Simply Fried Fish and the bountiful veggies mutiny.

While shopping, I was lucky to come upon Whiting ( a mild white fish) in the frozen fish section; remember now, I live at the end of the world, so fresh fish isn't available often, if at all.  Now when I lived back East, we would always buy whole fresh Whiting and bake it; the meat of this fish is so sweet and succulent.  The side dish served with it was my grandmother's potatoes which were similiar to hot German potato salad.

However, since the frozen fish were filets, I decided that frying them would be a better justice for them.

In the above photo you'll see the fish dredging station I set up.  The blue rimmed bowl contains Panko (Japanese bread crumbs), the plate is the 2 lbs of Whiting seasoned with salt and crushed dill, and the white bowl contains a mixture of 2 eggs mixed with a cup of whole milk.  There were 9 pieces of fish altogether, so I planned on frying 3 at a time.  On the stove, I had 2 cups of peanut oil heating up on medium-high heat.

The simple process was to soak 3 fish filets in the egg/milk mixture until the oil was hot enough to fry in (a flick of cold water into the skillet made the oil begin to sizzle).  I then placed each filet into the Panko, making sure to press it into each side of the filets and then slide them into the hot oil.  I let them fry for 3 minutes on each side before removing to a paper towel covered plate to drain the excess oil.  Also, while the first 3 were frying, I had the next 3 filets soaking in the egg/milk mixture, and I just repeated the whole process for the remaining 6 filets.  Simple done fried fish with a crispy crust, but moist, flaky flesh.

So where does the bounty of veggies come into play?  It all started before I began frying up the fish of course.  One of Roy's coworkers had an excess bounty of veggies from her garden and Roy brought some home...green bell peppers, banana peppers, eggplant, green beans; and I just happened to have a head of cauliflower in the fridge....Evil Vegetable Gratin!!!. Cutting all the veggies up into bite sized pieces, mixing with the cheeses and other listed ingredients from the recipe; it was placed in the oven and timed to be ready at the same time as the fried fish.

My grandmother's potatoes is another simply made dish:  boiled potatoes cut into chunks or slices (your choice - leave the skin on!), mix in a bowl with olive oil, red wine vinegar, ground black pepper and salt.  I'm not putting any measurements here because it is all according to taste.  I like the tang of the vinegar and snap of sea salt, so add more than someone else might.

Comfort cooking can be simple or it can be complex; it's all up to the cook in the kitchen.

Mary Cokenour

A good recipe for evil vegetables.

Personally, I cannot stand cauliflower or brussel sprouts; I don't like their look, texture, flavor; I like nothing about them. However, my hubby and his mom like the little devils, so I like to come up with different ways to serve them.

Cauliflower is in the same plant species as broccoli, but we can recognize it by its whitish coloring and “brainy” appearance. The white variety is more common, is high in dietary fiber, vitamin C and folate; and studies have related it to reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Producers of cauliflower have created hybrids: Orange (high in vitamin A), Green (combination of cauliflower with broccoli) and Purple (higher in antioxidants).

While cauliflower can be roasted, fried, steamed, microwaved or boiled; steaming and microwaving retain the nutrients better than the other methods of cooking, especially boiling. Cauliflower can be substituted for potatoes as it gives the same texture and mouth feel, minus the starch. However, this vegetable can be very bland and/or bitter, so it is usually served with a sauce of some type; butter or cheese being the most popular.

Brussel Sprouts are part of the cabbage family; growing on long thick stems and requiring cool weather. They are best harvested when the heads are small and compact. Nutritionally they are high in fiber, protein, vitamin A and C, folate and potassium; they are linked to reducing the risk of cancer. Most cooks boil brussel spouts and tend to overcook them, so they lose their bright green color and the nutrients. However, they can be roasted, or used in a stir fry if quartered. As with cauliflower, brussel sprouts can be bitter and are also served, usually, in a butter sauce.

Since I was barbequing yesterday, I did want to serve a vegetable dish with the meat and chicken, but wanted something different than the usual pototoes or corn on the cob. Instead of using potatoes to make a gratin, I used cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Considering I caught Roy eating the leftovers in the middle of the night, I would say that it came out well. He said that the tanginess from the goat cheese really set this apart from other cheese based dishes.

Evil Veggie Gratin

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup half n’ half
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
1 tsp each salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbsp diced fresh chives
1 lb cut up cauliflower
1lb small brussel sprouts; if large, cut in half
3 Tbsp finely grated dried bread crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 2 qt baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a medium saucepan, medium-high heat, melt butter and stir in flour till smooth; let cook for 5 minutes, but do not let burn. Gradually whisk in half n’ half; add Swiss and goat cheese and stir until melted; add in seasoning and chives.

Put cauliflower and brussel sprouts into casserole dish; pour cheese mixture over all. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle bread crumbs over top and bake additional 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour