Citrus Garlic Fish

Sometimes we like a lighter style of fish, (something different from the usual breaded fish).  And this  citrus garlic fish fits just the dish.  It's baked, and has a wonderful sauce that's light and delicious.  And it bakes in the over in only 30 minutes, and easily feeds 4.

You will need:
1 pound of white fish fillets, (today I am using Alaskan Pollock)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tabs. soy sauce
2 teas fresh lemon juice
1 teas fresh lime juice
1/4 teas salt
1/2 teas fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, add the minced garlic to the melted butter.

Add the soy sauce.

Note:  Since I am adding salt, I use low sodium soy sauce.  If you use regular soy sauce, you may want to skip the salt.

 Add the salt, (unless you are using regular soy sauce).

 Add the pepper.

Add the lemon juice.

Add the lime juice.

Whisk all the ingredients together to incorporate well.

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.  Line the baking pan with the fish.  Pour the citrus garlic sauce evenly over the fish..

Bake in the preheated over for 30 minutes.  Baste the fish occasionally with the sauce.

While your fish is cooking you can prepare your salad and side dish.

After 30 minutes, check to make sure your fish is cooked completely.   Remove from oven and plate.

Just that easy, you now have a delicious Asian sauce flavored white fish that did not require a lot of attention.

This is one of the favorites at our house.  We use this sauce with different types of white fish.

Enjoy !

Fish Fillet with Sauteed Vegetables and Tamarind Sauce

Earlier this year, when I visited with Chef Louis', he taught me how to make a Mexican main dish that was so simple, "fish sauteed with vegetable and a tamarind sauce".  He explained that the great thing about this dish is that you can easily substitute chicken for the fish.  This dish is very easy, quick, and doesn't require a lot of ingredients, yet is so delicious.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

You will need:
1  Grouper, (7 - 8 oz) fillet, per person


Note:  you can substitute any white fish.

fresh tomato slices, (a couple per entree')
chopped onion (about 2 Tabs. per entree')
chopped green peppers, (about 2 Tabs. each)
chopped carrots, (about 2 Tabs. per entree')
chopped zucchini, (about 2 Tabs. per entree')
1 cup of Tamarind syrup
salt and ground black pepper
ground chili pepper
1 Tabs butter, (per entree)
1 Tabs olive oil, (per entree)
aluminum foil

First, salt and pepper both sides of your fish

In a medium sauce pan, over medium high heat, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.

 Once the oil is hot, add the fish, and sear both sides of the fish.

 Your fish will have a nice opaque color.

 Remove the fish and place on a piece of aluminum foil, (make sure it is large enough to wrap the fish and vegetables, (approximately 9 inches by 9 inches).

Next add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the same pan,  (do not clean out the pan, you want to use the oil and bits of browning in the pan to flavor the vegetables).

 Add the chopped onion, chopped carrot, chopped zucchini, and chopped green pepper.

 Saute' the vegetables until they are just softened.  Don't forget to salt and pepper your vegetables.

Remember to stir the bottom of the pan, to remove the brown bits and incorporate them into the vegetables.  When your vegetables have softened, (after about 4 or 5 minutes), they will look like this.

Using a spoon, remove the vegetables from the pan, and place them over the fish in the foil.

Next place a couple of the sliced tomatoes on top of the vegetables, add some salt and pepper to the tomatoes.

Into the same pan, over medium heat, add 1 cup of tamarind syrup.

Note:  you can get tamarind syrup in the grocery store, in the specialty food section, (or in any Mexican food stores).  It is a very sweet syrup, and very dark - almost like a melted chocolate.

Next you will add your chili powder.

Note:  you can use any kind of chili powder, but it is best if you use a Mexican chili powder from the specialty foods section of the grocery store.

Add about 1 teaspoon of the chili powder to the syrup, to start.
Add salt and pepper, (about 1 teaspoon each).

Now you need to taste the syrup.  The key is to balance the sweetness of the tamarind syrup with the salt and the chili powder.  If you like a little heat, add more chili powder.  Also, the salt will counter the sweetness and neutralize the flavor.  You are looking for a balanced flavor.  You can only reach this by tasting and adding salt and tamarind syrup.  When you get the flavor that pleases your palate stop.

During this process, you will bring the syrup to a slight boil over medium heat. It will just be bubbling around the edges.  Keep tasting and mixing your salt and syrup to get to your balance.

Once the syrup is to the flavor that is neutralized, and pleasing to your palate, turn off the heat and pour the sauce over the fish and vegetables.

 Wrap the foil around the fish and vegetables, (making sure it is well sealed), and bake for 35 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees.

While the fish is baking, prepare your side dish of rice and salad.

And here is your finished dish !

Fish sauteed with vegetables in a tamarind sauce, served with a side of rice and a fresh crispy salad.

And remember, you can also substitute chicken for the fish.

Give this a try.  It's a main dish that is served on quite a few Mexican tables.  And it's so delicious.

Enjoy.

Salmon Patties

In a previous post, I mentioned how I prepared my baked salmon - and I mentioned that I sometimes use leftovers for salmon patties.  Here is my recipe for salmon patties, using the leftover baked salmon.

You will need:
About 1 pound of baked salmon
3 green onions,
1/4 of a medium green pepper
1/2 of a medium Anaheim pepper
1 large egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 Tabs mayonnaise
1 Tabs yellow mustard
3 Tabs chopped fresh parsley
1 Tabs lemon juice
Baking spray

 In a medium bowl, shred the baked salmon.

Note:  you will notice that I don't add any seasonings, the salmon was already seasoned when I baked it.

Note:  you can also substitute canned or pouches of store salmon.  However, I find that using fresh salmon that you've baked and seasoned tastes so much better.  Just be sure to remove any bones that may be in the canned salmon.

Finely chop the green onion, Anaheim chili, and green pepper.

Note:  If you don't want to add the Anaheim chili that's OK.  Also, you can substitute a sweet red pepper for a green pepper if you like.

Add to the bowl with the salmon.

 Lightly beat the egg, and add to the bowl.

Add 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise.

Add 1 Tablespoon of yellow mustard.

Add 1/2 cup of bread crumbs.

Note:  if you like, you can use panko bread crumbs.

Mix together lightly to incorporate all ingredients.

Spray a non stick skillet with baking spray, very well.  Heat over medium heat.

 Form patties, using approximately 1/3 cup of salmon mixture, (about the size of a hamburger patty).

You will get 5 or 6 patties, depending on how thick you make your patties.

Cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until lightly brown.

 Spray the top of the salmon patty, then flip over and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes until lightly brown on the second side.

 While the patties are cooking - let's make our parsley mayo spread.

In a small bowl add 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise.

Squeeze the juice of 1/2 of a lemon, (1 Tablespoon).   Note:  If you don't have fresh lemons, use bottled lemon juice or white vinegar - but fresh give a much better flavor.

Finely chop a handful of fresh parsley leaves -3 Tablespoons, and add to the mayo mixture.

 Stir well.

Your salmon patties are now ready to serve.

We like to serve ours on a lightly toasted onion roll, or a toasted egg bun.

If you're trying to cut carbs, a nice lettuce leaf is a good alternative to a bun.

These make a great lunch, or a couple are a good dinner entree'.

Let me know how your family enjoyed the salmon patties.

ENJOY !

Baked Salmon

This week a local grocer was selling fresh salmon for $3.49 per pound.  When I saw this 4 pound piece, I knew that baked salmon was going to be on our dinner table.  When I told a couple of people about the sale, they asked "Are you going to grill it or fry it?"  When I replied, "no, I'm going to bake it", they asked how I prepared a baked salmon.  So, I am sharing with you now how I make a delicious, healthy, and moist baked salmon, that your family will enjoy.  This 4 pound piece will easily feed 8 people, so when you buy your fish, figure 1/2 pound per serving.

You will need:
salmon
olive oil
sea salt, (preferred, or table salt)
black pepper
garlic powder
onion, (1/2 of a medium or 1 small)
lemon
fresh dill (about 1 small handful)


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Remove the dill ferns from the stems, and discard the stems.  I leave my ferns intact, since I am just going to lay them across the top of the salmon for flavoring.

Slice the onion into thin slices.  You only need a small onion, or 1/2 of a medium sized onion.

Line a baking pan with foil and spray with baking spray, (this is simply to help with clean up, not entirely necessary - you can simply spray the pan without the foil).

Place the salmon, skin side down in the pan.  Very lightly drizzle the olive oil over the top of the salmon.

Sprinkle the salt over the salmon, (I like to use sea salt, but you can also use table salt).

Sprinkle black pepper over the salmon.

Squeeze the juice from 1/2 of a fresh lemon over the salmon

Sprinkle the garlic powder over the salmon, (fresh minced garlic is also a very good choice).

Lay the onion slices over the salmon.

Finally, lay the dill over the top of the onion slices.  Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.

It's now been 30 minutes, and as you can see the salmon flakes easily, yet is still juicy.

Add a tossed salad, and some sautèed vegetables and you've got a delicious dinner that's also healthy, (if you want to add a nice dill sauce that's good, but the dill cooked on top of the salmon has already added flavor, so it's not really needed).

Give this a try, and your family will enjoy baked salmon as much, or better, than other fried fish.

And the best part about the leftovers is the versatility of this dish.  You can prepare a mixed green salad, add the salmon on top with a nice vinaigrette, or shred the salmon add some breadcrumbs and an egg to make a wonderful salmon patty, or simply slice the leftovers into sandwich sizes and serve on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, and some mayo, (all of these are so yummy).

Enjoy !