What to do with fish.

I'm always a little uneasy around fish. I have a hard time envisioning creative preparations, particularly ones that my family will enjoy. Sure, I have a few safe standards - teriyaki for salmon or tuna, shrimp phat thai, and some nice pan-fried scallops. But still, my partner and daughter don't like anything spicy (she has an excuse - she's four), he hates salmon, and I have yet to try those really tasty scallops out on either of them. Anyway, I got a good deal on tilapia filets this week at the local grocery store, so I decided to try something a little different. Citrus and fish is generally a safe combination, so I've adapted Epi's recipe for pan-seared tilapia with chili-lime butter to suit my family's tastes and to better fit into my Weight Watchers Points. Add a couple of my favorite sides, and you have a tasty meal just about anyone can enjoy.

Pan seared tilapia with chili-lime butter; asparagus and shiitake saute; goat cheese mashed potatoes (serves 3)

Weight Watchers Points per serving: 9

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp finely chopped shallot

1/2 tsp lime zest

1 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste)

1/4 tsp salt

3 tilapia filets, about 500 g

1 Tbsp sunflower oil

2 tsp salted butter

75 g asparagus tips, preferably the small Thai variety

75 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 2-inch piece of leek (the light green and white part), sliced very thinly

1 tsp dried thyme (not ground)

1 tsp dried parsley

1 pound yellow-flesh potatoes

1 1/2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup vegetable broth or boullion

For tilapia:

Combine butter, shallot, lime zest and juice, chili paste, and salt well in a small bowl. Refrigerate until serving time. Pat fish filets dry and lightly salt on both sides; heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until golden-brown on each side, about 5 minutes. Serve with a dollop of chile-lime butter on top.

For saute:

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add vegetables and herbs and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.

For potatoes:

scrub and peel potatoes; cut into half-inch thick slices. Boil in salted water until crumbly-tender. Drain well and return to pot. Add goat cheese and mash well. Add broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, mashing until potatoes are desired texture.

Sicilian lamb chops (with food porn).

Every now and then I like to splurge on something really luxurious for dinner. It's sort of my subsitute for eating out. I can cook an amazing meal at home for a fraction of the price of eating said amazing meal in a restaurant. Tonight I made lamb, which I've never cooked before but grew to love years ago thanks to my Jordanian neighbors back in the States.

Flipping through my Italian cookbook for a previous night's risotto recipe, I found a delicious-looking lamb preparation that I simply had to try. Well worth the gamble - the chops were tender, juicy, and smothered in a rich pan gravy that was exceptionally good for mopping up with the accompanying fries.

Sicilian lamb chops with pan gravy and rosemary-garlic steak fries (serves 3)

Weight Watchers Points per serving: 8

300 grams lamb chops (about 3 large)

1 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 oz white wine

3 oz beef broth

1 Tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

500 grams (1 pound) yellow-flesh potatoes (about 4 medium)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Saute garlic with lamb chops until chops are browned on both sides, about 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine; simmer 2 minutes. Add broth, tomato puree, rosemary, and pepper. Stir well and simmer for another 2 minutes. Transfer chops and all pan juices to a glass baking dish, and bake for 35 minutes.

Once the chops are in the oven, scrub (but do not peel) potatoes and cut into 1/8 wedges. Toss potatoes with olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, and salt in a large covered skillet. Cook on medium heat, turning occasionally to brown all sides, until lamb chops are done.

Serve chops with a heaping serving of fries and plenty of the pan gravy for dipping.

Chinese takeout - at home (part 1).

Lately I've had a real craving for Chinese food. Since moving to the Netherlands six months ago, I've missed what I grew up calling Chinese. Sure, there's really no such thing as real Chinese food in the United States, but here it's even stranger. 'Chinese' takeout here has heavy Indonesian influences, and I don't care much for Indonesian food. So I set out on an online quest to find some good 'Chinese' recpies like I'm used to.

Orange chicken has always been my hands-down favorite at any Chinese takeout place. It's sweet, it's spicy, it's sticky and just plain yummy. This version (much lighter, using white meat chicken and skipping the usual breading and deep-frying) is absolutely delicious, mildly spicy, easy to make, and tastes just like the American Chinese food I'm used to.

Orange chicken with broccoli and steamed rice (serves 3)
Weight Watchers Points per serving: 8

3/4 cup uncooked white rice, such as jasmine or basmati
3 cups broccoli

1 tsp sesame oil
350g boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 breasts), cubed
1 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste; found in most supermarkets)
2 tsp vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch or 2 Tbsp flour

Cook rice according to package or rice cooker directions. Steam broccoli.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add to chicken mixture, stir well, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 6 minutes, or until chicken is well-cooked and no longer pink inside, and sauce is thick.

Serve over steamed rice, with broccoli on the side.

NOTE: For the non-spicy version, omit pepper and chili paste.

French onion, an old classic.

French onion soup is so awesome. I had a great bowl last weekend in Santa Fe at that adorable little French cafe at the La Fonda, and have been a bit obsessed with the stuff since (I blame the hormones). I ate an entire pot - about 2 quarts - yesterday all by myself. It did take me most of the day, but I ate it and it was delicious. And even today, I still want more. So while my onions saute, I've decided to post my own simple recipe for this delicious and easy classic. The difference in quantity between the butter and the margarine is due to the water content that makes margarine spreadable, and for a rich broth extra boullion is used. Most of the ingredients are already in your kitchen, and old baguette makes the perfect garnish, as it will be rock-hard, perfect for sponging up delicious broth without turning to starchy mush.

Great easy dish for a cold day or great homemade lunch without having to run to the grocery store. This soup needs no sandwich accompaniment, and is hearty and filling as-is.

Note: I don't recommend using oil instead of butter or margarine. The butter greatly affects the rich taste of the soup, and would be drastically changed if using oil instead. If you're concerned about cholesterol, use a good quality margarine instead. Also, don't try reducing the amount of fat. The onions will be dry, burn easier, and will not become as soft. It's fatty, yes, and it's just one of those dishes that needs to be that way.

Classic French Onion Soup

2 average-sized yellow onions (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
1/2 c margarine or 1/3 c salted butter
6 cups hot water
7 1/2 t beef boullion granules (or 7 1/2 cubes or sachets)
sliced 3 day-old baguette
sliced Emmenthal, Jarlsberg, or other Swiss cheese

Slice onions no more than 1/4 inch thick (a mandoline makes quick work of it); melt butter in a very large saucepan and add onions. Saute on low heat for about half an hour, stirring every 5 minutes. Onions will be very limp, slightly browned, and have no crunch left when done. Add water and boullion; bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Serve into bowls, top with baguette slices (about 3 per bowl) and sliced cheese, enough to generously cover baguette. Broil or microwave bowls (make sure your dishes are oven safe if broiling) until cheese is melted. Serve, and don't forget to warn diners to be careful of very hot dishes!

Note for celiacs: substitute gluten-free baguette and make sure the boullion is gluten-free. If you cannot eat dairy use a non-dairy margarine, but I do not recommend non-dairy cheese. Instead skip the cheese and turn your baguette into buttery toasted croutons instead.

A note for celiacs.

My mother has pretty severe celiac disease, and in many years of learning to cook gluten-free, I've become very conscious of the gluten intolerant. Thus I have endeavored to keep this blog as celiac-friendly as possible by labeling my posts with the following keywords for easy lookup:

• Gluten-free: no wheat, rye, barley, or oats
• Gluten-friendly: easily adaptable for celiacs without sacrificing taste or quality.

That way, by clicking on the keyword, you can easily pull up all recipes I've tagged as gluten-free or friendly. Not every recipe will be, but I will make suggestions for suitable changes where appropriate.

Note that some externally linked recipes may not be gluten-free. This will be specified at the end of each post.

What's with all the variations of Eggs Benedict?

At Eggs Benedict New York you can find a list of recipes that includes "Shortcut Eggs Benedict - With cream of chicken soup and milk substituting for eggs in hollandaise."

Do I understand this right? To me it sounds like cream of chicken soup on an english muffin. Just call it what it is, instead of trying to pass it off as something actually worth eating. Fortunately, the link to the recipe is now a dead one, and a Google search for it assures us that the world will never again be subjected to its horrors. Other B-movie-screamfest 'variations' include substituting everything from guaccamole mayonnaise to salsa for the Hollandaise, and another truly terrifying recipe uses "cholesterol-free egg product and evaporated milk to make the hollandaise to cover frozen waffles on which sit poached eggs." The title of this recipe is, in fact, "Eggs Benedict Without Real Eggs." Then what, pray tell, are the real poached eggs DOING on those waffles? (WAFFLES?!)

So what, some may ask, is REAL Eggs Benedict? To those who have never reveled in its creamy glory, Wikipedia has a great entry. While I sometimes omit the Canadian bacon (I've never been a huge fan of smoked pork products), I still adhere to the classic religiously. For those who have been told (or have simply feared) that real Hollandaise is too difficult to make, rest assured - it does take a little time and care, but it is nearly foolproof if you follow the instructions, and your efforts are well-rewarded in the end. Real Hollandaise sauce is so good that I always feel the need to make hash browns as well, simply as a vehicle for more sauce. If for some reason you just can't get the hang of it, Epicurious has a fairly good Blender Hollandaise recipe you should try.

For those with a gluten intolerance or wheat allergy, you can substitute homemade hash browns (recipe below) for the English muffins, unless you have a truly good gluten-free muffin on hand. The Hollandaise sauce is gluten-free by nature. For those who can eat regular English muffins, the hash browns make a nice accompaniment and serve to mop up extra sauce.

Sublime Hollandaise Sauce

(for about four portions of Eggs Benedict)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot chili sauce, or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Boil vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, salt, and white pepper in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon water.

Whisk in yolks, then cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (but not scrambled), about 1 minute. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, lifting pan occasionally to cool sauce and adding each piece before previous one is completely melted.
Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, chili sauce or cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm; may be refrigerated for a few days if necessary.

Note: some might find the sauce too tangy - reduce the lemon juice from two tablespoons to one; it still makes an acceptable lemony sauce while keeping offended tastebuds happy. Also, please note that the egg yolks in this sauce are not fully cooked. If you have concerns about salmonella, you should not make this sauce.

Hash browns

(makes four patties)

1 large baking potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 large egg, beaten

Scrub and coarsley grate potato (do not peel); sprinkle with salt and let sit 5 minutes. Drain off excess liquid, then mix with egg and remaining spices. Let sit another 5 minutes, while oil heats in pan. Use enough oil to liberally coat the bottom of a nonstick skillet. Spoon potato mixture into hot oil in 4 piles, and pack into patties with spatula or spoon. Fry until both sides are browned (darker than golden-brown) and center is tender.