Meadowlark Restaurant

Bacon-wrapped Mahi mahi with Poblano Cream

Wiley — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:16:07 +0000

One of my favorite fish from my days cooking in Key West, meaty, delicious Mahi mahi matches very well with bold flavors like bacon and mild chiles. Here the fillet is wrapped in a strip of good DLM bacon, then seared on the griddle and sauced with a little cream reduced with house flame-roasted poblano peppers. The cream is not too spicy, but it is full of that addictive roasted green chile flavor–so good. Served with rice tossed in a hot pan with roasted cherry tomatoes and spinach leaves.

Pan-fried Walleye

Wiley — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:15:58 +0000

Fresh out of Lake Erie, walleye pike is Ohio’s favorite dinner fish. And no wonder—mild and sweet with a delicate texture, I can hear it sizzling in frying pans all over the state. Here the fish is rolled in cornmeal, fried crispy on the griddle and served with celery sauce, a creamy, Southern-style tartar sauce flavored with minced celery, celery seed, green onion and lemon. Add buttermilk mashed potatoes and sauteed broccolini and you’ve got Midwestern eating at its best.

Broiled Belletoile Cheese with Pears and Rosemary Almonds

Wiley — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:59:42 +0000

Chilly weather is the time for melty cheese on grilled bread and a glass of wine before dinner. Here we use rich, ripe Belletoile triple crème, lay it out on grilled farmhouse bread, sprinkle it with diced fresh pear and broil it till toasty and bubbly. A sprinkle of toasted sweet/salty almonds tossed with a little fresh rosemary add crunch and herbal savor.

Macaroni and Cheese

Wiley — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:30:22 +0000

Rustic, whole grain cavatappi baked with true Swiss Gruyere, sharp Cheddar and just a smidge of aged French blue cheese is just the thing for chilly weather. Topped with toasted breadcrumbs and baked in a gondola-shaped gratin dish, it emerges from the oven crusty and creamy, wafting aromas of warmed cheese all the way to the table. Served with vinaigrette-dressed greens.

Cream Cheese and Pecan Enchiladas

Wiley — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:29:43 +0000

This variation is a New Mexican underground favorite and as inauthentic as it gets, with extremely delicious results. Fresh corn tortillas are rolled around cream cheese, pecan and scallion filling, doused with smoky, red chile gravy and baked to hot and bubbly. Served with vinaigrette-dressed greens as a bright-flavored, crisp salad-type counterpoint to the rich and earthy enchiladas.

Salmon Melt

Wiley — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:26:11 +0000

Salmon salad is one of my favorites. The rich taste and texture of fresh salmon lends itself well to being mixed into a flavorful sandwich filler with crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, mayo and a little hit of horseradish. A mound of salmon salad is topped with grated white cheddar and broiled till hot and melty, then piled between slices of farmhouse toast with a couple crisp cucumber slices for a great winter sandwich. Served with dressed greens or hot fries. 10.95
Or have your salmon salad as a green salad topper, add 6.00

Batter-fried Eggplant Sub

Wiley — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:24:57 +0000

Eggplant slices become sweet and almost creamy in texture when dipped in a light batter and quickly fried. So here’s what you do: Rub a toasted sub roll with a garlic clove. Layer on the hot, crisp eggplant slices with fresh mozzarella cheese. Broil till toasty and melty, drizzle with a light tomato caper sauce and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Be glad the Italians came to America. Served with fries or vinaigrette-dressed greens.

Seven Bridges

Wiley — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:23:14 +0000

This fresh vegetable salad has a lot going on coming from all different directions, hence the name, which I stole from our master prep cook Robin, who has a virtual restaurant on Facebook called Seven Bridges. Cooked batons of carrot are tossed with eggplant, chickpeas, steamed mushrooms and avocado and dressed with a Moroccan-spiced dressing made with paprika, cumin, cinnamon, lemon and a touch of sugar. Piled on top of citrus-y spinach, bulghur and lentils, it makes a light but substantial lunch bursting with flavor and good-for-you stuff.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Wiley — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:46:16 +0000

Steaming strands of spaghetti very lightly coated with tiny soft curds of egg and ricotta, accented with Nueske’s smoked bacon, peas, black pepper and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. So good. Served with warm toast.

Israeli-style Hummous with Eggplant, Za’atar, and Olive Oil

Wiley — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:08:40 +0000

Why serve hummous when it’s to be had in every grocery store in the land? Because there is hummous, and then there is hummous. Israeli-style hummous is silky and smooth, no cumin in sight, enriched with lots of fresh lemon and olive oil. It is mounded with roasted eggplant, strewn with whole chickpeas and toasted pumpkin seeds and sprinkled with za’atar, a fragrant explosion of herbs mixed with toasted sesame seeds and flakes of salt. Served with wedges of warm flarbread.