Marinated Swordfish

NOTE: I was sent Carthage Co.‘s Dadasi Dinner Plate in order to write this post with a recipe for Marinated Swordfish. Opinions are mine alone.

Unsurprisingly, I have quite the affinity for dishware. I especially love plates, bowls, and platters that are matte (they present and photograph beautifully!) No matter how pretty dishware is, I still need it to work for my lifestyle, so I look for options that are microwave and dishwasher safe as well.

I was recently introduced to Carthage Co., which offers exquisite, ethically-sourced pottery made by Tunisian artisans, including plates, glasses, pitchers and serving-ware. The best part? This artisan stoneware is both attractive and affordable, plus its dishwasher and microwave safe! Named after the ancient city of Carthage that once served as a connecting point of Mediterranean trade, the Carthage Co. mission is to provide a valuable point of connection that starts in Tunisia and ends at your dinner table. The company works to honor and empower Tunisian artisans and create jobs in the U.S., partnering with local manufacturers that employ and empower their communities with dignity and equity.

source: Cathage Co.

I immediately gravitated toward their Dadasi collection, which is even more beautiful in person. I personally love the basalt color, it really make the food served on it pop!

I wanted to show off my snazzy new plate with a recipe that’s really become a staple in my household: Marinated Swordfish, served over rice with sautéed baby bok choy. I’m not going to pretend it’s the prettiest recipe, but it sure looks nice on the Dadasi plate, doesn’t it? It’s amazing what a difference a good looking plate can make to the presentation of a meal!

This recipe requires very little hands-on time, but you do need to allot some time for the swordfish to marinate.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos/tamari to make gluten free)
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  •  1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 swordfish steaks
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 4 baby bok choy
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Continue reading Marinated Swordfish

Cheese Plate

NOTE: I was sent a pack of Sourdough Crackers and Szechuan Candied Pecans from Aida for this post. All opinions are my own.

I love a good cheese plate, they are great as an appetizer or as an end to a meal.

I was contacted by Aida, a specialty food brand created by the owners of the East Village wine-on-tap bar, Lois. Aida, recently launched, features handcrafted cookies, nuts, and crackers inspired by the products they created for their wine bar. I was sent their Sourdough Crackers and Szechuan Candied Pecans, which I thought would make for the beginnings of an awesome cheese plate!

Aida is a New York City-based, women-owned business that makes a curated line of pantry staples and entertaining essentials. Founded in 2016 by Nora O’Malley and Phoebe Connell, Aida products are inspired by the recipes and customer relationships that they developed in their tiny East Village all-tap wine bar, Lois on Loisaida Avenue. Today, Aida’s mission is to make eating well and entertaining easily simple by offering inspired and reliable go-to products.

In my opinion, you can’t really do a cheese plate wrong, whatever sounds good to you will work just fine. I wanted to play off of the spicy-sweet flavors of the pecans, so I went to my local cheese shop and asked for help choosing cheese that would work well with spicy and sweet flavors. Here is what I ended up with:

1605 Manchego: A sheep milk cheese from Spain, this Manchego is earthy and sweet. I added a drizzle of honey on top to bring out more of its sweetnes.

Von Trapp Oma: Made by the famous Von Trapp family, this cow’s milk cheese from Vermont is very creamy, buttery, and slightly funky. I added a bit of spicy whole grain mustard to balance out the funkiness of this cheese.

Delice de Bourgogne:  A cow’s milk cheese from France, this cheese is creamy and slightly salty with a buttercream flavor. I served this with a spiced peach jam that my sister-in-law gave us.

I also added dried apricots, hot sopressata, and the Szechuan candied pecans to the plate, and served the sourdough crackers alongside the cheese plate.

 

Each of these cheeses worked well with either something sweet or something spicy on the plate.

The sourdough crackers were the perfect accompaniment, because the flavor is relatively neutral so it lets the rest of the ingredients shine.

I had to keep adding more and more Szechuan Candied Pecans to the plate because my husband kept eating them all! The spicy-sweet flavors are addicting!

 

Aida has a bunch of other offerings as well, including:

  • Currant Crisps: a spiced interpretation of the shortbread cookie.

  • Lemon Candied Pepitas: salty pepitas with a healthy dose of sweet citrus and a subtle peppery kick.

  • Rye Crackers: Old World flavors, both complex and comforting.

In addition to being available online, Aida is currently available in the following specialty food shops throughout New York City: Bedford Cheese Shop, BKLN Larder, Stinky BKLN, Alphabet City Beer Company, and Malt & Mold. More retail locations to come, but food lovers everywhere an purchase the products at www.AidaEats.com.

What are some of your favorite add on’s to a cheese plate?

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