Sauteed Cod with Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, & Leeks

So...this meal was even better than it sounds! I'm a huge fan of cod (especially Alaskan - the kind I used) because I'm very sensitive to strong smells and flavors, and cod has a very light flavor of its own, unlike the infamous salmon.

So, while being very easy, I honestly just improv'd so I'll do my best to confer what I did hear so that you can get really really close to it :-)

Ingredients:

1. fresh bulbs of garlic
2. frozen crushed garlic (brand "Dorot" - from Trader Joe's)
3. fresh or frozen (thawed) Alaskan cod (at least one 4-oz fillet per person, or more)
4. russet potatoes (a bag is fine, will use at least 5-10 small/medium potatoes)
5. sour cream (I used fat free)
6. unsalted butter
7. fresh broccoli
8. frozen leeks (also from Trader Joe's)
9. extra virgin olive oil
10. vegetable stock cubes or bouillon (I usually buy these at Arabic or Indian markets, very hard to find in an American grocery store)
11. seasonings (dill, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, parsley)
12. 1 whole large lemon (per 2 people)

Instructions:

1. Broccoli - My wonderful sous chef took care of this one, but its simple enough
1. Clean fresh broccoli in cool water
2. Cut off desired amount of stalks (for us - as much as possible without making the florets fall apart)
3. Blanch/braise/whatever you call it the broccoli (saute it until slightly tender haha) in olive oil with freshly chopped garlic
4. Remove from heat once partially cooked and place in cool water (with ice if necessary, or in fridge) while preparing the rest of the dinner
5. *Once ready to use, finish cooking over medium heat until lightly tender (NOT wilted or soft)*
2. Mashed Potatoes
1. Peel and clean russet potatoes - number depends on how much you want left over or how many are eating
2. Dice into medium pieces for cooking
3. Bring large pot of water to a boil
4. Once boiling add salt, pepper, 1/2 frozen cube of garlic, tablespoon of butter, and diced potatoes
5. Cook until you can easily spear potatoes with a butter knife
6. Drain potatoes and place cooked potatoes into a large bowl
7. Add: another 4+ tablespoons of butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, remaining 1/2 cube + 1 cube crushed garlic and mash into potatoes
8. Allow to cool while cooking
3. Cod & Leeks (optional)
1. **allow leaks to at least partially thaw before cooking**
2. Use large skillet over medium heat
3. Place olive oil, diced garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme (about 1/2 tsp), & rosemary (about 2 tsp) in skillet
4. Once heated, add 1 vegetable stock cube and stir to mix
5. At this point you should be getting a nice sauce bubbling
6. Add cod and saute until half cooked
7. Add leeks
8. Saute until cod is fully cooked and leeks are still partially firm
9. *Finish cooking broccoli*

Once the cooking is completed, plate cod, leeks, broccoli, and potatoes any way you like! Don't forget the lemon to squeeze a bit of yummy flavor burst over your cod.

***I know that the pic is not the MOST appetizing looking (in the pic...in real life it was beautiful!), it's because the caramelized seasonings took on a slight brownish hue...but BOY was this good!***

TACO SALAD

Okay, so this is an easy one...right? But often you find that its not like (for goodness sake) Taco Bell, or Chipotle, or wherever you indulge in your Mexican food fantasies. Ooops hunny, we don't have that, it'll be fine! Well, forget no more, and just follow the list below for a DELICIOUSLY filling (and certainly more preservative free) Mexican-at-Home night.

Ingredients:

1. ground something (turkey, beef, tofu or chicken - for the brave!)
2. shredded lettuce (can be bought in a bag already done - but I have a GREAT sous chef who deftly diced and shredded a head of iceberg by hand! much more lettuce for much less money)
3. tortilla/corn chips (I prefer TOSTITOS® Restaurant Style with a Hint of Lime Flavored Tortilla Chips - perfect burst of flavor!)
4. Salsa (any brand, any "heat", whatever you like best is perfect! For me? Pace Hot or Medium)
5. Taco sauce (the most commonly missed - again Pace for me, unless there's another good one on sale, HOT only for me here too!)
6. fresh limes
7. cheese (shredded "Mexican style" from the grocery store is perfect for this)
8. Taco Bell taco seasoning (for the meat)
9. sour cream (I prefer fat free = guilt free for using the whole tub!)
10. assorted seasonings (dill, cilantro, salt, pepper, parsley, etc..)

Instructions:

1. Cook the ground "something" that you chose with the Taco Bell seasoning (best I've found so far - incredibly flavorful), dill, cilantro, salt, and pepper until well done. It's NEVER okay to partially cook any kind of ground meat!
2. Drain the cooked ground "something" either with a sieve or in a bowl with paper towel
3. Shred lettuce if you purchased a solid iceberg head
4. Open everything up! (container of sour cream, jars of salsa and taco sauce, cheese, chips)
5. Now - here's the fun part -  decide what order you want to pile it up! I can tell you my favorite (from bottom layer *1* up), but obviously its a personal choice.
1. hint of lime chips
2. ground beef (my "something")
3. shredded cheese
4. salsa
5. taco sauce
6. shredded lettuce
7. sour cream 
6. Cut the lime in half and squeeze desired amount on top of awesome salad creation...yum!
7. ummmm....ENJOY!!!

So long....

So, while I did take a short break from cooking (i.e. eating out at every chance and gaining an unnatural amount of weight) with my new relationship with a healthy food police and domestic bliss...I've been cooking again :) Shoot! I didn't get a pic of Wednesday's pasta dinner, we ate it too fast! Oh well haha, as soon as I've got my pictures ready to go, I'll catch up with a few of my (I mean his!) favorites!

Happy eating!