Ocean Trout with Squid Ink Pasta and Soy-Chili Dressing

This is one of our very favorite recipes.  Feel free to substitute salmon for ocean trout if you can’t find it.  Also – fresh spinach fettucini makes a good substitute for squid ink pasta as it is hard to find in most stores.

Original Recipe:

500g squid-ink pasta
Olive Oil
4 Ocean Trout fillets (about 200g each), skinned
8 Green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

Soy-Chilli Dressing:

1/4 Cup soy sauce
2 fresh small chillies, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons grated ginger
3 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
2 Tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro)
1 cup olive oil

For dressing, combine ingredients and mix well. Cook past until al dente. Drain and stir in one third of the dressing. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and pan fry fish until tender. Serve pasta topped with fish and green onion, with remaining dressing spooned over.

Mikey’s Variation:

I find the soy-chilli dressing a bit “in your face” if you follow the recipe directly. To soften it a bit, I combine the garlic, ginger, and chillies with some of the olive oil, and GENTLY cook in a prying pan until light brown. This takes the bite out and gives a more mellow flavour. The coriander should be added in when the sauce cools to luke
warm.

Barbeque Pink Snapper with Olive and Anchovy Sauce

2 x whole pink snappers
1 clove garlic
4 anchovy fillets
200g pitted olives
200ml extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 bunch thyme
salt and pepper

Turn your barbecue hot plate onto high. Rub your fish with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Combine olives, anchovies, zest, juice, thyme and olive oil into a blender. Put your fish on the barbecue and cook until the skin is crispy – then flip over. Serve on a plate with the sauce drizzled over the top.

BBQ Blue Swimmer Crab

Courtesy of Suzanne Kerwan

8 Blue swimmer crabs
1/2 Bunch mint, torn
1/2 bunch coriander (cilantro), chopped
1 small knob fresh ginger, grated
2 small Thai chilies, finely sliced
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
2 limes juiced and zested
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp palm sugar, shaved
lime wedges to serve

Clean crabs, cut into quarters and crack claws.  Place in a large bowl and add half of the mint and coriander leaves.  Combine ginger, chili, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, fish sauce and palm sugar in a small bowl and stir to combine.  Pour over the crabs and toss gently to coat.

Cook crabs on a preheated hot BBQ, turning over regularly for 5-8 mins or just cooked through.  Pour any remaining marinade over crabs, sprinkle remaining mint and coriander leaves.  Serve with lime wedges and lots of napkins

This is a great, simple BBQ dish. Reall goes well with Grilled Potato Salad with Radicchio and a Sherry Vinaigrette

 CHICKEN

 1 tbs coriander seeds
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
3 tbs mild paprika
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
8 large chicken breast halves with skin and bones

SAUCE

1/3cup Sherry wine vinegar
3 tbs Dijon mustard
2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives (about 2 large bunches)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

CHICKEN:

Combine coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and fennel seeds in spice mill; grind finely. Transfer spices to small bowl; whisk in paprika, pepper, and 2 teaspoons salt. Sprinkle chicken lightly on both sides with salt, then generously with all of spice mixture. Arrange chicken on rimmed baking sheet. Let stand 1 hour or cover and chill up to 1 day.

SAUCE:

Whisk vinegar and mustard in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in chives and tarragon; season with salt and pepper.  Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill chicken, skin side down, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken over. Cover barbecue and grill until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Spoon some sauce in center of each plate; top with chicken. Spoon more sauce over chicken. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately

This is my favorite way to have a tender, great tasting cheap cut of steak.

 Marinade:

 1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, washed and cut in 1/2
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, palm sugar or Mexican brown sugar
Around 2 pounds of inside Skirt steak

Directions:

Put all ingredients of marinade into blender. Blend smooth. Marinate steak in marinade in zip lock bag for 1 hour minimum. BBQ (preferably over charcoal or wood). I prefer the palm sugar for this (Asian grocery store).

Super healthy and great tasting.

Cauliflowerpuree

2 tbsp butter
1 cauliflower, florettes only (remove stalks), finely sliced
1 litre (2 pints) milk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

50 ml (172 t1 oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
4 tilapia, barramundi, rainbow trout or other white fish fillets
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp pine nuts
4 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks4
tbsp currants, marinated in a little port
12 basil leaves, sliced finely sliced

Preheat the oven to 150C (350F).  For the cauliflower puree melt the butter in a large, shallow pan. Add the cauliflower and cook over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Just cover the cauliflower with milk (you may not need to use the whole litre) and simmer gently until tender. Drain, puree and season.

 Meanwhile, for the fish –  Heat the oil in a frying pan. Season the fish and cook on one side until golden brown, flip over to colour the other side, then transfer to an ovenproof dish and finish off in the oven for 4-5 minutes. While the fish is cooking through, add the pine nuts to the pan and stir until lightly toasted. Add the zucchini and currants and stir for a couple of minutes, then throw in the basil. Season.

 To serve, spoon some puree on to the plates in a round shape, place the barramundi on top, then the zucchini mixture on top of the fish. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin

olive oil.

The list of meat and seafood is a suggestion.  The more you add as a medley, the better things will taste.  The heat comes from Chorizo, so adjust the portions of Chorizo and other types of sausage to your taste.  With the seafood, just remember that is cooks faster, so add it at the same time as the shrimp.

Seafood

1-2lbs uncooked shrimp (21/25 count)
1 dozen mussels (optional)

Meat

8 ounces chorizo sausage OR 8 ounces andouille sausage (less heat)
1 lb pork sausage
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, quartered

Other Stuff

8-9 garlic cloves finely chopped
3 red bell peppers
1 onion chopped
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained and minced
2 cups Arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbs parsley chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat Oven to 350F.  Toss shrimp in salt pepper 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp garlic, cover and set aside.  Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat 2 tbs oil in dutch oven over med heat.  Saute peppers until skin begins to blister. Remove and set aside.

Brown chicken thighs in olive oil in batches and set aside in a bowl.  Brown chorizo or andouille sausage until fat begins to render, set aside.  Brown additional non-seafood meats and set aside.

Add olive oil to dutch oven, and cook onion over med heat until translucent, stirring often with a wooden spoon to pick up the brown bits.  Add the garlic for 2 mins.  Stir in the tomatoes until mixture starts to brown and thicken, making sure to continue scraping all of the brown bits off of the bottom with a wooden spoon.  Add the rice and stir until well coated.  Add the stock, wine, saffron, bay, and 1/2 tsp salt, non-seafood meats to the pot, turn to high and bring to a boil.  Cover pot and place in oven for 15-25 minutes until rice is almost absorbed (check after 15 minutes.  Cooking time depends on how much additional “stuff” you add to the mixture).

Take pot out, and scatter shrimp, peppers, mussels, peas over the top.  Return to oven and cook until shrimp are cooked through (10-15 minutes).

Optional: Put pot over med-high heat for 4 minutes turning after 2 mins to brown the bottom of the rice (this is call soccarat)

Let paella stand for 5 minutes.  Remove unopened mussels.  Scatter parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges.

Submitted by Berit Collings…..

In a big bowl mix

1/3 cup of breadcrumbs
1 egg
milk, cream or water around 1/8 cup
1/3 soy sauce
little chilli sauce
Dash of Tabasco
1 onion & parsley finely chopped
salt, pepper
Add 1 1/2 – 2 lbs of beef minced meat
1/2 pork

Mix all well fry one meatball in a frying pan to taste, the rest roll and bake in oven at 375 for 20 min. I make different meatballs just about every time I make them. I have taken some onion soup powder instead of an onion, Garlic salt, part mushroom soy and regular soy, Heinz chilli sauce and ketchup. Do what you think will taste good

With comments, and capital letters from Mom Soganich

2 SOFT CABBAGES- CUT OUT THE CORE AND BOIL WITH ABOUT A CUP OF VINEGAR IN THE WATER SO THAT THE CABBAGE IS WORKABLE AND DOESN’T DISINTEGRATE. I USUALLY BOIL IT ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO START AND THEN PEEL OFF THE CABBAGE LEAVES. IF THE HEAD IS LARGE THEN I NEED TO BOIL THE REST A LITTLE LONGER.

1 LB. PORK HAMBURG 1 LB. BEEF HAMBURG 1 LB. BACON 1 LB. RICE LONG GRAIN . 1 ONION CHOPPED

1.CUT BACON INTO SMALL PIECES. FRY IN FRYING PAN AND ADD THE ONIONS UNTIL THE BACON IS STILL SOFT BUT COOKED . DRAIN OFF THE BACON GREASE. (MEL LIKES TO LEAVE THE BACON GREASE BUT I DON’T)

2. PUT THE POUND OF LONG GRAIN RICE OR ABOUT 2 TO 3 CUPS OF UNCOOKED LONG GRAIN RICE IN A POT. ADD WATER TO COVER WITH AN INCH OR TWO OF WATER ABOVE THE RICE. BOIL FOR TWO MINUTES. LEAVE LIQUID IN THE RICE. THIS JUST STARTS THE RICE ABSORBING LIQUIDS.

3. ADD ALL INGREDIENTS EXCEPT THE CABBAGE IN A BOWL. THAT IS YOUR FILLING. YOU CAN ADD SALT AND PEPPER IF YOU LIKE.

4. PUT FILLING IN CABBAGE LEAVES AND ROLL AND TUCK IN THE ENDS OF THE CABBAGE. IF YOU HAVE AN ENAMEL ROASTER THEN PUT SOME CABBAGE PIECES ON THE BOTTOM SO THAT THE CABBAGE ROLLS DON’T BURN. I LIKE A HEAVY ALUMINUM OR STAINLESS STEEL ROASTER AS THEY DON’T BURN IN THEM. POUR TOMATO JUICE OVER CABBAGE ROLLS. ADD EQUAL AMOUNTS OF WATER. BAKE AT 325 FOR 2 TO 3 HOURS. ENJOY

6 lg green shallots/1 onion
1-2 cans tomatoes
1 lg head cabbage
salt pepper curry powder
parsley
tomato paste to thicken
6 carrots
2 gr peppers
1 bunch celery
1 pkt vegetable soup or stock cubes
2 cans gr beans

cut vegetables in small to medium pieces and cover with water, add spices
boil fast for 10 mins and then simmer till tender

Day 1 All fruits, as much as you want, except bananas. All the soup you want. Drinks – unsweetened tea, cranberry juice and water

Day 2 All vegetables, focus on leafy veggies and avoid dry beans, peas and corn and the more root vegetable you can avoid the better. For dinner, you can have a big baked potato with butter. ‘

Day 3 Eat as much soup, fruits and vegetables as you want, no potatoes.

Day 4 Eat as many as 3 bananas and as much skim milk as you want. All the soup you want.

Day 5 10-20 oz beef or chicken and a tin of tomatoes (or 6 fresh tomatoes) and all the soup you want.

Day 6 Beef and vegetables, as much as you want, and all the soup you want.

Day 7 Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juice and vegetables and all the soup you want