parmesan

Roasted Cauliflower

It seems I’m turning into quite a traveller. This weekend marks my third plane trip in six days. I am visiting friends from school in the Chicagoland area this weekend! I love being busy, but next weekend I’ll spend time at home.

Roasted Cauliflower is a year-round favorite at our house. Roasted veggies are always fit for the colder months, but we roast locally grown farmers market cauliflower during the summer.

Time to board the plane. See you in Minneapolis!

Roasted Cauliflower

1 medium head cauliflower

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop cauliflower into 1 inch florets. Place cauliflower into sealable sack and add olive oil, tossing to coat. Place cauliflower in oven safe baking dish, add garlic, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook cauliflower until lightly browned, 35-45 minutes, depending on desired softness.

Brussels Sprout Slaw

I wish the long Memorial Day weekend continued forever, but alas, I return to the weekday routine. A number of highlights from the weekend… My mom bought a new car, which is significant because she gave me her old one! My family enjoyed Sunday Night Supper at The Bachelor Farmer (we love the place). Finally, I attended my first Twins baseball game of the season. Also, the weather was perfect all weekend, never a given.

After eating a few foods I shouldn’t have (these Texas Sheet Cake Cookies, for example), I enjoyed the light and refreshing Brussels Sprout Slaw. It works as a side dish with dinner or to bring to a party, if you do that sort of thing.

Another note is that I used my brand new mandoline for the salad! It worked very well, and I’m excited to use it again.

Brussels Sprout Slaw

4 cups shaved Brussels sprouts

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped almonds

salt and pepper

Using a mandoline, shred Brussels sprouts. In bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar. Add shredded Brussels sprouts to dressing and stir to combine. Add parmesan cheese, almonds, salt, and pepper, again stirring to combine. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator.

Almond Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi

You know how people crave chips sometimes? That happens to me with seafood. Actually, it happens with chips, too, so maybe I should think of a better example. Almond Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi satisfies my seafood craving.

By the way, spellcheck doesn’t recognize “mahi mahi.” That’s what the bag says, so that’s what I write.

This terrible Chicago winter continues, so I have little motivation to eat meals out. Eating out means I have to go from the apartment to the car, from the car to the restaurant, from the restaurant to the car and from the car to the apartment. In “Chiberia,” that is too much. Of course, if I’m already out, I can eliminate the trip from the apartment to the car, so then I can go out.

The point of the last paragraph was that since I’m home more, I cook more. And I cook fish because I like it.

This is a simple pan-fried fish, and you might even have all the ingredients on hand. It’s simple, yet sophisticated; a last minute entree.

Almond Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi

1 pound mahi mahi, thawed

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup dijon mustard

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp onion powder

olive oil

salt and pepper

In a small, flat bowl, combine dijon mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice and onion powder. In another small, flat bowl, combine almonds and parmesan cheese. Grease skillet with olive oil. Take one mahi mahi filet, and coat it with the dijon mustard mixture. Then dip, the filet in the almond mixture. Repeat with remaining filets, and place in skillet. Cook fish until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side.