushed. Pour over the pre-cooked pie dough and top with the remaining pecans. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the center is no longer wobbly.

Cheddar-Rosemary Cornbread

Aged cheddar and rosemary give this cornbread a sharp, herby taste that might catch you by surprise. And the recipe takes little time to make­­­—just five minutes of prep and up to twenty minutes in the oven.

I was introduced to cornbread during my first visit to Texas a few years back. That cornbread was cooked in a pan. I've since learned that the more traditional method is to heat up bacon drippings in a cast-iron skillet, pour the batter over top, and bake it in the oven. It's a quite a bit heavier on the cals, but for a special occasion you could try it this way. Enjoy!

I prefer my cornbread a little sweet, if you don't, leave the sugar out. Partner this recipe with roasted chicken, pork chops, herby cream sauces, or cranberry-related dishes.

Ingredients

serves 6-8

• 1 cup cornmeal • 1 cup whole white flour • 3 tablespoons cane sugar • 1 tablespoon baking powder • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed • 1 teaspoon salt • 2 eggs • 1 cup buttermilk or milk • 1 cup aged cheddar, grated

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix together the eggs and milk. Add to the cornmeal mixture and cheese and stir until combined. Butter an 8x8 square pan (or 9" round) and line it with a parchment paper. Pour the mixture on the parchment and bake until the top is golden brown, for about 16-20 minutes.

Barley Risotto Croquettes

Cheesy barley risotto, rolled into a ball, stuffed with mozza, breaded, and then pan-fried. This recipe is inspired by Arancini di Riso ( literally translated from the Italian as "little oranges of rice"), and it makes a great appetizer or casual munch at cocktail time.

You could use any kind of leftover risotto to make the recipe, but I felt like testing it with barley. I went with pot barley because of its heartiness (unlike pearl barley, it has not been stripped of nutrients). The end result met my expectations, resembling al dente arborio rice. You'll need to soak the barley overnight. But don't let that put you off. Pouring barley in a bowl and covering it with water isn't that big a job.

Serve the croquettes with a spicy mayo (mayo + hot sauce!). Enjoy!

Barley Risotto

The risotto recipe is a simplified one--you add stock to the barley in two doses instead of the traditional way, which is to add it little by little. In the end, there's not much of a difference. For a traditional risotto recipe see here.

serves 4-6

• 1 cup pot barley (yields about 2 cups once soaked) • 2 medium onions, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 4-5 cups chicken or veg stock (or water) • 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons butter • a few pinches of sea salt

Soak the barley overnight and drain the next day. In a large skillet cook the onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-high heat until they are translucent, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the barley, you want the barley to soak up the onion-garlic flavors. Add 2 cups of stock (or water) and keep on a low boil, stirring often until the liquid is absorbed. Add the rest of the stock and repeat the cooking and stirring. Add more liquid if needed, the risotto should start to look starchy. This should take about 30-40 minutes Remove from heat, add the parmesan and season to taste.

Eat right away or continue this recipe to make croquettes.

Croquettes

Makes 10 jumbo or 16 small

• 2 1/2 cups barley risotto, cooled • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs • 1/2 cup parmesan • 1 egg • 1 tablespoon flour • about 75g mozzarella, cut into 10 cubes (or 16 for smaller croquettes)

Mix the risotto with the breadcrumbs, parmesan, egg, and flour. Taste and season with salt and ground black pepper. Form 10 large (or 16 small) balls, tuck and enclose a piece of mozzarella into the middle of each. Roll again with your hands to get a round shape.

Crust

• 2 eggs, • 1/2 cup flour • 1 cup breadcrumbs • 1/2 cup frying oil (I use sunflower)

Gently roll each risotto ball in the flour, then dip in the eggs, and roll in the breadcrumbs. In a large skillet, heat the oil until it's hot and sizzling. Put half of the croquettes in the pan and cook on all sides until browned and crispy. Keep an eye on them, it should take about 4-7 minutes depending on the size. Transfer them to a wire rack and repeat with the rest.

Our Crispy Oven Fries

Not everyone has a fryer at home. I don't. Our kitchen isn't even equipped with an exhaust fan! The next best way to make fries is in the oven. If you want them crispy, you'll need thin-cut potatoes, a really hot oven (convection if you have it), and just a light coating of oil--too much makes a soggy mess. Also, wait until the potatoes are cooked to season them with salt. Once you've mastered crispy oven fries, you can stir up a caramelized mushroom sauce for homemade poutine. I found that the best way to cook almost anything in the oven (bread, cookies, you name it) is on parchment paper. If not too greasy, you can use the same sheet a number of times, just fold it and keep it for the next bake.

And, if using the paprika, get the real stuff from Spain, which is the smokiest.

Serves 2 hungry or 4 sides

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (~1.5 lbs) • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika (optional) • pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the potatoes in 1/4" thick sticks. In a large bowl, gently mix the potatoes with the oil and paprika, if using. Lay on a parchment paper, making sure to spread potatoes evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning them around twice. Keep an eye on them. Season with salt and enjoy!

Kalács: Hungarian Bread

This bread is kind of a swirly, semi-sweet loaf with either poppy seeds or cinnamon and nuts rolled in. Kalács is traditionally braided, but this version is easy--you just have to roll it. I adapted this recipe from Bridget's family cookbook, a scrapbook of favorite recipes lovingly compiled by her dear friend Bess. Bridget's mother, Roe, is of Hungarian descent, so there are many Hungarian classics besides Kalács (pronounced Kal-ach) in the book. This bread is usually served at Easter, but it's spicy and buttery enough for winter holidays too. I used whole white flour, so my bread is a little denser than it would be with a regular white flour. To make two loaves, you can easily double the recipe and then split the dough.

Enjoy with butter!

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour • 1/4 pound butter • 2 large egg yolks • 3 tablespoons sugar • 1/2 cup lukewarm milk • 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm milk. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients, add the butter in small chunks, and mix it in with your hands until you get a coarse mixture (see picture). Add milk-yeast mixture and beaten egg yolks to the dry ingredients. Work dough until smooth and form into a round ball. Let stand for 10 minutes and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. At this point, spread crushed nuts and cinnamon or poppy seeds over the dough. Roll up the bread, place on a parchment or well buttered pan, and let rise for two hours in a warm spot (under the oven light). Brush the top with a beaten egg (this is optional) Bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes.

Cider-Braised Chicken

I love cooking with cider. It's a little sweeter than wine and gives refreshing apple tones. Last summer I met John, the cider maker from Tideview Cider, who let me sample the apple and pear brews. The Heritage Dry is my favorite. So here's a recipe for a cider braised chicken. I'm fortunate to live near Pandora Farm, a small family farm which raises chickens in a very decent manner. And for the tomato sauce, I used some that we jarred this summer. Boy, is it going fast!

Enjoy this chicken with a glass of the same cider used to cook it.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut in 8 pieces • 2 cups hard cider • 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced • 1 medium leek, sliced • 4 tablespoons sunflower or grapeseed oil • 4 tablespoons heavy cream • 1/4 cup flour • 1 bay leaf • salt + ground black pepper

Dust the chicken in the flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sear the chicken pieces for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a medium-sized pot and deglaze the skillet with half of the cider (1 cup). Let it simmer for a minute then add it to the chicken with the rest of the cider, leek, tomatoes and bay leaf. Slow simmer on low heat, half-covered for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the cream. If you want the sauce to be thicker, low-boil until the sauce reduces. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Finish with some fresh chopped chives, tarragon, or parsley.

Buttercup Squash Soup with Candied Walnuts

Now is the time of year for soup. Toasted, candied walnuts add crunch, sweetness, and a luscious nutty flavor to this creamy potage of buttercup squash lightly spiced with cinnamon and tumeric. I recommend making extra candied walnuts. They can be added to salad, yogurt, oatmeal, or eaten straight up by the handful. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Buttercup Squash Soup

• 1 buttercup squash (about 3lbs) • 3 medium onions, chopped • 1 medium potato, cut in 1" cubes • 3 garlic cloves, chopped • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I made mine with water and it still tasted really good. I just added a little more salt.) • 2 tablespoons heavy cream • 1/2 teaspoon tumeric • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon • pinch ground cayenne pepper • salt + ground black pepper

Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds and cut in in 1 inch cubes. In a soup pot, cook the onions and garlic on medium heat for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the squash and potato. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the stock and spices and simmer for 30 minutes, until the squash is cooked. Blend the soup in a blender until smooth and transfer back to pot. Add the cream and season to taste.

Candied Walnuts

• 1 cup walnuts • 1/4 cup sugar (preferably organic cane sugar)

Dry-pan toast the walnuts for 3-4 minutes on medium heat, shaking the pan often. Add the sugar, lower the heat and stir until the sugar melts and coats the walnuts. Lay them to cool on a plate or parchement.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Sesame

I went on a trip to the Annapolis Valley last week to visit wineries and producers, and I brought back a lot of amazing wines and foods. These brussels sprouts came from the Noggins Corner Farm Market, and they were delicious! Serves 4

Ingredients

• 16 brussels sprouts • 3 tablespoons sunflower oil • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar • salt + ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 450°F. Bring a large pot of water with a teaspoon of salt to boil Blanch the sprouts for 2 minutes. Cool them immediately in very cold water. Split them in half and lay in a baking pan with the oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then add the garlic and sesame seeds to the pan and give it a stir. Roast for another 15 minutes, get the sprouts out of the oven and add the apple cider vinegar. Season with more salt if needed and serve.

Caramelized Mushroom Sauce

Here is an easy mushroom sauce I came up with a few nights ago, and the ingredients may already be in your fridge/pantry. What makes the sauce so good are the browned onions, which are also key to a deep-flavored onion soup. This sauce can go on pasta or meat. I also recommend trying it over oven fries and cheese curds for a homemade mushroom poutine. Enjoy!

Pot holder by the folks at Leather Works.

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, chopped • 500g mixed mushrooms, chopped • 2 tablespoons red wine • 2 tablespoons maple syrup • 3 cups water • 6 tablespoons butter • 2 tablespoons flour • salt + ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Once it's sizzling, add the onions and cook on medium heat, stirring often, until browned. This should take about 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook for another 10 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and maple syrup. Continue cooking for a few minutes, until the mushrooms are caramelized (browned, but not burnt) Add the water and simmer-boil for 15 minutes. You want it to reduce to concentrate the flavors. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet. Whisk in the flour and pour a bit of the sauce in (a ladle's worth), whisking. Add the thickened sauce to the original and mix in well. If too thick, add a bit of water; if too thin, sprinkle some flour in it. Season with salt and plenty of pepper.

For pasta: add some cream at the end

Wild Apple Crisp with Maple Cream

This is my kind of dessert--simple and satisfying.Wild apples are everywhere. From my window I can see at least half a dozen trees. Some people don't really fancy them, but I think they're pretty good. We've been tasting apples from various trees and picking the best ones. Each tree is different, so before judging the apples by their size or color, give them a try.

Enjoy!

Serves 6

Apple Crisp

• 4 medium apples, sliced • 1 cup rolled oats • 1 cup packed brown sugar • 1/2 cup unbleached white flour • 1/2 cup butter • 1/2 cup maple syrup • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine oats, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the butter in small chunks and roughly mix. Throw the apple slices (no need to be fancy) in a 8x8 baking dish, pour the maple syrup over and top with the oat mixture. Bake for 45 minutes.

Maple Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream • 1 tablespoon sugar • 3 tablespoons maple syrup • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, cream, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Add the maple syrup a fold in with a spatula. Let sit in the fridge at least 15 minutes before serving (you want it cold).

Trout, Coriander, Roasted Pumpkin, and Sage

We picked out a pumpkin this past week. Apparently I was supposed to wait until after Halloween to eat it. Yoopsie. If you intend to eat pumpkin, buy one that is small to medium-sized. The larger ones are less flavorful. You won't need a whole pumpkin for this recipe unless you're serving ten people, so use a small one or cut a portion of a larger one and save the rest for a soup or pie. To compliment the roasted pumpkin I added chopped sage (it goes well with most types of squash). I seasoned the trout with coriander seeds from the garden.

This is a simple and delicious fall dish. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 trout fillets (about 275g each), cut in half • 1 small pumpkin, cut in wedges • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roughly ground • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped • 3 tablespoons butter • juice from half a lemon • salt + ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Lay the pumpkin on a baking sheet or parchment paper. Drizzle with oil. Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Just as it gets out of the oven, add the sage and season with salt.

Lower the oven temp to 350°F. Put the trout on aluminium foil. Sprinkle with the coriander seeds, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Top each piece with 1 teaspoon of butter and gently enclose the trout in the foil. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Serve with a few slices of roasted pumpkin.

Rose Hip Syrup

On our walk this morning we spotted wild rose bushes loaded with rose hips and filled our pockets.

Making a syrup from these aromatic, vitamin-rich fruits is easy, and there are a number of ways to enjoy its distinct flavor: add a tablespoon to soda water and gin for a refreshing drink--the rose hip cocktail; drizzle some over yogurt, granola, or pancakes; let it soak into a blackberry cake. You can use this syrup to flavor homemade ice cream or even to glaze a roasted chicken. This is a thin syrup. For a heavier one, add up to an extra 3/4 cup of sugar.

Yields about 2 1/2 cups

Rose Hip Syrup

• 1 cup rose hips, cleaned • 1 cup sugar • 2 cups water

Put the rose hips in a blender and blend for about 10 seconds, until roughly ground. Bring the water to a boil, add the rose hips, return to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Put the mixture through a a few layers of cheese cloth (or jelly bag) and let stand until all the liquid has come through. Set the liquid aside and discard the rose hips. In a small saucepan, on medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the rose hip liquid. Strain the mixture once more through cheese cloth and leave to cool. Keep in a jar, bottle, or any sealable container in the fridge.

Whipped Butternut Squash and Red Onions

This is a very simple recipe; apart from roasting the squash, it'll take you only 15 minutes to prepare. Stick a serving spoon in and pass it around. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs) • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced • 4 tablespoons butter • 3 tablespoons heavy cream • salt • a dash of hot sauce (optional)

Split the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast in the oven at 375-400°F for about an hour, until you can easily pierce it with a knife. Meanwhile, in a skillet, gently cook the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter for no more than 2 minutes. Once the squash is cooked, scoop out the flesh, and whisk it in a bowl with the rest of the butter and cream. Add the onions and season with salt and hot sauce. Put the mixture back in the skin and serve.

Blade Steak Remedy, Beer and Root Vegetables

For the past few days we've been working hard to restore our house to its former glory, wriggling around the crawl space and ducking around the attic, sawing, scraping, painting. But we still had time to hit the farmer's market in town for our supply of greens, cheeses, fish, and, on this occasion, some amazing grass-fed beef--blade steaks. The blade steak is not the tenderest of cuts, but it has so much flavor. To cook, slow-braise in beer, garlic, thick tomato sauce, and herbs. And remember the root veg. For acidity I've used my neighbor's twenty-something-hour tomato sauce. He simmers his tomatoes for that long, adding more every few hours. The result is a thick, deep flavored sauce, akin to rich tomato paste. But any tomato sauce will do for this recipe.

Serves 4

Pot-au-Feu

• 2 (about 20oz each) blade steaks • 1 bottle of beer • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 2 sprigs thyme • a small bunch of parsley • 1 cup tomato sauce • varieties of veggies - fingerling potatoes, baby carrots, sliced onions • salt + ground black pepper

In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil and sear the steaks on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Put all the ingredients including the steaks in a large cast iron pot. Add water (or stock) until just covered. Simmer on a back burner on low heat for at least 4 hours. Reserve the meat and vegetables and reduce the liquid by half (~15-20 minutes) then whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter mixed with 1 tablespoon of flour. Transfer each serving of meat and veggies to a shallow bowl, pour sauce overtop. Enjoy with crusty bread.

Kale and Onion Flip Omelette

Quiches, fritattas, and omelettes are conveniently versatile. You may have the makings of a tasty egg-based dish already in your fridge. I'm talking about veggies, cheese, and/or meats that need to be used. Here I've selected kale, onions, and, for the cheese, feta. Obviously eggs play a big part in the above recipes, and we're happy to get ours from a small local farm where the chickens roam freely.

This dish is not quite a fritatta because it's thinner, so I'm calling it a flip omelette. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 6 eggs • 2 tablespoons heavy cream • 150 g of cheese, grated (I used crumbled feta) • 2 medium onions, chopped • about 3 cups sliced kale • 4 tablespoons butter • salt + ground black pepper

In a medium skillet (easier to do if you use a quality non-stick pan), melt 2 tablespoons of butter, and cook the onions on medium heat until they are soft, for about 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the kale and season with salt. Cook the kale for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the cream and season them with salt and pepper. Once the kale is done, spread the onion-kale mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan. Add the cheese on top, and pour the eggs over. Cover, lower the heat to low, and let cook for 10-15 minutes, until the eggs are set. Flip over onto a plate, slice, and serve.

Feta and Basil Crusted Halibut with Garlic Wilted Spinach and Risotto

This dish is a revelation. I had been wondering how to prepare the halibut we picked up at the market. There were some leftover breadcrumbs from the eggplant parm Bridget made yesterday and another hunk of delicious local feta from Ron. My tastebuds led the way from there. A bit of basil, a hint of mustard, risotto--of course!-- and fresh spinach. Homemade breadcrumbs are so easy to make. Just bake slices of bread  at a low temp (300°F) until they're really dry, then crumble them by hand or in a food processor.

I used full-cut steaks, but any cut of halibut should work for this recipe.

Feta-Basil Crusted Halibut

• 4 halibut steaks, cut of your choice • 4 teaspoons dijon mustard • 1/2 cup homemade breadcrumbs • 100 g feta cheese, crumbled • small handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped • 4 tablespoons olive oil • a few twist of ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, feta, basil, olive oil, and black pepper. Lay the halibut in an oiled baking dish and spread 1 teaspoon of mustard on each. Cover the fish with the crust mixture, and don't worry about some falling around, you'll use it on the plate. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the halibut. You want to keep it moist.

Garlic Wilted Spinach

• 4 tablespoons butter • 2 garlic cloves, chopped • 4 handfuls of baby spinach

In a large skillet, melt the butter on medium heat, add the garlic and swirl around for a minute. Add the spinach, stir, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for a minute.

Basic Risotto

• 2 onions, finely chopped • 4 tablespoons butter • 1 cup arborio rice • 1/2 cup white wine • 2-3 cups water or vegetable or chicken stock • 100 g aged cheddar, grated • salt + ground black pepper

Bring the stock (or water) to a simmer, and keep it hot on the back burner at low heat. In a medium skillet, on medium-high heat cook the onions in 3 tablespoons of butter until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, stir, and add the white wine. Let it simmer until most of the wine is absorbed. Laddle in some stock to cover the rice. Keep stirring. Once the liquid is absorbed, laddle in a bit more stock. Proceed until the rice is al dente. It should take about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the cheddar, and season with salt and black pepper. If the risotto seems too dry, add a few more tablespoons of stock.