May 10, 2010: Oven-Braised Halibut with Tomatoes and Capers

This preparation is simple yet elegant. Oven-braising the fish in a bath of vermouth and stock keeps it succulent and moist. The sauce is made by reducing the cooking liquids with chopped shallots, then finished with fresh tomato bits, butter and capers. I suggest you use fresh, wild-caught fish for best results.

OVEN-BRAISED HALIBUT WITH TOMATOES AND CAPERS

2 pounds boneless halibut fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 to 2 T melted ghee or olive oil
Smoked sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup vermouth
1 cup fish or light chicken stock
2 T chopped shallots, scallions or onions
1 1/2 c chopped peeled, juiced and seeded tomatoes
2 T ghee, optional
1 T capers, drained
Minced fresh parsley

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the fillets in a single layer in a buttered baking dish. Brush with melted ghee or olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the bay leaf in the center of the dish and pour the vermouth and stock around the fish. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, basting with the pan liquids several times during the cooking. The fish Add the shallots. Cover the fish with foil to keep warm while making the sauce. Place the saucepan on the stove over high heat and quickly boil down the liquid until it is almost syrupy. Add the chopped tomato bits and cook, stirring, until warmed through. Whisk in bits of butter if you wish to enrich the sauce. Finally, toss in the capers and stir through. Spoon sauce over the fillets and sprinkle each with minced parsley.

May 3, 2010: Whole Wheat Scones

With Mothers' Day around the corner, how to celebrate is on every one's mind. The kindergarten class at Mariposa (the elementary school where I run the front office) is planning to treat their mommy's to a tea party. Their teacher, Miss Debbie, asked me for some ideas and scones immediately came to mind. Since Mariposa is a health-conscious community, I adapted my scone recipe by substituting whole wheat flour for the white. I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half regular whole wheat. The result was surprisingly light with a pleasingly nutty and grainy texture. Serve them with preserves and a dab of Devonshire cream or freshly whipped heavy cream at your next tea party.

WHOLE WHEAT SCONES
One dozen

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup regular whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
Scant 1/2 t sea salt
2 T organic sugar
8 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg white
Additional organic sugar for sprinkling

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Put both flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to mix the dry ingredients. Add the cut-up butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolk to the buttermilk and gently blend together with a fork or small whisk. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the food processor. Pulse the mixture just until it starts to hold together. Do not over-process! Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead about a dozen times, until it holds together. Divide the dough in half. Form each half into a ball, then using your knuckles, pat each ball into a 6-inch disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges. Carefully transfer each wedge onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each scone with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar crystals. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until medium brown. (Check the scones at about 10 minutes and change the position of the baking sheet from front to back for even baking.)Although scones are best served fresh, you can store them in an airtight containter then refresh them in a 350 degree F. oven for a few minutes.

May 2, 2010: Caramelized Spring Onions

I've been on hiatus from writing my kitchen diary due to an identity crisis. My initial inspiration was to share my personal food journey dedicated to well-being using a cornucopia of healthy recipes made from fresh and local ingredients and prepared in a healthy manner. Instead, I created a crazy quilt that partially fulfilled that promise but I stitched together many other patches of decadent desserts and heavy dishes. I felt pressured to write a daily entry so I scoured my cookbook library and recipe box for any recipe, as long it was "seasonal". I ended up losing steam and falling into a rut... until today!

The Southern California farmers markets are perking up! Today, in Studio City, amongst the waning crops of winter vegetables, I found fresh crunchy cucumbers, several varieties of summer squash, peas -- both English and crisp snappers, and... spring onions! It was a bunch of red spring onions that caught my fancy and re-ignited my food passion. Instead of firing up the grill, I decided to caramelize the onions in the oven; the result was glorious. They'd be perfect with grilled or roasted meat, fowl or fish or as part of a vegetarian platter. Hmmmm, maybe even as a sandwich condiment.

The sumptuous summer table is definitely going to inspire me. (All winter I've been wanting to share my gazpacho recipe, but because it's made from summer crops I couldn't! You'll still have to wait until July.) You'll still see desserts showing up (what's summer without sorbet or homemade ice cream?!) and dishes that have sentimental meaning that aren't so good for overall wellness. Because food is inextricably enmeshed in our personal cultural histories, it's hard to not to include them. The key is balance: food is above-all nutrition, but it also evokes memories, provides comfort and is fun!

CARAMELIZED SPRING ONIONS

1 bunch spring onions, washed (do not remove the outer skin)
Olive oil, about 3 tablespoons
Smoky sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Balsamic vinegar, about 1 tablespoon
Raw sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Shave the roots from the bottom of each onion without completely removing them. Cut off the green end from each onion leaving about 1 inch. Quarter each onion, being careful to leave the onion layers attached at the root end. Place them in a single layer, skin-side-down, in an oiled baking dish. Brush each quarter with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the dish with foil and place in the oven. Roast the onions for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil, brush each quarter with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with a few sugar crystals. Turn each quarter onto one side. Return to the oven. After 15 minutes, turn each quarter on its other side, Baste with the oil and vinegar in the dish. Return to the oven. After another 15 minutes, repeat the turning and basting. Bake another 15 minutes or until tender.