Fish – Seafood

A kid friendly meal that adults will also enjoy: Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks

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Susan and I are really quite fortunate that John will eat most anything we serve him. He is far from a picky eater. I still like to keep him in mind while planning meals and try to make one of his favorites each week. One of his favorite meals is fish sticks. I, on the other hand, have bad memories of the cardboard boxed Mrs. Paul’s and Van de Kamp’s fish sticks of my youth and would rather forgo them.

Here is how I satisfy the palate of a six year-old and make a fish stick that an adult will also find tasty.

Fish Sticks

1 large egg
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups panko
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds cod fillets (or similar firm white fish), cut into wide strips

Directions

Preheat oven to 475° F. Line 9 x 17 baking sheet with aluminum foil, spritz lightly with cooking spray and set aside.

Lightly beat the egg in a wide, shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another wide, shallow bowl, combine panko, Old Bay, and olive oil. (Mixing the olive oil with the panko will help the panko to brown.) First dip the fish in egg and then shake off the excess. Next, dredge in panko mixture pressing the fish into the panko to help it adhere then place on baking sheet.

Bake until lightly browned, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Serve fish sticks with sauce and lemon wedges on the side.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish

Directions
Whisk together mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, lemon juice, and horseradish in a small glass bowl.

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Lemon, Garlic, and Rosemary Grilled Halibut

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Fish lends itself to grilling. Grilling fish over direct heat not only cooks it quickly but also prevents it from drying out.

There are two main problems with grilling fish but with a little practice, you can overcome them quite easily. The first is keeping it from sticking. A clean grill oiled right before you put the fish on and brushing the fish with olive oil helps prevent the fish from sticking. Some people like to use a fish basket when grilling fish. They do help considerably.

The second difficulty is knowing when the fish is done. Fish will appear a little translucent before it is cooked. You will know when a fish is cooked as it becomes opaque all the way through and will flake quite easily. If any part of the fish is glossy, it still has a little longer to cook.

One of my favorite fish to cook is halibut. It is firmer than most other fish and stands up to grilling very well. It is also a good fish to start with when first grilling fish. Here is what I did tonight:

Ingredients

2 5 ounce Halibut filets
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice from one lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Heat grill to medium heat. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and rosemary together. Liberally brush one side of halibut filet with mixture. Salt and pepper. Flip and repeat on other side. Place on grill. Cook for three to five minutes on one side. Flip and grill on other side for two to three minutes or until the fish turns opaque throughout and flakes easily.

I like to serve this over a brown rice and serve with a vegetable like asparagus.

Shrimp in Tomato Cream Sauce

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Shrimp is great when you need a relatively quick weeknight meal. Not only does it cook quickly, it is very versatile in how it can be cooked and the sauces it can be cooked with from a simple browned butter garlic sauce to a tomato based sauce like the one I made tonight. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (26/30 count)
4 – 6 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup heavy cream
15 oz can of fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
Cayenne pepper to taste
8 ounces Farfalle pasta
Freshly shredded Parmesan for serving

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions to al dente.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter on medium heat in large skillet and sauté garlic. Add shrimp and cayenne and cook 2 to 3 minutes on one side. Turn shrimp and cook 2 minutes longer on other side. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside. Add tomatoes to pan and cook until liquid is reduced by about half. Add cream and cook 4 to 6 minutes longer. Reintroduce shrimp to sauce and remove from heat.

Divide farfalle in pasta bowl, top with shrimp and sauce, and shred Parmesan on top.

Louisiana Oysters on the Half-Shell

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I picked up some Louisiana Oysters today. I made a very quick and simple migonette sauce for them and Susan and I were in heaven. I wanted us to have at least three a piece so I picked up eight oysters just in case there was a bad one. We got lucky and all eight looked bright and smelled like the briny sea so we each got four.

Here’s the simple migonette sauce:

Ingredients

1 small shallot finely minced
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons dry, acid white wine
1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
Grind or two of fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate an hour or two to allow the flavors to meld. Spoon over oysters and serve.

Herbed Baked Salmon: A quick, easy way to prepare this delicious fish

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I really like salmon. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite fish. This recipe is very tasty and is an excellent way to prepare a quick evening meal after a hectic day. This is also one of my favorite ways of preparing salmon.

Ingredients

1 salmon fillet (1 to 1 ½ pound) bones removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 scallions, white and green parts, minced
¼ cup minced fresh dill
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ cup dry white wine
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Place the salmon fillet in a glass or ceramic roasting dish. Season it with salt and pepper. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle the mixture evenly over the salmon. Let it stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes.

Blend together the scallions, dill, and parsley. Cover the salmon fillet with the herb mixture over the salmon fillet. Slowly pour the wine over and around the fish fillet.

Roast the salmon for 10 to 12 minutes, until almost cooked in the center at the thickest part. Remove from the oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut the salmon across into serving pieces and serve hot with lemon wedges.

Grilled Catfish Tacos

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Most people do not think of seafood and fish when they think of Mexican cuisine. They are sadly mistaken. Mexico is bordered by two large bodies of water and has miles and miles of coastline. In some places like Veracruz, seafood is ubiquitous and beef, pork, and chicken are hard to find.

One of the easiest Mexican dishes to prepare using seafood is tacos. Most any type of seafood from shrimp to cod can be used. Since I live in Iowa, catfish is plentiful and that is what I chose to use. Another thing most do not think about is grilling fish but here again it is something so easy and it has the benefit of not filling the house with the smell of fried fish.

The sauce

Ingredients

½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
1 lime
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground hot Mexican chili powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon capers, minced
1 jalapeno
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise until well blended.

Squeeze the juice from one lime into the mixture, then whisk thoroughly. You’ll want the consistency of a pourable, creamy salad dressing. If still too thick, add more lime juice. If too runny, add sour cream.

Add all of the spices, whisking to mix thoroughly. Add the capers, minced pepper and cilantro, and whisk thoroughly.

Cover the bowl with wrap and refrigerate the sauce for at least one hour — the longer the better.

Grilled Catfish

Ingredients

4  Catfish fillets
1 tablespoon hot chili powder or your favorite Cajun seasoning blend
1 tablespoon grape seed oil or other high heat oil like refined canola
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice

Prepare grill to medium heat. Combine chili powder, oil and lime juice in a small bowl; brush over both sides of fillets. Arrange in a wire grilling basket coated with cooking spray or other suitable grilling rack.

Place grilling basket on a grill rack; grill 6-8 minutes on each side until catfish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Remove and slice in strips.

Assembling the tacos

Additional Ingredients

Slaw mix
Fajita size flour tortillas (warmed according to directions)
Sliced avocado

Place approximately ¼ cup of slaw mix on warm flour tortilla. Place a few slices of grilled catfish on slaw. Then top with above sauce and slice or two of avocado.

Cedar Planked Steelhead Trout

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Here is an insanely simple recipe that is very delicious. The most time consuming part is soaking the cedar plank, but with a little forethought that can be negated. I made this tonight for “boys night” with my son Gregory. He absolutely loved it. I think his exact words were, “Dad, you can make this every night.”

Ingredients

Cedar plank
1 pound Steelhead trout filet (AKA Steelhead Salmon)
Cajun seasoning
Dry white wine

Directions

Soak cedar plank in dry white wine for 1 to 2 hours. Meanwhile take the steelhead out and season with Cajun seasoning and allow to come to room temperature.

Arrange coals in a charcoal grill to cook with indirect method of heating. When ready, place steelhead on cedar plank and place in the middle of the grill. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with lemon and serve with lemon slices.

Additional notes

The cedar planks can be soaked in a variety of things ranging from water to juices to liquors to wine. The fish will steam on the plank and pick up the smokiness of the grill along with the woodiness of the plank and what ever it was soaked in. This will be some of the best salmon you have ever put in your mouth.

Spaghetti con Gamberi (Spaghetti With Shrimp)

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Seafood plays an important part in the Italian diet; especially in the southern regions. Here is a simple, quick recipe that uses shrimp but can also use langoustines which is a small lobster. It also contains yaki nori which is a roasted seaweed that most people will recognize from sushi. When you first taste this dish you are greeted with a sweetness coming from the cherry tomatoes which is then replaces with a bit of spiciness.

Ingredients

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
11/2 cups dry white wine
Kosher salt, to taste
10 oz. spaghetti
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 sheet yaki nori (roasted seaweed), cut in slivers; optional
Juice of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat ¼ cup oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, chile flakes, and garlic; cook, stirring, until soft, about 6 minutes. Add wine; cook until reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add shrimp; cook, turning once, until just pink, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup cooking water, and add pasta to skillet along with cooking water, remaining oil, parsley, nori, and juice; cook, tossing, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Pan Roasted Salmon Bread Salad

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Here is an surprisingly delicious and unique way to prepare salmon. The idea comes from Food and Wine magazine. Total time from start to table is less than an hour.

Ingredients

Ciabatta bread (12- 14 ounce loaf), cut into large chunks
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced (you cannot slice these too thinly)
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds center-cut skinless salmon fillet, cut into 2-inch chunks

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large roasting pan, toss the ciabatta chunks with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Roast for about 5 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted.

In a large bowl, toss the tomato halves with the garlic, capers, lemon, parsley, crushed red pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Stir the tomatoes into the toasted bread. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and break down.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, toss the salmon with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Nestle the salmon into the bread and tomatoes, spooning some of the tomatoes on top. Roast for about 6 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through. Serve right away.

Tuna v.2: Pan Seared Tuna with Avocado

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Tonight while in a store picking up a few last minute items needed to make tonight’s dinner I ran into a friend. She asked what I was making for dinner and I told her seared tuna steaks with avocado. Her response was, “You must have a lot more time than I do!” Here’s the funny thing: I returned home a little after six, changed clothes, checked on the batch of Sauvignon blanc wine I have fermenting and then started cooking. Susan and I were finished eating and cleaning up before seven.

Cooking tuna steaks are so quick; two minutes per side and they’re done. These were absolutely delicious.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
juice from 2 limes
¼ cup soy sauce
Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup walnut oil
2 tablespoons Canola or similar high temperature oil
2 Ahi Tuna steaks
1 ripe avocado
 
Directions 
In a bowl, whisk together the cilantro, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and walnut oil. Set aside.
Place a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and coat with two tablespoons of Canola oil. Sear the tuna for two minutes on each side.
Transfer the seared tuna to plates and serve with the sliced avocado. Drizzle the sauce over the fish and avocado.