...do the mashed potato

Rather than taking on three big cooking projects and ending up with 5-6 extra servings, this weekend I tasked myself with organizing my almost-overflowing freezer and minimizing half-empty containers. That resulted in finishing off spaghetti sauce made weeks earlier, and reorganizing mere spoonfuls of 'valuable' sauce I had saved and incorporating it into a few dishes already in my freezer or fridge that could use a bit extra. So, not as much new cooking was on the docket this weekend. But, I did have my weekly fish dish to get it in, which is featured further below.  Oh, and the reference to "do the mashed potato"...someone was extolling the virtues of mashed potatoes, and how grateful they are for them. I'm also grateful for mashed potatoes, so I made sure to incorporate them into my cooking today as well. Those are toward the bottom of today's post.

To start, here's my spaghetti: 

 (Fresh oregano, compliments of my herb garden.
Cornbread, compliments of  my freezer/
a baking binge months back.)

(Flowers, compliments of my yard.)

Today I moved on to breakfast...good old-fashioned eggs and toast. 

One piece of bacon, a serving of cheese, and a plum. 

A delicious plum.

And chocolate milk.

Next, appetizer course for lunch: scallops. 

(Yes, I'm experimenting with an artsy look

with my balsamic reduction sauce.)

And then...the primary course: Halibut and an herbed white wine reduction sauce with mushrooms over mashed potatoes, and a side of broccoli.
I should have taken more pictures of the steps... It was one of my first attempts at a white wine reduction sauce and it turned out beautifully. I'd made lots of 'white' sauces for for pasta, and plenty of broths, but this was one of the first white wine reduction sauces. It's always fun to try something new...and more so when it's delicious =)

I'll provide a little more description, since you can't see much of it in the picture.

I took finely chopped Vidalia onion and garlic and sauteed it in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. I added a splash of white wine (1/4 cup?), a little chicken stock (a tablespoon or two?). I added sprigs of fresh herbs from my garden- lemon thyme, and lavender-and added those in (whole, not chopped). I simmered everything a bit longer, and then added a splash of white balsamic vinaigrette. Then I added thinly sliced mushrooms, simmered (lots of simmering, yes) everything together on low heat as it thickened. Finally, I removed the sprigs of herbs...and ladled it over my mashed potatoes, and my halibut.  Pictures below. Yes, I ate every bite. Yum.