I would apologize profusely for my absence these past few days, but heck, it was my birthday weekend and I wanted to be out and about. I didn’t want to think about posting pictures and what not. But I have returned with a yummy fish recipe. It’s something lighter for those of you Americans who are sick of turkey and something delectable for you Canadians who don’t seem to eat a lot of fish.

As a side I opted to make herby roasted red potatoes. Seriously, I started this dish early because it can take a while to achieve that crispness on the outside of the potato. Oh man, did the house ever smell good. You can use whatever your favorite method and herbs you like. I used basil and oregano; I am thinking of using rosemary next time.

And of course, you can’t beat skinny asparagus sauteed in the pan.

Honestly, this is the kind of meal where you can convince someone who isn’t big on fish to like fish. (And that would be my husband.) It’s flavorful, low-calorie and easy to do.

Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus and Lemon

1 lb. trimmed fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tbl. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt, divided

4 (5-ounce) tilapia fillets

1 tbl. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1  1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

In a large pan, bring 1 inch water to boil. Place asparagus in a steamer basket; place basket in pan, cover and steam 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Transfer to a large plate; spread out to cool.

On a separate plate, combine chili powder, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dredge fillets in mixture to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add tilapia and cook 5 to 7 minutes, gently turning halfway, or until just opaque in the center. Divide among 4 plates and cover to keep warm. Immediately add lemon juice, the remaining salt and oil and asparagus to pan and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the asparagus is coated and heated through. Serve the asparagus with the tilapia.

I swear, y’all, this house is going to smell GOOD this December and I am getting myself a head start on it.

Biscotti is one of those things that I never thought about making. I mean, when you can get them at your local coffee shop or the store, why bother? Also, they are a little more work than I sometimes want to do. Nonetheless, I lit a fire under my butt and made my own. I could’ve easily started with a fancier recipe—I’m actually a little surprised I didn’t because that’s the sort of thing I tend to do—but a basic almond biscotti recipe was the ticket. I like to think of these as prototypes for Christmas gifts.

These turned out quite lovely; crisp, nutty and just the right touch of vanilla. I made mine just a little thicker and shorter than you usually make biscotti, but that’s just my personal preference. And I like to dunk mine in milk, thank you for asking. I am not going to tell you that biscotti dough is a very stout and heavy dough. So stout and heavy that I recommend you that if you’re using a handheld or weaker stand mixer (like our rickety Sunbeam) to cream the butter, sugar and eggs, and then switch to doing it by hand (which will suck but seriously, this dough will potentially burn out a motor). Of course, if you have the miracle that is the Kitchenaid stand mixer, that sucker will do just fine. I am considering making a batch of mini-biscotti for Christmas gifts, I like this recipe. But I might dip them into melted chocolate just to gild the lily.

Almond Biscotti

2 1/4 cups AP flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

4 tbl. (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or foil, shiny side up.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes or until well-combined. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients at low speed. Mix until dough begins to form. Mix in almonds. Batter will be thick.

Scrape dough onto a work surface lightly coated with flour. Lightly coat hands with flour and knead briefly until dough is soft and not sticky (about 8 to 10 times). Divide dough into 2 pieces. Shape each piece into a log about 13 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch high. Carefully transfer logs to baking sheet, placing logs 4 inches apart. Bake for 35 minutes, or until well-risen, lightly browned and firm to the touch. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through for even baking. Remove from oven, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

Cool logs on baking sheet for 10 minutes until warm but not too hot to touch. Transfer logs to cutting board. Using a serrated or sharp knife, cut diagonal 1/2-inch slices. Use a firm and fast cutting motion to prevent crumbling.

Lay biscotti flat on baking sheets. Return to oven and bake until golden, firm and very dry, about 15 to 20 minutes, flipping over the slices halfway through. Cookies might be slightly soft in the center but will harden as they cool.

Let stand 2 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to rack. Cool completely before storing.

I made a variation on chili the other night; I browned some ground turkey, added salsa, kidney beans, frozen corn. I spiced it up with judicious use of chili powder because I like-a things spicy (like mice-y).

Add cheese and crumbled tortillas as well and you have something made of WIN. At least, WIN if you’re looking to make something hearty and easy. The leftovers were fantastic!

We live in an area rife with apple orchards. Apple-picking is a perfectly acceptable autumn activity around here. And yet my husband and I continue to purchase our apples from the supermarket. We are not very locally grown as we’d like to be, I guess.

Nevertheless, when you have a large pile of apples that will go bad within the next few days, by God, you think of something to do with them. Sunday I thought, “Pancakes!” Not apple pancakes, no, no, I meant how about sauteed apples on TOP of pancakes? Luckily, Deb from Smitten Kitchen has just the thing.

I had absolutely no problem with the sweetness of these; my husband—SHOCK!!—did, however. Matt commented that these would make a good dessert pancake but I think I’ll stick to them as breakfast.

My only beef is that I couldn’t get the egg whites frothier, despite using a chilled bowl and utensils. Maybe I just don’t have the upper body strength.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Sauteed Apples
Gourmet, September 1991

Servings: Makes about twelve 3- to 4-inch pancakes.

For the sauteed apples
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
fresh lemon juice to taste

For the pancakes
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/3 cups ricotta
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Melted butter for brushing the griddle

Maple syrup, as an accompaniment

Prepare the sauteed apples:
In a large heavy skillet saute the apples in the butter over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until they are softened, sprinkle them with the sugar and the cinnamon, and cook them over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are tender. Stir in the lemon juice and keep the mixture warm.

Make the pancakes:
In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, the ricotta, the sugar, and the zest, add the flour, and stir the mixture until it is just combined. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks, whisk about one fourth of them into the ricotta mixture, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Heat a griddle over moderately high heat (Deb does not concur. She firmly believes that pancakes should be cooked medium-low.) until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface and brush it with some of the melted butter. Working in batches, pour the batter onto the griddle by 1/4-cup measures and cook the pancakes for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden, brushing the griddle with some of the melted butter as necessary. Transfer the pancakes as they are cooked to a heatproof platter and keep them warm in a preheated 200°F oven.

Serve the pancakes with the sauteed apples and the maple syrup.

I know, I know. NaBloPoMo, right? Posting everyday for a month so that I can give myself that big ole congratulatory pat on the back? Well, life interferes sometimes so I guess that pat on the back can come later. This weekend I just wanted to have a weekend. Me, my husband and whatever food took my fancy.

I didn’t set out to make breakfast Saturday morning. I even toyed with the idea of waking Matt up and asking if we could go out for it. But thinking back on something I read in last year Saveur’s breakfast issue and something Matt has made me before, I went with baked eggs. Frankly, I love that I married a guy who has the sort of ramekins I need to do this. Essentially, I baked some bacon, crumbled it and set it aside. In an ramekin that should hold about 5 to 6 ounces, you crack a couple eggs. You can arrange some spinach as a bed before you do so if you like, but it ain’t necesssary. Got some tomatoes? Good, slice them into quarters and put them down in there with those eggs. Now put your bacon in, a little bit of fresh thyme if you got it (dried is fine if you don’t), salt and pepper and then cover everything with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Slide them into the oven at 375 for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how set you like your eggs. I think I will make this a go-to breakfast from now on.

Despite my breakfast-y success, Saturday night dinner was a disaster. I roasted these peppers because I was going to stuff them with some ground chicken and zucchini. Well, I was frying up the veggies and chicken when I asked Matt to come into the kitchen for a second. He obliged me, asked what I needed. I told him that the chicken smelled funky to me and not the kind of funky where you can get into the groove.

“I can’t smell it but if you can, we’d better not risk it,” he replied.

Into the trash it went. Left without my main plan, I went into Action Mode. I whipped up some couscous, peeled and sliced those peppers, added pine nuts and a really lovely creamy local feta to the whole thing and BANG!

It was a very satisfying vegetarian dish. Oh, and I added chopped kalamatas even though Matt’s not a huge olive fan. The best laid plans of mice and men…

Next week is the crowning glory in any home cook’s tiara: Thanksgiving (proper American Thanksgiving, mind you). And if you’re looking for something slightly different yet still familiar, have I got the side for you.

A squash casserole. There are no real thrills, no re-inventing the wheel, just a straight up delectable squash casserole.

Now this recipes calls for grated Parmesan cheese; that means the real deal, people. Not of that nasty stuff you shake out of a green can. If you ask real nice at the cheese counter at any supermarket, they will be happy to direct you to it.

Believe me, you will taste the difference and wondered why you even bothered with the green can.

Squash Casserole

1 medium chopped onion

8 cups sliced zucchini or yellow squash (about 2 1/2 lbs.)

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup fat-free sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (you can use light or lowfat cheese, if you want)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 lightly beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute’ the onion on medium-high heat in a large skillet for about 3 minutes; you want to soften it. Add the squash—gently, I know it seems like a lot but trust me, it cooks down—and continuing sauteeing for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until softened. Remove skillet from heat. Drain; partially mash with potato masher. Combine squash mixture, cooked rice, sour cream, cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and eggs in a large bowl; mix well. Spoon mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, checking on it to ensure it doesn’t get too brown. You want it to get bubbly. Once it has hit that, remove from oven. Fire up the broiler. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Broil the whole thing for about 1 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

So I made this fish dish the other night for dinner. Admittedly, it was nothing “wow” but still it was fairly decent. I believe my husband called it an edible yet forgettable meal. I am not entirely sure what went wrong.

Yet I still share these things with you. I apologize for not having a picture of a finished stuffed fish fillet; I don’t know why I don’t have one.

Rice-Stuffed Tilapia with Broccoli

1 (6 oz.) package long-grain and wild rice

1 cup small fresh broccoli florets

1 thinly sliced green onion

1/2 tsp. dried tarragon

3 tbl. low-fat mayonnaise

2 tbl. Dijon mustard

1 egg yolk

3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved

4 (6 oz.) tilapia fillets

1/4 tsp. smoked or regular paprika

1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper

8 thin slices lemon

3/4 cup white wine or water

Discard seasoning packet from rice; cook rice according to directions, but without oil or butter. Add broccoli, green onion and tarragon the last 10 minutes of cooking, or cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat; cool about 10 minutes. Reserve 3 cups for now; freeze any remaining rice.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard and egg yolk; set aside. When rice has cooled, add it, along with the tomatoes, to mayonnaise mixture; stir to blend. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

To assemble: place one fillet in dish. Spoon a scant 2/3 cup rice mixture onto one half of fillet; fold other half to cover. Repeat with remaining fillets. Secure with wooden picks if necessary. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper; top each with two slices lemon. Add wine or water to pan. Bake  20 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with fork. (Filling should be 160 degrees.) Remove to plates with large spatula. Serve immediately.

…bake, that is. And I often do. Baking is slowly becoming less my Achilles heel, than an arrow in my quiver. (I am totally mixing metaphors and mythologies, aren’t I?) This, I find, is a very good thing.

Especially when you have a SECRET plan you will announce in January.

This week’s victims: cheddar and jalapeno scones (from Smitten Kitchen, of course!). With the exception of two languishing for some unknown reason in a Tupperware container, these were gone, baby, gone. And Matt didn’t even get to take any to work!

Of course, I have a couple of caveats/complaints, etc. I am totally unsure as how Deb’s scones turned out so…well, tidy. Mine—or, rather, the cheese—in them bubbled in an unsightly yet still utterly yummy fashion.

Seriously, mine look like drop biscuits while Deb has The Touch (that woman rocks!). Also, I’d use a finer-grained salt for the dough. I used my old stand-by, kosher salt, and would invariably find a large crystal in my mouthful. Still, these had a nice heat and a nice cheese flavor.

Jalapeño-Cheddar Scones
Adapted Peter Oleyer at Calexico Carne Asada in Brooklyn, via NYMag

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 ounces) cold butter, diced
1/2 cup heavy cream or buttermilk works just as well
3 eggs, divided
1/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, diced
2 small jalapeños pepper, minced

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and sauté the jalapeños in it until soft, about two minutes. Let them cool, then place them in a small bowl with the cheddar cheese and coat them with one tablespoon of the flour. Combine the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt. Cut in the remaining butter with a pastry blender, fork or two knives, until the butter bits are pea sized. I like to use my fingers.

Lightly whip two of the eggs and cream and add to the flour-butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, fold mixture until it begins to come together. Add the cheddar-jalapeño mixture to the dough and mix until everything is incorporated.

Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently for less than one minute. Pat dough out to a 3/4- to 1-inch thickness and either cut into 8 triangles or the shape of your choice with a biscuit cutter. Make an egg wash by beating the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush the scones with egg wash and place on a parchment-lined (or well-oiled) baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Well, I screwed the pooch on that one, didn’t I? Ah well, I don’t feel so bad; I made it all the way through last year so maybe next year I can set that bar high again.

Anyway, I was in quite a grump Saturday afternoon. There was no explicable reason; sometimes I just get that way. Matt suggested that maybe we should go out to dinner.

We went to this restaurant downtown—Le Kilimanjaro—that we thought was Tibetan but was, in fact, Haitian/African.

It was…okay. The soup starter was a bit oversalted and generic for my taste, so I couldn’t see what made it African OR Haitian. The samosas were these teeny-tiny turnovers stuffed with minced beef which Matt liked better than I. What I dug was the spicy dressing on the salad. And while I know my French is far from perfect, even my husband had a difficult time translating the menu. I wanted something vegetarian so I ordered “mafe’”.

It was more or less like a peanutty-spicy curry with huge chunks of green peppers, onions and some other veggies I couldn’t identify. It was quite good with the soup of too-sticky rice. I got more of that salad I had earlier with the dressing; it was all good until the end of my fork picked up a huge chunk of frozen (ice and everything!) lettuce. I just put my fork down at that point. Matt had something called griots (which we have since learned is pork medallions) with some odd dirty-looking rice and plaintains. He too got frozen lettuce but it didn’t bother him. All said, it was very mediocre yet affordable meal. If someone asked me for an ethnic resto recommendation, I would not be able to give it here.

On the other hand, I finally got to go to King Hall. Holy crap, that bar is awesome! It reminds me of a combination of bars from Atlanta and New Orleans. I look forward to exploring their beer menu.

Immediately after he cleaned his plate this morning, Matt looked at me and said, “That was probably the best breakfast you’ve ever made.” “Really?” I replied. “Better than the huevos rancheros last weekend?” He nodded solemnly, “Better than the huevos rancheros.”

What I did was take Wednesday’s leftover Mexican rice and fashion it into cakes (using a binder of egg, flour, sugar, salt). I then pan-fried said cakes on both sides, slid them on a plate and topped them with fried eggs.

I am now thinking of making this for a holiday breakfast this year but coming up with a salsa hollandaise of some sort. Because sometimes you’ve got to gild the lily.