Tilapia with Kale and Mushrooms

Here is another recipe which I made in my new Le Creuset pot. This is a very quick and easy one pot meal and very satisfying. I couldn't stop eating the kale, which is my new favorite vegetable. Again the amounts are approximate.

Ingredients
2 tilapia fillets
1T olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 small sweet spanish onion
1 bunch of kale chopped (about 4-5 cups)
2 portabello caps sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 C to 3/4 C white wine


Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium dutch oven or stock pot. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the kale and cook until wilted, stirring frequently to distribute onion and garlic throughout kale.
2. Add the portabello caps and mix to distribute. Add the wine. Place the tilapia fillets on top of the kale mixture and cover pan. Simmer until tilapia is done and flakes easily. Make sure to serve with some of the juices from the pan poured over.

My new Le Creuset

I've been working at Williams Sonoma during the holiday season, which was wonderful by the way, and very quickly began to covet the beautiful Le Creuset cast iron pots that we were selling. I finally couldn't resist anymore when we I saw this lovely yellow pot on sale. I had to have it. I have been cooking with it every night since and I am convinced the food tastes better. I noticed specifically that my onions didn't burn or stick to the pan and cooked very evenly. Plus it is such a romantic pot to cook in. It makes me feel a little bit like I am in the French countryside. Here is the recipe I made tonight. The amounts are approximate so don't be afraid to improvise or change to suit your tastes.
P.S. I also got a yogurt maker which at this moment is in the process of incubating my very first batch of homemade yogurt. Unfortunately, I noticed after I filled the cups and set the machine that some of the culture didn't dissolve in the milk, so I am hoping that enough got in to create a acceptable yogurt. I will keep you posted.

Shrimp and Vegetable Stew with Pesto

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
1 small/medium sweet spanish onion
3-4 T prepared pesto (see recipe below)
2 cups canned diced tomatoes with juice (I used tutta rosa with natural basil flavor)
1 c vegetable broth
20 medium shrimp, thawed, peeled with the tails removed
2 small zucchini, cut into quarter length-wise and the diced
1 portabello mushroom cap diced into 1/2 inch pieces
whole wheat pasta cooked as per package (optional)

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a medium stock pot. Add onion and saute on medium heat until translucent. Add tomatoes with some of the juice from the can and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat so that it is simmering rapidly.
2. Mix in the pesto, the shrimp, the zucchini and the mushroom. Cook until shrimp are pink and tails are curled and zucchini is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on its own or over whole wheat pasta.

Pesto (from Prevention's Quick and Healthy Low-Fat Cooking Featuring Cuisines from the Mediterranean)

2 Cups loosely packed basil leaves
4 cloves garlic chopped
2 T pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Put the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and process to until finely chopped. Remove from processor to a bowl and mix in olive oil and cheese. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a month.