Three Pioneers: All about food

All the dishes posted below were cooked in my kitchen. I tried new recipes from different chefs, changed them sometimes, or made my own creations.

My favorite cook is Jamie Oliver, but I am using more and more recipes from Food Network (huge variety at different levels), and I also like Martha Stewart’s (most) very simple recipes.

Sometimes I just need an inspiration, or let’s say a list of the basic ingredients, to cook a new dish. I like to eat light and healthy, so most of the dishes are made with fish or chicken.

Olaf and I enjoy good food and good wine (our son still prefers pizza and pasta...) and good company.

Having a meal together means a lot to me, it’s a social act and it’s a pleasure!

Dishes:

Scallops provencal (From Food Network)

Ingredients

1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 lemon, cut in 1/2

Directions

If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each 1 in half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Jakob’s Fish Pizza

It’s not really a pizza, at least there is no dough, but Jakob named this dish. Maybe it helped him to accept eating fish, ha, ha... More likely, it looks a little similar and has (almost) a real pizza topping.

How ever, we love it, it is easy and quick!

Ingredients

1/2 lb Fish fillet (best Flounder or Lemon Sole but any white fish will be fine)

6-8 Cocktail tomatoes (cut in half)

3 Tbs Marinara Sauce (best Buittoni)

3-6 Tbs Shredded mozzarella

Few Basil leaves (chopped)

Olive oil

Salt, pepper

Place the fish filet on a non-stick pan. Season with some salt and pepper, then cover carefully with the marinara sauce, place on top the tomatoes (cut in halves) and the basil leaves (chopped) and the shredded mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil. Broil on high heat for 10-15 minutes (depending on how thick the fish is).

As side dish you can serve pasta, couscous, or roasted vegetables.

Halibut with pineapple-avocado-cilantro salsa

You can take any other fish, salmon would be perfect too.

The salsa gives the dish its kick!

Ingredients

Halibut or Salmon filet

4 slices Pineapple

1 Avocado

(1/3 Mango optional)

Bunch of Cilantro

1/2 Red onion

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 tsp Chili flakes

Olive oil

Salt, pepper

Finely chop the pineapple, avocado, red onion, mango and cilantro and toss together. Add the chili flakes, lemon juice and 2 tbs olive oil. Chill while preparing the fish. Put the fish filet on a non-stick pan, season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Broil on high heat for 10-15 minutes. When ready, pour the salsa over the fish and serve with basmati rice.

Grilled Tuna steaks with Giovanna Sauce (olive oil marinade),

Jamie Oliver

This is one of my favorite recipes! And the simplest one! I found it in a magazine years ago back in Germany.

You just need a very good olive oil and excellent sea salt to make it work.

I’ve done it a dozens of times with some variations (depending on what kind of fish and herbs I had).

It always worked and tasted delicious!

Ingredients:

Swordfish steaks ( or Tuna steaks)

Juice of 1 Lemon

Olive oil (twice the amount of the Lemon juice)

Sea salt

Pepper

3 Garlic cloves (cut in very thin slices)

Fresh Mint (chopped)

Fresh Oregano (chopped)

Season the fish steaks with sea salt and pepper, brush with olive oil and put on a grill or in a broiler. Depending on how rare or well done you like it, grill for about 2-5 minutes each side. ( I prefer it rare to medium.) Mix all ingredients (except salt and pepper) in a bowl. When the fish is ready pour the sauce over and serve immediately.

Optional: I like to have some vegetables to go with it. Fennel (in slices and grilled) works perfectly. Sometimes I even use zucchini.

Star Wars Burritos (“Greedo’s Burritos”)

Jakob’s most beloved dish! The recipe is so simple that every child can make it, because it is actually from The Star Wars Cookbook for kids (and adults!).

We prefer to spice up the original recipe with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and seasoning.

Eating burritos is always a fun event! Especially for Jakob. Olaf, most of the time, looses the filling, so his burrito gets always a “diaper” (of foil!).

Ingredients from the cook book

1 can black beans

1 cup grated cheese

shredded lettuce

1 tomato

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 1/2 pound ground beef

Salt, Pepper, Paprika (my suggestion)

flour tortillas

1/2 cup black olives

I add to each tortilla:

2 Tbs guacamole (made of two avocados)