Balsamic reduction

A drizzle of balsamic reduction is an easy way to bring flavor to an weeknight meal or add an extra dimension to a red wine-based sauce. Most grocery stores carry pre-made balsamic reduction now, which is great to have on hand to squeeze over a chicken breast for a quick but yummy dinner. Don't have the pre-made stuff in the pantry? Try making your own!

Cover the bottom of an 8-inch pan with balsamic vinegar. Do not leave the pot unattended - the vinegar can burn quickly. Reduce on low heat until thickened. Off heat swirl in 2T butter.

Shrimp and tomato in mustard sauce

This is one of the quickest, easiest meals that we make. It is a light, healthy weeknight dinner that could also work well for a fancier lunch.

Ingredients

Smart Balance, 1/2 T
Garlic, 2 cloves, minced
Shallot, 1 T minced
White wine, 4 fl oz
Dijon Mustard, 2 T
Shrimp, 1 lb
2 Roma tomatoes, diced

In a non-stick skillet, melt the Smart Balance. Add the garlic and shallot, cook until tender. Add the wine, reduce to 1/4 cup. Stir in the mustard. Add the shrimp, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook on both sides until pink throughout. Add the tomatoes and serve.

For a more filling meal, serve over angel-hair pasta. NOTE: Nutritional info below does not include pasta.

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 2

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 323.3

Total Fat: 5.0 g

Cholesterol: 442.0 mg

Sodium: 914.3 mg

Total Carbs: 5.5 g

Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g

Protein: 48.7 g

NEW! Nutritional Info

For better or for worse, from now on we will be including nutritional information for all of our recipes! After spending the last 6 years discovering the joy of cooking - and eating - I have found the need to pay much closer attention to calories, fat, etc. I hope that you find this information helpful!

If you want to calculate the nutritional info for your own recipes, check out the SparkPeople recipe calculator.

Beet and goat cheese salad

We are back! The last couple of months have been so busy, between work travel (Michelle) and finishing graduate school (Erich). We are finally past all of that and back to having fun in the kitchen!

This recipe is a variation on an appetizer salad that appears on many menus, most notably Bill's. Most people that we know turn their nose up at beets until they try this salad and discover that beets are a candy superfood.

Ingredients

Beets (2 for a small appetizer salad, 3 if you want something a little more filling)

Brunk Balsamic Vinaigrette*

White wine vinegar

1 T sugar

1 4 0z package goat cheese, frozen

Mixed greens or spinach

Cut the greens off right at the base of each beet. Do not remove the skin from the beets and do not wash them. In a large pot, cover with water. Boil for 45 minutes to one hour, or until tender when poked with a fork.

Carefully remove the beets from the boiling water and rinse under cold water. The water will stain, so watch out! The skin will peel off easily using your hands. Do this under cold water to avoid staining your skin. Cut off each end, then slice into 1/4" to 1/2" discs. 

Cover the bottom of a medium to large saucepan with about 1/4" white wine vinegar and add the sugar. Bring to a simmer and add the beet slices. Simmer for a few minutes and flip the slices. Simmer for a few minutes more and remove from the pan.

To plate:

Place the greens in the center of a plate.

Slice the goat cheese into 1/4" discs. Sandwich the sliced beets and sliced goat cheese alternating to create a stack/tower. Drizzle with the vinaigrette...toss any remaining goat cheese crumbles on top and serve!

* Substitute orange juice for the balsamic vinegar, as noted in the vinaigrette recipe.

Restaurant review: The Cosmopolitan Cafe, San Francisco

I have been spending nearly all of my time lately on business and personal travel, so Erich and I have not had much time together in the kitchen. So in the meantime, I'll share some of my culinary experiences from the road.

Located just off the Embarcadero, in a less touristy area of San Francisco, The Cosmopolitan Cafe was the right choice for good food in a relaxed environment. The menu was somewhat limited and moderately priced. Nothing really jumped out at me, which is surprising...I'm usually a sucker for any fish or seafood preparation. I ended up going with the Ricotta Gnocchi with mushrooms, peas and pancetta, and was pleasantly surprised! The dish was just the right size and combination of ingredients, and the flavor was excellent.

I'll admit that I was a little worried at first, because the restaurant was next to empty. The service was questionable - I asked the server for a dirty martini and he asked if I would like a lemon twist or an olive. But the drink was excellent, as was the food. I think everyone in our party was pleased.

Website: http://www.thecosmopolitancafe.com/index_cos.cfm

Veal scallopini with mushroom and brandy cream sauce

I (Michelle) have always loved veal, especially thin scallopini. I love substituting veal for chicken to make some of our super-easy everyday chicken recipes a little fancier - piccata especially- and for a special treat I will modify Rochester's (in)famous "Chicken French" preparation.

We experimented with a couple of versions of this dish before adding, subtracting, altering and ending up with this easy, elegant, rich recipe.

Flour

Pepper

Butter

1T olive oil

2 4 oz veal cutlets, pounded to 1/4" thickness OR one package of veal scallopini

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1c shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced

1 c brandy

1T beef base

1 c chicken stock

1/2 c heavy cream

Dry the veal thoroughly, then pepper to taste and coat with flour.

Heat 1T butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the veal and saute until brown on each side and cooked through. Transfer the veal to a plate and cover to keep warm.

In the same pan add the onion and saute until translucent (you may need to add a little more butter here). Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the brandy. Ignite (if that's what you are into!) and carefully let brandy evaporate. If you choose not to flame it, simmer until it is almost completely evaporated. Add the beef stock and chicken stock and boil for about 5 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a boil. If the veal has not stayed warm enough, put back in the pan for 1-2 minutes.

Serve the sauce over the veal. Tonight we paired this dish with steamed asparagus sprinkled with a little sea salt and drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

Enjoy!

Spicy Pork

This is another easy weeknight dish, albeit a pretty rich one so we have tried to cut back on it. The ease of this recipe and the white-wine cream sauce combined with the spicy chops put this high on my list of comfort foods. We came up with it one night by "experimenting", which pretty much consisted of dumping the contents of the spice drawer on a pork chop. The results were surprisingly yummy!

Here we listed the spices that we used, but definitely try whatever works for you. I recommend a base of cracked black pepper, paprika, and a little bit of seasoning salt.

Ingredients
2 thick-cut pork chops
Cracked black pepper
Paprika
Rosemary
Garlic powder
Seasoning salt
Dash of sage
1T butter
1T olive oil
1/2 of a shallot
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c cream
Chick peas (optional)

Coat the chops on both sides with the cracked pepper and paprika. Add the remaining herbs and spices to taste.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a non-stick saucepan over med-hi heat. When the pan is hot add the pork chops and reduce the heat to medium. Sear until each side is browned and the center has just turned from pink to a juicy white. Remove the chops from the pan and cover to keep warm.
In the same pan, heat the shallots until translucent and then add the wine. Heat the wine until boiling, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine to a glaze and then add the cream. Bring to a rolling boil and back down to medium. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, swirling regularly. Optionally, finish by swirling in a thin pat of butter to smooth and enrich the sauce. Just prior to serving, drain any juices that the pork chops have released on their covered plate into the sauce. Yummmmm.

Serving suggestions:
If you would like a starch with this meal we recommend serving it over chick peas rather than pasta for something different and a bit healthier. Just heat up a can (or don't heat, even!) drain and serve the meat over the garbanzos and the sauce over the meat.
Another alternative is to serve the sauce over the garbanzos and the chop over the sauce, which reduces your "sauce intake" just a little.
We have found that these yummy white-wine cream sauces are well-complemented by a plain green veggie like broccoli.

Tonight we had a special treat of a wine, thanks to Raleigh's Seaboard Wine putting a nice bottle on super-sale! We had a 2006 MacRostie Chardonnay, which was so toasty and oaky that I felt guilty sipping it on a weeknight with a regular ol' meal.

Quote of the night: "ROSEMARY, ROSEMARY ROSEMARY!" - Meesh (P.S. Hi Tina!)

Parmesan- and Panko-Crusted Pork Chops

This is another recipe that Bill Brunk gets all of the credit for. It takes patience to get the chops just right, but it is worth every minute.

Ingredients

2 thick boneless pork chops

1c shredded Parmesan cheese (fresh recommended)

2c Panko bread crumbs

1 whole egg, beaten

1/2T butter

2T olive oil

salt & pepper

Dry the pork chops completely with paper towel. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Coat the chops on all sides with the shredded cheese, then coat in egg, and then coat in panko.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a good non-stick pan (we LOVE our Green Pan). Get it as hot as you can without burning it, then add the pork chops and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook slowly on one side until the coating is crisp and golden-brown. Flip and brown the other three sides and the ends. This process will take the better part of an hour, so be patient! The trick is to keep the heat low so that the chop doesn't overcook and dry out on the inside while browning the outside.

Steak with crispy polenta and roasted shallot vinaigrette

Adapted from The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter

Finally back in the kitchen after a nearly two week trip overseas for work...I sampled the local flavors in Istanbul and Prague, but now I am so glad to be eating my own food again!  And oh my goodness, we definitely chose an incredible recipe for our Friday night! This dish is surprisingly simple and affordable with very few ingredients, but the flavors of those ingredients combine together for mouth-watering results. I liked it so much that I told Erich I wanted it again on Sunday...perfect our technique so that we can serve it to guests asap, you know? :)

As a rule, I don't plan to post the full copy of a recipe from a cookbook on this blog. In this case, we made a few significant changes to the recipe in the book, so I am posting our version.

Ingredients
2 NY strip steaks
2 shallots
1/2 c olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 disks sliced from a tube of pre-cooked polenta
~1T thyme
3T balsamic vinegar
1T fresh chopped chives

Peel the shallots and place them, whole, in a small oven-safe saucepan with the olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until the shallots are soft. Once the shallots are soft, remove them from the oven and let them cool, then remove from the oil and slice them the long way. Reserve the oil for the vinaigrette.

Heat the garlic in a little butter and olive oil until they just begin to brown. Spoon a little more olive oil ( I used some from the shallot pot) into the pan and add the polenta disks. Sear on each side until they turn golden brown.

Season the steaks with salt, pepper, and the thyme. Grill the steak to your liking.

Whisk the vinegar and chives into the oil to create the vinaigrette. Place 2 polenta disks on each plate, and the steak on top of the polenta. Place the sliced shallot on top of the steak, and pour the vinaigrette on top.

We served asparagus on the side, which was so yummy with the vinaigrette. I recommend a bold red wine, such as Zinfandel or Malbec.

Frangelico Chicken

AKA "Scargelico" Chicken, for this dish's biggest fan.

This recipe was created by Erich's dad Bill.

The combination of the toasted pecans on the chicken and the sweetness of the beurre blanc make the flavor of this dish so unique, and it is one of my all-time favorites.
 
As is the case with many of our favorite recipes, it is not particularly difficult but there are many steps to follow. We only make this a couple of times a year, and always on a weekend because it is somewhat time-consuming.
 
I've never met anyone who didn't like this dish. It is always a hit with dinner guests, but keep in mind that you need to plan ahead and prepare in advance (breading the chicken, etc). We've made the mistake of not starting early enough and put dinner on the table way too late. Then again, it tastes so good that our guests always forgive us. ;)

As usual, this recipe is for two, but it leaves enough for the best leftovers you've ever had.

Ingredients
1 lb. chicken breasts

3 oz chopped pecans

1 egg

Salt and pepper

Panko bread crumbs

1/2 shallot

Juice of 1/2 lime
1 1/2 cup white wine

Dash white wine vinegar

3 oz Frangelico or hazelnut liqueur
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 stick butter

Preparing the chicken

Finely chop the pecans. This is most easily done with a mini-food processor, but of course you can always smash them in a bag with a rolling pin or even a hammer.

On a plate, mix the pecans with an equal amount of panko bread crumbs.

Coat each chicken breast in egg white and then dredge in the pecan/panko mixture.


Sauce
In a small saucepan combine shallot, lime juice, wine, vinegar, white pepper, and Frangelico. Reduce to a glaze, add cream and bring to a boil. Strain and return to saucepan.
Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the butter, one pat at a time, but do not let the previous pat completely melt before adding the next.

Tips
- I like to serve a little bit of green pasta on the side for color and for convenient transport of extra sauce. I recommend De Cecco Linguine with spinach.
- Plain broccoli also makes a nice accompaniment
- Erich and I are big Chardonnay fans, but any white wine would complement the candy-like sauce.

Brunk Balsamic Vinaigrette

This vinaigrette is our go-to vinaigrette. We vary it sometimes depending on the dish, but the ratios tend to stay the same, we just replace the acid or vinegar (i.e. sherry vinegar or add reduced orange juice instead of the balsamic, etc.).

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

Dash of White Pepper

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously just before serving. It is the ratios that are important so doubling, tripling, or even halving is no problem.

We have found that using the grapeseed oil instead of the normal olive oil produces a better consistency and a light, smooth, nutty taste. Additionally, the mix of white wine vinegar and balsamic provides a medium brown color. Depending on the dish's presentation (i.e. if serving on a dark or light dish, color of food, etc.) you may simply want to adjust the ratio of balsamic for a darker or lighter vinaigrette.

For a thinner vinaigrette reduce the amount of dijon or leave it out all together.

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

This is a hard salad to pass up at a restaurant and seems difficult at first to make, as goat cheese is soft and delicate, but with a few simple steps the difficult gets easy.

Ingredients:

Panko Bread Crumbs

Goat Cheese

Olive Oil

The first, and perhaps most important, step is to take the goat cheese log and place it in the freezer approximately 30 minutes prior to cooking. This will do two things: first it will help in cutting the cheese* into patties, and second since it will be very cold when the cheese is seared it will prevent the cheese from cooking/running prior to the crust cooking.

Cut the cheese* into 1/4"-1/2" patties. Brush the patties in olive oil and coat them with the panko bread crumbs. Salt and pepper if desired.

Heat a non-stick skillet on high with 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil (ok to eyeball). Make sure the pan is very hot and carefully add the goat cheese patties. Sear until browned on both sides, approx. 5 minutes.

Place the seared patties on top of some spinach or mixed greens, finish with Brunk Balsamic Vinaigrette.

*Ha, I got to say "cut the cheese" twice!

Grilled Swordfish with Citrus Marinade

Zest of one orange
Juice of one orange
2 T olive oil
1 T soy sauce
1 rounded tsp grated ginger
Salt & pepper
2 swordfish steaks

Mix the ingredients together and add the swordfish, turning to coat. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, the longer the better.

Preheat the grill on high, and keep it on high in order to sear the steaks.Grilling swordfish can be tricky. Just a little on the short side and it is raw, just a little long and it is dry as a bone. The general rule of thumb is 3-4 minutes a side for every 1.5 inches thick. We aim for the medium side of medium-rare, but they should be cooked through.

This dish works well with some fluffy jasmine rice and a simple salad with vinaigrette.

And yes, if you are keeping score...we are grilling in the snow. :)

Artichokes with Hollandaise

Oh, artichokes with hollandaise. I wish I didn't love you so much. I resisted, hard, the first time Erich suggested making this for me. Anyone who knows me knows that if it ends in "aise" it ain't happening. But he convinced me to give it a try by showing me that there wasn't anything to hate about the ingredients (butter, vinegar, butter, lemon juice, butter, egg yolks, butter, butter), and it was comforting to be able to watch it made from scratch.

Anyhoo, this is really one of our favorite indulgences. It is fun to make and fun to eat. Perfect for this very weekend, snowed in with lots of time on our hands. Big cheers to Erich for planning ahead and stocking the fridge with these yummy treats!

Buying artichokes
Choose your artichokes based on their weight and density. The heavier the better, and the leaves should be tightly shut. Try to avoid 'chokes with dried out and cracked leaves.

Preparation
Wash the artichokes under cold water. If the leaves have spikes on the top, cut the tips off with scissors. Using a knife, cut off the top half inch of the artichoke, then cut off what is left of the stem.

Cooking the artichokes
Place the 'chokes in a large pot and fill the pot with water. Cover and boil for about 45 minutes.
Very carefully remove each artichoke using tongs, and hold it upside down over the pot or the sink to let the water drain out. I sometimes rest it on a slotted spoon to avoid dropping it back into the hot water. Let the artichokes sit while you make the hollandaise.

Hollandaise
2 egg yolks
1 stick butter, sliced up
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp white wine vinegar
dash white pepper
dash paprika

Heat the butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk. Once the butter is melted add the vinegar. If the sauce doesn't want to smooth, add a tiny bit of water and continue whisking.  Add more water if necessary.  Finish with the white pepper.
Pour into a bowl and sprinkle the paprika on top.

UPDATE: I realized that this recipe not only needs instructions for cooking, it needs instructions for eating!  First, pluck a leaf off of the artichoke and dip the bottom end in the hollandaise. I then use my bottom teeth to scrape the meat off of the leaf. Savor and repeat. Once you get through all of the leaves, you will be left with the bottom of the artichoke, covered in "fur". I use a knife to scrape off the fur. You can then dip the artichoke bottom in the hollandaise as well. Enjoy!

Salmon with a Pink Grapefruit Pinot Noir Sauce

Recipe: Emeril Lagasse


When thinking about the flavors of this dish I am inclined to put it in the category of summer dishes. The thing that makes this great in the winter is that fresh grapefruit tends to be so good this time of year. This dish is a great way to work some bright, fresh flavors and color into your usual winter menu.


We made this dish tonight to kick off our wintry weather weekend in Raleigh. We enjoyed a bottle of Hahn 2008 Chardonnay, which is just big and buttery enough to stand up to, but not overpower, this unique sauce.


Tips
 - We start by making the sauce, including adding the butter, and keep it warm while cooking the fish and spinach.
- Normally we use two grapefruit - one to juice for the sauce and one for fruit pieces on the plate. However, when cooking for two you can get away with only one grapefruit by reserving 1/4 of it for pieces and juicing the remaining 3/4 grapefruit.
- The recipe calls for unsalted butter, but we typically don't have that around the house so we use salted.
- We forgot to buy fresh basil (and it is winter so we have no plant) so instead of using fresh basil as a garnish we added a little dried basil to the sauce.
- "Continue to place the pan on and off the heat"...yeah don't bother. Just leave it on a super-low setting.
- Cleanup hint: rinse your juicer right away, that grapefruit dries on and is a pain to clean off!

Yellow Dog Eats, Windermere FL

What a charming place with yummy food! Yellow Dog Eats is located in an old country store in Windermere, Florida. It is the definition of eclectic with mismatched tables and chairs, photos of dogs on the walls, writing on the tables, and a mix of gourmet-style sandwiches that they pass off as casual comfort food. The menu consists of one page of sandwiches, one page of salads, and one page of pulled-pork sandwiches. I went with the Rufus: pulled pork, BRIE, cherry peppers, and a raspberry bbq sauce. Just...wow. I ate every last bite. Big cheers to Chef Fish and his team.
I am looking forward to going back next time I'm in the area...definitely during the day so I can enjoy the beautiful scenery and the back patio.

Baby Bok Choy

This is one of a few different preparations that we enjoy for baby bok choy. It is a great accompaniment to an Asian-themed entree.

Ingredients
2-3 baby bok choy, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
2 tsp Grapeseed oil
Dash of toasted sesame oil (very potent)
Sesame seeds
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

Heat the grapeseed oil in a wok. When the oil just starts to pop reduce the heat to med-high and add the bok choy. Turn continually. Depending on the size of your wok, you may need to do this in 2 shifts. It's better to take the extra time and give the food room.
When the bok choy begins to brown around the edges, add the toasted sesame oil. Cook for about two minutes and add the soy sauce. Once the leaves are wilted and the bulb is caramelized, add the sesame seeds and sugar. Heat for another minute and serve.

Pork Chops with mustard

Adapted from The Best 30 Minute Recipe

This dish has a very unique flavor, thanks to the combination of coarse ground mustard and tarragon. It is a simple, basic pan sauce that can be made quickly for a weeknight supper. The sauce is so flavorful that a simple steamed vegetable makes a good side.

Ingredients
Pork Chops
1 shallot, minced
ground black pepper
1/2 brandy
1 1/2 c chicken stock
1 tsp cornstarch
2 T coarse ground mustard
2 T butter
Fresh lemon or orange juice
Fire extinguisher*


Sear the chops in a non-stick saucepan. Remove when just cooked through, cover to keep warm.
Add the shallot to the same pan, cook until softened. Stir in the brandy. If you know how to flame the pan, go for it. If not,scrape up any brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Add 1 1/4 c chicken stock and reduce the liquid in the pan to about 1 c.

While that reduces, whisk the corn starch into the remaining 1/4 c stock. Then stir into the 1 c of sauce in the pan. Stir in any juice that has accumulated from the pork. Add the mustard and simmer until thickened.

Turn the heat to low and slowly stir in the butter, lemon/orange juice, and tarragon. Serve over the pork chops.

TIPS:
* Even if you aren't a flamer, keep your fire extinguisher close by. If the brandy overheats it might ignite!

Just had the perfect rainy-day lunch...chinese food and green tea at Wegmans!

Chicken Breasts with Mustard Sauce

Adapted from Cooking with the 60-Minute Gourmet

This has become one of our go-to meals for a chilly weeknight.

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned to taste with freshly ground black pepper
1 T butter
Splash of EVOO
One small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 T red wine vinegar
1/2 c Chardonnay
1/2 c chicken broth
1 T tomato paste
1/2 c cream or half and half
1 T Dijon mustard

Heat the butter and EVOO in a non-stick pan. Sear the chicken until golden on the outside and just cooked on the inside. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Add the shallot and thyme to the same pan and then add the vinegar and wine. Stir to scrape the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste and then cook down until reduced by half.
Add the cream and bring to a full boil, then add the mustard.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.

Tips
- We recommend serving a hearty green vegetable, such as broccoli, on the side
- If you also want a starch but are trying to avoid pasta, try serving this over chick peas

Seared Cod with Chive Butter Sauce

Adapted from Aaron McCargo Jr.

This is one of our favorite fish dishes, good for any time of year. We first came across it last year on our JetBlue flight back from "spring break" in Ft. Lauderdale, on which Erich was watching Big Daddy's House on Food Network.

This is not a hard recipe, but there are many small steps so the key is planning ahead and getting the timing down. To do it all at once we would need a 6-burner stove! The recipe as it's written on the web doesn't really do a good job explaining the timing, so we'll try to help with that. Speaking of timing, the recipe states that cook time is 20 minutes - that definitely does not account for prep time and even then is generous. Give yourself some time.

We have also made a few adjustments to the recipe, and our version is below. The biggest change is that we serve the fish over onion-strewn grits rather than pureed sweet potatoes. This is in part a matter of preference (although the sweet potatoes are really yummy), but mainly it makes the prep and cook time a lot quicker.

Step 1: Prep the fish
2 (6-ounce) cod fillets
Panko bread crumbs
1 egg, for egg wash
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash the fillets and dry thoroughly.

Place the bread crumbs into a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish add 2 beaten eggs. Season both sides of the fillet with salt and pepper. Once seasoned, brush the belly side (not the skin side) of the cod with the egg. Dip the egg side into the bread crumbs.

Step 2: "Butter Sauce"
Just a few pats short of a Buerre Blanc...
We prepare the sauce in advance of the fish, but stop and keep the sauce on low before adding the butter. Save that for when the fish is coming out of the oven.

3 cups white wine (recommended: Chardonnay)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 shallot, sliced
2 clove garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons cold butter
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly cracked black pepper

In saucepan, add wine, sprigs of thyme, shallot and garlic. Set on back burner to allow the wine to reduce. Once the sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup, strain and add the heavy cream, and lemon juice and bring to a slight simmer.

Step 3: Brussels sprouts

Using a vegetable steaming basket, begin steaming the sprouts. As they steam, move on to step 4 and begin cooking the fish.
When the sprouts are just soft enough to partially insert a fork, remove them from the steam. Heat up a little butter and oil (I use lemon olive oil from Wegmans) in a pan, and sear the sprouts until they just begin to blacken a little.

Step 4: Cooking the fish and the grits

In a cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe saucepan) add grapeseed oil. Before placing fish into pan, make sure the skillet is very hot. Sear only 1 side of the fish (the side with the bread crumbs). Once 1 side is seared, place the skillet in the oven for about 3 to 4 minutes until cooked.

Onion-strewn grits for two:
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c Quaker 5-minute grits
1/4 of a large red onion, sliced
Splash of fresh lemon juice

Sear the onions until nearly blackened. Boil the water and then slowly stir in the grits. Bring the water back to a boil then reduce heat to low, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the onions and lemon juice to the cooked grits.


Once the fish is cooked, flip it over so that the golden breaded side is face-up. Let sit, and finish the sauce by whisk in the cold butter and once melted add the fresh chives and season with black pepper.

To serve, place the grits in the center of the plate. Place the fish, breaded side up, over the grits. Spoon the butter sauce over the fish. Arrange the sprouts on the side of the plate.

Additional tips

-We recommend a big, bold Chardonnay to accompany this meal - it stands up very well to the flavors of the dish. Tonight we opened a bottle of Muirwood 2008 Chardonnay, which was incredibly buttery and toasty, and a great value at only $10 from Total Wine.

-The recipe calls for grapeseed oil, but you can substitute EVOO. That being said, we do recommend the grapeseed oil for pan searing fish because you can get the pan hotter before adding the fish, and it has a nice nutty flavor.


"We're gonna need a bigger stove..." - Meesh

"We're gonna need a bigger fan too!" - Erich