a dinner date

While I love baking, I also love cooking dinner. There is nothing more relaxing to me than scouring the racks of my fridge and throwing together something delicious. These days I've been cooking a lot with my friends, or dining for one, as my #1 cooking partner in crime has been tied up in his busy season at work. Lucky for me (though probably luckier for him), my boyfriend just finished up his busy season, and now is free to cook with me again (I mean, I guess we could have cooked dinner at 2am together...but that's a bit too late for me). He loves food almost as much (if not more honestly) than I do, and loves to cook. Making dinner together is one of my favorite things to do, right after eating dinner together. 

On Saturday, after making our usual rounds at the farmer's market, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's, we ended up at home and ready to cook. Inspired by the delicious looking trout at Whole Foods, our dinner grew from there. We made an awesome broccoli slaw, a specialty that my mom and I have perfected over the years, along side some spiced brown rice. I have to say, it was delicious.

Spiced Trout with Broccoli slaw and Spiced Brown Rice

 1/2 cup short grain brown rice (you can use any variety here, I just like the puffy texture yet nutty flavor of short grain that it gets when cooked)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable stock

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

Bring ½ cup water and ½ cup vegetable stock to a boil in a small saucepan, before adding in ½ cup short grain brown rice

Cover and turn down to low so that the rice and water are simmering

After 30 minutes (check every so often to ensure that rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. If you find that the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, add in more), season rice with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika

Cover and allow all liquid to cook out. Rice should be puffy and soft, but still a bit nutty. Fluff and serve!

1/2 bag broccoli slaw (this stuff is great- kind of like coleslaw, except made of shredded broccoli stems; I like the Trader Joe's brand which also has carrots in the mix)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp agave nectar

2 tsp mustard (I used Dijon, but Honey or any other of your choice would work as well)

A good splash of apple cider vinegar

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Pour half a bag of broccoli slaw into a large bowl

In a small bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, agave nectar, 2 mustard, and a splash of apple cider vinegar

Whisk these together until emulsified, and pour over the slaw

Sprinkle on salt, pepper, celery salt, and sesame seeds

Toss well slaw so that all of the slaw is dressed before covering

Let sit for at least 30 minutes, covered to allow slaw to marinate fully

the seasoned fish

Two fillets of trout

1/2 tsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper, to taste 

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp celery salt

Rinse off trout fillets, and remove any remaining scales or bones

In keeping with the other spices used, season the trout with salt, pepper, paprika, celery salt

Heat oil in a pan on high before placing fish skin side down into the pan (the fish should sizzle once it hits the pan)

Cook the fish, skin side down for 2-3 minutes before flipping the fish over, and turning the heat down to medium to finish cooking

The fish should take about 5 minutes total to cook through (trout is a pretty thin fish, though the thicker the fish, the longer it will take to cook)

Once fish is no longer translucent and has a nice white flesh, with a slightly browned crust, take it out of the pan

Enjoy!

did someone say dinner?