Apart from the other half of my brain, I have felt a halved person, a woman incomplete despite the tranquil (albiet suffocating) heat of south Texas and the lazy mornings or coffee and carrot muffins (which included my 2 cent wheat germ -- I love buying in bulk!). This was most evident last night when I made what would have been the ultimate in Alias dinners -- but no Christine! No Christy! And no wigs or weird daddy issues within sight!
Instead what would have been an Alias dinner in my previous life as single-girl-on-the-town, because pre-concert date dinner, which is actually what it probably should be. It's sweet and spicy and really all levels of amazing. So go home. And make it tonight.
(Modified for two from recipes from Early Girl Eatery & Spirits on the River, Asheville, NC)
Sauteed Rainbow Trout with Green Tomato and Blackberry Sauce
1 large green tomato, cored
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon lemon zest, minced
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons all purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup for coating
1/2 pint fresh blackberries
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 rainbow trout fillets
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Put the tomato and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and puree it. Transfer the tomato puree to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, bringing it to a low boil. Add the celery, lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is thick, like a marinara sauce. (Add flour to thicken.) Remove from the heat and gently mix in the blackberries. Add salt, to taste.
Lightly flour both sides of the trout and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to sear the trout. When the oil is hot, add the trout and sear on both sides just until brown. Place the skillet in the oven and continue cooking until the fish is flaky, about 10 minutes. Top with the sauce and serve immediately.
Quinoa and Veggies
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup wild rice
1 tablespoon olive oil or peanut oil
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1/3 cup diced chives
1 orange bell pepper (diced)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cayenne or crushed red pepper
In a large skillet, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring occasionally, until it expands out of its shell, about 10 minutes; be careful not to overcook it.
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally until done, about 20 minutes. (Add more water if necessary.)
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, chives, bell pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook, while stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the quinoa and rice and stir until hot. Serve immediately.
(Leftover update! Toss your leftover quinoa and veggies with some tofu, tomato, and fresh basil and heat through on a skillet. You've got yourself a nice little lunch.)
**
In other news, I made my own veggie burgers and froze a bunch with the intention of eating them for lunch. Quite tasty. I'd alternate the recipe next time to be something like this though:
Veggie Burgers
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup corn kernels
6 shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 small potato, grated
2 egg whites
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Stir in corn, mushrooms, scallions, and bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in spinach and cilantro. Add carrot and potato and stir to combine. Add egg whites and season with salt and pepper. Stir in enough bread crumbs so that the mixture holds together. Shape mixture into 6 disks and place on a plate. Chill for 1 hour. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in non-stick skillet and cook veggie burgers until golden on each side.
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