Monkfish is a truly hideous fish. But don't judge a book by its cover. Beneath its rather repulsive exterior, the fish has a dense, pinkish-gray flesh, smooth and silky. When cooked, the fish has a firm, slightly chewy texture and a mild, clean flavor, laced with a hint of sweetness. Totally delicious.

I had some preserved summer tomato and eggplant sauce in my fridge. I decided I would make a stew of sorts. I love simmering cauliflower in tomato sauce, so I picked up a small head with tight, white florets. I grabbed some peppers, some onions, some garlic and a bunch of cilantro. This was starting to sound like a really yummy sauce for pasta, but I wanted to keep this dinner carb-free. So I picked up a spaghetti squash to substitute for noodles. 

Wow. What a simple, healthy and delicious meal. A hearty, earthy stew with big, tender chunks of the delectable monkfish, sweet pepppers and onions, and a burst of bright flavor from the cilantro. Served over a bed of olive oil dressed spaghetti squash, it made the perfect weeknight dinner. I can't wait to make this dish again. Monkfish, who knew?

Monkfish Stew with Peppers, Onions and Spaghetti Squash

2 Servings

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb cleaned monkfish filet, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets

1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes, or to taste

1 green or red pepper, thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 cups tomato sauce

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 small spaghetti squash

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds. Roast squash until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool, then use a fork to scrape out the insides into spaghetti-like strands. Toss squash with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a thin film of olive oil over medium heat. Add the peppers, onions and garlic and saute for about 4 minutes. Add hot pepper flakes and cook another minute or so. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes, lowering the heat as necessary to prevent the bottom of the pan from burning. Add a splash of water if the pan seems to be getting brown. Cook until the cauliflower is almost tender. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer in a saucepan large enough to hold the monkfish, and the cauliflower. Season the monkfish with salt and pepper and add to the tomato sauce. Add about a cup of water to loosen the tomato sauce and return to a simmer. Cook the monkfish for about 3 minutes, and then add the cauliflower, pepper and onion mixture. Simmer until the monkfish is cooked through, about 10 minutes total cooking time. Add chopped cilantro and stir.

Serve monkfish stew over a bed of spaghetti squash, preferably with some hearty wholegrain bread on the side to sop up the delicious sauce.

I had never cooked with Baby Octopus before Chopped. And if you, like me, are not a big Octopus fan, you could easily substitute this with another seafood--scallops or clams would be particularly yummy. If you're not into lime pickle either, you could swap it out for a whole lot of lemon and/or lime juice and zest, and maybe even some cornichons to give it a little more bite.

The judges had issues with the fact that the dish didn't have enough texture. Ted Allen suggested to me that this would be great on a crostini--a great solution. You can serve the bread on the side, or just mix everything together and put in on top.

Warning: I have not made this recipe since I created it on Chopped! So it is an untested recipe. Let me know if I missed something or if this is totally awful!

BABY OCTOPUS WITH LIME PICKLE, SCALLIONS AND SWISS CHARD

Serves 4

1/2 lb cleaned Baby octopus, chopped into small-ish pieces

1/4 cup chopped lime pickle (include the sauce and whole bits of the pickle)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tbs. minced red onion

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

1 small bunch swiss chard, cleaned, ribs removed, and roughly chopped

3 baby red skinned potatoes, cut into small dice

1/2 cup chicken stock 

White wine vinegar, to taste

Salt and Pepper

1 tbs. butter

1 baguette, cut into thick slices and fried in butter and olive oil

Boil the potatoes until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Combine the octopus with the lime pickle, about 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the red onion. Season with salt and pepper and set aside for at least 10 minutes (up to 30 min) to marinate.

Meanwhile, heat a small pan up with 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs. of the remaining olive oil. Toss in the cooked, diced potatoes and cook for about 5-10 minutes until browned and crispy. Remove potatoes and set aside. Return pan to heat and add 2 tbs. olive oil. Add the sliced scallion, saute for about 1 minute and then add the swiss chard. Saute for about 1 minute, then add chicken stock and simmer for about 5 minutes. Drizzle with white wine vinegar to taste and set aside.

Place a large saute pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the octopus mixture and saute, stirring constantly, for about 1 1/2 minutes. Taste the octopus to see if it is done--it should be tender, just cooked through. Be careful not to overcook it; it can quickly become tough and rubbery. When the octopus is done, add the potatoes and mix to combine.

Place the swiss chard on a plate (or crostini) and top with the octopus mixture. Sprinkle with some fresh herbs, if you've got them, and some crunchy sea salt. 

Serves approximately 6 people:

• 12 Asparagus 
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 bunch radishes
• A large handful of arugula
• 6 farmer's market eggs
• Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• Salt and pepper

Chop up cucumber and radish however you please--I sliced them into thin disks, but you could julienne them, or make them into small-ish chunks. Roughly chop arugula. Mix it all together.

Cut asparagus in half and saute in olive oil until just cooked. Season and set aside.

Make vinaigrette by combining tarragon, shallots, mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Crack each egg into an individual ramekin or small bowl. Heat about an inch of olive oil in a shallow pan over medium heat. The eggs should sizzle slightly when they hit the oil, but they should could gently--not fry. Slip eggs into the pan and let cook for about 30 seconds, until the whites begin to set. If the eggs are not submerged in the oil (mine weren't), use a spoon to turn the white over the yolk (basically, it should LOOK like a poached egg). Cook for about 3-4 minutes in the oil, until the yolk is lightly set. If you remove the eggs and find they are not done enough, put them in the oven for a few minutes until they are done to your liking.

Toss the radish, cucumber and arugula with enough dressing to coat. Put in the center of a plate and top with the poached egg. Sprinkle with some crunchy sea salt. Place asparagus on top of the egg and drizzle with some more viniagrette. 

Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4

1 lb of big Brussels Sprouts, quartered

Canola Oil

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Heat Canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. I don't usually measure the temperature of the oil--just make sure it is very hot! You can do this by testing a single Sprout leaf. If you put it in and it just sits limply in the pan, the oil is not ready. If it immediately starts frying and turns black, the oil is too hot. If it begins to gently fry and brown, you're good to go.

Take a big handful of Sprouts and toss them in the pan. STAND BACK. The oil will sizzle and pop violently. If you have a splatter guard, have it ready to go as soon as you toss in the Sprouts.

After about a minute or so, take a peak. The Brussels should be browning and the edges should have started to curl. Give it another minute or so. They should be golden brown. If they are not browning, you've probably put too many in at once. Take some out and set aside. The ones that are left in the pan should begin to crisp up.

Take out the Brussels and drain them on a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle generously with salt and the grated Parmesan. Let cool a little and then enjoy!

You can add many things to this dish, which I plan to do for my next attempt...Fried garlic, crispy pancetta, truffle oil.... 

Pasternack is absolutely right. This dish is delicious and is as meaty as any classic meat-based Bolognese. Serve this to your guests and prepare to blow their minds when you divulge your great secret. 

Spaghetti with Tuna Bolognese:

2 lbs fresh tuna scraps or steaks, cut into large chunks

10 ounces Pancetta, cut into medium dice 

6 ounces Mackerel, cut into large chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bottle dry red wine (choose a good one here--you're using the whole bottle so it matters)

1 bay leaf

1/2 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy. I do.)

1 28 ounce-32 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand (juices reserved)

Salt and Pepper

1 lb. dried Spaghetti

1/2 lb Mascarpone Cheese

In a food processor, pulse the tuna, pancetta and mackerel until coarsely ground. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, or heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the ground tuna mixture and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring with a fork, until all the juices are dry and the bottom of the pan begins to brown, 7-12 minutes. It's important to use the fork to break the tuna mixture up as you go--you don't want any large chunks

Add the red wine, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and cinnamon stick and cook until dry, about 15 minutes.  Add the crushed tomatoes and their juice along with 1/2 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer, uncovered for 1 1/2-2 hours (I cooked it for at least 2). The sauce should be moist, not wet. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Discard the bay leaf and cinnamon stick.

Cook the pasta till al dente. Stir the mascarpone into the sauce and then mix with the pasta. Serve with some fresh ground pepper. 

This recipe is from Thomas Keller's wonderful new cookbook, Ad Hoc. Though it's great to grind your own meat, and it does make a difference in flavor and texture, it is not necessary. For the purposes of this recipe, I have assumed you will just buy ground meat from your butcher or supermarket. I have listed the actual cooking time and temperature for the meatballs as listed in Ad Hoc, but I found this was less than needed to cook the meatballs all the way through. Let me know what you think...

Homemade Meatballs

Recipe from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc, Copyright 2009 by Thomas Keller

Serves 4-6 people

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cup choped onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Kosher Salt and Pepper

12 ounces ground beef sirloin

12 ounces ground beef chuck

8 ounces ground pork butt

8 ounces ground veal shoulder or top round

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (homemade preferably)

3 tablepoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 large egg

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat. Cook gently for about 20 minutes, to soften the vegetables without browning them. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Add the onion and garlic, bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the egg to the meat and mix gently to incorporate evently; do not overwork the mixture. To check the seasoning, put a small patty of the meat on a plate and cook in the microwave for 30 seconds, then taste and add more salt if desired (I suggest you do this--it was totally worth it. That's me talking, by the way, not Thomas).

Divide the mixture into 12 equal balls, using a scant 1/2 cup (4 ounces) for each.

Cut the cheese into 12 cubes, abou 3/4 inch. shape the meatballs, stuffing a cube of cheese into the center of each one.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet.

Put the meatballs on the cooling rack and bake for 15-18 minutes, until cooked through but still juicy. Remove from the oven and let the meatballs rest on the rack for a few minutes before serving.

(Miss E note: serve with pasta, homemade or not, and thick tomato sauce, homemade or not)

Makes about 40 truffles 

Change to: truffles (approximately) US Metric

Serves 6 people (approximately 6 shrimp per person)

2 Lbs. Shell-on Large shrimp (16-20 Count). You could also go jumbo here, just cook the shrimp a little longer.

1 Large lemon

Yup, that's it.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously (when salting water for pretty much anything, the water should taste almost sea-like salty). Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the water, then drop the whole lemon in. Put shrimp in the pot and cook for 3 minutes (give it almost 4 minutes if using really gigantic shrimp), then remove shrimp and place in a bowl of cool water. When the shrimp are cool, peel (leave the tail on) and devein. Put in a container and keep in the fridge until ready to serve with your semi-homemade cocktail sauce. (can be made day ahead, or even two days ahead).

This recipe is guaranteed to make your guests love you forever. Making this recipe is all about cooking with love. Don't be too concerned with the measurements. It's going to be Delicious. My mother, known affectionately in my family as the "Brisket Queen," says in the recipe instructions that "proportions are vague, because life is vague. You will never be the brisket queen if you make it the same way twice. The only rule is not to follow the rules."

Serve the brisket with mashed or roasted potatoes and some sauteed zucchini, and ideally some thickly sliced challah that you can use to sop up the sauce at the end of the meal.  

Serves 6 people

3-4 lbs. of First Cut Beef Brisket
Flour, for coating the brisket
1 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tbs. tomato paste
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (or red, or shallots--whatever you've got around)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of dry red wine
1 bay leaf
Beef bouillon (ok, my mom and I differ here--I like to use homemade beef stock instead...so it's your choice!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large, heavy skillet or casserole dish (must have cover) over medium high heat. Add a thin film of olive oil (and I like to put in a small pat of butter...butter makes things better!). Place flour in a shallow dish. Season meat generously with salt and pepper and then dredge the meat in flour.

When oil is hot but not smoking, brown the meat on both sides, about 10 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove meat and set aside. Reduce heat to medium.

Add chopped carrots, onions and garlic to the pan (add a little more olive oil if the pan is very dry). Stir well, scraping up brown bits on the bottom of the pan. After about 10 minutes, when the onion is wilted, add the red wine and raise the heat. Let it boil almost completely away.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 2-3 cubes of beef bouillon (or about 1 cup of beef stock) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Taste the sauce. Add more crushed tomato if you feel it is too beefy, or more bouillon if it is too tomato-y. In my mother's recipe it also says to: "consider sugar if you're feeling tearful."

Return the meat to the pot and bring to a boil. The meat should be mostly covered with sauce. Cover and place in oven. Cook for about 3 hours, until the meat is fork tender. Turn the meat every hour or so, "splattering the oven artistically" every time you do.

When the meat is done. Remove from the gravy and allow to cool before slicing. Slice about 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices, against the grain. Put the meat on a platter if serving immediately, preferably a platter that "started life in your grandmother's kitchen," or in a shallow container if using later (meat can be made up to 3 days in advance, or frozen for up to 2 months). Top with sauce. Admire your masterpiece and serve to your very lucky guests.

If you are lucky enough to go fishing and catch yourself a Bluefish, then that would be fantastic here. But you can use another firm, small-ish whole fish, like a Red Snapper or a small Striped Bass.

Serves about 4 people

1 whole fish, cleaned, gutted, scaled, etc.
1 packed cup parsley, stems and all
1 packed cup basil, stems and all
1 lemon, cut in half
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

You want a medium hot fire here, so if you're using a charcoal grill, build a medium fire, or just turn your gas grill to medium.

Score the fish: make three slits on each side. This helps the fish cook more evenly. Season the inside of the fish with salt and pepper. Rub the fish, inside and out with the olive oil, and season the outside of the fish with salt and pepper. Stuff the belly of the fish with the parsley, basil and lemon halves.

Oil the grill rack so the fish doesn't stick. Place the fish on the grill and grill for about 8 minutes on one side, or till the skin is charred and flesh looks white and cooked through. Turn the fish over and cook the other side for about the same amount of time.

Remove fish from grill. It's ok if it's sticks a little. Just use a spatula to scrape any sticking skin off the grill.

Squeeze a little lemon juice over the fish and serve.