Baked Sea Bass

Baked Chilean Sea Bass
makes 2-3 servings

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup Sliced green onions
2 (8 oz) thick-cut boneless, Chilean Sea Bass fillets

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a baking dish.
   
   Whisk oil and vinegar together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in paprika and salt, then stir in green onions. Slide sea bass fillets into the bowl, turning several times to coat with vinaigrette. 

4. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of paprika, then drizzle with a bit of oil.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.

6. 
   

Oven Baked Ribs

 Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
*The ingredients for the rub will make more than double what you'll need for 1 rack of ribs. 

1/2 cup ancho chile powder
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T ground cumin
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper (I didn't use since we didn't have this)
1 rack baby back pork ribs
1 cup barbeque sauce

1. Gather ingredients and preheat the oven to 250 degrees. 

1. 2. Mix ancho chile powder, white and brown sugars, salt, black pepper, cumin, dry mustard, cayenne, and chipotle pepper in a small bowl until combined.

2. 3. Place rib rack, meat-side down, on heavy-duty aluminum foil. Prick back of the rack several times with a knife. Generously apply a coating of dry rub to all sides of the rack. Store any remaining dry rub in an airtight container for future use.

3. 4. With the meat facing down, fold foil around the rack to create a tight seal. Transfer to a sheet pan.

4. 5. Bake in the preheated oven until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours or until meat reaches 145 degrees. Remove and cool 15 minutes.

5. 6. Increase oven temperature to 350* degrees F (175 degrees C).
   *I didn't do this as I didn't see this step. Our oven is really odd and everything cooks way faster and stronger than typical, so perhaps keeping the temperature at 250 worked in our favor. 

6. 7. Open foil, drain and discard any accumulated juices and fat. Brush barbeque sauce on all sides of the rack.

7. 8. Turn the rack on the foil so the meat is facing up. Return to the oven, leaving the foil open and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush another layer of barbeque sauce on the meat side only. Repeat baking and brushing with sauce 4 more times, for a total of 50 minutes baking time.

8. 9. Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with more barbeque sauce.

cheesy, creamy sausage pasta bake

baked pasta with sausage
servings 8-10

• 1 lb ziti noodles
• 1.5 lbs ground spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or removed from casings)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano) cheese, divided
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
• 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

1. 
   
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to the package directions for very al dente, about 7 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the oven so you want to undercook it just a bit.) Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set the oven rack in the middle position.
4. Heat a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don't have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cream, ⅓ cup of the pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and basil to the pan; stir until evenly combined. Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and half the remaining pecorino Romano. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and pecorino Romano. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil and serve.
6. Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dish can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days in advance, or frozen for up to 3 months. (If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.) Whether refrigerated or frozen and defrosted, bake, covered tightly with aluminum foil, in a 425°F oven for 25 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned and the pasta is hot throughout.

basque oxtail stew

basque oxtail stew
serves 4-6

3 tbsp canola oil
4 lbs oxtail, trimmed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cups dry red wine
6 cups chicken stock
1 8 oz can tomato sauce or pureed diced tomatoes, drained
6 medium carrots, sliced 1/2" thick
1/4 cup flour
4 tbsp butter, softened

Heat oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Season oxtail with salt and pepper; working in batches, cook, turning as needed, until browned, 8–10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer oxtail to a plate; set aside. Add garlic and onion to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6–8 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring and scraping browned bits from bottom of pan, until reduced by a third, 3–4 minutes. Return oxtail to pan and add stock, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until oxtail is tender, 2 1⁄2–3 hours. Uncover and return to a simmer. Add carrots; cook until tender, 15–20 minutes. Mix flour and butter in a bowl until smooth; stir into stew and cook until slightly thick, 8–10 minutes.

impromptu crepes recipe

 a basic crepe recipe that doesn't require any chilling of the batter. 

crepe recipe
Makes 7-8 medium size crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Whisk flour and eggs together in a large mixing bowl; gradually add in milk and water, stirring to combine. Add salt and melted butter; beat until smooth.

2. 1. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crêpe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

   2. Cook until the top of the crêpe is no longer wet and the bottom has turned light brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Run a spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen the crêpe; flip and cook until the other side has turned light brown, about 1 minute more. Serve hot.

   3. Our family usually tops our crepes with nutella and berries/bananas, or lemon and sugar. 

roasted rack of lamb

 what we made for Easter dinner this year. 

roasted rack of lamb
makes 4 servings

1/2 cup panko or bread crumbs
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 (7 bone) rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Move oven rack to the center position. 

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Toss in 2 tbsp olive oil to moisten mixture. Set aside. 

Season the rack all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Sear rack of lamb for 1-2 mins on all sides. Set aside for a few mins. Brush rack of lamb with the mustard. Roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring (I skipped this step). 

Arrange the rack bone side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb in preheated oven for 20-40 mins, depending on the degree of doneness you want. With a meat thermometer, take a reading in the center of the meat and remove the meat when cooked through to your taste. (130 degrees for medium). Let it rest for 5-7 mins, before carving the ribs. 

Braised Oxtails

Braised Oxtails

Ingredients

3 lbs meaty oxtails
1 tbsp oil
2 half-inch thick slices of fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic
3-4 pieces star anise
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp regular soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cup water
Salt (to taste)
scallions, sliced

Instructions: 

Clean the oxtails and pat them dry. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and brown them on all sides.

Remove the oxtails and set aside on a plate. To the pot, add the ginger, garlic, star anise, cloves, and bay leaves. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Now it’s time to add cooking wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, rock sugar, water, and salt (careful with the salt, as the soy sauce is already quite salty).

Add the oxtails back to the pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, depending on how tender you like your oxtails. Check halfway through and add more water if needed. (I used our slow cooker and set it to high to get it to a nice boil, then reduced the setting to low for another 3.5-4 hours). 

Uncover, and continue simmering for another 30 minutes until the meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally, and add additional water if necessary to avoid sticking. 

Serve over some short grain rice, sprinkled with scallions. Enjoy!