Main Courses | Simple By Cindy

Trout with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Mar. 16
2016

After a weekend of nonstop eating, I really wanted to make something light. The ingredients for this fish recipe are always somewhere in my kitchen.

This recipe is courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis. She is a dependable resource for fast, simple weeknight dinners. She used sole for this recipe, but the supermarket did not have it, so I decided to try trout instead. It turned out fantastic!

The wonderful combination of capers, lemon, oregano and parsley give this dish a warm, comforting flavor. You can use any white fish for this recipe, such as sole, scallops or swordfish. It it also delicious on chicken!

This dish is easy and cooks very quickly, making it a must for any weeknight meal.

If you are wondering what to cook for dinner tonight, stop at your supermarket and buy any white fish of your choice. This sauce is so tender, delicate and easy, that I know it will be a go to whenever you are in a pinch for time!

You must give this a try! I assure you it will be worth it!

Ingredients for the Trout

4 trout fillets (or any white fish of your choice)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp.olive oil.
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup of capers, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice ( from 1-2 lemons)
1/2 cup low- sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves

Using paper towels, pat the fillets very dry. Season with the salt.

Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Dredge the fillets in flour on both sides. Shake off excess and add fish to the pan.

Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on the first side or until they start to brown around the edges.

Using a wide spatula, flip the fillets gently and cook on the other side for 30 seconds.

Remove the fillets to a plate, adding the rest of the fillets to the pan. (you may need to add more olive oil and butter).

Add the garlic and capers to the pan and stir over medium heat for about 15 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the lemon juice and chicken broth and stir, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan.

Simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce the liquid slightly.

Finish the sauce by stirring in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the parsley and oregano.

Spoon over the fish and serve.

Happy Eating!

It’s that simple!

Panko Crusted Cod

Feb. 17
2016

This dish is a healthy, delicious main course. It is simple and both the prep and the cooking time are very fast.

“Fast” is good enough for me when I have little time to prepare and want to get dinner on the table quickly.

It is a flavorful, light dish that is enjoyable and satisfying at the same time.

I hope you try this recipe. I think you will add it to your list of favorites!

Ingredients for the Panko Crusted Cod

2 lbs. cod, cut into serving size pieces
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
3 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together the panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a plastic ziplock bag.

Beat the egg into a bowl.

Dip the cod into the egg.

Brush with dijon mustard.

Place the cod into the ziplock bag with the panko mixture. Shake until the fish is well coated.

Place the fish onto a baking sheet.

Gently press a little more of the panko mix onto the cod to ensure you get a nice crust.

Place fish in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is lightly browned and fish flakes easily.

This is a tasty main dish that I know you will enjoy!

It’s that simple!

Pot Roast

Feb. 15
2016

This roast is great to cook on a snowy day or on a weekend when you have the time.

It is also fantastic as a main dish if you are having company.

The chuck roast is inexpensive and makes a wonderful and beautiful presentation. It is well marbled, which gives it a tremendous boost of flavor.

Everyone you make it for will enjoy this warm, hearty meal. It is worth every minute you take to prepare it.

The best part is that you can not over-cook it! The longer it cooks, the softer and juicer the meat becomes!

This is another crowd-pleaser that is easy and so delicious!

A must-try!

Ingredients for the Chuck Roast

1 (4-5 pound) chuck roast
2 small onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup of good red wine
4 cups of beef broth
4 sprigs of oregano, chopped (or 2 tbsp. dried)
4 sprigs of thyme, chopped (or 2 tbsp. dried)
1 bay leaf
1 package mushrooms
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus 2 reserved
1 tsp. pepper, plus 1 reserved

Place olive oil in a deep pot or dutch oven over medium heat.

Sprinkle chuck roast on all sides with 2 tsp. kosher salt and 1 tsp. pepper.

When oil is very hot, place roast in pot to brown, about 5-6 minutes each side. You may need to lay the roast up against the sides of the pot to get every side brown. You can also prop it up with crumpled up aluminum foil. Make sure to brown on every side.

When roast is browned, remove it from the pot and set aside.

Spill out all but 2 tbsp. of oil. Place back on heat.

Place onions in the pot. Move them to one side and place the tomato paste on the other side to brown. This should take about 5-6 minutes. Onions should be translucent, not browned.

Mix together the onions and tomato paste .

Add the garlic to the pot. Cook for only 1 minute.

Pour the red wine into the pot to deglaze. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Let wine reduce, about 5 minutes.

Add the beef broth to the pot along with the mushrooms, herbs, bay leaf and 2 tsp. of kosher salt and 1 tsp. of the black pepper.

Bring mixture to a boil and place roast back into the pot.

Bring to a boil once again. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and let the roast cook slowly for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

You can not over cook this meat! The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.

When you test the roast to see if it is fully cooked, it should come apart very easily when you insert a fork and knife.

Cut the roast and serve!

It’s that simple!

Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatoes

Feb. 1
2016

I was planning my dinner for tonight and didn’t have time to run to the grocery store

Luckily, I had some defrosted some chicken thighs on hand.

Searching my refrigerator, I saw that I had 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, some white wine and tomato paste. It was time to use put these ingredients to use.

This recipe was such a success, my family asked me to make it again the following week.

It was an ideal way to use the ingredients I had in my home as well as creating a new favorite family recipe.

From my home to yours!

Ingredients for the Chicken Thighs

6 chicken thighs
2 small white onions, chopped (or 1 large)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup of good white wine
3 cups of chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
4 sprigs of fresh oregano. chopped) or 2 tsp. dried)
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut into half
1 tsp. salt (plus 1 tsp. reserved)
1 tsp. pepper (plus 1/2 tsp. reserved)
3 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Place olive oil in pan over medium heat. When the pan is very hot, add chicken thighs, skin side down. Set your timer for 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes, turn the chicken thighs over and cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Remove chicken thigh from pan and set aside.

Spill out all but 1 tbsp. of fat from pan.

Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

While onions are cooking, push them over to one side of the pot, and add tomato paste to the other side.Let it brown while onions are cooking about 5 minutes. Give each side a few stirs during this process.

Combine onions and tomato paste.

Place chopped garlic in the pan and let cook for 1 minute.

Pour in white wine and let it reduce for 5 minutes.

Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add in the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth and herbs and bring mixture to a boil.

Place the chicken thighs back into the pan (liquid should come up to half of the chicken thighs). Bring back to a boil.

Turn off the heat and put pan into the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes.

So delish!

It’s that simple!

Bourbon Skirt Steak

Jan. 27
2016

As all cooks know, it takes much practice to make the perfect dish. The recipe I am about to share with you is an exception…I prepared it for the first time the other day and it came out perfectly!

My niece, Leslie, is a wonderful cook and and part of my Thanksgiving cooking team. She gave me this recipe which I will now share with all of you.

She made this steak for her annual New Years Eve party and told me it was a big success.

She was right! This marinade gives the steak a bold and unique flavor that leaves you wanting “just a little more”.

This bourbon steak recipe is courtesy of William-Sonoma. I made a few changes to make it “user friendly”.

You are going to love this one!

Ingredients for the Bourbon Steak

1/2 cup of bourbon 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1/3 cup of soy sauce

 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce

 1 tbs. dijon mustard 

1 tsp. cornstarch 

3 pounds of skirt steak (I used more than that for company)

In a large plastic bag, combine bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, tabasco, dijon mustard and cornstarch. Close the bag and shake until all the ingredients have combined.

Add the skirt steak to the plastic bag. Do not seal bag. Twist the top of the bag until the ingredients have lifted to the top. Fold down top and place rubber band around the top to seal it.

Let the skirt steaks marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Preheat cast iron grill (or grill pan) with 2 tbsp of olive oil. When hot, place skirt steaks on grill pan.

Cook 3-4 minutes each side for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking. Remember, the steaks will continue to cook when you take them off the heat so allow time for that too.

Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes.

Cut steaks into thin slices, or serve them individually.

It’s that simple!