Haddock in a Creamy Sauce with Balsamic Grilled Veggies

As a Catholic you are supposed to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent.  So this being the first Friday in Lent, I was looking for a new recipe to try out.  My husband had picked up some haddock and large portobello mushrooms so that was my inspiration for tonight's dinner.  He suggested I grill the mushrooms - which I was also thinking of - and I wanted to try something new with the haddock.  Both things turned out really great.  My husband scarfed down his food so fast I wish I had made more so we'd have leftovers.  Even my LO liked it all (except the red pepers - which I sort of expected), but surprised me by eating the mushrooms.  Of course, we had to put ketchup on the side to dip the fish in near the end.

So here is what I came up with!  Both of my recipes are inspired from some recipes found on the Canadian Living website.

Haddock with a Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 to 1-1/4 cup chicken stock
1 onion, minced
3-4 (about 500g) haddock fillets (we had frozen ones that I took out to thaw when I started my prep, and were not fully thawed when I started cooking them)
2 tsp dried dill
Pepper
1/2 (250g) pkg cream cheese, cubed

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, bring the chicken stock, 1/4 cup water, onion  and dill to a boil; let simmer for a few minutes.
2. Lower heat and arrange haddock fillets over the onion mixture.  Season with pepper.  Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until fish flakes easily.  During this time, baste the tops of the fillets with cooking liquid 1-2 times.
3. Transfer the fish to a plate with a slotted spoon (it will break apart very easily). Keep it warm.
4. Increase heat and boil the liquid for another couple of minutes.  Stir in cheese, whisking constantly until smooth and it starts to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.  Season with more dill if necessary.
5. Spoon over fish and serve wam.

Balsamic Grilled Veggies

Ingredients:
3-4 portobello mushrooms
1-2 red peppers
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried thyme
pinch of salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (or Asiago)

Directions:
1. Cut off the thick stems, leaving about 1/2" attached to the cap.  Cut the peppers into quarters or sixths (depending on the size) so you have large pieces.
2. Place mushrooms smooth side up in a large shallow baking dish.  Place peppers around it.
3.  In a small bowl combine all the other ingredients except the cheese.  Pour over the veggies, turning and brushing to coat evenly.  Let it stand for at least 15 minutes.
4. Reserve the marinade.  Place the mushrooms and peppers, smooth side down on a greased grill over medium-high heat.  I used my Griddler, so I closed the lid and grilled them from both sides (it will cook faster).  Grill over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, opening occasionally to brush veggies with the reserved marinade.  If you are using a regular grill (or BBQ), close the lid and grill for about 5 minutes then turn over for another 5 minutes or so.
5.  Cook until the veggies are tender, and the mushrooms yield to the touch when pressed.
6. Sprinkle with cheese and let the cheese melt.
7. Serve warm.

Mushroom Risotto & Grilled Chicken

Tonight's dinner came together in about an hour.  I have been wanting to make this for some time now and my nonna gave me chicken broth on Sunday, so it gave me the perfect opportunity.  You can use whatever broth/stock you have on hand.  First get the stock heating up, set up the chicken to marinate and then get on to the rest of the risotto recipe!

It turned out so delicious that we scarfed it down, almost forgetting to take a picture.  And we had to stop ourselves from eating it all up tonight so we'd have some leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

1 pkg (227g) sliced mushrooms (put more if you like)
5-6 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1-3/4 cup arborio (risotto) rice
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or do a mix of Parmesan and Asiago)

Directions:

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a pan, then reduce the heat and keep simmering gently over low heat while you cook the risotto.
2. Chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces.   Heat 2-3 tbsp butter in a frying pan.  Add the mushrooms and fry for 1-2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat.
3.  Heat the olive oil and 2 tbsp. butter in a large, heavy-bottom pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, until softened.
4. Reduce the heat, add the rice, and mix to coat in oil and butter. (If it seems really dry or sticking a lot, add some more butter or oil.) Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, or until the grains are translucent.
5.  Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until reduced.
6. Gradually add the hot stock, a ladelful at a time.  Stir constantly and add more liquid as the rice absorbs each addition.  Increase the heat to medium so that the liquid bubbles.  Cook for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy. (You may find that the rice is cooked, but you still have some stock leftover; that is okay.)
7. Add the mushroom/garlic mixture when you have about one ladleful of stock left. Season with salt and pepper and add remaining stock if necessary.
8. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1 tbsp butter and the Parmesan cheese.
9. Serve immediately and grate some Asiago cheese over top.

Grilled Greek-Style Chicken

Ingredients:

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
The juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp dried thyme **
1 tsp dried parsley **
1/2 tsp dried oregano **
1 tsp garlic powder **
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine lemon juice and spices in a medium bowl.  Place chicken breasts in bowl to marinate in the juice and seasoning.  Let it sit for at least 5 minutes, but longer is better. (Discard the juice when you cook the chicken.)
2. Meanwhile preheat your grill over medium-high heat.  (I like to use my Griddler indoors, but a BBQ is always great.)  Spray the grill with cooking spray or oil.
3. Cook on the prepared grill until the breasts are no longer pink inside and juices run clear, about 10-15 minutes per side.  If you are using a grill like the Griddler and closing the lid, you will probably only need about 10 minutes, but will cook the breasts in 2 batches.

For an extra burst of flavor, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over each breast.  For extra juiciness, place a dollop of butter on the breasts as you cook them.
**I never really measure my spices.  I just sprinkle them in until it looks like there's enough!**