Baked Cod with Roasted Vegetables

Those of you who read this blog frequently know how much I love to bake. My passion for this method of food preparation is not only based on my predilection for cookies, pies and cakes. Baking also provides a controlled and predictable method of preparation that is conducive to entertaining.

Some dishes are decidedly difficult to make for guests. If you’ve ever tried to prepare risotto for a crowd, you’re familiar with the challenges of “entertaining while stirring”. Of course one can make a dish in advance (a curry, chili or soup for example) but reheating can present its own challenges (overheating or underheating) and it often requires attention soon after your guests have arrived. For a dinner party, one is often preparing several dishes at once and ensuring that all items are at the right temperature just before serving can be a mighty challenge even for an experienced cook.

For all these reasons, I appreciate baked entrees. They come out of the oven hot, require minimal handling, and fill the house with a delicious aroma. Some of my favorite baked entrees include lasagna, frittata, pizza and stuffed vegetables. While all of these make lovely meals, my fiancé and I have been searching for more ‘sophisticated’ baked entrées to serve to dinner guests.

We especially like to serve fish for dinner, but have had less than ideal experiences grilling fish on our George Foreman Grill or searing scallops in a skillet. They have both created fishy smoke in our poorly ventilated Manhattan apartment. Having experimented with a few baked fish recipes, we came up with this one which we recently served to our friends Andrew and Andrew.


Serves 4

1 head of garlic, peeled
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced or baby carrots
1 zucchini, sliced
1 or 2 red peppers, sliced into strips
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into eighths
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cod or hake fillets (approximately 2 lbs total) - you can substitute another light, white fish
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch parsley for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a 9 x 13 glass baking dish, toss first five ingredients with most of the olive oil.
3. On the middle rack, bake vegetables for 30-40 minutes until slightly roasted.
4. Place fish fillets on top of vegetables and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.


5. Return dish to oven for 20-30 more minutes.
6. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Valentine Borscht

Borscht is a peasant soup popular in Central and Eastern Europe. The word comes from the Slavic word borshchevik which means hogweed, a vegetable once important to the Slavs. Today the defining ingredient in borscht is beet root although there are some versions that do not contain beets. For more information about beets read my post from last year about a summer beet salad.

In the Ukraine, where borscht is likely to have originated, it is the national soup and was sometimes eaten multiple times a day as a main meal. It is also served as the first course of a traditional Polish Christmas meal. In other places, it is generally consumed before the main meal.

There are two key types of borscht – hot and cold. The hot version is often chunky, made with potatoes, vegetables and sometimes beef. The cold version is sometimes strained before serving and thus has a thinner consistency (similar to gazpacho). Variations abound and recipes have been known to include dried mushrooms, parsley, dill, lovage, green onions, basil, beans, pickled apples, plums, cherries, eggplant, olives, prunes, ham, mint, ginger, leeks, tomatoes, bell peppers, tarragon, paprika, oregano and sausage.

Many versions require the addition of an acid to sour the – this can be achieved through the addition of lemon, vinegar or citric acid. Some recipes call for natural fermentation which requires the soup to be made several days in advance. Borscht is often served with sour cream, yogurt, cream or a local dairy equivalent.

In North American borscht is closely associated with Ashkenazi Jewish traditions. The term ‘Borscht Belt’ refers to the swath of summer resorts in upstate New York that were popular with New York City Jews between the 1920s and 1960s.

As a humble and quotidian dish, I’ve never heard of the soup in conjunction with Valentine’s Day. However, it seemed perfect as a bright red starter on a cold winter day. It freezes well but will stain plastic containers so we opted to use one gallon freezer bags.

Serves 10-14

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/2 pound russet potatoes (about 2), peeled, chopped into small cubes
1/2 lb carrots, sliced
small cabbage or half a medium cabbage, thinly chopped
6-8 cups vegetable (or meat-based) broth
15 ounces diced tomatoes
4 large beets, peeled and chopped into small cubes
5 bay leaves
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (balsamic or other)
1 bunch of dill, finely chopped
salt and pepper
sour cream, for garnish (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Sauté for 10 minutes.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, beets and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add red wine vinegar and 1/2 dill. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Flavor with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves.
5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and remaining dill.

Linzer Muffins

On a recent trip to London, my friends Teresa and Kaspar took me to Princi, a Milanese bakery in SoHo. After a healthy salad, I stood indecisively over a vast counter of rustic pastries. I opted for a large slice of linzertorte – an almond-flavored cake spread with raspberry jam.

These muffins take their inspiration from linzertorte, a traditional Austro-Hungarian specialty now popular throughout central Europe. The torte is named after the Austrian city of Linz which was founded by the Romans and was famously home to Kepler, Bruckner, Hitler and Wittgenstein.

The earliest recipe for linzertorte dates back to the mid 17th century. Traditionally it consists of three layers – a bottom layer of pastry made largely with ground nuts (usually almonds, sometimes hazelnuts or pecans, and rarely walnuts), a middle layer of jam (traditionally black currant lekvar, though apricot and raspberry are also used), and a topping of dough strips arranged in a lattice pattern.

Linzertorte is especially popular during Christmas. In addition to cakes and muffin, the concept has been extended to cookies which I sometimes make for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Watch this space for the recipe…

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup almond meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/3 to 1/2 cup slivered almonds, untoasted, for garnish
confectioners sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare a muffin pan with foil or paper liners. If using paper liners, spray them with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In another, large bowl, beat an egg. Then add butter and sugar. Mix well. Add milk, lemon zest and almond extract.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Distribute one heaping tablespoon of batter into each liner. Then add a teaspoon (or more) of jam. Fill liners with remaining batter.

6. Sprinkle each muffin with slivered almonds.

7. Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool muffins in their pan for 10 minutes.

8. These muffins can be served with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.

Confetti Marshmallow Squares

These humble treats are evocative of my childhood. While they are fairly common in Canada, I have never seen them here in the United States. In fact, I couldn't even find multicolored mini marshmallows in Manhattan so I bought a couple of bags on my last trip home.

The modern marshmallow was invented in France in the mid-19^th century by whipping together egg whites, sugar, and root sap from the Marshmallow plant (Althaea officinalis). This flowering, perennial herb was originally native to salty marshes in Europe, North Africa and Asia and was valued by the ancient Syrians, Chinese, Arabs and Romans for its medicinal properties. The Egyptians mixed Marshmallow root sap with honey and nuts to produce a treat thought to have been served exclusively to the Pharaoh.

The original process to make marshmallows was labor-intensive and expensive – limiting the market for the confections to the French elite. After technological advances, especially an extrusion process patented by American Alex Doumakes, mass production of marshmallows became possible. Over the years, the recipe has changed dramatically: root sap has been replaced with gelatin; egg whites are obsolete; and various forms of sugar, coloring and flavor have been added.

The average American consumes almost 1/4 pound of marshmallows per year. They are used in a variety of American desserts and snacks including Rice Krispies treats, s’mores, and fluffernutters.

Confetti marshmallow squares are easy to make and ideal for the young, beginner or untalented cook. They are similar to an American confection called 'church windows' which also contains marshmallows and peanut butter as well as chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

Makes 25 squares

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup butterscotch chips
8 oz multicolored mini marshmallows

Directions

1. In a medium pot over lowest heat, melt butter and peanut butter. Add butterscotch chips and stir constantly until melted and smooth. The chips may take a while to fully melt but do not increase heat. Alternately, this can be done in a microwave.

2. Once melted, remove the pot from the heat. While cooling, butter a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Line with wax paper and butter again.

3. Once the pot has cooled enough that you can comfortably touch the bottom, mix in the marshmallows until well coated with sauce. Marshmallows may melt if added to sauce that has not sufficiently cooled.

4. Spread mixture in the baking pan and use the back of a spoon to even out the surface. Place in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Using a sharp knife cut into 25 squares. Store in an airtight container for 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer; separate layers with wax paper to prevent sticking.