I finally managed to make a meal last night that Leah enjoyed. Ava, not so much. But Leah did mention a couple times that she liked what I cooked, so I thought I’d record it here for future reference.
We stopped at our local CoOp yesterday to ask about particular fish that might be more suitable than others for feeding to a toddler. According to “the meat guy,” it’s best to stick with smaller, non-bottom-feeding fish, as they tend to absorb less of the nastiness that’s floating around out there in the sea. We ended up with two nice tilapia filets and even a suggestion on what to cook it with.
One of the things I like best about fish is its ease of preparation (unless you’re cooking fresh-caught salmon or trout over a campfire, and even then you can pretty much just toss it on the coals at the edge of the fire and let it ride for a couple minutes). I was at the Pike Place Fish Market a number of years ago and remember asking one of the guys who works there about the best way to cook fish. “Squeeze a lemon half over a salmon filet, rub some salt and pepper into it, and throw it right on the grill.” It may have been only a personal preference, but the Pike Place Market does have a number of tasty recipes for seafood.
Last night I grilled eggplant, portobello caps, and the aforementioned tilapia. The tilapia got wrapped in foil with some salt, pepper, and thin lemon slices. I treated the eggplant with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and the mushrooms got some oilve oil, soy sauce, and sesame oil brushed over them while they cooked (I should start earlier next time and do an honest marinade for the mushrooms). Everything turned out really well.
I’m really looking forward to a lot of grilling this year. Leah and I have signed up to take part of a vegetable share through a local CSA (same person I get my pig from each fall), so we should have all sorts of tasty things to eat all summer long.