Birthday Feast Part II

Here is part two of my birthday supper from last week.

Brussels Sprout with Calabrase and Lemon

For my veggie side dish I wanted to cook something I had not done before. I have only prepared Brussels sprout a couple of times and thus an original dish was easy to accomplish. I scanned a few online recipes for inspiration and after seeing that bacon and vinegar were usual accompaniments I used those same flavors. I did not have bacon in the house but I did have a spicy Italian calbrase salami, and I though lemon zest and juice would be a nice change instead of vinegar as a way to provide acid to the dish. Plus I figured the lemon flavor would pair nicely with the fish. In addition, the calabrase, with the chili flakes would add an element of heat and savory unlike just bacon. The dish turned out to be a real winner! Here is how I put it together:

1 pound of Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved

Boil the sprouts in a little salted water for about 5 minutes

In the meantime, heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a medium saute pan of medium-high heat, and add:
- 1/2 an onion, minced
- 2 ounces of Calabrase (or other dry salami), julienne

Cook until the onions are tender and add the par-cooked Brussels sprouts. Saute for a couple of minutes so the Brussels sprouts pick up some color. Then add the juice and zest of half a lemon.
Season with a little kosher salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Pan Roasted Cod Fillets

The fish entree was really quite simple. I bought a nice thick, 1lb piece of cod loin and cut it into 4 equally sized pieces.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 Tbsp of Oil and 2 Tbsp butter.

Season the fish with salt and pepper, and press into panko crumbs.

Add the fish to the hot skillet and cook on one side for 3-4 minutes, until browned and then flip. Add the zest and juice of one lemon and another small pat of butter. Add the pan to a preheated 350 degree oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Birthday Weekend Feast I

Yesterday was my birthday, and this past weekend I cooked up a couple good scoffs. Sunday I went with traditional, comforting meat and potatoes, but on Saturday I attempted two new dishes. The first was a cheddar cheese risotto, inspired by Nigela Lawson and the second was a Brussels sprout side dish I came up with. The veg and starch were paired with some panko crusted and roasted cod fillets.

Here is how it looked and how I put it all together.

Cheddar Cheese Risotto

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 fat green onions, finely sliced (white parts only)
1/2 a medium white onion, diced fine
1/2 a stalk of celery, sliced fine
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup white wine
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 cups hot chicken stock
1 cup chopped cheddar cheese (I used a combination of extra sharp and garlic and herb cheddar by Cabot of Vermont)
2-3 tablespoons minced chives

Directions:
Melt the butter and oil in a deep skillet and cook the onion, green onion and celery over medium heat until soft...about 5-6 minutes. In the meantime pour the stock in a sauce pan and bring it up to temperature.

Add the rice and stir/cook with the vegetables for a couple of minutes so each grain is kissed with the oil, then crank up the heat and add the wine and mustard, stirring until the wine is absorbed and the alcohol evaporates. Reduce the heat.

Begin ladling in the hot stock, letting all the liquid become absorbed as you stir before adding the next one. Keep the rice at a gentle simmer.

Stir and ladle until the rice is al dente (has a little bite), about 20 minutes, then add the cheese, stirring it into the rice until it melts. Taste for seasoning.

Remove the pan from the heat, still stirring as you do, and then serve onto warmed plates, and garnish with the chopped chives.

next time....Brussels Sprouts with Calabrase, and pan roasted cod