While at Costco a week or so ago, I bought a bag of shelled pistachios as I was making a few desserts that required them, then I thought why not use the trout fillets we have on hand as well. We did and they were delicious.
- 6 trout fillets, skin removed, bones as well
- 3 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup coarsely ground pistachios (toasted)
- green beans, steamed
- white rice
- lime wedges
Place the trout on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the mustard over the tops and sprinkle liberally with the nuts, pressing to make sure they adhere.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for about 13-14 minutes or until the fillets flake easily.
Place a fillet on each plate, add white rice, a lime wedge and, of course, beautiful steamed green beans, sprinkled with some pistachios.
Serve with warm dinner rolls and a glass of chilled white wine. Yippee!
Scallops, Shrimp and Chicken In A Basket
I know, after 6 weeks or so of the ‘same old, same old’ meals, give this one a go. It is quite easy and certainly delicious. No one will mind being safe at home.
- 3/4 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut in 2 inch lengths
- 1/2 lb. scallops and shrimp
- 1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 egg white, beaten
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp. cooking oil
- 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp. water
Bring a saucepan with water to a boil and add the asparagus, cooking until tender (about 2 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Cut the seafood and chicken into 1/2 inch cubes, dredge with the cornstarch, egg white and salt and pepper.
Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add ginger and cook, stirring for 10 seconds. Add the seafood and chicken and stir fry for about a minute, Add the broth, sauces and bring t a boil. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring until it thickens. Add the asparagus and toss to mix.
Special Basket
- 2 x 6 inch metal strainers
- cooking oil
- 1 large potato, peeled and shredded
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- pinch of fennel seeds
Heat cooking oil in a wok used for deep frying to 30 F degrees. Rinse the shredded potato under cold water and squeeze to remove as much of the water as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel. Toss the potato with cornstarch.
Dip the strainers into the oil to coat them. Line one strainer with potato to about 1/4 inch thickness. Nest the second strainer on top and immerse them into the oil. Deep fry until golden brown. Remove from the strainers and drain on paper towels.
Fill immediately with the seafood and serve with a beautiful green salad and, of course, a glass of your favourite beverage.
ENJOY.
Trout En Papillote ( in parchment)
I love trout and this is such a quick and easy dinner to prepare, I thought you would like it and trust you make it quite often.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and make sure the rack is in the center. Tear off 4 large pieces of parchment. It should be large enough to double wrap the bundles.
- 3 tbsp.butter, room temperature
- 2 tbsp. of minced dill and parsley (both of these herbs or one only) your choice.
- zest of 2 limes
- 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
- pinch of salt
- 4 skinless trout fillets
- 12 spears of asparagus, washed and cleaned
- 2 tbsp. drained capers
- 8 thin slices of lime
- salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl combine the butter, minced herbs, zest and juice. Mix really well and set aside.
In the center of each parchment paper, set a trout fillet, place 3 slices of asparagus against the side of the fillet. Top the fillet with 1/4 of the capers, 2 slices of lime. Top each with a quarter of the butter mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Pull the sides of the paper up and matching the ends, fold over and over until it rests tightly on the fillet, Twist the remaining ends and tuck under the fillet. Make sure it is well sealed so you don’t lose any steam.
On a baking dish place the bundles and set on the center rack in the oven. Start cooking for 12 minutes. Then adjust according to the size and thickness of the fillet. Do not overcook. It should flake easily. To test this, gently unwrap one of the bundles. The internal temperature should be around 140 degrees.
Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. Place on dinner plates and let your guests CAREFULLY open each bundle and take in the wonderful smells that will be released. Simply remove the paper and discard. Add a beautiful crisp salad, warm dinner roll and a glass of your favourite white wine.
Life doesn’t get much better than this.
Shrimp Creole-New Orleans Style
When we were at the New Orleans School of Cooking, this was the second dish our Chef, Pat, made for us. It was delish for sure.
- 3 lbs. peeled shrimp
- 1 stick butter (1/4 lb.)
- 1/2 c. flour
- 1 – 16 oz. can tomato sauce (canned, crushed or diced)
- *1 cup onions, chopped
- *1 cup celery
- *1 cup green pepper, chopped
- 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp. dark brown sugar or best is Steen’s Cane Syrup
- 4 thin lemon slices
- 1/2 tsp. basil
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 6 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup green onion, chopped (only is you must)
- crab boil to taste
Melt butter and slowly add the flour stirring over medium heat until lightly browned. It should only be the colour of peanut butter, no darker. Remember this is a light roux.
Add the onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Saute the vegetables until they begin to turn transparent.
Add the stock, tomato sauce, bay leaves, brown sugar or syrup, lemon slices, Joe’s Stuff, basil and thyme. Simmer all this for about 15 minutes.
Add the parsley and shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve over rice.
This will make enough for 8-10 people.
Note: The three items with a * are called the trinity in cooking terms.
Trout With Peaches, Pistachios and Ricotta
In case you haven’t figured me out yet, I really love trout so here is a delish recipe to make.
- 4 trout fillets
- Olive Oil for coating
- pinch of coarse salt and lemon pepper
- 4 peaches, ripe and peeled,
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- toasted pistachios for garnish, finely chopped
Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel then lightly massage each one (both sides) with the olive oil. Sprinkle each one with a pinch of salt and lemon pepper. Turn the barbecue on to a medium heat.
Place the fish on the grill, skin side down. Add the peaches, cut side up and drizzle with honey. Close the lid and cook for the fish for about 4-5 minutes until the fish is opaque through. When this is done, the peaches should be caramelized. If they are not, remove the fish from the grill, cover with foil to keep warm and cook the peaches a little longer. As you plate, quarter the peaches and sprinkle with the cheese and nuts.
To serve, plate the fish, add a crisp garden variety salad, warm rolls. It doesn’t get any better.
Fabulous Trout Baked Easy
After major surgery two months ago but still in recovering mode, this is my first recipe, and hopefully now I can get back at it.
Don made this last night and it is easy to do, fabulous tasting and will make dinner for 4 or two dinners for two.
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 3 tbsp. white vinegar
- 1 tbsp. grainy mustard
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 500g fillet Trout, skin on
- 8-10 asparagus spears, peeled
- 2-2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup olives (your choice)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dressing
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, save 1/4 cup.
Preparation
Arrange the Trout, skin side down, on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Around the fillet, arrange the tomatoes, asparagus, olives and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Mix these together to coat and bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes. Vegetables should be cooked tender (not mushy) and the fish should flake easily.
Divide equally on dinner plates and serve with a green salad.
There! I told you it was easy to do. Try it and I am sure you will make it one of your very favourite meals.
Trout With Roasted Vegetables
I love the flavours of roasted vegetables and these are wonderful. It takes a little ‘cheat’ time but you will find it so worth it.
- 3-4 small beets, washed
- 8-10 baby potatoes, washed
- 3 medium carrots, washed and peeled
- 1 small turnip, peeled
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 2 lbs. trout fillet
- salt and pepper
- olive oil for brushing on vegetables
- 2-3 limes, zested and cut into wedges. Set aside. Squeeze juice from 1 lime and set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Brush the beets, carrots and turnip with olive oil and place on prepared sheet. Bake in a 375 oven until cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool down enough to peel the beets and cube.
Leave the baby potatoes whole and cut the carrots into 1 inch pieces. Trim the asparagus and cut into 2 inch pieces. Brush with olive oil and now place with all the other vegetables on a clean parchment lined baking sheet and set the trout in the middle on the pan, skin side down. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pep.per over all
Sprinkle 2 tsp. oil across the trout and sprinkle 2 tsp. of lime zest on top. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes, just until the trout begins to flake.
Plate equally on 4 dinner plates, add the vegetables around the fillet pieces and drizzle the lime zest over the fish.
The only things needed now are warm dinner rolls, chilled salad and a glass of wine.
Yippee! Dinner is served
Panko Crusted Halibut With Garlic Shrimp
Halibut is a wonderful tasting fish and when you combine it with the garlic shrimp, you have a dish worth making. Give it a try.
- 4 – 6 oz. Halibut fillets, skin removed
- 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 3 limes, juiced and divided, 2 zested and divided
- salt and pepper
- 4 tsp. mayonnaise
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 tbsp. grated Asiago Cheese
- 2 tbsp. minced shallot
- 3 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped dill
- 4 tbsp. melted butter, divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 14 large shrimp, shells and heads removed
- 2 tbsp. dry white wine
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a baking sheet, line with tin foil and place a baking rack on top, making sure to spray with Pam.
Drizzle one half of the oil and lime juice on the halibut and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mayonnaise on the top of each fillet and set on the rack.
Now in a mixing bowl add half the lime zest, all the bread crumbs, Asiago cheese, shallot, chives and half the parsley, dill and butter. Press the mixture evenly on the fish and bake for 15 minutes, until flaky.
Heat a frying pan and add the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the shrimp and herbs, remaining lime zest and juice as well as the wine. Saute only until pink and just opaque.
To plate: place the halibut on each plate and top with the shrimp. If any sauce left in the pan, spoon over the fish.
Roasted Trout with Ginger
I love Trout, so this is a win-win for me. Try it or change it out for salmon, if you prefer it.
- 6 trout fillets, 4-5 ounces each
- 6 ounces fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. (not an error)
Peel and cut ginger as thinly as you can then julienne and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet and cook the trout until golden brown and turn over to brown the other side. Transfer this to the oven and cook each side for 2 minutes each.
Combine the coconut and sesame oils and heat until really hot. Remove the fillets from the skillet and lay out the ginger on top. Ladle a tbsp. of the hot oil over to cook the ginger and serve with rice and a nice cold salad. This is really a yummy dinner.
Elegant Seafood Casserole For Company
If you are like us, we are always looking for different ways to impress guests at dinner and this is definitely one of them. It looks fussy to make (but not) and the flavours of this dish are really and truly awesome.
You will need:
- 2 tbsp. butter, melted
- 1 pound of mushrooms, sliced thin
- 6 tbsp. butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 – 10 oz. can chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1 lb. lump crabmeat
- 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
- 1 lb. bay scallops, poached 3 – 3 1/2 minutes, drain well
- 1 cup buttered panko crumbs
- 8-10 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley, fine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute mushrooms in 2 tbsp. of melted butter. Drain and set aside.
In a medium skillet, melt 6 tbsp. butter and whisk in the flour, making a smooth roux. Add the broth and cream slowly, whisking all the while and cook until thickened.
Carefully combine the crabmeat, shrimp and scallops. In a 3 qt. casserole alternate layers of the seafood and mushrooms. Pour sauce over the layers, letting it seep to the bottom. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Top with the panko crumbs and sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Bake for 28-30 minutes or until bubbly. Just before serving, sprinkle the parsley over the top. Serve with a cold salad, lime slices and either rice or buttered noodles and a glass of chilled white wine.
Sweet and Spicy Trout Fillets
I love trout over salmon as I find it a more delicate flavour. If you are having company over for dinner, this will serve 4.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped ginger
- 1/4 cup wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
- 2 lbs. trout fillets
- 1 small lime, quartered for garnish
In a saucepan, sauté the shallots in butter until softened. Add the balance of the ingredients (except the trout) and continue stirring until well combined.
Prepare your barbecue or grill plate to medium heat. Baste the trout with the sauce and grill for 8-10 minutes. Baste often with the sauce.
Remove from the grill and serve immediately with buttered noodles and lime slices.
Classic Belgian Mussels
At breakfast we were taking about the different places we have been to and Don recalled, with a gleam in his eye, about the mussels he had (many times) in Belgium. This is what everyone drooled over while consuming them.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 small shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 lbs. mussels, scrubbed and debearded. Be sure to discard any that remain open when tapped
- 1 1/2 cups Belgian beer
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup crème fraiche
- 3 sprigs flat leaf parsley. Stems removed and chopped
- 1 baguette, sliced
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme and sweat until the shallots are translucent.
Add the mussels, beer and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Make sure the lid is tight.
Remove the lid and add the crème fraiche. Cover again and cook for no longer than 4 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
Stir in the parsley and taste the broth. If needed, add a pinch more salt and pepper. Mussels release a salty brine naturally.
Serve in a 4 large bowls with sliced baguettes on the side for dipping.
Enjoy!
If you really want to do it up the European way, make your own thinly sliced French fries. Cook them twice. This way they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Together: heaven or as one lady we were watching looked like, the angels were singing to her with each bite.