Moules a la Mariniere, Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

Last night was all about cooking with wine, because I had a bunch of open bottles in the fridge. Plus, I didn't feel like getting wasted on a thursday night. Who knew that it would be so flavorful, healthy, and most of all...easy! We're lucky enough to be living down the street from a 99 ranch market that sells a heap of fresh seafood for cheap. So, we ended up with Moules a la Mariniere (Steamed Mussels in White Wine) and a Fresh Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette. My mussels recipe ended up being a hybrid of Emeril's recipe and Bobby Flay's recipe. It didn't have any butter or heavy cream, but it had all of Emeril's spices plus Bobby's spices. The end product turned out to be this spicy, extremely flavorful broth. And trust me...it's all about the broth with this dish because it flavors the mussels too. I loved it. And, the absolutely delighted look that Raquel gave me when she walked through the door to our place smelling like a French bistro was priceless.

Chocolate Mocha Panna Cotta

A decadent meal needs a decadent dessert. And this Chocolate Mocha Panna Cotta, adapted from Giada's Espresso Panna Cotta, rounded out our dinner from the last post. There is no real way to make this dessert that healthy, other than to share one serving. But, I did use skim milk, light cream, and added fresh blueberries to the original recipe. Also, I don't have anything against using espresso, but I know that Raquel would be awake till 3 am if I used it. So, I substituted chocolate mocha cocoa powder. Luckily, all the changes didn't really sacrifice flavor or texture. The dessert was delightfully light, silky, and creamy. Judging from how Raquel was wolfing it down, I don't think I'm going to get away with sharing only one serving next time.

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates, Asparagus Riesling Risotto, and Cauliflower Bacon Gratin

Tonight's dinner was definitely very decadent. But, I went all out for two reasons: 1. I've been sick for 5 days and haven't eaten much of anything, 2. I wanted to give Raquel a big thank you for taking care of me when I was sick. However, even though I wanted to indulge, it wasn't completely over the top with the minor adjustments I made to each recipe. Here's the menu: Prosciutto-wrapped Dates, Asparagus Riesling Risotto, Cauliflower Bacon Gratin . All of the recipes were courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis, and I have to admit that I'm becoming a real fan of her food (so is Raquel). Also, I know it seems that there was a lot of bacon in the meal, but in actuality I used a lot of prosciutto and turkey bacon. Prosciutto still has that nice saltiness to it, but with a lot less fat than bacon since it's dry cured. Plus, since it's so thinly sliced, I think it crisps up better. Onto my modifications:

Prosciutto-Wrapped Dates:

Throw them in the oven at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Asparagus Riesling Risotto:

-I didn't have champagne lying around, so I used dry riesling. Any white wine will do.

-This recipe is perfect, I'd follow it exactly.

Cauliflower Bacon Gratin:

-use 98% fat free turkey bacon

-use light cream

-skip the bread crumbs

-skip the olive oil at the end

-use low-fat sharp cheddar instead of gruyere

I do realize that the Cauliflower Bacon Gratin pic isn't that appetizing. Next time, I'll work on the plating. It's good to be well again....Note to self, don't go for long runs in the rain, my immune system won't hold up.

Misoyaki Butterfish

So it seems that my brother has finally decided to cave into blogging. And like the good sister that I am, I'll trumpet Goo Grindz birth to the blog world and am welcoming it with open arms. Welcome Gogo! But, let it also be known that I got here a year and a half before him. ;) Funnily enough, his blog is also food-centric, but in a different way from Jog In Ocean. It must run in the family.

Anyway, in honor of his blogging attempts to promote the regional Hawaiian cuisine, I'm posting this recipe for Misoyaki Butterfish. When I was growing up, this was my favorite bento item to pick up from Shirokiya. It's definitely named butterfish for a reason, because it always flakes off and practically melts on my tongue. So when I saw Sablefish or Black Cod (also known as butterfish) on sale, I had to cook it and introduce the dish to Raquel. She loved it, and it's been filed in her top three favorite dishes. I knew I pick a girl with good taste. Serve it with a side of crisp, fresh salad topped with my Miso Vinaigrette, and you've got yourself a little taste of my childhood.

Rotini with Vegetable Bolognese

I've been feeling a distinct lack of carbs lately, and I think it's been showing in my last couple of runs. It's that draggy, exhausted, heavy-limbed feeling I get after not properly fueling before a run. Anyway, tonight I tried to remedy that with carb-loading. On the other hand, I didn't want anything overly fatty, yet still hearty. So, I settled on this wonderful recipe from Giada de Laurentiis: Rigatoni with Vegetable Bolognese. It was fantastic!! The beauty of this dish is that it truly tasted like meat sauce, yet the dish was completely vegetarian. It's packed with all the bonus vitamins/minerals in vegetables, and lacking the fat from any kind of meat. I didn't even notice that it didn't have meat. Not only that, but Raquel, a carnivore who misses a meaty flavor in vegetarian dishes, couldn't get enough of it. She even went for seconds. Try it guys, you'll be really surprised.

Modifications:
-left out the porcini mushrooms, cause I'm cheap.
-substitute the mushroom liquid with low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
-use half the mascarpone cheese. it still gets nice and creamy.

Hopefully, my next run will turn out better.

Grilled Swordfish with Coconut Sauce and Tri-colored Orzo Salad

I made this dish on a really hot summer day, because it was so light and flavorful. A perfect ending to the perfect day. Grilled Swordfish with Coconut Chile Sauce and Tri-Colored Orzo. The only thing with swordfish is that it's usually a high-ticket item. So, I'm going to stick to making this dish when swordfish is in season and on sale. Then again, it's not like Raquel and I need large portions, so maybe we can stick it to special occasions. In any case, I loved this interpretation of swordfish with a light Thai spin. The ginger and chile really go well with fish. In fact, I'm drooling again after staring at this picture.

As for the orzo dish, I loved it. But, I think I'll need to make it more Raquel-friendly next time. She apparently isn't a fan of fresh arugula in a pasta dish. So next time, I'll probably substitute some sauteed spinach. And, since I'm not a fan of dried cherries, I substituted roasted red bell peppers for the dried cherries. Admittedly, it changed the intended sweet/salty balance of the dish. But, as far as flavor spectrum goes for pasta dishes, I've always favored the salty end.

BBQ!

While I'm at it, I'll post up the recipes from our last BBQ party. These recipes were DEFINITELY a hit, considering the number of full-bellied guests that were lounging around on our apartment floor. I love it when our guests are happy and well-fed. Menu:

Basalmic BBQ Chicken - tip: don't start basting the chicken with the sauce until it's about 5 minutes to finish. Otherwise, the sauce will make the chicken burn in the beginning due to the sugar in the sauce.

Honey Cornbread Muffins - That item went so fast, that I should've made double. YUM!

Italian style Baked Beans - I personally loved the tanginess of this. Thanks Giada.

Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salad - It was so refreshing and healthy.

Definitely one of my better BBQ's. Next time, I'll post pics of the Kona Coffee glazed Ribs BBQ.