Category Archives: 30-minute meals

30-minute meals, Grains and pulses, Vegetarian main dishes

White Cheddar Polenta with Sauteed Greens and Garlic-roasted Portobellos

Ever since my first try at making polenta a couple weeks ago, I’ve been craving another taste of it and wondering if it was only beginner’s luck that made it so delicious. How had I cooked on a daily basis for so many years without using this staple ingredient? Since last night was a work night, I certainly didn’t have the time to braise any meat as I did with my first polenta recipe. Instead, I found a dish that looked equally as tasty but could be cooked in half an hour. I also liked that it was vegetarian. Nobody needs to eat meat every day (that means you, Dad!). I served this with just a bottle of Malbec but next time I think a salad would be a nice accompaniment.

white cheddar polenta with roasted portabellos

White Cheddar Polenta with Sauteed Greens and Garlic-roasted Portobellos
adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2001

Serves 4

4 medium portobello mushrooms
8 cherry tomatoes, halved, or 4 plum tomatoes, quartered
5 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (1 liter) water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (225 g) polenta (coarse cornmeal) or yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup (packed) grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 4 oz/110 g)
1 large bunch Swiss chard, ribs cut away, leaves cut into 3 x 1‑inch strips
1 x 7‑oz (200‑g) bag fresh spinach leaves

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Oil a 13 x 9‑inch baking dish. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop the stems finely; place the stems in the prepared baking dish. Using a small spoon, scrape away the dark gills from the underside of the mushrooms and discard. Cut each mushroom cap into 8 wedges; add them to the baking dish with the chopped stems. Sprinkle the tomatoes around the pan and drizzle with about 3 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle with 2 minced garlic cloves, parsley, salt and pepper on top, and toss to coat. Bake until the mushrooms are tender, 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 4 cups (1 liter) of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the polenta thickens and begins to pull away from sides of pan, whisking often, about 25 minutes for polenta or 15 minutes for yellow cornmeal. Whisk in the butter, then the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the polenta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute for 30 seconds. Add the Swiss chard and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and saute until the greens are tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the polenta onto plates. Top with the greens and the portobello mushrooms mixture.

30-minute meals, Asian food, Cookies, Pork

Pork with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Jasmine Rice, and Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

Until this summer, I considered sweet and sour pork to be an almost inedible mess of sickly red syrup, mushy pineapple and fatty pork. This Thai version couldn’t be farther from my Chinese take-out fears. Like all good stir-fry dishes, it’s loaded with crisp vegetables and lean meat, with a light yet savory sauce. Though I was dubious of the cucumber in this dish, it’s really tasty and now I sometimes double the amount called for so I don’t have to fight Sam for it.

This chocolate chip cookie is the stuff of legends, or should I say urban legends. It’s commonly known as “The $250 Cookie Recipe,” since that’s the amount Neiman Marcus supposedly charged the lady that requested and received the recipe from its store while at lunch. According to Snopes.com, this amusing but false tale has been in circulation for over 50 years. Interestingly, the merchant and food item has evolved over time from a $25 fudge cake recipe “sold” by a train company in the 1940s to Waldorf-Astoria’s red velvet cake recipe in the 1960s to Mrs. Fields’ cookie recipe in the 1980s. Wherever this recipe came from, it’s my favorite chocolate chip cookie and I would gladly pay it (but thank goodness for the internet, so I don’t have to!).

Pork with Sweet and Sour Sauce
adapted from The Food of Thailand: A Journey for Food Lovers by Kay Halsey and Lulu Grimes

Serves 4

8 oz (225 g) pineapples slices in light syrup, each slice cut into 4 pieces (reserve the syrup)
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 oz (340 g) pork, sliced (pork tenderloin recommended)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 red capsicum (pepper) or serrano pepper, minced
1 bell pepper, cut into 1‑inch pieces
1 small cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2‑inch-thick slices
1 tomato, cut into 6 wedges, or 12 baby tomatoes

Mix the pineapple syrup with the ketchup, fish sauce and sugar in small bowl until smooth.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pork until nicely browned and cooked. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Add the garlic to the wok and fry over medium heat for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add the carrot, onion, and peppers and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cucumber, tomato, pineapple and pineapple syrup mixture. Stir-fry for another minute. Taste, then adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Return the pork to the pan and gently stir. Spoon onto a serving plate and garnish with cilantro. Serve with brown or white jasmine rice.

***

NM chocolate chip cookies

Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup (225 g) butter
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (170 g) brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (240 g) flour
2 1/2 cups (200 g) blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal, then blend in blender to a fine powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz (340 g) chocolate chips
4 oz (110 g) Hershey bar, grated (I used a Lindt dark chocolate bar)
1 1/2 cups (150 g) chopped nuts (your choice)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) degrees. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda.  Add the flour mixture to the sugar/egg mixture. Add the chocolate chips, grated chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C).

30-minute meals, Desserts, Pasta and noodles, Seafood

Penne with Prawns, Cream and Tomato and Blondies with Pecans and Chocolate Chips

The only culture shock of going to college in Madison, Wisconsin having grown up right on the state border in Illinois was discovering that people from northern Wisconsin really do have accents like they do in the movie Fargo, and that they say bubbler instead of drinking fountain and soda instead of pop (aka minerals or fizzy drinks in Ireland; oh, the adaptations I’ve had to make). I was genuinely shocked as a freshman, though, to discover that a new friend I’d made in the dorms who came from Maryland had never even heard of bratwurst, much less had one. You mean not all Americans had seen the commercial about Charlie Murphy cooking Johnsonville Brats? Not everyone had beer brats at every summer barbecue? I was just as surprised when my husband and I were first living together and I found out he’d never heard of or had German potato salad, which I’d thought was a staple at every grocery store deli counter. I could understand that bratwurst might be a Midwestern thing, explaining why my east coast friend hadn’t heard of them, but Matt is from Michigan. I was surprised once again when earlier this week I said I was making blondies to bring to a play date the next day, since I’d had an inexplicable craving for them for awhile, and Matt had never heard of those either. “Oh come on,” I said, “you have to know what a blondie is. Every Ruby Tuesday or Applebee’s or TGI Friday’s has a blondie sundae on their dessert menu.” But no, he insisted he had no idea what they were. Not quite a brownie and not quite a cookie, you can have it on its own or, in true over-the-top American chain restaurant style, top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate fudge sauce drizzled over everything. Now I’m wondering what other food is particular to the Midwest — anyone for a lemon Jello ham salad?

Penne with Prawns, Cream and Tomato
adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

2 tablespoons butter
1 x 14-oz (400‑g) can of whole plum tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb (450 g) penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) raw prawns, peeled and deveined (or you can use the same amount of frozen prawns)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan, and when it’s sizzling, add the whole tomatoes, crushing them with the back of a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to packet instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Heat the oil and the rest of the butter, then add the prawns and garlic. Over the highest heat possible, cook the prawns until they’re bright and the undersides are crusty and golden in places (you won’t achieve this with frozen prawns). It’s important that you use a non-stick pan so that the prawns fry quickly instead of boiling in their own liquid. Turn them with tongs, and once they’re cooked, sprinkle them with salt.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Add the tomato sauce to the prawns, along with the cream and parsley. Heat until just bubbling. Add the pasta to the pan and toss everything together. If it seems like you need it, add a little of the reserved cooking water to help the sauce coat the pasta. Serve immediately with a grinding of black pepper.

***

Blondies with Pecans and Chocolate Chips 
from Bon Appétit, July 1998

Makes approx. 24 blondies

I love Smitten Kitchen’s idea of making blondies with bourbon or espresso powder, but alas, I was making these to serve to kids. These can be prepared 1 day ahead; just cover and leave out at room temperature.

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) (140 g) unsalted butter
2 cups (packed) (340 g) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup (130 g) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup (90 g) chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour a 13 x 9 x 2‑inch baking pan. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then add the sugar and whisk to blend. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract, then gradually stir in the flour mixture (the batter will be thick). Spread the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and pecans. Bake the blondies for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. (Don’t overcook them, or they’ll turn out hard and dry.) Cool the blondies in the pan on a rack. Cut into squares and serve.

30-minute meals, Beans, Desserts, Pasta and noodles, Vegetarian main dishes

Pasta with Greens, Garbanzo Beans and Ricotta Salata and Caramel-dipped Apples

I love one-pot meals that cover the four basic food groups. I love them even more if they can be prepared in less than 30 minutes, like this dish.  The only trouble with this dish was the cheese. I went to three stores before finding it at one of Milwaukee’s gems, Glorioso Brothers Company, an Italian grocer and specialty food shop on now-trendy Brady Street. If you can’t find ricotta salata, try substituting feta.

I’m still eating orchard apples (our CSA delivery included a couple more pounds!), but I’m not going to complain. We would have bought more if we needed to to make caramel-coated apples, a now annual tradition for us. Although you can decorate the apples with just about anything, I especially love the caramel paired with salted, roasted nuts.

IMG_7209

Pasta with Greens, Garbanzo Beans and Ricotta Salata
adapted from Food Network’s Giada at Home

Serves 4 to 6

1 lb (450 g) medium pasta shells, orecchiette or other short pasta
1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 oz (340 g) Swiss chard, stemmed and roughly chopped
12 oz (340 g) baby spinach leaves
1 x 15-oz (425‑g) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (280 g) small cherry or grape tomatoes
8 oz (225 g) ricotta salata cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons lemon zest
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and reserve about 1 cup (240 ml) of the pasta water.

In a large skillet over a medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and discard. Stir in the red pepper flakes to the oil. Add the chard and cook until wilted. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, stirring. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the pasta, half the cheese, and lemon zest. Toss well and thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed.

Transfer to a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.

***

Caramel-coated Apples
adapted from Kraft

Makes 5 caramel apples

5 apples, washed and well dried
14 oz (400 g) caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water
toppings: chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, sprinkles

Insert wooden sticks (from the bag of caramels or popsicle sticks) into the stem ends of the apples. Cover a large cutting board with waxed paper and grease the paper with butter.

Cook the caramels and water in a large saucepan on a medium-low heat until the caramels are completely melted, stirring constantly.

Dip the apples in caramel. Spoon additional caramel over the apples if necessary to evenly coat them. Let excess caramel drip off. Scrape the bottoms of the apples to remove more excess caramel. Roll the apples in your topping(s) of choice. Place the apples on the prepared plate. Refrigerate for 1 hour (if you can wait). Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Refrigerate leftovers.

30-minute meals, Beans, Grains and pulses, Salads, Seafood

Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce, Summer Tomato Salad, and Quinoa and Kidney Beans

Summer’s over, but no one told my tomato plants. After a cool August and September, our tomatoes are finally ripe and in abundance. I feel like every year I struggle to use up our tomato harvest only to plant more tomato plants the following year. This year, in addition to our CSA tomatoes and backyard containers, we (and by “we” I mean my father-in-law) are working a community garden plot. Kristin’s already posted wonderful tomato recipes, but here’s another to add to the collection.

In addition to the refreshing tomato salad, I rounded off dinner with a tangy broiled salmon dish and a new recipe, which uses quinoa. I recently discovered quinoa and am still experimenting with its possibilities. It’s one of the most nutrient-rich ingredients I’ve eaten, with high protein and lots of fiber. Not a bad carbohydrate choice as I try to shed those last few pregnancy pounds.

Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce
adapted from Gourmet, July 2006

Serves 4

4 pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 stick (4 tablespoons/60 g) unsalted butter, melted

Prepare the broiler or grill for cooking over a medium heat. Season the salmon all over with salt and pepper, then broil or grill, skin side down, on a lightly oiled grill rack (if using a grill, keep the lid on) for 8 to 10 minutes, until just cooked through.

While the salmon cooks, puree the garlic with the lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With the motor running, add the melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Remove the salmon from the rack. I usually (but not always) remove the skin before plating; the flesh should slide easily off the skin. Drizzle each fillet with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the lime butter sauce. Serve immediately.

***

Summer Tomato Salad

Summer Tomato Salad
adapted from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

Serves 6 (salad servings)

3 or 4 big, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 medium red onion
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
a few drops of vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wash the tomatoes and slice them thickly crosswise. Arrange them in a single layer on a large platter. Slice the onion crosswise, thinly but not paper thin. Scatter the onion rings over the tomatoes.

Wash the parsley leaves and spin them in a salad spinner. Arrange them in a wreath around the tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle them with a few drops of your favorite vinegar. Add salt to your taste, and grind on some black pepper. Serve within the hour. Do not refrigerate!

***

Quinoa and Kidney Beans
adapted from Feeding the Future Cookbook (American Pregnancy Association member recipes)

8 servings

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup (140 g) uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kernels from 2 ears of corn
1 x 15-oz (425‑g) can kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
avocado and/or sour cream for garnish, if desired

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned. Mix the quinoa into the pan and cover with the broth. Season with cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir the corn into the saucepan and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, until heated through. Mix in the beans and continue to cook over a low heat for 2 or 3 minutes more. Stir in the cilantro. Garnish with avocado and sour cream, if desired.

30-minute meals, Pork

Sauerkraut and Sausage Paprikash with Mashed Potatoes

When I was in college in Madison, Wisconsin, every now and then I’d head off with some friends on a Saturday to the small town of New Glarus (a.k.a. America’s Little Switzerland, pop. 2,111), about 30 miles from Madison. Our first stop was always to the Maple Leaf Cheese and Chocolate Haus, where I’d get a couple bars of coconut Lindt chocolate, which was otherwise hard to find (though I stopped buying it after learning how bad palm oils are for you in a food science class I later took; ignorance really was bliss). We’d then have dinner at The Glarner Stube, where we’d drink New Glarus Brewing Company beer on tap and share a big pot of cheese fondue and side orders of sauerkraut made with an onion cream sauce. I don’t know what else a bunch of vegetarians like us would have eaten there — I can still remember the huge steaks that would come out from the kitchen, so big that they barely seemed to fit on the plates. After dinner, we’d head over to the tiny Swiss Lanes bowling alley and try to get in a few games before the leagues arrived and we got kicked out. I’m telling you, I was wild in my college heyday.

All these memories came flooding back when I took a bite of this dinner, made in honor of Oktoberfest, which is wrapping up this weekend. I’m a sucker for anything with sour cream or paprika in it, and Matt loves sauerkraut, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from this recipe, worrying that it might be, well, just a big pile of sausages and sauerkraut. It was fantastic, another one of these more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts type of recipes. We were practically drinking up the sauce when we had it as leftovers for our lunch on Sunday, it was so good, and Matt asked when we could make it again (meaning soon, please). This one will definitely be going into my regular dinner rotation, with the added bonus that it can be pulled together in just half an hour, making it ideal for busy weeknights. I just wish we’d had a few bottles of Spotted Cow to go with it.

sauerkraut and sausage paprikash

Sauerkraut and Sausage Paprikash
adapted from Serious Eats (which adapted it from Simply Recipes)

Serves 4
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 lb (450 g) frankfurters, kielbasa, or other sausage, cut into slices (I used my butcher’s garlic and herb sausages)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill, or 2 teaspoons fresh chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
1 cup (240 ml) beef or chicken broth
16 oz (450 g) sauerkraut, drained
3/4 cup (175 ml) sour cream
mashed potatoes, to serve

Melt the butter in a heavy soup pot (a dutch oven is ideal) and add the onion, garlic, and paprika. Cook over a medium heat until the onion is soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the sausages and cook for 1 minute to begin rendering their fat. Add the dill, caraway seed and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and stir to combine well. Continue simmering, covered, for an additional 15 minutes.

Add the sour cream and simmer just until hot; avoid letting the soup boil once it’s added. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, or failing that, some crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

30-minute meals, Bread, Pasta and noodles, Vegetarian main dishes

Linguini with Braised Kale and Parmesan Garlic Bread

Greens seem to be the outcasts of the vegetable world, like the shy kids parents have to coax their own children into playing with. Why is this? Sure, spinach is common enough, but why don’t Swiss chard or kale feature more, especially considering how pretty rainbow chard is, or even kale, with its frilly-edged leaves that always make me think of Elizabethan ruffs? I suspect it might be because of a perceived lack of good, innovative recipes that use them.

I originally got the idea for this recipe after reading Molly Wizenberg’s (a.k.a. Orangette) October column in Bon Appétit, but it sounded a bit plain to me and I wanted to kick up the flavor. Then I remembered reading a recipe for braised kale in the July/August issue of Jamie Oliver’s new magazine, which included anchovies (another much-maligned ingredient), white wine and lemon. And last week I got the idea of adding the toasted breadcrumbs from the linguini with breadcrumbs and kale recipe that won the greens contest at Food 52. When I merged all three recipes together, it made for a fabulous dish. The kale itself was so good that Matt and I went back for second helpings, pushing the pasta out of the way in the pot just to get to the greens. If you need to be cajoled into eating your greens, try this and see if you might be converted.

Linguini with Braised Kale

Serves 4

You could also make this with other greens, such as Swiss chard or spinach, or you could serve the braised kale on its own as a side dish instead of with pasta. You might notice that in the photo I used both breadcrumbs and pine nuts, but later decided that only one or the other is needed to add a little extra crunch and texture.

1 lb (450 g) kale (about 2 bunches), large center ribs and stems removed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
8 anchovy fillets, chopped (optional)
1/2 red chili, finely chopped, or a pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup (80 ml) dry white wine
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb (225 g) linguini or spaghetti
handful of toasted breadcrumbs or pine nuts
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Rinse the kale well, then cut crosswise into 1/2‑inch slices. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Saute the garlic, anchovies (if using) and the chili or red pepper flakes for 5 minutes, taking care not to let the garlic color. When the garlic has softened and the anchovies have dissolved, raise the heat and add the kale. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the kale starts to wilt and turn a vibrant green. Add in the wine, lemon zest and juice and salt and pepper to taste. (Try not to cook the kale too long so that it keeps its bright green color.)

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cooking liquid. Add the cooked pasta to the kale mixture, stirring well to combine. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid.

Divide the pasta and kale between 4 serving bowls or plates. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs or pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese and serve right away.

***

Parmesan Garlic Bread
adapted from Real Food by Nigel Slater

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (30 g) coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ciabatta loaf or baguette

Preheat the oven to 425° (220°C). In a small bowl, using a spoon, mash the butter until creamy. Mix in the parsley, Parmesan cheese and garlic and season well with salt and pepper.

Slice the ciabatta or baguette in half horizontally and spread the butter on both halves. Put the halves back together and wrap the bread loosely in aluminum foil.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 5 minutes. Open the foil and bake for about 5 minutes longer, or until the top is golden and crisp. Serve hot.

30-minute meals, Bread, Fruit, Seafood, Soups and stews

Autumn Fish Stew and Date Nut Spice Bread

If I had to pick one smell that evokes my childhood, it would be potpourri. When I was growing up, my mom was into the country style of decorating, and me and my brother and sister got dragged around to the shops that sell that kind of stuff on the weekends. Those stores invariably reeked of cinnamon potpourri, and there always seemed to be a bowl of it collecting dust on a bathroom shelf in our house. Nowadays, I imagine potpourri has been replaced by Yankee Candles, which seem to be everywhere. I always laugh at the names of the candles — some of this autumn’s new scents are “Moonlight Harvest”, “Lakeside Birch” and “Farmers Market”. So what does a moonlight harvest smell like, exactly?

Still, when this date nut bread was baking, I couldn’t help but think that the people at Yankee Candle would do well to try to recreate how this smells, fresh out of the oven, with its heady autumnal mix of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and orange zest. While this lemon blueberry buckle was the best thing I baked this summer, I think this date nut bread will be hard to beat for the autumn. When I was urging a friend to make it last week, I wasn’t kidding when I said you’d almost want to bake this just to make your house smell good (and because it’s delicious, of course, and absolutely perfect for fall). But failing that, I’m sure there’s a suitable Yankee Candle out there — maybe “Autumn Fruit”?

autumn fish stew

Autumn Fish Stew
adapted from Fresh from the Sea by Clodagh McKenna

Serves 4

olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
sprig of fresh thyme
2 x 14-oz (400‑g) cans of chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup (120 ml) red wine
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) fish or vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/4 lb (1 kg) mixed fish fillets, cut into small pieces
mashed potato, polenta, couscous or rice, to serve

Place a casserole dish over a medium heat and pour in a dollop of olive oil, followed by the onion and celery. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, bay leaf and thyme. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and leave to reduce and thicken for about 10 minutes. Pour in the wine, bring back to the boil and cook for 1 minute, followed by the stock. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add all the fish to the stew and stir well. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, polenta, couscous or rice.

***

date nut spice bread

Date Nut Spice Bread
from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Makes 1 x 8‑inch loaf

Don’t let the “bread” in the title mislead you — this is a loaf cake, and a slice or two is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, as a treat in a packed lunch or after-school snack, or for breakfast. Ina Garten suggests serving it with an orange zest-spiked cream cheese spread (you can find the recipe for that here), but I like this with only a bit of butter.

2 cups (280 g) pitted dates, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) orange liqueur (recommended: Cointreau or Triple Sec)
4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (120 g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 extra-large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (175 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (3 oranges)
3/4 cup (90 g) coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter the bottom of an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2‑inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pan.  (I just used a loaf tin liner.)

Combine the dates and orange liqueur in a small bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. With the mixer still on low, add the flour mixture alternately with the orange juice to the creamed mixture, beating only until combined. By hand, stir in the dates with their liquid, and the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.