Pickerel with Indian spices

Fly for Pickerel and Pike

• 2 fillets Pickerel
• 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dry chili
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• pinch ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Clarified butter, for brushing

1. Put the cumin, garlic, ginger, cardamom, cayenne, and paprika in a mortar and grind with a pestle. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
2. Add the yogurt and lemon juice and blend until smooth.
3. Pour this marinade over the pickerel, rubbing it all over to coat both sides well.
4. Cover and marinate for 3 hours at room temperature.
5. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
6. Brush a rack with clarified butter or vegetable oil and put it on a baking tray.
7. Brush the pickerel with clarified butter.
8. Season both sides of the pickerel with salt and pepper.
9. Put the pickerel on the oiled rack on a baking sheet and roast approximately 20 minutes or until skin is crispy and pickerel is just cooked through

 

Thai Coconut Squash Soup

1 small butternut squash

1 small pepper squash

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 shallot, finely diced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 cloves garlic, smashed n chopped

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

1 tablespoon sugar

Salt to taste

3 cups roasted veggie stock (a previous post)

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice

Splash of fish sauce (optional omit if preparing vegan)

Coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Brush the cut sides of the squash with oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet.  Roast for 45 minutes until they are very tender. The squash should have a creamy texture. Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the peel using a spoon. (Or do what I do and burn my fingers due to impatience)

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add herbs and spices until aromatic. Stir in the roasted veggie stock, coconut milk, salt, squash, fish sauce if using. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Puree soup with a hand mixer or in a blender. 

Lebanese inspired Garlic Emulsion “sauce” to be served with chicken and parsley salad

 I apologize for not having exact measurements, this is something I do by eye and years of experience

• Garlic *Emulsion “sauce”
• 1 whole Garlic
• Salt
• Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup (approximately) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I personally use Omega oil which is a blend of grapeseed, evoo and flaxseed)

Cut garlic into small pieces, then place them in a mortar sprinkle with salt and add a splash of lemon juice, pound with pestle until the garlic is a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small mixing bowl, while constantly stirring SLOWLY add the oil. 

OK I cheated and used my food processor

 Serve with roasted Chicken, Pita bread and a Parsley Salad (see recipe below)

break the chicken into pieces and rip the pita bread into 1/4, place the chicken on the pita with a helping of salad and garlic.

Parsley Salad

• 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked from the stems, washed and dried well (about 3  cups picked leaves)
• ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cucumber cut into 1/4
• red pepper finely chopped

Directions:

Put the parsley leaves in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon over the parsley and toss. Drizzle the oil over the parsley and toss again. Add cucumber and peppers. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

*Emulsion:

[ih-MUHL-shuhn]

A mixture of one liquid with another with which it cannot normally combine smoothly — oil and water being the classic example. Emulsifying is done by slowly (sometimes drop-by-drop) adding one ingredient to another while at the same time mixing rapidly. This disperses and suspends minute droplets of one liquid throughout the other. Emulsified mixtures are usually thick and satiny in texture. Mayonnaise (an uncooked combination of oil, egg yolks and vinegar or lemon juice) and HOLLANDAISE SAUCE (a cooked mixture of butter, egg yolks and vinegar or lemon juice) are two of the best-known emulsions.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Tomato Spoons

3 Litres basket fresh whole field tomatoes (skin removed)

1 medium onion finely diced

handful of fresh basil, (use as much or a little as you prefer)

1 large clove of garlic, smashed and finely chopped (I used 2 because I really like garlic & it keeps the vampires away)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

2 quick easy ways to remove the skin One is by blanching. Fill a large stainless steel saucepan to halfway point with water and bring to boil over high heat. Cut an X into the bottom of each tomato. Working in small batches, immerse tomatoes in boiling for 30~60 seconds, just until skins loosen and curl. Immediate plunge tomatoes into ice cold water, the skins should slip easily off. Remove the core, cut into pieces and put into the stock pot

... or freeze and thaw tomatoes <( I tried both methods I didn't like this one)

Why only use sauce with pasta? It's lovey served with Artisan bread, cheese and salami... mmm mmm mmm .

"nuclear" corn salsa

quick snack: homemade "nuclear" corn salsa and nacho chips

2 ears of corn. removed from cob
1 red pepper
2 green onions
hot Chili paste (to taste)
Cilantro (to taste)
juice from 1 lime

Then I put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes ... still quite crispy but not raw

Very TASTY

Vegetable stock

Ingredients

•      1 large onion
•      3 large carrots
•      1/2 cup water
•      2 stalks celery, including some leaves
•      1 large tomato
•      1/2 cup cubed potatoes
•      8 whole black peppercorns
•      sprigs fresh parsley
•      1 bay leaf
•      2 teaspoons dried thyme
•      2 cloves garlic
•     12 cups water

Directions

   1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Slice onion. Chop scrubbed celery and carrots into 1-inch chunks. In a large shallow roasting pan place, onion, and carrots. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until the veggies are well browned, turning occasionally.

   2. Place the onion, and carrots in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan and rinse. Pour this liquid into soup pot. Add celery, tomato, parsnips, potato parings, peppercorns, parsley, bay leaf, salt, thyme, and garlic. Add the 12 cups water.

   3. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 hours. Strain stock. Discard vegetables, and seasonings.

   4. To clarify stock for clear soup: In order to remove solid flecks that are too small to be strained out with cheesecloth, combine 1/4 cup cold water, 1 egg white, and 1 crushed eggshell. Add to strained stock. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Strain again through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. (<brilliant little trick)

Spinach and Ricotta stuffed Chicken Breasts

Chicken cooking in top oven

 

Ingredients

Stuffing

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, finely, chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
•     or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch pepper

The Chicken Breasts

• 6 chicken, breasts
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

Stuffing

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
2. In large skillet, heat butter over medium heat; cook onion and garlic stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
3. Add spinach, parsley and basil; cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until spinach wilts and moisture evaporates. Let cool completely.
4. In bowl, mix spinach mixture, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, egg yolk, salt, nutmeg and pepper.

The Chicken Breasts

1. Using sharp knife, bone chicken, leaving skin attached. Gently loosen skin from 1 long side of each breast, leaving skin attached at curved side.
2. Stuff about 1/4 cup (50 mL) stuffing under skin, pressing to spread evenly. Tuck ends of skin and meat underneath.
3. Place on greased rack in foil-lined pan. Brush with butter. Bake in oven, basting occasionally, for about 35 minutes or until golden and chicken is no longer pink inside.

Courtesy of  Daphna Rabinovich: Canadian Living

VARIATION: I dipped the chicken into, Milk..Egg..then Panko Bread Crumbs and popped into the over!!!