Baked Cod, Turtle Bread, Eggplant Stacks

Baked Cod, Greek Style
Every once in awhile you have to change things up, right?  Our regular Friday night dinner has been Panko Crusted Pan-fried Cod for years!  This week we decided to try baked cod instead.  I found a great recipe for "Greek style" baked cod I think you'll like. 

2,  7-8 oz Cod filets
1/4 cup AP Flour
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Sweet Paprika
1 tsp Cumin
Juice of a Lemon
Same amount of EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, minced

Thaw and pat dry the cod.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Also, heat a skillet to medium or medium-high.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the flour and dry spices.  In another bowl whisk vigorously to combine the lemon juice and EVOO (I shake it together in a screw-top jar, actually).

Dredge the fish in the lemon/oil and then in the flour mixture.  Sear the fish on both sides, in a tablespoon of EVOO or Grapeseed oil.  Cook a couple minutes on each side to get the flour headed towards brown.  Transfer the fish to a baking dish.

Whisk the minced garlic into the lemon/oil mix and drizzle it over the fish.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until the coating has browned more.

Really good!  This one is a repeater for sure!  The fish stays wonderfully moist, and the flavored crust is very tasty.

Turtle Bread Test
Sally is going to a baby shower, where the theme is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!   So this is my test bake of a turtle bread that will have the shell removed and the inside filled with chef-made spinach dip.  When I serve, the turtle will be swimming on a (sea)bed of crackers for dipping.  The basic bread recipe and turtle idea is from Betty Crocker.

3 cups AP Flour
1 pkt Quick Active Dry Yeast

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2/3 cup Water

2/3 cup Milk

1 Tbsp Butter or Margarine

1 Egg, beaten

2 Raisins

In large bowl, mix 1-1/2 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt; set aside.

In a microwave safe container combine the water, milk and butter, and nuke for about 30 seconds to warm the liquid (125-130F) and soften the butter. Add this to the flour/yeast blend and fold to combine.

Add the beaten egg to the mix.

Stir in the remaining flour, and additional milk/water as needed to make the dough come together. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough about 5 minutes or until smooth and springy. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes in a warm place.

Meanwhile, grease or spray a baking sheet and pre-heat the oven to 400F.

Shape a 2-inch piece of dough into a ball for the turtle’s head. Shape 4 walnut-size pieces of dough into balls for feet, and 1 walnut-size piece into a tail. Shape the remaining dough into a large ball for the turtle body.

Place the body on the baking sheet and flatten slightly. Attach the head, feet and tail by placing a pulled out bit of each, and tucking the 'tab' under the edge of the body. Press raisins into the head for eyes. Cover and let rise in warm place for 20 minutes.

Make 1/4-inch-deep circular cut around top edge of body to define the edge of the shell, then make crisscross cuts to look like a turtle's shell. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

For my dip holder, I sliced the shell off and hollowed out the body of the turtle to make the container. For presentation, I put the shell back on top before setting it on the buffet table.

Eggplant Stacks
I realized I hadn't made these is quite some time; so it was time to eat and share them again.  This is basically Eggplant Parmesan done as individual servings.

Eggplant
Beefsteak Tomato
Italian Seasoning
Marinara Sauce
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella or other melting cheese
Breadcrumbs or Panko

Slice the eggplant into rounds, spritz both sides with EVOO, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  You'll want three 3/4" thick slices per person.   Lay the slices out on a baking sheet and broil them for 3-5 minutes per side, until they are just browning but still firm.   Remove and reserve.

In a baking dish, lay down one round of eggplant for each person.  Add some breadcrumbs, a bit of Parmesan, and some marinara.  Top that with a slice of tomato.  Add a second slice of eggplant, more breadcrumbs, marinara, and a slice of cheese.  Add the third slice of eggplant, more crumbs, marinara, and parm.    Repeat for each serving -- three slices separated by breadcrumbs, marinara, and either sliced tomato or sliced cheese.

Bake the stacks at 350F for about 20 minutes until the cheeses are all melted and everything looks scrumptious.  Serve with a nice side salad.