quick meal – Chez Nous

Swordfish Steaks with Asparagus in a Browned Butter Sauce

This past weekend, Nico and I had a little feast, just the two of us… it was a pretty healthy feast! I bought a lot of beautiful cuts of fish during my last visit to Trader Joe’s and wanted to give swordfish steaks a try.

I decided to treat them to my favorite “fish solution.” I seared the bad boys in butter and let them finish cooking in the oven. Then, I scraped up the browned bits with a bit more butter, capers, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Since my lovely friends Keith and Jackeline gave us an herb planter, and the basil is turning into a beast, so I decided to throw in some sliced basil instead of the traditional parsley. It was delicious.

Seared Scallops with Cilantro Chutney

I always keep cilantro chutney on hand, it is one of my most popular recipes from my India dinner. It lasts for a long time and is beautiful on pork, salmon, naan, and almost anything I have tried it on.

Today, I decided to serve it with some beautifully seared scallops. It was so delicious, and so quick to make! I highly recommend as a light starter, or over a nice risotto as a main course! Yum!

Chanterelle and Lentil Stew

Red wine is delicious with lentils, and I knew these flavors would pair really well with the earthiness of my Chanterelle mushrooms. I was not wrong! This is a delicious dish, and really easy to make. Just combine the ingredients and simmer for a half an hour and you are ready for dinner!

Melon with Smoked Salmon and Lavender Infused Olive Oil

I was walking in the market and smelled this amazing melon, I decided I had to buy it! It turned out to be an Orange Flesh Chair Orange Honeydew. It is amazing! I highly recommend buying this melon if you see it. It has a thin exterior, and an amazing scent, kind of like honeysuckle. Once it is sliced, it looks like a standard melon, but tastes so much better!

Roast Eggplant Caprese with Herb Lemon Vinaigrette

I was thrilled to find that my garden was gloriously producing dozens of tomatoes, so it was time to harvest them! I was missing my caprese salads in Hawaii (well not too much, since I was feasting on poke and fresh mango daily). I decided to add a bit more intricacy to the dish by roasting up some eggplant to make a bed for the sliced tomatoes and torn mozzarella. I marinated them in a bit of salt and pepper while the eggplant roasted, and drizzled the whole situation with a simple lemon herb vinaigrette. It was glorious. I am sure this portion was meant for at least four people, but Nico and I almost ate the entire dish!

Ricotta Pizza with Grilled Zucchini and Sun-dried Tomatoes

I was having some friends over for a lunch and had some ingredients that needed to be used up. I made way too much Ricotta, so I have been slowly using it up! Need ideas for Ricotta recipes? Try out my Swiss Chard, Ricotta, and Soppressata Ravioli or Egg Yolk Ravioli with Ricotta. Have too…

Fresh Pea Soup with Mint

I made a delicious pea soup during the spring, but now that it was summer, I wanted to change it up a bit. With the summer heat, I wanted some mint to add to the soup and was looking for something much thinner than the hearty Fresh Pea Soup I made before. I was also…

Homemade Herbed Ricotta and Tomato Salad

This is my first year growing tomatoes, and I have been patiently waiting while my first three tomatoes ripen. Today was the day, they smelled delicious and their skin was a perfect red, we decided to harvest our first tomatoes! How do you do your first tomatoes justice though? I didn’t want to cook them…