Belated blogging

So I'd say I'm officially sucking at the blogging lately. I just can't find the time to compose thoughtful sentences about recipes I've tried. So I'm going to try the quick and dirty approach.

This is Ina Garten's Lemon Poundcake which I tried one afternoon, basically because I was bored and I had all the ingredients on hand. Although it photographed well, I must say that this was by no means a "hit" in my house. I thought it was too sweet and too lemony. Husband thought it was a wee bit heavy and the kids thought it was a big waste to make a cake and have it be lemon flavored.

Next up is an improvisational fish en pappillote (in parchment.) I've made gazillions of recipes for fish this way. So many, that I knew I could pull one off based on what was in the fridge. I went the asian route since I've always got those ingredients on hand. This turned out really well. I used broccoli slaw tossed with ginger and garlic for the base. Grouper was my fish and I drizzled some soy sauce and sesame over the top. I put some sprigs of cilantro for a little aromatic touch before enclosing it and baking it in the oven. Easy, light, good.

Here's the Vegetarian Tortilla Soup from this month's Eating Well. It is based on a Rick Bayless recipe and uses dried ancho chiles. This turned out really good and I will definitely make it again.

I've got some more up my sleeve, but for purpose of just having some fresh material up, I'm going to go ahead and post this. Any questions, trouble with links, need a recipe? You can always email me.

Spring on a Plate

This one is as much for my benefit than for yours. I clipped this from the Food Section of one of our local papers, either the Trib or the Times, I can't remember anymore. It is from a couple weeks ago. Chances are highly likely that I will lose this clipping, as I do all clippings. So I figured it would be a good idea to type it in here so I have it for posterity. It's a really good recipe. Restaurant quality in taste and appearance, but easy to execute.

The reason I say restaurant quality is that I've had dishes like this in restaurants before. Chefs being seasonal and and playing off the pink of salmon and green of peas. It a classic combo: salmon, peas, mint, bacon. It all goes together to create beauty and goodness. Everything is light, but then you get a little taste of bacon for richness and a hit of smoky/salty/chewy to make you want another bite. The recipe calls for sugar snaps but I used both those and regular frozen peas. It is adapted from the book Olives and Oranges; which is a delightful name for a cookbook, isn't it?

Salmon with Sugar Snap Peas and Bacon

6 servings (I played around with the proportions when I did this. Used 3/4 lb. salmon for two and 1 slice of bacon) The rest I just eyeballed. If you don't like mint, I think tarragon would work well too.

2 lbs. salmon fillets

1/2 t sea salt

coarsely ground pepper

2 T olive oil

3 slices, thick-cut bacon, cut into slivers

1/2 onion, minced (make sure to keep it small here, you don't want big pieces of onion)

1/2 c water or white wine

1 lb. sugar snaps, trimmed (I used about 1/2 c sugar snaps, and 1/2 cup frozen peas)

1 T unsalted butter

1/4 c chopped fresh mint

Place salmon skin side up on a foil-covered baking sheet. Brush skin with oil, season with 1/4 t salt and pepper to taste.

Place bacon in large skillet, cook, stirring over med. heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to paper-towel lined plate. Add onion to skillet, cook over med. heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add water, increase heat to high. Heat to a simmer; cook 2 minutes. Add peas and remaining 1/4 t salt. Cook until peas are tender and water has evaporated, about 5 mintes. Add butter and mint, stir. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat broiler, broil fish until skin is crispy and fresh is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plates. Spoon peas and bacon of fish.

(Note: I cooked the fish using the sear and roast method. Basically searing on top of the stove, flipping and finishing in a preheated 400+ oven.) I don't like to broil. I think direct contact with the hot pan gives a much better finish to your meat or fish.

Thai Green Curry with Seafood

My husband and I love any sort of spicy seafood soup . So when I saw this in the May issue of Bon Appetit, it went right in the must try stack. What also appealed to me is that this curry is a one bowl meal. Bok choy and carrots are also included in the mix. I used mussels, shrimp and bay scallops (the little ones.) And I halved the recipe. And since I only needed enough seafood for two, it wasn't very expensive to put together. (The kids got pancakes. I knew there was not a chance they'd eat this) This curry is delicious, warm and spicy, and as a bonus it will clear your sinuses! I served ours with a side of brown rice.

Salmon with Thai Flavors

This salmon recipe is dynamite! I mean literally smoking, explosively hot! I got this from James Peterson's Fish and Shellfish and in the preface to the recipe he recommends a stronger flavored fish so as to stand up to the bold flavors. The basis of the sauce is red curry paste and coconut milk. It also has some peanut butter and basil, mint and cilantro. The combination of herbs make this dish. And weird, I had all three fresh and available this night. That's why I decided to make it.

After coating the salmon with the sauce, the fillet is wrapped in foil (or a banana leaf (next time, I going to try this)) and steamed. There aren't any vegetables in the packet but I was thinking you could probably add some to make it a complete meal. Maybe some sliced bok choy and red pepper under the salmon... some sprigs of cilantro and a slice of lime... Serve with steamed rice.

Thai Steamed Salmon Fillet Packets

For 6 servings: (I made 1/3 recipe, for two)

2 1/2 lbs. of center-cut salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed

3 T homemade or jarred red curry paste

3 T finely chopped fresh basil

3 T finely chopped fresh mint

2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 T creamy peanut butter

3 T unsweetened coconut milk (I used light)

1 T thai fish sauce

salt and pepper

2 cups water

six 12-inch banana leaves

Making the salmon packets:

Work the curry paste, herbs, peanut butter, coconut milk and fish sauce into a paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the banana leaf (I used heavy-duty foil) squares on a work surface and spread some of the paste mixture on each leaf. Set a piece of salmon on top and spread the top of the salmon with more of the paste. Think ahead to be sure to distribute the paste among each of the packets. Fold the leaves over so they completely wrap the salmon. If they don't hold together, tie loosely with cooking twine.

Bring the water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer and steam the packets for about 8 minutes per inch of thickness of the salmon squares.

When the packets are done - you may have to sneak into one and cut into the fish to judge doneness. Arrange them in hot soup plates. Serve immediately.

Halibut with Blood Orange Salsa

This little number, Sear-Roasted Halibut with Blood Orange Salsa, from Joanne Weir, is from last month's issue of Fine Cooking magazine. It appealed to me because Halibut is just about our favorite fish and I was sure a citrus salsa would be good with the fish. Unfortunately, I used a piece of frozen halibut from Trader Joes and the fish component of this dish was lacking. Fortunately, halibut season is just beginning, so if you make this dish, you can do it with fresh halibut and it will surely be infinitely better. But beware, blood oranges are on their way out of season. So act quickly! The salsa is nice. At this point in my life, I'm convinced that adding cilantro to any fruit and calling it salsa is a good thing and compliments most seafood. Specifically, the citrus is bright against the rich fish, and the color from the blood oranges, gorgeous. Mahi Mahi would be nice here too. I served this with some grilled asparagus - sort of a bringing together of winter and spring...

Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

In continuation of my Ellie binge...

I really liked this Ellie Krieger recipe: Baked Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes. It is somewhat of a complete dish that you could serve with just a green salad and some toasted french bread for a light meal. I think this would also be nice with some herbed orzo served alongside. Other than that, I don't have more to say. I think the picture speaks for itself.

I guess I do have one more thing to say: I didn't use tomatoes with no-salt added because I don't stock those in the house. Regular canned tomatoes worked just fine. Just be careful about when you season to taste, remember the feta is salty too.

Two from Bobby

I know he's not new or anything and I've enjoyed his shows. But ever since eating at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, I've been kind of enamored with him and his style of cooking. Our brunch was so over-the-top delicious that it propelled me into an infatuation with modern tex-mex. He uses all the familiar mexican ingredients but the combinations are bright and fresh and just a little different. I bought the Mesa Grill Cookbook and have been spending a lot of time with it. The photography in the book is gorgoeous and all the dishes sound so enticing. But the recipes are complicated. There are a number of garnishes and sauces to be made before you can get on with the making of the actual dish. This is the kind of cooking you do for fun, not when you're under pressure to get dinner on the table. So I've started with probably a couple of the least complicated and time-consuming dishes in the book. A Roasted Cauliflower and Green Chile Soup and a Honey and Chile Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Jalapeno Crema.

If you've made a Cauliflower Soup, you'll find no surprises with this one. Instead of steaming the cauliflower, you roast it and then it gets pureed with chicken broth and reheated with a little cream. The twist is that you make a roasted poblano puree and swirl that into the soup. This give it some heat and a little interest. There also what he dubs "goat cheese taquito" you float on top for a little garnish. These are really just a warm goat cheese nacho but the crunch of the chip and the tang of the goat cheese lend a lot to the simple bowl of soup. I searched the web but could not find a link to recipe for you. Let me know if you really want it and I'll get it to you.


Next up is the Honey-Ancho Chile Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Jalapeno Crema. But first I wanted to show you the lovely wild coho salmon I had to work with. 'Tis perfect, I think. Okay, so the title of thi recipe pretty much says it all and actually the dish is pretty simple to execute. The glaze is just honey, dijon mustard and ancho chile powder. The black bean sauce is black beans, chicken broth, onion, garlic, cumin, and a chipotle whirred up in a blender to a smooth sauce. And the jalapeno crema is sour cream blended with a roasted, jalapeno puree. Instead I used some of the poblano puree that I had leftover from the soup prep. And I spiked it with some green chile tobasco. I also adapted the recipe by using a can of black beans instead of cooking my own. You can find the exact recipe and a detailed description of the preparation here.

The black bean sauce goes down on the plate and the glazed salmon sits on top. Then you dollop some of the jalapeno cream around. My picture isn't as pretty as the one in the book. If you put the cream in a squeeze bottle you could be really fancy. I had some pineapple salsa in the fridge so I put a little on top of the salmon too. The star of the show is the black bean sauce. Really delicious, smooth and creamy. I ate the leftover beans with eggs, salsa and tortillas this morning. .... doesn't get better than that.

Two from Ellie

I'm a big fan of Ellie Krieger and her book The Food You Crave. I've had some great success with the recipes and I tend to go to the book when I'm looking for a not-too-evil meal. One afternoon at lunch, when I found myself with none of my usual lunch foods available, I went to her book looking for a healthy little meal. I came up with Salmon Cakes with Creamy Ginger Sauce. A recipe using canned salmon and water chestnuts which I had in my cupboard.




If you have cats or ever owned a cat, you might have trouble with canned fish. I do. I can't get over the 9-Lives smell when I open the can. But I knew I'd be combining the fish with cilantro, whole wheat bread crumbs and green onions and making a dipping sauce. So I hoped the finished product would not be too fishy. These asian salmon cakes turned out really well. They have good flavor from the onions and the water chestnuts give them some textural interest. The sauce is made up of mostly yogurt, but a little mayo, sesame oil, soy and ginger that combine to make a nice compliment to the cakes. I used a small 7 1/2 oz can and made a quarter recipe. It produced 4 little cakes. I ate two for lunch and my husband ate the other two (with gusto!) This is also a really inexpensive dish that could easily make an economical dinner for two.

The second recipe is another cost-friendly dish that comes from Fine Cooking's latest issue #97. Ellie Krieger did an article on how to make a nutritious and tasty fried rice using brown rice. I was so happy to see her in my favorite magazine! The great thing about this Five Treasure Fried Rice is you can use up bits of things you might have hanging around in your vegetable drawer, freezer or fridge. She recommends using peeled, broccoli stems. You might also use a half a red pepper, a few carrots, some frozen corn, peas or edamame. If you had some pea pods or sugar snap peas, they would work great too. This recipe isn't vegetarian because it uses a little canadian bacon, but you could easily leave that out. There's also some egg in here for protein. But some leftover cooked chicken, pork or some cubes of firm tofu could be thrown in at the end and warmed through.

I think this rice is best served as a one-dish meal. It is filling and satisfying and has everything you need in a meal. However, today I served it as a side dish to some tilapia. The rice is a breeze to make, but some prep work is involved. There's a lot of chopping (small dice) so it isn't quick to put together. And you need to use cold rice; so it needs to be made well in advance, preferably the day before. And brown rice takes a lot of time to cook, don't forget. Also you absolutely need a 12-inch non-stick pan. If you only have a 10-inch, I'd recommend halving it. But if you make the whole recipe, you'll have a great healthy lunch for the next day.

Spicy orange salmon

Over the years I've learned the hard way to read a recipe completely through from the get go. You never want to start working through a recipe and then come to a direction like "Refrigerate overnight." or "bring to boil and then cool" when you need to have dinner on the table in half an hour. So I'm giving you a little warning with this recipe. The salmon needs to sit in the marinade for 1/2 hour. It really benefits from the whole time because, with the orange juice, soy sauce, chiles and ginger, there's some good flavors to soak in. After you remove the salmon from the marinade, you reserve it and boil it down with some honey for a spicy citrus sauce that's great on the fish and on rice too. You'll be pleased with this simple, tasty salmon preparation. This recipe can easily be halved.

Crispy Orange-glazed Salmon

The sweetness of orange juice tempers the heat of the chile pepper and red pepper flakes in this Thai-inspired dish, but it still has quite a kick.

Prep: 15 minutes; Stand: 30 minutes; Cook: 9 minutes.

2/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
1 small red Thai chile pepper, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
4 (4- to 6-ounce) salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons honey
Hot cooked rice

Garnishes: sprouts, fresh cilantro, carrot and pepper strips, and edamame

1. Stir together first 6 ingredients in a glass baking dish or shallow bowl. Add salmon, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, turning to coat evenly. Marinate at least 30 minutes. Remove salmon, reserving marinade, and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook salmon 3 to 4 minutes per side or until fish begins to flake with fork; remove from pan. Pour reserved marinade into skillet, and add honey. Heat about 3 minutes or until syrupy. Serve salmon warm over a mound of rice, topped with sauce. Garnish, if desired.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Cottage Living, MARCH 2007

Fast Forward to Spicy Shrimp

I have quite the backlog of recipes that I want to share with you, and eventually I'll get to them. But I made a really nice and different stir-fry tonight and I want to give it to you right away. It has a tropical feel that us midwesterners are so in need of right now. Plus, after the kale post, I knew I should to give you something to make you come back.

This is from a very reliable CooksTalk contributor, SuB (of the famous chocolate cake.) She named it one of the best recipes she's run across in 2008. I was looking for something to do with shrimp and I read this recipe and it just so happened that I had everything to make it, the herbs included. I didn't have the kaffir lime leaf, but I never have kaffir lime leaf so that's OK.

I guess I'd call this thai. But it doesn't rely as much on the lime as most thai dishes I've made before. It does have coconut milk, chilis, fish sauce and sriracha hot sauce. If you like savory dishes with coconut milk, I highly recommend it. It is spicy, but not super-spicy and you can always hold back on the jalapeno. I included some red bell pepper in mine and garnished with scallions and cilantro. I served it with brown rice, instead of the coconut rice. I would recommend a cold beer as the accompanying beverage.

SPICY WOK SHRIMP WITH COCONUT RICE

Adapted from Gourmet, July 2006 (Don't be frightened away by the long list of ingredients, it is easy to put together)

16 oz. raw shrimp (peeled and deveined, 20–25/lb. size)
1-1/2 Tb. Sriracha chile sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (scant) unsweetened (not low-fat) coconut milk, well-stirred (half of 13oz.can)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided 1/2C.+1/4C.
1 Tb. fish sauce
1 Tb. vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
8 oz. broccoli florets, or use a combination of vegetables such as onions, snap peas, red and green bell peppers, celery, squash, carrots, scallions.
2 Tb. chopped fresh cilantro (or more, to taste)
2 Tb. chopped fresh basil (or more, to taste)
2 teaspoons minced Kaffir lime leaf (optional)
Garnish: lime wedges, chopped scallions, chopped fresh cilantro

Stir shrimp to coat with the Sriracha sauce and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, reserve.

In another bowl, stir together cornstarch, 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, the fish sauce, and 1 cup coconut milk until cornstarch is completely dissolved.

Heat a 12- to 14-inch well-seasoned flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until very hot, then add oil, swirling to coat. Add fennel seed and stir 30 seconds until fragrant; (be careful it doesn't burn). Add ginger and jalapeno and cook 30 seconds more.

Add broccoli to hot pan and stir-fry until bright green, then carefully pour the 1/4 cup chicken broth down the side of the pan and stir-fry until liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp mixture and cook 2 minutes until almost pink, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium.

Stir cornstarch mixture, then carefully pour it down the side of pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sauce is slightly thickened and shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Stir in cilantro, basil, and lime leaf if using. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and scallions. Serve immediately over rice. Serves four.


COCONUT RICE

1-1/2 cup long-grain white rice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)

Rinse rice in a sieve under cold water, drain well and transfer to a 1-1/2 to 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add water, sugar, coconut milk, and salt. Bring to a boil, partially covered, reduce heat to low and cover completely. Cook 20 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and serve immediately with shrimp. Serves four.

Crank Your Oven

It is cold in Chicago. So here's a completely roasted dinner that will serve as a good excuse to keep your oven turned up high: Roasted Garlic Shrimp (From FC 69) with Roasted Winter Vegetables. Originally this shrimp recipe was meant as an appetizer. They're tossed with garlic and oil and roasted for a few minutes in a hot oven (and served with cocktail sauce.)

The veggies take a little longer and should be done first. These are from Vegetarian Times (The recipe isn't on-line yet, I think it is in the current issue.) Roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots and diced sweet potatoes are tossed with a garlic infused oil and roasted until tender. The sweet potatoes in the mix provide a little starch and substance to an otherwise light dinner. The veggies went over well with dear husband who is not a fan of cauliflower, brussels sprouts or cooked carrots. Who'da thunk?

Garlic Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

by Rori Trovato

To learn more, read the article: Shrimp Cocktail Better than Ever. Roasting the shrimp with garlic gives them a punch that's great with my spicy cocktail sauce.

Serves four to six.

ingredients

1-1/2 lb. jumbo shrimp (16-20 count), shells peeled, tails left on

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

Cocktail Sauce

Heat the oven to 450°F. Remove the vein from the shrimp, if necessary. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the shrimp on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 3 min., turn the shrimp over with tongs, and continue roasting until the shrimp are opaque and firm, another 2 to 4 min. Transfer the shrimp to a shallow dish, cover partially, and refrigerate. When the shrimp are thoroughly chilled (after about 2 hours), serve them with cocktail sauce.

From Fine Cooking 69, pp. 51
January 1, 2005

P.S. I didn't do the cocktail sauce for my dinner, but saved some shrimp, chilled them and served them with store-bought sauce as a snack. I found the roasted ones have much more flavor than the traditional boiled shrimp. It is a really good method for cocktail shrimp.

It Was Just OK For Me

That was dear husband's review of this dish, Sear-Roasted Halibut with Tomatoes and Capers from Fine Cooking 93. You basically sear your fish, flip it in the pan, and toss in a tomato salad made with capers and fresh oregano. (The salad actually tasted better before it had been roasted.) As the fish roasts, the tomatoes break down a little. You drizzle in a little balsamic vinegar and spoon it over your fish. The tomatoes are sweet, the balsamic provides richness and tang, the capers are a salty bite. I liked the completed dish. Dear husband didn't. There you go.

Brochettes of Salmon & Mushrooms in a Velvety Asian Marinade

Since dinner was running late, I decided to skip the brochette aspect of this recipe from FC 57. Instead I just marinated the salmon fillets and the mushrooms and roasted them together in a really hot oven. At the end, I stuck them under the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish things off. Reviews of this recipe said the marinade was really good. We thought it was pretty much just your average asian marinade, nothing special. I did like the way the mushrooms absorbed the marinade flavor though. Mushrooms, vinegar and high heat are a match made in heaven. (think: portabellas, balsamic and the grill.)

Brochettes of Salmon & Mushrooms in a Velvety Asian Marinade

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. seeded and minced fresh jalapeño
1/3 cup fruity olive oil
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
3 to 6 drops Tabasco sauce
2-1/2 lb. skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-1/4-inch cubes
48 small shiitake or cremini mushroom caps
1/2 medium white onion, peeled and cut into 1-1/4-inch squares
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Roughly chopped cilantro for garnish

Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, and jalapeño in a medium bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, sesame oil, and Tabasco. Add the salmon cubes and mushroom caps. Toss to coat evenly, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1-hour in-the refrigerator, tossing occasionally.

While the salmon is marinating, soak a dozen 12-inch wooden skewers in water.
Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill to medium high. (If your grill tends to be very hot, use medium heat, as the brochettes will cook unevenly if the heat is too high.) Remove the salmon from the marinade and loosely thread four salmon cubes alternating with four mushroom caps and four thin pieces of onion on each skewer. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and grill or broil in batches until browned and the salmon is almost opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Test by removing one piece of salmon and checking it for doneness; it should still be somewhat translucent in the center. Transfer the brochettes to warm dinner plates and garnish with cilantro.

Roasted Trout with Lemon & Walnut-Browned Butter

Steelhead has been frequenting the Whole Foods fish counter lately. It looks exactly like salmon. I asked the fish guy about it: "Steelhead is trout, right?" He gave me this vague answer that in 48 of the 50 states it is considered a salmon and that it tastes like salmon. "But it's trout, isn't it" He couldn't give me a definitive answer. Since I like both salmon and trout, I decided to give it a try, whatever it was. When I got home, a quick google told me a little more. Steelhead Trout is closely related to a Rainbow Trout. The difference is that Steelhead is born in a stream but makes its way to the ocean for its adult life (there's a fancy term for this fishy behavior: anadromous) whereas Rainbow Trout stays in the fresh water stream. Steelhead, Rainbow, Salmon and Char (as in Arctic Char) and all part of the Salmonidea family and closely related in texture, flavor and nutritional qualities. These aren't those little, whole lake trout (or as Jack calls them the gray ones with the heads) that you often see in the fish counter. This is a big, meaty pink-fleshed fillet and it would substitute nicely in any salmon recipe. In terms of flavor, you might describe it as salmon-light. Some people (not me) object to the oily, strong flavor of salmon compared to other fish. Rainbow and Steelhead Trout are a little less like that, but yet retain some salmon-like flavor. They're delicious.

That said, I decided to work with a Rainbow Trout recipe from the Fine Cooking database, one from issue 78. The fish gets a very simple treatment roasted in the oven with some herbs and lemon slices. As it cooks, you prepare a brown butter sauce with walnuts to drizzle over the cooked fish. This is a classy recipe and you get to practice your butter browning skills, which is always good. Don't walk away from your butter.

Roasted Trout with Lemon & Walnut-Browned Butter

by Molly Stevens (Fine Cooking 78)

This recipe serves 4-6. You can easily scale it down for 2. To lighten it up a little, you can brush the uncooked fish with olive oil (instead of butter) and then just finish with the butter sauce.

8 rainbow trout fillets (2 to 2-1/2 lb.)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh tarragon

24 1/8-inch-thick lemon slices (2 to 3 lemons)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450ºF.

Arrange the trout skin side down on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper evenly over the trout. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and drizzle 4 Tbs. of it evenly over the fillets. Sprinkle the trout evenly with the parsley and the tarragon. Arrange 3 lemon slices over each fillet. Roast until the fillets flake easily when pricked with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, set the saucepan with the remaining melted butter over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts; keep warm.

When the trout is done, use a large spatula to transfer the fillets to dinner plates—if the skin sticks to the foil, lift up only the flesh. Swirl the walnut butter around and then spoon it over the trout.

serving suggestions: Serve with buttered baby red potatoes tossed with chopped fresh dill.

I served mine with roasted brussels sprouts. The walnut butter sauce drizzled over them as well. Yum.

Glazed Goodness

Hoisin, like ginger or ancho or southwestern, is one of my trigger words. The presence of any those words in a title is enough for me to perk up and take a serious look at the recipe in front of me. In the past week I made two different recipes that use hoisin and I even didn't realize it until I downloaded the photos from my camera. The first is from Rick Moonen (that's him with me at the Chicago Gourmet Event) and his book Fish Without a Doubt. It is a simple hoisin glaze that has some lime juice and garlic in it. This is a no-cook sauce that you can just easily mix up and use on a variety of fish. Above I used it on Rainbow Trout with great results. I served it with a slaw dressed with his asian vinaigrette and the obligatory spinach sauteed with garlic. This is a good one to brush on your salmon, folks.

Rick Moonen's Hoisin Glaze.

2 T hoisin sauce

juice 1/2 lime

1t honey

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 T fresh minced cilantro

coarse salt

Mix first 5 ingredients together. Taste and season with salt. Brush it on after your fish is cooked. Can be halved.

Below you'll find Hoisin-glazed Scallops with Spinach from the current issue (96) of Fine Cooking magazine. These are too simple to be true. The seared scallops are just brushed with some hoisin right from the jar, no mixing at all. This time the spinach is a little special though. You saute spinach with some cilantro and green onions and drizzle the wilted greens with toasted sesame oil. (I took the liberty of adding garlic and using mature, not baby, spinach.) Its asian flare compliments the scallops very well. This makes a flavorful little dinner, and healthy too. I got unsolicited compliments from Dear Husband for this one.

And finally one thing I wanted to say is that I really recommend Kikkoman's Hoisin sauce. I read somewhere, (it probably the Cook's Illustrated people,) that, after taste-testing, it was the best one. So I gave it a try. And I really do find it more delicious than the others. However, I was never unhappy with the other brands I tried either. So use what you can find.

Autumn Scallops

This is a nice scallop dish from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper. It is Sauteed Scallops with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon. I thought the plate would benefit from a butternut squash puree, so I added that. Basically you're cooking the brussels sprouts on the stovetop with onions, bacon and tarragon. When those are nicely browned and tender, you keep them warm in a bowl, wipe out the pan and sear the scallops. Then it is all plated together.

This is a great way to cook brussels sprouts, probably not the healthiest, but delicious. A little bit of bacon flavor goes a long way here. Since scallops, by their nature, are very lean, the bacon flavor helps enrich them and it works wonderfully with brussels sprouts - just like it does with cabbage. Keep in mind you could use them as a side dish to something else besides scallops. I could see pairing them with roast chicken for a nice winter dinner. Here's a blog where the recipe is described in detail.

Swordfish "alla ghiotta"

From the Fine Cooking (90) notes on this recipe: seafood "alla ghiotta" means glutton's style. It is a savory side dish/sauce made with fennel, tomatoes, olives and capers all simmered together. I wonder if the name means that that the sauce has some of everything, like a glutton might want. The editors suggest you serve this dish with fish or you could just serve it as a side on its own, like as part of an italian buffet. But then I would add an extra fennel bulb.

I'm going through a thing with fennel at the moment and, when I was searching on Fine Cooking's website for something to do with my swordfish, this popped up as the ideal candidate. I know many of you will read swordfish and think mercury. And that's true, you shouldn't eat a lot of swordfish and we don't. But once a month or so, I can't resist. Whole Foods has had some great swordfish in the case lately. I love its clean taste and meaty, juicy texture. And It can hold its own next to big flavors so it is fun to work with in the kitchen. Meditteranean flavors like tomato, olive, lemon, rosemary are all natural pairings. And there's just nothing like swordfish on the grill, except maybe a steak.

This sauce is outstanding. The fennel browns and then is cooked slowly in a braise of tomatoes, olives and capers. The tomatoes soften their flavor after some cooking with onions, but the olives and capers are sharp and acidy. If you like Pasta Puttanesca, you will like this sauce. And I could almost see using this on pasta, but you would have to cut up the fennel smaller, here it is in wedges. There's one thing missing in the recipe below. Can you find it? ......... Garlic. I would add garlic next time. I was nearly through with cooking it when I realized I hadn't chopped any garlic. I don't care what a recipe says, if I'm going to make a sauce like this, I'm going to add garlic. Any glutton I know would want garlic, I'm pretty much sure of that.

Braised Fennel with Tomato, Green Olives & Capers

by Janet Fletcher, Rosetta Costantino

Seafood prepared alla ghiotta (“glutton’s style”)—with tomatoes, olives, and capers—is common in Calabria and Sicily, but the same flavors are compatible with fennel. Serves four.

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed (3/4 to 1 lb. after trimming)
8 large green Sicilian or Cerignola olives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1-1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced fresh tomato (2 or 3 small tomatoes) OR a 28-oz. can whole tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), drained, seeded, and diced
3 Tbs. capers, drained and rinsed
1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise and then cut each half lengthwise into four 1-1/2-inch-thick wedges. Trim a little of the core but leave enough to hold the layers together.
With a pairing knife, slice the olive flesh off the pits lengthwise.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, one cut side down, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, turning once with tongs, until the wedges are lightly browned on both cut sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add the onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and gently so as not to break up the fennel wedges, until the onions are slightly softened and browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, capers, and olives to the pan along with 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to medium low or low, to maintain a steady simmer. Cook until the fennel wedges are fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to high, and simmer briskly until most of the liquid evaporates, leaving a thick sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently stir in the parsley. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

serving suggestions:
Serve with grilled swordfish or tuna, roast chicken, or grilled sausages.

From Fine Cooking 90, pp. 50
December 4, 2007

Salmon/Salad

Salmon and salad is a frequent summer dinner at the Donahue household. Dear husband grills up some salmon fillets and I toss together some salad stuff and we call it dinner. It is a great way to accomplish dinner on a summer night when there's more important things to do, like catching fireflies or riding bicycles. So when I received the current issue of Fine Cooking (95), I was happy to see a salmon/salad dish on the back cover. The interesting take on this recipe is that it nudges the salmon/salad into fall. Here salmon, rubbed with lemon zest, is roasted with mushrooms and leeks. The vegetables are then tossed with arugula to make an earthy salad to serve alongside your fish. A squeeze of lemon brightens everything and essentially becomes the dressing, (there's also some oil from when you roast the mushrooms and leeks.) It is a simple, light dish that speaks of the warm days and cool nights leading into fall.

BBQ'd Salmon?

I don't think you can really barbeque salmon. In my world, you can only grill salmon. BBQ'd salmon would be overcooked salmon; don't you think?; (unless maybe you did a whole fish.) But whatever, the original title of this recipe was BBQ salmon and that is what I'm sticking with for now. This is a nice, easy sauce to glaze over your almost finished grilled salmon. It is sticky, sweet and has a little bite from the mustard. I got this from somewhere on the internet, who knows where or when. But I'm glad I finally gave it a try. BTW, the recipe itself says to grill the salmon for 30 minutes. I don't recommend that so I'm just giving you the sauce here. I think some fresh ginger would be a nice addition.

1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs dijon mustard
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
lime wedges for serving (optional)

In small saucepan over medium heat, stir butter with honey and sugar until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add soy sauce, mustard, oil, and garlic; mix well and let cool. Reserve a portion of the glaze. Brush the rest on salmon fillets/steaks near the end of grilling. Brush the reserved glaze on salmon once it is removed from the grill.

Turkey Joes and more

I'm so behind on posting that I think I'll do just a short recap of some of the recipes I've tried recently. First off, here's another new cookbook that I've really been enjoying. And NOT because Rick Bayless does the intro, but that is a plus. Molly Stevens is one of the editors and Fran McCollough, the other. Stevens is an acclaimed chef and cookbook author in her own right and McCollough too has authored cookbooks, though many seem to have to do with low-carb eating. (not my thing.)



The book is a diverse collection of recipes tried and hand selected from 2006. It's fun because the recipes are an interesting mix from magazines, cookbooks, newsletters and the internet. Many of the recipes from this book have gotten good reviews at CooksTalk . And I found it new on ebay for $10 and couldn't pass it up. I'm enjoying it so much, I think I will watch for the earlier editions of "Best Recipes" and pick them up if they're cheap

One recipe we've enjoyed is what we've called Turkey Joes, aka Sloppy Joes made with ground turkey. These were delicious and with a whole wheat bun, a savory, healthy weeknight dinner.


I also made a nice blueberry cobbler from the book. This time I played around a little with proportions because I wanted to make a small one in my 6 inch cast iron skillet. It turned out good to eat but not quite what I expected it to be (i.e. not cobbler-esque enough for me.) This was more like a blueberry clafouti. But I'm blaming myself and not the recipe for this. I will give it another try. I also made some TDF banana muffins from this book but failed to take pictures. But I promise I'll make them again soon and post picts and the recipe.

From Fine Cooking, I finally got around to making the Seared Scallops on Pea Puree from a few issues back (92). I wanted to wait until I could get some nice young fresh peas at the Farmers Market and that didn't happen until late June. This dish turned out really good. The seared scallops are delicious with the creamy sweet puree and there is some crispy pancetta and a gremolata to top it off. The pink pancetta pops on the green puree for a gorgeous plate. I won't wait for fresh peas to make this again. I think frozen would be fine.


I've also been doing a lot of beet salads because we really love them. Chioggia Beets are the ones with the candy stripes on the inside and they are really sweet. I love them next to a bitter green, some goat cheese and a tart vinaigrette, particularly one made with a white balsamic or champagne vinegar.

Finally, James Peterson, in his book, Fish and Shellfish, taught me that sometimes the simplest approach can be very rewarding indeed. Here I did his fish Bercy, which is basically a classic preparation of fish cooked gently with butter, white wine, lemon and herbs. It really brought out the best in these grouper fillets.




I'm done for now, but not caught up. We haven't yet talked about grilled pizza on the Fourth of July . . .