That troubling question, “what’s for dinner?” troubles no more! Of late I’m feeling quite confident about answering this question, having built up a decent repertoire of main dishes for the family.
Here’s a list of entrées that are getting us through the dinner hour with ease:
- Chicken Parm
- Chicken Piccata
- Rosemary Apple Chicken
- Peach Chicken
- Cod Piccata
- Fish Sticks
- Salmon with Olive Anchovy Tapenade
- Salmon with Tomato Basil Relish
- Pasta with Parsley Pesto and Sundried Tomatoes
- Sesame Noodles
I can see that the seafood department needs a bit of work, we are definitely chicken heavy. However, this chicken “heaviness” probably reflects the fact that my favorite taste tester (husband) loves chicken and eats seafood mostly under duress. He is basically a meat and potatoes kind of guy and has been amazing about compromising and eating more kid friendly foods and things that work well for me.
I make adjustments as well. When we have chicken parm, I bake mine in a separate dish, omitting the cheese. While this might not seem monumental, it is for me, a former cheese-a-holic. I’ve now been completely dairy-free for almost a year.
Even the boys compromise, eating their share of “adult” foods. How does that work? I usually argue and negotiate with them for a bit, until ultimately they try what is in front of them. They are great sports and actually have learned to like the foods I serve.
Of course, there are nights when I simply make them a big bowl of mac-n-cheese with a side of broccoli while we eat salmon. However, if I can get my younger guy in my lap, he will usually try anything on my plate (food always tastes better when it’s on mom’s plate), then he’ll scoot back into his chair and ask for a helping of his own. That’s what happened recently when I made the dish below.
Adding one more option to the dinner menu, I recently converted my chicken piccata recipe into cod piccata. The capers and parsley complement this mild fish quite nicely and I often find myself slurping up the sauce and last slivers of fish with a soup spoon.
Cod Piccata
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds cod
- ½ cup blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon all purpose chef's shake
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons grapeseed oil or butter
- 1 cup chicken stock or Kettle & Fire Bone Broth
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup brined capers
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cut the cod into 6 pieces
- Mix together flour, salt and chef’s shake
- Rinse the cod pieces in water, then dredge thoroughly in flour mixture, until well coated
- Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil in a 9 inch skillet on medium high heat; add half of the cod pieces and brown well, about 3 minutes per side
- Transfer from skillet to a plate, and repeat with remaining cod
- Place plate of cod in warm oven while preparing the sauce
- Add chicken stock, lemon juice, and capers to skillet and use a metal spatula to loosen the browned bits and incorporate them into the sauce
- Reduce the sauce by half then Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of grapeseed oil
- Plate the cod, pour the sauce over it and sprinkle with parsley
- Serve
My original piccata recipe is based on one from simplyrecipes.com, a favorite site of mine. So to give credit where it is due, I must thank Elise! I love her recipes and ideas.
Tastespotting.com also keeps me creative during the dinner hour. I check out the beautiful photos on this blog daily. It is constantly updated, featuring the best recipes and pics from food blogs around the globe.
All in all, I am so thankful for the creativity of other bloggers and the abundance of organic, delicious food in my home!
Raya says
Oh my goodness, I absolutely love this! I added garlic, because I adore garlic and I must say– DELICIOUS! My husband has no gluten issues, but he’s always a fan of what a cook and is game for trying new things. He devoured it! I can definitely see this becoming a staple!
Ashley says
Oh my goodness this looks amazing! YUM and I LOVE capers!
Amy says
I also want to say that this recipe works well with Haddock too!
Amy says
This is so tasty, easy and quick to make. Thanks for your fabulous recipes.
jessi says
I have a daughter who is 9 years old, she recently battled a month long sickness loosing weight, stomach pains and constant GI probloms. I took her to the hospital several times and got no answears. After hours and hours of research I changed her diet to gluten free. She was already lactose intolerant.After several weeks of this lifestyle change we now know she feels better with this eating habit. Your website is a Godsend, with recipes like these I can cook one meal and keep my family of 6 happy. Thank you, this cod recipe even had my husband asking for more, un known to him that it was gluten free.
Mystique says
Your site is the best and the food looks really good. I want to get away from processed foods and your site is gonna help me do that. That way my family and I can be more healthier.
elana says
Khun Ying -Thanks so much for adding my site to the recipe directory.
Michelle My husband really enjoys this one, it’s a favorite of his.
Karen I think it would be fun one of these Wednesdays for all of us to meet up at the Farmer’s Market to get acquainted.
Karen says
I’m so happy to have found you! I live in Louisville, CO and have a child that is gluten-free and dairy-free. Your receipes look great, I can’t wait to give them a try!
Karen
michelle @ the smackdown says
fresh and tasty! i have a pound of cod in my freezer; my husband really wants to make fish and chips, but the recent sunny weather makes me want lighter food. i bet this would turn his head!
Khun Ying says
Hi Elana,
Very nice recipe blog. I just added it to this recipe directory.
Your readers and fans can vote for you by giving you a star. See you around! :)