Fish and Fennel Stew, Bon Appetit

A few weeks ago, after the boyfriend and I went on a rambling 5 mile run (well, I puttered along "running" while he briskly walked- he's much taller than I am), I pulled together this fish and fennel stew from Bon Appetit.

I used catfish, which I found on super sale at Goodrich's. I used plain Greek yogurt instead of creme fraiche, because creme fraiche is essentially nonexistent in Lansing, Michigan.

It was a perfectly satisfying, quick, and relatively healthy dinner. The potatoes gave it a bit of bulk, which we needed as we were famished after our exercise.

Fish Stew with Fennel and Baby Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 8 oz. small waxy potatoes (such as baby Yukon Gold), scrubbed, sliced ¼” thick
• ½ medium fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ¼ cup crème fraîche
• 1½ pound skinless flounder or fluke fillet, cut into 2” pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Lemon wedges (for serving)

Nutritional Information

Calories (kcal) 380 Fat (g) 19 Saturated Fat (g) 4 Cholesterol (mg) 90 Carbohydrates (g) 15 Dietary Fiber (g) 2 Total Sugars (g) 1 Protein (g) 34 Sodium (mg) 280

PREPARATION

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook potatoes, tossing occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add fennel and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is soft, about 2 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes.
• Add 2 cups water to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10–12 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche. Add flounder, cover pot, and reduce heat. Simmer until fish is cooked through, about 4 minutes.
• Stir dill into stew; season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Venison and roasted veg

A few nights ago at yoga I ran into my friend Marcy (hi, Marcy!) She said that she wants to know what I've been eating, so Marcy, I've been eating a lot of this.

A venison chop with a crushed juniper berry and red wine pan sauce. Nary a meal goes by when I don't heap half of my plate high with vegetables, and this meal was no exception. I roasted broccoli, zucchini, and carrots in vegetable oil and sprinkled them with my beloved Maldon salt, black pepper, and a touch of cayenne. Want to know why I prefer vegetable oil over olive oil while roasting? I'll tell you. Olive oil will burn. Save it for something else.

With that, I'm heading North for a few days in hopes that my hunter hunts up another deer. With the way we have been going through these chops (so lean! so good for you! so easy to prepare and hard to screw up!), we're going to need another Bambi.

What I've Been Eating

Grapefruit. My yearly citrus phase is about to hit hard.

Royal Riviera pears with a few spoonfuls of Cafe Latte Oikos. It tastes like coffee pudding, and it is fantastic.

Logs. Hold the ants.

Fall-inspired salads with spinach, acorn squash rings, pomegranate seeds, apple, an egg, pretty much anything else I can find.

Scrambled eggs with chives, and these breakfast buns. The recipe seems intimidating, but stick with it.

Split pea soup with cheddar chive biscuits.

My Thanksgiving contributions will be Mexican Venison Cornbread, Brussels sprouts salad with apple, pomegranate, and feta, and a buffet of baked goods. I asked my mother when she will let me make the turkey. She said when she is dead.

Yogurt for Breakfast

My favorite breakfast lately is fat-free Greek yogurt, strawberries, torn mint leaves, a few pistachios, and a drizzle of honey.

Can't get enough.

Go Green

Over the last few years I've trained myself into thinking in terms of "weekday food" and "weekend food." Essentially, I try to eat healthy during the week- lots of Greek yogurt, steamed vegetables, sardines, and tons of salad and green drinks. On the weekends I totally lose my mind.

I've tried to get the boyfriend to buy into this way of thinking as well and I will frequently catch myself saying "no, we can't have ice cream today, that's weekend food." I did make an exception yesterday, because the man rode his bike 100 miles. In one day. I don't get it either.

Here's a sampling of some of my weekday fare-

A huge salad with tuna. Roasted broccoli. Figs.

Pan-fried tilapia and steamed vegetables. Those $3 metal steamer cages are fantastic.

More frequently than not, happy hour chez Eating Lansing looks a little something like this-

He adds protein powder to his. I keep mine natural with blended spinach, carrot juice, and sometime a banana. These were both spiked with cod liver oil. I don't think these are on special at Rick's.

Every season, there is a fruit or veg that I cannot get enough of. Over the summer it's corn on the cob and blueberries. In the winter it's brussels sprouts and anything citrus. Right about now, it's apples.

I eat about 3 per day. Dunked in peanut butter, sprinkled with cinnamon, chopped and smoothie-fied, I am an insatiable apple fiend.