Article by Christine Budd
Easy Fish Stew
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh chopped tomato OR 1 (14-ounce) can whole or crushed tomatoes with their juices
2 teaspoons tomato paste, optional
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice (or 1 cup shellfish stock)
1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon blanc)
1 1/2 pounds firm white fish fillets such as halibut, cod, red snapper, or sea bass, cut into 2-inch pieces
Pinch dried oregano
Pinch dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce , or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Directions:
Saute the aromatics in olive oil:
Heat olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add parsley and stir 2 minutes. Add tomato and tomato paste, and gently cook for 10 more minutes or so.
Finish the soup:
Add clam juice, dry white wine, and fish. Bring to a simmer, and let simmer until the fish is cooked through and easily flakes apart, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add seasoning — salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and Tabasco. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the stew:
Ladle into individual bowls and serve.
Great served with crusty bread for dipping in the fish stew broth.
Easy Shrimp Etouffee
Ingredients:
1 1/3 pounds shrimp shelled, deveined & clean
1 cup butter 2 sticks
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic minced
5 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1¼ cup seafood stock
1-1¼ teaspoons salt
½ lemon juiced
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste, optional
½-1 teaspooon Creole/Cajun seasoning
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped parsley
Directions:
Melt butter over medium high heat. Add bell pepper, celery and onions and cook about 5-7 minutes, adding garlic in the last 1-2 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and stir in flour and salt, stirring to keep it smooth. Cook, stirring constantly until flour is lightly browned. This should take at least 20 minutes but can vary.
Add shrimp, stock, lemon juice and seasoning. Cook, stirring until shrimp are done – about 5-8 minutes
Stir in green onion and parsley, reserving a little if desired for garnish.
Serve over rice.
Garlic Butter Baked Salmon
Ingredients:
1 pound (500 g) fingerling potatoes, halved (or Yukon golds or halved white/red baby potatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, divided
4 (6 oz | 170 g) skinless salmon fillets
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice.
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
3 bunches asparagus, (18 spears, woody ends removed)
2 tablespoons dry white wine (substitute with 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth)
1 lemon sliced to garnish
Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F | 200°C. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together potatoes with the oil, 1/2 tablespoon of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread out in an even layer and roast for 15 minutes until they’re just starting to soften and brown.
Push potatoes to one side of the sheet pan and arrange salmon down the center. Rub salmon evenly with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of parsley. Add the asparagus to the other side of the pan.
Combine 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the melted butter together and pour the mixture over the salmon and asparagus. Season everything with the remaining salt and pepper.
Return to oven and continue baking until the potatoes are golden and fork-tender and the salmon is opaque throughout, (about 10 minutes). Optional: broil in the last 2 minutes for charred edges.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining butter, garlic and lemon juice with the wine (or chicken stock). Serve with the salmon, veggies and lemon slices.
Venison Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed, divided
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons lard, or meat drippings
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely diced carrot
1 cup finely diced parsnip
1 cup finely diced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup port, or good red wine
2 cups ground venison
1 cup beef stock, or chicken stock, divided
1 cup chopped white mushrooms
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 pinch mace, optional
Directions:
Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375 F
In a small bowl, mash the flour with 1 tablespoon of butter and place in the freezer.
Make the Mashed Potatoes:
Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add the potatoes. Cook until they are soft but not breaking up, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain through a colander. Add the potatoes to a bowl and mash with a potato masher, ricer, or fork. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Using the same pan you used to boil the potatoes, place the milk and the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Return to the heat and gently warm until the butter has melted. Add the potatoes to the pot and mix well until you’ve achieved a creamy mash. Set aside.
Make the Venison Filling:
In a large and roomy frying pan, melt the lard (or drippings). Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, and celery and saute the mixture for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for an additional minute. Raise the heat, add the port or red wine, and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes, or until the wine has reduced. Add the minced venison to the vegetables and approximately 1/3 of the beef stock. Cook, stirring constantly until all the meat is browned. Add the remaining stock, mushrooms, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and the mace, if using. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Take the flour and butter paste from the freezer and add it in tiny pieces to the pan. Stir constantly until all of the flour has dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly, cooking for approximately 5 mins.
Assemble & Bake the Shepherd’s Pie:
Place the venison mixture in an 8 by 8 by 3-inch deep ovenproof dish and cover it with the mashed potatoes. Fluff up the surface of the potatoes with a fork and season again with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the surface is crisp and browned. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Fish Casserole
Ingredients:
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 lbs. white fish fillet (Tilapia, cod, bass, grouper, haddock, catfish, snapper)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dry thyme, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Pinch nutmeg
¾ cup dry white wine
2 slices bread, crusts removed preferably sourdough or multi-grain
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Directions:
Grease 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with softened butter. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange fish fillet in the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often (adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water if necessary to prevent the onion from darkening too much) until the onion softens and starts to brown, 6 to 9 minutes. Stir in thyme and nutmeg. Spread the onion mixture over the fish. Pour wine into the casserole dish.
Pulse bread in food processor until coarse crumbs. Drizzle on the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and add paprika and garlic powder. Process to combine until the bread is evenly red and moist. Sprinkle crumbs over the onion.
Top the casserole with the cheese and place in the oven. Bake until the fish is cooked through and the crumbs are browned, 18 to 22 minutes. Serve warm.
Brazilian Fish Stew
Ingredients:
Soup:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish, or cod, rinsed in cold water, pin bones removed, cut into large portions
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped spring onion, or 1 medium yellow onion, chopped or sliced
1/4 cup green onion greens, chopped
1/2 yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, chopped (or sliced)
2 cups chopped (or sliced) tomatoes
1 tablespoon paprika (Hungarian sweet)
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped with some set aside for garnish
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
Rice:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white rice
1 3/4 cups boiling water (check your rice package for the appropriate ratio of liquid to rice for the type of rice you are using)
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Coat fish with garlic and lime juice. Place fish pieces in a bowl, add the minced garlic and lime juice so that the pieces are well coated. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper.
If you are planning on serving the soup with rice, start on the rice.
Bring a couple cups of water to a boil. Heat one Tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium high heat. Add the chopped 1/2 onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the raw white rice and stir to coat completely with the oil, onions, and garlic.
Add the boiling water. (The amount depends on your brand of rice, check the package. If no amounts are given, add 1 3/4 cup of water for every cup of rice.) Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt.
Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes, after which, remove from heat until ready to serve with the soup.
Start cooking the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion greens
In a large covered pan (such as a Dutch oven), coat the bottom with about 2 Tbsp of olive oil and heat on medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and cook a few minutes until softened. Add the bell pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. (At least a teaspoon of salt.) Cook for a few minutes longer, until the bell pepper begins to soften. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and onion greens. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
Layer vegetables with fish, add coconut milk. Use a large spoon to remove about half of the vegetables (you’ll put them right back in). Spread the remaining vegetables over the bottom of the pan to create a bed for the fish. Arrange the fish pieces on the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then add back the previously removed vegetables, covering the fish. Pour coconut milk over the fish and vegetables.
Bring soup to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may need to add more salt (likely), lime or lemon juice, paprika, pepper, or chili flakes to get the soup to the desired seasoning for your taste.Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice or with crusty bread.
