Roasted cabbage soup

Dan was in the mood for cabbage soup today; I wanted roasted cabbage. So we compromised. The resulting soup warmed us on this chilly day, and it made the house pretty toasty, too.

Roasted cabbage soup (makes 8-9 servings)

2 shallots, peeled

3 potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes

1/2 head cabbage (about 1-1/2 pounds), cut into about 6 wedges

3 parsley roots, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1.) Put the potatoes, garlic cloves, and veggie broth in a large soup pot and boil until potatoes are tender.

2.) Meanwhile, put cabbage, shallots, carrots, and parsley roots on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle oil over, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, then stir/flip veggies, turn heat up to 400, and continue cooking 13-15 minutes more.

3.) Take potatoes off heat when done; cool cabbage and veggies slightly.

4.) Chop cabbage and veggies into smaller pieces, and add them to the potatoes. Reheat before serving if necessary. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. (I had to use quite a lot!)

Mahi mahi parmesan

Do you ever find yourself sitting in a doctor's waiting room, flipping through a magazine, when you realize the only thing you wanted to read has been ripped out by some selfish person?

I'm coming clean. I'm the guilty party. You can direct your anger to me now.

Truthfully, I've only done this a couple times, and only for recipes. The following recipe was acquired that way recently, from the September 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Let's hope it was worth it!* In the future, I will bring along a pen and paper...

Note: This recipe originally was for tuna steaks.

Mahi mahi parmesan (serves 4)

2 lemons

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 ounces asparagus, trimmed

16 ounces mahi mahi, in four equal pieces

5 ounces salad greens (the recipe called for mixed baby greens)

1/3 cup freshly shaved parmesan

1.) Preheat oven to 450. Finely shred 2 teaspoons of peel from a lemon, and squeeze the juice.

2.) In a small bowl, whisk the oil, peel, juice, pepper, and salt. Set aside. Cut second lemon into wedges.

3.) Put asparagus in baking pan in a single layer, and drizzle 2 tablespoons of dressing over it. Bake for 8 minutes.

4.) Heat 1 tablespoon dressing in a large skillet. Add fish, and cook 4-6 minutes per side, until browned. (If cooking tuna, the inside should be slightly pink.)

5.) Put greens onto plates. Top with fish and put asparagus on the side. Drizzle the rest of the dressing over the salads, and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve with lemon wedges.

* Definitely worth it!

Bonus weekend recipe: Croutons

Who doesn't love a zesty, crunchy crouton on a salad or some soup?

I think homemade croutons taste much better than any you can buy. And, when you see how easy they are to make, you will never want to buy them again.

It's hard to say exactly how much of each ingredient to use here. I generally use up whole-grain bread that is starting to get dry, so I've made batches with as little as a few slices of bread and as much as would fill a baking sheet. You can even use bread that is starting to mold; just cut that part off before cutting it into cubes. As for the rest of it, be liberal.

Zesty whole grain croutons

whole grain bread (I particularly like multi-grain bread for this)

extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

granulated garlic

herbes de Provence, or any combination of those dried herbs, such as rosemary, sage, and thyme

pinch of cayenne pepper (it will give the croutons a nice little zing -- I recommend one pinch for every four or five slices of bread)

1.) Cut your bread slices into small cubes -- about 1-inch squares -- and put into a bowl.

2.) Drizzle oil over bread, sprinkle with the other seasonings, and toss well to coat.

3.) Spread out on a baking sheet, and bake for about 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Stir/flip the croutons, then continue baking another 7 or so minutes, or until dark golden.

4.) Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Note: When these are done, don't start snacking on them. They are so good, you won't be able to stop!

Sicilian-style grouper

"Scrape up any brown bits." A recipe that says that is a recipe after my own heart.

This grouper recipe says that, and it's incredibly healthy and yummy, to boot!

This is the most labor-intensive fish dish during this fish-heavy week. (Still coming up we have mahi mahi and red snapper recipes.)

The recipe comes from Lidia's Italy, a cookbook whose dishes make my mouth water! The recipes are so very specific -- calling for, say, "hand-crushed" tomatoes -- but I trust whatever Lidia says because of the success I've had with her recipes -- especially my all-time favorite beef goulash recipe. (I will post that someday, I promise.)

Well, this is called "grouper matalotta style," and Lidia explains that "alla matalotta" can be done with halibut or striped bass or black bass. It's a dish rich with garlic, capers, and green olives. A true kitchen adventure for me! While I love green olives and capers in meals, I don't think I've ever cooked with them myself. And, I know I've never cooked with grouper.

Note: This recipe requires a heavy-bottomed sauce- or saute pan, about 13 inches wide with a cover. (Dan said that sounds like a Monty Python skit: "I've got a bit of heavy bottom sauce...")

I cut the recipe below in half for just Dan and me, though, so we didn't need a pan quite that large, but I used one anyway.

Grouper matalotta style (serves 6)

2 pounds skinless grouper fillet (halibut, striped bass, or black bass will also do)

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

all-purpose flour, for dredging (about 1/2 cup)

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (let them sit for 10 or so minutes before using; their most healthful properties will be activated)

1/2 cup finely chopped celery hearts and leaves

1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste (I couldn't find these anywhere, so I left them out, unfortunately. I'm sure they gave a little zest to the dish.)

1 cup Sicilian or other large green, brine-cured olives, pitted and halved

2 tablespoons small capers, drained

2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, crushed by hand (Lidia recommends San Marzano, a brand I found at Bloomingfoods, but I used chopped tomatoes)

3 cups hot water, or as needed

6 large fresh basil leaves, shredded

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (I wasn't sure what Italian parsley was, but here it is:)

1.) Slice the grouper into six chunks, roughly equal in size. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.

2.) Pour the olive oil into the saucepan and put it over medium-high heat.

3.) Dredge the fish chunks in flour, shaking off the excess, and set them in the hot oil. Cook for about 1-1/2 minutes.

Turn them and lightly color the other side. Remove with a spatula and place on a plate.

4.) Scatter the onion slices in the pan, and stir, scraping up bits. Toss in the garlic and celery, stir, and season with the peperoncino -- if you have it -- and another 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir for about two minutes as they sizzle, then toss in the olives and caper, stirring until they sizzle.

5.) Pour in the crushed -- or chopped -- tomatoes and hot water. Turn up the heat, and stir until the liquid boils. Adjust the heat to keep it bubbling, and stir in the basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

6.) Lay the grouper into the sauce in one layer, pouring any juices that have accumulated on the fish plate. Make sure the chunks are nearly covered with sauce; add more water if necessary.

7.) Heat rapidly back to a boil, then simmer gently, partially covered. Shake the pan to distribute that sauce.

8.) When grouper is tender and sauce is slightly thickened -- 20-25 minutes later -- turn the heat off.

9.) Just before serving, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on top and sprinkle with parsley.

We had this meal with roasted lemon broccoli, a staple in our house, and I highly recommend warm Italian (or French) bread alongside to soak up the sauce!

Baked salmon salad

This recipe was adapted slightly from a grilled tuna salad recipe in The Wellness Kitchen, one of my favorite cookbooks. It was super tasty!

Baked salmon salad (makes 4 large servings)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 salmon fillets, about 4 ounces each

1 pound potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1/2 pound sugar snap peas, ends trimmed

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

salad greens (4-6 large leaves per serving)

2 cups plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

4 sliced green onions

1.) Mix the cumin, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Brush salmon pieces with olive oil, then rub the cumin mix on them.

2.) Bake the salmon on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes. Use this time to prepare the rest of the dish.

3.) Steam the potato pieces (about 7 minutes). Put them aside, then use the steamer water to quickly cook the snap peas. Toss them into the boiling water for about 2 minutes.

4.) Whisk the remaining salt, lime juice, oil, and mustard, and add the potatoes and snap peas to that dressing. Add the tomatoes, green onions, and lettuce, and toss all that together well.

5.) When the salmon is done, arrange the salads on plates and top each with a piece of sliced salmon.

Oven-steamed tilapia fillets

First up: Oven-steamed tilapia. *

This recipe is incredibly versatile, so feel free to substitute with a different fish, starch, or veggie.

Two major bonuses to making these packets: They are quick to make, with very few prep dishes to clean up. Hooray!

Oven-steamed tilapia fillets (serves 4)

4 sheets of parchment, about 2 feet long each

1-2 limes, washed and sliced

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced very thinly

4 tilapia fillets, 5-6 ounces each

1 zucchini, shredded or sliced

8 thick slices of sweet white onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

6-8 tablespoons of sweet and spicy chile sauce, such as Mae Ploy (the generic ones taste exactly the same to me)

1.) Lay a sheet of foil on your kitchen counter. In the center, arrange one-quarter of your sweet potato slices.

2.) Top that with one-quarter of the zucchini, then garlic and onion, then the tilapia fillet.

3.) Drizzle one tablespoon (or more) of your chile sauce on the ingredients, and top with lime slices and salt and pepper.

4.) Fold the foil or parchment over the ingredients, and fold the edges to seal them in. Leave some room at the top for the steam. It should look a little like a paper lunch sack.

5.) Bake on a baking sheet at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes.

* If you love tilapia, try this tilapia chowder with fresh tarragon sometime. It's one of my new favorite dishes.

Today's food fact: Tilapia is now the fifth most popular seafood in the United States, according to the American Tilapia Association, a site hosted by the University of Arizona. But, according to a July article in Science Daily, "Farm-raised tilapia ... has very low levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and, perhaps worse, very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids...
"The researchers say the combination could be a potentially dangerous food source for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases that are particularly vulnerable to an 'exaggerated inflammatory response.'"

Today's question: What do you think are the four most popular seafoods consumed in the United States?

Something new

In case you're wondering, the answer is NO, the meatloaf with gravy and Obama victory cookies I made last week did not help me reach my weight-loss goal -- dropping those final few baby weight pounds.

Truth be told, I've been set back a bit. And I'm not thrilled about it. (I will say, though, that the meatloaf was one of my best ever. If you need comfort food these days, try it out.)

To get back on track, I'm starting something new. While I considered the cabbage soup diet, I don't think any diet that cuts out whole grains is a good idea, no matter how much you can lose in a week. So tomorrow I am starting a week or so of fish recipes.

I am planning about 5 dinners. A couple to look forward to: salmon salad and citrus red snapper. I'm going to pair them with greens or other low-calorie veggie dishes. Perhaps a couple of those will get posted, too.

Stay tuned!