Greetings! What a week of holidays and observances it has been, right? Daylight Saving Time started on Sunday, Purim and St. Patrick’s Day were both observed yesterday, and looking ahead, the Spring Equinox is this Sunday. And I managed to prepare for none of it!
Well I shouldn’t say that, but here’s a look at what some of my week looked like in food:
For our weekly fish night, I bought some lemon sole. It’s not easy to find a recipe that doesn’t treat the fish meunière-style — not that I’m opposed to that style, but I wanted something a little different. I finally came across this stunningly simple, baked preparation with lemon, tomatoes, and shallots from Katie at the Witten Kitchen.
This dish was truly unfussy to pull together, yet offered such a harmonious medley of flavors. I served it with some quickly sautéed spinach, and cut up leftover lasagna noodles. I layered the three components on top of one another, and spooned the concentrated juices over everything. All told I think I really did get this meal to the table in under 30 minutes.
Testing notes: Other than baking the sole in an unlined ceramic/porcelain pan, and starting with 3 smaller filets (rather than 1 large) that totaled 1 pound, I followed the recipe as written. Since my pan was relatively small — I wanted to avoid turning on my big oven and just use the countertop convection oven instead — I had to fold the filets to fit them in. As a result, I baked my fish on the longer side. There was plenty for our family of 2 adults and 2 young kids. The photo above actually shows the reheated leftovers I had a couple of days later, which were just as delicious.
Leftovers seemed to be a big theme in my lunches this week (which I have no problem with!). I had cooked this Maple Glazed Roasted Acorn Squash for a meal early in the week and had a remaining wedge waiting for its second chance. I decided to improvise on a tartine using a thick slice of crusty bread, a chunk of soft, bloomy-rinded cheese, and some toasted seeds. The result was quite good, though I think it would have been better with a tangier, less creamy goat cheese. Regardless, the squash recipe is certainly something I’ll repeat.
Testing notes: To prepare this, I simply removed the roasted squash flesh from the skin and mashed it roughly with the back of a fork. I then reheated it and spread it over a toasted piece of crusty bread that I had topped with thin slices of the soft cow’s cheese (I recommend a spreadable goat cheese instead). On top, I sprinkled on some toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, flakey salt, and some finely chopped mint. Finally, I drizzled on a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil. You could riff on any of those components, though the recipe for the acorn squash needs no adjustments and is certainly worth making on its own to start.
Although I didn’t plan much for St. Patrick’s Day, I was keen to at least make a soda bread. Intrigued by Darina Allen’s (of the Ballymaloe Cookery School Allens) Pizza Soda Bread recipe, I came up with a variation inspired by the colors of the Irish flag. I turned to a different soda bread recipe of Darina’s — I prefer it with the texture and flavor of whole grains — and used her pizza recipe as a guide for oven temperature and timing.
In addition to the orange peppers and parsley, I went on to top my crust with some mozzarella and flakey salt. I really enjoyed the way the whole grain flour (spelt in my case) complemented the peppers. The cheese also came out quite crispy (I added a fine coating), which contributed a nice contrast to the soft, dense interior of the crust.
Testing notes: Clearly I went off way off the tracks in making this; proof that this concept lends itself well to many variations. I used coarsely milled whole grain spelt flour in place of the whole wheat flour, and only prepared a half batch of the dough since I was low on buttermilk. Having just skimmed through a book on cast iron baking, I chose to bake the pizza in a 6” cast iron pan, resulting in a nice crispy crust. For the bake, I reduced the time the pizza spent at 450°F to 10 minutes, and the time at 400°F to 15 minutes. I will absolutely be attempting this concept again, and I’m now curious to discover what other kinds of bread could be turned into pizza.
This final recipe I’m sharing is one that I cooked earlier today and will enjoy for dinner tonight. It’s a Sweet Potato Red Lentil Curry from Jenne at Sweet Potato Soul, and I’ve had it book-marked for weeks now. I did sneak a taste of it after I snapped a quick photo, and I know this is another dish I’ll be repeating. The sweet potatoes and diced tomatoes had just the right amount of texture to contrast with the soft, curried lentils. And the whole dish brings together a medley of flavors (ginger, garlic, coconut, and spices) that just work so well together.
Testing notes: I followed the instant pot version of Jenne’s recipe, and made no adjustments. I guessed at using high pressure — I didn’t see mention of what intensity to use in the recipe — and my curry seems to have turned out a little thicker than the version in Jenne’s photos. I don’t mind it that way, but even if it did, it’s an easily fix with a little extra liquid (veggie stock, bean broth, or water would all work). Maybe next time I’ll try it on low pressure. Regardless, I do agree that this is a great recipe to have on rotation for weekly meal preps.
Not a bad week of eating, indeed; even if I didn’t manage the hamantaschen I wanted to bake (did you hear about Hamantaschen for Ukraine, by the way?), or this Kuku Sabzi I could have made to honor spring the way Daniela Galarza from the Washington Post does. There’s always next week.
What got you excited to cook, bake, and eat this week? I’d love to know about it!
I’ve met a few writers in a series of workshops this newsletter platform, Substack, has sponsored. Because I’ve enjoyed their writing, I think you will too, so please check them out!
Victoria de la Maza writes Diary of a Serial Hostess, a weekly column about the ins and outs of entertaining at home and witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.
Gus Clemens writes Gus Clemens on Wine, a daily column about… you guessed it! Wine! Wines, humor, nationally syndicated wine column, photographs, and podcasts. Take a look at his archives and read about your favorite wines.
Leigh Olson writes As We Eat, a multi-platform storytelling project exploring how food connects, defines, and inspires. As she travels around the US with her partner in their caravan, they explore food and share thoughts through newsletters, websites, and podcasts.
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