Meat

Halibut Meunière

The first time I ate halibut was about five years ago in Las Vegas when my two girlfriends and I agreed to go to dinner with some guys from New York we knew who were in Vegas the same week. The restaurant of choice was a fancy high-end steakhouse in Mandalay Bay with a wall of wine and an expensive menu. As I sat down at our beautiful table, I nearly went into a panic when I looked at the menu. Not because of the prices but because of the choices. At the time, I’d recently begun eating chicken but the only chicken dish on the menu was a bone-in half-chicken, which wasn’t an option for me. I didn’t eat lobster or lamb or fois gras or bone marrow so I didn’t have many options. I was just about to settle on a sad dinner of two sides – green beans and mashed potatoes – when my friends encouraged me to try the halibut. “It’s not a fishy fish”, they said. Reluctantly, I tried it. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Since then, I haven’t had halibut much because it isn’t the cheapest fish in the ocean. So when I saw halibut was on sale at my grocery store, I was excited to make Halibut Meunière.

Fresh halibut is sprinkled with a little salt, pepper and flour and cooked in butter until opaque and flakey. A fragrant sauce of browned butter and lemon juice is drizzled over the top along with a dusting of fresh parsley which allows the fish to be perfectly and simply complimented. Considering one of my favorite dishes as a kid was frozen breaded fish sticks smothered in melted butter, bottled lemon juice and dried parsley, this dish is a significant upgrade. Since I’m pretty sure that the dish I ate in Vegas was 3 or 4 times what it costs to make this dish, I don’t feel guilty splurging a little bit once in a while to enjoy it. Sorry, chicken, but I’ll choose halibut over you anyday.

The ingredients:

Pat fish dry, and sprinkle both sides with black pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with flour.

Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fish to pan, and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully turn fish over; cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove fish from pan; set aside, and keep warm.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pan, and cook 1 minute or until lightly browned, swirling pan to melt butter evenly and prevent burning. Remove pan from heat; stir in juice.

Drizzle juice mixture over fish. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Kung Pao Chicken

One of the biggest cravings I often get (which is nearly impossible to satisfy) is Chinese food. Once I get the thought of Chinese food in my head, it becomes all I can think about. The only thing I can do is pick up the phone and call my favorite Chinese food restaurant (which I have programmed into my phone, mind you), place an order, and stuff my face. There is no getting around it. And as much as I try to replicate my favorite dishes at home, it’s never as satisfying as the take-out I get. Maybe it’s the additional oil or MSG that makes it so good (I don’t know and I don’t care) but I’m not ready to give up making healthier, just-as-tasty dishes at home. This Kung Pao Chicken is probably the closest I have come to making a perfect Chinese dish.

Chicken is sautéed with garlic and onion in sesame oil (a flavor punch) before being bathed in a spicy mixture of water, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger and red pepper flake. Once the sauce has thickened slightly, fresh snow peas and red peppers are added until bright in color and perfectly crisp. Unlike a typical restaurant dish, this version gets its kick from the red pepper flake instead of chili peppers but it doesn’t disappoint (if you like it spicier, add more flake or use chili peppers instead). Snow peas are a fresh addition but other vegetables, such as broccoli, celery, cabbage or scallions, will work too. Like the typical restaurant version, peanuts dot this dish adding a salty layer of crunch. If you’re someone like me who gets that Chinese food craving and want something healthier, try this dish. It comes together fast and it’s as tasty as ever.

The ingredients:

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.

Combine water, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger and crushed red pepper, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add water mixture to pan; bring to a boil.

Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens.

Sprinkle with nuts.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Ground ginger

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Baja Chicken Stir-Fry

I’ve been on a bit of a chicken and veggies kick. It’s what I’ve been craving so why fight it? It’s better than eating a big bowl of pasta or a buffalo chicken cheesesteak, both of which I could easily eat on a daily basis if it weren’t for my stubborn conscience. I can’t seem to get enough chicken lately and the brighter the rainbow of veggies the better. It’s not often that I go through phases like this so when they come around, I embrace them. But no matter what my body wants, chicken and veggies can get boring unless they are switched up with different flavors. I came across this Baja Chicken Stir-Fry (adapted from Baja Pork Stir-Fry) right when I wasn’t sure what to do next. One look and I instantly fell in love with the vibrant colors in this dish.

Chicken breasts are cut into bite size pieces, seasoned with nothing more than salt and pepper, and cooked until brown. Green, orange and red pepper slices are quickly stir-fried with minced jalapeño and then mixed with the cooked chicken. A simple sauce of ground cumin, broth and cornstarch is added to the whole mixture and thickens up quickly, coating each piece of the stir-fry. A final addition of cherry tomato halves and chopped cilantro rounds out this dish that comes together quickly. The peppers are perfectly crisp, the tomatoes are juicy and the whole dish gets a kick from the jalapeño and a flavorful warmth from the ground cumin. I wouldn’t normally think to add tomatoes to a stir-fry but it seems to work here.

The ingredients:

Combine broth, cornstarch, cumin and garlic. Set aside.

Season chicken with salt and black pepper. Add canola oil to a large skillet heated over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook thoroughly until brown on all sides. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.