Broiled Orange Roughy with Myer Lemon

This dish was born because I REALLY didn't want to cook dinner.  I've become a little lazy since the homegirlz are both away at college...my inspirations for cooking.  Did I tell you my oldest has been accepted to nursing school?  I am so  proud and to think they were  11 and 12 when I started blogging!

A friend gave me some beautiful orange roughy filets (one of my favorites).  I couldn't let them just languish in the fridge. This is just too quick and easy not to share!

2 orange roughy filets
1-1/2 tablespoons Emeril's Essence
2 Myer lemons (regular lemons will work just fine), separated
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Pre-heat the oven broiler.  If your oven have a high or low broiler setting, use the low setting.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

Drizzle a little olive oil on each side the the filet, use you hands to thinly coat each side.  Sprinkle the Essence on each side the filet, use your fingers to distribute the seasoning evenly and coat each side of the filet.

Place the filets on the prepared baking sheet. 

Thinly slice one of the Myer lemons and place the slices on each piece of fish.  Quarter each tablespoon of butter, place under the lemon slices, dividing evenly between the two filets.  Sprinkle the sliced scallions and parsley over the tops of the fish and place the baking sheet under the pre-heated broiler.

Broil for about 3 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Slice the second Myer lemon and squeeze the juice from each half over the top of the fish filets.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and broil another 3 to 5 minutes, until the filets are golden brown and the fish flakes easily with a fork.

 

 Sometimes, laziness makes for deliciousness! 


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Grilled Redfish Aucoin

My baby girl turned 17.  Five words that bring a lump to to my throat; time has gone by way too fast.

 

She chose to celebrate her birthday at Joe's Crab Shack.



 

 

 

My Bebe' and her daddy.

 

My Bebe' with her BFF.

 

My oldest homegirl, the college student with her boyfriend.  So happy to have have them both with us to celebrate.

 

Me and my hubby, looking forward to eating some crabs!

 

The weather has cooled down a bit, the evenings have been picture perfect, why not grill some fish.  I struck major swag, my fish guy had red snapper!   Red snapper, the possibilities! Delicious, full of flavor, my eyes are still rolling in the back of my head.

 

2 each 8 ounce redfish fillets with skin on one side

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup of white wine (I used Chardonnay)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning (I used Emeril's Essence)

2 lemons

2 green onions sliced on the bias



 

 

 

Melt butter in a saucepan and add the white wine, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.  Spoon a couple of tablespoons over each fillet and then generously season with the Creole seasoning.

 

Slice one of the lemons and place the slides on the redfish.

 

Pre-heat the grill to medium and place the redfish directly on the grill.

 

 

 

Grill for 20-25 minutes, basting the fish with the remaining butter sauce about every 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove the fish from the grill to a serving platter.  Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the cooked fish.

As an option, I grilled 1 lb. of peeled and de-veined shrimp using the same sauce.  Only I put the shrimp in a disposable foil pan, poured the butter sauce over the shrimp and place the pan on the grilled and cooked the shrimp along side the fish.  The shrimp took approximately 10 minutes to cook through.  Spoon the shrimp over the fish and garnish with the sliced green onions.

 

 

That's what I call putting the "Aucoin" on it!



 



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Parchment Bake by Mrs. Paul's and Van de Kamp's

As a part of the Tastemaker Program through Foodbuzz, I opted in to try out Mrs. Paul's and Van de Kamp's new product Parchment Bake.  They use 100% whole-fillet Tilapia in a sauce and seal the natural flavors and moisture in a parchment bag, similar to the technique used in restaurants.

Mrs. Paul's and Van de Kamp's was even kind enough to send a link
http://www.icebase.com/go2.shtml?1ewPyjLjOcybAJuQ/26add8deb3f8abc5/8f19c1755c06d3a9/kraucoin1@charter.net so my readers could get a Buy One, Get One Free coupon for this product.

The Parchment Bake is offered in three flavors at my local grocer:  Garlic Butter, Roasted Garlic and Classic Teriyaki.  Each fillet has only 80 calories.  So what's not to like? 

A.J. and I enjoy fish, the homegirlz not so much.  They happened to have other plans last Friday night, so I fired up the toaster oven and decided to give these puppies a try.

After reading the directions, I knew this would be a snap.  Place them on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for approximately 18 minutes/We decided to try the Garlic Butter flavor first.

They came out of the oven all puffed up with steam and I knew the fish would be chocked full of flavor and would be incredibly moist too!

They were so photogenic.  After all we eat with our eyes first, don't we?

Look at all that dreamy, creamy sauce!

Ok, here's the skinny, BIG thumbs down.  Sorry folks, I'm not going to lie.  We both felt the sauce had very little flavor and the fish did not taste fresh at all.  It had a very fishy taste which neither of us care for.  

This completely took the wind out of my sails.

Have a wonderful beginning of Spring weekend!


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Salmon Patties with Spicy Caper Remoulade Sauce

How many of you grew up with Cod Fish Cakes and/or Salmon Croquettes as staples in your mom's menu rotation?

My mom grew up with Cod Fish Cakes as did my husband and neither one of them ever wants to see a Cod Fish Cake again.  My mom baked Salmon Croquettes on occasion and I thought they were pretty good.

So ladies and gentlemen, don't boo and hiss; because these ain't yo' moma's fish cakes!  Stick around for an economical and deliciously retro update.  Even my husband the salmon and fish cake hater will scarf these petite patties down in a blink of an eye!

Spicy Caper Remoulade Sauce -

1-1/2 tablespoons Chipolte mayo

1-1/2 tablespoons mayo with olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped

1 teaspoon spicy whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the above ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salmon Cakes:

Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

1 (14.75-ounce) can boneless pink salmon, drained

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup cornmeal

Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large, preferably cast iron skillet over medium heat.

 

Place drained salmon in a large bowl and flake up with a fork.

Add panko, eggs, onions, parsley, cayenne, salt and black pepper to salmon.

Mix well and form into patties about the size of slider patties. Makes about 8 to 10 patties.

Carefully coat or sprinkle both sides of the patties with cornmeal.  The cornmeal gives the patties more crunch and also gives them a beautiful brown color.   Place the patties the heated oil, don't crowd the skillet and fry until golden brown; about 4 minutes per side. You may have to fry the patties in batches.

 Transfer the cooked salmon patties to a paper-towel lined plate.  

Serve immediately with the caper remoulade sauce. 

"That" Salmon or Grilled Sesame Salmon

In my family, which happens to be dominated by females (even our canine is a female), more often than not, I am in the minority.  I love salmon, could eat it three or four times a week.  A.J. won't eat salmon.  His fish groups are catfish and trout and the trout better be speckled trout.  I can easily pass off talapia and orange roughy on him.  As for the homegirlz,  Lauren won't eat fish; she's more of a fried shrimp kind of a Cajun.  Kaitlin only eats catfish and only if it's fried and thin and crispy.

When I happen to be home alone for the evening, which isn't very often, I get giddy.  The freedom!!!  On these rare and special nights I can grill salmon. 

The evenings have become very pleasant lately.  I turn on the satellite radio and listen to my new favorite station, sip a little wine, stare at the mountains and fire up the grill.

If you like a little Asian flare, try this one out!

2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for brushing on salmon

1 shallot, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (4 ounce) salmon steaks

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the shallots and garlic and saute until soft.

 

While the veggies are sauteing, brush the salmon on both sides with oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

Once the vegetables have softened, stir in the hoisin, ketchup, honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce and fish sauce and continue cooking for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.

Remove from the heat, stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat the grill to high. If you have a slotted grill pan, use it to prevent the fish from falling through the grates.   Place salmon on a grill pan skin side down, turn after about 90 seconds to sear the other side. Return salmon to skin side down , lower heat to medium and grill over indirect heat. Brush salmon with sauce and close the top.  Grill until slightly charred on both sides. Continue to brush salmon with the sauce every minute or so until you reach the desired doneness, approximately 5 to 7 minutes per side.

 

Remove the salmon from grill to a plate and brush with more sauce. Allow fish to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives and serve

I'm not going to lie, I was planning on eating both of them (don't judge), but A.J. got home early and ate it.  Yes he did, now he likes "that" salmon.

Here's Lauren's senior proofs...she got here way too fast!

Orange Fired Trout Almondine

This sounds like some fancy-smanchy dish and a taskmaster of a recipe, but actually it is very simple.  It's more of a method than a recipe.  Here, I'll show you what I'm talking about.

Lay a piece of aluminum foil approximately 12 to 15 inches long on your counter top.  Spray one side with a non-stick cooking spray...I don't take any chances when it comes to the possibility of food sticking.  Place 3 thin orange slices in the middle of the foil.

Generously coat your fish fillet (rainbow trout shown here) with extra virgin olive oil.  Season to taste with Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Place your fish on top of the orange slices.

Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the trout.

Seal up your fish in the foil.

Place your foil packets on a pre-heated grill on high heat.  Grill about five minutes per side.

This was a real winner.  The delicate flavors, the moistness of the fish.  Give this a try with your favorite fish!

Chili Rubbed Tilapia

Lots of people don't care for fish, many are just afraid to cook it.  Unless you have to clean the fish, don't be afraid.  Fish is fairly simple to prepare and is perfect for times when you want something really good, healthy and quick to eat.

Growing up, we usually had fish one of two ways, fried or with a lemon butter sauce.  Then came Chef Paul Prudhomme and his blackening phenomenon.  I'm not particularly fond of digesting carbon so I shy away from "blackened" foods...just sayin'. 

The cooks of today are so creative and there is such a wide variety of seasonings and herbs available, so why not give fish a little love?

This is a loose rendition of one of Bobby Flay's recipes.  I'm not a huge fan a chili powder but in this instance, I became a fan.  In fact you'll see in the near future how brave I am getting with chili powder...go figure.

I made this last Friday night for dinner and I can pretty much guarantee you I will make it again this weekend.  A.J. was really disappointed when he wanted seconds and there was none.

Combine 3 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow plate. Dredge fillets in the spice mixture to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the fish filets (approx. 1 lb. or 2 tilapia filets - alternately use any sturdy white fish)

Cook fish until just opaque, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Remove and plate.  Immediately top with approximately 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Look at that color!  Serve and savor! 

Lagniappe - don't let the goodies left in the skillet go to waste.   Toss some fresh zucchini, par boiled asparagus or even green beans in the skillet.  Toss them around in the seasonings and heat them up and serve as a side.

Have a fun and safe weekend!!!

Smirnoff Summer Entertaining Extravaganza

I am very excited to report that the wonderful people over at Foodbuzz chose me to host a party to introduce two new Smirnoff cocktails to my friends and neighbors. After a hectic first week of school we were all ready to let our hair down and relax with some tasty Smirnoff cocktails.

I received this package from Foodbuzz. What a perfect way to get a party off on the right foot. Thanks Foodbuzz!

I was very inspired with these two new cocktail flavors from Smirnoff. Tuscan Lemonade and Mojito. All of our guests enjoyed them both. It was hard for me to pick a favorite. The inspirational flavor or key ingredient was lime. I carried these citrus flavors into the food served. Watch!

We started off with Charred Corn Salsa with Blue Chips flavored with lots of lime!

The chips and salsa went down really smooth with this!

We marinated shrimp in lime juice, garlic, a touch of olive oil and a sprinkle of cayenne and grilled them on medium-high heat.

Jennifer and Joyce, our neighbors loved the shrimp.

The guys were loving watching the Sharpie 500.

How about some Roasted Corn with Lime Crostini? I'll have the recipe for you this week. This was a party favorite. Anyway, who said not to try new recipes when you're entertaining?

Here's our host and grill master, A.J. He really liked the Mojito.

We got Angie to switch from beer to Mojitos! She was blown away.

Even a rainbow showed up for a Tuscan Lemonade! Yes, they are just that good!

Doesn't this Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce look fantastic? The secret ingredient in the marinade and in the sauce is lime. I'll post the recipe this week!

We had a split vote here. A.J. liked the Mojito and Kent likes the Tuscan Lemonade. Actually Kent and A.J. liked them both.

Grilled Salmon with Mango, Key Lime Salsa was gone in a flash.

I couldn't have a party with lime as my key ingredient with out serving my favorite Nellie and Sal's Key Lime Pie.

How do you celebrate the end of summer?