Orange Roughy with Herbed Flax Topping and Veggie Risotto

Today we dine in class. I am going to help you to prepare a plate that would cost at least $16.99 in a upper class restaurant in Vermont. The price I have given does not reflect the tax, drinks, or the gratuity that you normally include. So girls get yourself a sitter (boys your included) and get ready to make magic at home for your spouse.

First you need a fillet of orange roughy. If you cannot find orange roughy Haddock is a great substitution. They are both a mild fish and Haddock last I new cost a little less. In Hawaii I cannot find Haddock and Mahi Mahi is my next best substitute. Cut the fish into nicely portioned sizes and set aside. Preheat your oven now to 375. Okay next we are going to prepare the flax. Now you do not want the flax as a seed you want it more as a meal. I buy mine bulk, of course, at Costco. you need 2 cups of the flax, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp Cajun spice and 1 tbs of chopped rosemary. Mix it all together in a bowl and set aside. Now you will need 2 eggs. Use only the whites and beat it well with a fork. Next prepare a baking sheet with non fat cooking spray. Take a piece of your fish and dip it into the egg whites and then into the flax mix. Place it on your baking sheet and sprinkle with a bit of fresh garlic. To make it pretty garnish with an orange, lemon or lime slice and bake for about 20 minutes or until fish is easily flaked apart.

Now for the risotto. Everyone says risotto is hard. WRONG!!!! It is just a lot of work because it needs babysitting. Take out your favorite saute pan. Put in 3 tbs of cooking oil. Put it on a low temp just to get it warming. Now take out 1 medium onion. Dice it and add it to your oil. Mince 1 carrot and add that to the onion. Now stir it occasionally and turn up the heat to medium high. Chop up mushrooms and toss those in too. I also add fresh herbs and spices of my choice. Garlic is a definite. Now cook for about 3 minutes. Now you need to add 1 1/2 cups of aborio rice. That is your risotto rice. Cook for 2 minutes stirring often. Now here is where you babysit. You need 4 cups of chicken broth now. Pour just enough broth into the rice mixture until barely covered. Let it cook down stirring often. Once the broth seems to have almost disappeared again add broth to barely cover. Do this until all of the broth is gone and rice is no longer juicy. Taste and make sure rice is tender. Now add salt and pepper to taste. I have made fresh green beans as my veggie tonight and it came out beautifully.

Now break out the candles, and turn on the soft music. Who needs to go out during this recession when we can make our own home into a sheik elegant restaurant and save a bundle. Ways to make it even better. Make a favorite drink. Maybe a refreshing Iced tea or Lemonade.

I do not want to spoil such a lovely dinner with any sad stories today so I will share with you some great things. I had the best chat with an old friend last night. She was up late and waiting to hear from one of children that he had made it to his destination safely. I noticed she was up and the chatting began. We talked about old memories. Some bad, but most good and really funny. We talked about old commercials. Lets test your memory. Which product had the slogan ancient Chinese secret? Which product had an old man pleading with his customers not to squeeze this? What made the "world look mighty good to me because" this product "is all I see". What walks down stairs and over chairs and makes a only a sound that this product could make. Plop Plop fizz fizz... this product is a relief and how do you spell relief? Spell this products name and you would be right. My bologna has a first name, tweet tweet twiddle twiddle there is only one candy that has a hole in the middle. It is a creamy milk and chocolate sensation... All of these wonderful products!! Giving us as little kids songs to sing and joy everywhere. These things we appreciated to get us to Boston on field trips, although I am sure the bus driver needed his Bare aspirin when he got there. But hey with those songs were as we learned later saved him possibly from a heart attack. Just take one and whew bye bye heart attack and head ache. Hello to another fricken bus ride the next day with loud singing kids saving him from another heart attack again.

Memories... Good memories. Important ingredients that makes it easy to let life continue to go on. How about items. Remember sit n spins? We have one of those down at the new play ground here. Big enough for us adults to get on and get going. Yup couldn't help myself. Had to do it. Valuable lesson I shall share with you. Never ever EAT POPCORN and DRINK SODA before you ride on the sit n spin. I barely made it to the restroom. How about the big wheel. The big wheel wasn't cool unless you put a playing card into the front wheel to make that clicking sound. Marbles loved them. The boulders were the best. I loved to play for keepsies. Hated loosing which I did often. Easier world then. We were outside. We didn't have video games to keep us inside or daily cartoons. They were only on, on Saturday and in the morning Sunday. We improvised. We had a lemonade stand which we never really made money on but obtained quite a few cool items. A plastic ring, some goo, a nickel and other odds and ends. We did this at kimmies house because... well her mom was cool. Last I just want to mention mud pies. They were I think the best invention. I was convinced, in my own imagination part of my brain, that they were chocolate. We had the best mud and the biggest pot holes when we were done.

So there they are... good memories. Share your good memories with your dinner date tonight and make new ones everyday. Memories that are not expensive but are priceless.

do you want the answers to the above questions? here they are in order: Cheer laundry detergent, Charmin, tootsie rolls, slinky, Alkeselzer, Rolaids, Oscar Meyer, life savers, and Oreo.