Sunday, October 29, 2006
A really modest dinner
Yes, tonight’s dinner was really modest. Composed of roasted veggies and fish patties. Hubs also got himself some take-out while at work, so I didn’t have to overdo anything… I was planning a soup… but… well, you know by now…
Anyways, the recipe for fish cutlets, the best and tenderiestest (what, there is no such word? there is one now!) and tastiest fish cutlets in the world, eatable even by people who hate fish:
Take a few fish fillets. I used 400 g bag of frozen haddock, defrosted. Pretty much any white fish will do (sole, pollock, cod, etc…). Put it in the food processor. Add a tablespoon of mayo, about half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Salt, pepper, one egg, one small onion (or half of a large one), and about a cup of flour. Usually I start with half a cup of flour, blend all the ingredients, and then check if it’s too watery. If it is, I add more flour. Today I wasn’t satisfied till I had a full cup of flour – hence the directions. I honestly don’t think that a few spoons either way would really affect the result, so go on, experiment, don’t be scared!
Now, preheat some oil in the frying pan. Than spoon mixture into the pan, shaping little patties, about a centimeter in hight (Just under an inch? Sorry, but I still think in metrics… ) Let them fry till the side is crusty. Then flip them over, and fry on the other side. Then turn the heat down to low, cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes, to make sure the fish cooks through. Done. Serve with horseradish, or mayo, or ketchup, or whatever else you like.
These patties are also amazing if you chill them overnight (in the fridge) and make a sandwich in the morning. Toast, mayo, tomato, patty, pickles… the works… Yum, yum!
As for roasting the veggies, I’ve already covered that before. But just in case you are too lazy to reread all that and want quick instructions, here they are: Chop pealed veggies that you like (my favorites are sweet potatoes, plain potatoes and zucchinis). Add a couple of finely chopped cloves of garlic and half of a chopped onion. Mix everything together with some oil, salt and black pepper, (and optionally a teaspoon of dry oregano flakes or parsley flakes or any dry herb you like -- some people even like rosemary… don’t know… never tried that… when I do, I’ll let you know…) and bake for about 45 minutes at 400 F. That’s it. Could it be any easier? If it can, please tell me, I’m a sucker for easy recipes. Like things that cook themselves. And taste good. And don’t require chopping/pealing/washing… And are not TV dinners… A girl can dream…
And after dinner, reach into your purse and find a humongous bar of chocolate which you promised yourself that you bought it for like a whole month, and absent mindedly eat it all away within just a few minutes while catching up on latest news in the blogosphere… And then blame everything on the weather…
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I've never made anything like this but it sounds like a good way to get people who don't normally like fish to eat it. And of course little crispy fried patties of anything are always appealing, right? Sounds like a good dinner to me.
Oh, "purse chocolate"? Is the best. Last week I found a stash of chocolate dinner mints that I'd brought home from a restaurant (the waiter gave us a handful when he brought the check, and then another handful when he returned the receipt - score!). So exciting! ;)
Those veggies look delicious. I'll have to try them.
What sort of oil do you use for this recipe... I tend to use olive oil or sesame oil. Will that work?
Sounds great... I'll be trying it soon!
I love roasted veggies! I use sweet potato, white potato, parsnips, carrots and onions, and I season them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried tarragon, rosemary and thyme. You won't even believe how good these veggies smell, and then when you taste them..oh my!
Julie: My hubs usually avoids fish. But yesterday I saw him steal three patties (and he actually had a chicken dinner before that…) So now I know how to fish him up :-)
Kelley: That chocolate? Ouch… It was one of those huge family sized ones… I'm still horrified at the very thought.
Gunfighter: I usually use vegetable, sunflower or canola oils. I find that canola is the best if you don’t want any additional flavour (as in it doesn’t have any flavour of its own that I notice). I think olive oil would work great with the veggies. I tried it a while ago and liked the results. Plus it’s healthy. I only use sesame oil as a condiment, I’ve never actually cooked in it. So between these two, I’d go for the olive oil…
Judy: That’s what I love about this dish. It’s so versatile! You can use pretty much any veggies and any herbs you like. And it’s very hard to screw up.
NOTE: It’s best to line the roasting pan with some foil, to save on clean up. Also, don’t over-pile the veggies, cause the bottom ones would get too soggy. I think it’s best to have one tightly cramped layer. And mix it all well (oil, herbs, veggies, garlic, salt, etc… -- use your hands to mix it, makes life a lot easier) so the flavours are well spread out. It really is easy once you try it. And then it becomes a great staple dish for those times when the lazy bug is biting hard :-).
I made this dish last night!
Very tasty... I'll post the pics to you tomorrow!
Gunfighter: So glad you liked it! Can't wait to see the pics :-)
Posted on my blog!
Gunfighter: Looks fantastic!