Roasted Whitefish on Peas

I made this for dinner one night this past week.  I got the idea from Stacey Snacks, but I modified it a little to make it grain-free and simplified it a bit in terms of ingredients.  This was seriously one of the fastest dinners I've ever made.  And it was tasty, healthy, and versatile.  Stacey used cod in her recipe, but I used some Lake Huron whitefish that my aunt's boyfriend caught, filleted, froze, and gave to us.  You could use any kind of fish, really.  And any kind of frozen veggie would work, as well.  Use your favorite seasonings and some olive oil, roast, and voila!  A deliciously fast and simple dinner! 

Roasted Whitefish on Peas

whitefish fillets
frozen peas
garlic powder
salt
pepper
olive oil

Pour out some frozen peas onto a baking sheet or casserole dish.  Sprinkle some olive oil and seasonings on the peas and mix up.  Lay the fish fillets over top of the peas.  Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. 

Roast in a 475F oven for 12-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.


This post is linked to:
Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist
Grain-Free Tuesdays at Hella Delicious
Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

I have discovered that I love split pea soup.  So does Kevin.  Carson tolerates it.  I wouldn't say he loves it, but he does eat it without too many complaints.  :)  I've tried a few different recipes for split pea soup.  One of which I posted a while back.  Since then, I've tried a couple others, one of which I found on A Year of Slow Cooking, which seems to be our favorite.  I don't make it exactly the same way each time, it just depends what I have on hand, but its generally the same.  It doesn't look too appetizing, which is why I always thought I wouldn't like it, but it is seriously delicious!  And its a great, easy meal to throw in the crockpot and let it cook all day.  I usually make this when I have leftover ham.  I have never tried it with bacon, but I'm guessing it'd be pretty good with bacon, too.  We like a more veggies in ours, so I usually double the amount of veggies that Stephanie recommends when I make it... I've posted it the way I make it below. 

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

16oz package of dried split peas
1 yellow onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups diced carrot
1 cup leftover ham or bacon, diced
ham hock or ham bone if you have them
4 cups broth/stock
1 cup water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

I soak split peas the way I do lentils.  Cover them with water and add about 2 Tablespoons of whey.  Let them soak for about 7 or 8 hours, rinse them, and they're ready to go. 

Dump the peas, diced vegetables, ham/bacon, broth, and water into the crockpot.  Add the salt and pepper.  If you are using a ham hock or bone, add that now.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 4-6. Mine almost always cooks 12-13 hours on low.

If you used a ham hock or bone, scrape off any remaining meat and discard the bone.  Use an immersible hand blender to make your soup a bit more creamy and to have an even consistency.  I usually only do a few pulses of the blender so we still have a good bit of chunk with our veggies and ham in the soup.

Pesto Pea Salad

I saw this recipe on my SIL's blog almost a year ago now and have wanted to make it, but I always forget about it. We almost always have all of the ingredients on hand on any given day, so I can't believe it has taken me this long to make it. But like I said, I always forget about it. So anyway, I finally made this for our lunch today since I didn't have anything planned since we were thinking we'd be out in Holland. This salad actually popped into my brain as I was thinking of what kind of salad to make for lunch. This was delicious! And super simple and fast to put together. I think I will probably be taking this salad on a regular basis for my lunches. I didn't have any cooked chicken in the fridge, but it'd be great with chicken and other veggies, too.

Pesto Pea Salad

2 cups of frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp. crispy pine nuts
2 1/2 cups baby salad greens
grated parmesan (I forgot to put this on, but it was delicious without it!)
4 Tbsp. pesto, recipe follows (I used some that I had frozen last year)

To assemble, place the spinach leaves in a salad bowl. Sprinkle the peas and pignolis over the spinach. Add the pesto and toss. Top with cheese.

Pesto:
1/4 cup crispy walnuts
1/4 cup crispy pine nuts
3 Tbsp. diced garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.