Not Your Mom's Fish Filet

I don't generally indulge in croissants when making sandwiches, but today I was in the mood for a little splurge.









Grill swordfish steak on grill pan, about 4 minutes each side. Thinly slice half of a small onion. Heat one tsp olive oil, then add onions. The key to caramelizing onions is to cook them slowly over medium heat, and do not leave them alone! Stir until golden brown. Some like to add a bit of sugar to help the caramelizing process along, but I've never felt the need to...just let the natural sugars of the onions slowly caramelize themselves.

Toast croissant and spread horseradish mixture* on each side. Top with swordfish and onions.

*mix together equal amounts of light mayo and horseradish.

Dill and fennel salmon

I made this for dinner one night while one of my girlfriends and I were staying at a cabin at Donner Lake. We had five days away from the city -enjoying nature, walking, soaking in the sun, reading, cooking, drinking wine ...and just being. It was a little slice of heaven.
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Salmon: Thinly slice three garlic cloves and two fennel stalks. Heat two tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic, cook until just browned. Add fennel slices and cook until slightly browned. Salt and pepper to taste.

Salmon, two fillets, skinned. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Heat non-stick pan. Spray with cooking spray. Rinse and pat fillets dry. When pan is heated, place fillets next to each other. Let cook for two minutes. Add dill on top of each fillet. Squeeze two tablespoons fresh lemon juice on each fillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Using plastic spatula, turn over each fillet. Pour four tablespoons white wine (I used a sauvignon blanc). Turn over fillets once again and cook for another minute or two, or until firm. Mix in the cooked fennel.

Side I: sauteed peppers and onions
one large red bell pepper, 1/2 green bell pepper, one red onion -each sliced uniformly. Heat two tablespoons olive oil. Add peppers and onions, saute slowly over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute for several minutes, until just tender (but careful not to overcook the peppers).

Side II: fennel and cucumber salad
-one large cucumber, sliced
-1/2 large fennel bulb, sliced
-1/2 red onion, sliced
-several sprigs dill, chopped
-juice of 1/2 a large lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 tbs olive oil

Scallops w/corn and cilantro salad

I love scallops. I absolutely adore them. If there are scallops on the menu, I'm always tempted to order them.

This is a quick and easy way to prepare them:
Pat scallops dry. Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet. Place scallops in pan not touching one another. Dash of salt, cracked pepper, cook 2-3 min on each side. Bon appetite!

Quinoa w/Mushrooms in Ponzu Sauce

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• ponzu sauce
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• green onions, sliced lengthwise

In saucepan, bring to boil 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water. After a minute, cover and reduce to simmer for 10-15 minutes, until water is gone. In saute pan, heat 2 tbs olive oil. Add mushrooms and green onions. Add cooked quinoa and stir. Add 4-5 tbs ponzu sauce, 1/2 tsp sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Top with fried egg, over easy.

Ground Chicken Curry

There are few things better on a cold night than a bowl of steaming curry.

1 lb. ground chicken

bunch fresh cilantro

mushrooms

1 large potato

red curry paste

1/2 can coconut milk

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 inch fresh ginger

Spaghetti Al Limone

Inspired by a dish from Terroni's in West Hollywood.

My version -garlic sauteed in olive oil, generous amounts of chopped flat-leaf parsley (stems and leaves), sea salt, fresh lemon juice, grated parmesan.