refreshing dinner on a hot day…

With this oppressive heatwave still upon us, there was no way I was turning on the range or even the grill for that matter! Instead I thought it best to make some fresh pesto and have a refreshing sandwich night full of yummy things.
After making the pesto, it was time to assemble these pockets of delight… A healthy spread of the pesto adorned the lightly toasted ciabatta, followed by some spicy arugula, slices of fresh mozz and of course some phenomenal prosciutto di parma!
With the lid closing down snuggly and making this vessel ready for the feeding, there was not much more to do than succumb to it’s will…
A slight bite from the arugula, saltiness from the prosciutto, creamy from the fresh mozz and just an overall freshness from the pesto made this sandwich the perfect compliment to an über hot July evening!

at a low simmer…
-R

home cooked for hump day…

With hump day upon us, what better way to lift our spirits than with a super delicious, home cooked meal!
After a trip to my favorite specialty food market and a chat with the fish monger… turned out that he had just received a shipment of some gorgeous monkfish… so that is just what I planned my meal around.
Once home, I wrapped my succulent fish in a pancetta hug and let it chill out in the fridge until it was time to cook! No salt, no pepper… just the pancetta was needed to infuse this filet with all the flavor it needed.
To cook, a searing hot cast iron pan was lightly coated with olive oil and the fish gently placed into it and cooked for three minutes. A quick turn and then it was into the oven for ten minutes on 425… out came a perfectly cooked monkfish with crispy pancetta.
As a side to this meal, some beautifully roasted sweet potato to play against the saltiness of the pancetta.
Light and flaky, full of wondrous flavors… I definitely recommend getting your hands on monkfish [or other firm white fish] and giving this dish a whirl!

at a low simmer…
-R