STUCK WITH LEFTOVERS...

I found myself in a situation that I know quite well and that definately was not a first for me- being stuck with leftovers. Especially leftovers that do not have a very long shelf life. This time around it happened to be mushrooms (champignons de Paris to be precise) and mint, and I absolutely had to use them up- I would feel guilty throwing them out! Fortunately, mushrooms and mint are lovely ingredients but I was lacking inspiration...when miraculously - or you was it destiny!- my mother gave me a ring and proposed that I match it up with cabillaud (cod) or go with a vegeterian pasta dish. Then I thought to myself...but why do either / or? Why not do both? Besides, now that mother mentioned it, I do indeed remember very well having tasted her suggestions in the past- she had made these before and they were delicious.

What was especially appealing was the idea of matching up cabillaud with a ton of fresh mint, mushrooms, lemon, garlic...amongst other things, as it really gives a lovely flavour boost to the fish. I admit, cabillaud is not my preferred type of fish as I tend to find it quite bland in taste. So it needs a very flavourful cookup in my opinion.

This is very quick and easy to make. You just need to pan sear the cabillaud with some olive oil, lots of lemon and garlic, break it into little pieces and then throw on top sliced mushrooms and chopped mint leaves. And of course, season with salt!

For a vegeterian option, this is absolutely delicious. A mixture of pasta, mushrooms, mint, olive oil, some garlic, feta and toasted pinenuts.


Recipe for the cabillaud (cod) with mushrooms & mint:
Cabillaud filets- no bones, no skin
Olive oil
Garlic, chopped
Mushrooms, sliced
Mint leaves, chopped
Lemon, juice of

Heat some olive oil and garlic in a skillet pan. Sprinkle cabillaud filet with salt and transfer to skillet. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, then break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the mushrooms, lots of lemon juice and mix everything on high heat- allow any liquids to evaporate. Add the mint leaves at the very end, mix well one last time and season if necessary.

Recipe for pasta with mushrooms & mint:
Pasta, already boiled (preferably penne or a short pasta)
Olive oil
Garlic, chopped
Mushrooms, sliced
Mint leaves, chopped
Feta cheese, crumbled
Pinenuts, toasted
Salt & Pepper

In a deep pan, heat the olive oil with the garlic, then throw in the pasta. When you boil the pasta, try to boil it 1-2 minutes less then recommended time as it will continue to ''cook'' in the next steps. Add the mushrooms and mint, season and mix well. When serving, top off with some crumbled feta cheese and toasted pinenuts.