Tasting Spoons

Over the holidays I’d planned to make this chowder, but just didn’t get around to it. But I had most of the ingredients, so it took little or no time to put it together the other night. We’re trying to eat a bit more healthy - note only 300+ calories a serving and 10 grams of fat. And that’s WITH some heavy cream in it.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a Trader Joe’s near you, they carry a mixed shellfish bag (calamari rings, bay scallops and shrimp). And I augmented it with a bag of already-cooked extra-large shrimp, cut up into chunks. The most amount of time spent was on chopping up the vegetables and cleaning the leeks. So that tells you how rapidly you can make this. The Cajun seasoning adds a zing to it - and I caution you to be careful about how much. Cajun seasonings vary in heat levels, and I don’t think I even added 1/4 teaspoon, and it was on the fence of being too hot for us. I wanted some vegetables in it (mushrooms) but you could use whatever you prefer. And it’s been mentioned here before that I am partial to Penzey’s (concentrated) soup bases- in this case I used the Seafood Soup Base that I’ve had in the refrigerator for about 6-8 months. It’s SO worth buying - rather than having to buy jars and jars of clam juice for this. Maybe you can find Knorr’s little cubes of fish stuff - that would work too. Be careful of the sodium on other products.

Since I had some garlic and saffron rouille on hand (from a chicken bouillabaisse I made a few nights ago) I added a dollop of that on the top of each soup bowl and garnished with the parsley. If we were eating bread I’d serve this with a baguette and butter, and a green salad with a garlicky dressing. Just delicious, and probably even better once it’s sat overnight in the refrigerator.

Cajun Shellfish Chowder
Servings: 6
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 whole leeks — chopped
1 whole red bell pepper — diced
4 stalks celery — diced
8 ounces button mushrooms — sliced
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning — or to taste
2 large garlic cloves — minced
1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme — crushed
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups water — or clam juice
1 tablespoon fish concentrate
1 pound mixed shellfish
1 pound shrimp — deveined, chopped
2 cups fat free half-and-half
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Italian parsley — minced for garnish
1. Heat the butter in a large pot. Add leeks, celery and red bell pepper. Sweat for about 5 minutes. Add fresh garlic and cook for another two minutes. Add Cajun seasoning and thyme. Stir to combine, then add flour. Stir until all flour has disappeared into the mixture, then add the water and fish concentrate (or cubes). Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble for about 5-10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and simmer for one minute.
2. Add the half and half, tomato paste and heavy cream. Stir to combine, then add all the shellfish. Bring it back to a simmer and cook JUST until the fish is cooked through. Do not overcook. If using cooked shrimp, they should be added at the very last minute and just heated through. Taste for seasonings, then ladle into soup bowl and sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley on top.
Serving Ideas: If you have rouille on hand (as I did the first time I made this) add a dollop of it in the center of the soup bowl. If you’d like a more elegant presentation, save some of the shrimp to decorate the bowl rather than cutting them up.
Per Serving: 352 Calories; 10g Fat (26.7% calories from fat); 31g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 164mg Cholesterol; 479mg Sodium.
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Just a few nights ago I attended my book group’s Christmas potluck dinner. We always have such fun at this annual event. Everyone brings something, the hostess provides wine, soft drinks and coffee.  After we’ve stuffed ourselves with all the good food, we sit around in a circle and share something about the holidays - a funny personal story, a poem perhaps, or a very short (published) story.

One of our members, Nancy K, brought a soup this year. Not a very easy thing to take to a potluck, but it survived without spilling in her car. We’re ever so glad she did because it was just wonderful. I couldn’t believe it when she told us what was in it. Canned soups. Amazing. This could be my new fix-and-eat-in-a-hurry dinner, providing I’ve got the ingredients. Notes to self: buy some of those canned soups to keep on hand plus the frozen seafood mixture at Trader Joe’s.  The recipe is below.

This year I shared a short chapter in Caroline Kennedy’s book A Family Christmas (published in 2007), a compendium of Christmas stories, lore, etc. The one I read was about NORAD. I know, what’s NORAD got to do with Christmas, you ask? Perhaps some of you know about this already, but I’d never heard that NORAD (and the comparable military group in Canada) track Santa on Christmas Eve, and you can read all about it on the internet at NORADSanta. You see, Rudolph’s nose is infrared, so the sensors in NORAD’s high-powered system can track exactly where Rudolph is at all times because of that glowing nose! They carefully monitor when Rudolph leaves the North Pole, and shortly after you can watch Santa’s progress (starting about 3 pm on Christmas Eve) around the world. Sometimes fighter jets get a sighting of Santa, and some planes are equipped with “Santa Cams” that also get occasional shots of Santa in different locations. Those photos are uploaded to the website so you and your children can see them. Anyway, the story I read aloud was all about how NORAD ended up even doing this project (because a newspaper misprinted a phone number for a Santa hotline, and the calls ended up going to a communications chief at NORAD. A quick-thinker that guy was - he decided his staff needed to pitch in and help, and the NORAD Santa project was born.)

Another book club member shared a joke - a very cute one. It’s the story about why Santa is a woman. If you’re interested, you can check it out at Christmas Jokes. There’s also some rebuttals out there about why Santa couldn’t possibly be a woman. All good for a laugh.

Easy Seafood Bisque
Recipe: Nancy K, a friend in my book group
Servings: 8
1 bunch green onions — chopped
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 can tomato soup, condensed (10 3/4 ounces)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup, condensed (10 3/4 ounces each)
2 cups half and half
1/4 cup cream sherry — doubling to 1/2 cup is even better
1 pound shrimp, bay scallops, crab mixture — or shellfish of your choice
1. Saute onions in butter until softened.
2. Add the two soups, half and half and sherry. Bring up to a boil, then add the mixed fish/seafood. Simmer for 30 minutes and serve.
Per Serving: 357 Calories; 27g Fat (66.1% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 141mg Cholesterol; 935mg Sodium.
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Normally I don’t repeat recipes here on the blog – I’m not certain I ever have. However, this recipe bears a reprise, it’s just so absolutely fabulous. My friend Joan told me recently that she was searching around on my blog one day and came upon this recipe, which she made for her husband. Tom, who usually doesn’t comment much about anything she cooks, raved about this one. It got me to thinking about it, and so I decided I needed to make it again.

The original recipe comes from Cooking Light – the result of a reader’s recipe contest – and this was the winner. Hands down winner. I’ve only made it once, and I blogged about it immediately thereafter. You can read my original blog post, or you can read it here, with last night’s modifications. The winning cook/chef, Karen Tedesco from Webster Grove, Missouri, contacted me after I posted the write-up about it last February– she thanked me. Well, I thank HER for inventing this wonderful combination of shrimp, couscous and orangy dressing/sauce. But I’ll have to apologize to her – I improvised a little bit – I hope she won’t mind. It’s still her recipe! I ended up not making more sauce as I’d suggested in the previous recipe. It actually seemed sufficient this time – maybe because the OJ concentrate gave it more punch.

How I changed it started with me not finding watercress at the grocery store. As I stood in the produce section scanning the rows, I spotted mint. I thought “Why not?” And since I don’t normally stock orange juice at home, I thought “how about concentrate instead?” That step cut down on the cooking time by about 10 minutes. So here are my improvised steps:

·       I used a boxed mix of Near East brand couscous (which contained pine nuts, so I eliminated the almonds)

·       In the sauce I substituted ¼ cup of defrosted orange juice concentrate for the reduced fresh orange juice

·       I didn’t do the toasting of the couscous, but did add orange juice concentrate to the water

·       I substituted fresh mint for the watercress

The revised recipe is below – almost as good as Karen Tedesco’s original – perhaps just a little shorter and easier to make. I guarantee you’ll be amazed at the flavors rolling around in your mouth with each bite - it’s the orange/ginger sauce that makes it, so don’t skimp on that part if you’re tempted. Joan said she used low-fat mayo - which would be fine - it’s the orange flavor you taste. And even though there are four elements to this dish (shrimp, sauce, mint and couscous) it’s very easy to make. It took me about 25 minutes start to finish. So please, do yourselves a favor and MAKE THIS SOON! I don’t rave this much about all the recipes you’ll find here on my blog, but this one deserved the blue ribbon!

Also, in case you’re interested in such things . . . here’s a photo of the leftovers (I made it to serve 4, so now I have enough for another dinner). Anyway, this is a Tupperware combination - it’s a stack of 3 low, flat containers that hook to themselves and there’s one lid (that works on any of the 3 sections). Bottom: couscous; middle: mint; top: shrimp; cup on top: orange/ginger sauce. I don’t use this container very often, but when it’s right, it’s RIGHT. This was one of those times.

Revised Crunchy Shrimp with Couscous and Ginger-Orange Sauce
Recipe: Adapted from a recipe from Karen Tedesco, Webster Groves, MO
Servings: 4
SAUCE:
1/4 cup orange juice, frozen concentrate — defrosted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh ginger — grated
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
COUSCOUS:
1 1/3 cups couscous — Near East brand box mix, with toasted pine nuts, including spice packet
1 1/8 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice, frozen concentrate — defrosted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
SHRIMP:
20 jumbo shrimp — peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound)
1 large egg white — lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger — grated
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 bunch fresh mint — washed, trimmed, coarsely chopped
1. To prepare sauce, in a small bowl combine the orange juice concentrate and stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.
2. Prepare couscous per package instructions, substituting 3 T. orange juice concentrate for 3 T. of water called for and including butter. Fluff with a fork just before serving.
3. To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a bowl, tossing to coat. Combine panko, 3 tablespoons cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag; seal and shake to coat. Do this JUST before you start to cook the shrimp.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Don’t overcook.
5. Divide hot couscous evenly among 4 plates; top evenly with chopped mint and shrimp; drizzle sauce over shrimp. Dig in!
Per Serving: 434 Calories; 14g Fat (28.1% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 60g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 63mg Cholesterol; 277mg Sodium.
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At the cooking class the other day, I glanced at the list of recipes and certainly didn’t think this one would be the standout of both classes, but it was. It isn’t all that unusual, there isn’t a long list of ingredients and it didn’t take all that long to make. Aren’t those the best kind of recipes to get and make? Easy, quick and yummy delicious to boot!

Although the recipe, by Phillis Carey, is made here for shrimp, it could also be made with scallops (with some bacon added, she suggested). I’ll be making this soon because the flavor was just melt-in-the-mouth. The orzo was smooth and slippery, there was just enough creaminess to make you think you were eating the rice-style risotto, and the broccolini was a perfect side. You can make the orzo ahead, and then it’s just a matter of roasting the veg and combining the rest and you’re done. Definitely make more than needed, as you’ll crave the leftovers.

Orzo Risotto with Shrimp & Roasted Broccolini
Recipe: Phillis Carey
Servings: 4
ORZO:
12 ounces orzo — about 1 3/4 cups
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
BROCCOLINI:
1 pound broccolini — trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
SHRIMP:
1 pound shrimp — extra large size, if possible, peeled
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme — minced
1/2 cup Parmegiano-Reggiano Cheese — grated
And some additional cheese to sprinkle on top
1. ORZO: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and stir in orzo. Cook until orzo is barely tender (just slightly under-done), about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and set aside. Can be made ahead an hour or two.
2. BROCCOLINI: Preheat oven to 400. Trim stem ends of broccolini and discard. Toss with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes (if broccolini is particularly small, they may be done in 15), or until tender, browned, but still bright green.
3. Melt butter in a medium-large saute pan over medium heat, cooking until butter browns, but do not burn! Add the shrimp (patted dry with paper towels) and saute over low heat until just cooked through. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Add the drained orzo to the same pan, tossing and stirring it in the browned butter. Add the reserved cooking liquid, chicken broth and heavy cream; stir in the fresh thyme. Cook and stir over medium heat until the orzo is creamy and tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. SERVE: Arrange 3 broccolini spears on each plate with stems toward the middle of the plate. Spoon the hot orzo over the stems. Top each with 3 or more shrimp, sprinkle a bit more Parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.
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A few weeks ago I was watching Martha when she had several famous New York chefs on the show. Seems like they all made fish of some kind, and this particular recipe just sounded interesting. Since Fall is in the air, a more hearty meal piqued my curiosity. The recipe is from Chef Daniel Boulud, certainly one of the pre-eminent chefs out there today. His method is more French than anything else. This recipe isn’t for a night when you’re trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry. It would be more appropriate for guests or a special evening at home. I have changed the recipe just a little. Originally it served 6. I cut it down to serve 2 (shown below). I couldn’t find salsify at the market, so I substituted parsnips. I hadn’t fixed celery root in years, but most markets here in California carry it regularly. I love the subtle taste of celery in this root vegetable.

So, here’s the gist of the recipe. First you make the wine and port sauce. It boils down to next to nothing (I actually left the shallot in the sauce, and I forgot to add the peppercorns altogether). Meanwhile, you peel and cube the celery root. Be sure to use a sturdy peeler if you have one. A light-weight one probably couldn’t pull the heavy peel off. Dig out any eyes and remove most of the very dark swirly parts (the part that’s actually the peel) by just peeling an additional layer or two. Cut into cubes and then you poach the root in milk to which you’ve added some seasonings. That takes about 20 minutes. I pureed it in the food processor (the actual recipe has more steps) and didn’t use all the milk, but just about.

The fish is fairly straight forward – you place some fresh sage leaves (from my garden) on the salmon fillets, then top them with one or two slices of bacon. I wanted to use one slice rather than two, but use your own judgment. It will be harder to turn the salmon if you lay the bacon on top (as I did) rather than wrapping two slices around the middle (so the bacon will stick to itself where the ends meet). I actually baked my salmon in the oven, but the done-ness was much harder to judge (it was overcooked, even though I used a thermometer), so I recommend you stick to the recipe below pan sautéing it.

The results: Absolutely delicious. The celery root puree with its moderately subtle celery flavor was a great pairing with the hearty salmon. The SAUCE is what makes it, though. I wish I’d made more. You want to take each bite that includes a bit of the celery root, salmon, bacon and sauce.

Salmon with Parsnips and Celery Root Puree

Recipe: Chef Daniel Boulud, Bar Boulud, NYC

Servings: 2

WINE SAUCE:

3 whole black peppercorns — crushed

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh savory — or substitute sage

1 small garlic clove — smashed

1/2 cup Syrah wine — or other full-bodied red wine

2 tablespoons port wine

1 small shallots — finely minced

2 cups low-sodium beef stock

PARSNIPS:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound parsnips — trimmed, peeled, rinsed, dried, and cut into equal stick-sized pieces

SALMON:

4 sage leaves

3/4 pound salmon fillets — skinless

2 slices bacon salt and freshly ground black pepper

CELERY ROOT PUREE:

1 whole garlic clove — smashed

1 sprig fresh sage

1 sprig fresh thyme

3/4 pound celery root — peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about one large)

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon fresh chives — or minced Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1.  SAUCE: Place peppercorns, thyme, savory, and garlic in a piece of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen twine to enclose.  Transfer to a medium saucepan, along with, Syrah, port, and shallots.  Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until liquid has reduced by three-quarters.  Add beef stock and continue cooking until liquid has reduced by two-thirds and lightly coats the back of a spoon.  Remove cheesecloth bundle from saucepan and discard; set sauce aside and keep warm. 

2.  PARSNIPS: Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add parsnips, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and keep warm. 

3.  SALMON: Place 2 sage leaves across the length of each piece of salmon; wrap each with 1 slices bacon to secure.  Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet.  Season salmon with salt and pepper and add to skillet.  Cook, turning once, until bacon is crisp, fish is golden, and its internal temperature reaches 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 minutes per side.

4.  Divide celery root puree evenly between 6 serving plates.  Serve with a few pieces of parsnips and a piece of salmon.  Garnish with bacon and crispy sage leaves.  Drizzle sauce around plate and serve immediately. 

5.  CELERY ROOT PUREE: Place garlic, sage, and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen twine to enclose.  Place in a medium saucepan along with celery root and enough milk to cover (you may not need to use all the milk).  Bring to a simmer over medium heat; continue simmering until celery root is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.  Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl, reserving 1/2 cup of milk and discarding cheesecloth bundle. 

6.  In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 8 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind. 

7.  Transfer one-third of the celery root, reserved milk, and browned butter to the jar of a blender; blend until smooth.  Slightly mash remaining celery root with a wooden spoon or a potato masher.  Stir in pureed celery root mixture and chives; season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Per Serving (assuming you eat every speck of the celery root and parsnips, which we didn’t): 812 Calories; 43g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 48g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 174mg Cholesterol.

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My DH Dave and I both l-o-v-e- fish stews. They come in a variety of names and styles – fish stew of course, fish soup, or cioppino (Italian) or the French style of Bouillabaisse. They’re all quite similar – a tomato-based stock with a variety of fish contained within. It can be whatever kind of fish you can find from your local purveyors. It’s easy, actually. I don’t know why I don’t make it more often – likely because it’s about 15 miles to our local market that offers really good, fresh fish.

Ann has her own recipe – it’s a combination of about 3 different recipes she’s used over the years. I wanted to take a picture of it that night. But, you see, I was too embarrassed to ask Ann if I could take a photo of the soup before we sat down to dinner. It’s okay to get away with that kind of behavior when I’m at home, in my own kitchen, but not very polite if you’re at somebody else’s house. Plus, I didn’t know if she’s give me the recipe (I thought she would, but one never knows!).

Ann & Harry used to be in a gourmet group we had some years ago. I was the ringleader – the one who tried to set up the dates, decided on the menus (all of them) and mailed out the recipes for everyone to make and bring. We met for a number of years, probably about 5 or so. I finally got weary of doing all of the menu planning by myself, and asked if somebody else would help. There were no takers, so the group kind of fizzled out.

Anyway, Ann made this delicious bouillabaisse for dinner our first night in Coeur d’Alene. It, with a really tasty green salad made with some pumpkin seed oil she’d brought back from a trip to Germany a few months ago (which was really interesting – I liked it a lot), and some warm baguettes, and we were in for a treat. Ann had made the stock the day before, so the flavors had had time to meld. With halibut, cod, scallops and shrimp (oh yes, some clams too), it was good enough to lick the bowl. So the next morning Ann nicely said she’d give me the recipe and let me snap a photo of the leftovers. Here’s to the right is a photo of our friends who have been so gracious to let us stay with them for a couple of nights. Thanks again, Ann & Harry, for the wonderful visit!

Bouillabaisse a la Ann

Recipe: from my friend Ann H.

Servings: 6

SOFFRITTO:

1 cup sweet onions

1/2 cup celery — chopped

4 whole garlic cloves — chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil — maybe more

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads — or more to taste SOUP:

1 cup dry white wine

1 whole bay leaf

1 tablespoon dried basil — or 2 T. fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 dash white pepper — ground

16 ounces stewed tomatoes — chopped

32 ounces diced tomatoes — canned

10 ounces clams, canned — juice only, reserve the clam, or 8-oz clam juice

FISH:

10 ounces halibut fillet — cut in 1″ cubes

10 ounces cod fillet — cut in 1″ cubes

1/4 pound sea scallops — cut in half

4 large shrimp — peeled, deveined, with tails

ROUILLE:

3 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk — at room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

3/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons red bell pepper — coarsely chopped

6 small baguette slices

1. SOFFRITTO: Saute onions, celery and garlic in olive oil for about 10 minutes until onions are tender. Then add 1/2 tsp. sugar and saffron.

2. Add the white wine to the pan and the bay leaf, basil,thyme, oregano and pepper. Add tomatoes with juices, clam juice. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes,stirring frequently. Preferably make this one day ahead of serving. Reheat and taste for seasoning. If desired, you may add about a cup of water

3. SOUP: When ready to serve, heat to a simmer, add the halibut first, allow to simmer for about one minute, then add the cod and cook for another minute. Then add the scallops and shrimp. If you stir, do it gently so you don’t break up the tender fish. Add clams and serve.

4. ROUILLE: Peel garlic and crush in a garlic press or mash and mince with a chef’s knife. Sprinkle garlic with the salt and mash in a mortar and pestle until garlic becomes a puree. Place egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic paste, pepper and saffron in a bowl of the food processor. Process and scrape down sides of bowl. Repeat. With motor running, very slowly pour in olive oil. Process until mixture has thickened. Adjust sauce to taste with additional lemon juice and/or salt. Mix in red bell pepper (or you may substitute pimiento peppers). Spread thickly on toasted crouton slices and place on top of hot soup.

Per Serving: 641 Calories; 36g Fat (52.7% calories from fat); 40g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 115mg Cholesterol; 517mg Sodium.

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My history with trout goes way back. I believe I told the story here before that when I was young (between about age 5-12) my family always went tent camping for our annual summer vacation. We camped in the California Sierras – Virginia Lakes, sometimes on the Sonora (west) side, but most often on the eastern side in a variety of campgrounds. My dad made plans a year ahead as to which campground we’d go to. My mom planned for weeks ahead, thinking about what meals she’d prepare on the kerosene camp stove (two burners) usually three meals a day. Because there wasn’t much to do there, food played a vital role in the entertainment. But for many, many meals we ate the trout my dad (and sometimes my mother or I) caught in the rivers and lakes.

My mom had only one way she prepared the trout – dipped whole (tail and head intact, including the eyes of course, which for me was a big yuk factor) in egg, cornmeal and pan fried in bacon grease (leftover from the bacon and egg breakfasts we ate every morning in the chilly filtered light coming through the pine trees, with a stream gurgling nearby - the stream lulled me to sleep every night, and I’ve never forgotten that sound).

But, we ate trout. And more trout. And more trout. So much trout that after about 3 days of it I couldn’t eat another bite. My mother either. Even my dad tired of eating trout. We even had to eat it for breakfast some mornings. More yuk. But what I disliked the most were the bones. And I’ve never wavered in my aversion to fish bones. I never, ever order fish at a restaurant unless it’s a boneless fillet. And usually I’ll discuss the bones with the waiter/waitress to make sure somebody has paid close attention to the removal of them.

Yet I do enjoy the flavor – the delicate flavor – of trout. So, the other evening we had dinner at a restaurant some miles from our home, and the waitress happened to mention that her son often catches fresh trout near Mammoth Lakes and brings them home to her. But she doesn’t like trout. Won’t eat it. Would we like some, she asked? Free. She wanted to get it out of her freezer. Sure, we said. My DH met her at the restaurant the next day and she happily handed him two freezer bags of trout fillets. I did have to use needle-nosed pliers to remove about another 40-50 pin bones from the 5-7 fillets in the first bag. Even one of those would have ruined the dinner for me.

Because this trout was already filleted, I couldn’t have prepared it in my mother’s tried and true method. So I baked the slim fillets with a mayo based topping. It took but a few minutes to cook them through. The resulting fish was tender and moist from the topping. And the flavor was mostly hidden, actually, from the strong flavors of capers and the Pecorino cheese. I might have liked to taste more of the fish, so if you prefer the fish flavor I’d recommend you eliminate the capers and use a milder cheese. In any case, the preparation takes little time and the mayo sauce is quite forgiving if you lack one thing or another in the recipe. This isn’t a wow recipe. My DH didn’t care for it much, but he thought it was the fish, not the preparation. But I had not one single bone!

Trout Fillets with Mayo Topping

Serving Size: 4

3/4 pound trout fillet — skinned, deboned, patted dry

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons capers

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard — with tarragon

1/2 whole onion – finely minced

1/4 cup Pecorino cheese – or Parmegiano-Reggiano

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl combine the mayo, capers and mustard.  Stir to combine.  With a spreader knife, spread less than half of the mayo mixture on the bottom of each trout fillet.  Place in a Silpat or parchment lined pan, mayo side down.  Use remaining mayo mixture to cover the tops of all the fillets.  Sprinkle the minced onion on top, then sprinkle each fillet with the grated Pecorino cheese.

3.  Bake fillets for 10 minutes.  Serve with a colorful vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, zucchini) and a simple vinaigrette-dressed salad.

Per Serving: 281 Calories; 22g Fat (70.1% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 59mg Cholesterol; 242mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 3 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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Attending a cooking class is one of the “fun” activities I do. The part of my life that is totally play and indulgence. I spend about $50 every few weeks, and always come away with at least one must-try recipe plus an idea, or technique I didn’t know. Even after all these years of going to them, I still learn.

This particular cooking class was about “fast and fabulous entertaining,” and the salmon entrée was about as simple as simple can be. Making this for a dinner party would be a great selection. The flavor was delicious. The prep was minimal. I like those combinations. We often think of pairing fish with lemon, but not with orange.

Leeks are cooked thoroughly with a hint of sugar and some thyme (oh yes, and some butter), then you arrange salmon fillets on top of the leeks and sprinkle the top with a bunch of orange zest, some cream and white wine. You cover the pan until the fish is cooked through (about 10 minutes) and you’re DONE. How much easier can that be, I ask you? Add some rice with almonds on top and perhaps some asparagus on the side, and you have a complete dinner. You definitely want some kind of carb to soak up that delicious sauce.

Salmon Fillets with Orange and Leeks

Recipe By: Phillis Carey, cooking instructor

Serving Size: 6

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large leeks — halved, white and pale green parts only, sliced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

6 pieces salmon fillets

1 teaspoon orange zest

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons fresh chives — cut in 1-inch lengths

1.  Melt butter in heavy, large skillet over medium heat.  Add leeks and sprinkle with sugar and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute 4 minutes.  Reduce heat, cover, and cook until very soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2.  Season salmon with salt and pepper.  Arrange atop leeks and sprinkle with orange zest.  Add cream and wine.  Cover pot again and cook until fish is opaque, about 10-12 minutes.  Transfer fish to plates and keep warm.

3.  Boil sauce until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour sauce over fish.  Garnish with chives.

Per Serving: 399 Calories; 23g Fat (52.9% calories from fat); 36g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 145mg Cholesterol; 139mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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This recipe requires the telling of a travel-related story. Some years ago (I’m guessing it was about 15) my DH and I went on a white-water rafting trip in Idaho. My DH was quite surprised when I mentioned the trip to him. What, he said? You WANT to go camping in the remote wilderness? I said, well, yes, because the guides do all the work, all the cooking, and we’re just there to immerse ourselves in the scenery and enjoy the food. The relaxation. The clean air.

I have fond memories of my childhood when my parents and I went camping in the High  Sierras (the inland ridge of mountains that divide, almost, California from Nevada). My dad loved to fish; my mom not so much, but she enjoyed lazy days in the camp, reading magazines, a book, playing games of Scrabble (which I still love to this day). Sometimes I went fishing with my dad, but usually got bored after awhile. I had my own pole, usually a hand-me-down from my dad. We fished for trout in those cold, crisp mountain streams, seeking out the deep pools of water, near rocks, where the trout loved to hide. We tent camped, but my parents did 99% of the work, so I didn’t realize until I was an adult about how much effort was involved in setting up the camp, or cooking meals. Or doing dishes. Or laundry. Or even the packing that went on at home for a couple of weeks before the trip.

Since those days I haven’t camped much, and would prefer to do it in a camper or trailer if the option were to come up. My DH, however, has no interest in camping, even in a luxury vehicle. He likes water. The ocean, mostly. (We have a sailboat, and that’s HIS idea of camping.) But when I suggested the Idaho river-rafting trip, maybe it was the water that intrigued him. At any rate, we went, and signed up for a trip that was not only a “gourmet” trip, but a wine-tasting trip as well. Salmon River Outfitters had been written up in Gourmet. That’s all the mattered to me – if Gourmet thought it was a great trip with great food, surely we would too. And indeed we did. SRO has new owners, but I’d suspect they would have continued the tradition.

I could write up an entire post about the week-long trip itself (the wildlife, the hikes, the campsites, the conviviality of the small group, the thrill of the rapids, and even getting to the imbarkation point too) but for now I’ll just talk about the food. To say I was amazed at the food is an understatement. Here we were, out in the middle of nowhere (on the Salmon River, the South Fork, with nothing but ice chests of food and camping gear – no roads – no civilization whatsoever – no supply boat or car to deliver food to us) and the group of guides (four on our trip). We rafted the river for a couple or three hours in the mornings, then they’d spy a favorite sandy bank and our three rafts would pull in. They’d set up comfy chairs right at the riverside, bring in the potty box (which went with us on the trip from beginning to end) and set up a small secluded toilet for the group, then they’d start preparing lunch. Lunch was usually cold food – salads, sandwiches, and maybe brownies, fruit and cookies, hot coffee in thermoses from breakfast, soft drinks. We stopped long enough to enjoy more of the scenery and let our lunches settle, then we’d pile back into the rafts and off we’d go for the afternoon run. Another couple or three hours on the river, more rapids perhaps, maybe a hike into an abandoned gold rush era village, and we’d stop again for the day. They had their favorite spots. There are a few other river outfitters plying the same waters (the state mandates a limited number of rafts on the river at any time), so everyone jockeys for their favorite sites. (And, incidentally, every single minute amount of detritus we had on this trip - dirty tissues, paper towels, wrappers, was all taken along on the trip and disposed of properly - nothing, absolutely nothing - was left on the river or in campsites.)

The weather was unseasonably cold the year we went (in July), and we were very, VERY limited in what we could take with us (they had mailed us a small waterproof cloth duffle bag and everything, absolutely everything we took had to fit into this bag). We slept in sleeping bags they provided with a small 2-man tent that goes up in nothing flat. We were required to set up our own tents and if rain threatened, we needed to dig small drainage ditches around the tent. We did have rain a couple of times, so it was a good thing we dug the ditches. A couple went along on that trip from Granite Springs winery (in California gold country, and now part of Latcham winery), and every night they provided some delightful wines for all of us to enjoy before and during dinner. The meals the guides prepared were positively amazing. I don’t remember now what all they made, but they were outstanding. The guides set up a couple of small camping prep tables and two kerosene stoves, and from those limited resources, they prepared meals you’d think were from a gourmet restaurant.

So, one night, they made this pasta dish. And everyone just adored it, me included. Toward the end of the trip they told us they had a “book” they’d sell us for a fee. It contained the story of Salmon River Outfitters and some, but not all of the recipes, but the most popular ones, this pasta dish one of them. So, of course, I had to buy the book. And I’ve made this pasta numerous times since, and never fail to remember the fun we had on that river rafting trip, and how scrumptious this tasted as we sat by the burbling river, listening to the hawks, the birds, the bees, spotting eagles soaring at high elevations too.

Cook’s Notes: this dish does take some moderate amount of prep. Lots of cutting and chopping, but once done, the dish comes together quickly. I added a little bit of chicken broth to the sauce just to give a bit more fluid to it. If you end up mixing up the two parts of the sauce, don’t worry – I’ve done it myself, and it doesn’t seem to matter. Be sure to use both Feta and Romano cheese (don’t skip, because the Feta is an important component).

Shrimp & Pasta a la Pizzaiola

Recipe By: Salmon River Outfitters, Idaho

Serving Size: 8

2 pounds medium shrimp — raw

1 teaspoon pickling spice

2 pounds pasta [my choice is linguine]

MUSHROOM SAUCE:

1/4 pound mushrooms — fresh, sliced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil — sliced

1/4 cup fresh parsley — minced

1 clove garlic — minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons capers

PIZZAIOLA SAUCE:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic — minced

1/2 whole red bell pepper — thinly sliced

3 whole tomatoes — chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano — minced

1 dash salt

1 dash pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup dry red wine

TOPPINGS:

3 1/2 ounces Feta cheese — crumbled

1/3 cup Romano cheese — or Parmegiano, shredded

3 tablespoons basil leaves — sliced

1.  Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and add pickling spice and shrimp.  Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until shrimp turns pink and curls.  Cool under cold running water, peel and devein.

2.  Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Add basil and parsley, then shrimp and lemon juice, and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add Piazzaiola Sauce and heat through.

3.  In a large kettle, bring a large quantity of water to a boil and add the pasta of your choice and cook until al dente.  Rinse in hot water, drain briefly, then toss with shrimp/sauce mixture.  Add Feta, capers and cherry tomatoes, then sprinkle with Romano and serve immediately.

4.  PIZZAIOLA SAUCE: In a large kettle heat olive oil until a light haze forms over it.  Remove from heat and add garlic and bell peppers.  Stir while it cooks, off the flame.  Peel, seed and chop the tomatoes.  Add oregano, salt, pepper, basil, sugar and red wine.  Add to mushroom mixture.

Per Serving: 679 Calories; 14g Fat (19.2% calories from fat); 42g Protein; 92g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 188mg Cholesterol; 436mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 5 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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The other night I fixed a nice dinner for friends. And the best part was the friends brought an appetizer and dessert (thanks again, Jenny), so really I only had to think about the main dish and whatever would go with it. As I perused my recipe collection, I went through category after category thinking “what shall I fix?” And what kept nagging at me was . . . I’ve got to make something that I haven’t already blogged about. You see, as a blogger, (and likely most food bloggers agree) I feel the need to continually bring you, my loyal readers, new and interesting recipes. Not something I prepared 2 weeks ago, or 2 months ago that I’ve blogged about already. With those parameters, my possibilities were whittled down, big time.

You see, after blogging for nearly a year, I’m finally getting down to the last hundred or so recipes from my own personal collection. Sure, I’ve blogged about other recipes now and then, ones I’ve found on other blog sites or cookbooks, and I truly do still have lots of recipes to share with you. And it isn’t as if I don’t ever fix dishes more than once. I do. I just don’t blog about it when I do. But the pressure is there to post – or try to post – a new recipe and story every day. Some days I don’t . . . like everyone, I get busy, we have leftovers, or I just don’t have any “great idea” about something I choose to make or blog about. Or, I fix something new and don’t like it much, so surely I’m not going to blog about that!

So, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, we can move on to the recipe. I finally decided to prepare a grilled salmon salad that is one of our family favorites. My DH has been asking me to make this for several months. I hadn’t made it for a long time because I blogged about it last summer, when I was confined to writing, rather than cooking, when I fractured my foot and couldn’t walk or stand for nearly 3+ months. Back then I wrote up posts on some of my favorite recipes, but didn’t have pictures of them. This is one of those recipes. So now I have a picture.

But, since this one is so awfully good, I decided I’d re-post about it. It’s one of my top ten favorite recipes. And it’s one of my go-to recipes when I don’t have a whole lot of time to prepare a company-geared menu. This dish is a meal in one – a protein (salmon fillet), a salad (watercress and perhaps other greens), and vegetables (onions grilled, as well as some red and yellow peppers). Back when I was still a working woman, this was a meal I could shop for and prepare in a reasonable time after I left work, and still put a “company” meal on the table.

Here’s the gist of the recipe: it’s a large salmon fillet (we normally buy them at Costco) that’s sprayed with olive oil spray, placed on a piece of sprayed heavy-duty foil, edges rolled up to surround the fish. That sort-off foil plant is grilled on a moderately hot barbecue. Along with some red and yellow bell pepper strips too, if you’d like.  Meanwhile, you prepare a simple Asian-style salad dressing with fresh ginger in it, and you mix up a big mound of watercress (I added spinach to the watercress this time because I had a bag of baby spinach on hand) with some thinly sliced red onions. I also toasted some sesame seeds too. That’s really all there is to it. You toss the dressing on the greens, carefully slide the hot, bubbling salmon fillet on top of the salad, then garnish with the red onions, grilled peppers and sesame seeds. I also drizzle a bit more dressing on top of the fish. Serve.

Cook’s Notes: you can use other vegetables (quartered red onions, asparagus, both grilled, or some steamed green beans – left whole, stems trimmed – and tossed with rice wine vinegar) but our preference is for the bell peppers and onions. Sometimes I add some halved cherry tomatoes to the salad too.

I’m not going to insert the full recipe again – just give you the link to go check out my first posting of it HERE last July.

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