Baked BBQ-flavored Halibut with Charred Eggplant and Steamed Asparagus

I had some Kolhapuri Thecha leftover from my previous venture. To balance its heat, it seemed like sweetish BBQ Sauce would be ideal. So, I slathered both these flavorings on the halibut filet and baked in a 400° F oven for about 25-30 minutes till done. Simple, no fuss dish.

The pristine Alaskan fish caught over summer and brought home by the other half feels like a precious resource, fast dwindling...

Some steamed asparagus plus some char-broiled eggplant slices round out this sumptuous weeknight meal. The asparagus sat in the steamer a bit longer than I intended, but, it was still fine.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

I was all set to post this Cream of Asparagus soup recipe last time and then goofed up a bit -- ended up with mismatched title and recipe as I posted the recipe for the Cream of Arugula soup with the title "Cream of Asparagus soup." Sorry for the confusion, I've gone back and fixed that error.

Same general procedure as for Cream of Arugula soup here - I do love my pressure cooker for making creamy soups, only no moong dal this time. I prefer the texture to be coarse and dense for the Cream of Arugula soup so I didn't strain it. But for this Cream of Asparagus soup, since I use the thicker parts of the stalk for cooking, I strain it to get the chewy bits out.

Asparagus is from a local farm and yet it is a bit pricey here, but it has been quite a hot Spring so far.

This recipe is quite close to the ever-popular Cream of Kohlrabi soup that comes about this time of the year.

Ingredients
1 lb asparagus, woody parts removed, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
2 Serrano chilies, chopped coarsely
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Colby jack cheese
½ cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker pan, add the onions, ginger, chilies and saute with a pinch of salt till aromatic and onions turn translucent
2. Add the chopped asparagus and stock, cover and cook in the pressure cooker, reserving some tips for garnish
3. When safe to open the pressure cooker, puree with a hand blender till smooth; then strain to remove coarse, chewy fibrous bits
4. Simmer gently, stir in the cheeses to thicken, then the cream and turn off stove
5. Garnish with blanched asparagus tips and serve warm

Buckwheat Oat Chickpea Flax Pancake with Collard Greens, Asparagus, Leeks

Growing up with an array of dosai made from the traditional rice and urad dal, as well as chickpea and sooji and anything else my mom felt like throwing together for an amazing experimental dish, I love quick pan fritters and pancakes and pan breads for a weeknight meal, along with vegetable curries and chutneys.

This time, I went with a combination of quarter cup each of buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, rice flour, oat flour, flax meal, and fine cream of wheat (sooji). To boost it a bit, I also added some cooked brown lentils leftover from making Mesir Wat.

For the vegetable side, wilted collard greens with leeks, zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus  turned out perfect.

Ingredients:
¼ cup each of:
buckwheat flour
oat flour
rice flour
chickpea flour
cream of wheat
flax meal
¼ cup cooked seasoned brown lentils
¼ cup finely chopped radish greens or beet greens
¼ cup finely diced onions
salt to taste
water as needed to make a thick batter

oil for pan-cooking

Preparation

1. Combine the dry ingredients, mix well; add a little water at a time stirring gently to make a thick pancake-like batter
2. Heat a seasoned cast iron skillet to medium, and cook like pancakes
3. Serve warm with any favorite chutney or the Wilted Collard Greens-Leeks-Asparagus side

Wilted Collard Greens Leeks Asparagus Zucchini Yellow Squash 

Since there is no rigid combination here, use as much or as little of each of the above, chopped or sliced to desired size/length. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and wilt the collard greens; then add the other vegetables and saute till desired doneness. Season to taste.

Spargel with Cheese Sauce

I had these dreamy white spears for the first time about 6 years ago during a visit to Germany where they enjoy an exalted status. It was boiled in water and served with a simple cheese sauce. It was best when eaten steaming warm and fresh off the stove, tender enough to cut with a fork, and not at all chewy and woody.

Asparagus, a favorite, often just roasted and eaten right away, is usually green when grown above ground thanks to photosynthesis. White asparagus (Spargel) is cultivated underground/covered to prevent the green coloration. They tend to be less woody when mature than their green cousins.

Every once in a while we come across white asparagus here in the local markets and can't resist buying them. This time, I boiled it for a good 20-25 minutes in salted water to get it fork tender. (Gently peel the skin before boiling.) And served it with a quick cheese sauce, sprinkled with parsley and ground black pepper.

For the cheese sauce:  (recipe from BBC)
flour
butter
milk
cheese

I usually don't measure precisely for this type of sauce. Sometimes, I make a roux of sorts by heating butter in the pan and adding the flour and cooking to make a paste; then, slowly add in some milk while stirring constantly. Then, add in grated cheese - like Colby Jack, Cheddar, even a bit of Parmesan mixed in...

Garlic Chicken with Roasted Asparagus

Roasted asparagus is an indulgence for me - I could have a plateful of it for lunch and be satisfied and grateful for a sumptuous meal. And it is so easy to make: trim the woody stems, toss with some olive oil and salt+pepper, lay out in a single layer in a roasting pan, cook in a 425°F oven for about 15 minutes and it is ready!

Garlic chicken breasts are easy to make as well - since I was using a 425°F oven for the asparagus, I baked the chicken breasts in the oven right after. But they can be pan-cooked or grilled. 

Preferably pound the chicken with a mallet to a uniform thickness - I tend to miss this simple step sometimes and end up with a rubbery dry thinner part of the breast while the thicker one is just perfectly done. 

Marinade: soy sauce, minced garlic or garlic powder, vegetable oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, hot sauce (I like Tapatío™ Hot Sauce for this).

Save some marinade to baste while cooking, and to drizzle some over the cooked chicken before serving.

Simply slit the chicken breast and marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Stuff a clove of garlic in each slit and bake in a 425°F oven for about 20 minutes. Check part way and give it a half turn if preferred. Remove when done - when the internal temperature is 165°F in the thickest part. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving.

On an aside, I love the dedication of some of my fellow food bloggers for taking step by step pictures and giving detailed instructions! I don't think I have that patience or dedication. But am happy to share the successes in my kitchen and what gives me joy to cook and present for my family.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Mustard Greens and Bergenost Cheese

Much like classic Chicken Kiev, Chicken Cordon Bleu, this is stuffed chicken breast dish. Stuffing can be anything - like the Pesto Sun-dried Tomato Feta Chicken, or greens and cheese as in this recipe.

Any favorite cheese would work. I had a small chunk of buttery Bergenost, some (non-smoked) Gouda, and some Colby-Jack which is what I ended up using. A combination of fresh mustard greens, Swiss chard and baby spinach leaves worked well. But, any favorite greens would be fine, I'm sure.

These Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Mustard Greens and Cheese are served here with Asparagus Salad.

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (even-sized for uniform cooking)
a handful of greens - mustard, chards, spinach
Bergenost, Gouda, Colby-Jack cheeses
salt and pepper to taste
a few teaspoon olive oil, or canola oil, or butter if preferred
marinade: red wine vinegar (optional)

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
2. Marinate the chicken in red wine vinegar for 15-20 minutes, if preferred
3. Slit the chicken breasts to make a pocket into which the stuffing can be introduced
4. Stuff with cheese and greens, season with salt and pepper, place in a baking sheet, brush with oil, cover with Aluminium foil and bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes
5. Remove the foil, brush with oil cook uncovered for another 8-10 minutes
6. Check for doneness - juices run clear, internal temperature is 170°F
7. Optional: Before serving, heat oil in a pan and brown the sides to desired richness

Asparagus Salad

I still remember the sweet juicy white Spargel I had a few years ago in Germany, where Asparagus (aka Spargel) is usually white as they grow it under cover of soil.

This Asparagus Salad is very simple and open to variations. Simply blanch the asparagus, toss in some pepper strips, spring onions, onions, even sliced cooked potatoes as I do here to make it a full meal.

Dress with favorite vinaigrette - I like the Aka Miso and Blue Agave Nectar vinaigrette. Just a hint of citrus vinaigrette would be good as well.

Adzuki Beans, Asparagus, and Bulgur Salad

High in iron, protein, soluble fiber, and folate, and low in fat, Adzuki beans is believed to benefit reproductive and kidney function, by speeding up removal of waste from the body and promoting regularity.

Ever since I "discovered" it in the local Asian market and read up on its health benefits, I have been incorporating it more in my cooking over the last year or so. I can't quite tell the difference between the basic Atzuki beans and the Hokkaido variety yet unless I read the label, but, considering that about half a cup per week is all that is prescribed for getting its benefits, it seems hard not to take advantage of its nutritional value.

There are many ways to present these beans, just like any other beans: As bean burgers, as bean soup, in salads and stews, in tacos, in rice, even as plain Adzuki bean soup. Or, just toss a handful into whatever meal I have planned for the night...

Since fusion cuisine is my personal slant, this Adzuki Beans, Asparagus, and Bulgur Salad, has a MediterrAsian feel with Bulgur from the Mediterranean and Adzuki beans and the dressing from Asian cuisine. Roasted asparagus is optional. I had some leftover from previous meal so it was nice to use it up. Serve at room temperature (or slightly chill, if preferred).

Leftover dressing can be saved for up to a week in a cool dark place and used for other salads and sauces, or even as a home-made spring roll dip.

Maybe one of these days I will get around to listing the frequently used spices and condiments in my cupboard, by cuisine. Just like I restock organic ketchup and stone ground mustard, I restock kecap manis and sambal oelek... and since basically "anything goes" in my kitchen, I seem to use them all up at almost the same rate.


Ingredients
2 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup cooked Adzuki beans
1 lb of fresh asparagus, cut, and roasted
1½ cup cooked medium-ground bulgur
¼ cup chopped dry apricots
¼ cup coarsely broken toasted walnuts
spring onions and cilantro, chopped

Dressing/marinade:
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp kecap manis
1 Tbsp sambal oelek
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Combine the dressing ingredients, stir well, adjust to taste, keep handy
2. Toss together bulgur and adzuki beans; add the dressing a little at a time to desired sogginess and set aside for 20-30 minutes to overnight (in fridge)
3. When ready to serve, place a bed of spinach leaves, pile the salad, top with apricots and walnuts, and garnish with spring onions and cilantro