Pea and Peanut Salad. Really.

OK people, for my second recipe today, I will post the EASIEST RECIPE I'VE EVER POSTED.  Four ingredients.  No cooking.  A moderately-well-trained gibbon could make this recipe.  And yet, it is routinely the most-requested recipe from my family's large Christmas party.  This baffles the whole family, but, I guess, sometimes simple is good!

Also, this recipe makes a whole lot of peas.  Make it for a group.  Or make sure you're reeeeally hungry!

• 6lbs Frozen peas
• 1 large red onion, chopped fine
• 1 large jar of dry-roasted peanuts
• Just enough Miracle Whip to get it to stay together 

1. MIX TOGETHER IN A BOWL!  Really.  It is that easy.  You don't even have to thaw the peas.  Make sure to store in the fridge.

Panko & Mustard Haddock - Quick and Easy (and Healthy)!

So folks, remember how I said I was going to post more often? Heh. About that... I swear, I'm not consciously shirking by responsiblogities... Life gets in the way sometimes.

Anyhoo, yesterday, after a long day at work, I was to swing by the grocery store on the way home and pick up some salmon for dinner. Evidently, and I feel like I should have known this, salmon isn't in season right now, because it was like $14/pound, even for the farm-raised, non-organic type. Thus, I surveyed my options - and it being 10 minutes before the fish counter closed for the night, I surveyed them quickly:

Snapper? meh
Cod? cheap, but obviously previously frozen and didn't look especially good
Tilapia? might as well eat paper. flavorless. funless.
Catfish? too fatty/oily/stanky
Haddock?

Hmm... Haddock... An easy-to-love, mild, white ocean fish, this haddock was line-caught in Iceland, which is listed as sustainably-fished on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website (which I strongly encourage any seafood fans to check out)! And $5.99/lb? Perfect!

I purchased 4 fillets, grabbed some asparagus to roast as a side dish, and headed home. While at a red light, I called home and told the fam to find the broiler pan and turn the oven to 400 degrees. And then I cooked:

• 4- 1/2lb haddock fillets
• ~1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
• 1 tsp rosemary leaves, chopped fine (fresh is best, dried is fine)
• ~1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• ~2 Tbs Grated Parmesan cheese
• Non-stick spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the bottom of a broiler pan with tinfoil, and spray the top section with non-stick spray. NB: Whenever I bake fish, I prefer to do it on a broiler pan, so that the fish doesn't sit in liquid while it cooks.
2. Pat the fish dry, and lay it skin-side-down on the broiler pan. Spread the mustard thinly over the fish. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary.
3. Sprinkle Panko and Parmesan on fish, until the fillets are just covered. The mustard should make it stick to the fish. Spray the Panko-covered fish lightly with non-stick spray.
4. Cook at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until the Panko is lightly browned. Serve hot.
   

Classy Nachos... Really.

OK folks. There is not a single person out there who can tell me they don't like nachos. Everyone likes nachos. Even people who've given up carbs, dairy, meat, and fun love nachos. It is social food at its best: Simple, accessible, and communal.

Which makes these nachos the perfect thing to serve at your Superbowl gathering!

What's that you say? You're worried about chili dripping on your hand-knotted Tibetan rug?

FEAR NOT! There is no chili in these nachos. In fact, really, these are barely nachos. What they are is classy and excessively easy. Two ingredients easy. Really.

• 1 bag sweet potato chips (I prefer the Terra brand)
• 1 tub Blue Cheese crumbles

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Pour chips into oven-safe container (I use either a 9x9 Pyrex or 13x9 Pyrex, depending on the amount of chips).
3. Spread cheese evenly over chips, making sure some gets into the bottom layers of chips.
4. Bake for ~10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Yes. Seriously. It is that easy. And tasty.

OK, if you absolutely have to make it more complicated, I suppose some caramelized onions would be delish. But that's it!

Sundried Tomato Pesto Palmieres (Elephant Ears)

I was in the mood to cook a tasty morsel today... Something that tastes like it took forever, but didn't. These fit the bill perfectly.

• 1 Sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 4 oz Sun-dried tomatoes, with their oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Pignoli (pine) nuts, lightly toasted
• Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Roll thawed puff pastry on floured surface until it is an even thickness, and approximately 18" long and 10" wide.
2. In food processor, combine tomatoes (and their oil), cheese, nuts, and garlic powder. Pulse to chop.
3. With the food processor running, drizzle in olive oil until a thick, uniform paste is achieved.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spread into an even and thin layer on the puff pastry.
6. Fold long edges to middle, so that you have an 18" long, double layer of puff pastry stuffed with your pesto, with an open seam running lengthwise down the center. A cross-section should look like a used staple.
7. Fold in half once more, creating an 18" long, 4-layer tube. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up.
8. Remove plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, make 1/4" slices and place on lightly greased baking sheet (parchment paper would also work).
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy. Remove from sheet immediately. Enjoy warm, or let cool on cooling rack and store in air-tight container.