Monday, March 12, 2012

Oven Steamed Halibut & Stir-Fried Bok Choy

With all the bok choy our CSA has been sending us in our boxes recently, this meal has quickly become one of our favorite ways to enjoy it. Both recipes in this post, the Oven-Steamed Halibut and the Stir-Fried Bok Choy, are quick and easy to make. If you're eating grains, brown rice served on the side is a great way to soak up all the delicious sauce...it tastes so good, it's a shame to let the extra sauce go to waste!
Halibut - just out of the oven
Oven Steamed Halibut (serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 Scallions
2" Fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced thin
4 4oz Halibut Fillets (or other delicate, white fish such as sole, flounder)
2T Soy Sauce
2T Sherry/Rice Vinegar
1t Sesame Oil
1/2t Sugar

Directions:
- Put 1/3 of the scallions and ginger in a 9x13 glass baking dish.
- Place fish fillets on top, then scatter the remaining scallions and ginger on top.
- Mix the sauce in a bowl, and pour over the fish.
- Let marinate about 15 minutes.
- Seal with foil, bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. (You  might need more or less time depending on the thickness of your fish.)
- Fish is cooked when the color has turned white, and easily flakes with a fork.
- Plate pieces of fish and spoon sauce on top to serve.

Bok Choy - almost done
Stir-Fried Bok Choy
Ingredients:
2-4 bunches of Organic Bok Choy (depending on size)
2T High heat oil (such as sesame, safflower or peanut)
1T Soy Sauce
Optional: sliced mushrooms, onions, garlic, ginger, chili paste

Directions:
- Chop the ends off the bok choy, so that the leaves fall apart. Rinse all leaves well, as dirt can accumulate in there. Dry off the leaves as best you can, but some water is okay.
- The exact size is up to you, but separate the white part of the leaf from the green. As you chop, put the white and green parts into separate piles, as they require different cooking times. I like to do roughly bite-sized pieces, because then I can use chopsticks with my meal instead of needing a knife.
- If you're using any of the optional ingredients, slice those up now.
- In a fairly large saucepan, heat the oil over med-high heat. Once it is hot, add the white parts of the bok choy. (If you're using garlic/ginger/onions, add those first and heat til fragrant. Do not brown them!)
- Stir everything well, so that the oil is well distributed.
- Cover the pan, and cook for a couple minutes.
- When the white part of the bok choy is soft, add the green parts. If you're adding mushrooms, do that now.
- Continue to cook, uncovered, until green parts have wilted.
- When vegetables have cooked, turn down the heat and add soy sauce/chili paste to taste. Stir to coat.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Potato Leek & Spinach Soup

What to do when your CSA box (or local market) provides you with leeks, potatoes and spinach all in the same week? Let's also pretend that it's a cold, foggy day and you want to curl up on the couch with something warm in your hand. Well, what I did is learn how to make Potato Leek Soup!

In keeping with one of my intentions for 2012, which was to make more soups at home, I looked through many recipes trying to find the "perfect" one to try. Some use broth, others use water. Some include cream while others do not.

The recipe I made is a blend of a few different versions I came across, but what was most exciting to me was that I came across a recipe that included spinach in the soup. The addition of spinach excited me, as I always get excited when I can throw more veggies into one dish! Plus, the added nutrients from the leafy green make this hearty soup even better for you! Spinach is rich in anti-oxidants, minerals and Vitamins K, A and Folate (a B vitamin). Be sure to chose organic for this recipe, especially the butter, potatoes and spinach. Also, for you vegetarians/vegans out there, this recipe could easily be made vegan by replacing butter with oil, chicken broth with veggie broth, and omitting the cream. I'm sure it would be delicious that way too!

Cook up a pot tonight, and enjoy!

Potato, Leek & Spinach Soup (serves 6)
Ingredients:
3T Organic Butter
3 Organic Leeks, sliced thin
1 Organic Onion, chopped
2 Organic Garlic Cloves, chopped
4-6 Organic Potatoes, washed and cut into 1" cubes (more = thicker soup)
4C Organic Broth (chicken or veggie - homemade is even better!)
1/2t Ground Nutmeg
1 Bay Leaf
1C Organic Spinach, roughly chopped
1C Heavy Cream
Salt & White Pepper to taste

Directions:
- Over medium heat, melt butter in large, heavy-bottom soup pot. Add leeks, garlic and onion and cook until just tender. Try not to let them brown!
- Add potatoes, stir to combine. Heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add enough broth to cover the potatoes. Also add the nutmeg and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Working in batches, blend the soup. Add a handful of chopped spinach (yes, it's uncooked) to the blender.
- Return the blended soup to the pot, add the cream and stir. Heat another 15 minutes.
- Add salt and white pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Serve hot and garnished with parsley, if you have any.