Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

I have trying to get reservations at a place called La Esquina in New York. The restaurant is divided into a taqueria, a cafe and a brasserie. It is the brasserie that takes reservation and it is very hard to make them! A few weeks ago I got an email featuring the chef and his signature sauces. One of them was the salsa verde.. it was like a typical green Mexican style sauce but it also included avocado.

I immediately wanted to make the sauce and I decided to serve it on top of grilled shrimp. The recipe was quite easy to follow but tried to tweak it a bit to my taste. I added all the ingredients into a blender including tomatillos, jalapeno, an avocado, lime juice, onion, cilantro and a tad bit of olive oil. This sauce goes amazing with seafood. I grilled some shrimp and we enjoyed it with a salad. It can also be served with tortilla chips and it can be used as a taco topping.

I used the leftover sauce to make a delicious one pot rice dish… recipe to come tomorrow…
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I think of shrimp when the weather gets warm. Actually I make shrimp all year round- everyone loves it.. in any form. I love using them in Indian, Italian, Asian and Latin dishes… I guess what I am saying is that sky is the limit.

A friend gave me a bag full of dill since she had too much and she didn’t know what to do with it. I love dill, especially in the summer. As I brought the huge quantity home, I started thinking about what to make. I had a bag of shrimp in the fridge and had been thinking of making some scampi… both my daughter and husband love it… actually I do too- with lots of garlic and white wine and a huge baguette to soak up all the olive oil goodness. Speaking of olive oil, I don’t use butter for my scampi.. I prefer all olive oil. For this dish, I just added a small bunch of fresh, chopped dill. When it comes to dill, a little goes a long way. It provides delicious, earthy flavor to any protein, sauce or starch. Instead of pasta or bread, I decided to serve the shrimp with risotto… recipe to follow…
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I love making fish curries- especially in warm weather. It doesn’t take very long to cook and before I know it, I have a super healthy meal for my family.

I bought some frozen cod from Trader Joes and was trying to figure out what to do with the filets. I usually buy fresh, especially if I am simply sauteing it on the skillet. For curries, I find the frozen variety works really well.

For this dish I decided to make a green mixture out of cilantro and fenugreek leaves. I also made a spice mix that mimicked the same flavors- I used, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and a dash of black peppercorns for a little kick.

It is a great idea to brown the fish briefly, take it out and then saute the veggie mixture- this technique ensures a delicious fish flavor throughout the dish. I added some coconut milk and chicken broth. I had a delicious fish curry in no time. I served it with a spiced polenta… recipe to follow tomorrow….
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Broccoli rabe is by far one of my favorite vegetables. I love the earthy bitterness the leafy greens have. I usually cook them with pasta and some sausage. I add some pine nuts, garlic and basil and top it off with lots of parmesan cheese. It is the most delicious thing to have. Unfortunately my husband and daughter don’t love the pasta dish as much as I do. They prefer  pasta with red sauce- I think a lot of people feel the same. I like pasta with all sorts of sauces and toppings but I have to say, I do like the sauceless ones the best. I like to be able to taste all the ingredients in my pasta.

Anyway, as usual I digress. I decided to use the broccoli rabe as a side dish. I like to pair the bitterness of the greens with super salty ingredients like olives and anchovies. I started with blanching the broccoli rabe and sauteed some garlic in olive oil. I melted anchovies into the mix and added the olives.

The dish was delicious with all the ingredients but I decided to take it to another level and added some crumbled feta on top. It made the dish come alive and gave it a creamy texture.

I could have eaten the whole dish by myself. All I needed was some warm crusty bread and a glass of red wine…
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This is a yummy, yummy dish. I used my daughter’s favorite fish, cod. I did a miso glaze like I usually do with the black cod- which is a very expensive fish. It is my husband’s favorite and do make it once in a while- special occasions or when I feel really generous.

The miso glaze is delicious with any fish. The fish was really tasty and simple. I made bok choy on the side and used the tofu noodles with mushrooms.

Amazing meal- try it…

• 3 to 4 cod fillets
• 2 tablespoons mellow white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 tablespoon mirin

Mix the miso, tamari and mirin in a small bowl. Marinate the fish with the paste and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Heat the oven to a high broil. Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt, pepper and oil. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness- make sure not to overcook. Serve over bok choy.

• 4 bunches of baby bok choy, whites and greens separated and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
• Salt

Heat a medium frying pan with the oil. Add the bok choy whites and garlic. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the greens and salt. Saute for another minute or so and serve hot with the fish.