Haddock Fish Cakes and Tartar Sauce (more traditional than previous post!)

• 1 lb fresh haddock
• 3/4 cup mashed potato
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 carrot, minced
• 1/2 celery stalk, minced
• whole lemon - 1/2 lemon for juice and zest, the other half for slices in poaching liquid
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 eggs, beaten (separated)
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup crushed corn flakes
• olive oil
• canola oil
• butter
• 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 1/4 c finely minced dill pickles
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill (optional)
• 1/8 tsp horseradish
• salt and pepper to taste

For tartar sauce - mix mayonnaise, pickles, horseradish, a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper in a bowl and put in the refrigerator.

In a frying pan, bring about 1 inch of water and a squeeze of lemon juice, and a few slices of lemon, to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium.  Place the rinsed fresh haddock in the water and poach about 4 minutes, until haddock breaks apart easily.

Drain well and let cool until it can be handled.  Mix mashed potato with green onion, parsley, lemon zest, dijon mustard, egg, salt, and pepper. Gently fold in the haddock - you want the haddock to stay in big flakes.  Carefully mold cakes, about 3 inches in diameter and about one inch thick.  Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and place in fridge for at least 2 hours - preferably overnight.  You can also freeze at this stage and bring out when you're ready.

Take 3 plates, put whole wheat flour on one, two beaten eggs on the second, and the breadcrumbs on the third.  Dredge each fish cake in each, coating all sides, finishing with the bread crumbs.  (flour, then egg, then crumbs)


When all fish cakes are coated in flour, egg, and crushed corn flake crumbs, cover the bottom of your skillet with a mix of canola and olive oil, with a dollop of butter.  (mostly canola because it has a higher smoke point).  Heat to med-high heat, NOT smoking!   If it starts to smoke - dump it out and start again - the smoking/burned oil will ruin the fish cakes.

Cook each fish cake - 4 or 5 at at a time, in the hot oil, turning only once, about 3 or 4 minutes a side.  Don't over crowd the pan because it takes the heat down too low and you want a crispy exterior!  You can keep the cooked fishcakes warm in the oven, about 180 degree, while you cook the rest.

Honey Garlic Chicken on Toasted Basmati Rice

2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, trimmed)
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/8 c honey
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 good pinches cayenne pepper
1/2 c heavy cream
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
2 green onions, finely sliced

1 cup basmati rice
2 cups sodium free chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts on both sides.  Heat an oven proof non-stick skillet on medium high heat.  When heated, add the butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  When melted and hot, add the chicken breasts and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes each side.  Put the honey, garlic, and cayenne in the microwave and heat through.  Drizzle on the chicken breasts, and move chicken breasts around to coat them in the honey mixture.  Put the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes, turning once at 10 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, toast the rice in the remaining Tbsp of olive oil on medium high heat.  When aromatic and browned, add the chicken stock, cover, and simmer 12 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until the chicken is ready.

When chicken has cooked 20 minutes, remove from the oven, place the chicken on a cutting board, and place the skillet on the burner on medium high heat.  Add the cream and bring to a simmer.  While the cream is heating, slice the chicken on the cutting board.  Salt and pepper the cream mixture, and add the parsley and green onions.

Arrange the cooked rice on the plate, arrange the sliced chicken, and drizzle with the cream sauce.  Serve immediately.

Grilled Vegetable Frittata

 

• 8 eggs
• 1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp dijon mustard 
• 1/3 c balsamic vinegar
• 1 small zucchini (sliced 1/2 inch thick, lengthwise)
• 1 yellow onion (sliced 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 red pepper (seeded and cut in 3 or 4 large pieces)
• 6 large mushrooms
• 1/3 c good balsamic vinegar
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella
• olive oil (small drizzle)
• salt and pepper to taste   

 Preheat the oven to 375.

Drizzle balsamic vinegar on vegetables and season with pepper.  Set BBQ on medium high heat and grill vegetables until charred but still firm.  Remove from grill and let cool.  When cool, dice the grilled vegetables into uniform pieces - a small dice.

I always grill a whole bunch of veggies - include asparagus, yellow zucchini, jalapenos, any of your favorites.  Once cooled they can keep in the fridge all week and you can use them in salads (see the roasted corn and black bean salad) or just re-heat in the microwave quickly, so they don't get soggy, and drizzle with good olive oil and a sprinkle of feta.  

Spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray or a small drizzle of olive oil.  Place a non stick frying pan on a medium heat, and add the grilled vegetables, enough to cover the bottom of the non stick pan.  Beat eggs, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and parsley.  Add the egg mixture to the grilled vegetables.  Slice the mozzarella and place it on the top of the mixture.  Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.  (until set). 

Slide the Frittata onto a plate to serve.

Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad

• 1 small zucchini (sliced 1/2 inch thick, lengthwise)
• 1 yellow onion (sliced 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 red pepper (seeded and cut in 3 or 4 large pieces)
• 1/3 c good balsamic vinegar
• 2 ears of corn, husked
•  (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded) optional
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeeze lemon juice (about the amount of juice from 1/2 lemon)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or you can substitute white wine vinegar)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 avocado

Method

Make sure to rinse and drain the beans, if you are using canned beans.

Drizzle balsamic vinegar on vegetables and season with pepper.  Set BBQ on medium high heat and grill corn, onion, zucchini, red pepper.  Grill until charred but still firm.  Remove from grill and let cool.  When cool, cut the corn off the cobs, and dice the grilled vegetables into uniform pieces - about the size of corn kernels and black beans.


In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, grilled vegetables, jalapeno peppers, green onion, parsley,  lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving - it's better the next day.

Just before serving, dice the avocado - about the same size as the black beans and corn kernels - and toss into the salad.  You can also toss in about a cup of your favorite leafy green just before serving - arugula, red leaf lettuce, baby spinach.

Serves 6 to 8.

Roasted Pepper and Parmesean Soup

1 TBSP olive oil
1 large carrot, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups sodium free chicken stock (or vegetable stock, if you prefer)
3 bell peppers (a red, a yellow, an orange - or your favorite combination)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Dash of Frank's Red Hot (optional) 
parmesan shavings (done with a carrot peeler, for garnish)
salt and pepper to taste

Place whole peppers on BBQ grill on high heat.  Char well on all sides.  If you don't have a grill available, you can broil them on all sides.  They should be black on all sides.  Place immediately in a ziploc bag and seal tightly, or place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, and leave peppers until cool, about 30 minutes.

While peppers are cooling, saute garlic, onion, and carrot on medium heat in heavy dutch oven.  Add stock and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Remove peppers from plastic wrap and remove the charred skin, core, and seeds.  Be careful to do this over a bowl so you don't lose the juice.  Roughly chop the peppers and add them to the simmering stock and vegetables.  Puree carefully with an immersion blender.  Adjust thickness to your liking with chicken stock.

Add grated parmesan, Frank's Red Hot (if desired), salt and pepper to taste, and heat thoroughly.

Ladle soup into heated bowls and garnish with parmesan shavings and a drizzle of olive oil.