Recipe o' the Week: Dinner for One!

If I keep this up, I might actually get the hang of cooking. (D.C. Rainmaker (scroll down for food p0rn) and I are going all Top Chef. Somehow? I think he's winning.)

On tonight's menu:

1. Roasted broccoli with pecans

2. Risotto with porcini mushrooms

3. Tilapia with pico de gallo


Roasted broccoli with pecans (From Real Simple (which in this case lives up to its name), October 2007, p. 345)

Ingrediments:

some amount of broccoli, stems and florets

1/4 cup olive oil (more or less, depending)

1/4 cup pecans (more or less)

Kosher or sea salt

Heat oven to 400F

Combine all ingredients in a recyclable-friendly plastic bag. Shake.

Spread broccoli in baking pan.

Roast til tender, stirring once or twice, 20 minutes or so.

Voila!

******

Risotto with porcini mushrooms

Buy risotto mix.

Buy dry porcini mushrooms. (You kind of have to do this because otherwise it might not actually qualify as "cooking," due to use of risotto mix.)

Reconstitute mushrooms. Combine leftover liquid from mushrooms with whatever other liquids you are using to make risotto (I used soy milk).

Add reconstituted mushrooms.

Follow package directions!

Voila! Risotto in 20 minutes.

Roasted broccoli, risotto with porcini mushrooms. Cherries bringing up the rear. Obviously I am not a food stylist and the RISOTTO TASTES BETTER THAN IT LOOKS! I swear!

******

Tilapia with pico de gallo

OK, this is just inspired.

I'm sitting on my couch, ABOUT to transfer some pico de gallo on a tortilla chip into my mouth, when I stop, and drop.

Move to kitchen.

Open tilapia filets (fresh!)

Put in microwave-safe dish.

Sprinkle with Krazy Jane's Mixed Up Salt, and a few bread crumbs.

Pour remainder of pico de gallo on top of fillets.

Cover with saran wrap, or if you are out of any saran-wrap-like substance, as in my case, cut up some small plastic bags and try to cover dish with them.

Nuke for 5 minutes.
Tilapia with pico de gallo
You are so done! With a CHERRY ON TOP!

Recipe o' the Week

This is my kind of recipe, although they took longer than 2 minutes per side. Still, very little work involved—a prerequisite for anything I cook. I keep this up, I'm going to make somebody a good little wi...nevermind.

Sea Scallops
(Recipe courtesy Cat Cora, Show: Kitchen Accomplished; Episode: Young Cook's Kitchen

16 medium diver scallops, cleaned

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for searing

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups field greens

In a medium bowl, marinate the scallops with olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let them marinate for 20 minutes.

Heat enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallops. Cook quickly in each side until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and place 4 scallops around a mound of greens. Repeat.

[Note: Sea scallops are not cheap, but a good choice if you are cooking for one. And if you are cheap.]

Brussels Sprouts

Such was my mother's cooking prowess, I think I was 20 before I realized that vegetables don't grow in cans. Despite the fact that I'm a vegetarian, I'm not exactly a font of knowledge about the most tasty ways to prepare vegetables.

Take brussels sprouts. Please.



Brussels sprouts "...contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fibre. Moreover, they are believed to protect against colon cancer, due to their containing sinigrin."

And Lord knows, it's tough to get your daily dose of sinigrin—in.

They're just disgusting. In every way.

Or so I thought.

Until one day recently, while hurtling along the metaphoric holiday highway, I was served some very yummy brussels sprouts. I can't even remember where.

It was an epiphany. Brussels sprouts? Good? Who knew?

And like the addict I am, I needed more. Fast.

So, in order to deflect attention from the fact that I have absolutely no shame when it comes to self-promotion, I humbly offer you this recipe that I found while scouring the Internets that I guarantee will turn you into a brussels-sprouts fan, too.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(from AllRecipes)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
3. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black,[Ed.'s note: Seriously, they should seem burnt.] when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

No need to thank me. I'm here to help.*

*Tagline courtesy Bolder.