I love Luby's. It seems to be one of those polarizing places that people either love or hate. I grew up with almost weekly family meals at Luby's, and I still lament the fact that I don't go there more often even though it's changed over the years. This fish is a nod to my favorite dish there, the almondine fish. It's simple, delicious and easy :)
Herb Panko Crusted Fish
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup oregano, chopped 
4-5 large basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups panko (or plain bread crumbs)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 pounds cod (or other firm white fish)
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat with the olive oil. Combine the oregano, basil, cheese, panko and salt and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and set aside. Place the flour in a shallow dish.
Season cod with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, then dunk in egg so that all of the fish is coated. Dredge in panko mixture so it is thoroughly coated. Place in cast iron skillet and cook 3-4 minutes, then flip. Place skillet in oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish is flaky and 145 degrees internally.
Serve with lemon wedges and with roasted potatoes and Lemon Oregano Asparagus (recipe below).
Lemon Oregano Asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound asparagus, woodsy ends removed and then sliced into 1-2 inch pieces
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a medium nonstick skillet on medium heat and warm oil. Place asparagus in skillet and saute 8 to 10 minutes. Add lemon zest, oregano and salt and pepper and cook another 2 minutes. Serve!
I got this delicious jalapeno cream cheese at the farmer's market and knew that it needed a special purpose. Paired with spicy Italian sausage, then tempered with a creamy sauce, this was a great contrast of flavors and textures. If you can't find jalapeno cream cheese, simply dice a jalapeno and add it with the mushrooms, then use plain cream cheese.
Spicy Sausage Vegetable Pasta
1 pound whole wheat pasta
1 pound asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cups marinara sauce
4 ounces jalapeno goat cheese
1/3 cup cream
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Place a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook 5 minutes. Add asparagus to pasta pot and cook additional 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking up into small pieces. Drain fat and set aside in a bowl. Warm the skillet again on medium and heat up the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook additional 3-4 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and cream cheese and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer another 3-4 minutes. Add sausage back to skillet, and then pour entire skillet mixture into the large pasta bowl. Add 3/4 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste and toss.
Serve with additional Parmesan on the table for sprinkling.
With pork tenderloin and asparagus on sale, this meal was a no-brainer. Simple for weeknights with go-to ingredients apples, blue cheese and mustard. Enjoy!
Apple and Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 apple, cut into thin slices
3 ounces crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butterfly your pork tenderloin with a sharp knife. Spread mustard on inside of the pork and then layer with apple slices and blue cheese. Fasten the pork tenderloin closed with kitchen twine or toothpicks and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the pork is 150 degrees, about 30 to 35 minutes. I served with roasted asparagus, which was seasoned with salt and pepper and tossed with olive oil and lemon juice.
...to get the March issue of Cooking Light. I tore through it last weekend, flagging about 15 recipes. Needless to say, every meal I made last week came straight from its pages. With that in mind, I wanted to share what I made last week since I didn't really create any of my own recipes!
1. Spicy Shrimp and Grits - this really was spicy and filling, and surprisingly good leftover. I think I went a little heavy on the parmesan, but it was worth it :)
2. Lamb and Chickpea Tagine - These were some unique flavors for me to use, and I even went a little heavier on the spice. Enjoyed with a zinfandel like they recommended, which was wonderful.
3. Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta and Pine Nuts - Simple, delicious, and we ate too much. I crisped the pancetta in a skillet instead of the oven and then cooked the garlic in the drippings for extra flavor - yum :)
4. Maple and Soy-Glazed Flank Steak - this was great since I already had all the sauce ingredients in my pantry. Word of warning though, when you add the glaze, make sure not to get it on the pan or it will burn when you broil it! I'd recommend adding the glaze after the steak is done cooking.
5. Austin, TX! That's right, my sassy city has been featured in this month's Cooking Light. I haven't tried any of the recipes included on the featured restaurants yet, but I'll definitely be giving Hoover's Eggs Blindfolded over Garlic Cheddar Grits a try soon :)
First off, let me apologize for my blogging hiatus. Yes, I am still alive :) Sometimes the cooking gets in the way of the blogging! That and an extended Easter weekend in Houston. Here's my sister and brother and law at the Gingerman in Rice Village being silly- fun times had by all!
Anyway, Easter was a pretty simple affair this year. Hash brown casserole, seared asparagus, grilled pineapple, and of course, ham. We like to get the huge ham for our small gatherings and then fight over the leftovers (I get as much as I can for new meals, and my brother in law Brian wants to get as many ham sandwiches out of it as possible). I came away with a pretty sizable bag of ham, which I happily dreamed up recipes for on my drive back to Austin.
First up, two massive Hawaiian pizzas after a long night of tennis. Thanks to my mom for buying a second pineapple so I could make this beauty!
Hawaiian Pizza
2 regular crust pizza doughs
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups munster cheese
4 cups ham, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups pineapple, diced
Roll out pizza dough on two large baking sheets. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over each pie, then sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Place 2 cups ham and 2 cups pineapple on each pie and bake about 18 minutes until the crust is golden. Enjoy!
Take two was a comforting fettuccine recipe with crisp asparagus- we all scarfed it down!
Ham and Asparagus Fettuccine
24 ounces dry fettuccine
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped off and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups ham, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch scallions, diced
8 fresh basil leaves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Place a large pot of water to boil, salt and add fettuccine. While fettuccine cooks, melt butter in a medium sauce pan, whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook over medium low heat until milk thickens, about 8 minutes. Stir in gruyere and set aside. Drain fettuccine.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add oil and saute asparagus about 5 minutes. Add ham and warm, then remove pan from heat. Add fettuccine, cheese sauce and salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine. Top with scallions, fresh herbs and parmesan cheese and toss. Serve and enjoy!
This month's Bon Appetit was really fabulous. I made a vow to work more with puff pasty, and voila! They had the most delicious looking recipe. I made a few tweaks based on what I had in the fridge, but it was a really tasty spring treat.
Mushroom and Asparagus Tarts
2 sheets frozen puff pasty, thawed
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, rinsed and sliced
12 ounces baby portabello mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound asparagus spears, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
Zest from 1 lemon
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Roll out pastry sheets and cut into 6 squares each and place on a baking sheet. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and leeks and saute 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and salt and pepper and cook additional 3 to 5 minutes. Place mushroom mixture in a bowl and refrigerate about 15 minutes. Toss in asparagus spears, lemon and cheese.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place mushroom asparagus mixture on each pastry square, leaving a 1/2 inch border on each. Bake tarts 20 to 22 minutes, rotating halfway through cooking time.
