So, here we are, it is Friday night and I can’t decide what to talk about. Originally, I was going to talk about marinated halibut, marinades in general, and an easy rice recipe. Although these all sounded good and things we will be sure to cover. I found that I was inspired by the weather to find something different to talk about. Even though I can make this recipe all year round, it of course is best served when it’s cold and blustery outside.

Tonight, we are going to be making Apple and Butternut Squash Soup.

If the alarm bells are going off about how you can make this recipe, don’t worry. I know so many times soup recipes seem complicated and for some reason, really intimidating. This is the exact reason that I created this blog — to take that intimidation out of recipes so all food can be approachable no matter the skill level. Second, this recipe is so easy, takes very little time, and is darn easy.

Here is your payoff.

Although this is simple soup it packs a ton a flavor! In addition, this is something you will keep in your bag of tricks for when you want to cook for your family or have guests coming over for a dinner party.

How do we make it? Just like this.

We make a few adjustments, but do what suits your tastes the best.

Our big adjustment is using 1/4 tsp versus 1/2 tsp of cumin. As you may know from experience, cumin, while great, can be very, very overpowering and can take over a dish. We made that mistake once with a different butternut squash recipe. Remember, you can always add more, but it doesn’t really work the other way around.

We also use a little less cayenne too. Some people are sensitive to spice/heat levels, so know your audience.

Here are a few more photos to give you an idea. By a few photos, I mean 3. Yes, that is all you need.

Here is the apple, butternut squash, garlic, and onion spending a little quality time together.

This is same picture as above after the liquid has been added. In case chicken broth isn’t your thing, no problem — you can always use turkey, vegetable, or any other broth that fits your needs. Also, I recommend using low sodium broth instead of the full salt versions. The reasons are pretty clear, but by the time you add all the broth with the full sodium your soup could be overly salted. Also, on that same note, for those who want to know what goes in our food, this is a great way to control how much goes in it.

After a spin in your favorite blender, food processor, or you can use a stick blender if you prefer, your soup is ready to go! I like to give the soup a little more time on the heat, so I put it back on the stove to make sure it is warmed through after its trip through the blender.

This is a filling soup that easily can be a meal, but it could always use a little crusty bread, a grilled cheese, or some roasted nuts (homemade of course). Don’t worry, we’ll get to all those recipes too.

Lastly, the recipe says to garnish with creme fraiche and chives. Truthfully, while this can be a nice touch for presentation, this soup doesn’t need it.

`Nuff Said!

Remove the leafy, green bits and cut the stem so it sits flat on the tin foil. This will make it much easier to wrangle.

Time to practice being Picasso on your cauliflower canvas. Quick review, this is seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic salt, and a bit of dried thyme.

After 45-60 minutes you have arrived at your destination. The best way to know if it is done is to just pierce the cauliflower with a knife. If the blade passes through easily, then success! If not, let it go a little more. Tip: If you think it is almost done, but you don’t want to over cook it, just shut the oven off and leave it in till you are ready to serve. This does two things, you keep in the heat so it can cook and if it has to sit while you finish any other parts of your dinner it will still be hot.

A couple of things to keep in mind:

You could easily serve this a main course. Granted, the one we got was small but with a big enough head you could easily feed two people. Think about serving a nice salad with this as an accompaniment.

Once you open the cauliflower you may have to adjust the seasoning when you are ready to serve as the middle of the cauliflower could be bland.

Again, Cauliflower is infamous for being bland, so season liberally.

There are a ton of variations on this that you can do. In fact, ours uses freshly grated Parmesan cheese with about 15 minutes left to cook. Don’t worry it won’t burn, but just keep an eye on it.

Here are a couple of recipe links to help inspire you when making this
dish.

http://simmerandboil.cookinglight.com/2015/03/02/whole-roasted-cauliflower-recipe/

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/8821/Forget-florets–roast-the-whole-damn-cauliflower.htm

Yes, I said it, Bacon of the Sea. Read my text, this isn’t the Chicken of the Sea. Alright, hear me out on this. When we first heard about this we were casually visiting with our fish monger and looking at the usual options, salmon, halibut, tilapia, and the rest of the usual suspects. It was clear that we weren’t excited about any of these options that day.

Finally, one of the fish mongers, a friend of ours, says, “You have to try Cobia.” Of course we both thought he had forgotten how to speak, but he went on to explain. “It is a firm white fish that has a good amount of oil, and it is dense, so it can stand up to some seasoning.”

Seeing that he had piqued our interest, he continued: “I think of it like a cross between tuna and the richness of salmon.”  He went on to explain that Cobia has enough density and body that even with just salt, pepper, medium heat, and a little patience, we would be eating “the bacon of the sea.”

That was it, we were sold and walked away with our first Cobia. Needless to say, we have been back a handful of times since then to buy this amazing fish. You will see why by the time this post is over!

Below is a link from NOAA about Cobia if you want to learn more about this fish.

http://www.fishwatch.gov/seafood_profiles/species/cobia/species_pages/cobia.htm

Okay, the rules for cooking this fish are pretty simple:

Season a little heavier than you would for an average white fish (see photo below for a better idea on seasoning). Apply any seasonings you like on fish. For our purposes we used salt, pepper, dried basil and dried oregano.

Resist the urge to flip, shake or turn the fish. Do you see a pattern here? We want caramelization — nay, we need it to get the most out of this fish.
Little to no oil is required for this cooking application. I try to use a little just to help the fish get started.

I mean, seriously, could it be much easier?

I suppose now I should actually put down the computer and cook the fish, huh?

Let’s do this!

Here is a Cobia fillet: although we typically get a loin piece to share.

Cobia seasoned with salt and pepper

Cobia seasoned after adding basil and oregano.

A bit of oil in the pan. Remember,  you only need just over a quarter sized amount of oil to get this fish going.

Fish on! Yes, I went there.

First Flip. This is what we want. We will get more color on this fish shortly.

Here is a side view of the Cobia. This gives you a good chance to see what we are after.

Again, we are achieving massive flavor here. Remember, your patience will pay off.

Here is a finished plate with green beans, a potato with sour cream, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Oh, yeah, we will get to that too. 🙂

Just like that you are done and ready to enjoy! You can use a slice of lemon if you want, but I strongly recommend you taste the fish first before you add anything else.

Cooking Cobia should take between 8-12 minutes. Keep in mind, the size and shape will either help or hamper the cook time. You know when the fish is done when it turns white and slightly opaque in the middle. But you don’t want to overcook it either, so the fish should be moist and glistening on the inside. Even if the fillet is a little under, that’s OK because you will get a little carryover heat after you have removed the fish from the pan.

Because this is a rich, flavorful fish it is important to think about what you are serving with it. While serving green beans and potatoes is OK, this fish needs some contrasting flavors that come to the party.  For that reason, a salad with a dressing that is vinegar based (balsamic, red wine, Italian, etc.), or a salsa with some fruit or something that is a little spicy would work well. Anything that will give you a burst of freshness would fit the bill. I could list more ideas, but I plan on covering some sides/dressings going forward that will work well here or for any meal.

Enjoy your Bacon of The Sea!

That’s right, I’m grillin’ in the rain. For me, grilling is something that I apply all year round and it can be both a time saver and helps minimize the kitchen cleanup more often than not.

So, before we get into what I had on the grill tonight I wanted to talk about what you might have noticed with the last few recipes. If you have seen any of my facebook food photos or you have been the recipient of a food text, you  know I cook a fair bit of meat. Usually there is a protein that is part of every meal that I make whether that be steak, chicken, fish, pork, or turkey. But I had a realization earlier that part of my goal with this blog was to reach beyond what I normally do to continue to share my passion for those who are on this fare journey with me. I realize that I have some people who may be reading this blog who might not be big fans of meat, and I want this to something for everyone. So, I will make it part of my mission to include you all. Fear not, while my brain billows with smoke to create recipes and posts, I am working on ideas to have meatless meal options that I plan to share down the road.

With that in mind, we will get back to the main (side event).

Tonight, on the grill, is……….

Grilled Asparagus.

This is just one of many, many things you can grill that can make a great addition to any meal. Don’t worry, we will get to some of those later.

Did I mention this is so easy? Oh, well it is. A great go-to recipe any time you need a quick veggie
option.

Wait, how do we grill asparagus without losing them all in the slats of the grill? Or without a basket?

Allow me to introduce you to the tinfoil plate. Yup, it is that simple. Really. Even I can be an artist and create beautiful tinfoil plates.

Asparagus seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little butter. Or more butter if you are channeling your inner Julia Child. If so, that is totally OK with me!

Place the foil on the grill at about medium heat, & it will probably take 12-20 minutes. So, enough time to find/refill your beverage.

Here is your finished asparagus. They should be tender but still be a little crisp when you bite into them.

If you need to impart a little more flavor before you serve these, hit them with a little lemon juice. This gives the asparagus a great little zip and allows you to serve them with a lot of different dishes.

In following the theme of the day, here is a super quick easy recipe that is great for any weekday meal. It’s a perfect pairing for steak, chicken, fish, or just it’s own. You could also add these to a salad for a little different flavor profile.

Oven Roasted Baby Carrots:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss them in a bowl with  olive oil, salt, and pepper. Feel free to add any other seasonings you like. You will see what I used in my photos, but the options are endless.
Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until browned and tender. 
 
Simple, right?

I think we are missing something. Hmm……oh, yeah, a couple of snapshots! Don’t worry, these will be a lot easier to follow than my previous recipe 🙂

This is your ingredient list. Simple as that.

Seasoned and prepped carrots. Ready for their “hot” date in the oven!

20-25 minutes later this is what you end up with. You will know they are ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork.

Finished! 🙂

Ready for a awesome twist?

While the carrots are cooking, combine 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp of honey together. With about 5 minutes left,  toss the carrots in that glaze and let them finish cooking in the oven. These are amazing! We did this before at a family party and it was a huge success! So much so that everyone wanted the recipe. Just don’t look away or get distracted topping off your glass, the carrots can burn super quick.

Take that, Weekday Meal Monster!

Ah, Monday. The sure fire sign that a new week is upon us. However, for many, it is the beginning of trying to figure out what to cook to sustain ourselves in the myriad of life over the course of the week.

Rather than this striking fear into the hearts of most home cooks, we, together can slay the Weekly Beast. Of course I plan to hit more on these topics as we go, but we must take one thing at a time.

So, what can you do to make the week easier? Here are a few things that are helpful:

Shop Ahead
-Seems simple, right? Well, it is and that is why it can have success. Try to have ingredients on hand for a few meals. This way you don’t start the week with a store trip. Saves the stress on you and your wallet.

Keep It Simple
-Good food doesn’t have to be complicated food. A protein, a starch(if you like), and a couple of veggie options and you are done.

Go With What Works
-Have a goto recipe for weeknight madness already? Great! Go with what works. We don’t have to reinvent the cooking wheel. We just want to tweak it so it works to our advantage.

Be A Cut Above
-Is your recipe heavy on vegetables that need to be cooked? Chop and prep those suckers ahead. Heck, you can watch your favorite show and with a cutting board and Tupperware you will be done in a flash.

OK, Weeknight. You may have won the Monday blues, but you won’t win the weekly war. 🙂

Ok, so as we mentioned before this recipe requires a ton of patience. However, if done right, the payoff is huge!

Next, it is recipe time! *I have made some changes to this recipe that suit our personal tastes. Please see below the recipe for my changes.*

Prep Time is 30-45 minutes
Cook Time is 3 hours

• First, increase the kind of broth you are using to make sure your measurements are still accurate.  
• You can also add more balsamic if you wanted, as we do. 
• You could, if you really wanted to, add a little wine in there as well. It would really help fortify some of the flavors you are trying to develop. IF you do use wine, make sure it is wine you would drink normally, because it will only intensify the flavors. So, if you won’t drink it, don’t use it to cook with.

Ok, these are seasoned short ribs. About two hours before you are ready to go, get these out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. This will help them cook more evenly. Most important, season AGGRESSIVELY. Add more salt than you think you need. Why you ask? This is a dense piece of meat and it needs a lot of salt to penetrate into the meat as it cooks. Second, you will lose a lot of seasoning as you move them from paper to cooking vessel. Same goes with ground pepper, use more than you think you  need. I highly recommend fresh ground pepper. Don’t use the stuff that has been hiding in your cupboard for the last 8 months. There is no flavor in that for the maximum impact.

Remember in my first post where I said you need patience? This is why! Although painstaking, getting this dark caramelized color will take your short ribs to the next level. The application is simple, but the execution is a pain. When you put the short ribs down, leave them alone and don’t touch them. You will want to give these as much time as you can before you try to poke, prod, or turn them to the next side. The more color, the more flavor. This is a good time to work on prep or make sure your beverage stays topped off.

Short ribs are nestled in and ready to go in the oven. Cover this with foil before you put the lid on. This steam will help the short ribs cook and become tender.

Here we have the finished dish, rice pilaf with mushrooms, broccoli, and of course, our fabulous short ribs.

Greetings!

Well, here is my first official blog post! I am looking forward to these Table Fare adventures. So, how should we start? By cooking, of course! On the menu tonight is beer and balsamic braised short ribs (courtesy of the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman) and mushroom pilaf. Photos to come once this is completed.

For the record, this is a great go to recipe for a special occasion to share. The only downside is, like painting a portrait, this recipe does require great patience and attention. I relate this to channeling my inner Mr Miyagi. “Patience, Foodi-son.”

Yes, all the normal pitfalls still exist. For example, poor ventilation(no windows for cross breeze), insufficient counter space, and this is a one man show unless whomever you are sharing the kitchen with is willing to dance with you. If you are like me, you would prefer not to have to dance because you are a terrible dancer. Oh, wait, this is about cooking not dancing and thank goodness for that! So, on with the show!