​Me: It smells like fish.
BF: It's fish. Isn't it supposed to smell like fish?
Me: No, it's supposed to smell clean like the ocean.
Both, simultaneously: 

Every single time we go to a seafood restaurant or pass a grocery store fish case, the same Abbott and Costello routine ensues. It's too funny. Seriously though, this recipe only has a few ingredients, so make sure your fish is good quality and smells fresh (like the ocean). 

A few changes were made to James Peterson's original recipe (mainly increased the amount of sherry and herbs and I strained the liquid), otherwise it's perfect. Here is what he says about this dish: "A 5-ingredient, 20-minute technique to make any white fish shine – bonus: it makes its own buttery, boozy sauce, without deglazing or reducing. So go to your local fishmonger or sign up for a CSF. Don't blindly buy halibut or sea bass or whatever a recipe calls for – ask your trusty fishperson what's in season, what came in fresh that day. Any firm-fleshed, non-oily white fish will work – sole, cod, bass, rockfish, or any white fish that's not too delicate (so skip scrawny fillets like flounder)."

Would also encourage you to use a good quality dry or very dry sherry. I have recently upgraded to Hartley & Gibson's Fino Very Dry Sherry, and it made a significant difference in the taste of the final dish.

For folks who don't have a fondness for fish, I have found that this dish is a great "gateway" into appreciating the taste of fish. So clean and light.

​One of my clients orders this dish every single week, and I usually buy extra to make it a week night dinner option with the BF, since it's so easy to prepare. [Ed. note: #winning]

NOTES:

• The photo above shows my preference for meal preparation, cutting the fish prior to baking into 4-6 pieces for ease of serving. Photo below depicts the whole 2-pound piece of cod.  
• I have made this dish with only butter, only olive oil, and a combo of both. All of them work, but have found only butter has much more flavor.

​Adapted from: James Peterson, Food 52
Number of servings: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds cod (or any firm-fleshed, non-oily white fish)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil (or combination of both). 
• 5-6 tablespoons dry sherry (use a good brand here) I use Hartley & Gibson's Fino Very Dry Sherry
• 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 °F.  Pull any pin bones out of the fish.
2. Decide if you want to cook a 2-pound piece of fish whole or cut your fish into 4-6 pieces. My preference is to cut into serving pieces.
3. Rub the bottom of a baking or casserole pan (large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer) with one tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil. 
4. Arrange cod in an even layer. Season well with healthy amount of salt and pepper.
5. Dot tops of the cod with rest of the butter or olive oil (or use a combination of both). Spoon sherry over the fish and sprinkle each fillet with parsley.
6. Bake for approximately 12 minutes per inch of thickness. Mine typically bake for 15 minutes. 
7. Use a slotted spatula to remove fish from pan. Place on platter or plates. Pour leftover liquid from pan through a strainer. Spoon the strained melted butter, olive oil and juices over and around the fillets.

It was about seven years ago that I started to like avocados. I know. I was in the minority. Wouldn't touch guacamole. Didn't understand the draw of "nature's butter" on sandwiches. It truly puzzled me. The BF can take it or leave it.

Now I love them and can't get enough. Will plan entire meals around a ripe avocado I have hanging out in the kitchen. When my sister visits, avocado toast for breakfast. Every. Single. Day.

Guacamole? [Ed. note: The late George Carlin used to say, "That sounds like something you yell when you're on fire."] All the time. And god help me if I don't have spare avocados to top tacos.

Years ago I fell in love with this warm Indian spiced avocado dip from Heidi Swanson's cookbook Super Natural Every Day. She is also known for her blog 101 Cookbooks.

Serve this dip at room temperature, or warm with sesame rice crackers, fresh veggies, toasted naan, pita or tortilla chips. My current favorite scooper is parsnip chips from Trader Joe's.

Adapted from: Super Natural Every Day
Number of servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon clarified butter or extra virign coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
• 1 small yellow onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon Indian curry powder
• 1-2 serrano chiles, minced (depending on desired spice level)
• Black sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Cut each avocado in half, remove the pits and scoop the flesh into a small bowl. Add lemon juice, salt, and most of the cilantro.
2. Mash avocados a bit with a fork, but don't overdo it (you want the mixture to be quite chunky). Set aside.
3. Heat clarified butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add mustard seeds. Keep a lid on hand because the seeds will scatter as they pop. When the spattering stops (after about one minute), stir in the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
4. Stir in garlic, curry powder, and chile. Count to ten, and then remove from heat. Stir in avocado mixture, but just barely, and transfer to a serving bowl.
5. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pizzerias will rightfully do brisk business for Super Bowl LII, and many will no doubt fire up the grill, but we'll be zagging while they zig, breaking out our slow cooker for these mini cheesesteaks. [Ed. note: The fact that these are cheesesteaks in no way constitutes a vote for any particular team.] 

The chuck roast's flavor punch comes courtesy of a good amount of pepperoncinis, and really, the dish is deceptively simple to make. The main ingredient you need is time (7-8 hours in the slow cooker), and it's actually preferable to make the meat a day in advance to let the flavors coalesce. (Since it's dead time, you can use the slow cooker overnight while you sleep.) Serve in a soft jacket of the roll of your choice or gild the lily and add provolone cheese, melted under the broiler.

Robin Chapman originally made this Mississippi Roast, which went viral in 2016 thanks to the New York Times. They altered the "Internet darling of a recipe" by taking out the packaged ingredients (replacing the Hidden Valley Ranch mix with spices, mayo and buttermilk). The Times link is here cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017937-mississippi-roast, but honestly Chapman's version is better and easier.

I have catered a longtime client's Super Bowl parties for the past eight years, and when the Patriots face off against the Eagles this will be one of the main dishes, served with oven-baked yam fries, crunchy Asian coleslaw, warm Indian spiced guacamole and homemade baked veggie chips.

Adapted from: Robin Chapman
Number of servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds chuck roast, boneless
• 1 package au jus gravy mix
• 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
• ½ jar of julienned (or 8-12 whole) pepperoncini peppers plus juice to taste
• 1 stick butter
• Mini brioche, hoagie or slider rolls
• Provolone cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Sear, if desired (not necessary).
2. Place chuck roast in slow cooker and add au jus and dressing mixes.
3. Place butter on top of roast.
4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours until fall apart tender.
5. Shred and toss with juices; serve inside rolls with melted provolone (optional).

NOTE: I don't add extra salt (the mixes have plenty in them already).

One year ago the BF and I did an abbreviated version of Whole30 (we allowed for an exception...or two). He lost 8.5 pounds and thought it was pretty easy to stay on the program. [Ed. note: You give me meat an potatoes and I shall find a way to survive.] I didn't fare that well in the weight-loss department, but it was a terrific reboot, and the real saving grace was the coconut milk sauce I developed that was incorporated into everything. With the exception of Indian and Thai dishes, I rarely used coconut milk. This turned out to be a worthwhile challenge, and the result was a savory sauce that is a brilliant dairy-free option.

Here the coconut milk –infused into a garlic turmeric sauce– is a perfect foil to the crunchy cabbage, spicy chives and crispy skinned potatoes. We actually had this as a main course, but it would work as a side dish for steak, chicken, pork, or any protein. (We are unapolegetic carnivoires.)

We will be hopping on the Whole30 again soon, and certainly will be incorporating this into the process.

Inspired by Dolly and Oatmeal
Number of servings: 2-3 entrees or 4-6 side dishes

Ingredients
Potatoes

• 2 pounds baby Dutch or fingerling potatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
• ¼ cup chives, minced
• Black sesame seeds

Coconut-Garlic-Turmeric Sauce

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder (sweet curry from Penzey's was used here)
• 1 ½ tablespoons grated fresh turmeric or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (full fat was used)
• 2 teaspoons tahini paste (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Cayenne (to taste) optional

Directions
Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 450 °F. Rinse and dry the potatoes thoroughly, then slice in half lengthwise. Toss on a large baking sheet with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Place potatoes cut side down and spread out evenly on baking sheet. Roast at 450 °F for 20-25 minutes (longer if needed), until potatoes are caramelized, crispy, and fork tender.
3. Place cabbage on platter or in shallow salad bowls. Top with potatoes. Drizzle with coconut sauce and garnish with chives, avocado and black sesame seeds. 

Coconut-Garlic Turmeric Sauce

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Saute shallots and garlic until softened, but not browned. Mix in curry powder and turmeric and saute 1 minute. Whisk in coconut milk and cook for 20 minutes or until it thickens to a gravy-like consistency. Whisk in tahini paste and apple cider vinegar and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Take a hand-held-immersion or standing blender and blend until very smooth. Taste. Add salt and cayenne if needed.

It's been raining here for a week. Not complaining, as even though I have now officially lived in California longer than Oregon, I'm still an Oregonian girl at heart. Plus, after so many years of California droughts, we need the rain. 

When we get the precipitation, the BF loves to get Chinese take out, and sometimes, specifically, pork and shrimp wontons. Here we have the pork and shrimp wontons, but without the wonton wrapper (which makes this practically zero carbs). Let's not fool ourselves, it's what's inside the wrapper that counts, and no wrapper means gluten free, paleo and low carb.

I added a zingy sriracha mayonnaise dipping sauce and made it into sliders instead of meatballs, but other than that, the original recipe from Michelle Tam's Nom Nom Paleo is perfect.

​Adapted from: Michelle Tam, Nom Nom Paleo
Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients
Shrimp & Pork Wonton Sliders

• ¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
• ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound ground pork 
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, minced
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
• Ghee or cooking fat of choice 
• 1 scallion, sliced on the bias (optional garnish)

Sriracha Mayonnaise Sauce (optional)

• 1-2 tablespoons Sriracha (to taste)
• ½ cup Mayonnaise

​
Directions

1. Rehydrate the dried shitake mushrooms in a bowl of hot water for approx 30 minutes. 
2. Squeeze the water out of the shiitake mushrooms. Cut off the hard stems, and finely mince.
3. Finely chop the shrimp until you’ve got a chunky paste.
4. Place the shrimp in a large bowl and add the pork, mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), salt, fish sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil.
5. Use your hands to squeeze and mix the meatball mixture until a sticky and tacky mass is formed.
6. Heat up a frying pan over medium heat and add a little cooking fat. When the pan is hot, form a little patty and cook it in the pan. Taste it and see if seasoning is right. Adjust with additional salt if needed. (Not cooking yet? You can store the meatball mixture in the fridge for up to 12 hours.)
7. Form the mixture into 1½-inch balls (about 3 tablespoons) and arrange on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. You should end up with about a dozen balls.
8. Form the balls into ½-inch patties and fry in a greased pan over medium heat, about 2 minutes on each side. Serve immediately with a squeeze of sriracha or sriracha mayonnaise sauce.

Sriracha Mayonnaise Sauce

1. In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise and sriracha together until thoroughly combined.

NOTE: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 3 months.

Marlowe practicing her concept of Hygge.

So. That last week in December. The BF and I overdid it, too. Sweets, breads, so many rich foods, spirits. We understand.

Now that the calendar has been turned over, we're going to reboot our systems with this cleansing broth, which we like to have between meals (I drink a cup for breakfast). 

My BF and I have been eating low carb for many years. We try to mix a large variety of vegetables with smaller amounts of protein and no added sugar of any kind (including honey, agave or maple syrup) five or six days a week. The other day(s), we pretty much have whatever we want; on game days we often go for pizza...because it's game day.

I adore anything flavored with ginger, and turmeric gives it such a gorgous shade of yellow. Try to find fresh turmeric at your grocery store or farmers market, if you can. (The first time I made this broth I used powdered turmeric and it was delicious. The next time I found fresh turmeric and it was markedly more intense.)

Although I like this broth plain or with a few baby spinach leaves, it lends itself to add any number of ingredients to make it a more hearty entree. The basic recipe comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Sylvia Fountaine of Feasting at Home. The few changes I made are more suited to my personal taste of preferring broths and soups very, very clear. I strained it first through a strainer and then through cheesecloth not once, but twice. 

Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

Adapted from: Feasting at Home
Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
• 4-5 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder (or 3 teaspoons fresh turmeric, finely grated)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seed (optional)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• ¾–1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups veggie or chicken stock
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
• 1-3 teaspoons lemon juice (to taste)
• Garnish with fresh herbs: cilantro, scallions, mint or dill and serve with lemon or lime

Optional Additions

• Baby Spinach, kale, mustard greens, bok choy
• Spiralized yam, celery root, carrot, parsnip
• Cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes
• Cooked quinoa, rice or noodles
• Cooked lentils, garbanzo beans (canned or fresh)
• Chicken, tofu

Directions

1. In a large heavy-bottom pot or dutch oven, saute onion in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add ginger. Lower heat to medium low and saute 5 minutes until it begins to brown, stirring often. Add garlic, saute 2 minutes. Add all the spices and cook 1 more minute.
2. Add water, stock and salt. Bring to a simmer. Add lemon juice. Taste. Adjust salt, acid and spice level to your liking. 
3. You can use the broth as is at this point or strain soup in a strainer, then strain two more times through cheesecloth.  
4. At this point you will have a flavorful base to add what you like (see optional additions above). You can also refrigerate or freeze this in batches for later use.

NOTES: If you are cooking the broth uncovered for any length of time, remember it will reduce (intensifying the flavor and salt). So you will need to add more water, or it may be too salty. Dilute the broth to your taste.