Cornmeal-Crusted Trout

I looked through all my flagged meals in all my food network magazines and this is the only one I could make tonight.  It is from the weeknight meals section.  It makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more if needed
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or basil
salt and pepper
3/4 cup cornmeal
8 3-ounce trout fillets
1/2 cup half-and-half

Directions:

Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon tarragon and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Place the green beans in a large microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.

Put the cornmeal in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish in the cornmeal, shaking off the excess. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the fish and cook until golden, turning once, about 5 minutes. (Add more butter between batches, if needed.) Transfer the fish to plates.

Return the sauce to medium heat. Add the half-and-half, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon tarragon and 1/2 tablespoon butter and season with salt. Serve the fish with the green beans and top with the sauce

Jason and Beth's Rating: 7.5/10

Portobello Gratin

This recipe was from my new food network magazine.  It looked easy and was pretty tasty.  It makes 6 servings.

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:
6 portobello mushrooms, split into 12 thin rounds
1 1/4 cups shredded muenster cheese
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 grated garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
1. Toss cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Layer the portobello pieces and cheese mixture in a baking dish, making 3 layers of each.
3. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp water, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Jason's Rating: 6.5/10
Beth's Rating: 7/10

Nutrition:
220 calories
22g fat (8g saturated)
50mg cholesterol
300mg sodium
12g carbohydrates
1g fiber
0g sugar
12g protein

Kung Pao Chicken

I got my new food network magazine for October!  There are lots of pumpkin, apple and Halloween themed recipes.  I found this easy recipe in the weeknight section of the magazine.  It is incredible, especially since it is so easy.  The recipe below makes 4 servings.

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Asian chili oil or sesame oil
3 Tbsp peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 11/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (we used pickled ginger)
2 bunches scallions (whites cut into 1/2-inch pieces, greens sliced)
4 cups precut stir-fry vegetables
1/2 cup cocktail peanuts
Cooked rice, for servings (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 2 tsp each rice wine, cornstarch and water in a medium bowl.  Add the chicken and toss; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Whisk the remaining 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp rice wine and 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, the sugar, chili oil and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.
3.  Heat 2 Tbsp peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and stir-fry 30 seconds.  Transfer to a plate.
4.  Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp peanut oil in the skillet.  Add the garlic, ginger, scallion whites and precut vegetables; stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 minutes.  Add the chicken and peanuts and stir-fry until the chicken in cooked through, 3-5 minutes.  Stir the soy sauce-chili oil mixture, add to the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens, 30 seconds.  Serve over rice and top with scallion greens.  Enjoy!

Jason's Rating: 9/10
Beth's Rating: 8/10

Nutrition:
490 calories
27g fat (3g saturated)
0mg cholesterol
580mg sodium
55g carbohydrates
3g fiber
6g sugar
13g protein