Cha-cha's Chicken and Peas

Cha-cha's Chicken and Peas

When I'm under the weather or just feeling out of sorts, all I want is a cup of hot tea, my fuzzy blanket, and my Mom to cook for me. Well, my Mom lives in Portugal and I live in Alaska so this poses a small logistical problem. The only thing to do then is to drag myself off the couch and get in the kitchen to cook one of Mom's delicious and comforting dishes. Something familiar and satisfying but not too labor intensive, a dish perfect for a cold winter's day when you really need some love from your Mom. Cha-cha's Chicken and Peas hits the spot and always turns out great, but of course it's never quite as good as when she makes it! Cha-cha is what the Grandkids call her, because although she was thrilled to become a Grandma, she really didn't want to be called "Granny", and "Cha-cha" just seems to suite her. So while my house fills with the mouth-watering aroma of chicken, onions, and linguica, I'll feel Cha-cha's love filling the house. And until we're together again and she can cook for me, I'm happy that she showed me how to make this for my family. Thanks, Mom.

Cha-cha's Chicken and Peas

(all quantities are approximate, feel free to adjust for the number of people you are feeding)

8 to 10 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin off
extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 link of linguica sausage, chopped into small chunks
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed, chopped
2 or 3 Tbls. tomato paste
2 or 3 cups dry white wine or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
about 3 cups frozen green peas

Use a heavy dutch oven with a lid or if you don't have one, simply start everything in a large sauté pan then transfer to a covered baking dish.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in pan. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and a little paprika. Brown chicken in hot oil on both sides , remove to plate and cover with foil to keep warm (it will finish cooking in oven). Add a little more olive oil to the pan and sauté onions, carrots, linguica, and garlic until vegetables begin to soften. Add tomato paste and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add wine or chicken stock and bay leaves, then nestle chicken into the vegetables and sauce in the pan. Cover with lid and put into a 325 degree oven for about 1 hour. Remove from oven and stir in peas and a little more stock or water if sauce is too thick, recover and put back in the oven for about another hour or until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender.
 Serve over rice or mashed potatoes and instantly feel better!

Portuguese Sweet Rice

When I started this blog in February, I had every intention of posting at least twice a month. And I did...until life's "ups and downs" got in the way.

A big "down" was spending 2 1/2 months recovering from surgery and complications. I was so sick for most of that time that I could barely eat, let alone cook and blog about it. I have a renewed appreciation for my (once again) healthy appetite and am so happy to be back to cooking and enjoying food!

A huge "up" was celebrating our daughter's marriage to the love of her life. We were blessed with a picture perfect Alaskan fall day for the sweet and simple ceremony. How romantic to exchange their vows beside a beautiful pond reflecting the blue sky and golden leaves. Another blessing was having lots of friends and family there to celebrate with us.

Doug's Aunt Mary traveled from Erie, Pennsylvania for the ceremony and brought along two fun friends, Debi and Jeannette. We enjoyed spending a little time with them after the wedding weekend and of course we had to cook some Alaskan seafood for them. Grilled King Salmon, baked Alaskan Scallops, locally grown broccoli, carrots and fingerling potatoes and homemade pickled beets were eaten with gusto and everyone took seconds. The  ladies from Erie enjoyed everything so much that they wanted me to put the whole meal on the blog! Then came dessert, Portuguese Sweet Rice. It got very quiet except for mmmmmm, nummmmm, nummmm. Portuguese Sweet Rice has that effect on people. A thick rice pudding enriched with eggs yolks and scented with lemon zest and cinnamon, it somehow takes you back to childhood and memories of special occasions.

I always say that I only make this dessert for people that I really love. Because even though it is not difficult to make, it requires that you pay attention, have patience, and be mindful of the process. You also have lots of time to think about who you're making it for while you stir in the love.
My Maternal Grandmother, Ilda Vale, used to make this when there was something special to celebrate. I remember once when we visited her in the Azores she wrote "Bem-Vindos" (welcome) on top of the pudding in cinnamon. My Grandmother was a creative and talented cook. She also was an expert at needlepoint and crochet, painted beautifully, and made all kinds of crafts. I remember her hands were always busy making something beautiful. Today, October 5th, would have been her 95th birthday so it seems very fitting to cook, enjoy, and post her most memorable dessert. Parabens, Avo.

P.S. My thanks to the ladies from Erie for kindly and lovingly encouraging me to start cooking and blogging again.


PORTUGUESE SWEET RICE

2 cups white rice (short grain or sushi rice works best)
5 cups milk
3 cups water
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 lemon
3 eggs, separated
cinnamon for garnishing

In large non-stick pot, stir together rice, milk, water, sweetened condensed milk, sugar and salt. Heat on medium high until it comes to a low boil, stirring often.

Turn down heat and keep at a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until pudding is thick and rice is very soft. You will have to stir more often toward the end of the cooking time. Meanwhile, separate the eggs (reserve the whites for another use) and beat the yolks in a small bowl until smooth. Use a vegetable peeler or small sharp knife to cut 4 or 5 long strips of zest from the lemon.

Once the rice is soft, remove from heat and stir in lemon strips. Add spoonfuls of the hot pudding to the beaten yolks and stir in a little at a time to temper the eggs. Pour this mixture back into the rice pudding and stir well to incorporate. Remove lemon strips and pour pudding onto large platter or shallow bowl. Let cool slightly then decorate with cinnamon. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold (I like it best cold and have been known to eat it the next morning for breakfast!) Makes a lot, serves about 10 people.

Cilantro Peanut Pesto

The Homer Farmers' Market is in full swing and the vendors' booths are overflowing with green, delicious things. Lots of spinach, green onions, asian salad greens, and herbs, herbs, herbs! Tarragon, basil, dill, Italian parsley, and more. But what caught my eye last week was cilantro. Farmer Rob had big fluffy bunches of it that I could smell before I saw them. He harvests it with the roots still on and I was told by a chef that the pounded roots are a great flavoring for marinades. I haven't tried that yet but it's on my list. Now you either love cilantro or hate cilantro, it's one of those foods that has no middle ground. I happen to love it and I like to use it in much more than the usual salsa (though I could almost live on home-made salsa!). So I was thrilled to find this recipe in "Everyday Food", that great little food magazine put out by the Martha Stewart empire. I came across it a couple of years ago while thumbing through an issue at the dentist's office. I'm not saying that I sneakily and quietly ripped the recipe out of the magazine, but I am saying I went home with clean teeth, no cavities, and a new recipe to try. It has been one of my favorites ever since. I like to toss this pesto with whole wheat spaghetti and top with extra cilantro and chopped peanuts for a light dinner. You can make an amazing salad with soba noodles, cucumbers, green onions and this pesto plus a splash of rice wine vinegar. It's also great to slather on grilled fish or to use as a sauce for grilled chicken skewers.

Fresh Alaskan Grown Cilantro

CILANTRO PEANUT PESTO

1 bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped (you can use the stems, too)
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
3/4-inch piece ginger, peeled
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
2 to 3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except soy sauce. Pulse until coarse paste forms. Season with soy sauce and pulse to combine. Toss with hot noodles and top with additional cilantro and peanuts.

Note: I always double or triple this recipe when I make it then freeze the extra in ice cube trays (see Spring Tonic Spinach Pesto, March 18th post).

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb-top Pie

Carter, my kitchen assistant

What good is it being a Grandma with a cooking blog if I can't sneak in a picture of my adorable grandson/kitchen assistant/future foodie once in a while? So here he is with our haul of giant rhubarb that we "borrowed" from our neighbor. I moved my rhubarb to a different spot last year and it has not come back in full force yet. So we went scouting around the neighborhood and noticed a huge plant in the yard next door almost hidden by horsetail and pushky (Alaska's two most invasive weeds). We went to the door to ask permission to harvest some, but they weren't home. Now because I know these neighbors pretty well, I told Carter that I was sure they wouldn't mind if we "borrowed" some and repaid them with a pie. So we made 2 pies and delivered one to them that evening (still warm and oh-so-fragrant). Needless to say, our neighbors were thrilled with the deal and invited us to harvest all the rhubarb we wanted!

We have been enjoying a full 2 weeks (gasp!) of absolutely gorgeous summer weather. Blue skies and warm temperatures (warm for us is 70 degrees, we Alaskans break a sweat at 75). Everyone is about 15 shades browner and healthier looking and vitamin D levels are skyrocketing! All this great weather has really made the rhubarb grow quickly and combine that with a great sale on strawberries at Safeway and you've got the perfect combination for one of our favorite summertime desserts.
P.S. This recipe is a mashup of 3 different recipes, I took aspects that I liked from each one. The orange zest is a must, it takes this pie to a whole new level of deliciousness. The crumb topping came about because I originally wanted to make a crisp but Carter wanted a pie, so we compromised. I strongly recommend a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb-top Pie

Pastry for 9" pie (your favorite home-made or store-bought...I have to confess that I don't enjoy making pie crust so I often use store bought. My theory is that it's better to have a home-baked pie with store-bought crust than no pie at all!)

For the filling:
3 cups rhubarb, cut in 1/2" pieces
2 cups chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 1/4 cups sugar
grated zest of one orange
juice of 1/2 an orange
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tablespoons flour
1 egg, beaten

For the topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9'' pie plate with the pastry. In a large bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients, pour into pastry lined dish. Stir dry topping ingredients together in medium bowl then cut in butter with pastry cutter or two knives. The butter should be well distributed in the topping. Cover the filling with the topping, sprinkling evenly and to the edges. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes then turn oven down to 325 degrees and continue baking for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, until the topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. Cool for about 30 minutes before cutting.

Garlic Parmesan Party Potatoes

I saw these potatoes somewhere (magazine? online? I've wracked my brain and cannot remember where!) and knew I had to someday try to make them. I think they were called "Hasselback Potatoes" though I don't know why and the only reason the name stuck with me was because it's so unusual. (hey, if anyone knows the origin of the name, I'd love to hear from you!)  They looked so fancy and fun, like something you'd serve at a party. I thought they would gussy up a simple roast or grilled chicken the way a row of ruffles elevates a simple black dress. Kind of like jazz hands for your plate, snazzy and unexpected, sure to "wow" your guests.
So then of course I got distracted with other things and forgot about them until I came upon a yellow sticky note under some stuff on my desk that simply read:

potatoes
peel
cut almost thru
drizzle w/oo & butter
salt & pepp
425, 40 min

Oh, yea...those potatoes I wanted to try! Just happened that I was grilling tri-tip steaks that night so I decided to give them a try. Now this is not so much a recipe as a technique. And I can tell you that the first batch gave me some trouble. Coating potatoes in butter then roasting at high heat fills the house with an unpleasant smoke from the burnt butter and makes a mess of the pan. Not a good idea. The next time I made them I used only olive oil (no butter!) and the results were much better. I decided to use Star Garlic Olive Oil and then amped up the garlic flavor by sliding slices of fresh garlic into the cuts in the potato. If you can find Star Garlic Olive Oil in your store, give it a try...it imparts a nutty, earthy garlic flavor to the potatoes and it's also great for roasting other root vegetables and also for dressing salads. These turned out to be not only delicious, but got lots of oohs and ahhs for their appearance. They take a little time, but are not hard to do, and would be great to roast in the oven alongside a nice cut of meat.

You will need:
Potatoes, one per person plus a couple extra. I used russet baking potatoes but just make sure they are not too big. Scrubbed and dried, but not peeled (even though the sticky note said peel, I didn't and I loved the way the skin got nice and crispy.)
Star Garlic Olive Oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
One clove of garlic per potato, peeled and sliced thin
One tablespoon Parmesan per potato, finely grated



Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Using a sharp knife, make slices into the potato at 1/8" intervals, almost but not all the way through.
Place on baking sheet and drizzle generously with Star Garlic O.O. and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 30 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven and carefully slide garlic slices into cuts in potatoes and drizzle with more Star Garlic O.O.
Roast for about 15 minutes more until potatoes are tender.
Sprinkle each with 1 Tbls. Parmesan, return to oven for 5 minutes.

Put on your party dress and serve.

Grilled Salmon Three Ways

Okay, I know it's April 10th and it really should be spring (or very close to it), but it's NOT. The thermometer on my deck is shivering at 12 degrees and a howling wind is making it feel more like 12 below zero. But I'm not complaining because as my Dad likes to remind me every time I do complain about our weather, "You DO know you live in Alaska, right?" Yeah, Dad, I KNOW.
So...I am choosing to escape into the memory of the few days of spring tease weather we had a couple weeks ago. Bright sunshine and mid-forty temps with not even a breeze. Beautiful, perfect weather to fire up the grill and have a some friends over. We invited a few of Doug's co-workers and their lovely spouses. We supplied dinner, they brought wine. This bunch we affectionately call our "boat trash" friends and it's a major feat of logistics just to get everyone together since most work rotating schedules on various boats. It was the weekend of the famous Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament, with 732 anglers participating. First prize of $15,000 (plus another $25,000 won in side bets!) went to Leszek Kuligowski of Anchorage for his 35.1-pound king. In total 162  king salmon were caught that day, so in their honor I grilled red salmon (Sockeye) instead.


GRILLED SALMON THREE WAYS
3 skin-on salmon fillets (about 11/2 lbs. each)

For the lemon-scented fillet:
2 lemons
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

For the Pesto fillet:
1/2 cup Spinach Pesto (see March 18th post, "Spring Tonic" Spinach Pesto)

For the Mustard Barbecue fillet:
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
3 TBS honey
1 TBS brown sugar
3 TBS rice-wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce
few dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Whisk all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.

Prepare the salmon: Gently pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Remove any pin bones. Use a sharp knife to make crossways slices about 2 inches apart stopping short of cutting through the skin.

For the lemon-scented fillet, slice one lemon in half length-way then cut across into thin half moon slices. Lightly coat the fillet with olive oil, generously season with salt and pepper, then insert slices of lemon into slits in fillet.

For the Pesto fillet, season with salt and pepper then generously slather with Spinach Pesto, being sure to get it into the slits as well.

For the Mustard barbecue fillet: Brush on prepared sauce being sure to get it into the slits. Brush more sauce on halfway during cooking.

Heat your grill to medium hot, place fillets skin side down and grill until the middle flakes easily, about 20 to 25 minutes. All grills are different so keep a close eye on the fish and take it off the heat about a minute before you think it's done. The residual heat will finish the cooking and your fish will not dry out. Slice remaining lemon to garnish the salmon. Share with your own beloved "boat trash".

Sharon's Onion Bagels

We lived in Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) from 1988 through 1994. It was (and still is) a wild place. Wild weather, wild terrain, and some wild people. We made great friends during those years, many we still keep in regular contact with. One good friend, Sharon, happened to be in Homer for a week and we decided it would be fun to bake a batch of bagels together and relive some memories. Sharon is the one who showed me how to make bagels back when our kids were little. I always joke that it took a nice Catholic girl to teach this nice Jewish girl how to make bagels! 
We once made 200 bagels and sold them at the Unalaska Arts and Crafts Fair. We offered a "bagel plate lunch" for $5.00. It included a bagel sandwich (tuna salad or smoked salmon cream cheese), homemade potato salad and a pickle. Our booth was swamped and we sold out in under an hour.
Today, we'd work on a much smaller batch. Sharon and I had so much fun rolling, shaping, baking and reminiscing. The steam from the pot filled the room and the irresistible smell of baking dough wafted from the oven as we chatted and moved around the kitchen together.  I had made up some tuna salad earlier and as soon as the bagels were cool enough to handle, we piled it on and chowed down. The onions gave the dough a moist, earthy sweetness and the golden crust was just the right chewiness. Except for the soft "mmmmm"s coming from our stuffed mouths, it was the first time all morning that we were both quiet.

Onion Bagels
makes 24 big bagels

2 packages yeast (about 1 TBLS)
3 cups warm water
4 beaten eggs (plus one for egg wash)
1/2 cup sugar
10 to 12 cups flour
1/2 cup dehydrated onion (plus more for topping)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 TBLS salt
large pot of water plus 1TBLS sugar, 3 TBLS baking soda

Instructions: 
(don't be discouraged by the lengthy instructions, it's fun to do and goes quickly)                                               

• Dissolve the yeast in 3 cups warm water in large bowl.
• Mix in: 4 beaten eggs, 5-6 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup dehydrated onion.
• Beat well, cover bowl with towel and let rise 1/2 hour.
• Mix in: 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 Tablespoon salt, and about 5 more cups of flour. Dough should come together but still be slightly sticky, you will add a little more flour while kneading.
• Knead on floured surface until smooth, adding flour a little at a time, about 5 or 10 minutes. You want a smooth, elastic dough that is not too sticky but not dry either.
• Note: At this point you can continue on OR place covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight to proof, then shape and bake the bagels in the morning.
• Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or more. If you don't have a warm spot in your kitchen, you can set the bowl on top of another bowl that's half full of hot water. This creates a nice warm and humid environment for the dough to proof.
  
• Once the dough has almost doubled in size, punch it down and knead briefly then return to bowl to rest for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, get ready for the next steps: Fill a large pot halfway with water and stir in 1 TBLS sugar and 3 TBLS baking soda. Bring it to a boil while you shape the bagels.
• Beat one egg in a small cup for the egg wash.
• Reconstitute about 1/4 cup dehydrated onions in a small bowl of hot water, drain excess water. 
• Oil or spray 2 large baking sheets.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Roll dough into large log shape, cut into 4 equal pieces. Cut each piece into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 6 to 8 inches long, then bring the ends together and pinch to seal. Place on lightly floured board while you work on the rest.
  
• When you've made 12, begin lowering them into the boiling water in batches of 4. Boil for just a minute, flipping over once. Remove with slotted spoon or spatula and place on oiled baking sheet. (6 to a sheet)
• Brush each bagel with egg wash and top with some of the reconstituted onions.
  
• Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.
• While they are in the oven, shape and boil the second half of the dough.
• Cool on wire racks, then enjoy!
  

Note: If they last more than a day (doubtful!) they freeze beautifully and taste great toasted. I usually make a double batch just so I can give some away and freeze some.

"Spring Tonic" Spinach Pesto

Where I live it's not unusual to get a snowstorm (or two or three) in March. But the morning I woke up to swirling snow outside my window and nothing but shades of grey and white, I thought "I need something green!" I needed something vibrant, fresh, and saturated with the color of spring. What I really needed was a spring tonic. Luckily, my fridge was stocked with fresh spinach and some herbs, so pesto became the project for that blustery morning. It's so easy to make in either a food processor or blender, and I always make at least a double batch and freeze some for later. You can spoon it into an ice cube tray, freeze till solid, then pop out and store the cubes in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Perfect to brighten up a bowl of pasta, I also use it in place of red sauce on pizza and as a grill sauce for fish. Toss a couple cubes into a pot of minestrone or your favorite vegetable soup for an instant hit of color and extra flavor. The vibrant green color and fresh smell of herbs whirling around in my food processor certainly helped take my mind off of the blowing snow outside my door!

"Spring Tonic" Spinach Pesto

2 cups (packed) fresh spinach
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 peeled garlic clove
healthy pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds (or pine nuts or walnuts)
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Put everything (just 1/4 cup olive oil for now) into food processor and pulse until it all starts to break down. Scrape down sides if needed then run machine while drizzling in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Process until it's the consistency you like. If you want it a little thinner, drizzle in a little more oil.

Happy Spring!

Aaron's (upstairs) Birthday Dinner

Aaron's 29th birthday gave us the perfect reason for a delicious family dinner. Beef Bourguignon (well, my simple version of Julia Child's slow-braised beef in red wine), Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Roasted Broccolini, and the star of the show...Chocolate Silk Pie. This was Aaron's request for his birthday "cake" and since I'd never made Chocolate Silk Pie before, I dove into cyberspace and began the search for a good recipe. Most of the recipes I found used raw eggs in a mousse-like filling, one recipe even included marshmallow cream. Since none of those appealed to me I kept searching and came up with this recipe from Cooks.com which is baked, then cooled and topped with whipped cream. It was easy, festive, and sinfully delicious. Next time I will cut back a little on the sugar (from 1 cup to 3/4 cup) I know that baking is a science so I'm not sure how this will affect the pie...if anyone tries the lower sugar version, please let me know how it works out. The posted recipe calls for a standard pastry crust but I made a chocolate graham cracker crust instead. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE SILK PIE
from Cooks.com (submitted by:Judy Dennert)

1 unbaked single pie crust (or my chocolate graham cracker crust: 8 chocolate graham crackers-crushed, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter. Mix all together and press into pie plate...easy!)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large, microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter at 50% power for 2 minutes until butter is melted; stir until smooth. Whisk in salt, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract, whisk until well blended. Pour chocolate mixture into crust.

Bake 30 minutes or until filling has puffed, but center still wiggles. Cool completely, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips

Note: I found it took about 38 minutes for the filling to puff. It's not very pretty unadorned so I topped the whole pie with lightly sweetened whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

HALIBUT CATAPLANA

This recipe was inspired by the seafood stew commonly made in the Algarve Region of Portugal. Mixed varieties of fresh seafood, potatoes and onions cook in a copper Cataplan dish and produce a delicious broth, perfect for dipping into with fresh, crusty bread. Since I live in Alaska, I've substituted Halibut but any firm white fish would be just as good.

Serves 4 healthy appetites

Halibut Cataplana

1 1/2lbs Halibut fillet
Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBS butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth
4 large potatoes, peeled, quartered and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup cooking sherry
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Star Green Olives (pimento stuffed or with herbs, your choice...I used Star Green Olives with Basil)

In a large, deep, covered sauté pan or Dutch oven heat 3 TBS Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sauté onion until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add garlic, vegetable stock or broth, potatoes and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Turn down heat, cover and cook until vegetables are just tender (about 20 min). While the vegetables are cooking, remove skin from Halibut fillet and cut meat into 1 1/2" cubes. Pat dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat 2 TBS Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 2 TBS butter in medium skillet until very hot but not smoking. Add about 1/2 of the halibut cubes and let them brown undisturbed for about 3 or 4 minutes. Do not crowd the pan or stir the fish, you want a nice golden brown sear to develop. Turn pieces over and let cook about one minute then add to the vegetables immediately, nestling the fish into the broth. Turn off heat under vegetables and replace the lid, the residual heat will finish cooking the fish. Do the same thing with the second half of the fish cubes. Deglaze the skillet with the cooking sherry, scrapping up any browned bits and pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle on the cilantro and Star Green Olives, replace the lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Just before serving, drizzle with a little more Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil and stir very gently to distribute cilantro and olives.
Serve with good crusty bread and a big green salad.