Sometimes I Surprise Myself

If it seems that I haven’t been posting much that I’ve actually cooked recently, there’s a good reason for that.  I haven’t been very impressed with a lot of the things I’ve cooked lately.  August, as you may recall, was ridiculous.  School started a couple weeks ago and, contrary to my expectations (I’m being serious here), I’m super busy.

So, a lot of the meals I’ve cooked have been off of this list of last minute meals, although they’re not really last minute, they’re actually part of my meal plan.  When I’m not making fast, easy meals, I’ve been making new recipes that have generally not rocked my world (though nothing’s been awful either).

But last week, I surprised myself.

The above picture, which does not do justice to the deliciousness of the meal, includes homemade fish sticks, lemon risotto with summer squash, and steamed CSA broccoli.

I’ve made breaded fish before, but this was one of the best fish recipes ever I’ve made.  And it was incredibly simple.  I bought cod loins (who knew cod had loins!) which were a bit firmer and thicker than the cheap fish filets I usually buy.  I followed the instructions pretty closely,  cutting the fish into pieces, letting them soak in the milk for a few minutes and dredging them in Italian breadcrumbs.  The cooking time and temperature initially seemed too long and hot to me, but it turned out to be perfect.  The fish was flaky and moist and delicious.

I cannot say enough good things about the lemon risotto with summer squash.  I think lemon zest may be my new favorite ingredient and it completely made the dish.  The pound of summer squash looks like way too much at first, but after the rice is cooked it’s the perfect amount.  In other news, this was the first “real” risotto I’d ever made and it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I’d been lead to believe.  I stirred it occasionally, but not constantly, and added liquid when it seemed right.  I’m sure it wasn’t technically perfect risotto consistency, but it seemed perfect to us.

Either served together or individually, I highly recommend these recipes.  The fish sticks will probably be added to the regular fish recipe rotation and I’m looking forward to making risotto again.  Or recipes with lemon zest.