Food goodness

J's birthday dinner this year, based on this recipe . Fish: 1 pound flaky white fish fillets, such as haddock, halibut or cod 1 lime, zested and juiced 2 cloves garlic, smashed 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil sprinkle of cumin Kosher salt   Slaw: 1 bag broccoli slaw (recipe calls for 1/2 head savoy cabbage, shredded) 3 scallions, sliced thinly on the bias 1 jalapeno, minced, optional 1/4 to 1/2 cup rice vinegar (recipe calls for white) 2 tablespoons honey 1/4 cup canola oil Kosher salt   8 flour tortillas   Fish: Cut the fish into strips. Combine the fish with the lime zest and juice, garlic, oil, cumin and salt, to taste, in a medium bowl. This can be done a day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Slaw: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey and oil. Add to the broccoli, scallions and jalapeno and toss until well dressed. Season with salt, to taste. If using within a couple of hours, let it sit at room t...

Green condiment of delight. Like hari chutney or Afghani chatney or most any herb pesto, chimichurri makes many foods taste like a very special treat. It's great on a steak (traditional in South American cuisine) and I like it on fish, potatoes, sandwiches, mixed into hummus, etc. I make a batch, use a portion of it right away and freeze the rest into cubes and add it to various soups and stews or even guac. Say it: "chimichurri." Nice. Now go make it. 1 bunch cilantro (about a C) - mostly just the leaves but you'll blend it, so don't be too perfect about it 1 bunch parsley (about a C) - ditto 1 clove garlic, minced 2 T olive oil 1-2 chiles/jalepenos (seeds removed) 1 t salt 2 T lime juice a little water to get the blender going Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Pulse to blend everything into a smooth, gorgeous, Elphaba-green sauce.

I was looking for a way to use up some leftover salmon, and this fit the bill. I also did it with some of the precooked packaged salmon from Trader Joe's, and it worked well that time too. Cakes: 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or one package of TJ's cooked salmon 1/4 c panko [recipe calls for 2 (6-inch) pita rounds or 3 slices firm white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces] 1/4 cup + a little more greek yogurt [recipe calls for mayo] 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/4 teaspoon cayenne good shake of Old Bay 1 t grated lemon zest salt & pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil Sauce: 1 t grated lemon zest chopped dill [optional, but a good idea] 3/4 cup plain yogurt [recipe called for whole-milk; I used 2% Greek] 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Mix cake ingredients together & form small-ish patties (mine made 8). Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.  Cook salmon cakes, turning...

This recipe indicates that my transformation to someone who genuinely likes mushrooms is complete. Shocking, I know. Also, this is the kind of recipe I generally stay away from -- lots of steps, lots of components, two separate sauces -- but it's actually not a) super-messy and requiring many dishes to wash; b) very time-consuming; or c) fussy. This is all very simple and whole-food-ish. I'd recommend reading the original recipe the whole way through first, just to get an idea of what you're going to do, and then come back here and just follow the steps. And skip the gastrique, if you must, but definitely do NOT skip the garlic aioli; it's the best part. First make the aioli. With an immersion blender, puree: 1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 whole egg–the fresher and organic-er the better ½ tsp salt 2 spins of the pepper mill juice of ½ lemon With the blender still going, start drizzling in olive oil , very slowly, until things start to...

These were fast to prep and fast to cook. Just reminiscent enough of crab cakes that we took out the Old Bay and gave a shake over the finished patties. They are moist and lemony enough that they don't even need a condiment. From Elise >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ingredients •2 6-ounce cans tuna •2 teaspoons Dijon mustard •1/2 cup white bread torn into small pieces (bread crumbs) •1 teaspoon lemon zest (I zested the whole thing) •1 Tbsp lemon juice (I juiced the whole thing) •1 Tbsp water (or liquid from the cans of tuna) •2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley •2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, green onions, or shallots •Salt and freshly ground black pepper •A couple squirts of Crystal hot sauce or tabasco •1 raw egg •2 Tbsp olive oil •1/2 teaspoon butter (I didn't use this) Method 1 Drain the liquid from the tuna cans. If you are using tuna packed in water, reserve a tablespoon of the tuna water, and add a teaspoon of ...

Made this for Old-Bay-loving J's birthday this year, along with the Old Bay version of the magic corn and bean salad and some fresh green beans from the garden. Mm. Be forewarned: It makes about six small cakes, and we finished the whole thing just the two of us. If you're feeding more than two, I'd double. 1/3 cup white wine 2 large sprigs parsley 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns 1 pound cod [I used the flash-frozen stuff from Wegmans, which I think is excellent, thawed in the refrigerator for a day] 4-5 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper 1/2 red onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish 1 teaspoon old bay [I used more like a tablespoon] 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste 1/4 cup panko 1/4 cup mayonaise 1/2 cup flour Combine 1 c water with the wine, the sprigs of parsley, and the peppercorns. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. [the original recipe has you do this with a ...

And yet another Weight Watchers recipe. This one was also surprising, because it didn't taste like diet food at all. 3 Tbsp rosemary, leaves, fresh, chopped 3 Tbsp thyme, fresh, leaves, fresh, stemmed 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground 2 spray(s) cooking spray 1 1/4 pound(s) salmon fillet(s), with or without skin, Atlantic, skinless (four 5-ounce pieces) 4 Tbsp Dijon Mustard, regular or grainy-variety Instructions Turn on the broiler and get it nice and hot. Mix the rosemary, thyme and pepper in a small bowl. Spray the bottom of the fish fillets with nonstick spray. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard on the top of each fillet. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the herb mixture on top of each. Place herb side up on the grate directly over the heat. Cover the grill and cook until the fish flakes when gently scraped with a fork, about 12 minutes. Transfer to plates with a wide spatula. Yields 1 fillet per serving. (4 Servings, 7 WW Points per serving)

I'm generally not a fan of tuna (or of casseroles, really), but this is really good. I've already made it twice in the last month or so. Hearty and comfort-food-tastic. I also love the website it comes from, Gina's Skinny Recipes . She does great modifications, and includes WW points for every recipe. Ingredients: 6 oz no yolk noodles (you can use Ronzoni Healthy Harvest, or brown rice pasta for gluten free) 1 tbsp butter 1 medium onion, minced fine 3 tbsp flour (gluten free use rice flour) 1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth 1 cup 1% milk 1 oz sherry (optional) [I threw in some white wine] 10 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms 1 cup frozen petite peas (thawed) 2 (5 oz) cans tuna in water, drained 4 oz 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar [I used 2% Cracker Barrel] butter flavored cooking spray 2 tbsp parmesan cheese [yeah, you need more than that] 2 tbsp whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs [I used panko] Directions: Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2...

Adapted from the Lake Austin Spa Resort recipe from Shape Magazine. Serves approx. 6 12 oz. buckwheat noodles 1 C shelled edamame 2 cloves garlic 1 inch piece ginger, peeled 1/3 C hoisin sauce (I omitted b/c I was out and just added more of the other ingredients) 1/3 C mirin 1 T + 1 t brown sugar 2 t sesame oil 1-2 t chili sauce (I use Sambal Olek) 2 t fish sauce 2 T soy sauce or tamari 1 C grated carrot 1 C red and yellow peppers, julienned 1 C sliced water chestnuts 3 scallions, thinly sliced 1/4 C fresh cilantro (omitted) 2 T black and white sesame seeds, lightly toasted 1.25 lbs center-cut salmon fillet* Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add noodles and edamame. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until soba is al dente. Drain noodles and edamame and rinse under cool water; set aside. In a food processor, add garlic thru soy sauce/tamari and whiz until blended. Pour noodles and edamame in a large bowl and add veg. Pour over sauce and sesame seeds and toss to combine. Chill i...

From: Simply Recipes I made this tonight with chickpeas because that is what I had in the pantry. I used mint in it, but I think this would be a fun dish to play around with in terms of different beans and different greens. Good for lunches during the week, too. 1 cup of chopped red onions or shallots (I just used 2 shallots) The zest and juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes (can sub a tbsp or two of cider vinegar) 2 five to six ounce cans of tuna packed in olive oil* 2 15-ounce cans of cannellini or Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup of chopped mint, parsley, or arugula A few splashes of Tabasco sauce, or 1 minced Serrano chile or 1 teaspoon red chile flakes 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Salt and olive oil to taste 1 Sprinkle some of the lemon juice over the chopped onions while you prepare the other ingredients. This will take some of the oniony edge off the onions. 2 Drain the oil from the tuna and put the tuna into a large bowl. Add the beans to the tuna an...

I have a huge capers fan in the house -- Ernie -- so I always tend to bookmark capers recipes for later. This is another one that Ernie made, so you know it was easy and quick. He adapted it to add many, many more capers than the recipe called for. So if you're not a huge capers fan, just reduce the amount. adapted from "Food Network's Making it Easy" 5 Tbsp. olive oil 4 fillets of flounder, sole or tilapia (basically you just want a flaky white fish) 1/4 tsp. kosher salt black pepper 4 to 5 canned plum tomatoes, drained 1 small onion, sliced 4 to 5 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped a bunch of capers -- Ernie used the whole jar 1/2 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped 1/4 c. dried bread crumbs Preheat oven to 400. Lightly brush baking dish with olive oil. Lay fish on the work surface, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Fold the fillets in half and lay the pieces in the center of the dish. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into a small b...

I wanted fish stew last weekend, so I could play with a lot of the different seafoods I see at our Asian market. Unfortunately, this is the East Coast, and it's sometimes hard to get the ingredients that go into traditional cioppino. So, I improvised. If you want the original/traditional recipe, go to Simply Recipes . Seafood 3 pounds firm white fish -- I used rockfish, which was caught wild -- cut into inch-long cubes 1 package imitation crab meat (this was for Gaby, and also because they didn't have a Dungeness crab in the store) 1 pound (or more) of large shrimp 2 pounds (or more) little neck clams and mussels Sauce 1/2 cup olive oil 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 large onion) 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (1 large green bell pepper) 3 coves garlic, minced 1 28 ounce can tomatoes Broth from the mollusks 2 cups red wine 2 cups V-8 (the original recipe calls for tomato juice) 2 cups fish or shellfish stock (You can buy this in the store. Or m...

I had some sole in the freezer I wanted to use and get out of there, so I went looking for recipes. I adapted this recipe from one found an allrecipes . Gaby eats fish when I make it, usually with a little bit of complaining, but last night she devoured this. I guess that makes it a good recipe. I only had 4 fillets, so I took the extra stuffing and added more cheese and rice to it, and Gaby and Ernie ate it with the fish last night. (I'm on a quasi-diet, so I just had salad with mine). 3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/2 c. panko flakes 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained 1 cup cooked rice 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese 8 (4 ounce) sole or whitefish fillets In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, salt, granulated garlic and pepper. In another bowl, combine the broccoli, rice, panko, cheese and half of the butter...

We had dinner with Heidi Friday night and she served this really flavorful salmon. It originally came from a 1950's neighborhood cookbook, but I didn't write down the name of it. As the name says, this was a little sweet, a little spicy. Great flavor. 1/2 C. water 6 Tbsp maple syrup 2 Tbsp minced gingerroot 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes 4 (6 oz) salmon filets, 1-inch thick 1/4 tsp kosher salt Combine water, maple syrup, gingerroot, garlic and red pepper flakes in saucepan and mix well. Simmer until reduced by half, stirring frequently. Let stand until cool. Arrange salmon skin-side down on an oiled broiler rack in a broiler pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Broil 4 inches from heat source for 5 minutes. Brush with maple syrup mixture. Broil for 6-10 minutes longer or until salmon flakes easily, basting with remaining maple syrup mixture occasionally.

Don't you hate it when you buy all the ingredients to make something, and then can't get up the energy or desire to make it? Oh, is that just me? In any case, I'd bought all the stuff to make salmon over lentils, and the poor leeks have been languishing in my fridge for far too long. I wasn't in the mood for salmon over lentils tonight, but the salmon had already been taken out of the freezer, so I improvised. Which is often more tasty than the original recipe, and certainly more satisfying. I took the basic inspiration from various recipes I found online, but you know, I sort of just went with the flow. 4 wild salmon fillets (wild salmon is better for a host of reasons, which I'd be happy to get into but I'm sure you already know) 3 leeks, white parts sliced thin 2 lemons, sliced thin a bunch of dill, cleaned (straight from the garden, baby!) salt and pepper Preheat oven to 500 degrees. (Open a window, because it gets hot) In a sauté pan, cook leeks in a little...

One of two recipes Ernie made for me this morning for Mother's Day. Yum. from Rachel Ray 1/4 pound sliced smoked salmon 12 eggs 1/2 cup heavy cream Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons butter 12 to 15 blades of fresh chives, finely chopped Reserve 2 slices of salmon for garnish. Chop the remaining salmon into very small pieces. Whisk your eggs and cream together. Add 1/2 of your chopped chives and season eggs with salt and pepper. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in the pan and add eggs. Scramble eggs with a wooden spoon. Do not cook eggs until dry. When eggs have come together but remain wet, stir in chopped salmon. Remove pan from the stove and place on a trivet. Garnish the eggs with remaining salmon and chives and serve right out of the warm pan.

From Alton Brown. My boyfriend. 1 (7-ounce) pouch albacore tuna, drained well and shredded by hand 2 green onions, chopped fine 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 large eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, divided Olive oil, for sauteing Place the tuna, onions, mustard, eggs, lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Divide the mixture into 8 rounds and set aside on a parchment lined half sheet pan. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Place the remaining bread crumbs into a pie plate. One at a time, coat each round in the panko on all sides. Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the croquettes and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack set over a half sheet pan lined with paper towels. Allow to cool for 2 to 3 min...

Yum. from Epicurious Nonstick vegetable oil spray 1/2 cup chopped shallots 1/4 cup drained capers 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dillweed 1 1 1/4-pound skinless center-cut salmon fillet 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter Lemon wedges Preheat oven to 425°F. Place large sheet of foil on baking sheet. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray. Mix shallots, capers and dill in small bowl. Place salmon on foil; sprinkle with lemon-pepper seasoning. Spread shallot mixture over salmon. Dot with butter. Fold up foil edges to enclose salmon; seal. Bake salmon just until opaque in center, about 28 minutes. Open foil; transfer salmon to platter. Spoon any juices over. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

"Insalata di Pasta Profumata al Limone" Heather made this for my bridal shower last year - yum! I made it again today because I had a bunch of extra lemons after making lemon bread last weekend. It's in the fridge now allowing the flavors to meld. I want to eat some right now. 1 box pasta shapes, cooked and drained 12 oz (2 cans) tuna, in oil, drained 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 3 Tbsp minced parsley and basil juice of 1-2 lemons 1/2 C. olive oil salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients. Chill and allow flavors to mingle before serving.

This is my new favorite way to make fish -- I love that it only uses one dish. From Simply Recipes . 1 pound small new potatoes, scrubbed clean and halved 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 pound medium asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal, 1-inch long pieces [I have also used brussels sprouts, browning them in the skillet first and then transferring to the oven] 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill 1 strip of lemon zest [I omit] 1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper 2 salmon steaks (10 oz each), cut about 1-inch thick 1 lemon, cut into large wedges Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large, shallow baking dish (10x14 inch) coat the potatoes with olive oil. Arrange the potatoes, cut side down, in the baking dish and roast for 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes begin to brown on the bottom. Turn the potatoes over and roast another 10 minutes until browned on top. Remove the baking dish from the oven. In a medium bowl, toss the asparagus with the chopped dill, lemon zest,...